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Cooper’s take, October 3, 2026

Is Kamario Taylor slipping, or did he just run into the Crimson Tide

1 min read

Photo: Yahoo Sports, from Alabama Has Surprising ESPN FPI Ranking Following Mississippi State Win
The gameAlabama 56, Mississippi State 23Oct 3, 2026, final

Four weeks, Kamario Taylor has looked like one of the best quarterbacks in the SEC and Mississippi State started 4–⁠0 with wins at South Carolina and over No. 19 Missouri.

Then No. 7 Alabama came to Starkville and won 56–⁠23. Taylor completed 19 of 34 passes (56%) for 258 yards and three touchdowns. He also threw two interceptions, matching his total from the first four games combined, and lost a fumble.

So is this a slide or just one bad Saturday? Three touchdown passes against Alabama isn’t nothing, and 90% of quarterbacks look far worse against the Tide. Unfortunately, next up is a trip to LSU, then Oklahoma, and a trip to Texas. If the turnovers keep coming, today could become the standard.

The game

Game page
TeamQ1Q2Q3Q4Final
Alabama1414141456
Mississippi State7106023
  • AlabamaKeelon Russell16 of 22, 285 yards, 3 TD; 5 carries, 16 yards, 1 TD
  • Mississippi StateKamario Taylor19 of 34, 258 yards, 3 TD, 2 INT; 6 carries, −26 yards
Mississippi State favored above the line, Alabama belowWin probability, play by play
  • Keelon Russell has completed 16 of 28 deep passes for Alabama this season, the best rate among FBS quarterbacks with 25 or more.

In this take:AlabamaMississippi StateSouth CarolinaMissouri

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