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Sports Illustrated
Sports Illustrated
Michael McDaniel

Alabama Survives Georgia's Comeback Bid in College Football's Game of the Year

Alabama survived a furious second half comeback to edge out Georgia in a thriller in Tuscaloosa. | John David Mercer-Imagn Images

The No. 4 Alabama Crimson Tide jumped out to a 28–0 lead over the visiting No. 2 Georgia Bulldogs, then survived a furious comeback bid to escape with a thrilling 41–34 victory in an early candidate for college football's game of the year.

A first half avalanche on offense led by quarterback Jalen Milroe allowed the Crimson Tide to take a 30–7 lead into halftime. However, Georgia came storming back in the second half, using its elite defense to begin stacking together stops.

Eventually, the Bulldogs got the ball back trailing 33–28 with just over 2:30 to play. Georgia quarterback Carson Beck hit wide receiver Dillon Bell for a 67-yard touchdown pass to give the Bulldogs their first lead of the game. If they were able to hold on, it would have been the largest comeback in the history of the Georgia football program.

But Milroe had other plans on this night for the Crimson Tide, and he wouldn't be denied.

Trailing 34–33, Milroe took the first snap of the ensuing offensive possession and hit 17-year-old freshman phenom wide receiver Ryan Williams in one-on-one coverage, and Williams did the rest, taking it 75 yards to the house.

Alabama, now leading 41–34, needed to find a way to get their first stop on defense since late in the third quarter. Georgia drove down the field and was threatening to tie the game, but Alabama's Zabien Brown intercepted a Beck pass in the left end zone to seal the game for the Crimson Tide.

A tilt that appeared to be a blowout turned into a thriller. With the win, Alabama moved to 4–0, and could find itself atop the new AP Top 25 heading into Week 6.


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This article was originally published on www.si.com as Alabama Survives Georgia's Comeback Bid in College Football's Game of the Year .

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