The game everyone had circled on their calendars lived up to the hype, and some.
Saturday’s Alabama-Georgia contest was a rematch of last season’s SEC title game, which Bama won as the eighth-ranked team in the country – Georgia had been ranked No. 1 after winning 42 of their previous 43 games, but Bama’s victory propelled them into the College Football Playoff, and knocked Georgia out.
Well, this matchup, like their last one, was simply epic.
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Jalen Milroe #4 of the Alabama Crimson Tide scores a rushing touchdown past Damon Wilson II #10 of the Georgia Bulldogs and KJ Bolden #4 of the Georgia Bulldogs during the second quarter at Bryant-Denny Stadium on September 28, 2024, in Tuscaloosa, Alabama. (Kevin C. Cox/Getty Images)
After squandering their own four-touchdown lead, No. 4 Alabama scored a late touchdown to come away with a 41-34 win over No. 2 Georgia in an instant classic.
Alabama scored four touchdowns in the first 19 minutes of the game to take a commanding 28-0 lead, leading to everyone thinking the game was over early. But, Georgia fought all the way back.
Georgia chipped away to make it a 30-15 game, and then after Bama kicked a field goal to go back up three posessions, Georgia found the end zone when they desperately needed it. They failed the two-point attempt, but after forcing a punt, the Bulldogs scored again. All of a sudden, Bama’s lead shrunk to just four points.
Georgia then forced another punt, all while Bama did not waste the clock, getting the ball back for a shot at the lead with 2:42 to go and all their timeouts. Well, it only took one play for Georgia to take the lead, as Carson Beck found Dillon Bell for a 67-yard score to go up, 34-33. Beck’s rush on the two-point conversion was short, but nonetheless, the comeback was complete, and Bama, who had dominated early, suddenly was in desperation mode.
No worries – it was the 17-year-old, Ryan Williams, who took a 75-yard pass from Jalen Milroe to the house, and after a successful two-point conversion, Bama was back up seven points.
The Bulldogs faced a 4th and 2 with 1:22 to go at the Bama 47, and Beck found Colbie Young for the first down, and three plays later, the Bulldogs were in the red zone. But, Beck was intercepted after going for the end zone, and with the touchback, Bama was able to knee out the clock to get the incredible victory.
Jalen Milroe #4 of the Alabama Crimson Tide celebrates after scoring a rushing touchdown against the Georgia Bulldogs during the first quarter at Bryant-Denny Stadium on September 28, 2024 in Tuscaloosa, Alabama. (Todd Kirkland/Getty Images)
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After allowing the four touchdowns early, Georgia finally scored a touchdown midway through the second quarter. Later on, though, Beck was called for an intentional grounding in his own end zone, resulting in a safety. But apparently, despite trailing 30-7, all Georgia needed was halftime.
Beck found Arian Smith for a 12-yard touchdown for the first score of the third quarter, and the two-point conversion brought them to within 15. A Bama field goal, though, made it a three-possession game late in the third. On Georgia’s ensuing drive, Beck lost a fumble. But they weren’t dead, and the comeback began on their next drive. However, they couldn’t get a stop when they needed it most, and Beck’s final turnover came at the worst time.
The game is Georgia’s first loss of the season, and after losing just one in a 43-game stretch, they’ve now lost two in their last five. They are 45-3 in their last 48 games, but all three losses have come to Alabama (although, one of those victories is the national championship in 2022 against the Crimson Tide). Bama, meanwhile, improved to 4-0.
Milroe finished with 373 yards on 27-for-33 passing, throwing two touchdowns and running for another two, while the 17-year-old Williams made sIx catches for 177 yards and a touchdown. Beck turned the ball over four times, but still managed to throw for 439 yards and three touchdowns. Smith went for 132 yards, while Bell added 100.
The game was also headlined by Donald Trump’s appearance. The former president, and current Republican nominee, received an ovation from fans while walking in the halls and when he was shown on the jumbotron.
Former President Donald Trump looks on during the first quarter of the game between the Alabama Crimson Tide and the Georgia Bulldogs at Bryant-Denny Stadium on September 28, 2024, in Tuscaloosa, Alabama. (Kevin C. Cox/Getty Images)
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Alabama will head to Vanderbilt next week, while the Bulldogs will host Auburn.
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