GARNET WIRE

Saturday, September 26, 2026, at Bryant-Denny Stadium in Tuscaloosa.

Alabama 49, South Carolina 18. South Carolina scored 0 in the first quarter, 10 in the second, 0 in the third, and 8 in the fourth. Alabama scored 14, then 21, then 0, then 14. Halftime was Alabama 35, South Carolina 10.

South Carolina is 2-2, 0-2 in the SEC. Alabama is 4-0, 2-0 in the SEC. Attendance was 100,077.

South Carolina moved the ball on an unbeaten Alabama and could not finish. The Gamecocks gained 419 yards, 5.7 a play, and 216 rushing, with 22 first downs to Alabama's 20. Those 419 yards are the second-most Alabama has allowed this year, after Florida State's 471. Alabama has allowed 20.25 points a game, 81 points in all, 315.2 yards a game, 1,261 yards in all, and 5.2 yards a play. By game, that defense has allowed 162 yards to ECU, 209 to Kentucky, 471 to Florida State, and 419 to South Carolina.

The yardage gap was 70. The score gap was 31. Alabama gained 489 yards, 124 rushing on 30 carries and 365 passing. South Carolina passed for 203 yards, completing 20 of 33 with 1 interception, on 73 plays. Alabama completed 21 of 27 with 0 interceptions, on 57 plays, at 8.6 yards a play. South Carolina's 22 first downs were 12 rushing, 9 passing, and 1 by penalty. Alabama's 20 were 7 rushing, 12 passing, and 1 by penalty.

South Carolina turned the ball over 2 times, 1 interception and 1 lost fumble. Alabama had 0. Penalties were 7 for 65 yards against 4 for 36. Third down was 3 of 14 for South Carolina and 5 of 10 for Alabama. Fourth down was 3 of 5 for South Carolina. Alabama was 0 of 0.

South Carolina had 13 drives: 2 touchdowns, 1 field goal, 1 missed field goal, 4 punts, 2 downs, 1 interception, 1 fumble, and 1 end of half. 6 drives crossed midfield and produced all 18 points. 4 of them produced 3 points. Those four were a missed 45-yard field goal after the drive reached the Alabama 19, a drive that ended on downs at the Alabama 25, a 34-yard field goal after the drive reached the Alabama 16, and a fumble at the Alabama 43. The other two were the touchdown drives.

The red zone was 1 touchdown in 3 trips. Scores there were 2 of 3 for South Carolina and 3 of 3 for Alabama, 3 Alabama touchdowns. South Carolina's trips were 1 touchdown and 1 field goal, and the third trip ended on the missed 45-yard field goal. That is 3.67 points per South Carolina trip, from 11 points on 3 trips, and 7.00 for Alabama, from 21 points on 3 trips.

The first red-zone trip reached the Alabama 19. Two penalties, a false start and holding, moved it from 1st-and-10 at the Alabama 19 to 2nd-and-24 at the Alabama 33, and the 45-yard field goal missed. Penalties had pushed the ball back to the Alabama 27. The second trip reached the Alabama 16. From 1st-and-10 there, Matt Fuller gained 0, Augustave gained 0 on a catch, and LaNorris Sellers gained 0 on a run. Malik Orsan then kicked the 34-yard field goal. The third trip reached the Alabama 18, and Matt Fuller scored from 9 yards. Nyck Harbor's 41-yard touchdown catch came from the Alabama 41 and was not a red-zone trip.

On fourth down, South Carolina failed a 4th-and-2 at the Alabama 25 in the first quarter, converted a 4th-and-2 at its own 33 in the second quarter, converted a 4th-and-3 at the Alabama 39 in the third quarter, converted a 4th-and-1 at the Alabama 9 for a touchdown in the fourth quarter, and failed a 4th-and-7 at its own 46 in the fourth quarter.

A pick-six went the other way. In the second quarter, Red Morgan returned an interception 23 yards for a touchdown. That South Carolina drive was 1 play for 0 yards.

The rushing held up. South Carolina ran for 216 yards on 40 carries. Matt Fuller carried 19 times for 112 yards and 1 touchdown, with a long of 56. The 56-yard run came on the first snap and reached the Alabama 19. Fuller also had a 20-yard run in the second quarter. LaNorris Sellers added 13 carries for 72 yards, long of 15. Jabree Coleman had 3 carries for 20 yards.

