Football in the SEC is rarely pretty. It’s usually a car crash in slow motion, and the 2024 meeting between Alabama and South Carolina was the definition of "holding on for dear life." If you just saw the final Alabama vs South Carolina score of 27-25, you might think it was a standard back-and-forth game. It wasn't. It was chaos.
Tuscaloosa was already on edge. Just a week prior, the Crimson Tide had suffered a historic upset against Vanderbilt. Fans were looking for a statement win to prove that the Kalen DeBoer era wasn't falling apart at the seams. Instead, they got a game that came down to the literal final second.
The Numbers Behind the Chaos
Let’s look at how the scoreboard actually moved. Alabama jumped out to a 14-0 lead. On paper, it looked like they were going to cruise. Jalen Milroe and Justice Haynes both found the end zone early. But South Carolina didn't blink. They clawed back with 12 points in the second quarter alone, helped by a bizarre safety where Milroe was flagged for intentional grounding in his own end zone.
By halftime, it was 14-12. The momentum had shifted entirely.
The Gamecocks actually took the lead in the third quarter. Raheim Sanders punched in a 1-yard run to make it 19-14. Suddenly, the nightmare of back-to-back losses felt very real for the Tide.
Key Game Stats
- Final Score: Alabama 27, South Carolina 25
- Total Yards: South Carolina 374, Alabama 313
- Turnovers: South Carolina 4, Alabama 2
- Time of Possession: South Carolina 31:40, Alabama 28:20
You’ll notice South Carolina actually outgained Alabama. Usually, when you outgain the Tide in their own stadium, you win. But turnovers are the great equalizer. South Carolina coughed the ball up four times. Alabama's defense, led by Keon Sabb (who had 12 tackles) and Jihaad Campbell, lived on the edge but forced the mistakes they needed.
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The Final Two Minutes
The end of this game was pure madness. Jalen Milroe, who had a rough day with two interceptions, found Germie Bernard for a 34-yard touchdown with just under two minutes left. That made it 27-19.
Game over, right? Not even close.
LaNorris Sellers, the Gamecocks' young quarterback, marched his team 75 yards in just over a minute. He hit Nyck Harbor—a 6-foot-5 track star—for a 31-yard touchdown. They needed the two-point conversion to tie it. They failed.
But then, because this is college football, South Carolina recovered an onside kick. Alabama completely botched the recovery. With 43 seconds left, South Carolina had the ball and a chance to win with a field goal. It felt like the Vanderbilt game all over again.
Ultimately, Domani Jackson saved the season. Sellers heaved a desperation pass toward the end zone as time expired, and Jackson picked it off at the goal line.
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Why the Alabama vs South Carolina Score Mattered So Much
This game was a turning point for how people viewed the 2024 Crimson Tide. It showed they were vulnerable. Jalen Milroe finished 16-of-23 for 209 yards, but those two interceptions were costly. He also added two rushing touchdowns, which saved his stat line.
South Carolina proved they were a tough out. Shane Beamer’s squad played with a chip on their shoulder. They didn't care about the ranking or the stadium atmosphere. Sellers was impressive, going 23-of-31 for 238 yards. Honestly, if it weren't for those four turnovers, the Gamecocks likely leave Tuscaloosa with a win.
The 2025 Rematch: Different Year, Similar Drama
Fast forward to the 2025 season. The two teams met again in Columbia on October 25, 2025. This time, the Alabama vs South Carolina score ended in a 29-22 victory for the Tide.
It followed a weirdly similar script. Alabama trailed by eight points in the fourth quarter. It took 15 points in the final two minutes for them to escape. Ty Simpson, who had taken over the reins, threw for 253 yards and two touchdowns. Germie Bernard was again the hero, scoring the go-ahead touchdown with 34 seconds left.
Alabama's defense forced another late fumble to seal it. It seems like every time these two teams play lately, the heart rate of every fan in the stadium goes through the roof.
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Practical Takeaways for Fans and Bettors
If you're following these matchups, there are a few things that consistently show up in the box scores:
- Don't ignore the spread: In both 2024 and 2025, South Carolina covered or kept it much closer than Vegas predicted.
- Turnover margin is king: Alabama has survived these games primarily by winning the turnover battle, even when they're outgained in yardage.
- The "Bernard Factor": Germie Bernard has become a South Carolina killer. In both recent games, he came up with the massive fourth-quarter play that decided the outcome.
- Red Zone Efficiency: In the 2025 game, Alabama was perfect in the red zone, while South Carolina settled for too many field goals. Those four-point swings are the difference between an upset and a narrow escape.
To really understand the Alabama vs South Carolina score, you have to look past the numbers. It's about a gap in talent that is closing and a psychological battle where Alabama is learning to win "ugly."
Monitor the health of the secondary in future matchups. In both games, the Tide's defensive backs were the ones making the game-saving plays in the final seconds. If that unit is banged up, the Gamecocks' penchant for late-game heroics becomes even more dangerous.
Check the official SEC stats pages for the full play-by-play breakdown if you want to see exactly how those final drives unfolded. The 2024 game, in particular, is a masterclass in why you never leave a stadium early, no matter how much time is left on the clock.