Tide win in the final minute

Hurts passes for deciding touchdown with 25 seconds remaining.

STARKVILLE, Miss. — Jalen Hurts hit DeVonta Smith for a 26-yard touchdown pass with 25 seconds remaining to lift No. 2 Alabama over No. 16 Mississippi State 31-24 on Saturday night.

Alabama (10-0, 7-0 SEC) won its 10th straight game against Mississippi State.

“We did a good job of staying together, being one and staying cool and calm,” Hurts said. “We did enough.”

Mississippi State (7-3, 3-3) pushed ahead 24-17 early in the fourth on Jace Christmann’s 25-yard field goal, but Alabama responded to tie it at 24 when Damien Harris ran for a 14-yard score with 9:49 left. Alabama had a chance to take the lead with about two minutes left, but a 40-yard field goal attempt by Andy Pappanastos banged off the left upright.

Mississippi State went three-and-out on the ensuing drive and Alabama took over with 1:09 remaining. That was more than enough time for the Tide, who drove six plays and 68 yards in 44 seconds for the game-winning score.

Alabama coach Nick Saban wasn’t pleased with parts of his team — especially on defense — but he was relieved it responded well to some adversity.

“Sometimes you need hard,” Saban said. “If we’re going to beat really good teams, if we’re going to compete, we’ve got to learn how to compete in close games where every play counts. Where you’ve got to play every play for 60 minutes.”

The game was tight throughout with neither team leading by more than a touchdown. Mississippi State pushed ahead 7-0 in the first quarter on an 11yard run by Aeris Williams. It was the first touchdown the Bulldogs had scored against Alabama since 2014 and the first time they’d taken the lead against the Tide since 2008.

Mississippi State’s power running game gained 172 yards.

“It hurts,” said Mississippi State quarterback Nick Fitzgerald.