Mississippi State’s defense is staring straight at the biggest headache on Alabama’s roster, and his name is Keelon Russell.
Jeff Lebby knows the Bulldogs are in for a long night trying to slow down a Crimson Tide passing game that has been humming along all season. Alabama is averaging 283 yards per game through the air, which ranks No. 27 in the FBS, and the results have been crisp: seven touchdowns and no turnovers.
That efficiency starts with Russell, the former 5-star quarterback prospect who has settled in as one of college football’s rising stars. Working in Ryan Grubb’s offense, Alabama is throwing on more than 41% of its plays, and Russell has made the most of those chances. He has completed nearly 71% of his passes for 1,129 yards, eight touchdowns and two interceptions.
“They’re throwing the ball in a really high clip. (Russell) has great anticipation, been incredibly accurate,” Lebby said. “They’ve taken care of the football, they’ve got a lot of different weapons, they’re good at running back as well."
That last part matters, because Alabama isn’t asking Russell to do everything himself. Daniel HIll has led the Tide’s running backs with 225 yards and four touchdowns, while Russell has added another layer with his legs, piling up 168 rushing yards and three more scores at 5.3 yards per carry.
The ground game also has a pair of freshmen making noise early. EJ Crowell and Trae'shawn Brown have combined for 51 carries, 300 yards and six touchdowns, giving Alabama a deeper rotation than just one featured runner. Under DeBoer, the Tide’s rushing attack has struggled since 2024, but this year’s offense looks more balanced than it did in his first two seasons.
Lebby said Russell is already showing the kind of poise that separates a young quarterback from the pack.
"So you see a guy that is really playing well beyond his years right now, and he looks very calm, in complete command. For us, we’ve got to get him off the spot. We’ve got to do a great job of taking air out of it on the back end and making the plays."
Mississippi State does have some numbers it can lean on. The Bulldogs have been solid against the run, allowing just over 104 yards per game on the ground, which ranks No. 36 in the FBS, and they’ve surrendered only one rushing touchdown all season.
Still, Lebby made it clear that the challenge goes beyond just holding up at the line of scrimmage.
“We’re gonna have to move [Russell] of the spot and do a great job tackling," Lebby said. "That’s gonna be a huge piece of it.
He has played really well, he’s been incredibly productive. There’s been explosive plays, he’s got great talent around him, so for us it’s gonna be about applying pressure, getting our fans involved and excited about what’s going on in between the white lines.”
In Other News...
Mississippi State Just Got Another GameDay Reminder Fans Will Hate
Mississippi State fans who were hoping for another early-season College GameDay stop in SEC country got a fresh reminder this week that the shows 2026 travel plans are already tilting elsewhere. ESPN announced that Week 5 will be in Iowa City, with host Rece Davis pointing to Iowas win over Michigan as part of what pushed the production toward the Hawkeyes, setting up a top-15 showdown with Ohio State.
The choice matters because the first four GameDay shows of the season were all held at SEC campuses, a run that fit the leagues usual pull on the pregame spotlight. Now the road show is heading to Big Ten territory, and for Mississippi State fans watching from the outside, its another example of how quickly the national stage can move on when a different conference starts producing the bigger scene. [Read more 🡒]
Mississippi State Finally Gets Its Chance To Prove This Start Is Real
Mississippi State has spent the early stretch of the season turning heads, and the latest sign of real progress came with a result the program had not managed in 12 years: a ranked-vs.-ranked win over No. 19 Missouri. That victory pushed the Bulldogs up to No. 16 and gave the season a little more credibility around Starkville, where the challenge now is no longer proving they can win the big one but showing they can keep doing it.
Next up is a far more revealing test, as Mississippi State heads into a Southeastern Conference matchup with No. 7 Alabama in a meeting of undefeated teams. The spotlight will be on the quarterbacks, with Keelon Russell driving the Crimson Tide and Kamario Taylor helping lead the Bulldogs, and the game should tell plenty about how far Mississippi State has really come. [Read more 🡒]
Kamario Taylor Brings Real Heisman Buzz Into Mississippi State's Alabama Test
Mississippi State heads into its Alabama matchup with something more than momentum to monitor after ESPNs Bill Connelly put Kamario Taylor sixth on his Week 4 Heisman winners list. Taylor has shown up on the list every week this season, a sign that his early work has carried real national weight even as the Bulldogs prepare for one of their toughest tests of the year.
The SEC made a strong showing in the top 10, with four league players included, led by Texas edge rusher Colin Simmons and Alabama quarterback Keelon Russell near the top. For Mississippi State, Taylors place on that list adds another layer to a game already packed with intrigue, since the Bulldogs are about to see Russell and Alabama on the same field this weekend. [Read more 🡒]