SEC Shocker: Bama Rolls over “Untouchable” Dawgs
Well, that didn’t go as planned, and Tide Nation could not be more pleased indeed.
By: Dave in Tuscaloosa
Malachi Moore soaking in the SEC Championship celebration. Photo via @UA_Athletics
Entering the SEC title game as a decisive underdog, the 3rd ranked and SEC West champion Crimson Tide of Alabama proved their detractors wrong and rolled over the top ranked Georgia Bulldogs, the champions of the East, 41-24 in Atlanta. Few saw this coming, as the Dawgs had dominated their slate of opponents to a degree that most of the country had already crowned Georgia as conference champions on their way to their first national title since 1980. Yet, lost in the midst was the fact that Alabama is still Alabama, and despite the fact that the Tide had struggled through much of November, it is safe to say that Bama saved their very best for the perfect time. In the process, Alabama topped Georgia for a seventh straight time and won its 3rd SEC title in the last 4 years. In addition, the Tide won in Atlanta for the 16th straight time. Alabama now sits as the top seed for the college football playoff and will play the 4th seeded Cincinnati Bearcats in the Cotton Bowl. Meanwhile, Georgia dropped to #3 and will take on second ranked Michigan in the Orange Bowl in Miami. Both games are scheduled for December 31st.
The vaunted Georgia defense had been giving up a mere 6 points and 230 yards per game, and the most points they had given up this season prior to Saturday’s title tilt was 17 against Tennessee. Yet on this day, the Tide offense cruised through the Dawgs D to the tune of a staggering 41 points and 536 yards. Bama quarterback Bryce Young made a strong case for the Heisman Trophy and was absolutely brilliant, carving up the Georgia secondary by completing 26 of 44 passes for 421 yards and 3 touchdowns. The Tide racked up 25 first downs and although the running game was limited to 115 yards, backs Brian Robinson, Trey Sanders, and Young himself kept the chains moving and the Georgia D on its heels for much of the afternoon. Junior receiver Jamison Williams had a monster day, catching 7 passes for 184 yards and 2 touchdowns. In all, 8 different receivers caught passes for the Tide. The much maligned Bama offensive line, one week removed from a near disastrous day against Auburn in which it gave up 7 sacks to the Tigers, turned in a brilliant performance themselves. Bama has struggled protecting the perimeter all season, yet the Dawgs ran a lot of stunts up the middle, which were handled well by the interior line. Credit offensive line coach Doug Marrone and offensive coordinator Bill O’Brien for getting the offense ready to take on the ferocious Bulldog front seven. Young was not sacked on the day, and Georgia had a total of 4 tackles for loss (3 of them came on Bama’s last drive, where they were trying to kill the clock).
Not to be outdone was a terrific day turned in by the Alabama defense, who limited quarterback Stetson Bennett and company to 24 points and 449 total yards. The Tide D came away with two critical interceptions (one was a Jordan Battle pick 6 in the 4th quarter) and stopped the Dawgs twice inside the red zone on downs. Dawg freshman tight end Brock Bowers was a bright spot for Georgia, grabbing 10 passes for 139 yards and a touchdown. The powerful Dawg ground game consisting of James Cook, Zamir White, and Kenny McIntosh was held in check with a total of 109 yards on the day.
Georgia led 3-0 after the first quarter and extended the lead to 10-0 on a Bennett to Darnell Washington 5 yard strike just four seconds into the second quarter. From there, Alabama would score on their next 7 possessions to take charge of the game. It started with a play that gave Bama new life and momentum, as Young hit Williams on a 67 yard catch and run on 3rd and 2 for six that cut the Georgia lead to 10-7 with 14:12 left to go before half. After a Georgia three and out, Young led the Tide on a 6 play, 80 yard drive that culminated in a 13 yard touchdown strike to John Metchie and Bama took a 14-10 lead. Another three and out by the Dawgs opened the door for another Tide scoring drive, a 33 yard Will Reichard field goal that increased the lead to 17-10. The Dawgs would answer, helped tremendously by the Tide defense committing 4 straight penalties (which included three pass interference calls against the Bama secondary), scoring on an inside screen from Bennett to Ladd McConkey that went for 33 yards to tie the score at 17 with 2:03 to go in the half. Young and company would drive 75 yards in 9 plays, ending in a Young 11 yard run to put the Tide up 24-17 at half.
Alabama would receive the second half kickoff and Young hit Williams for their second touchdown of the afternoon, this time a perfect 55 yard strike that increased the Tide lead to 31-17. The Dawgs would then drive to the Alabama 19, yet Bennett was picked off by DeMarcco Hellams at the Tide 12 yard line to kill the drive with 6:50 remaining in the quarter. The Dawg D would stiffen, forcing a Tide punt and Bennett would lead the Georgia offense on a 12 play, 54 yard drive that would stall when they failed on a 4th and 9 at the Bama 19 on the last play of the 3rd quarter. Bama would pick up a first down but was forced to punt again, giving the Dawgs the ball at their own 20 yard line. Three plays later, Bama safety Jordan Battle stepped in front of a Bennett pass and returned it 42 yards for a pick six that stunned the pro-UGA crowd and extended the Tide lead to 38-17 with 11:59 to play. Georgia responded with a 7 play, 75 yard march that ended with a Bennett to Bowers 18 yard touchdown that cut the lead to 38-24 with 9:42 to play.
At this point in the game, the Georgia defense had found its footing and after the Tide could only muster 9 yards on three plays, the Georgia offense got the ball back on its own 21 yard line with 8:10 left, which was plenty of time for the Dawgs to make a run. However, it was time for the Alabama defense to step it up, which they did, forcing a punt with 7:08 remaining. From there, Young and company took over, taking 5:09 off the clock. Reichard would hit his second field goal of the game, connecting from 41 yards out to stretch the Bama lead to 41-24 with 1:59 left in the game. Georgia would stall at their own 39 yard line and Bama would run out the clock to claim its 29th SEC title in front of a stunned crowd. Bennett would finish the day going 29 for 48 for 340 yards and 3 touchdowns, however his two interceptions cost the Dawgs dearly. There will be talk about whether coach Kirby Smart should have pulled the plug for backup JT Daniels, and further questions remain if the “Mailman” Bennett can deliver a national title to the ravenous Bulldog faithful.
Afterward, coach Nick Saban and Bama players spoke openly about the fact that they felt slighted and disrespected heading into the game, which fueled a crimson flame that doused the Bulldogs from the second quarter on. Looking back on Coach Saban’s career at Alabama, this win will certainly be considered one of his very best to date. With their backs against the wall, the Tide came out swinging and reestablished itself as the ultimate bully on the corner of the college football neighborhood. Throughout the season, rarely would the Tide offense and defense have exceptional days in the same game, yet the stars aligned perfectly for both units on Saturday in Atlanta, leaving Bulldog nation wondering when, if ever, will Kirby Smart and Georgia beat its nemesis from Tuscaloosa. All news was not good for Alabama, as standout receiver John Metchie was lost for the remainder of the season with an ACL injury in the second quarter. As Coach Saban noted, the loss is big but would allow a pack of young, talented receivers the opportunity to step it up and have a major impact on the Tide season.
With both teams in the college football playoffs, if UGA can get past a tough Michigan squad and if Bama can navigate Cincinnati, round two involving the Tide and Dawgs could very well occur, this time in the national championship game. For now, Tide nation celebrates yet another SEC title and conquest of an incredibly deep and talented Georgia team, and Dawg fans are left wondering, once again, what could have been.