Bama tops Georgia in Heavyweight Battle
What a difference a month makes.
Left for dead after an opening day loss to Florida State, Alabama has rebounded with three impressive victories, including Saturday night’s 24-21 defeat of 5th-ranked Georgia at Sanford Stadium. The win handed the Dawgs their first loss at home in 33 games, a streak that stretched back to 2019. On Saturday, the Tide handed Kirby Smart his first home loss in a night game. The loss also dropped the Bulldog skipper to 1-7 against his former program.
It was a contest between heavyweights of the sport who exchanged blows for a full 60 minutes. As has become typical for this series, Saturday’s edition was a physical slobber knocker highlighted by two teams that deserve to be in the playoff and national title discussion.
In a game where Alabama never trailed, Tide quarterback Ty Simpson continued his brilliant play as of late, completing 24/38 passes for 276 yards and two touchdowns. With his pinpoint passing, Simpson had total control of the offense, throwing darts to receivers in tight windows. Once again, the junior signal caller distributed the ball to numerous targets, completing passes to eight different receivers. Leading the way was Miami transfer Isaiah Horton, who hauled in five catches for 65 yards and had a touchdown catch in the first quarter. Sophomore superstar Ryan Williams (five catches for 43 yards) continued his early-season struggles with drops, and for a second game in a row, he dropped a sure touchdown pass. Germie Bernard is emerging as the Tide’s most consistent receiver as he had five catches for 35 yards and a touchdown.
Jam Miller returned to the Tide backfield and registered a respectable 46 yards on 16 carries. On the other side, Georgia’s Gunner Stockton went 13/20 for 130 yards and a touchdown. The Dawg running game was solid, piling up 227 yards against the Tide front seven. The total included two chunk runs of 43 yards as well as a 24-yarder and a carry that went for 21 more. Leading the way was freshman tailback Chauncey Bowens, who tallied 119 yards on 12 carries and a score. In total, Bama outgained the Dawgs 397 yards to 357. A major difference in the game was third-down production. Alabama was stellar on third down, converting on their first eight attempts and ending the game going 13 for 19. Meanwhile, Georgia struggled on third down, going 2/8 on the evening.
The Bama defense, led by senior linebacker Deontae Lawson and junior safety Bray Hubbard, set the tone early as they forced the Dawgs into a three-and-out on their first possession. The Tide offense took their first possession and marched 74 yards in 14 plays that culminated in a Simpson to Bernard six-yard strike to take a 7-0 lead. On the drive, Bama would convert on all four third-down attempts. Georgia picked up one first down on its next possession before punting Bama deep into its own territory.
Simpson and company responded again, this time marching 83 yards on 14 plays. Simpson threw his second touchdown of the first half, delivering a dime to Isaiah Horton to increase the Tide's lead to 14-0 at the 14:01 mark of the second quarter. Bolstered by a strong effort from the entire offensive line, Simpson and company once again converted on four third-down attempts.
The Dawgs struck back quickly, needing only three plays to go 75 yards for their first score of the evening. On the drive, Chauncey Bowens ripped off a 29-yard run, and Stockton found Colbie Young alone on the sidelines from 38 yards out to cut the Tide lead in half to 14-7 with 12:48 remaining until halftime. Bama would fail on its first third-down attempt yet, but pinned the Dawgs back on their own seven to start their next drive.
Two plays later, back Nate Frazier was stripped of the ball by Hubbard, and Lawson would recover for the Tide on the UGA 11. The Dawg defense stiffened and forced Bama to kick a field goal, which they did successfully from 24 yards out to increase their lead to 17-7 at the 8:10 mark of the second quarter. Georgia continued to trade blows with their counterparts from Tuscaloosa, marching 75 yards in 11 plays that ended with Bowens scoring from two yards out to cut the Tide lead to 17-14 with 2:08 to go before halftime.
The big play in the drive was a 43-yard scamper by Bowens. The Tide would respond by marching 75 yards in eight plays, and when Simpson ran it in from two yards out with 34 seconds to go, Alabama would go into halftime leading 24-14. The highlight of the drive, and perhaps the game, was a Simpson to 6-7, 360-pound tackle Kaydn Proctor completion and run. Proctor lined up as a receiver, caught the swing pass, and rambled 11 yards to the Dawg two-yard line, which set up Simpson’s touchdown run.
Alabama would take the second half kickoff and march 49 yards on 10 plays, only to see kicker Conor Talty miss badly from 43 yards out. Georgia responded by marching 74 yards on 6 plays, and when John McCray muscled over the goal line from a yard out, Georgia was once again within 3 at 24-21 with 6:30 remaining in the third quarter. The big play of the drive was a 43-yard scamper by Dawg tailback Dillon Bell. That would end the scoring for the game as both defenses stiffened.
UGA had two golden opportunities to strike in the second half but failed on each. Late in the third quarter, the Dawgs stopped Bama on a 4th & 1 from the UGA 47. Two plays later, wideout Talyn Taylor split the Tide safeties and had a clear path to the endzone. However, Stockton’s perfect pass was dropped by Taylor, and the Dawgs would punt two plays later.
Georgia’s next best opportunity to pull even or take the lead occurred early in the fourth quarter. The Dawgs marched to the Tide 8-yard line and instead of sending out the kicking unit to possibly tie the game, Smart gambled and went for it on 4th & 1. Cash Jones swept right, a play that Georgia had found success with last week against Tennessee, yet Bama defensive lineman LT Overton sliced through the line and tripped up Jones for a three-yard loss to turn the ball over to the Tide on downs.
Over the next 13:12, the Tide and the Dawgs would trade punts with the last one pinning Bama back on its own 12 with 2:52 left to play. Dating back to the legendary Nick Saban era, the Bama offense has traditionally had trouble keeping possession and running out the clock to secure wins. But on this night in Athens, Simpson and the Bama O would do just that.
Perhaps the play of the game occurred with 1:51 left on the clock and Alabama facing a 3rd & 5 from their own 43. Georgia had exhausted its time-outs and needed one stop to force a Bama punt that would give Stockton and the Dawg offense one last chance to drive down the field and capture the victory. However, first-year Bama offensive coordinator Ryan Grubb, who called a brilliant game, called the play of the game when he sent back Jam Miller into the flat. Simpson delivered a perfect ball for a seven-yard gain that ended the contest.
The gutsy win over a talented Dawg squad essentially wiped out the loss to the Seminoles and put Bama back into the playoff discussion. Moreover, it reminded the Tide faithful that Alabama is indeed still Alabama, and given time, coach Kalen DeBoer has the chance to bring the Tide back to national prominence. It was an impressive game all around, but perhaps the most impressive aspect of this most recent tussle between the Tide and the Dawgs was the mutual respect both teams displayed towards one another. On a field oozing with 5-star talent destined for future NFL rosters, it was refreshing to see terrific sportsmanship displayed by both sides.
While Georgia will attempt to get back on track next week against a Kentucky squad searching for answers, Bama will have revenge on its mind as 15th-ranked and undefeated Vanderbilt travels to Tuscaloosa next Saturday. The Commodores, behind impact quarterback Diego Pavia, shocked then top-ranked Alabama in Nashville last season 45-40, a game that started a gradual downward spiral for the Tide that would lead to DeBoer’s squad missing the playoffs.
Here’s to saying that this year, Vandy will have the Tide’s full attention.
