Forde-Yard Dash: Alabama, Georgia Set for Their Latest Chapter

Author:
Pat Forde
Publish date:
Oct 12, 2020

Forty names, games, teams and minutiae making news in college football, where Hugh Freeze is 4–0:

MORE DASH: Unrecognizable SEC | Sore Loser Trail

THIRD QUARTER: A BRIEF HISTORY OF NICK SABAN TORTURING GEORGIA

Nick Saban has demoralized everyone in the Southeastern Conference, but since coming to Alabama he has done some of his most diabolical work against the Georgia Bulldogs. He’s 5–1 since 2007, and has won the last five in a row—each of them, either humiliating the ‘Dogs, or breaking their canine hearts.

They meet again Saturday in what looks like the biggest game in the SEC in 2020, and quite likely the biggest game in the nation. Alabama is ranked No. 2, Georgia is ranked No. 3 (though The Dash would reverse those rankings). Bulldogs fans with any memory of how the recent series has gone will bring no small amount of dread into this game, desperately hoping Saban doesn’t find a way to crush their souls yet again.

A quick compendium of the last six meetings, all of which The Dash covered:

2007: The plastic cup game (21). This was the last time the two teams met in Tuscaloosa, and also the last time Saban lost to Georgia. It was his debut season as coach of the Crimson Tide and after a 3–0 start, “SabaNation” T-shirts were flying off the shelves heading into this game. Then Mark Richt invaded SabaNation and won in overtime, 26–23. The winning play was 142 Z Takeoff: a beautiful sideline go route from Matthew Stafford to Mikey Henderson for the walk-off win right in front of the Alabama student section. That resulted in a cascade of debris from the stands. The final count of items that landed in the same end zone where Henderson did: 89 plastic stadium cups, several dozen crimson-and-white pompons, and two empty liquor bottles: one Jim Beam and one Seagram’s.

2008: Blackout blowout (22). Georgia announced this game as a blackout, complete with black jerseys for Georgia. That spurred Alabama strength coach Scott Cochran to yell just loud enough to be heard by media during stretching before a practice leading up to the game that the ‘Dogs were “going to their own funeral.” (Saban was displeased. Cochran now coaches at Georgia.) Georgia was ranked No. 3 and a seven-point favorite over No. 8 Alabama—and with No. 1 USC having been upset on Thursday night by Oregon State, a victory would help the Bulldogs stake a claim to being No. 1. Instead, a hungry Alabama team pounced on an overrated opponent, building a 31–0 halftime lead and coasting home 41–30. From that game forward, Alabama has been a perpetual national power—and has had Georgia’s number.

2012: Out of time on the 5-yard line (23). The SEC championship game in the Georgia Dome was a classic, with Aaron Murray and Todd Gurley battling A.J. McCarron, Eddie Lacey and Amari Cooper. Georgia led 21–10 late in the third quarter, when the Tide drove for a touchdown and Saban chased the points early by going for two—successfully and impactfully, by game’s end. Trailing 32–28 and starting from their own 15-yard line, Murray led a dramatic drive inside the Alabama 10-yard line. Because Saban had gotten the two-point conversion, a tying field goal was off the board, so Georgia needed to throw for the end zone with five seconds left. But Murray’s pass was deflected, and receiver Chris Conley made the instinctive but unfortunate move for a diving catch at the 5-yard line. Time ran out before Georgia could get off another play. Alabama went on to blow out Notre Dame in the BCS championship game. That could have been Georgia winning it all had the final play gone differently, and Richt’s tenure might also have taken a different course.

2015: Rout in the rain (24). Once again, Georgia was the higher rated team (No. 8 to Alabama’s No. 13) for a game between the hedges. Herschel Walker made a pregame appearance, and despite a steady rain Sanford Stadium was roaring. Then, in a span of 13 1/2 minutes from mid-second quarter through early third quarter, ‘Bama broke Georgia. A long touchdown drive followed by a blocked punt for a TD followed by a bomb for a TD followed by an interception return for a TD followed by short TD drive—final score, 38–10. It was a classic, three-phase Saban beatdown. Afterward, Alabama athletic director Bill Battle fell asleep in Saban’s press conferences.

