Keelon Russell threw three touchdown passes and ran for another score as No. 10 Alabama overcame a pair of lightning delays and a slow start to rally past Florida State 50-36 Saturday in Tuscaloosa, Ala.
Russell completed 23 of 30 passes for 320 yards and added 56 yards on three carries. Lotzeir Brooks had eight catches for a career-high 101 yards for the Crimson Tide (3-0), who averaged 8.6 yards per play and scored nine straight times they touched the ball.
Florida State (1-2) got a productive performance from quarterback Ashton Daniels, who threw for 343 yards and two scores while also tallying two rushing touchdowns. However, he was intercepted three times.
Duce Robinson had six catches for 135 yards and a touchdown while Ousmane Kromah had 17 carries for 80 yards for the Seminoles.
The game was delayed nearly two hours due to lightning before Florida State, which closed as a nearly 20-point underdog, got off to a stunning start when it jumped ahead 21-6 with 9:42 left before halftime.
Daniels found Robinson for a 20-yard touchdown to cap off the Seminoles’ opening drive. Florida State then followed a pair of Alabama field goals with a pair of touchdowns, a 12-yard run by Kromah followed by a 3-yard Daniels run.
Alabama finally found the end zone with 2:36 left before halftime on a 21-yard connection from Russell to Cederian Morgan.
The second lightning delay began immediately after, which served as the halftime break.
The Crimson Tide returned from the delay with a vengeance, scoring 13 points over the final 2:36 of the half to take a 26-21 halftime edge.
First came a 46-yard touchdown pass from Russell to Ryan Coleman-Williams. Alabama took its first lead on another Russell TD pass, this one a 16-yard connection with Kaleb Edwards.
As disastrous as the Seminoles’ first-half finish was, they bounced back quickly and regained the lead on Daniels’ 2-yard touchdown pass to Landen Thomas at the 9:58 mark of the third.
Alabama took command from there, jumping back in front 4:03 later on EJ Crowell’s 4-yard score. The Crimson Tide extended the lead to 40-28 when Russell sprinted 57 yards untouched late in the third quarter. Conor Talty’s third field goal of the night made it 43-28 with 9:53 to play.
Florida State again cut it to a one-possession game on Daniels’ second rushing score of the game before Alabama iced the game with Trae’Shawn Brown’s 20-yard rushing score.
–Field Level Media
