STARKVILLE, Miss. -- Alabama’s defense was on the field for nearly 40 minutes Saturday night, and it showed. But the only number that mattered was the score, and the No. 2 Crimson Tide escaped Davis Wade Stadium with a 31-24 win over No. 16 Mississippi State.
And Alabama’s (10-0, 7-0 SEC) perfect season remained intact thanks to a-scoring drive on the team’s final series of the game and in a tie game. Quarterback Jalen Hurts completed a pass to true freshman DeVonta Smith for a 26-yard touchdown with 0:25 remaining.
Without linebackers Shaun Dion Hamilton (knee) and Mack Wilson (foot), Alabama was thin at both inside and outside linebacker -- the Bulldogs were able to pile up 330 yards of total offense on 73 plays. But the Tide defense made plays down the stretch when it needed to seal the win for Alabama in Starkville.
Mississippi State scored first on an 11-yard run by tailback Aeris Williams with 3:37 to play in the first quarter. The junior running back would score the first two touchdowns of the game for the Bulldogs -- his second was a 5-yard score with 10:39 to go in the second.
Sandwiched in between those two touchdowns was Alabama’s first scoring drive of the evening. Quarterback Jalen Hurts completed a pass over the middle to wide receiver Calvin Ridley for a gain of 63 yards. Hurts capped the 5-play drive with a 1-yard rushing score.
The Crimson Tide tied things up in the second quarter on a 1-yard rushing touchdown from running back Josh Jacobs, but another long throw and catch between Hurts and Ridley made it possible. Ridley took the pass 61 yards all the way down to the 1-yard line.
Alabama took its first lead of the game with 12:41 remaining in the third quarter by way of a 30-yard field goal from placekicker Andy Pappanastos. A 48-yard run to the Mississippi State 9 from running back Damien Harris helped set that up, but Alabama strayed away from the run inside the red zone and settled, instead, for the field goal.
The Tide held that lead for 6:38 before the Bulldogs crossed the goal line again. Capping a 13-play, 69-yard drive, quarterback Nick Fitzgerald pushed his way into the end zone on a 2-yard rushing touchdown. This was the first time during the Nick Saban era that an opposing team has scored three rushing touchdowns on an Alabama defense.
State added to its lead on its ensuing series with a 25-yard field goal by Jace Christmann. That rounded out State’s third scoring drive of 10 plays or more in Davis Wade Stadium.
A fourth-down run by Hurts picked up a critical first down for Alabama on a fourth-down attempt, and Harris punched in the tying score with 9:49 left on the clock. The defense, which was gashed for most of the night, stepped up to the plate, too, forcing a Mississippi State punt that traveled into the end zone for a touchback. UA took over with 6:25 remaining.
To make things interesting Pappanastos doinked a 40-yard field goal attempt off the left goal post with 2:03 remaining, giving the ball back to Mississippi State at its own 23. But Alabama’s defense forced a three and out and gave the ball back to the offense.
Alabama will next return to Tuscaloosa to host Mercer in its home finale on Saturday, Nov. 18.
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