Did we all get a good night’s sleep last night?

Because the battle in Columbia between the Alabama Crimson Tide and the South Carolina Gamecocks was as intense as it could get.

Ultimately, when the game seemed out of reach for Alabama, the Tide worked their magic and found a way.

Good teams always find a way to win, and head coach Kalen DeBoer and offensive coordinator Ryan Grubb went deep in their bag to pull out a gritty 29-22 victory.

But there was certainly a lot to divulge so let’s get into our three takeaways from the game in Columbia.

This Game Was A Grind

It’s astounding that the Crimson Tide were able to get to 29 points.

The run game was non-existent, Ty Simpson missed quite a few deep shots, and South Carolina’s defense was hammering them.

In the first half, Alabama only managed to record two rushing yards. Yes, two.

And the outlook of the game was looking so bleak for the Tide that the South Carolina student section all moved down their seats so they could storm the field.

Did anyone tell them about bad juju?

An Alabama team that has been playing every game with a chip the size of Everest on its shoulder must’ve seen the sudden shift in the stadium, watching a flood of students march on down because this was essentially over.

Oh how quick they learn.

Veteran Leadership

It’s an overused saying, but veteran leadership was crucial in this win for Alabama.

Lean on your veterans, and enjoy the path to the promised land.

Deonte Lawson, Tim Keenan III, Germie Bernard were massive down the stretch.

We mentioned that this game was a grind, and Bernard felt it for three quarters. Simpson tried as hard as he could to  get Bernard involved, and it just wasn’t working. He completed two passes for 34 yards, and missed on seven targets in the first three quarters. 

Then ol’ reliable came back with a vengeance, scoring the touchdown to get the game within two points, and then the draw play where Bernard ran the ball for 25 yards to pull ahead.

But this result doesn’t happen without Lawson and Keenan.

South Carolina quarterback LaNorris Sellers was destroying the Tide all day, only for Lawson to poke the ball out at the most important time and for Keenan to come up with the fumble recovery.

It was a total character win, and the veterans were the only reason why we’re talking about it instead of a disappointing loss.

Daniel Hill Stepped Up (Again)

When the run game struggled, it was freshman Daniel Hill who showed up once again.

But this time it wasn’t on the ground, as he only ran three times for 11 yards, it was in the receiving game.

Hill led all receivers with four receptions for 76 yards including a 41 yard catch that eventually led to a Josh Cuevas touchdown.

We covered Hill plenty off times here on BamaRoundtable, but it’s looking like the freshman is starting to get his legs under him.

After having one of the better fall camps, Hill dealt with a nagging quad injury that kept him out of commission for a few weeks. But ever since the Missouri game, Hill has become a total impact player for the Tide.