FBS college football / FINAL / Sat Sep 12, 2026 2:30 PM CT
No. 12 Alabama pulls away from Kentucky 45-17
Trailing 17-16 in the third quarter, Alabama scored the game's last four touchdowns at Kroger Field.
By BetMetrics
Final
Alabama Crimson Tide45
Kentucky Wildcats17
WHERE IT TURNED
No. 12 Alabama beat Kentucky 45-17 on Saturday at Kroger Field in Lexington, taking its first lead of the game with 3:00 left in the third quarter.
Both teams scored on defense first. Mi'Quise Humphrey-Grace returned an interception 2 yards for Kentucky at 10:11 of the opening quarter, and Luke Metz answered with a 34-yard interception return for Alabama at 6:35. Kenny Minchey's 20-yard pass to Henry Boyer put Kentucky up 14-7 at 14:56 of the second, and Conor Talty field goals of 25 and 41 yards cut the margin to 14-13. Adam Zouagui's 39-yard field goal as the half ended made it 17-13.
Talty's 34-yard kick at 7:10 of the third brought Alabama within one. EJ Crowell's 3-yard run at 3:00 put the Crimson Tide ahead 23-17, and Daniel Hill's 3-yard run with 0:24 left, followed by Keelon Russell's two-point pass to Lotzeir Brooks, made it 31-17. Russell hit Rico Scott from 5 yards at 9:08 of the fourth and Trae'shawn Brown ran in from 4 yards at 4:11.
Russell was 16 of 23 for 188 yards with a touchdown and two interceptions. Hill carried 18 times for 104 yards. Devan Thompkins had two sacks. Kentucky converted 1 of 14 third downs and finished with 209 total yards; Minchey went 18 of 31 for 146 yards. Each team committed three turnovers. Attendance was 61,820.