Alabama Thrives in Tough Moments During Road Victory Over Mississippi State

STARKVILLE, Miss. — No. 7 Alabama fixed a very valuable asset during Saturday's 56-23 road win over No. 16 Mississippi State.

The Crimson Tide may have cruised past Kentucky three weeks ago, but the raucous road environment — Alabama's first contest as the guest this season — played a role in an extremely slow start and a 14-13 halftime lead for the Wildcats.

Mississippi State was a much different animal. The Bulldogs crowd of over 60,000 people rang cowbells to the point where the stadium music and PA announcer could not be heard. But it didn't rattle Alabama, as the Crimson Tide started strong for the second straight week and scored two touchdowns in the first quarter.

Defense played a big role in starting this one, as Ryan Coleman-Williams' 15-yard touchdown catch-and-run was the result of a fumble on Mississippi State's opening possession. Additionally, after the score, Bulldogs quarterback Kamario Taylor threw a pick-six to Alabama cornerback Dijon Lee Jr. The cowbells continued to deafen Davis Wade Stadium, but it did not fluster Alabama.

"[The cowbells were] kind of annoying, but it's a part of the game," Alabama wide receiver Rico Scott said after the game. "I guess it's what they do. I thought it would've been a little louder, honestly. ...It was different, it was my first time being here. It was fun though. It was a different experience because I didn't know if there was anywhere else in the country that does this. It was fun, to say the least."

But as the lead in Starkville continued to grow for Alabama, the cowbells became more and more quiet. In any football game at any level, the crowd is often the loudest when their team's defense is facing third down. This was the case on Saturday, but Alabama converted 6 of 9 attempts. Alabama quarterback Keelon Russell was the main reason for the Tide's third-down success through the air, regardless of the distance.

"Just trusting the playmakers out there," Russell said when asked what the key to that success was. "Trusting the O-linemen to block if it was a run or a pass. Just trusting those guys to do what they do best. Putting the ball in the playmakers' hands, they're going to do something special."

One of the best plays of the game came on a third-down conversion late in the first quarter. On third-and-19, Russell dropped back in an empty backfield, had a ton of time due to the blocking, stepped up in the pocket and launched a 39-yard pass to wide receiver Lotzeir Brooks, who made an incredible contested diving grab.

"I feel like [Russell's] always looking for the big play," Scott said. "Like how we had the third down with Lottie, he called a deep one. I mean, that's just what Keelon does. You always got to be ready when you're running routes out there with him. He might scramble, he might go left, right, cross-body, you've just got to be ready."

Brooks logged 96 receiving yards on four catches. He wasn't much of a factor during the season opener against East Carolina, but in the three games that followed, he tallied 54, 101 and 78 yards. Entering his sophomore year, he had the tough task of becoming Alabama's WR2 next to Ryan Coleman-Williams and he's had a really solid first month of the 2026 season.

"That's Lottie. He comes out here to make big plays every game," Scott said. "He's a natural football player. He was talking on the sideline, telling the team he'll get it back after he might've missed a play. I'm always excited when he's making plays. Him, Ryan, Cederian, Noah, Derek, whoever's out there."

Scott himself thrived on third down, scoring two touchdowns — one from 13 yards out and the other from eight. His first score was one of the better plays of the day, as Scott emphasized that he sees great throws like it from Russell "every day."

"We wanted to emphasize back shoulder," Scott said. "We felt pretty much that we could keep the DB where we wanted and where Keelon could put the ball. We practice it. Great throw by Keelon."

So, as Alabama begins to prepare for a top-10 showdown with Georgia next Saturday in Tuscaloosa, what is the secret to getting the job done on third down?

"I would just say, just focusing on this play," Scott said. "Not worrying about if we get to a go situation. Just worrying about the third down, worry about the play that's called. Keeping our rules, so whatever the play is, go by the rules of that play."

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