A game for the ages
GEORGE SOMERVILLE – THE TOUCHDOWN SEC CORRESPONDENT
If you were privileged to be inside Bryant Denny Stadium on Saturday night, or even just watching on TV, you may have experienced perhaps the most exciting game college football has ever seen.
Hyperbole? Maybe. But as the final seconds of the game disappear into the history books, commentators, writers & fans alike are looking back at what an explosive, action-packed game this was.
Alabama’s 41-34 victory over arch rivals Georgia tells a story, but not the whole story about a night in Tuscaloosa that frankly had everything, and is now being talked about as the greatest football game the SEC has ever seen.
The Tide Rolls
In most part, the incredulous nature of this game was created in the first quarter. The experts predicted a tight, dour affair with defenses on top. Ahead of the game, the over/under had reduced to 49.5 suggesting as such. The game was anticipated to be a defensive masterclass.
However, the reality was somewhat different. The tight, scrooge-like Georgia defense gave up 30 points in the first half. In the FIRST HALF! In fact, the Crimson Tide scored on its first four plays which had those in crimson rubbing their eyes in amazement. Such was the ease that Alabama tore apart the Bulldogs and the ineptitude of the Georgia offense in that first half, the game should have been over by half time.
In the first quarter of the game Alabama had 198 offensive yards to Georgia’s 27. Alabama led Georgia 21-0 at the end of that period.
The second quarter continued to prove frustrating for the Bulldawgs, albeit the Tide juggernaut slowed and a touchdown from Travis Etienne just before the half breathed some life into the bedraggled Bulldawgs.
Game of two halves
Jalen Milroe finished the half with 18-of-21 passing for 199 yards, one touchdown, one interception, 9 rushes for 106 yards and two touchdowns.
However, at the other end of the field, Beck who is much fancied to be in New York for the Heisman ceremony was having a shocker.
Beck finished the half completing 8-of-17 passes for 100 yards and two interceptions. Beck’s accuracy came into question often during this period, not helped by a rampant and super aggressive Alabama defense and a Georgia offensive lnie which couldn’t protect their quarterback.
By half time the game was over. If it had been a boxing bout it would have been stopped.
Except it wasn’t and Georgia wasn’t knocked out.
Dawgs come to life
Whatever Kirby Smart and his staff said at half time, the Georgia Bulldogs awoke and mounted a comeback which has rarely been seen in the SEC.
However, while Georgia scored 27 points in the second half, the third quarter was more of the same frustration for the Bulldogs with Beck continuing to make questionable choices throwing the ball.
It wasn’t until the fourth quarter that the Dawgs really came to life and turned this game into an epic clash.
Trailing 33-15 with one quarter to play the Georgia offense and defense clicked properly for the first time in the game.
At the start of the fourth quarter Georgia had six plays for 80 yards resulting in a touchdown which importantly only took 1 minute 46 off the clock. The Dawgs now had urgency in their game and the Alabama defense seemed unable to slow them down.
Following another three and out for Alabama, Georgia had four plays for 78 yards again taking only 1.35 mins off the clock. This resulted in a touchdown for Dillon Bell, cutting Alabama’s lead to 33-28 with 5:39 mins remaining in the game. The Dawgs smelled blood and had all of the momentum. Georgia was rampant.
With 2.31 mins left on the clock, Carson Beck found Dillon Bell again for a 67-yard touchdown. For the first time in the game, the Dawgs led. Something that at the end of Q1 seemed about as fantastical as you could imagine. The crowd inside Bryant Denny was stunned.
A moment of brilliance wins it
In the second half the Alabama offense had only scored 3 points to Georgia’s 27 to that point.
We had also seen little of the Crimson Tide’s superstar wunderkind, Ryan Williams. Which was soon to change with the 17 year old they nickname “Hollywood” having the final say in this fairytale story. In the play immediately after Georgia took the lead, Jalen Milroe found Williams with a 75 yard touchdown pass to allow Alabama to retake the lead. The pass was sublime but it was Williams’ now trademark spin move that turned what was a first down into a touchdown. Alabama fans already knew they had a star wide receiver, now the rest of the college football world knew about Hollywood Williams.
A successful two point conversion extended the lead to 41-34.
Bryant Denny stadium was in uproar. The ABC commentator described the atmosphere as “pandemonium”.
Georgia got the ball back with 2:18, however the game was over when freshman Zabien Brown intercepted Carson Beck in the end zone.
Alabama won the game 41-34 over Georgia. Wow.
ABSOLUTE SCENES IN TUSCALOOSA!!!
— SportsCenter (@SportsCenter) September 29, 2024
RYAN WILLIAMS WITH A 75-YARD TD TO RETAKE THE LEAD! pic.twitter.com/pvc9ML7E7G
Best college football game in the SEC!
It is the contrasting fortunes of both teams at different points in this game which made the contest so compelling. This was college football at its best. It was also football in the South at its very best. Bryant Denny stadium was in full voice – not just Alabama fans, you could hear Georgia fans when their team made its magnificent comeback. The game had everything you want when watching football – there was never a moment when you could take your eyes from the game.
This was confirmed by the Monday morning sports shows around the US which were full of highlights from the contest. You know when the mainstream sports media gives that amount of attention, something special has happened.
But, lets leave the last words to someone who has been there, seen it all and bought the t-shirt when it comes to football in the South, Paul Finebaum. On ESPN’s First Take, Finebaum said this,
“I’ve covered the SEC for more than 40 years. You can see that on my face right here, but I believe that is the best college football game in the SEC I have seen during all those years. I know we often get hung up on being prisoners of the moment but that is an exaggeration to say that we are in this case.”
GEORGE SOMERVILLE
COLLEGE FOOTBALL WRITER
GEORGE IS A LONG STANDING FANATIC OF LIFE AND FOOTBALL IN THE DEEP SOUTH AND WRITES HIS WEEKLY COLUMN CALLED “IT’S ONLY SEC” FOR THE TOUCHDOWN. HE IS ALSO CO-HOST AND ONE THIRD OF THE COLLEGE CHAPS PODCAST, THE UK’S FIRST PODCAST DEDICATED TO THE COLLEGE GAME.