Alabama Rushes Past Eastern Illinois on Senior Day

TUSCALOOSA, Ala. - Alabama handled its business on Saturday afternoon inside Bryant-Denny Stadium, with the Eastern Illinois Panthers coming to Tuscaloosa for a late-season tune-up game for Alabama against Eastern Illinois.

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1st Quarter

Alabama's defense took the field for the first drive of the game, but it only remained out there for four snaps, as Dijon Lee Jr. intercepted a pass on the Tide's opening drive on defense. It set up the Crimson Tide's offense in good positioning, starting its drive at the Eastern Illinois 46-yard line. Alabama's offense rolled down the field, with big completions to Isaiah Horton on the drive, before Jam Miller capped it off with a one-yard rushing touchdown to put Alabama up early, 7-0.

Alabama's next touchdown came quickly as well, with the Crimson Tide taking five plays and 2:43 to go 38 yards, a drive in which Rico Scott caught his first pass since South Carolina, with Daniel Hill ending the drive with a burst up the middle of the defense for a seven-yard rushing touchdown. Was the Crimson Tide being petty for what CFP committee chair Hunter Yurachek said about the Tide's run game?

2nd Quarter

The Crimson Tide was making a point of emphasis to improve the run game statistics against Eastern Illinois, with five of the eight plays on the Tide's third touchdown drive being runs, ended by a Kevin Riley one-yard touchdown. Riley was Alabama's third different player to earn a rushing score on Saturday.

Kevin Riley added to his total in the second quarter, rushing in for a two-yard touchdown to cap off a nine-play, 69-yard touchdown drive that took 4:16 off the clock. Ty Simpson connected on a 26-yard pass to Jaylen Mbakwe to set up the score for the Crimson Tide's tailback.

3rd Quarter

The Crimson Tide opened the second half the way it opened the game, but marching down the field and securing a rushing touchdown on a sub-10 play drive. Alabama chewed 3:53 off the clock on its eight-play drive, capped by the one-yard score from freshman AK Dear.

Austin Mack couldn't let the Tide's running backs have all the fun, rushing for the Tide's sixth rushing touchdown of the game with 1:05 left in the third quarter, taking it himself for 20 yards.

4th Quarter

Alabama added another two rushing touchdowns in the fourth quarter, with Richard Young toting the rock for his second touchdown of the season.

AK Dear rounded out the scoring with Alabama's eighth rushing touchdown of the day, the most by the Crimson Tide in one game since 1979.

Alabama's 56-0 victory over Eastern Illinois gives the Crimson Tide nine wins on the season, and while this game had no bearing on the SEC standings, the next one could make or break the Crimson Tide's season, as Alabama will travel to Auburn to take on the Auburn Tigers next Saturday.

Wyatt Fulton is the Tide 100.9 DME and Brand Manager, primarily covering Alabama Crimson Tide football and men's basketball. For more Crimson Tide coverage, follow Wyatt on X (Formerly known as Twitter) at @FultonW_.