Kalen DeBoer’s message after Alabama’s loss to Georgia was simple, and it carried a warning beyond this weekend’s result: don’t let one defeat snowball into another.
After Georgia beat Alabama 20-17 on the road in a game that came down to the final moments, DeBoer made it clear his team has to move on quickly. Alabama now heads to Tennessee for another road test, and the coach said his players can’t drag Saturday’s frustration with them.
DeBoer on preparing for Tennessee: "I’ve told the team, you can’t let Georgia beat us twice.”
That line applies neatly to Alabama, but it also serves as a reminder for Georgia. The Bulldogs earned a hard-fought win in Tuscaloosa, but they still haven’t checked off any of their bigger goals this season.
A victory like that only matters if it doesn’t turn into complacency the next week. Even with Auburn coming to Athens next, Georgia still has to show up ready to go, because in the SEC, any team can get caught if it starts feeling too good about itself.
The same kind of discipline DeBoer wants from Alabama would serve Georgia well, too.
There’s also been plenty of noise around the fallout from Saturday’s game, especially from Alabama fans who have focused on the officials. A missed pass interference call late on the Tide’s final drive has become the centerpiece of the complaints, but that explanation doesn’t tell the full story.
Alabama was still in field goal range and down only three points after that play. The Tide still had a chance to move the chains on the next snap, but instead they gave up a sack that pushed them out of range and forced a punt to Georgia.
And the calls didn’t all go one way. Georgia also dealt with a missed hold on Alabama’s first touchdown, though that’s not part of the conversation for Crimson Tide fans.
On top of that, Georgia was missing its top two running backs and two of its better receivers, yet Gunner Stockton still turned in one of the best games of his career.
The final result is the final result, no matter how much Alabama fans argue about the officiating. If the Tide carry that same mindset into the rest of the season, then DeBoer’s concern could become very real: one loss to Georgia turning into another setback soon after.
In Other News...
Gunner Stockton Is Giving Georgia Fans A New Ceiling To Debate
Gunner Stockton is changing the way Georgia fans talk about the offense, and the conversation now feels bigger than one comeback win. After helping steer the Bulldogs past Alabama and into the top spot in the rankings, Stockton has become the latest reason to wonder just how high this team can climb, especially with the quarterback showing steady growth under offensive coordinator Mike Bobo.
What stood out in the moment was not just the result, but how composed Stockton looked against a familiar heavyweight. Alabama left with plenty of respect for his efficiency and his ability to keep drives alive when the game tightened, which only adds to the sense that Georgia may have found a quarterback whose ceiling is still being written. [Read more 🡒]
Georgia Just Beat Alabama And Still Has A Disrespect Problem
Georgias win in Tuscaloosa should have settled plenty of arguments, at least for a week. Instead, the Bulldogs still found room for a little ranking debate after climbing to No. 1 in the updated AP Poll following their first victory at Alabama since 2007. Even with that breakthrough on the road, four AP voters left Georgia outside the top spot, a reminder that one statement win does not erase every opinion already baked into the national picture.
The bigger disconnect comes from the computers, and from one of the sports more familiar blue-blood comparisons. Georgia may have the rsum boost of beating Alabama in its own building, but the conversation has not fully lined up around the Bulldogs just yet. If the season keeps trending toward the playoff path many expect, the next meaningful chance for Georgia to settle another debate could come against Notre Dame, though that kind of matchup would require both teams to make it to the College Football Playoff first. [Read more 🡒]
Georgia May Be Forced To Trust An Improvised Backfield Again
Georgia had to lean on Dwight Phillips Jr. and Bo Walker against Alabama when Nate Frazier and Chauncey Bowens were unavailable, and the backup arrangement held up well enough to keep the offense moving. Kirby Smart made it clear afterward that there are no plans to shuffle other players into the backfield, which leaves the Bulldogs relying on the same group if the depth chart stays thin.
Now the focus turns to Auburn, where the matchup could invite another heavy dose of the ground game if Georgias top backs remain out. The Tigers have struggled against the run, so the Bulldogs may again be asking an improvised rotation to do work that normally falls to more familiar faces, with the bigger question hanging over whether that setup can last for another SEC week. [Read more 🡒]