What South Carolina Fans Should Know About the Alabama Crimson Tide Before Saturday

The Gamecocks will go on the road for the first time this season to take on the eighth ranked Alabama Crimson Tide. Kalen DeBoer's team has the talent to pose a lot of the same challenges South Carolina just saw this weekend.

Alabama was in a dog fight this past weekend against Florida State. The Tide would go on to win 50-36, but the final score is not indicative of how close this game actually was. This team once again has the talent to win it all, which will be yet another tough test for South Carolina and their unrelenting 2026 schedule.

Keelon Russell and the Passing Game

This past weekend was not a good showing for Clayton White's secondary. Kamario Taylor of Mississippi State started slow, but was able to finish completing 18 of 26 passes (69 percent) of his passes for 251 yards and four touchdowns. He had touchdown throws of 43-yards, 30-yards, and 23-yards, not to mention several other explosive plays made through the air throughout the game. For the second week in a row, the Gamecocks will face a team with a star quarterback and great talent at the pass catching spots.

In his first action as a starter in college football this season, Keelon Russell is completing 68 percent of his throws (41 of 60) for 576 yards, a 9.6 yards per throw, and three touchdowns with no interceptions. Like Taylor from Saturday, Russell is a true dual threat capable of extending plays with his legs. If South Carolina is going to disrupt him, they will need to get him on the ground this weekend.

Keelon Russell just had his breakout game when Alabama needed it most

23/30, 320 PYDS, 4 Total TD, 0 INT vs. Florida State pic.twitter.com/ZMaZJxciIB
— Football Performances (@NFLPerformances) September 20, 2026

Alabama features a two-headed monster at the receiver spot. Star wideout Ryan Coleman-Williams leads the team with 235 yards, 19.6 yards per reception (first on the team), and one touchdown (T-1 on the team). Behind him is Lotzeir Brooks with 15 catches for 178 yards. Mississippi State may have had track stars at wide receiver, but this will be the two best overall receivers the South Carolina secondary will have seen so far this season.

One of the Best Secondaries in the Conference

Zabien Brown, Dijon Lee Jr., Bray Hubbard, Keon Sabb, and Red Morgan are the featured players in a veteran led secondary. Outside of maybe Georgia, this unit will be the toughest secondary the Gamecocks will see all season.

If you watched Alabama and Florida State from last week, there are opportunities for LaNorris Sellers and this pass catching group to be had. However, it is a stingy unit that leads the SEC with five total interceptions, two of which were returned for touchdowns. Sellers will have to make better decisions with the ball this week to keep this passing game on track versus a tough opponent.

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