The No. 4 Alabama Crimson Tide downed the No. 2 Georgia Bulldogs in a 41-34 victory Saturday, hushing any doubts of new head coach Kalen DeBoer’s ability to coach against the SEC.
“Tip our cap to Georgia, just their football team, we pushed each other to the very end. [I’m] so proud, can’t say how proud I am of our guys,” DeBoer said.
The Crimson Tide has been gearing up for the past two weeks to face the infamous Bulldogs following Alabama’s dominant win over Wisconsin and Georgia’s near loss versus Kentucky.
Both teams took a bye week before meeting at Saban Field at Bryant-Denny Stadium.
The game started with Alabama in control. By a few minutes into the second quarter, the Crimson Tide had taken an 28-0 lead over the Bulldogs, scoring touchdowns on its first four possessions.
Quarterback Jalen Milroe brought the night’s first score, punching it in on a 7-yard rushing touchdown five minutes into the game. This touchdown was the first that Georgia has let up since the Crimson Tide’s win over the Bulldogs in the 2023 SEC championship.
Once that dam broke, the Crimson Tide flooded through.
After a Georgia punt, running back Justice Haynes started toward Alabama’s second touchdown, running 23 yards to get to the Alabama 39. The team continued to chip away at yards, eventually bringing the game to the Georgia 16.
Milroe then threw to running back Jam Miller for a 16-yard score.
Once Georgia regained possession, quarterback Carson Beck started with an incomplete pass to receiver Dillon Bell followed by an interception to defensive back Domani Jackson, which Jackson returned to the Georgia 22.
This paved the way for a third Alabama touchdown. It took two plays and 15 yards before receiver Germie Bernard scored a 7-yard touchdown to bring the score to 21-0.
Georgia was unable to make anything out of its last possession of the first quarter and handed the ball back over to Alabama. The Crimson Tide’s next possession stretched into the second quarter, finishing with a 36-yard run by Milroe to bring the game to 28-0.
“This shows that we have tremendous grit, tremendous determination, and we have practiced really well,” Milroe said of the win.
Responding to Alabama’s lead, the Bulldogs scored their first touchdown of the night, a 7-yard touchdown by running back Trevor Etienne to cap a drive of 11 plays and 75 yards.
Beck continued to struggle getting throws to his receivers. This culminated in a play late in the half in which he faced heavy pressure and was called for intentional grounding in the end zone, resulting in a safety that made it 30-7.
Alabama ended the half in the lead by 23 points, but the Bulldogs began their comeback in the third. The quarter was nearly scoreless until the final five minutes, when Georgia scored on a Beck pass to receiver Arian Smith for a 12-yard touchdown.
Following three unsuccessful drives, wide receiver Ryan Williams made what DeBoer coined a “circus catch,” and the Crimson Tide kicked a 28-yard field goal to bring the score to 33-15.
The Bulldogs continued the comeback, scoring three straight touchdowns to take a 34-33 lead late in the fourth quarter. With two minutes left in the game, Alabama’s undefeated record seemed lost; Georgia fans grew excited, and Alabama fans urged their team to keep fighting.
A 75-yard pass from Milroe to Williams put Alabama back in the lead, and an interception by Zabien Brown in the endzone kept it that way, ending the game 41-34.
Post-game, Williams said he predicted Brown would get an interception after Brown caught a game-winning pick-6 in a NCAA football video game they played the night before.
“This morning I was like, ‘bro, you’re gonna catch a pick,’ and he was like, ‘of course, that’s what I’m going to try to do anyway,’” Williams said.
The Crimson Tide will travel to Vanderbilt on Oct. 5 for a game at 3:15 p.m. CT. Fans can stream the matchup on the SEC Network.
