Georgia loses to Alabama, breaking home win streak

ATHENS — Alabama powered up when it had to against Georgia, snapping the Bulldogs’ 33-game home win streak with a 24-21 victory.

Tide quarterback Ty Simpson put the game away with a minute remaining, hitting wide-open back Jam Miller with a 7-yard pass on a third-and-5 with just over a minute left and the Bulldogs out of timeouts, enabling Alabama to run out the clock.

Simpson was 24-of-38 passing for 276 yards and two touchdowns, also rushing five times for 6 yards and a touchdown.

Alabama (3-1, 1-0 SEC) was a step ahead of Georgia (3-1, 1-1) on the critical play call, just as it had been throughout the game in converting on 13 of 19 third downs.

“They brought blitz zero,” Simpson said in his postgame interview. “I knew once we motioned (the back) we had him, because no one was going to take the back.”

Georgia coach Kirby Smart fell to 1-7 against Alabama. .

It was the first time the Tide had played the Bulldogs between the hedges of Sanford Stadium since 2015, the year before Smart became Georgia’s coach.

The Bulldogs had an opportunity to tie the game with 13:20 left when trailing 24-21, but Smart opted to go for it on fourth-and-1 at the Alabama 8-yard line rather than attempt a 25-yard field goal.

The Tide dropped Cash Jones for a 3-yard loss, leading to a turnover on downs.

Smart said he’d go for the fourth down “10 out of 10 times,” explaining Georgia had a played dialed up that had worked against Tennessee in a 44-41 overtime win two weeks before, and earlier in the game against Alabama.

The Tide, however, appeared a step ahead and was ready to make the stop on the play with two defenders on the spot.

Smart lamented the Bulldogs’ inability to stop Simpson and Alabama on third downs.

“They out-executed us tonight, that was clear,” Smart said. “….. 13 of 19 on third downs, that tells the tale of the game … you’ve got to win on third downs.”

Alabama charged to a 14-0 lead by scoring on its first two drives before Georgia fought back.

Stockton, who started 0-for-4 passing, heated up on the Bulldogs’ third possession, leading a three-play, 75-yard touchdown drive capped by Colbie Young’s 38-yard touchdown catch that cut the lead to 14-7.

A Nate Frazier fumble at the 11 led directly to an Alabama field goal that made it 17-7.

Georgia responded with another touchdown drive, this one capped by Chauncey Bowens (12 carries, 119 yards) 2-yard touchdown run that cut the lead to 17-14.

Simpson, however, was “really hot,” as Smart noted at halftime, and ran the two-minute offense to near perfection, enabling Alabama to pad its lead to 24-14 on his 2-yard touchdown scramble 34 seconds before intermission.

Georgia wrestled the momentum back in the second half, cutting the lead to 24-21 on its opening possession of the second half when Josh McCray plunged in from the 1-yard line to cap a six-play, 74-yard drive at the 6:30 mark of the third quarter.

Alabama, which has still yet to turn the ball over on offense through four games this season, made sure that was Georgia’s final score.

“We talked about the old-school, 15-round heavyweight fight,” Alabama coach Kalen DeBoer said. “That’s what this was going to be. I’m proud of the fight these guys had.

“We took some punches, but we kept punching back.”