For 12 games, Georgia showcased a dominant defense that no offense could do much with.
The group that took the field Saturday looked a lot different.
After a regular season of beating each offense into submission, Georgia’s defense never found an answer for Alabama’s passing attack. The end result was a familiar one, with the Crimson Tide beating the Bulldogs 41-24 for the SEC Championship.
Alabama has now won seven games in a row against Georgia, with the Bulldogs last defeating the Tide in 2007. Head coach Kirby Smart is now 0-4 against his former boss and mentor Nick Saban.
Georgia started the game hot, jumping out to a 10-0 lead. The defense had a good grasp on Alabama in the first quarter until a third-and-2 at the Alabama 33-yard line. On that play, receiver Jameson Williams came across the middle and quarterback Bryce Young hit him in stride, with the speedy wideout taking the ball 67 yards for a touchdown.
From there, Alabama’s offense couldn’t be stopped. And in the process, Young probably locked up the Heisman Trophy.
Georgia was unable to generate any pressure, allowing Young to complete 26 of 44 passes for a staggering 421 yards and three touchdowns. The Crimson Tide entered the game paying respect to Georgia’s rush defense with their plan seemingly to pass protect and let Young attack the Bulldogs’ secondary.
Alabama was able to take control of the game at the end of the first half after Georgia tied the game at 17 following Stetson Bennett’s screen pass to Ladd McConkey for a touchdown. Young led a touchdown drive that ended with the star quarterback running for an 11-yard rushing score. Alabama then scored on a 55-yard bomb early in the third quarter from Young to Williams to move ahead 31-17.
Bennett finished the game 29-of-48 passing for 340 yards, three touchdowns, and two interceptions.
What it means
It’s obviously disappointing not to win an SEC Championship and to lose to Alabama yet again. At this point, when will Georgia get over that Alabama hump?
That stated, the Bulldogs are most likely still in the College Football Playoff, which keeps their national title hopes alive. Alabama can be expected to move to the No. 1 seed as the SEC champion. Assuming logic prevails, Georgia is likely to move to the No. 2 or No. 3 seed. Assuming this is the case, a win in the semifinals could potentially set up yet another meeting with Alabama in the national championship.
Three important plays
Williams' first touchdown: It seemed like Georgia had Alabama on its heels early, with the Tide facing a third-and-2 in the early second quarter. And in an explosive moment, Young found Williams wide open over the middle, with the play going 67 yards for a score. The whole game changed in an instant.
Bennett’s first interception: Down by 14 points in the third quarter, Georgia drove to the Alabama 19-yard line. Bennett looked for a receiver and finally found tight end Brock Bowers open across the middle. As Bennett started to throw his pass, Bowers stopped on the route, which allowed DeMarcco Hellams to pick off the pass. What could have been a one-score game remained an Alabama 14-point lead.
Bennett’s second interception: Still down 31-17, Bennett threw a pass intended for running back Kenny McIntosh that safety Jordan Battle was able to jump for a pick-six. This put Alabama up 38-17, which effectively put the game away.
Grading Georgia
Offense: C
The fact that Georgia came away with zero points on two red zone trips in the second half was unacceptable. It wasn’t that the Bulldogs couldn’t move the ball against the Crimson Tide, either. They totaled 449 yards and made a slew of plays through the air. But the red zone issues, combined with the pick-six, were too much to overcome.
Defense: D
For 12 games, this defense executed at near perfection. But when Alabama’s offense started to roll, the defense was unable to make the requisite adjustments until it was too late in the game. It was a disappointing outing for a defense that, until Saturday, had a chance to stake its claim as the greatest in modern college football history. The Crimson Tide put up 536 total yards against the otherwise vaunted UGA defense.
Special teams: A
Not that it matters in a loss like this, but Jake Camarda had a strong day punting the football, with four attempts averaging 52.5 yards. While Camarda’s long of 68 ended up in the end zone, he nailed three inside the 20-yard line, which included a second-longest of 64.
Season grades to date
Offense: B+
Defense: A-
Special teams: A-
