No. 7 Alabama hosts South Carolina after stunning loss at Vanderbilt
South Carolina (3-2, 1-2 SEC) at No. 7 Alabama (4-1, 1-1), Saturday, 12 p.m. ET (ABC)
BetMGM College Football Odds: Alabama by 21-1/2.
Series record: Alabama leads 13-3
WHAT’S AT STAKE?
Both teams have a lot of extra motivation for this one. Alabama held onto the No. 1 ranking for only a week before a stunning 40-35 upset loss at Vanderbilt. The Crimson Tide were just a week removed from a win over No. 5 Georgia but got outplayed in Nashville and now seek redemption. South Carolina needs to look like it has made improvements after an awful showing in a 27-3 home loss to No. 9 Ole Miss last week to start a difficult stretch of SEC games.
KEY MATCHUP
Alabama quarterback Jalen Milroe against South Carolina’s defense. Milroe still had success passing against Vandy but never got going running for the first time this season and had an interception returned for a touchdown. He still leads the nation in passing efficiency. The Gamecocks rank 22nd nationally allowing 296.8 total yards a game and are giving up 19 points a game (32nd). Kyle Kennard has 5 1/2 sacks and Dylan Stewart 3 1/2.
PLAYERS TO WATCH
South Carolina: Edge rusher Stewart is a freshman who has made an impact on the defensive line. He’s second on the team with 3.5 sacks and 5.5 tackles behind the line of scrimmage. Stewart has also been undisciplined at times, getting flagged against Mississippi for using finger guns after a stop on quarterback Jaxson Dart.
Alabama: Safety Malachi Moore let his emotions get the best of him late in the loss to Vandy. But the two-time team captain is still expected to start and remains a key leader on a defense that couldn’t make key stops in that game. Moore ranks third on the team with 33 tackles and has broken up four passes.
FACTS & FIGURES
It’s just the fourth meeting between South Carolina and Alabama since 2009 and the first time the Gamecocks have been in Tuscaloosa in 15 years. … South Carolina’s last win in the series came in 2010, a 35-21 victory over the No. 1 Crimson Tide. … South Carolina is second in the SEC with 10 takeaways. … The Gamecocks were held without a touchdown against Mississippi last week after scoring 30 or more points in three straight games.
Get alerts on the latest AP Top 25 poll throughout the season. Sign up here. AP college football: https://apnews.com/hub/college-football and https://apnews.com/hub/ap-top-25-college-football-poll
The AP Top 25 college football poll is back every week throughout the season!
