Georgia dominated Alabama from start to finish on Dec. 6 in the SEC Championship game.
The No. 3 Bulldogs (12-1) avenged an earlier regular-season loss to No. 9 Alabama (10-3) with a 28-7 victory at Mercedes-Benz Stadium this past Saturday to secure their second consecutive conference title.
“All the credit goes to the players who have had a very long, tough, hard season,” Georgia head coach Kirby Smart said after the game. “The kids in our program buy into hard. I appreciate their toughness in the way they do things. That pays off in the long run.
“To win back-to-back SEC championships, it’s every kid in this footprint’s dream and an honor to be at Georgia and to be the head coach here and win games like this,” Smart added.
Neither team started fast, as both went three-and-out on their first two possessions. The moment the game changed and momentum shifted Georgia’s way was when Alabama decided to punt at the end of its second drive.
Cole Speer blocked the punt for the Bulldogs, and Justin Williams recovered the ball, beginning the team’s next possession at the Crimson Tide's 21-yard line. It also didn’t take long for Georgia’s offense to turn it into points, either.
The Bulldogs scored in just three plays, as quarterback Gunner Stockton connected with running back Roderick Robinson in the end zone with a 1-yard touchdown pass. They then never looked back.
Georgia’s defense forced a turnover on the next possession. The Bulldogs brought pressure up front, forcing Alabama quarterback Ty Simpson to force a deep ball, where cornerback Daylen Everette picked it off.
The Bulldog offense scored on the next possession, using a mixed attack. Running backs Chauncey Bowens and Nate Frazier moved the ball on the ground before Stockton found wide receiver Dillon Bell for six.
Georgia led Alabama 14-0 at halftime, playing well in all three phases of the game. The Bulldogs kept up their dominance in the second half, scoring twice more on offense while the defense gave up only seven points.
The Georgia offense was held to under 300 yards, but remained efficient. The unit attacked the Crimson Tide with a very balanced game plan, passing for 156 yards and rushing for 141 in the 21-point win.
The Bulldogs were successful on all four red zone trips and scored 14 of their points off turnovers. However, they converted only 6-of-16 third-down attempts and left points on the board as penalties were drive killers.
Stockton completed 20 of 26 passes, including three touchdowns, while also rushing for the team’s second-best 39 yards on 13 carries. Frazier led the rushing attack with 52 yards on 13 attempts with a score.
Zachariah Branch had team highs in receptions (5) and receiving yards (53) with a touchdown. Bell caught four passes for 45 yards and a score, and the senior pass catcher also rushed for 24 yards on four attempts in the win.
Defensively, Georgia performed much better than in its previous matchup. The Crimson Tide accumulated 397 total yards of offense and converted 13-of-19 third-down attempts, while starting 8-for-8 in their Sept. 27 win.
Last Saturday’s matchup was a much different story, as Georgia held Alabama to just 209 yards of total offense, including minus three rushing. The Crimson Tide also only converted 3-of-13 third-down attempts in the loss.
“I explain it by a great game plan by (defensive coordinator Glenn) Schumann,” Smart said. “He studies a lot of tape, has confidence in his plan. The defensive staff got those guys to believe and play hard. They had a little chip on their shoulder. They wanted another shot. We executed better, affected the quarterback more.”
Simpson was under duress all night, as the Bulldog pass rushers affected his play. He completed 19-of-39 passes for 212 yards, with a touchdown to wideout Germie Bernard in the fourth quarter, along with an interception.
Simpson also rushed for minus 26 yards on six attempts, as Georgia’s defense sacked him three times.
“He played almost out of his mind the last time we played him,” Smart said of Simpson. “A lot of the calls were the same. Calls weren’t different, but the execution was a little better. The rush was a little better.”
The win sends the Bulldogs to New Orleans to play either Tulane or Ole Miss on Jan. 1 at 8 p.m. in the Allstate Sugar Bowl.