Kalen DeBoer's decision to have Alabama football bus to Starkville early Saturday instead of Friday for its top-25 showdown against the Mississippi State Bulldogs sure didn't seem to slow down the Crimson Tide once the game started.
No. 7 Alabama (5-0 overall, 3-0 SEC) set a season-high in points scored and extended its long winning streak over 16th-ranked Mississippi State with a 56-23 victory
at Davis Wade Stadium.Keelon Russell was a big reason why the Crimson Tide made it 17 straight wins over the Bulldogs.
The first-year starting quarterback and former five-star recruit accounted for four touchdowns, completing 16 of his 22 passes for 285 yards and three scores. He added a 17-yard touchdown run on the first play of the second quarter.
Russell
started with a 15-yard touchdown pass to Ryan Coleman-Williams, who dove into the end zone on the Tide's first offensive possession for a 7-0 lead. Alabama then recorded its fourth pick six of the season when cornerback Dijon Lee returned a Kamario Taylor interception 30 yards to make it 14-0 six and a half minutes in.
Alabama eventually turned the game into a rout.
Rico Scott caught two touchdown passes, freshman running back Trae'shawn Brown had two touchdown runs, and backup quarterback Austin Mack finished the game with a 3-yard rush to cap Alabama's scoring.
The Crimson Tide had 483 yards of total offense, and the defense forced four turnovers. Brown, a three-star recruit out of Huntsville, Texas, led Alabama running backs with 66 yards on 14 carries. Lotzeir Brooks led the receivers with four catches for 96 yards, and Scott totaled 56 yards on four catches.
After the game, Mississippi State coach Jeff Lebby met with reporters to discuss his team's loss to the Crimson Tide. Here's what the Bulldogs' coach said:
Jeff Lebby explains what he saw from Mississippi State QB Kamario Taylor in loss to Alabama
Taylor threw two interceptions and lost a fumble while competing 19 of his 34 passes for 258 yards and three touchdowns.
"The turnover piece of it to me is the biggest part of the game. I got asked right before we're kicking it off, 'What's the biggest key to victory?' And it's taking care of the ball. So, that put us in a really bad place. Really hard to overcome against a really good football team. I could not be more proud of (Taylor) for his toughness, his mentality, like what he's gone through this week to give him a chance to play. It is special and so, a ton to clean up. Really frustrating that the game happens and unfolds the way that it does. Some incredible learning moments inside of it to to get us better as we continue to climb."
How much did Kamario Taylor's health play a factor in Mississippi State loss to Alabama?
ABC play-by-play announcer Sean McDonough said during the game that Taylor had been wearing a walking boot on his right leg during a production meeting with the broadcast crew earlier in the week.
Lebby said:
"I think it's pretty obvious he just wasn't able to do anything with his legs. So, him not being able to do some of those things, it changes it and it obviously makes it harder, but that's part of it. Again, his mentality, his toughness, his leadership (is) elite special. And there again, there's so much to be able to learn from inside these moments right now."
Kamario Taylor injury: Mississippi State coach gives latest update on Bulldogs' QB
Lebby was asked a follow-up about Taylor's status moving forward and whether he had an update on the quarterback's health.
"No, it will be day-to-day and for him. We'll let the injury report that Wednesday (vs.) LSU speak to where we're at," Lebby said.
The Bulldogs have a bye in Week 6 before facing LSU at Tiger Stadium on Oct. 17.
Mississippi State coach laments turnovers and penalties after loss to Alabama football
On Alabama's first drive of the second half, the Bulldogs were flagged for lining up in the neutral zone on third-and-goal from the 18-yard line. That led to a 13-yard Keelon Russell touchdown pass to Rico Scott.
The Bulldogs were later flagged for running into the kicker, which resulted in a Crimson Tide first down after Alabama's Conor Talty had attempted a fourth-quarter field goal. Alabama capitalized off the mistake when Russell hit Scott again for an 8-yard touchdown.
Lebby said:
"We've got to take great care of the ball. I mean, that's the biggest thing. The penalty piece of it, very, very frustrating as we're able to get off the field, hold them to a field goal two different times, and allow them to go score touchdowns. Those are the things that cannot happen for us as a football team. Going to be really hard to overcome those things, especially against great teams."
Mississippi State forced to abandon its game plan against Alabama football
Mississippi State lost running back Fluff Bothwell early during Saturday's contest. Bothwell's injury came a week after the junior from Oneonta, Alabama, rushed for 122 yards and caught six passes for 55 yards in the Bulldogs' 31-24 win over the Missouri Tigers.
With Kamario Taylor banged up and Bothwell out of the game early, Alabama held Mississippi State to 18 net yards rushing. Lebby said the inability to run the ball took the Bulldogs out of their game plan against the Tide.
"It was such a struggle to run the football. Obviously, the score in the game dictates a little bit of that. Us getting away from the game plan and feeling like we have to go create some chunks because we are behind the way we were. Frustrated that we didn't run the football the way we needed to. But again, the run game, the turnovers and then the penalties, that really is the story."
Mississippi State coach Jeff Lebby describes Keelon Russell after loss to Alabama football
When asked what he saw from Russell, Lebby highlighted what he thought was a back-breaking moment for his defense.
"(Russell) has played at an elite level. He's really accurate. He's got great anticipation. You see him continue to make plays with his feet. I thought a back-breaking play was when we're third-and-21 and we're getting off the field. We've got a little momentum back in the game. (Russell) moves around, throws a shot, and they pick up a huge first down. That's what he can continue to do for them. He's a guy that's playing really, really well for being so young."
Watch Lebby's full postgame press conference below.
Alabama football schedule 2026
All times Central.
- Sept. 5: vs. East Carolina Pirates (W, 48-10)
- Sept. 12: at Kentucky Wildcats (W, 45-17)
- Sept. 19: vs. Florida State Seminoles (W, 50-36)
- Sept. 26: vs. South Carolina Gamecocks (W, 49-18)
- Oct. 3: at Mississippi State Bulldogs (W, 56-23)
- Oct. 10: vs. Georgia Bulldogs, 6:30 p.m., ABC
- Oct. 17: at Tennessee Volunteers, TBA
- Oct. 24: vs. Texas A&M Aggies, TBA
- Nov. 7: at LSU Tigers, TBA
- Nov. 14: at Vanderbilt Commodores, TBA
- Nov. 21: vs. Chattanooga Mocs, 1 p.m., SEC Network+
- Nov. 28: vs. Auburn Tigers, TBA
Record: 5-0, 3-0 SEC.
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This article originally appeared on Roll Tide Wire: What Mississippi State coach Jeff Lebby said about Alabama after loss
