What Happened? Alabama's Defense Doesn't Come Through in the End Against Georgia
Alabama’s defense played its best game of the season.
For three quarters.
When it needed to put the clamps on Georgia after taking a five-point lead with 10 minutes to play to claim the program’s 19th national title, the Crimson Tide defense didn’t.
Instead, Georgia ripped off back-to-back touchdown drives and it was the Bulldogs celebrating their first national title since 1980 with a 33-18 victory Monday night at Lucas Oil Stadium.
It was Alabama’s defense that put Alabama in position for victory after Christian Harris forced a fumble by Bulldog quarterback Stetson Bennett, which Brian Branch recovered at the Georgia 15. Alabama scored its only touchdown a few plays later.
It should have been game over. Especially after such a big momentum shift. Yes, Georgia hit on a 67-yard run earlier in the game, but other than that? Nothing.
So it was a little shocking to see Bennett march the Bulldogs 75 yards on five plays and hitting on two big passes, including a 40-yard touchdown to Adonai Mitchell, to give Georgia its second lead of the game, 19-18.
Freshman Kyree Jackson defended on the touchdown pass. He got his first start in place of an injured Josh Jobe. Jackson was also flagged for pass interference on the drive.
Georgia gets better of Alabama in national title game
Asked in the post-game press conference about what it was like on the drive, Alabama linebacker Will Anderson, who had a monster game and put constant pressure on Bennett, was at a loss for words.
Alabama coach Nick Saban intervened. He wasn’t too thrilled with the question.
“Basically, they had two drives in the fourth quarter, they made a couple of explosive plays and won,” Saban said. “We don’t want to give up explosive plays.”
Georgia scored again on its next possession, this time by pounding the ball between the tackles.
“With a one-point lead and a chance for us to still be in the game, they just ran the ball and we didn’t stop them,” Saban continued. “That’s what it was like to be out there.”
Before that first touchdown drive in the fourth quarter, Bennett was 13 of 22 for 141 yards. He completed his last four passes for 83 yards and two touchdowns.
On the second fourth-quarter score, Georgia ran for 32 yards and three first downs to milk several minutes off the clock. Another pass interference call, this one on Kool-Aid McKinstry, another freshman defensive back, didn’t help matters.
A 15-yard touchdown pass to tight end Brock Bowers put the Bulldogs ahead 26-18 with about three-and-a-half minutes to play.
There was still a chance for Alabama. Bryce Young got the offense to midfield with just over a minute left.
Then, disaster.
“We throw a pick-six. That’s really what happened, and that’s what it felt like,” Saban said, still answering the earlier question of what happened. “That’s what it felt like for Will and that’s what it feels like for Bryce, who feel really poorly that they couldn’t do better to try and not let that happen.”
The result was reminiscent of the Crimson Tide’s other loss this season. The Alabama defense had Texas A&M shut down in the second half except for its final two drives, the ones that mattered most. Both ended with points, which decided the outcome.
On Monday, though, Alabama had Georgia’s number all night, forcing Bennett out of the pocket and limiting big plays. Take away the 67-yard run by James Cook and Georgia had no answer for Anderson and a wall of a Crimson Tide defense.
Georgia found a way, and sliced up Alabama’s defense on the final two decisive drives.
“I feel poorly that we didn’t finish the game better than we did because we played a heck of a game against a heck of a team,” Saban said. “We didn’t finish the way we needed to finish.”
