TUSCALOOSA, Ala. — Alabama’s Jalen Milroe, Georgia’s Carson Beck and the supporting casts for both quarterbacks put on quite a show in a rematch of last year’s Southeastern Conference championship game — even with a different Crimson Tide coach prowling the sideline.
Ryan Williams caught a 75-yard touchdown pass from Milroe with 2:18 left in the game, and the fourth-ranked Crimson Tide beat No. 2 Georgia 41-34 on Saturday night at Bryant-Denny Stadium in a wild SEC debut for Kalen DeBoer, the former Washington head coach who improved to 4-0 overall in his first season as the successor to recently retired Alabama legend Nick Saban.
With the Tide on top in crunch time after the big play by Williams, Alabama’s other freshman sporting a No. 2 jersey, defensive back Zabien Brown, intercepted Beck’s pass in the end zone to secure the victory.
“We pushed each other to the very end,” said DeBoer, who came to Tuscaloosa in January after two seasons at Washington that wrapped up with the Huskies losing to Michigan in the College Football Playoff final.
Williams, a dynamic 17-year-old receiver who has not disappointed after being a highly rated recruit, turned back to grab the ball in tight coverage, did a quick pivot, hit the brakes to avoid a pair of Bulldogs defenders who nearly collided, then sprinted down the right sideline. Milroe hit Germie Bernard for the 2-point conversion to give the Tide the seven-point cushion.