No. 1 Alabama Posts 39-10 Homecoming Win Over Missouri
The No. 1 Alabama football team defeated Missouri, 39-10, Saturday night at Bryant-Denny Stadium behind a three-touchdown performance by sophomore quarterback Tua Tagovailoa on Homecoming in front of 101,821 fans.
The Crimson Tide (7-0, 4-0 SEC) netted 564 yards of total offense against the Tigers (3-3, 0-3 SEC) in the win.
On the offensive side, Tagovailoa threw for three touchdowns, all in the first half, while going 12-for-22 in the air for 265 yards. Sophomore wide receiver Jerry Jeudy hauled in three passes for a career-high 147 yards and a touchdown while fellow sophomore wide out DeVonta Smith caught four passes for 100 yards and a score to give the Crimson Tide two 100-yard receivers for the third game in a row. On the ground, senior running back Damien Harris rushed the ball 14 times for 62 yards and a score.
Junior linebacker Mack Wilson and redshirt sophomore Quinnen Williams led the Tide defense. Wilson finished with a team-high 11 tackles and a sack while Williams tallied seven stops and Alabama’s first safety since 2015.
For the seventh consecutive game, Alabama scored on its opening drive when Tagovailoa found Jeudy for an 81-yard bomb to put the Tide on the board just 23 seconds into the game. Following redshirt freshmen Joseph Bulovas’ extra point, UA led 7-0 with 14:37 left on the first quarter clock.
On the second offensive play for Missouri, quarterback Drew Lock dropped back to pass and was picked off by junior defensive back Saivion Smith at the Mizzou 47-yard line, returning the interception 33 yards to setup the Alabama offense at the Missouri 14-yard line. Three plays later, Bulovas converted a 30-yard field goal to put UA up 10-0 with 13:23 remaining in the first.
Later in the quarter after an Alabama fumble, Missouri used a seven-play 37-yard drive and put three points up on the scoreboard on a 43-yard field goal. The Tide led 10-3 with 5:31 to go in the first quarter.
Alabama responded with a nine-play 67-yard drive, capped off by a 28-yard Bulovas field goal to extend the lead back to 10 points at 13-3 with 2:13 left in the first.
On the ensuing Missouri possession, the Tigers’ offense needed six plays to go 73 yards, ending with a 20-yard touchdown reception with two seconds left in the opening quarter. After the extra point, Mizzou trimmed the deficit to 13-10 headed into the second.
In the second quarter, the Tide stretched its lead by scoring back-to-back touchdowns in less than two minutes. First, Tagovailoa found junior tight end Irv Smith Jr. in the back of the end zone to cap the nine-play, 75-yard scoring drive. Then after senior defensive lineman Isaiah Buggs forced a fumble on a 14-yard sack and junior Anfernee Jennings recovered at the MU 13-yard line, Tagovailoa hooked up with sophomore wideout DeVonta Smith for a 13-yard score. Bulovas’ extra point made it 27-10 Alabama with 10:07 left in the half.
Later in the second, Tagovailoa linked up again with DeVonta Smith, this time on a beautiful 57-yard strike to set up the offense at the MU 17-yard line. Five plays later, Bulovas finished the drive with a 20-yard field goal to make it 30-10 with 2:33 remaining before halftime.
The two teams exchanged punts in the third quarter, with the only score coming on the last play of the frame when sophomore defensive end Quinnen Williams sacked Lock in the end zone for a seven-yard loss and a safety. Alabama held the 32-10 advantage going into the final 15 minutes of play.
On the kickoff following the safety, junior running back Josh Jacobs took the kick at the Alabama 10-yard and sliced his way to the MU 40-yard line for a 50-yard return. The Tide reached the end zone five plays later under the direction of junior quarterback Jalen Hurts. Alabama went 40 yards, capped by Harris finding his way into the end zone from two yards out. Bulovas’ extra point made it 39-10 with 11:10 left in the game. Saivion Smith ended a late scoring drive by the Tigers in the fourth quarter with his second interception, this one coming in the end zone.
The Tide hits the road next Saturday, Oct. 20, for an SEC matchup against Tennessee at Neyland Stadium. Kickoff between the Crimson Tide and Volunteers is set for 2:30 p.m. CT with the game airing live on CBS.