Everything to know about the Alabama-Georgia showdown on Saturday
ATHENS — Kirby Smart has a new mind to match football wits with, as it will be celebrated offensive coordinator Ryan Grubb calling Alabama’s plays from Sanford Stadium coaches’ box on Saturday.
Grubb is back at the side of Crimson Tide coach Kalen DeBoer after a one-year stint in the NFL as the Seattle Seahawks offensive coordinator, looking to rekindle the success the two enjoyed together when DeBoer was a head coach at Sioux Falls (2007-09), Fresno State (2017-21) and Washington (2022-23).
“They’re very efficient, they’re playing at a high level, (and) I think (Grubb) has gotten really comfortable with Ty (Simpson) at quarterback and timing of throws, the vision an awareness of coverage, the ability to run the ball and set up shots off play action,” Smart said, asked about the influence Grubb has had in the Alabama offense.
“They package plays, they do a good job of setting up plays in terms of what they carry for that game, complements formations, they’re not predictable with what they do and they balance you up with tempo.”
Alabama’s offense featured quarterback Jalen Milroe last season, who presented a challenge as a dynamic runner with a big arm, whereas Smart has indicated Simpson to be a more accurate passer with an ability to read and manipulate defenses.
Alabama lost its opening game this season on the road at Florida State, 31-17, but the Tide crossed midfield seven times, and it has yet to turn the ball over this season.
It’s led Smart to refer to Simpson as “the hottest quarterback right now in all of college football” now that Grubb is in sync with the Tide’s offensive personnel.
“His last two outings,” Smart said, “I don’t know that I’ve seen an incompletion. Like, the ball does not hit the ground, he’s been accurate, and he’s been quick with the ball.”
To Smart’s point, Simpson set a school record in Grubb’s offense with 17 completions and zero incompletions in a 73-0 win over Louisiana-Monroe and followed that with a 24-of-29 passing performance in which two of the five incompletions were dropped passes.
DeBoer will influence the Alabama offense still, but the sense is Smart is more heavily involved in the Georgia defense, overseeing defensive coordinator and play-caller Glenn Schumann.
It’s a chess match of sorts, to be sure, with hours of videotape study and scouting having gone into the game-planning and dozens of in-game adjustments with each down and distance and score.
Grubb, himself, has had plenty to look at and consider when preparing to face a Georgia defense that consistently ranks among the most versatile and talented in the nation.
“They’re super multiple in what they do; they can get to about any coverage scheme they need to,” Grubb said. “Pressure packages are very advanced on third down, so we have to be ready for that. I think their guys run to the football, they play hard in between the whistle, physical up front.
“They’ll be a good test.”
Things to know for Saturday’s Alabama-Georgia game
When: 7:30 p.m. Saturday
Where: Sanford Stadium (cap. 93,033)
Rankings and records: No. 5 Georgia (3-0, 1-0 SEC); No. 17 Alabama (2-1, 0-0)
TV/radio: ABC/Georgia Bulldog Sports Network and SiriusXM 84
Weather: Mostly sunny with a high of 81 degrees, low to mid-70s at kickoff
Series: Alabama leads 44-26-4. The Crimson Tide won in Tuscaloosa last season, 41-34.
Key injuries: Georgia — offensive tackle Earnest Greene lll (back) is doubtful, TE Ethan Barbour (ankle) is out; Alabama — linebacker Jah-Marien Latham (neck) is out, defensive tackle Tim Keenan lll (ankle) is probable, TE Danny Lewis Jr. is probable.
Last meeting: Alabama won 41-34 in a wild shootout at Bryant-Denny Stadium. The Crimson Tide charged to a 30-7 halftime lead with Georgia receivers dropping key passes and Tide quarterback Milroe running for two of Alabama’s four first-half touchdowns. Carson Beck rallied the Bulldogs back into the lead with three second-half touchdown passes, UGA going up 34-33 with 2:31 remaining. Milroe, however, connected with Ryan Williams on a 75-yard touchdown pass 13 seconds later and Alabama went back up 41-34. Beck drove Georgia to the Tide’s 20-yard line, but his fade pass for Colbie Young was intercepted by Alabama cornerback Zabien Brown in the end zone with 43 seconds left, and the Tide ran out the clock for the win.
Betting line: Georgia opened as a 4.5-point favorite, but the line has fluctuated down to 3 points as of Friday.
Tickets: The game is sold out. Tickets on the secondary market having been selling this week over face value, starting at $467 in the upper level and $581 each in the lower deck.
Storylines for Saturday’s Georgia game
Kirby Smart vs. Alabama
Georgia coach Kirby Smart is regarded generally as the top coach in college football, with a sterling resume that features two College Football Playoff championships, three SEC championship game crowns and a 108-19 record. Smart’s record against Alabama, however, stands at 1-6, with that sole victory coming in the 2022 CFP championship game by a 33-18 count in Indianapolis. This is Smart’s first game against the Tide as Georgia’s head coach at Sanford Stadium, as Alabama has not played in Athens since the 2015 season.
The streak
Georgia has won a school-record 33 consecutive home games at Sanford Stadium dating to a 20-17 double-overtime loss to South Carolina during the 2019 season. The Bulldogs have beaten 10 Top 25 teams within the home win streak, including five that were ranked in the top 10. Smart, in his 10th season as the Bulldogs’ head coach, is 17-0 in night games at Sanford Stadium.
Quarterback showdown
Georgia quarterback Gunner Stockton is fourth among the Heisman Trophy favorites after his stirring performance in the Bulldogs’ 44-41 overtime win at Tennessee on Sept. 13. Simpson leads SEC quarterbacks in passing efficiency with a 186.64 rating and set a league record by becoming the first SEC quarterback to finish a game with 17 completions, zero incomplete or intercepted passes in Alabama’s 73-0 win over Louisiana-Monroe on Sept. 6.
Kalen DeBoer under pressure
DeBoer, in his second season at the helm, has had his hands full replacing seven-time national championship coach Nick Saban. DeBoer went 9-4 in his first year, which tied the program record for most wins by a first-year head coach, but Alabama missed making the 12-team CFP field and finished ranked No. 17 in the AP Top 25 poll. It was the first time since the 2007 season that the Tide finished outside the Top 10, a streak of 16 years.
Alabama road woes
Alabama has lost five of the past six games it has played away from Bryant-Denny Stadium in Tuscaloosa over the past two seasons, including losses at Vanderbilt (40-35, Oct. 5, 2024); at Tennessee (24-17, Oct. 19, 2024); at Oklahoma (24-3, Nov. 23, 2024); against Michigan (19-13, Dec. 31, 2024, in Tampa, Florida); and at Florida State (31-17, Aug. 30).
About the Author
Mike is in his eighth season covering SEC and Georgia athletics for AJC-DawgNation and has 30 years of collegiate sports multimedia experience, 25 of them in the SEC including beat writer stops at Auburn, Alabama, Tennessee and now Georgia. Mike was named the National FWAA Beat Writer of the Year in January, 2018.
