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The Tuscaloosa News
Third-down fortunes lift Alabama football in road win over Missouri | Goodbread
- Story byThe Tuscaloosa News
- Third-down fortunes lift Alabama football in road win over Missouri | Goodbread
COLUMBIA, MO. − With Alabama football behind on both the scoreboard and the yardsticks in the early going against Missouri on Saturday, Oct. 11, Tigers defender Daylan Carnell dropped Germie Bernard for a loss of 5 yards to force a would-be punt, only for the unthinkable to foil the home momentum. Missouri defensive end Zion Young was flagged for unsportsmanlike conduct, giving Alabama third-down salvation on a drive that finished in the UM end zone.
It was a sign of things to come, and a bad one for Missouri.
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The Crimson Tide (5-1, 3-0 SEC) went on to dominate third-down play en route to a 27-24 road win. Remarkably enough, it did so against the best third-down team in college football. Missouri entered play ranked No. 1 in the nation in third-down offense, converting at a 60% rate, and No. 3 in the country in third-down defense, allowing 21.7%.
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Oct 11, 2025; Columbia, Missouri, USA; Alabama Crimson Tide running back Kevin Riley (28) celebrates his touch down with offensive lineman Parker Brailsford (72) during the first quarter of the game at Faurot Field at Memorial Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Reese Strickland-Imagn Images
Following Young's egregious mental mistake, quarterback Ty Simpson connected with freshman Lotzeir Brooks for 18 yards on third-and-8. Just five plays later, Alabama 's favorite Tiger struck again − Young was flagged for being offside on a third-and-5 − giving Simpson a fresh set of downs and an eventual touchdown pass to Kevin Riley. Simpson would subsequently find Isaiah Horton for a 16-yard touchdown on a third-and-12, and scramble for 20 on a third-and-4.
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When the Tigers finally did get a third-down stop with a second-quarter sack of Simpson, it wasn't enough to keep points off the board. Conor Talty followed with the longest field goal of his career, a 48-yarder that was officially shorted at 46.
Even offensive tackle Kadyn Proctor got in on the third-down act, converting a short-yardage first down near the UM goal line in the second half. And with the outcome very much at stake late in the fourth quarter, Simpson dashed Missouri's comeback hopes by converting a third-and-24 with an incredible throw to Brooks for a gain of 29.
Meanwhile, Alabama's defense flexed on third down, holding Mizzou to 1 of 6 in the first half. Included in those third-down stops were a combined sack by LT Overton and Keon Keeley , a stop for no gain and forced fumble by Yhonzae Pierre, and another stop for no gain by London Simmons.
Alabama's offense regressed a bit on third down in the second half to finish 6 of 15, not inclusive of penalty assistance. But it's defense wouldn't budge, as Missouri finished just 1 of 10. Freshman cornerback Dijon Lee clinched the win with his first career interception on a third-and-10 in the final minute. Time and again, it's what propelled the Crimson Tide to a crucial road victory to mark the halfway point of the season.
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It was supposed to be Missouri's money down, but it was Alabama that rang the cash register.
Tuscaloosa News sport columnist Chase Goodbread.
Tuscaloosa News columnist Chase Goodbread is also the weekly co-host of Crimson Cover TV on WVUA-23. Reach him at cgoodbread@gannett.com. Follow on X.com @chasegoodbread. \\
This article originally appeared on The Tuscaloosa News: Third-down fortunes lift Alabama football in road win over Missouri
