
Tag: Alabama Crimson Tide


No. 7 Alabama aims to apply defensive pressure vs. Oklahoma
Alabama is trying to keep its College Football Playoff chances afloat while Oklahoma is working to extend its bowl streak.
The No. 7 Crimson Tide and the Sooners will square off for the first time as Southeastern Conference rivals on Saturday in Norman, Okla.
Alabama (8-2, 4-2 SEC) is riding a three-game winning streak that has put Kalen DeBoer’s team back into playoff contention. The Sooners (5-5, 1-5) have dropped four consecutive conference games to put their 25-season bowl streak into danger.
Turnovers figure to play a significant role on Saturday. The Crimson Tide are tied for fourth nationally in turnover margin at plus-13, while the Sooners are tied for 72nd at minus-one.
Alabama has forced three or more turnovers in each of its last five games, including nine interceptions. Oklahoma has turned the ball over a total of 13 times over its last five games.
On Tuesday, Sooners coach Brent Venables pointed out the scoring margin off turnovers in his team’s wins versus its losses. Oklahoma is outscoring opponents 63-6 off turnovers in its wins and being outscored 58-7 off turnovers in its losses.
“When you take care of the ball, again, good things will usually happen,” Venables said.
Crimson Tide quarterback Jalen Milroe presents a unique challenge for the Sooners. He is averaging 223.2 passing yards and 60.8 rushing yards per game. He’s thrown for 15 touchdowns with just six interceptions and has rushed for 17 scores.
“He’s, I think, back in a really good spot with trust in the guys around him,” DeBoer said. “There’s been a little more continuity with the practice, skill players, offensive line. … He’s become more comfortable in understanding what our team needs from him to be able to win SEC football games.”
The Sooners aren’t nearly as settled at quarterback, although sophomore Jackson Arnold will make his fourth consecutive start since regaining the role in mid-October.
Arnold fumbled three times — losing two — in the Sooners’ 30-23 loss to Missouri on Nov. 9 heading into a bye week. One of those fumbles came near the end of the game and was returned for what ultimately was the game-winning touchdown.
“I can’t fumble like that,” Arnold said. “Can’t turn the ball over but at the same time, we’ve got two more games. We’ve got two more great teams we’ve got to play so we’ve got to put it behind us and move forward.”
Arnold is hoping to have a couple targets back as a bigger part of the offense Saturday.
Wide receivers Jalil Farooq and Deion Burks returned after long absences against Missouri. Burks finished with five catches for 44 yards while Farooq had two receptions for 11 yards.
Venables said both could see more action against Alabama.
“They had to knock off a little bit of rust,” Venables said. “Certainly the volume, their play capacity wasn’t what it would normally be. … We’re hoping that will continue to improve as we move forward.”
DeBoer said this week that Crimson Tide starting safety Keon Sabb was out for the season after undergoing surgery.
The Tide and the Sooners have met six times previously, with the last coming in December 2018 in a College Football Playoff semifinal. Alabama recorded a 45-34 win.
–Field Level Media

No. 10 Alabama delivers complete effort in win over Mercer
Jalen Milroe threw a pair of touchdown passes and Ryan Williams scored one rushing and one receiving TD as host Alabama cruised to a 52-7 win over Mercer on Saturday afternoon in Tuscaloosa, Ala.
The 10th-ranked Crimson Tide (8-2) received a collective effort from its offense, defense and special teams and was able to incorporate several reserve players into the game in the second half after taking a commanding 38-7 lead over the Bears (9-2).
Milroe completed 11 of 16 passes for 186 yards, didn’t throw an interception and ran for 43 yards and a touchdown on six carries to lead Alabama.
The Crimson Tide won their third in a row and have a trip to Oklahoma next week and a home Iron Bowl matchup with Auburn to wrap up the regular season as they try to keep alive hopes of reaching the SEC title game as well as the College Football Playoff.
Mercer had a three-game winning streak snapped, but already clinched a berth in the FCS playoffs and a share of the Southern Conference championship.
The Bears’ biggest highlight came just before halftime when quarterback Whitt Newbauer connected with Kendall Harris for a 31-yard touchdown and their lone score of the game. Harris’ leaping catch and score cut Alabama’s lead to 28-7 with 1:58 left in the first half.
Newbauer completed 15 of 21 passes for 140 yards and an interception as Mercer was held to 202 yards of total offense.
The Crimson Tide did not let up in the second half as Milroe capped a 10-play, 67-yard drive with a 1-yard touchdown run with 10:33 left in the third for a 38-7 lead.
Alabama’s defense forced three turnovers, including a huge play in the second quarter when Zabien Brown returned a fumble 68 yards for a touchdown. DaShawn Jones forced the fumble on Mercer receiver Parker Wroble, allowing Brown to recover and race to the end zone.
The Crimson Tide’s Robbie Ouzts caught a 44-yard touchdown pass from Milroe in the second quarter. Backup Alabama freshman quarterback Austin Mack threw a 31-yard touchdown pass to freshman receiver Rico Scott in the fourth quarter.
–Field Level Media

