KJ Bolden didn’t duck the obvious question after Georgia’s 20-17 win at Alabama. He said exactly what plenty of people were thinking about the game’s most debated moment.
On Monday, while speaking with WSB’s Zach Klein, the Georgia safety addressed the non-pass-interference call that came in the closing stretch of Saturday’s matchup. Bolden was the defender on the play that would have given Alabama a fresh set of downs in Georgia territory, but the officials let it go. One snap later, Georgia buried Alabama QB Keelon Russell with a sack and pushed the Crimson Tide out of field-goal range.
Bolden didn’t pretend he would have loved that outcome if the jerseys were flipped.
“I’m not going to lie… if they did that to us, I’d want them to call pass interference,” Bolden said.
The final minutes already had the game teetering on the edge before that sequence. Georgia ultimately finished the job by running out the clock after Alabama defensive back Dijon Lee Jr. was flagged for a personal foul, a penalty that helped the Bulldogs close out the road win.
The result left Georgia sitting at No. 1 in college football after another tight chapter in the rivalry.
Bolden has been a major part of that success from the moment he arrived on campus. Through five games, he has 22 tackles and one interception, production that has helped anchor a Georgia defense that has been one of the Bulldogs’ biggest strengths.
Georgia returns in Week 7 with a home game against Auburn.
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 🡒]