Recap: Alabama football eventually gets going in 34-0 win over Austin Peay

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Alabama football aims to score a second consecutive victory as it returns home for the first time in almost a month to face Austin Peay.

The Crimson Tide has not competed at Bryant-Denny Stadium since its matchup with Mississippi State on Oct. 22. Alabama then had an open week before road trips to face LSU and Ole Miss.

The No. 8 Crimson Tide (8-2, 5-2 SEC) and the Governors (7-2, 3-2 conference) have never played against each other before. Austin Peay is an FCS team that competes in the ASUN Conference.

The Governors are led by Scotty Walden, who became the youngest head coach at the Division I level when he took the job at age 30 in 2020. He just turned 33 this week.

On the other sideline will be Nick Saban, the 71-year-old coach who is in his 16th season with the Crimson Tide.

"I told the players earlier in the week, I said 'Nobody should be able to come to practice and watch practice and be able to know who we're playing this week,'" Saban said Wednesday. "If you're really motivated to do things the right way and you wanna go play well regardless, then nobody would be able to come here and know who we're playing because it's how you go about your work, it's what you do and I think that's the culture that we're trying to create and what we're trying to get our players to understand and try to do."

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What time and channel is the Alabama football game on?

  • Time: 11 a.m.

  • Channel: ESPN+/ SEC Network+

Alabama football score vs. Austin Peay: Live updates from Bryant-Denny Stadium

Fourth quarter

FINAL: Alabama 34, Austin Peay 0.

Ty Simpson got the last series at QB for the Crimson Tide. Alabama hosts Auburn at 2:30 p.m. next Saturday.

TCU wins with a field goal at the buzzer at Baylor. Michigan driving to go ahead vs. Illinois.

INSTANT ANALYSIS: Jase McClellan leads Alabama football to win over Austin Peay

6:35 left: Jalen Milroe picked off at the goal line. Alabama's third turnover of the game.

10:55 left: Brian Branch INT on a good readjustment. Nice play.

Jalen Milroe in at QB for Alabama.

12:15 left: Illinois leads at Michigan. Baylor leads at home against TCU. Both games in the fourth quarter.

13:20 left: Touchdown Alabama! Quick pass out to Jermaine Burton for a 10-yard catch and run. It's Burton's second TD of the day. He has six catches for 116 yards.

Alabama 34, Austin Peay 0. Guessing the next time you'll see Bryce Young is during Iron Bowl warmups next week.

Third quarter

End of the third quarter: Alabama 27, Austin Peay 0. Tide driving into APSU territory.

4:57 left: Will Reichard is good from 30 yards out. Alabama 27, Austin Peay 0.

Meanwhile, around the country:

TCU 20, Baylor 14

Michigan 10, Illinois 10.

5:44 left: Alabama touchdown wiped off the scoreboard after an ineligible player downfield penalty on a long Bryce Young scramble.

8:35 left: APSU goes for it on 4th and 4 and has a very, very bad exchange. Alabama recovers the fumble. Damon Payne Jr. with the recovery.

Tide has the ball inside the APSU 30.

Jase McClellan's 2nd TD of the day pushes Alabama's lead to 24

8:43 left: Jase McClellan goes for a 9-yard touchdown over right end. I don't know that he was touched.

PAT good. Alabama 24, Austin Peay 0. McClellan has 156 rushing yards and two TDs today.

9:29 left: There's an explosive play. Jermaine Burton, the featured receiver today, goes for 50 yards on a long ball from Bryce Young. Alabama driving.

11:36 left: Alabama three-and-out to start the half. Not the best work from the offense, and Bryce Young, so far.

12:32 left: Austin Peay punts on the first drive of the second half.

Amari Kight will be in for Tyler Steen at left tackle.

Second quarter

HALFTIME: Alabama 17, Austin Peay 0. Tide's final drive stymied by a sack. Tyler Steen was down after the sack and walked slowly to the locker room.

2:27 left: Will Reichard is good from 29 yards out. Alabama 17, Austin Peay 0.

Bryce Young was sacked on third down to force the Tide to kick. Young is 11-14 for 99 yards and a TD so far.

5:37 left: Kool-Aid McKinstry INT from APSU QB Mike DiLiello on a miscommunication. DiLiello wanted a back-shoulder throw, and his receiver drifted upfield.

McKinstry returned back to midfield. Alabama in business.

Bryce Young to Jermaine Burton to extend the Tide's lead

6:37 left: Touchdown Alabama! Jermaine Burton is wide open in the left side of the end zone, and Bryce Young finds him for a 4-yard TD.

PAT good. Alabama 14, Austin Peay 0.

7:15 left: A tough run from Jase McClellan creates 1st and goal.

7:47 left: Jermaine Burton makes a first down catch over the middle for 23 yards.

10:55 left: Jase McClellan rips off a 35-yard gain. Bryce Young is sacked on the next play.

McClellan already past 100 rushing yards.

11:17 left: Austin Peay kicker Maddux Trujillo slices a 25-yard field goal wide left. Alabama's lead is still 7-0.

12:40 left: Austin Peay comes out throwing to start the second quarter, and the Govs work their way to 1st and goal.

First quarter

27 seconds left: Isaiah Bond wrestles with an APSU defender and looks to have possibly lost the ball. APSU recovers, but the officials rule Bond down.

After a long review, the ruling changes. Bond fumbles, APSU ball. A meh start for the Tide today.

2:40 left: Jase McClellan already has 73 rushing yards today.

4:10 left: APSU goes for it on 4th and goal from the Alabama 4-yard line, and the jump pass is incomplete.

6:12 left: APSU has 1st and goal after a run of positive plays. There are many SEC teams that don't come into Bryant-Denny Stadium with the energy and confidence of the Govs.

7:38 left: Austin Peay takes a couple shots and comes up empty. Three and out.

Then an Alabama gunner (Kendrick Law) has the ball bounce off his back, and APSU recovers. Odd play. APSU in Alabama territory.

Alabama takes early lead with Jase McClellan 1-yard TD on 4th and goal

8:28 left: Jase McClellan just gets over the goal line for the touchdown. That was a grind of a drive.

After review, ruling stands. Alabama 7, APSU 0.

9:06 left: Bryce Young hesitates, then tries to lower his shoulder near the goal line to n. 4th and goal from the APSU 1 upcoming.

10:35 left: Jojo Earle with a couple moves after the catch. Alabama has first and goal.

12:06 left: Jase McClellan bursts down the right sideline for 28 yards. Alabama driving.

13:54 left: Jermaine Burton with the first down catch. Here comes the Alabama tempo.

15:00 left: Alabama receives the opening kickoff. Let's get going.

Emmanuel Henderson fields the kickoff at the very back of the end zone and only makes it to the Alabama 8-yard line. Interesting.

Pregame: Handful of key contributors not warming up

Running back Jahmyr Gibbs, tight end Cameron Latu and cornerback Eli Ricks all were not out for pregame warmups ahead of the 11 a.m. kickoff.

Gibbs suffered an ankle injury last week at Ole Miss. There will be a handful of running backs carrying the ball today, but Jase McClellan is likely to be the starter in the backfield today.

Kickoff is about 20 minutes away. The game is on SEC Network+ and ESPN+ (streaming only), and you can follow along with game updates right here throughout the day.

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This article originally appeared on The Tuscaloosa News: Recap: Alabama football eventually gets going in 34-0 win over Austin Peay