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 40-35 upset loss at 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. South Carolina failed 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 14-0 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 1:37 left in the first half.
Nine seconds later, Kennard broke free and forced a throwaway by Milroe from his own end zone. Milroe was flagged for intentional grounding, which gave South Carolina a safety and made it 14-9.
In the final seconds of the half, Jalon 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 rushing score.
Alabama looked sharp early as Milroe scored from the 1 to cap a nine-play, 75-yard opening drive. The Crimson Tide made it 14-0 on Haynes’ 2-yard run with 4:38 left in the first half.
–Field Level Media
