This might not be peak Alabama, but this version of the Tide finishes like one

COLUMBIA, Missouri -- Ty Simpson stood in the same end zone where he'd thrown Alabama's go-ahead touchdown an hour earlier, flipping through a packet of stats, shaking his head as his eyes darted down each page.

"Too many sacks," he said, pausing as he scanned the page. "Didn't throw the ball great."

He let out a soft, irritated "mmcht," the sound of a perfectionist still fuming.

You'd have thought No. 8 Alabama (5-1, 3-0 SEC) had just lost at No. 14 Missouri (5-1, 1-1). Instead, the Tide snapped Missouri's 15-game home winning streak, and Simpson delivered when it mattered most -- twice converting fourth downs on the decisive drive to seal a 27-24 win at Faurot Field.

For a perfectionist like Simpson, frustration comes easily. But this road win marked another step forward for a program that's finally learning to finish after a year of faltering in close games

"A year ago, we were not making the plays in the critical moments to win games," Alabama's second-year coach Kalen DeBoer said.

The Tide made the big plays when they needed them most in the second half Saturday. The Tide converted all three fourth-down attempts, and none were bigger than their final two: a perfect 29-yard pass to freshman Lotzeir Brooks on fourth-and-8 and a 1-yard touchdown throw a few plays later to a wide-open Daniel Hill on the left side of the end zone with 3:16 remaining.

"I appreciate Coach DeBoer and [offensive coordinator Ryan] Grubb for giving us the green light," Simpson said. "We have tons of confidence in our guys, and big-time players make big-time plays in big-time games. Lotzeir Brooks is a big-time player. For a freshman, that dude's unreal."

Even more impressive: the Tide flipped Missouri's own formula against them. Missouri came in leading the nation in time of possession and ranking second in rushing, but Alabama stole both. The Tide held the ball for 38:33, including a nine-minute march in the third quarter. 

"There's times I know we wanted to put more points on the board ourselves, but it's part of the game when you play a team like this," DeBoer said.

Mizzou only ran for 167 yards, nearly half its average that ranked No. 2 among power teams. The Tide held the nation's leading rusher, Ahmad Hardy, to under 100 yards for the first time in eight games dating back to last season.

"Rush defense," said DeBoer, "I think we took another step in the right direction."

But back to that fourth-down decision with 3:54 remaining. The Tide led 20-17 and faced a difficult choice in no man's land at Mizzou's 38. The Tide was within one yard of their fourth-down book recommending a kick, but DeBoer didn't pay much attention to the analytics. "It wasn't off that," he told CBS Sports. "It was more about a gut feeling."

One play earlier, a third-and-24 pass to Kevin Riley, in which the running back powered forward to pick up difficult yards against Mizzou's high-pursuit defense, had emboldened the head coach and his players.

"I can see us battling," DeBoer said. "There's a feel you have, a belief you have, and a lot of it is on the body language, on the execution. I just feel when you've got a quarterback with some guys around him that can go make plays, you gotta let them play."

On the left hash, Grubb dialed up a tight trips look. Missouri showed two-deep, man under coverage. One receiver ran an out route near the sticks but was covered. Another crossed the formation and was smothered.

That left 5-foot-9 freshman Lotzeir Brooks streaking downfield against corner Toriano Pride Jr., who played perfect coverage. Simpson launched. Pride's right arm pressed into Brooks' chest, but the freshman twisted, extended his arms and snatched the ball before crashing to the turf at the 9.

"Brooks made a good move, good route to get open," Simpson said. "I put it where he could try to catch it."

First down.

Underclassmen, particularly a pair of freshmen, played a big part for the short-handed Tide. Brooks was exceptional, leading all receivers with 58 yards on four catches. Redshirt freshman running back Kevin Riley also scored on a reception. 

Alabama entered the game hobbled, with star receiver Ryan Williams limited after missing time in practices during the week with an unspecified injury. Go-to running back Jam Miller was knocked out with a concussion after converting a fourth down early in the fourth quarter. Freshman receiver Derek Meadows was pulled from he game with a concussion on a violent hit late in the first quarter.

Still, there were issues. Mizzou marched down the field on the opening drive to take a 7-0 lead. Simpson fumbled on the first play of the second half, setting up a Mizzou touchdown. The quarterback also stumbled after a snap on first down at the 1-yard line, leading to a 4-yard loss and the Tide settling for a field goal rather than a touchdown with 9 seconds remaining in the third quarter.

Simpson was visibly frustrated on the sideline between possessions, a look that lingered as he scanned the stat sheet on the very field where he earlier made big throws to help win the game. He said he "got after" his teammates in the locker room, adding that "it starts with me."

He didn't sugarcoat his feelings.

"That game should have been put away a long time ago," Simpson said. "That's disappointing on my part. We're such a good offense but we've got to be better in the second half. We had a lot of things going in the first (half) and we just got to put it away."

Mizzou pulled within 27-24 with 1:40 remaining, and the Tigers' defense forced a three-and-out to give them another chance at a win. Alabama's defense, however, forced Mizzou quarterback Beau Pribula into a second interception to end the threat with 37 seconds remaining in regulation.

"We pride ourselves on being unbreakable," said linebacker Deontae Lawson, who co-led the Tide with seven tackles. "That's our team slogan. We just know that we're going to execute in those situations."

That resilience didn't exist a year ago, making this win against a top-15 opponent that entered the day with the nation's second-longest home winning streak so impressive. 

A year ago, they failed on fourth-and-22 against Tennessee, setting up a field goal in the final two minutes of a 24-17 loss. Against Vanderbilt, Jalen Milroe fumbled in the fourth to help Vanderbilt take a two-touchdown lead.

That narrative has changed in 2025. Even when Simpson and the Tide made mistakes Saturday, they countered them with critical possessions – a 9-minute possession in the third quarter – and two fourth-down conversions on their final scoring drive.

Simpson finished 23 of 31 passing for 200 yards and three touchdowns. He also absorbed four sacks.

"There's just things that could have been cleaner," DeBoer said. "It's not bad, but he knows when it's perfect and that's what he wants. He wants it perfect. He wants to score every possession, so a little frustration isn't bad. In the end, he does a good job of regrouping himself. Our guys regroup around him, they feed off of his confidence, and that's what matters to me."

Next up is Tennessee, the flagship program of Simpson's home state and a chance for Alabama to avenge last year's stumble. A win would push this run against ranked teams to four straight.

"That's why we came here," Simpson said. "That's why I stayed. Life in the SEC. Good, that's what we want, that's what we came here for. It's going to make us better in the long run."