Alabama stomped South Carolinaon Saturday night in Tuscaloosa behind Keelon Russell's breakout SEC performance, where he threw for nearly 400 yards and four touchdowns.
It led to frustration for Shane Beamer's
Gamecocks, specifically edge rusher Dylan Stewart , who, in the fourth quarter, punched the helmet of Crimson Tide tight end Josh Ford in the end zone after Daniel Hill ran in a 1-yard touchdown run that stretched the score to a 24-point lead with 6:43 remaining in the game.
"Man, he's a great player. We had a lot of fun today. I think he punched me three times, but it was awesome, it was a good battle," Ford said after the game.
ESPN rules analyst Jerry McGinn said Stewart should've been ejected for the punch. Instead of being ejected, Stewart was only hit with an unsportsmanlike penalty.
"He should be ejected immediately," McGinn said on the broadcast. "Not even a question."
Josh Ford on the Dylan Stewart head shot in the end zone. Apparently not the only time Stewart let a fist fly. pic.twitter.com/tOKT2MRkE7
— Chase Goodbread (@ChaseGoodbread) September 27, 2026
Earlier in the game, ESPN's broadcast caught Beamer yelling at Stewart on the Gamecocks' sidelines for either slowly walking off the field or not getting off fast enough, as noted by The Greenville News, part of the USA TODAY Network. That heated moment came after Stewart was called for a roughing-the-passer penalty, which eventually led to a 42-yard touchdown reception from Ryan Coleman-Williams.
Stewart finished with no recorded tackles or sacks in the Gamecocks' 49-18 loss to the Crimson Tide on the road.
With the win, Alabama heads into its highly anticipated Week 5 matchup against Kamario Taylor and Mississippi State with a 2-0 record in SEC play.
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This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Alabama TE Josh Ford reacts after Dylan Stewart punches him: 'It was awesome'
