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One of the most anticipated college football games of the season, in the SEC and around the country, turned into a laugher in less than 20 minutes. No. 4 Alabama scored touchdowns on its first four offensive possessions and jumped out to a 28-0 lead on No. 2 Georgia, taking a 30-7 lead into halftime at Bryant-Denny Stadium.
With former Alabama coach Nick Saban watching from a suite, Kalen DeBoer’s Crimson Tide scored touchdowns on their first four possessions to stun Kirby Smart and the Georgia defense. Alabama quarterback Jalen Milroe threw for two touchdowns, ran for another and didn’t throw an incompletion until there were just under four minutes left in the second quarter. Georgia faced a 21-point deficit in the first quarter for the first time since a 35-7 loss to South Carolina in 2012.
The Bulldogs finally got on the board midway through the second quarter with a 7-yard touchdown run, then stopped Alabama on a fourth-and-1 on the ensuing drive to set up what could have been a key drive just before halftime. But Georgia quarterback Carson Beck threw his second interception of the night on the very next play. The Bulldogs responded with an interception of their own, but Beck was flagged for intentional grounding in the end zone, awarding Alabama with a safety.
How the Crimson Tide got rolling
Let’s start with a few numbers to summarize this half:
Georgia hadn’t allowed a touchdown all year. Saturday night? Four.
Georgia had only allowed two plays of 20 yards. Saturday night? Five.
Georgia hadn’t turned it over all season. Saturday night? Two.
The first half felt like the peak of what Alabama’s talent in a Kalen DeBoer offense could look like. Alabama marched down the field on the opening possession, its only obstacle being three self-inflicted penalties, and still found the end zone in eight plays. Milroe accounted for all 70 yards, a mix of run and pass, which set the tone as the quarterback played the best half of his career: 13 for 15 passing, over 10 yards per rush and three touchdowns. It was impressive to watch the dominance and jarring to watch the Georgia defense seem helpless for the first time in as long as anyone can remember.
The defensive effort was aided by Georgia’s miscues, and there were plenty. Leading 14-0 in the first quarter, the Crimson Tide sent pressure towards Beck, who threw an errant pass that was intercepted by Domani Jackson. A few plays later, the Tide were in the end zone again. The defense turned Beck over once more and then scored just before halftime with a safety.
Above all, the most surprising element was that Alabama, the program with a lot of new faces and a new coaching staff, was the more composed team by a large margin. The moment didn’t seem too big for the Crimson Tide in the first half, while Georgia crumbled under the pressure and the energy inside Bryant-Denny Stadium. The game is not over, but Kalen DeBoer’s SEC debut began with one of the best first halves in recent program history, especially given the opponent.
What went wrong for Georgia in the first half?
Georgia’s defense was shockingly helpless, even knowing what was coming, even with an extra week to prepare for it. It was almost comical, surreal, pick your adjective, to watch a Kirby Smart defense have no answers for one player. After the second drive, Georgia defensive linemen could be seen on the sideline holding their hands up in the frustrated “what’s happening here” look.
First it was with his feet: When Georgia pressured Milroe, he scrambled away for a long run. Then it was his arm: Milroe faced pressure and easily hit receivers who took advantage of space vacated by the blitzes. Then it was Milroe’s feet again: When Jalon Walker nearly got to Milroe in the backfield, Milroe ran right then tiptoed the sideline for a 34-yard run.
Carson Beck and Georgia’s offense didn’t help matters: Arian Smith dropped what should have been a long completion on the first drive. Beck threw an interception deep in his own territory after a miscommunication with two receivers on the left side, neither of whom were looking back when Beck threw the ball.
But when Georgia’s offense also started slow in the wins against Clemson and Kentucky earlier this month, the Bulldogs played well enough on defense to buy time for the offense to get its stuff together. This time, the defense broke right away, in a manner unseen for this program in eight years.
(Photo: John David Mercer / Imagn Images)
