Alabama running back Josh Jacobs scores a touchdown on a first-half sequence in which he fumbled the ball falling into the end zone but recovered it for the score in Saturday’s SEC title game against Georgia at Mercedes-Benz Stadium in Atlanta.SATURDAY’S STAR
Alabama backup quarterback Jalen Hurts was forgotten or injured for much of this season, but he replaced an injured Tua Tagovailoa with 11:15 remaining and went 7-of-9 passing for 82 yards and a touchdown and rushed five times for 28 yards, including a 15-yard keeper that won the game.
SATURDAY’S STAT
Of the seven completions by Hurts, four resulted in third-down conversions. On Alabama’s 16-play, 80-yard drive that tied the game, Hurts converted a third-and-12, a third-and-5 and a third-and-10, with the latter a 10-yard touchdown pass to Jerry Jeudy that set up a 28-28 tie with 5:19 left.
HIGHLIGHT PLAY
Hurts was accurate throwing the ball, but he reminded everyone about the main reason he was 26-2 as the starter during the 2016 and ’17 seasons – his wheels. With 1:04 remaining, Hurts dropped back and waited for an opening over the right side. Once he saw it, he raced into the end zone for the winner.
THE TURNING POINT
Midway through the third quarter, Georgia had an astounding 345 yards of offense to just 140 for Alabama. The Bulldogs had only a 28-14 lead at that point, however, due to a missed 30-yard field-goal try by Rodrigo Blankenship. A three-possession game there really could have turned up the pressure on the Tide.
WHAT IT MEANS
Alabama will qualify for the College Football Playoff for the fifth time in the four-team bracket’s five-year existence and will be the top seed for a third occasion. Georgia will have its fate determined by the committee, and don’t be surprised if the Bulldogs slide behind Oklahoma, are left out of the CFP and head to the Sugar Bowl to face Texas.
HOW THEY SCORED
FIRST QUARTER
UGA – Isaac Nauta 20-yard pass from Jake Fromm (Rodrigo Blankenship kick), 3:08
Drive: 7 plays, 60 yards, 3:08
Key play: Fromm got the drive going with an 18-yard pass to Jeremiah Holloman to Alabama’s 42-yard line.
GEORGIA 7, ALABAMA 0
SECOND QUARTER
ALA – Josh Jacobs 1-yard run (Joseph Bulovas kick), 14:56
Drive: 8 plays, 75 yards, 3:12
Key play: After Jacobs opened the drive with a 3-yard run, Tua Tagovailoa dropped back and found Henry Ruggs over the middle for 23 yards to the Georgia 49.
ALABAMA 7, GEORGIA 7
UGA – D’Andre Swift 9-yard run (Blankenship kick), 7:31
Drive: 13 plays, 74 yards, 7:19
Key play: The longest gain of Georgia’s lengthy drive was an 11-yard pass from Fromm to Terry Godwin to the Alabama 29 that converted a third-and-7.
GEORGIA 14, ALABAMA 7
UGA – Swift 11-yard pass from Fromm (Blankenship kick), 4:05
Drive: 6 plays, 51 yards, 2:22
Key play: On second-and-10 from the Georgia 49, Swift went around the right end for 20 yards to the Alabama 31.
GEORGIA 21, ALABAMA 7
ALA – Jacobs 1-yard run (Bulovas kick), 2:18
Drive: 4 plays, 75 yards, 1:47
Key play: Jacobs opened the drive by breaking free up the middle, making a pair of defenders miss and racing 59 yards to Georgia’s 16.
GEORGIA 21, ALABAMA 14
THIRD QUARTER
UGA – Riley Ridley 23-yard pass from Fromm (Blankenship kick), 12:39
Drive: 3 plays, 51 yards, 1:14
Key play: Elijah Holyfield went around left end for a 21-yard gain to Alabama’s 23-yard line.
GEORGIA 28, ALABAMA 14
ALA – Jaylen Waddle 51-yard pass from Tagovailoa (Bulovas kick), 3:02
Drive: 4 plays, 72 yards, 1:29
Key play: Waddle used his speed to turn a short gain into a touchdown from beyond midfield to make it a one-possession game.
GEORGIA 28, ALABAMA 21
FOURTH QUARTER
ALA – Jerry Jeudy 10-yard pass from Jalen Hurts (Bulovas kick), 5:19
Drive: 16 plays, 80 yards, 7:08
Key play: Hurts replaced an injured Tagovailoa and quickly converted on third-and-12 with a 13-yard pass to tight end Irv Smith out to the Alabama 42-yard line.
ALABAMA 28, GEORGIA 28
ALA – Hurts 15-yard run (Bulovas kick), 1:04
Drive: 5 plays, 52 yards, 2:00
Key play: Hurts converted on third-and-7 with an 18-yard pass to Smith to Georgia’s 31-yard line.
ALABAMA 35, GEORGIA 28