To beat Alabama, you have to erase even the possibility of daylight. If you manage to get the Tide down, you have to keep them from even imagining getting up, unless you’re counting on a miracle.
How Bama’s *defense* helped set up Jalen Hurts’ Hollywood moment
The Dawgs gave Bama a chance to win. They took it.
Photo by Scott Cunningham/Getty Images
Georgia hasn’t needed a miracle against Alabama in either this year’s SEC Championship Game or the national title last season. They were the Tide’s physical equal in each game. And lost twice.
Georgia outplayed them soundly in the first half of the 2018 SEC title game, then scored on its first possession of the second half to go back up 14 points.
But there was daylight — and time — remaining. Alabama went on a 21-0 run to pull off yet another incredible win in Atlanta over the Dawgs.
On its next possession after taking its second 14-point lead, Georgia missed a field goal. It was only Rodrigo Blankenship’s fourth miss of the season. This began a second half in which Georgia did what you can’t against Alabama. They failed to take advantage of their opportunities and gave the Tide room to get back in the game. And then previously demoted QB Jalen Hurts of all people was the person who took advantage of it.
Alabama had even seemed to derail its comeback before it started.
Heisman finalist Tua Tagovailoa threw a pick near the goal line, and that seemed like it could have been curtains for the Tide.
If the Dawgs had made that turnover really hurt, then they would probably have put this game on ice. Halfway through the third quarter, there’s probably only four or five possessions left in the game. The Tide didn’t look capable of scoring three more touchdowns.
Instead, Georgia went three-and-out while running just 2:17 off the clock.
Not the worst thing in the world, and a booming 60-yard punt really flipped the field.
But the Tide scored on their ensuing drive to make it 28-21 on Jalen Waddle’s 51-yard catch and run. Sometimes players make plays.
Still, Bama trailed and Tagovailoa was not really getting much to click with the passing game. If the Dawgs could get a score of any sort, things would still have looked really good for them.
Instead, they went five plays before short-circuiting.
The Tide brought a blitz at a perfect time and tipped a Jake Fromm pass. That actually might’ve helped Georgia, because this coulda been a pick-six if the throw had actually made it to the intended receiver.
Bama’s offense was unable to do anything with its ensuing drive. Georgia got the ball back with yet another chance to pretty much put the game on ice again.
Five plays later, they had not. Jake Fromm, who’d been lights out in the first half, was only able to unload the ball to avoid a sack.
At that point, there were 12 minutes left. Bama would probably have the ball two or three more times, needing more defensive stops along the way.
After replacing Tagovailoa, Hurts led the next drive to tie the game. It might have been impossible to predict the scenario of Hurts returning to the game and shredding the Dawgs, but Georgia had time to adjust, chew up clock, and maybe score again.
Alabama’s defense had forced UGA to punt three times since that missed field goal, and Bama’s offense had scored on two of the ensuing possessions they were given.
After a long DeAndre Swift run with the game level, 28-28, the Dawgs had a fourth straight drive short-circuit.
But it’s alright: Punt and play defense, I guess. Maybe you get overtime again where all bets are off.
Just don’t, by any means, give the surprise opposing quarterback the ball back on a short fie-
Oh.
You know the rest.
Georgia’s defense is elite, but it needed at least one more score worth of cushion.
The missed field goal earlier in the game was big. But fact that the Dawgs couldn’t find a way to put any other points on the board the rest of the game is why they lost.
If Hurts enters a game that’s nearly out of reach, then Bama’s offense probably looks a little different. Hurts isn’t the big-strike attacker that a healthy Tagovailoa is, but Hurts is very efficient. But since the Tide were trailing by a gettable margin, they could let the veteran do what he felt comfortable with and methodically come back.
Meanwhile, Bama’s defense kept giving Hurts’ offense just enough chances.
At some point, an offense as talented at Alabama’s was going to find ways to score, even if they had to do it in the most improbable way possible. But if Georgia’s offense could’ve stayed on the field, none of that would’ve mattered.
See More:
