Despite everything, Georgia's offense had its chances.

The Bulldogs had opportunities to keep within striking distance against Alabama in Saturday afternoon's SEC Championship Game. With the defense playing better in the second half, Georgia could have cashed in on some chances and kept the game interesting.

Instead, the Bulldog offense failed to live up to the moment as the team fell 41-24 to Alabama at Mercedes-Benz Stadium.

Georgia's first drive of the second half started with the Bulldogs trailing 31-17. Over 10 plays, they moved it more than 50 yards and had a second-and-9 at the Alabama 19-yard line.

Quarterback Stetson Bennett then moved to his right. He fired a pass over the middle to Brock Bowers who stopped short on his crossing route. The ball went into the hands of a Crimson Tide defender. Instead of a score, the Bulldogs committed the first turnover of the game. Bennett called the play "a bad decision" despite the miscommunication on the route.

As improbable as it seemed with how the game had unfolded to that point, Georgia's defense forced a stop. Once again, the Bulldogs got the ball back, down 14 points.

They drove to the Alabama 19-yard line once again. On the final play of the quarter, Georgia went for it on fourth-and-9. The Crimson Tide sent a blitz, and Bennett's emergency pass fluttered harmlessly to the turf.

"We probably could've had points," Georgia head coach Kirby Smart said. "But at that point, I felt like we needed touchdowns and not field goals."

Once again, Georgia's defense forced a punt. The Alabama offense that racked up 319 yards in the second quarter alone had been stymied just when the Bulldogs needed it most.

With 13:16 remaining, the Bulldogs started at their own 20-yard line. A pair of runs from senior running back James Cook picked up 11 yards and a first down.

Bennett then tried a throw to his right. Alabama safety Jordan Battle jumped the pass and returned it 42 yards for a touchdown, giving Alabama a 38-17 lead with just under 12 minutes to play.

"I didn't see the safety driving," Bennett said. "Like I said, you can't have those two plays against players like this. They made us pay for it."

Georgia then drove for a touchdown on its next drive. After another defensive stop, it got the ball back again, down by 14 points with 8:16 to go. But that drive stalled out, and the Crimson Tide then essentially ran out the rest of the clock on their way to the victory.

The overall numbers show a fairly decent overall game for the Bulldogs: 449 total yards and 24 points. However, in the big moments when it needed a drive, Georgia fell short.