Weather disruptions cast a long shadow over the Saturday afternoon matchup in Tuscaloosa. Lightning struck within eight miles of Saban Field at Bryant-Denny Stadium just before halftime, forcing officials to send both teams back to the locker rooms. The stoppage interrupted a surge by the Crimson Tide, who had clawed back from an early deficit to narrow the margin before the weather intervened.
Lightning struck within eight miles of Saban Field at Bryant-Denny Stadium with 2:36 remaining in the first half and the Seminoles leading the Crimson Tide 21-6, before Alabama scored on the last drive to make it 21-13.
Alabama, Florida State in Lightning Delay
Weather delays are common across the Southeast in September. Once lightning is detected within a certain radius of the stadium, conference and venue policy require a stoppage until a set amount of time passes without another strike, a process that can push kickoff back anywhere from a half hour to several hours depending on how the storm moves through the area.
Lightning Strikes and Seventh Stoppages at Bryant-Denny Stadium
The afternoon was already heavily fragmented before the teams even stepped onto the turf. This is the seventh lighting delay of the game, as there were six during the pregame with the first coming a little over an hour before kickoff and during warmups. It resulted in the game kicking off at 4:15 p.m. CT rather than the initial 2:45 p.m start time.
When the storm returned with 2:36 left in the first half, it marked the seventh delay of the day. In order to resume the game, NCAA protocol says there must be 30 minutes of no lightning in an eight-mile radius of the stadium.
Florida State and Alabama game delayed by weather for
First-Half Momentum and Halftime Adjustments
Before the second-quarter delay halted play, Florida State built an early advantage. The Seminoles held a 21-13 lead over the Crimson Tide, though Alabama managed to find the end zone just before heading off the field. Alabama freshman wide receiver Cederian Morgan scored a 21-yard receiving touchdown before the lightning delay, and Florida State will have the ball when the game resumes.
Crimson Tide head coach Kalen DeBoer addressed the chaotic first half during the intermission, pointing to defensive execution issues on third down. We have to do a good job with our eyes, defensively,
Alabama coach Kalen DeBoer told the Crimson Tide Sports Network at the short intermission. I think we’re better in the run since the first drive. We have to do our job in pass coverage and make sure we get our eyes in the right spot.
We have to get off the field on third down. That was a costly drive when they converted three third downs.
The Seminoles managed an impressive 6 of 8 on third downs in the first half.
Kalen DeBoer talks chaotic first half against Florida State
Offensively, we made some plays,
DeBoer said. We did a nice job of keeping (Alabama quarterback) Keelon (Russell) upright there. We got some momentum right now. We have to continue to capitalize on it.
Resumption Plans and Series Context
Following a monitoring window without a strike inside the eight-mile radius, officials cleared the field for action. Play resumed with a very quick warmup period for both teams on the field. To keep the game moving forward, organizers dispensed with a traditional halftime break. The game will then roll into the third quarter without a halftime break, and the teams will return to their sidelines after the second quarter finishes, and the third quarter will begin shortly after. At the time of the stoppage, Alabama had two timeouts and Florida State had three timeouts.
The matchup marks Florida State’s first road test of the season and renews a series that produced one of the Seminoles’ biggest victories a year ago. FSU upset Alabama at Doak Campbell Stadium last season, setting the stage for the highly anticipated return meeting in Tuscaloosa.
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