Alabama and Georgia spent the first half looking like two teams determined to make every yard a project.
The Tide opened with a physical drive that moved the chains the old-fashioned way, but it ended abruptly when Keelon Russell lost the ball after a helmet hit it just as he was about to throw. Georgia answered by getting down the field of its own, only for Alabama’s defense to force a holding call and limit the Bulldogs to a field goal. After that, the game barely settled into a rhythm before the first quarter was gone.
Georgia’s big burst came after a stretch of punts and a sequence that backed the Bulldogs up to their own 4-yard line. From there, UGA hit two huge seam throws and suddenly had a two-possession lead while Alabama’s offense looked stuck in place.
Then the game flipped.
Trae’Shawn Brown broke loose for a 70-yard run, and on the next snap Russell found Marshall Pritchett for a touchdown. Not long after, Bray Hubbard jumped a slant for an interception when Georgia got the ball back. Alabama couldn’t cash that takeaway in, though, and had to punt after its offense went backward.
Still, the Tide got another shot with 1:30 left and put together the kind of late drive that can change a game. They converted multiple third downs and got all the way to a third-and-1 at the goal line with three seconds left.
That left Kalen DeBoer with a choice: take the field goal and force a tie, or go for the win. He chose the latter, and Ryan Grubb dialed up a strange fake jet, HB dive to EJ Crowell.
Georgia stuffed it at first, but Crowell bounced out, reversed field, and beat the defenders to the pylon as time expired.
Russell and the passing game had a rough night overall, worse than any stretch this season outside the first half against Kentucky. The run game carried a lot of the load, and Russell still hit enough timely throws to put together a pair of scoring drives. Against a defense like Georgia’s, that’s enough to keep Alabama in the fight.
The defense had its own up-and-down stretch. Alabama came up with several big plays, but Georgia also found too many windows through the air and some room on the ground.
Even so, the bigger picture is clear: these are two elite teams trading blows every possession, and Alabama showed it can stand in there with one of the best in football. The physicality on defense and the production on the ground both stand out.
The Tide belongs.
In Other News...
Georgia's KJ Bolden Just Added Fuel To Alabama's PI Debate
Late in the Georgia-Alabama game, one of the nights most debated moments came on a pass into the end zone to Rico Scott, when SEC officials let the play go without a defensive pass interference flag on KJ Bolden. The no-call drew attention immediately because it came in a situation where Alabama had every reason to expect a whistle, and coach Kalen DeBoer made clear afterward that he disagreed with the decision, even if the league offered no added explanation.
Boldens own take only added another layer to the discussion. He said he would have wanted the call if the roles were reversed, but he also maintained it was not pass interference, a stance that will do little to settle Alabamas frustration. For the Crimson Tide, it leaves a familiar kind of postgame debate hanging over a key moment, with the officiating conversation likely to linger well beyond the final horn. [Read more 🡒]
EJ Crowell Is Pushing Alabama Toward A Bigger Backfield Decision
EJ Crowells role has been moving in the right direction for Alabama, and the reasons go beyond the box score. The running back has made clear progress in his understanding of game plans and in pass protection, two areas that can decide whether a young back stays on the field when the games tighten up. For a Crimson Tide offense still sorting out how its backfield should be divvied up, that kind of growth matters as much as any explosive run.
Crowell has seen only moderate usage in recent games, even as the staff has talked about getting him more involved. Through six games, he has 31 carries for 238 yards and four touchdowns, with his workload recently settling into a limited range while other backs continue to rotate through evolving roles. The bigger question now is whether his improved trust level can translate into a more consistent share of touches as Alabama keeps shaping its backfield plan. [Read more 🡒]
Derrick Henry Came Up Huge In Ravens' Wild Prime-Time Win
Derrick Henry kept Baltimore afloat in a wild prime-time game Sunday night, giving the Ravens the kind of steady, punishing production they needed while playing without injured quarterback Lamar Jackson. Baltimore outlasted Atlanta 30-23 in overtime in Week 5, and Henry was right in the middle of it with a physical ground game and a touchdown catch that helped the Ravens stay in striking distance when the night started to tilt in a few different directions.
The game tightened even more late, when Falcons quarterback Michael Penix Jr. went down with a rib injury and the chaos only deepened in overtime. Baltimore still found a way to finish, and the final swing came on a game-ending interception that closed out one of those bruising, odd October games that can reshape a season's feel in a hurry. [Read more 🡒]