TUSCALOOSA, Ala. (AP) — By HENRY SKLAR Associated Press

South Carolina had chances to knock off Alabama the past two seasons. Both times, the Crimson Tide made enough plays late to avoid an upset.

Alabama would prefer not to have to do it again.

The eighth-ranked Crimson Tide (3-0, 1-0 Southeastern Conference) host South Carolina (2-1, 0-1) on Saturday with both teams looking to address problems from last week.

Alabama needed to overcome a 15-point deficit to beat Florida State 50-36 and allowed 377 yards passing. The Gamecocks, meanwhile, lost 41-34 to Mississippi State and now face their first road game while trying to avoid falling to 0-2 in conference play.

“We’ve moved on. In this building, we’ve moved on,” South Carolina coach Shane Beamer said. “Saturday sucked. We’re not going to sit around and feel sorry for ourselves.”

The last two meetings came down to the final possession.

Alabama needed Domani Jackson’s interception to secure a 27-25 win in 2024 after South Carolina recovered an onside kick. Last season, the Crimson Tide erased an eight-point, fourth-quarter deficit, recovered LaNorris Sellers’ fumble and scored again to win 29-22.

Alabama coach Kalen DeBoer expects another physical matchup.

“A game that you got to be ready to play and be at your best,” he said.

Sellers returns for his third start against Alabama. The Crimson Tide will start its third different quarterback in those meetings, with Keelon Russell following Jalen Milroe and Ty Simpson.

Beamer pointed to Alabama’s response to its season-opening loss at Florida State last year as an example for his team. The Crimson Tide recovered to reach the SEC championship game and the College Football Playoff.

“Again, this team will be judged by what we do from this point forward,” Beamer said. “And we’ve moved on.”

Alabama wants a better start

Alabama recovered from early deficits against Kentucky and Florida State. DeBoer wants better execution before the Crimson Tide fall behind. He cited missed blocks, slow reactions and a false start among the problems against the Seminoles.

“Our first two drives this last week, I mean, we were really close, but close doesn’t matter,” DeBoer said.

Sellers should test Alabama’s secondary

Alabama’s pass defense has a chance to respond after struggling against Florida State. Defensive coordinator Kane Wommack called that performance the worst pass defense he has seen during his Alabama tenure. He said the Seminoles succeeded on timely throws, even under pressure.

Sellers brings a similar concern with his ability to extend plays. He has thrown for 648 yards and five touchdowns while rushing for 172 yards.

DeBoer said Sellers has improved as a downfield passer. Receiver Nyck Harbor, at 6-5 and 240 pounds one of the nation’s most physically imposing players and a late-game touchdown scorer against Alabama in 2024, has eight receptions for 127 yards this season.

South Carolina’s running game faces a challenge

South Carolina averages 277.3 yards rushing a game, which ranks seventh nationally. Alabama has allowed 53, the fifth-lowest average in the country.

Matt Fuller leads the Gamecocks with 272 yards rushing and three TDs. Sellers gives South Carolina another running option, including when a passing play breaks down.

Swain gives the Gamecocks a special teams threat

Vicari Swain has returned six punts for 152 yards and two touchdowns, giving South Carolina a chance to score without its offense on the field. DeBoer highlighted punt placement, maintaining coverage lanes and getting multiple defenders to Swain.

Productive returns could give Sellers a shorter field. In a matchup decided by a combined nine points over the past two seasons, special teams could help determine whether South Carolina leaves Tuscaloosa with a different result.

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BIRMINGHAM, Ala. (WBRC) – Investigators say kratom was found at the scenes of two University of Mississippi students who died Monday, though the substance has not been confirmed as the cause of either death.

Now, their deaths have sparked questions and conversations about the dangers of the substance.

What is kratom

Kratom was banned in Alabama in 2016, one of nine states to fully ban the substance. State officials have been cracking down on illegal production this year.

Irondale Police Chief Paul Kellogg said kratom can be sold in smoke shops or gas stations, marketed as a supplement.

“Kratom is a substance that is sold in smoke shops. It’s advertised or sold as a supplement,” Kellogg said.

It can be sold as a powder, a pill or capsule, a liquid, or in dried leaf form, he said.

Nichole Dawsey, executive director of the Alabama Addiction Prevention Coalition, said kratom carries health risks despite its appearance.

“Kratom does carry some serious health risks and can be habit forming… it can also cause some pretty intense withdrawal and physical side effects, as well as some mental side effects,” Dawsey said.

Chief Kellogg said his department has not dealt with kratom directly, but is aware of its effects.

“It can be highly addictive if you have long-term use, and your body does build a resistance to it. So each time you use it, you have to use a little bit more to get the same effect,” Kellogg said.

Why it’s especially risky for young people

Dawsey said kratom’s impact can be more severe for younger users because the brain is still developing.

“A brain does not typically finish developing until someone is about 25. And during that time, if substances are used, whether it’s alcohol or kratom or something else, it definitely can make that brain more prone to become dependent or addicted to it,” Dawsey said.

She said not everyone who uses kratom realizes what they’re taking. Some people knowingly seek it out as an alternative to opioids or caffeine, she said, while others simply see it at a gas station and assume it’s similar to an energy drink.

Even with the statewide ban, Dawsey said kratom products continue to reach Alabama consumers, often manufactured in unregulated conditions.

She said the products are not manufactured by companies that disclose ingredients or provide guidance on health risks, unlike medications sold at pharmacies.

Statewide enforcement

State agents have executed dozens of search warrants and seized thousands of doses of kratom products statewide this year.

Kellogg said the effects of kratom vary by dose.

“In lower doses, it acts as a stimulant… but in higher doses, it has the same effect as opioids… you really kind of experience everything you experience on painkillers, with all the side effects,” Kellogg said.

Ole Miss deaths

Two college students at Ole Miss were found dead Monday. Investigators say kratom was at both scenes. No one has confirmed kratom caused either student’s death.

Dawsey said deadly outcomes are possible, particularly when kratom is combined with other substances.

“We do know that there have been lives lost to kratom-related overdoses… most drug deaths in general are the result of what’s called polyuse… very few drugs are clean or unadulterated,” Dawsey said.

Experts say kratom is unregulated regardless of its source, meaning users cannot know what the product actually contains.

Help is available

Anyone struggling with addiction of any kind can call or text 988 to reach the Suicide and Crisis Lifeline, which also connects callers with substance use support.

The Alabama Addiction Prevention Coalition offers free local resources, including recovery support groups and help connecting with treatment programs. To find help from the APC, click or tap here.

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MOBILE, Ala. (WALA) – Young entrepreneurs competed for seed funding to finance their businesses during the Launch Lower Alabama competition at the University of South Alabama.

Launch Lower Alabama is an entrepreneurial mentoring program and competition hosted by the Melton Center at the university. The program encourages participants to foster innovative ideas through business development, mentorship and seed funding.

University of South Alabama sophomore Bryce Smith won the top prize in the competition. Smith develops hardware and software solutions designed to help saltwater aquarium owners protect their investments.

“Lots of people spend a ton of money on their aquariums,” Smith said. “My experience working at fish stores, people will spend thousands on a single fish. And corals as well, thousands on corals. That’s a lot of money you’re building up in your aquarium and people really want to control that ecosystem.”

Other business products pitched during the competition included a pain cream, a medical device and custom perfume.