No. 4 Alabama survived a late scare from South Carolina, securing a 29-22 victory thanks to a last-minute touchdown by Germie Bernard.
The Crimson Tide improved to 7-1 overall, winning their seventh straight and remaining perfect in SEC play at 5-0.
Here are a few takeaways from the game.
- Still No Run Game
It has been a struggle all season long, and again on Saturday, the run game was obsolete. No matter how many different ways Alabama tries to run the ball, it just doesn’t produce yards. In obvious running downs, the offensive line had no shot at opening holes for any of the running backs. The Crimson Tide finished the day with a disappointing 72 yards on the ground. Wide receiver Germie Bernard was just three rushing yards away from being the Crimson Tide’s leading rusher for a second week in a row.
- 3 and Out
Alabama had thrived on converting third downs coming into Saturday, converting 47% of them. On Saturday, the Crimson Tide struggled to sustain offensive drives, converting only 3 of 13 third downs. Alabama had five possessions on Saturday during which it failed to get a first down. However, in the fourth quarter, the Crimson Tide were a perfect 3-for-3 on third down conversions to boost their conversion rate to 50% on the night.
- Yhonzae Pierre
Coming off a big week in which he had a season-high three sacks, Yhonzae Pierre continued to be a disruptive piece in the Alabama defense. Although he couldn’t quite get to the quarterback, he was causing pressure and disruption on the South Carolina offensive line in both the pass and run game. Pierre finished the game with five tackles and two quarterback hurries.
- Second Half Scoring Runs
The second half was a wild ride of scoring runs. South Carolina came out blazing in the second half to score 16 straight points to take a 22-14 lead in the fourth quarter. Alabama answered with 15 unanswered in the final minutes to prevent the upset.
- Defense Saves the Day
An Alabama offense considered a strength of this Crimson Tide team had to rely on the defense to step up and secure the victory. The defense was solid the entire day, but two plays stuck out from the rest. In the first quarter, Alabama’s DaShawn Jones picked off South Carolina on a bobbled pass and returned it 18 yards for a touchdown. Possibly the biggest play of the game was a forced fumble by Deontae Lawson with under two minutes left in a tie ballgame. The Alabama offense drove the ball 38 yards for a touchdown to secure the win.
Alabama will enjoy a week off before hosting LSU on November 8. The time and where it will be televised are to be determined.
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