No. 8 Alabama is 3-0 and already has shown a knack for digging out of holes, but the Crimson Tide are about to find out how that plays when the SEC schedule keeps tightening.
South Carolina comes to Tuscaloosa, Ala., on Saturday for Alabama’s first conference home game, and both teams are carrying some unfinished business into it. Alabama is coming off a 50-36 win over Florida State, a game it turned around with 20 unanswered points in the final 2:36 of the first half, even with a lightning delay in the middle of the surge. A week earlier, the Tide erased a slow start against Kentucky by outscoring the Wildcats 32-0 after halftime in a 45-17 win.
“Our team's showing that they got each other's backs,” Alabama coach Kalen DeBoer said of his group's response to its recent slow starts. “We've seen that now multiple times with adversity asked of our football team. Proud of that part.”
The latest comeback also gave quarterback Keelon Russell the best outing of his young career. He completed 23 of 30 passes for 320 yards and accounted for four total touchdowns against Florida State.
Alabama’s defense, though, is still looking for a cleaner showing. Crimson Tide defensive coordinator Kane Wommack called the pass defense against the Seminoles “highly disappointing and uncharacteristic” after Florida State piled up 377 yards through the air and hit three completions of 40-plus yards.
“They were all either fundamental execution errors or guys simply not doing what is asked of them within the structure of the defense,” Wommack said after evaluating the film.
“I have great confidence in our players. I have great confidence in our coaches. We are in this together to get those things cleaned up, and I would imagine we will get those things fixed quickly.”
South Carolina arrives at 2-1 and looking for its first road win of the season after a 41-34 loss to Mississippi State in its SEC opener. The Gamecocks built a 16-0 lead and took a 23-14 edge into halftime, but they couldn’t hold it.
They actually finished with more total yardage, 431-393, yet two interceptions by LaNorris Sellers directly led to 10 Mississippi State points and swung the game the Bulldogs’ way in the second half.
South Carolina coach Shane Beamer pushed back on the idea that Sellers should carry the blame.
“We win as a team, and we lose as a team,” Beamer said Tuesday.
“Are there some throws that LaNorris would like to have back or throws that he would like to make? Yeah, absolutely,” he added, “and then there's also some plays that we made or didn't make on defense and special teams that every single person would like to have back.”
The Gamecocks are also expecting more from a couple of important pieces who just got back on the field. Star edge rusher Dylan Stewart, who had been out with a back issue, and offensive tackle Jacarrius Peak, a North Carolina State transfer who was sidelined by a knee injury, made their much-anticipated 2026 debuts last week after missing the start of the season while finishing their recoveries.
Beamer said both players should see more action this week and beyond as they “continue to ramp up what (they're) doing in practice, ramp up what (they're) doing in games.”
South Carolina is 4-13 all-time against Alabama, and its only win in Tuscaloosa came in 2004.
In Other News...
Clemson Fans Just Lost A Future Showdown They Had Circled For Years
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For fans around the Palmetto State, it is one more reminder of how quickly marquee matchups can vanish before they ever arrive. Clemson and Georgia are still looking at future possibilities, including a neutral-site game, but for now the showdown many had circled for years will not happen in its original form. [Read more 🡒]
South Carolina's QB Debate Just Got More Tense After Beamer's Stance
After South Carolinas recent loss, the quarterback conversation around LaNorris Sellers only got louder, with fans and some media calling for backup Cutter Woods to get a look. But head coach Shane Beamer pushed back on the idea of making the issue solely about the passer, stressing that the loss belonged to the whole team and not just one player. He also made clear that Sellers and Woods are both legitimate quarterbacks who continue to compete in practice.
Still, the pressure on Sellers is hard to miss after a two-interception game helped hand South Carolina its first loss of the 2026 season. Frustration has been building as the Gamecocks have struggled in recent power conference play, and every mistake now seems to feed the debate over whether a change under center is coming. For now, Beamer is keeping the door open to competition without making any immediate move, which leaves the conversation very much alive. [Read more 🡒]
Beamer Just Turned South Carolinas QB Debate Into Alabama Week Drama
Shane Beamer spent part of the week trying to steady the conversation around LaNorris Sellers, whose recent loss and uneven play have put South Carolinas quarterback situation under a brighter spotlight than usual. Beamer made clear that any decisions at the position are handled inside the program, while also putting some of the responsibility on himself and Sellers as the Gamecocks try to correct course.
With Alabama next on the schedule, the timing only adds to the intrigue. Beamer stopped short of saying whether Sellers will keep the job, leaving South Carolina with one of the more closely watched questions of the week heading into a game that already carries plenty of weight. [Read more 🡒]