Alabama vs Mercer: live updates, injury report, scores and more from Bryant-Denny Stadium

Alabama football aims to score a win over Mercer, fresh off the Crimson Tide’s big road win over LSU with coach Kalen DeBoer.

Alabama has minimal room for error in regards to the College Football Playoff. The Crimson Tide will likely need to win out to make the first 12-team field, already with two losses heading into Mercer play. But the Crimson Tide should be favored in all of its final three games to close out the regular season. So if Alabama takes care of business, it should make the playoff.

It continues on Saturday with the matchup against the FCS Bears, who are first in the Southern Conference right now with a record of 6-1 and an overall record of 9-1.

Kickoff is set for 1 p.m. CT at Bryant-Denny Stadium. The game can be seen on SEC Network+.

Stay tuned here for live updates.

First quarter

— Alabama wins the toss and defers to the second half.

— Mercer takes over at the Alabama 25-yard line. Qua Russaw is called for a horse neck tackle on the second play of the game. That gives Mercer 15 yards and a first down. Third-and-9 from the Mercer 44-yard line is passed incomplete. But Alabama is called for passport interference. DeVonta Smith. A 15-yard penalty to extend the drive. On the next punt, Domani Jackson forces a fumble and Damon Payne recovers. Alabama ball.

— 12:07 p.m.: Alabama takes over at its own 48-yard line. Jam Miller makes a first down of a throw on the first play for the Crimson Tide offense.

— Ryan Williams rushes for a 29-yard touchdown. Alabama takes a quick 7-0 lead with 10:48 left after the turnover.

— 10:48: Mercer takes over at its own 25-yard line. Third-and-2 from the Mercer 33, Jihaad Campbell tackles the runner short of the first down. Bears go three and out and will have to punt.

— 8:29: Alabama takes over at its own 15-yard line after punt. The first play, Mercer is called for scrubbing the ball. Next play, Jalen Milroe rushes for a first down. The next play, Milroe attempts a deep shot to a wide open Caleb Odom, but Odom can’t contain it. Third-and-4 at the Mercer 48-yard line, Milroe runs after the first down, but then fumbles. Mercer recovers. But then the ruling reads that Milroe was down, so no fumble.

Pregame: Alabama injury update

• DeVonta Smith is in uniform going through warmups. He had to leave the LSU game with an injury.
• Geno VanDeMark is lined up with the starters at guard. Jaeden Roberts is dealing with an injury after having to leave the LSU game.