No. 12 Alabama overcame a shaky first half to defeat Kentucky 45-17 on Saturday at Kroger Field, using a dominant second-half performance to turn a four-point halftime deficit into a 28-point victory.
The Crimson Tide struggled with turnovers early. Alabama quarterback Keelon Russell threw two interceptions, including one that Kentucky returned for a touchdown. Kentucky took advantage of Alabama’s mistakes and entered halftime with a 17-13 lead.
Alabama responded immediately after halftime. The Crimson Tide’s defense tightened while the offense found more consistency, scoring 32 unanswered points to take control of the game.
Running back Daniel Hill provided a spark on the ground, rushing for 104 yards and a touchdown on 18 carries. Trae’shawn Brown added another rushing touchdown, while Rico Scott caught a five-yard touchdown pass from Russell in the fourth quarter.
Russell finished 16-of-23 passing for 188 yards, one touchdown and two interceptions. Despite the early mistakes, Alabama’s offense found enough rhythm to finish with 343 total yards.
Kentucky managed only 209 total yards, including just 3.3 yards per play. The Wildcats also committed three turnovers.
After trailing at halftime, Alabama’s ability to adjust on both sides of the ball proved decisive. The victory moved the Crimson Tide to 2-0 and gave them a strong start to SEC play.