USF makes it difficult for No. 4 Alabama until the 4th quarter

TUSCALOOSA, Alabama — Jalen Milroe and Alabama battled it out for 50 minutes, and the fun started for them when the mistakes stopped.

Milroe ran for two touchdowns and threw two touchdowns in the fourth quarter to help the fourth-seeded Crimson Tide to a 42-16 win over USF on Saturday night.

The Crimson Tide (2-0) couldn’t get any breathing room against the Bulls (1-1) before scoring 28 points in the final 10 minutes. It was a surprising test for new coach Kalen DeBoer, whose team entered as a 30-point favorite and only came alive late on offense.

“It’s incredible what can happen in the fourth quarter when we avoid penalties and turnovers,” DeBoer said.

Alabama lost three fumbles and picked up a series of penalties in the second half, leaving them up 14-13 early in the fourth quarter. Milroe then threw touchdown passes of 16 yards to Kobe Prentiss and 43 yards to Ryan Williams. Jamarion Miller added a 56-yard touchdown run and Justice Haynes had a 29-yard touchdown run in the final 2:30.

Miller finished the game with a 140-yard run.

The Bulls stymied Alabama’s offense for a long time for the second year in a row, this time with Milroe on the field. The Tide quarterback was benched last year when the game was tied at halftime before Alabama won 17-3.

Milroe then led Alabama to ten consecutive wins and the SEC championship.

“This isn’t a wake-up call or anything,” DeBoer said. “Nothing like that. It’s just about continuing to raise the standard. I think that game last year was important and pushed them forward last year, and it could be the same this year. That’s my hope.”

Milroe completed 17 of 27 passes for 199 yards, but was sacked four times and lost a fumble under center at USF 2 in the second half.

Milroe’s first touchdown pass gave the Tide a 21-13 lead. The Bulls answered with John Collins’ third field goal after a drive fueled by Nay’Quan Wright’s two 19-yard runs and a targeted attack penalty on Justin Jefferson.

“We did exactly what we needed to do defensively for three and a half quarters,” Bulls coach Alex Golesh said.

Milroe found freshman Williams, who spun away from a defender and scampered into the end zone for his third 40-yard touchdown in two college games.

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“To see the guys have so much grit and pull out a win like that shows their toughness and their will,” Milroe said.

Alabama lost two fumbles in its own territory in the first 4:05 of the second half, and Milroe lost another later.

His USF colleague Byrum Brown threw passes for 103 yards and ran 23 times for another 108 yards.

“This is the state of our program,” Golesh said. “This is the final step in our growth, to finish this game.”

Key finding

USF: In front of the largest crowd (officially 100,077) ever to attend a Bulls game, they put on a mostly competitive show. Could have been closer, but failed to score on two consecutive possessions near the halfway line early in the second half.

Alabama: The second game of DeBoer’s tenure was nowhere near as flawless as the debut, a 63-0 victory over Western Kentucky. It included 13 penalties for 120 yards, plus the turnovers.

Next

USF: Saturday at Southern Mississippi.

Alabama: On Saturday in Wisconsin.

By JOHN ZENOR, Associated Press