No. 13 Alabama Cruises Past East Carolina in 2026 Season Opener

TUSCALOOSA, Ala. — After 247 days of waiting, No. 13 Alabama football started its 2026 season strong with a dominant 48-10 win over East Carolina in Bryant-Denny Stadium.

Head coach Kalen DeBoer and the Crimson Tide ended its 2025 campaign on a sour note, as UA scored just three points in the Rose Bowl. That said, the offense looks much different this year, as sophomore Keelon Russell won a quarterback battle for the ages and looked the part as a dual-threat against the Pirates.

By halftime, Russell completed 11 of 17 pass attempts for 182 yards, while also rushing for 54 yards, including a 23-yard run, plus a touchdown on nine carries. He scrambled a good bit in the first two quarters, but also trusted his offensive line and stood in the pocket to find an open receiver.

The offensive line, perhaps Alabama's biggest question mark during the offseason, also showed some growth. Of course, it wasn't perfect, as ECU got to Russell a few times, including a forced intentional grounding that was labeled on the stat sheet as a sack.

But run blocking — the front five's main issue last year — seemed to really improve. Under new offensive line coach Adrian Klemm, the Crimson Tide rushed for a combined 125 yards and four touchdowns by halftime. In addition to Russell, Daniel Hill found the end zone twice, while five-star freshman EJ Crowell had Alabama's first touchdown of the season from three yards out.

While the Crimson Tide didn't necessarily show it, the August heat was definitely apparent on Saturday, as the temperature at kickoff was 93 degrees with a heat index of 104. That heat index number is the same as wide receiver Ryan Coleman-Williams' yardage in the first half. Drops created a sophomore slump for him in 2025, and he had two early on Saturday, but the gloveless receiver shook it off quite well.

Alabama's defense has been hyped up all offseason due to a variety of factors, and it locked down the Pirates for most of the day. ECU took advantage of a broken coverage early in the second quarter with a 66-yard catch-and-run that resulted in a score one play later. But Alabama Wolf linebacker Yhonzae Pierre found the buried treasure and logged a pick-six four minutes later. Besides the big play, ECU logged 33 total yards in the first half.

Like most of Alabama's games against non-Power-4 opponents over the years, the second half wasn't exactly an instant classic. Freshman running back Trae'shawn Brown had a 68-yard touchdown run negated due to a holding call early in the third quarter, which resulted in the Tide's first punt of the game a couple of plays later. Russell then fumbled on the next drive following a miscommunication on a reverse with Coleman-Williams, leading to an ECU field goal.

However, Alabama closed the third quarter on a high note with a two-yard rushing touchdown by Brown coming on the first play of the final period. Three plays on the drive encapsulated Russell's abilities, as he found Coleman-Williams in the middle of the field on the first play for 26 yards, scrambled for a 17-yard gain on third-and-long that epitomized his "video game" style and stayed composed when connecting with tight end Kaleb Edwards for a 20-yard completion.

The clock chewed down the rest of the way, as Alabama got the job done in Week 1. Russell's day ended late in the fourth quarter, and Austin Mack subbed in for him. Russell finished his first collegiate start with 249 passing yards (17 of 29 pass attempts) and 86 rushing yards with a score (13 attempts).

The Crimson Tide will travel to Kentucky next Saturday for its SEC opener at Kroger Field.

This story will be updated with quotes from Alabama head coach Kalen DeBoer.

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