Field Level Media
18 Oct 2020, 09:25 GMT+10
Mac Jones threw for 417 yards and four touchdowns while the Alabama defense stiffened in the second half as the No. 2 Crimson Tide knocked off No. 3 Georgia 41-24 on Saturday night in Tuscaloosa, Ala.
In the biggest game of the college football season so far, Alabama (4-0, 4-0 SEC) trailed 24-20at halftime but scored touchdowns on three consecutive possessions in the second half to take control of the game.
Georgia (3-1, 3-1) was scoreless after the break, when Stetson Bennett IV threw two of his three interceptions, all of which Alabama converted into touchdowns.
Jones completed 24 of 32 passes with one interception for the Tide. DeVonta Smith hauled in 11 passes for 167 yards and two touchdowns while Jaylen Waddle caught six passes for 161 yards.
Najee Harris balanced the Alabama offense with 152 yards on 31 carries, as the Crimson Tide rolled to 564 yards against the Bulldogs, who had entered with the nation's second-ranked defense, allowing an average of 236.7 yards a game.
After Jones fired a 13-yard pass to Smith in the back of the end zone for a 41-24 Alabama lead with 9:32 to go, Georgia's last gasp failed when Jack Podlesny missed a 35-yard field goal with 6:05 left.
Alabama's Nick Saban, who was allowed to coach after receiving three negative tests for COVID-19 following a positive result Wednesday, improved to 22-0 against his former assistants, including 3-0 against Georgia head coach Kirby Smart. The Crimson Tide have won 28 consecutive games against SEC East opponents.
The game spun late in the third quarter with Georgia leading 24-20 and Alabama pinned back on its own 10-yard line. But Jones hit Waddle on a deep pass as defensive back Tyson Campbell stumbled and fell, resulting in a 90-yard touchdown.
On Georgia's ensuing possession, Bennett's throw down the middle was deflected to defensive back Malachi Moore, who returned the interception 42 yards to near midfield. Alabama quickly cashed in as Harris scored on a 2-yard run for a 34-24 lead with 51 seconds remaining in the quarter.
Bennett was 18 of 40 for 269 yards, with two touchdowns and the three interceptions for Georgia.
The first two minutes featured two interceptions and Alabama took an early lead on a 40-yard touchdown pass to John Metchie.
But Georgia's offense soon began to roll, scoring on its final four possessions of the half, including an 82-yard touchdown pass to running back James Cook, who lined up wide and beat linebacker Christian Harris to haul in Bennett's deep sideline pass for a 14-7 lead.
Alabama got a career-long 52-yard field goal from Will Reichard on the final play of the half to remain in striking distance at 24-20, setting up their defensive dominance of the second half.
--Field Level MediaGet a daily dose of Miami Mirror news through our daily email, its complimentary and keeps you fully up to date with world and business news as well.
Publish news of your business, community or sports group, personnel appointments, major event and more by submitting a news release to Miami Mirror.
More InformationOTTAWA, Canada: With Canada Post struggling to maintain operations amid labour unrest, rivals like FedEx and UPS are stepping in to...
NEW YORK, New York - U.S. and global markets showed a mixed performance in Tuesday's trading session, with some indices edging higher...
PARIS, France: French military and intelligence officials have accused China of orchestrating a covert campaign to damage the reputation...
NEW DELHI, India: Birkenstock is stepping up its efforts to protect its iconic sandals in India, as local legal representatives conducted...
HONG KONG: China has fired back at the European Union in an escalating trade dispute by imposing new restrictions on medical device...
NEW YORK, New York - Monday's trading session saw mixed performances across U.S. and global markets, with several major indices posting...
DHARAMSHALA, India: The Dalai Lama turned 90 on July 6, celebrated by thousands of followers in the Himalayan town of Dharamshala,...
ZAGREB, Croatia: A massive concert by popular Croatian singer Marko Perković, known by his stage name Thompson, has drawn widespread...
WASHINGTON, D.C.: Elon Musk's entry into the political arena is drawing pushback from top U.S. officials and investors, as his decision...
CULVER CITY, California: TikTok is preparing to roll out a separate version of its app for U.S. users, as efforts to secure a sale...
WASHINGTON, D.C.: President Donald Trump claimed he was unaware that the term shylock is regarded as antisemitic when he used it in...
PARIS, France: A strike by French air traffic controllers demanding improved working conditions caused significant disruptions during...