Alabama blows 28-0 lead, escapes Georgia on late touchdown

TUSCALOOSA, Ala. — Alabama blew a 28-point lead towards No. 2 Georgia at Bryant-Denny Stadium on Saturday night time.

After which the No. 4 Crimson Tide broke the Bulldogs’ hearts once more in a 41-34 victory during which the SEC heavyweights scored touchdowns on consecutive performs from scrimmage late within the fourth quarter.

Alabama did not seal the victory till cornerback Zabien Brown intercepted quarterback Carson Beck’s go to receiver Colbie Younger ultimately zone with 43 seconds left to finish Georgia’s livid rally.

“Yeah, whenever you face a extremely good soccer workforce, you understand there’s going to be a powerful push,” mentioned Alabama coach Kalen DeBoer, who received his first SEC recreation. “We pushed one another to the very finish.”

After the Bulldogs rallied from a 23-point deficit at halftime, they took their first lead on Beck’s 67-yard landing to Dillon Bell to make it 34-33 with 2:31 to go.

However Alabama scored on its very subsequent play from scrimmage. On first-and-10 from the Crimson Tide 25, quarterback Jalen Milroe threw a deep ball down the best sideline for freshman Ryan Williams. The extensive receiver spun out of cornerback Julian Humphrey’s sort out on the 35-yard line and beat security KJ Bolden for a 75-yard landing with 2:18 remaining.

Milroe threw a 2-point conversion to receiver Germie Bernard to provide Alabama a 41-34 lead.

“You have to hold combating,” DeBoer mentioned “In relation to the idea, quite a lot of our performs have alternatives the place you discover that one-on-one. And should you just like the matchup, you go after it. And so he favored what he noticed, clearly, and delivered, and Ryan did the remainder for him.”

Milroe accomplished 27 of 33 passes for 374 yards with two touchdowns and ran for 117 yards and two extra scores. He’s the primary participant in FBS historical past with 300 passing yards, 100 speeding yards and a pair of speeding touchdowns towards an Related Press top-five opponent, in keeping with ESPN Analysis.

Williams, a 17-year-old freshman, had six catches for 177 yards with one rating.

Beck recovered from a gradual begin to full 27 of fifty passes for 439 yards with three touchdowns and three interceptions. He additionally misplaced a fumble and was sacked thrice.

The loss ended Georgia’s 42-game successful streak within the common season, which was the longest run by an FBS workforce since Oklahoma received 45 in a row from 1953 to 1957. It additionally ended Georgia’s 16-game successful streak on the highway.

“The primary half, we performed horrible,” Beck mentioned. “I do not assume we have to watch the movie to go see that we did not play our greatest. You realize, that begins with me. I’ve obtained to be higher.”

It was DeBoer’s first assembly with Georgia, however the outcomes have been the identical for Alabama. It has received 9 of its previous 10 video games towards Georgia, together with a 27-24 victory in final yr’s SEC championship recreation, which led to the Bulldogs failing to make the School Soccer Playoff.

“It was one hell of a recreation,” Georgia coach Kirby Good mentioned. “Clearly, we have been probably not ready, and that falls on me within the first half. We did not do an incredible job, particularly defensively. We additionally gave them quick fields. With a quarterback like Milroe, it creates quite a lot of powerful instances.”

Good fell to 1-6 towards Alabama as Georgia’s coach.

The Bulldogs could not have had a worse begin. Georgia’s protection struggled to sort out Milroe on the opening possession. When a holding name backed up the Tide to first-and-20 from the Georgia 25, Milroe gained 16 yards on a keeper. On first-and-goal from the 7, he saved the ball once more and beat all people to the sting for a 7-0 lead.

On Georgia’s subsequent possession, Beck threw an excellent deep ball down the left sideline to Arian Smith, who dropped the go. An offensive go interference penalty two performs later compelled a punt.

Alabama gained 64 yards on its subsequent three performs, then scored on Milroe’s good throw to operating again Jam Miller, who beat linebacker CJ Allen for a 16-yard landing to make it 14-0.

It will solely worsen for Georgia. On its subsequent possession, Tide cornerback Domani Jackson jumped Beck’s display go to tight finish Oscar Delp for an interception on the Bulldogs’ 22. Three performs later, Bernard scored on a 7-yard finish round for a 21-0 lead.

Georgia punted once more on its subsequent possession. On fourth-and-1 on the Georgia 36, Bulldogs linebacker Jalon Walker blitzed, and Miller hit him so onerous Walker’s helmet fell off. Walker may solely watch as Milroe scored on a 36-yard run down the best sideline to place Alabama forward 28-0.

Alabama added a security late within the first half when Beck was penalized for intentional grounding in Georgia’s finish zone.