Jalen Milroe, No. 11 Alabama run all over No. 15 LSU in 42-13 win
Jalen Milroe rushed for a career-high 185 yards and ran for four touchdowns as No. 11 Alabama never trailed in a 42-13 victory against No. 15 LSU in an Southeastern Conference showdown Saturday night in Baton Rouge, La.
Milroe, who also passed for 109 yards, matched his best single-game rushing touchdown total and surpassed his previous rushing yardage high of 155, both of which came in a 42-28 victory against LSU last season. The Crimson Tide (7-2, 4-2 SEC) strengthened their College Football Playoff chances with their first conference road victory of the season.
Garrett Nussmeier passed for 239 yards and a touchdown, threw two interceptions and lost a fumble as the Tigers (6-3, 3-2) suffered a major blow to their already slim playoff hopes.
Alabama outgained LSU 420-343 overall and held a 311-104 advantage in rushing yards.
Trailing 21-6, the Tigers drove to the Crimson Tide 4-yard line on their first possession of the third quarter, but Deontae Lawson intercepted a Nussmeier pass in the end zone on second down. Alabama then drove 80 yards, the final 19 of which came on Milroe’s third rushing touchdown.
The score held at 28-6 until the first play of the fourth quarter, when Milroe ran 72 yards for his final score. Richard Young added an 8-yard touchdown for the Crimson Tide with 2:07 left before Nussmeier threw a 12-yard touchdown pass to Kyren Lacy with 11 seconds remaining.
Alabama opened the scoring less than five minutes into the game. The Crimson Tide received the opening kickoff and drove 75 yards, with Milroe running off the final 39 to make it 7-0 with 10:49 left in the first quarter. Milroe completed all three of his pass attempts for 38 yards on the drive.
Zavion Thomas returned the ensuing kickoff 50 yards and LSU drove to a first down at the Crimson Tide 5-yard line before settling for Damian Ramos’s 23-yard field goal.
Alabama responded by marching 75 yards on 15 plays and went up 14-3 on Justice Haynes’s 1-yard run. Ramos’s 43-yard field goal trimmed the lead to 14-6 midway through the second quarter, but the Tigers would creep no closer.
One play after LSU stopped the Crimson Tide on a fourth-and-1, Tim Smith recovered a Nussmeier fumble at the Tigers 32. Three plays later, Milroe ran 10 yards for a touchdown and a 21-6 lead that held up through the end of the first half.
–Field Level Media

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Jalen Milroe, No. 7 Alabama set sights on No. 11 Tennessee
In past seasons, losing a second game on the third Saturday in October would leave a team’s playoffs hope in major jeopardy.
But with the current campaign being the first for a 12-team playoff, a second loss this soon is no longer a killer. That’s good news for No. 7 Alabama and No. 11 Tennessee when they battle on Saturday at Knoxville, Tenn.
The Southeastern Conference showdown still is vitally important as the winner maintains the chance of landing one of the four first-round byes.
Tennessee (5-1, 2-1 SEC) also is trying to turn around a series in which it has dropped 16 of the past 17 meetings. The win was two years ago (52-49) when the Crimson Tide (5-1, 2-1) last visited town.
“Another huge contest here for us,” Volunteers coach Josh Heupel said Monday. “Rivalry game and college football as good as it gets here with these two teams playing. So looking forward to seeing our fans out on Saturday and needing a great week of practice preparation for a really good football team that we’re playing.”
The contest marks Alabama’s first game against Tennessee since 2006 without Nick Saban as coach.
“This rivalry has been around a long time before Nick Saban was a part of it or I was a part of it,” said Heupel, coaching against the Crimson Tide for the fourth time. “The magnitude of this rivalry is the historical nature and what it’s meant inside of this league a lot.”
First-year Alabama coach Kalen DeBoer has been hearing about the importance of this game for months.
“I’ve been told it’s a big deal, and I know it’s a big deal. You see it from afar,” DeBoer said Monday. “As a coach, they’re all big and you take one at a time. But certainly understand the significance of the rivalry. Guys are going to be very motivated to go out and do their best and prepare well and be great on Saturday.”
The Crimson Tide haven’t displayed their best side lately. Two weeks ago, they were ranked No. 1 when they sustained a 40-35 road loss against lowly Vanderbilt. Last week, only a failed two-point conversion prevented visiting South Carolina from pushing the game into overtime as Alabama escaped 27-25.
Star quarterback Jalen Milroe has been a season-long standout for the Crimson Tide while accounting for 23 touchdowns (12 passing, 11 rushing). Milroe has averaged 41.4 yards on his 12 passing scores and has completed 72.4 percent of his passes.
However, Milroe threw two interceptions against South Carolina. DeBoer said he discussed the mistakes with Milroe, who has thrown four picks on the season.
“We just keep stacking these moments on top of these moments,” DeBoer said. “He’ll remember anything that happened this game. He’s gonna remember what happened to him four weeks ago, and that’s what I love about him.”
Freshman wideout Ryan Williams has been part of many of the big plays with a 25.0-yard average. Seven of his 23 catches have gone for 43 or more yards.
Tennessee, though, has been stout defensively. The Volunteers rank second nationally in total defense (249.8 yards per game) and fourth in scoring defense (10.7).
But the unit sustained a big blow in last Saturday’s 23-17 overtime victory over Florida when linebacker Keenan Pili (knee) was lost for the season.
Star running back Dylan Sampson has stood out by rushing for 699 yards and 15 touchdowns, the latter ranking second nationally behind Boise State star Ashton Jeanty. In fact, the TD count is already fourth best in Vols’ history. Gene McEver holds the single-season record of 18 in 1929.
Sampson rushed for 112 yards and three touchdowns against the Gators. It was his fifth 100-yard outing of the season.
–Field Level Media

