No. 4 Alabama hosts South Florida in rematch of low-scoring 2023 game

Alabama wide receiver Ryan Williams (2) and Alabama quarterback Jalen Milroe (4) celebrate after Milroe’s touchdown run against Western Kentucky during the first half of an NCAA college football game, Saturday, Aug. 31, 2024, in Tuscaloosa, Ala. (AP Photo/Vasha Hunt)

Jalen Milroe finally gets to lead Alabama against South Florida. The fourth-ranked Crimson Tide’s star quarterback was benched for last year’s meeting. Milroe has been rolling ever since, accounting for five touchdowns in the opener against Western Kentucky.

The Tide rose a spot in the rankings after a 63-0 win that marked Kalen DeBoer’s Alabama coaching debut. His predecessor, Nick Saban, will officially have the field at Bryant-Denny Stadium renamed after him. Alabama will unveil the sign before the game.

For Alabama, it’s a chance to put on a better showing than it did in last year’s meeting, which marked a turning point for quarterback Jalen Milroe and the team. The Crimson Tide won 17-3 but the game was tied at halftime with Milroe benched. This should be a tougher test than the 63-0 opener against Western Kentucky. The Bulls are seeking to end a 16-game losing streak against ranked teams dating to a 2016 win over then-No. 22 Navy.

KEY MATCHUP

Alabama’s (so far) explosive offense against a South Florida defense that has allowed just 17 total points in its last three games. The Bulls did have seven new defensive starters in a 48-3 win over Bethune-Cookman. The Tide reeled off four scoring plays of at least 39 yards in Game 1, including Justice Haynes’ 85-yard run and freshman Ryan Williams’ 84-yard catch. Williams also added a 55-yard touchdown catch before halftime in his college debut. It was the first time Alabama had produced two scoring plays of 80-plus yards in a game since Sept. 7, 1991, against Tennessee.

PLAYERS TO WATCH

Alabama: Milroe was memorably benched for the last meeting, giving his two backups a chance after a loss to Texas. Milroe stormed back to lead the Tide to 10 straight victories after that. He passed for three touchdowns and ran for two against Western Kentucky but attempted only nine passes.

South Florida: QB Byrum Brown is back after passing for 3,292 yards and leading the team with 809 rushing yards last season. Brown passed for 152 yards and ran for 74 against Bethune-Cookman.

FACTS & FIGURES

Alabama will honor former coach Nick Saban by officially renaming their home Nick Saban Field at Bryant-Denny Stadium. The school will unveil the new stadium sign pre-game for Saban, who led the Tide to six national championships. He’ll also be recognized at halftime. … The Bulls have three straight games scoring at least 45 points. … South Florida has a total of 37 transfers from four-year colleges. … This could at least officially be the largest crowd South Florida has played in front of. Bryant-Denny Stadium holds 100,077. USF played before 99,235 at Penn State on Sept. 3, 2005.

Kickoff is at 6PM CDT on ESPN.

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