Ohhh what a SHOWDOWN the Alabama Crimson Tide put on last night in Bryant-Denny Stadium against #3 ranked Georgia!
Despite a slow first half, Nick Saban’s mighty band would come back in true Bama fashion and completely stun Kirby Smart and the Georgia Bulldogs, outscoring them 21-0 for the monstrous win.
Nick Saban
This is NOT, however, the space the Tide were in just hours earlier. The Crimson Tide faced their first obstacle days before kickoff as the football world was rattled with news that Alabama Head Coach Nick Saban tested positive for Covid-19.
The days to follow would prove unpredictable as Saban immediately took to quarantine and began taking the necessary measures.
After three consecutive negative tests preceding gameday, Saban was given the green light to join his team on the sideline for Saturday’s matchup. For a second, Alabama would be able to release a deep breath, but only to then remember what was ahead.
Alabama’s second hurdle? One of the leading defenses of college football… The Georgia Bulldogs.
Saturday would be the two teams 7th meeting and only 3rd as top AP opponents. The pressure was on.
Alabama Crimson Tide vs. Georgia Bulldogs
As the Crimson Tide entered the building, you could feel the vigor of the crowd as they watched Alabama’s General, Nick Saban, come into view out in front of his team. It was almost as if Saban was a war hero returning from battle only to lead his army on to the final victory. The energy at Bryant-Denny was electric.
Georgia would win the toss and defer giving Alabama first possession.
The mighty Georgia defense would force an interception in Alabama’s first drive and gain great field position for quarterback Stetson Bennett.
Alabama was not, however, willing to lie down with its defense answering an interception for an interception marking two turnovers both ways in just the opening minute!
Unlike the Bulldogs, the explosive Crimson Tide offense would take full advantage of this new scoring opportunity.
QB Mac Jones would release a 40-yard dime down field to sophomore wide receiver John Metchie III for the Alabama touchdown, now only two minutes into play.
With only 1:53 left of play, Georgia sophomore running back Zamir White would make the 10-yard run for the touchdown tying the game 7-7 to end the first quarter.
Bennett would further momentum for the Bulldogs to start the second quarter. Just fifty-one seconds in, Bennet would strike from long range to junior running back James Cook, putting Georgia ahead of their opponents 14-7.
Alabama seeing Georgia had a taste for a little offensive scoring would answer by unleashing senior wide receiver Devonta Smith, who would leave his mark on the game.
Smith would receive back-to-back bullets from his QB and with one catch, even bail out Jones, who after a brief scramble almost threw the ball right into a set of Georgia defenders. Smith seeing his QB was in trouble would make the quick turnaround and not only deny the interception but make the remarkable catch all while surrounded by white and black jerseys.
Devonta Smith would receive another set of passes, one of which created the game’s first of two matchups between the two anticipated NFL draft picks, Smith and Georgia junior defensive back, Eric Stokes.
Fueled by the competition of his opponent, Stokes would receive a holding call on Smith giving Alabama the first down. The drive, however, would ultimately only result in a 33-yard field goal by sophomore Will Reichard with nine minutes left to play.
Despite a valiant effort made by Cook, who would gain 97 receiving yards, Georgia would have to settle for its own field goal with a little over five minutes left of play in the 2ndquarter.
Alabama would wisely add Smith to play and thank goodness for it. Smith again saved his quarterback from a poor pass that was clearly not set up for him, but with his quick turnaround from down field, would make none the less. With three minutes left of play, Smith was rewarded with a 17-yard pass from Mac Jones to complete the drive, tying the game 17-17.
Stetson Bennet would answer, throwing for 151 passing yards. With the Alabama defense on edge, Georgia would force an Alabama offsides not once, but twice. However, only one was called by the referees, giving Georgia the extra first down. With twenty-three seconds left in the game, Stetson Bennett would find Freshman Jermaine Burton for the 5-yard pass putting Georgia up 24-17.
Aware that those twenty-three seconds was all he had, Mac Jones used NFL bound running back Najee Harris and senior Miller Forristall to gain crucial yardage for the Tide. Now only three seconds remaining, Jones spiked the ball, remarkably just reaching the one-second mark to put his team in field goal position!
Georgia, believing they had successfully shut down the first half, made their final lineup up across the Alabama offense before quickly walking off the field to head to the locker room. Their head coach, Kirby Smart, was right ahead of them.
The refs called for the review on the field, pausing the Bulldogs exit. Awaiting the final call stood a Bulldogs team that was already off the field and almost back through the tunnel, and a determined and convinced Nick Saban that his team had indeed not failed him.
The ruling on the field was reversed, and the Tide was given the ball for the kick with exactly one second on the clock.
With his team depending on him, Will Reichard made the extraordinary kick from 52 yards, marking his career-high and making the clear statement that Alabama had only just begun for the night.
Per deferred ball, Georgia would start the second half with the ball. That drive would be ineffective.
Alabama would follow with its own failed drive to start the half, creating a visibly frustrated Mac Jones, who clenched his fists while bringing his arms together as he headed to the sideline.
Mac Jones would, however, settle and certainly redeem himself in the play to come.
With four minutes left on the clock, Jones almost in some supernatural way connected like a magnet for not a 50, not a 70 but a 90-yard jewel down field to junior wide receiver Jaylen Waddle and boy was it a beauty!
Only one defender had even come close to Waddle, Georgia defensive back Tyson Campbell, who of which Waddle had made a casualty rolling on the ground after the missed tackle. For Jalen Waddle, it was off to the races as he reached the end zone surrounded by nothing but green grass and his pride. Waddle motioned the cross across his chest, and then signaled a finger to the heavens, before finally shaking his head almost having his own spiritual experience in the end zone.
Steve Sarkisian, at this point undoubtedly beaming from this remarkably designed play.
Najee Harris would follow suit by putting up his most significant yardage of the game bringing in the Tides second touchdown with just over three minutes of play!
This fired up Alabama Crimson Tide offense would completely dominate the scoreboard for the remainder as Devonta Smith was rightfully rewarded the final touchdown of the game, bringing the final score 41-24 in outstanding Alabama showdown.
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