For a half, it looked like Alabama was going to roll Georgia. The Tide raced out to a 30-7 halftime lead, only to see the Dawgs claw their way back to take a 34-33 lead with just 2:31 left in the game. Georgia’s comeback was all but complete, but unfortunately, it wasn’t meant to be Saturday night in Tuscaloosa. Freshman receiver Ryan Williams caught a 75-yard touchdown pass on the next play from scrimmage to put the Tide up. A successful two-point conversion ensured Carson Beck and the Dawgs would have to drive the field’s length to complete Georgia’s comeback.
Big Play Freshmen: Alabama Halts Georgia’s Comeback 41-34
ABSOLUTE SCENES IN TUSCALOOSA!!!
RYAN WILLIAMS WITH A 75-YARD TD TO RETAKE THE LEAD! pic.twitter.com/pvc9ML7E7G
— SportsCenter (@SportsCenter) September 29, 2024
With just over two minutes left in the game, Beck led Georgia down to the 20-yard line. On first and ten with 43 seconds left, he tried to find Colbie Young in the corner of the end zone. Freshman Alabama corner Zabien Brown made an excellent play on the ball and picked off Beck, sealing Georgia’s ill-fated comeback.
Alabama Rolls Georgia Recap
The 30-7 gap directly resulted from the two opposing quarterbacks. Jalen Milroe could seemingly do no wrong in the first half and his counterpart Carson Beck could not catch a break. Here is a quick look at the tale of two performances from the first half.
Milroe’s Explosive First Half
“Alabama has been really explosive tonight. We have no answer for Milroe.” Kirby Smart’s halftime comments sum up how the Tide built upon a 30-7 lead. Milsore was about as close to perfect as you could get for a quarterback. He was 18-20 for 199 yards and a touchdown in the first half. He also was able to hurt the Bulldogs with his legs. Milroe ran the ball nine times for 109 yards in the first half and added two touchdown runs himself. Whether Georiga came after him with pressure or dropped into coverage, Milroe and the Tide found the right play to find the advantage and exploit the Georiga defense. Milroe looked a lot more like a Top 5 pick in the first half than his counterpart in Georgia.
Beck’s Disastrous First Half
After letting up a touchdown on their opening drive, Georgia started their first possession, and the game plan seemed to be to take more shots and challenge the Tide defensive backs. Beck opened the series with a 15-yard strike to Dominic Lovett, and the Dawgs seemed to be off and running. Beck then took another shot down the far sideline, just out of the reach of Arian Smith. There is always talk that one play doesn’t make a game, but one could argue if that pass is completed, it could have provided a different tone for the rest of the drive and possibly the half. Instead, Georgia would go three and punt the ball back to Alabama, which would score on the drive.
Beck just looked rushed and out of sorts for most of the first half. He finished the first half eight of 17 with no touchdowns and two costly interceptions. His first interception set up Alabama’s just outside the red zone and helped the Tide quickly extend their lead to 21-0. Beck’s second interception was also costly. Georgia had just stopped Alabama on a key 4th & 1. The Bulldogs were down 28-7 at that point but had three minutes on the clock and had the opportunity to receive to open the second half.
If you were looking for a glass half full, this was it. Instead, Beck was intercepted on the first play of the series by Jihadd Campbell, who returned the ball to the Georgia 25. The Bulldogs would return the favor with a pick of their own, but Beck would put the nail in the first-half coffin when he was called for intentional grounding in his own endzone on third down. It was a no-good, very-bad half for Beck and the Dawgs.
Failure Is Not Fatal
2024 marks a turn for college football. A loss like this for Georgia could have hurt their chances at a playoff birth in years past. The expanded playoff provides Georgia plenty of opportunity to right the ship and compete for a third national championship in four seasons. The Bulldogs have a long way to go before making that dream a reality. Texas in two weeks in Austin and Tennessee at home in November will not be easy. They can ill afford to spot teams with 20+ point leads. The urgency seen in the second half must be replicated. Lovett, Smith, and Dillon Bell must take a bigger role in the offense. The Deep South’s Oldest Rivalry and Homecoming kick off next Saturday at 3:30 p.m.
