Bernard, Defense Rise to Occasion for Alabama

COLUMBIA, S.C. - Alabama had one more test before its second bye week of the 2025 college football season. After facing four straight ranked opponents over the last month of the season, Alabama needed to win the challenge it failed to do so often last year: defeat a struggling, unranked team on the road. The Gamecocks would empty the clip against Alabama, but a win would keep the Crimson Tide in the driver's seat for the SEC Championship and College Football Playoff race.

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The Tide's offense started slow in the game, with just 11 total yards of offense in the first quarter. Despite the stagnant start offensively, the Crimson Tide held a 7-3 lead over South Carolina, thanks to an unsung hero on the defensive side of the ball. DaShawn Jones, a second-year transfer from Wake Forest, made a heads-up play. South Carolina quarterback LaNorris Sellers threw a checkdown to Rahsul Faison, who bobbled the ball, allowing Jones to run underneath it and take the ball 18 yards the other direction for a big-time pick-six for the Crimson Tide.

The Crimson Tide's defense once again bowed up in the redzone, despite some ugly penalties by a couple of Alabama's key players on that side of the ball. The Gamecocks again only came away with three points on their second drive that ventured into Alabama territory. The Crimson Tide's offense was able to find life again, despite Ty Simpson's fumble on the prior drive. Simpson led the Crimson Tide down the field in nine plays, finding 81 yards and the final three yards on fourth and goal, as Ty Simpson fired a dart into the endzone to his tight end, Josh Cuevas, as Alabama took a 14-6 lead, just before halftime.

Alabama tried to get within Conor Talty's field goal range just before halftime, as the Crimson Tide had a chance to double-up. However, Alabama couldn't quite make it happen, so we went into halftime with the aforementioned 14-6 lead, with neither team confident in what they had witnessed for the first 30 minutes of game time.

After halftime, momentum flipped in favor of the Gamecocks, with Sellers setting his feet in a clean pocket and finding the big speedster, Nyck Harbor, for a 54-yard touchdown. Alabama cornerback Zabien Brown trailed in coverage as Sandstorm was turning into quicksand for the Crimson Tide.

South Carolina discovered that Alabama struggled to stop the run, and as a result, they ran an 11-play drive that lasted 4:53 and kicked a 47-yard field goal, giving the Gamecocks their second lead of the day, and their first since Alabama's second defensive drive.

Another three-and-out at the end of the third quarter put Alabama's tired defense back on the field. The Gamecocks had a lead for the first time since 5:17 left in the first quarter, and now, they had the football. The fourth quarter was going to test the merit of this Crimson Tide team. Rise to the occasion, and you're a national title contender who can face anyone on the road. Fall to temptation, and all the questions you've spent a month and a half answering come roaring back, uglier than ever.

South Carolina tried to deliver the dagger five minutes into the fourth quarter. Alabama's defense got Sellers and the Gamecocks off the field, but a special teams disaster, the magnitude of Que Robinson's blunder in the 2022 Tennessee game, put South Carolina's offense right back on the field as Jaylen Mbakwe was hit by the ball, and SC recovered.

Just three plays later, Sellers would walk into the endzone for a 10-yard score, giving the Gamecocks a 22-14 lead over Alabama.

Or did it?

Alabama quarterback Ty Simpson, yet again, put the team and offense on his back, orchestrating a 14-play, 79-yard drive that was a thing of beauty, culminating in a four-yard touchdown pass (his second of the day) to wide receiver Germie Bernard. The Crimson Tide then unloaded the clip on the two-point try, snapping it directly to the running back before Daniel Hill handed off to Ty Simpson, who threw to Josh Cuevas in the endzone. We were tied at 22 apiece.

The game would come down to Kane Wommack and Alabama's defense getting a stop, with enough time left, for Alabama's offense to try and win the game.

And come up big, the Crimson Tide's defense did. Big-time players make big-time plays in big-time situations, and Deontae Lawson made a big-time play in a big-time situation. He forced a fumble on South Carolina quarterback LaNorris Sellers, and the Tide recovered the ball.

Then, Alabama wide receiver Germie Bernard made another big-time play in a big-time situation, taking a wildcat snap across the right side of the field, 25 yards for a touchdown, driving the knife into the hearts of the Gamecock faithful, who had made their way to the bottom of the stadium, ready to rush the field.

Keon Keeley ended the game, sacking South Carolina quarterback LaNorris Sellers, and that's how Alabama walked out with a 29-22 win over the Gamecocks.

Alabama improves to 7-1 on the season, and remains undefeated (5-0) in SEC play.

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_.