Aggressiveness Almost Costly for Alabama in Win Against South Carolina

Crimson Tide allows 12 points in final minutes of first half, nearly blows the game in final two minutes of second half.

Oct 12, 2024; Tuscaloosa, Alabama, USA; Alabama Crimson Tide quarterback Jalen Milroe (4) throws a pass during the first half at Bryant-Denny Stadium. / Butch Dill-Imagn Images

TUSCALOOSA, Ala. -- If Alabama lost Saturday, it would not have taken a football genius to figure out how. 

There were numerous instances that led to negative Alabama plays or South Carolina points in Saturday’s 27-25 Crimson Tide win. 

Alabama couldn’t have had a better situation. A defensive tackle for loss left South Carolina facing a fourth-and-9 with Alabama leading 14-0 lead and less than two minutes to go in the first half.

That’s when a series of blunders started. 

1:37 -- South Carolina completes a 36-yard touchdown pass on fourth down to a wide open receiver. 

1:28 -- Jalen Milroe is called for intentional grounding in the end zone for a safety. 

:10 -- Crimson Tide calls timeout on its own 38 instead of letting the clock run out. Milroe throws a pick. 

:01 --South Carolina kicks a field goal. 

Halftime score: 14-12. 

Alabama did everything wrong in the final two minutes and gave South Carolina a momentum boost, which carried over to the second half. The Gamecocks drove 85 yards on 16 plays to take a 19-14 lead on their first possession. 

“I trust and have confidence in our guys,” Alabama coach Kalen DeBoer said of calling the timeout. “Obviously the points they got at the end of the half hurt us. I was thinking if we could get one play to where we could throw to the end zone...I’m all for it.  

“It was risk vs. reward play. We want to keep the pedal down and give us a chance at another play. That’s the aggressiveness I have.” 

Fast forward to the final two minutes of the game. The Crimson Tide nearly fell apart again after taking a 27-19 lead. 

South Carolina zipped down the field in one minute to score a touchdown. Then the Tide muffed the onside kick recovery and South Carolina’s offense was back on the field with a chance to get in range for a game-winning field goal. 

“That’s a situation where you have to go grab it,” DeBoer said of the onside kick. “It sounds simple and obviously that didn’t happen. I’m proud of the defense going back out there and attack, be aggressive and get it done.” 

Alabama’s defense came through with pressure on the quarterback and Domani Jackson sealed the win with an interception in the end zone. 

It wasn’t over. Instead of taking a knee, Jackson ran the ball out of the end zone and was tackled at the 40. 

“That’s where we learn,” DeBoer said of Jackson’s decision. “His thought process was to keep the play going and run out the clock. Those are situations where we have to learn to go down and take a knee. I’m proud of the fight he had to want to be back out there after going down with an injury earlier.” 

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