South Carolina heads into Tuscaloosa short-handed for its first road test of the season, with kickoff against Alabama set for 7 p.m. at Bryant-Denny Stadium and the game scheduled for ESPN.
The SEC Student Athlete Availability Report listed Jalewis Solomon, Jayden Sellers, AJ Holloway, Josiah Thompson and Gabriel Brownlow-Dindy as out for Saturday’s matchup.
The Gamecocks’ inactive group is a long one. South Carolina’s dress list does not include Jordon Gidron, Jayden Gibson, Jalewis Solomon, Jayden Sellers, Stone Furrey, Brandon Cunningham, Josh Smith, Chris Hatfield, Jimmy Francis, Zahbari Sandy, Isaiah McClary, Upton Bellenfant, Gunnar Yocum, Neil Salvage III, A.J. Holloway, Ethan Kellum, Landon Kurtz, Kobby Sakyi-Prah, Tony Brown, KJ Johnson, Ashton Mozone, Adedamola Ajidahun, Markee Anderson, Matthew Oh, Anthony Baxter, Vincent Chen, Jake Recker, Blake Franks, Josiah Thompson, Zyon Guiles, Reno Roehm, Jackson Repp, Charly Mullaly, Caden Ramsey, Caleb Williams, Ethan Sanchez, Christian Ingram and Gabriel Brownlow-Dindy.
Alabama has controlled the all-time series, holding a 13-4 edge. The Crimson Tide have taken the last three meetings, while South Carolina’s last win in the matchup came in the 2010 upset.
The last two games between these teams have both gone down to the wire. South Carolina lost 27-25 in Tuscaloosa two seasons ago, then fell 29-22 in Columbia last year.
Alabama arrives unbeaten at 3-0 after wins over East Carolina, Kentucky and Florida State. The Crimson Tide have scored 48 points against East Carolina, 45 against Kentucky and 50 against Florida State.
South Carolina is 2-1 overall and 0-1 in SEC play after last week’s home loss to Mississippi State.
Through three games, Alabama is putting up 47.7 points per game and averaging 465.7 yards of offense, including 256 passing yards and 209.7 rushing yards per game. Defensively, the Crimson Tide are allowing 21 points per game and 280.7 total yards, with opponents averaging 227.7 passing yards and just 53 rushing yards.
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South Carolina Faces A Mood-Changing Test At Alabama
South Carolina heads into a tough road test at No. 8 Alabama with the sting of its loss to Mississippi State still hanging over the week. The matchup brings an immediate chance to change the conversation, but it also asks the Gamecocks to clean up areas that were exposed last time out, especially in a secondary that will be tested by one of the SECs most demanding offenses.
Alabama brings its own questions into the game, which is part of what makes this such a revealing spot for both teams. For South Carolina, the bigger issue may be less about who stands across from them and more about how they answer after a setback, because a strong response in Tuscaloosa would say plenty about where this team is headed next. [Read more 🡒]
Charleston Faces A Frustrating Rhode Island Test With Plenty At Stake
The Charleston Battery have already punched their ticket to the USL Championship postseason, but Fridays meeting with Rhode Island FC at Patriots Point still carries real weight. With a top-four finish in the Eastern Conference on the line, Charleston has plenty of incentive to treat this like more than a routine late-season fixture, especially with the possibility of hosting playoff matches looming in the background.
Rhode Island will arrive shorthanded, missing key midfielders Jojea Kwizera and Dwayne Atkinson because of international duty. That gives Charleston a chance to take advantage of a useful opening, but it also raises the stakes for a match that could shape the road ahead in the East. For a team already in the bracket, the finish line is still a little farther down the path. [Read more 🡒]
Cross Finally Returned And Now A Bigger Test Awaits
Cross Highs football team finally got back on the field Sept. 25, and the Tigers made the most of the long-awaited return with a 47-8 win over Mullins. It was the first game back after a suspension tied to a fight in the season opener, a situation that had already forced the program to forfeit three games and turn the rest of the schedule into an uphill climb.
Now the question is how Cross handles what comes next. One strong night against Mullins offered a clean reset, but the bigger test is whether the Tigers can keep that momentum going after such a disruptive stretch, especially with the season already shortened by the penalties that followed the opener. [Read more 🡒]