No. 12 Alabama overcomes halftime deficit to beat Kentucky 45-17

Lexington, Ky. (AP) — Alabama's Keelon Russell threw for 188 yards and a touchdown, leading the No. 12 Crimson Tide to a 45-17 victory over Kentucky on Saturday in the SEC opener for both teams. Despite trailing 17-13 at halftime, Alabama outscored Kentucky 32-0 in the second half. Alabama coach Kalen DeBoer acknowledged the team's initial struggles, stating, "(It) wasn't this crazy energy that we had to have (after trailing)."

Alabama won its ninth straight game against Kentucky, a streak that started in 1997 after a 40-34 overtime win. The Tide's rushing attack struggled, with just 128 total yards in the first two quarters, but they finished strong with 343 yards overall, including 155 on the ground. Daniel Hill contributed 104 rushing yards and a touchdown.

Kentucky quarterback Kenny Minchey completed 146 yards and a touchdown, but his team only managed 62 yards in the second half. Minchey also threw an interception and lost a fumble. DeBoer praised his team's resilience, noting that overcoming the slow start builds belief and trust. Alabama has won its first 10 conference openers since 1992 and is 34-1 in its opening games since 1992.

Kentucky, which hasn't beaten a ranked opponent since 2023, now has a record of 2-40-1 against Alabama.