What Kalen DeBoer Said About Georgia's Blocked Punt

ATLANTA - No. 3 Georgia decimated No. 10 Alabama in the SEC Championship game thanks to dominating defense, physical offense and savvy special teams play. The Bulldogs used all three aspects to control field position throughout the title game and defeat the Crimson Tide 28-7.

Georgia seized control of the contest and by rushing Alabama's second punt and blocking Blake Doud's effort to make the Bulldog offense march the field. Wide receiver Cole Speer came off the punt team's left side unblocked and deflected Doud's attempt, handing Georgia a short field and the early momentum.

The Bulldogs capitalized on the special teams error and opened the scoring in the SEC Championship Game with a four-play, 21-yard drive ending in a play-action pass to Roderick Robinson on the goal line.

"I can tell you exactly what happened," Kalen DeBoer said. "We got a new face in the spot. Obviously that's LT Overton's position. Just tell you what it is. There's a check we got to make. You got a new face in that spot. That's what happened.

Again, getting guys more reps, getting guys back out there makes a big deal. I don't fault our guys that were in that spot, doing everything they can. But there's a check we got to make, one we make all season long. We missed it. They got an extra hat that we couldn't block. "

Kalen DeBoer said Kaleb Edwards missed a check allowing Georgia to block a punt in the first quarter.

Edwards was on the unit replacing LT Overton and the blocked punt set up Georgia's first touchdown pic.twitter.com/AoEbNvCLuF
— Joe Gaither (@JoeGaither6) December 7, 2025

Freshman tight end Kaleb Edwards replaced LT Overton as a personal protector on punt team duties, and miscommunication between long snapper David Bird and personal protectors Marshall Pritchett and Jay Lindsey allowed Speer to knife through the line for the block. Edwards stepped up and blocked KJ Bolden instead of Speer, and the senior receiver made the game's first big play.

Everything Kalen DeBoer Said After Georgia Dominated Alabama in SEC Championship Game

If Edwards looked to his left and blocked Speer, would anyone have blocked Bolden? Did DeBoer imply Edwards made the wrong call at the line of scrimmage? Or was the entire unit fooled before the play?

Strong field position became the theme of the game as Georgia's four touchdown drives averaged 6.75 plays and 32.5 yards. The blocked punt was just the start, but wasn't the only special teams error as Zachariah Branch returned his only punt for 24 yards, setting up the Dawgs' third touchdown drive with another short field.

Ultimately, Georgia's special teams got the better of Alabama's, and this miscommunication was the first of many that sank the Crimson Tide's chances to win the SEC Championship.