Aggressiveness almost cost Alabama in its win over South Carolina

TUSCALOOSA, Ala. – If Alabama lost on Saturday, it wouldn’t take a football genius to figure out how to do it.

There were multiple instances that led to negative Alabama scores or South Carolina points in Saturday’s 27-25 Crimson Tide victory.

Alabama couldn’t have had a better situation. Defensively, South Carolina had a fourth-and-9 in the fumble, and Alabama led 14-0 with less than two minutes left in the first half.

And then the series of mistakes began.

1:37 – South Carolina has 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 safety.

:10 – The Crimson Tide calls a timeout at 38 instead of letting the clock run out. Milroe throws a pickaxe.

: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 boost that carried over into the second half. The Gamecocks drove 85 yards in 16 plays and took a 19-14 lead on the first possession.

“I trust our guys and I have confidence in them,” Alabama coach Kalen DeBoer said when announcing the timeout. “Obviously the points they scored at the end of the half hurt us. I thought if we could throw to the end zone with one play… I’m all for it.

“It was a risk versus reward game. We want to hold down the gas pedal and give us a chance to make another play. That’s the aggressiveness I have.”

Let’s move on to the last two minutes of the match. The Crimson Tide nearly fell apart after taking a 27-19 lead.

South Carolina ran down the field within a minute and scored a touchdown. The Tide then muffed the onside kick recovery, and South Carolina’s offense got back on the field with a chance to get within range and make the game-winning field goal.

“It’s a situation where you have to catch it,” DeBoer said of the onside kick. “It sounds simple and obviously it didn’t happen. I’m proud of the defense that comes out, attacks, is aggressive and delivers.

Alabama’s defense pressured the quarterback effectively, and Domani Jackson sealed the victory with an interception in the end zone.

This wasn’t the end. Instead of taking a knee, Jackson threw the ball out of the end zone and was tackled in the 40th minute.

“We’re just learning about it,” DeBoer said of Jackson’s decision. “His thought process was to keep playing and run out the clock. These are situations in which we must learn to come down and kneel. I’m proud of the fight in which he had to want to get back on the field after an earlier injury.