Nyck Harbor caught a 41-yard touchdown pass from LaNorris Sellers in the second quarter, on a drive of 8 plays and 75 yards, and Malik Orsan kicked the extra point. Harbor finished with 3 catches for 42 yards and 1 touchdown, long of 41. The fourth-quarter touchdown was a 13-play, 75-yard drive. Matt Fuller scored from 9 yards, and Maurice Brown II scored on a 2-point rush. That drive converted a 4th-and-3 and a 4th-and-1.

LaNorris Sellers finished 18 of 30 for 185 yards, 1 touchdown and 1 interception, with a long of 41. Cutter Woods was 2 of 3 for 18 yards. Keelon Russell was 21 of 27 for 365 yards and 4 touchdowns, with 0 interceptions.

South Carolina also lost a fumble. Malik Clark fumbled after a 21-yard catch in the fourth quarter. Dijon Lee Jr. forced it, and Luke Metz recovered. The drive had covered 4 plays and 32 yards and had reached the Alabama 43.

In the first quarter, Lotzeir Brooks caught a 75-yard pass from Keelon Russell, 1 play for 75 yards, and Ryan Coleman-Williams caught a 32-yard pass from Russell, 9 plays for 70 yards.

In the second quarter, Malik Orsan kicked a 34-yard field goal, 10 plays for 59 yards. Ryan Coleman-Williams caught a 42-yard pass from Keelon Russell, 6 plays for 75 yards. Josh Ford caught a 3-yard pass from Russell, 5 plays for 78 yards. Red Morgan returned an interception 23 yards. Nyck Harbor caught a 41-yard pass from LaNorris Sellers, 8 plays for 75 yards, and Malik Orsan kicked.

Neither side scored in the third quarter. In the fourth quarter, Matt Fuller ran 9 yards, Maurice Brown II scored on a 2-point rush, 13 plays for 75 yards. Daniel Hill ran 1 yard, 10 plays for 74 yards. Keelon Russell ran 9 yards, 7 plays for 49 yards.

The raw totals fell every game: 645, then 502, then 431, then 419. On September 5, South Carolina beat Kent State 57-0 with 645 yards, 72 plays, 9.0 yards a play, and a red zone of 5 of 5, all touchdowns. On September 12, South Carolina beat Towson 45-9 with 502 yards, 67 plays, 7.5 yards a play, and a red zone of 2 of 3, 1 touchdown and 1 field goal. Towson's 45 includes 2 punt-return touchdowns by Vicari Swain. On September 19, Mississippi State beat South Carolina 41-34. South Carolina had 431 yards, 79 plays, 5.5 yards a play, and a red zone of 4 of 4, 2 touchdowns and 2 field goals. On September 26, Alabama won 49-18. South Carolina had 419 yards, 73 plays, 5.7 yards a play, and a red zone of 2 of 3, 1 touchdown and 1 field goal.

That 419 is the second-most yards Alabama has allowed this season, after Florida State's 471. Yards per point were 11.3, 11.2, 12.7, and 23.3. Points by game were 57, 45, 34, and 18. Through three games, as of September 22, South Carolina averaged 526.0 yards a game, had scored 136 points, 45.3 a game, and had red-zone touchdowns on 8 of 12 trips and scores on 11 of 12. Through four games, the totals are 1,997 yards, 499.3 a game, and 154 points, 38.5 a game. Red-zone touchdowns are 9 of 15, 60%. Red-zone scores are 13 of 15, 87%. Red-zone touchdowns were 6 of 8 in the first two games, 75%, and 3 of 7 in the last two, 43%, with 3 field goals and 1 miss. South Carolina has to score.

South Carolina plays Kentucky on Saturday, October 3, at Williams-Brice Stadium. Kickoff is 4:15 PM ET on SEC Network. Kentucky lost 45-17 to Alabama on September 12. South Carolina leads the series 22-14-1 and has won 4 straight. Mississippi State beat Missouri 31-24.

Finishing drives and third down are what has to change. Third down was 3 of 14. The red zone was 1 touchdown in 3 trips. Four midfield drives produced 3 points. The 13-play, 75-yard drive that scored converted a 4th-and-3 and a 4th-and-1. South Carolina has to score.