Alabama Defeats Georgia In An All-Time Classic
What a game! What a game! I really don’t have anything to say besides that this was an all-time classic.
Tua Tagovailoa completed 14 out of 24 passes, for 166 yards and 3 touchdowns in the second half alone to lead the Crimson Tide to victory.
On the Georgia side, Jake Fromm completed 16 of 32 passes for 232 yards and a touchdown in the loss. Sony Michel ran 14 times for 98 yards also in the loss.
Georgia drew first blood with a 41-yard field goal from Rodrigo Blankenship to take a 3-0 lead with 14:14 left in the first quarter. After forcing a three and out the Dawgs got the ball back and drove it right down the field, where they set up for another field goal. This one was nailed by Blankenship from 27 to give Georgia a 6-0 lead mid-way through the second quarter.
The Dawgs defense played great again, forcing another three and out. Georgia got the ball back with 1:12 left in the half. Jake Fromm drove this team down the field again, and with 7 seconds left running back Mecole Hardman took a direct snap and ran it in for a touchdown. The Bulldogs led at the half 13-0.
The Tide came out of the half with a new man behind center, true freshman Tua Tagovailoa got the second half start for Alabama. It seemed to help as Tagovailoa found Henry Ruggs III for a 6-yard touchdown, to cut Georgia’s lead to 6.
That didn’t last long, as just 2 minutes later, Fromm hit Hardman for his second score, on an 80-yard touchdown pass to extend the Bulldog lead to 20-7. On the ensuing possession Tagovailoa was picked off by Deandre Baker. The very next play Fromm threw a pick, credited to the big man Raekwon Davis.
‘Bama was able to capitalize off the turnover and Andy Pappanastos, who missed a 40-yard field goal earlier, nailed a 43-yarder to cut the Georgia lead to 10. After a Georgia punt, Pappanastos hit another field goal, from 30-yards out to cut Georgia’s lead to 7 with 9:24 left. After forcing another Georgia punt, Alabama was able to tie the contest at 20, off of a Tagovailoa 7-yard touchdown pass to Calvin Ridley.
With 2:55 left Georgia punted on 4th and 3, giving Alabama the ball at their own 35 with 2:50 seconds left. Alabama drove down the length of the field and with 3 seconds left senior Andy Pappanastos lined up for a 36-yard field goal and it was….. BLOCKED! The Dawgs pounced on the ball and just got a hand up, just in time to block the kick and send the game into overtime.
In overtime Alabama elected to defend first, so Georgia started with the ball and was forced to take a 51-yard field goal which was DRAINED by Blankenship to give Georgia a 23-20 lead. Alabama got the ball next and on the second play of the possession, Tagovailoa tossed a 41 yard BOMB to DeVonta Smith for the win! The Crimson Tide win the College Football Playoff National Championship 26-23!
