Russell throws four touchdowns as Alabama beats South Carolina 49-18

Alabama turned its Saturday home game against South Carolina into a runaway before halftime, winning 49-18 at Bryant-Denny Stadium. Keelon Russell threw four touchdown passes in the first half, and Red Morgan returned an interception for another score. The Crimson Tide reached 4-0 overall and 2-0 in SEC play. South Carolina fell to 2-2, 0-2 in the conference.

Russell began the scoring with a 75-yard pass to Lotzeir Brooks midway through the first quarter. A 32-yard strike to Ryan Coleman-Williams at the quarter’s end made it 14-0. South Carolina answered with Malik Orsan’s 34-yard field goal, but Alabama then landed three touchdowns in a five-minute stretch. Russell connected with Coleman-Williams for 42 yards and Josh Ford for three yards. Morgan intercepted LaNorris Sellers and brought the ball back 23 yards for a score just 13 seconds after the Ford touchdown. It was 35-3 with 2:20 left in the half.

The Gamecocks responded with Sellers’ 41-yard touchdown pass to Nyck Harbor before intermission. They later got a nine-yard scoring run from Matt Fuller and a two-point conversion early in the fourth quarter, reducing the deficit to 35-18. Alabama answered with Daniel Hill’s one-yard run and Russell’s nine-yard run to finish with 49 points. Those late scores ended any chance of a sustained South Carolina comeback.

The live ESPN box score credits Russell with 21 completions in 27 attempts, 365 passing yards and four passing touchdowns. Coleman-Williams caught five passes for 98 yards and two scores. Alabama gained 489 total yards and committed no turnovers. Its defense forced two South Carolina turnovers, including the interception Morgan returned for a touchdown.

South Carolina produced 419 yards, so the final margin was not simply a matter of the Gamecocks failing to move the ball. Fuller rushed for 112 yards on 19 carries, and Sellers passed for 185 yards with a touchdown and an interception. But South Carolina converted three of 14 third downs. Alabama was five of 10, and its explosive first-half passing plays created a cushion that South Carolina’s later yardage could not erase.

The result gave Alabama a second SEC win and left South Carolina seeking its first conference victory. The useful distinction in this game is between total production and the moments that decided it: four first-half Russell touchdown passes, a quick defensive score, and no Alabama giveaway. The score, timing and statistics above come from the final ESPN game record. The sources checked did not supply a verified postgame statement from either coach, so none is attributed here.