No. 7 Alabama rallies, survives South Carolina upset bid
Jalen Milroe rushed for two touchdowns and passed for one and No. 7 Alabama trailed in the fourth quarter before escaping with a 27-25 victory over South Carolina on Saturday in Southeastern Conference play at Tuscaloosa, Ala.
Domani Jackson made the game-sealing interception as time expired for the Crimson Tide (5-1, 2-1 SEC), who rebounded from last week’s embarrassing 40-35 loss to Vanderbilt.
LaNorris Sellers completed 23 of 31 passes for 238 yards and two touchdowns for South Carolina (3-3, 1-3) but also lost a key fourth-quarter fumble in addition to the interception on the final play.
South Carolina’s Nyck Harbor caught a 31-yard touchdown pass with 43 seconds left to bring his team within two, but the ensuing two-point pass failed.
However, Kai Kroeger’s spinning, wobbling onside kick avoided the grasp of two Alabama players and Colin Bryant recovered for the Gamecocks at the Alabama 49-yard line with 40 seconds left. But the Gamecocks were unable to get within field-goal range.
Germie Bernard caught a touchdown pass and Justice Haynes ran for a score for the Crimson Tide. Milroe completed 16 of 23 passes for 209 yards and two interceptions.
Raheim “Rocket” Sanders rushed for 78 yards and a touchdown, Mazeo Bennett Jr. had a scoring reception and Kyle Kennard had two sacks for the Gamecocks.
Alabama blew a 14-point lead before moving ahead 20-19 on Milroe’s 7-yard keeper with 10:42 left in the game.
The Crimson Tide added on when Milroe connected with a wide-open Bernard on a 34-yard score with 1:54 remaining.
South Carolina rebounded from a two-touchdown deficit by scoring the next 19 points.
The Gamecocks were facing fourth-and-9 when Bennett caught a 36-yard touchdown pass from Sellers with 1:36 left in the first half.
Nine seconds later, Kennard broke in free and was about to tackle Milroe in the end zone when the Alabama quarterback threw the ball away before landing. Intentional grounding was called and the safety pulled South Carolina within 14-9.
In the final seconds of the half, John Kilgore intercepted Milroe and returned it 31 yards to the Crimson Tide 19 with one second left. Alex Herrera kicked a 37-yard field goal to pull the Gamecocks within two.
South Carolina began the second half with a massive 16-play, 85-yard drive that took 8:35. Sanders capped it with a 1-yard run to give the Gamecocks a 19-14 lead.
Early in the fourth quarter, South Carolina’s O’Donnell Fortune intercepted Milroe in the end zone to snuff out an Alabama drive. However, Sellers lost a fumble 12 seconds later that LT Overton recovered at the Gamecocks’ 31 with 12:05 left. Overton’ recovery set up Milroe’s go-ahead score.
Alabama looked sharp early as Milroe scored from the 1 to cap a game-opening drive. The Crimson Tide made it 14-0 on Haynes’ 2-yard run with 4:38 left in the half.
–Field Level Media
