Ty Simpson Didn't 'Make Easy Things Easy' Against Pressure in Loss to Georgia

ATLANTA— Alabama quarterback Ty Simpson's first career road test against a conference foe was on Sept. 27 against Georgia. During that game in Athens, the program's first trip there in 10 years, he completed 24 of his 38 passes for 276 yards and three scores, without a turnover. The Crimson Tide won 24-21.

On Saturday in the SEC Championship Game against those same Bulldogs, Simpson looked like a different player. No. 3 Georgia (12-1) hurried him four times and sacked him three times. The redshirt junior only had five completions in the first half for 53 yards, as well as an interception, finishing the game 19-of-39 for 212 yards and only one score.

The Bulldogs were victorious 28-7, dominating No. 9 Alabama (10-3) for its second SEC title in a row and third in four years. Simpson was flustered, regularly under duress. Several of his throws were off-target and/or off-schedule due to Georgia's pressures. He wasn't helped by the health situation of his offensive line, which was missing left guard Kam Dewberry.

"We're just one or two things away from having a big play. I think credit to Georgia's defense, they did a good job," Simpson said. "We just gotta make the easy things easy... We know we're the best offense in the country. Then when we don't show it, it's very frustrating. Especially times when we're just a couple things away."

Simpson only had four interceptions entering Saturday's conference title game, and two were in low-leverage situations against Eastern Illinois. Georgia's Daylen Everette picked him off at the Bulldogs' 28-yard line on a bad throw where Simpson was looking to hit Isaiah Horton. The Bulldogs mounted a touchdown drive off that interception that took more than half a quarter's equivalent off the clock between the end of the first frame and start of the second.

That stretched a one-touchdown lead to a 14-0 margin. Alabama was unable to get in the scoring column in the first 30 minutes of game time. Simpson remained off kilter; for example, running back Daniel Hill, starting in place of Jam Miller, had five catches on eight targets. Those targets consisted of short routes, such as a wheel route.

"Almost like they were bringing somebody on almost every down," Simpson said. "They had some copycat blitzes from people that we've seen before. We picked it up some. But I gotta be better at just communicating in general, right?"

Alabama scored a touchdown with 12 minutes and 33 seconds to play on a 23-yard pass from Simpson to senior Germie Bernard. whose six catches and 62 yards led the Crimson Tide team. Bernard, however, was thrown to 11 times, one of which was on a fourth-down play from Georgia's 17. Simpson was forced well behind the line of scrimmage and had to loft the ball up in the hope that it'd be caught. It actually went through the hands of KJ Bolden, but hit Bernard's chest and fell to the turf.

Only three minutes and 22 seconds were still on the clock when the incompletion went into the history books. A touchdown wouldn't have swung the pendulum on the final outcome but also might have impacted Alabama's postseason case by decreasing its margin of defeat. The Crimson Tide also went more than a full quarter's worth of time without a first down from midway through the second quarter until the final play of the third quarter.

Thae incompletion to Bernard was emblematic of Simpson's night. The protection was lackluster throughout. He had to try and make things happen on the fly multiple times, if he had even been given the chance to settle in at all, which wasn't always the case.

Head coach Kalen DeBoer did not blame Simpson for the result. He pointed to the squad's injury situation, which included center Parker Brailsford missing the aforementioned Eastern Illinois game and taking a trip to the medical tent during the Iron Bowl.

"I think it's just having some continuity in practice," DeBoer said. "You execute or you have a lack of execution in games because you probably didn't have everyone out there working together in practice."

Brailsford played in the SEC Championship Game. Simpson, who has been on the receiving end of several hard hits in recent matchups, said everyone is getting hit and sore in some type of way. His center assumed accountability for some of the protection lapses, denying that he's hurting in a manner that would affect his performance.

"Part of that is definitely on us... I feel like he's done a good job of just bouncing right back up like nothing happened and playing well. I mean, he's tough," Brailsford said. "I'm healthy."

It also didn't bode well for the Crimson Tide that it would have to make its comeback in the second half. Alabama has not scored much during that half, with scoring totals in the single digits in every third and fourth quarter since the 15-point, game-winning final 15 minutes of the South Carolina victory. That trend was nearly bucked in the fourth quarter Saturday, but close only counts in horseshoes and hand grenades.

Alabama lost decisively. Simpson hasn't been in top form down the final stretch before Selection Sunday, posting a new season low in passing yards in each of the two games preceding Saturday. He still thinks the team's successes speak for themselves regarding consideration from the College Football Playoff selection committee to remain in the 12-team field.

"It's not up to me," he said. "We went through a gauntlet of a schedule. SEC is the best conference in the country... We went through a tough schedule, and we're the most resilient team in the country."

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