2017: Hello, Tua (25). The biggest of all Alabama-Georgia games was played in shiny new Mercedes-Benz Stadium in Atlanta. At stake, the College Football Playoff national championship. And the ‘Dogs all but had it before ‘Bama ripped it away. Fact: Georgia never trailed until the final play. It led 13–0 at halftime, prompting a daring (and desperate) decision by Saban to bench quarterback Jalen Hurts in favor of untested freshman Tua Tagovailoa. The rest is glorious or ruinous history, depending on rooting interest. Tagovailoa led Alabama back to a tie at 20 at the end of regulation, but Georgia took a 23–20 lead and had ‘Bama backed up to the 41–yard line after Tua took an ill-advised sack. But second and 26 is the most famous down and distance in Alabama lore for a reason—Tua went deep, DeVonta Smith made the catch, and the Tide had a walk-off national championship.

2018: Welcome back, Jalen (26). Eleven months later, same stadium, SEC championship game. Eerily similar story arc, with a major twist: Georgia dominating; leading by double-digits going into the fourth quarter; Alabama turning to its backup quarterback to save the season. Only this time it’s Hurts coming off the bench to replace a hobbling Tagovailoa. Hurts leads the comeback—aided by a disastrous Kirby Smart fake punt decision involving a certain current Ohio State quarterback—and scores the winning touchdown with 1:04 remaining. Georgia fans leave Mercedes-Benz Stadium believing in ghosts, hexes and never-ending Saban nightmares.

Nick Saban and Kirby Smart shake hands — Kevin Jairaj-Pool Photo

THE 2020 EDITION OF ‘BAMA-GEORGIA

So, who wins this year’s battle and establishes itself as Clemson’s primary challenger? A quick Dash breakdown of four key factors:

Which inconsistent unit (27) plays better?

Is it a Georgia offense that has muddled through two slow starts, failed to convert some fourth-and-1s and missed some big-play opportunities? “When we execute, we’re hard to stop,” Smart said Monday. “And when we don’t we go backward. It’s not really complicated. Can we execute at a high level, and can our players up front move their players?”

Or is it an Alabama defense that has gotten more porous with each passing week: ‘Bama has given up more points, more rushing yards, more passing yards, more total plays, more total yards and more yards per play in each game. Missed assignments and missed tackles have multiplied. “When everyone gives it ‘my bad’ one time, that’s 11 mistakes that can give up a lot of yards,” Saban said Monday. “Believe me, no one’s satisfied with how we played.”

Accordingly: Is Stetson Bennett (28) good enough? The former walk-on quarterback was supposed to be Georgia’s fourth option at that position this season, but now it looks like he could be Jake Fromm 2.0—an in-state guy who gets an unexpected chance and never relinquishes the job. Bennett has filled the Game Manager Role quite solidly: get the offense in the right play, no interceptions, make the occasional timely play with his arm or legs. “He’s not going to fold on you,” noted Georgia offensive lineman Jamaree Salyer. “That’s what I like about Stets.”

Not folding is one thing. Rising to a big occasion is another. Alabama’s Mac Jones has become a passing playmaker; does Bennett have that in him if this game becomes a shootout?

Alabama offensive line vs. Georgia defensive front and pass rush (29). One of two matchups that pits elite units against each other.

The Tide might have the best offensive line in the country, allowing just four sacks thus far despite not having extraordinary mobility at quarterback. That group also opened holes for running back Najee Harris to rack up 206 rushing yards against Ole Miss. “They’re just massive,” Smart said. “They can swallow you up, they can move you, they can mash you.”

But the Bulldogs are pretty massive along the defensive front as well, with a nine-player rotation that averages right at 300 pounds per man plus a linebacking corps with several 240-pound thumpers backing them up. The ‘Dogs have allowed just four runs of 10 yards or more all season, fewest of any team that has played three games, and zero runs of 20 yards or more. Their linebackers also have produced 10 sacks.

Alabama wideouts vs. Georgia secondary (30). This is the other elite-on-elite matchup.

The Tide’s 19 passing plays of 20 yards or more is the most in the nation for teams that have played three games. ‘Bama has two players averaging more than 20 yards per reception in John Metchie III (27.09) and Jaylen Waddle (20.84), and DeVonta Smith can produce explosive plays as well. But the Georgia defense has allowed an SEC-low 23 pass plays of double-digit yardage, and just two beyond 30 yards. The ‘Dogs have forced seven turnovers and recorded three defensive scores—two touchdowns and a safety. “They are maybe the best defensive team in the country,” Saban said.

Dash pick: Georgia 35, Alabama 31.

MORE DASH: Unrecognizable SEC | Sore Loser Trail