Alabama and Georgia met for what was billed as a heavyweight battle, and the game lived up to that billing. The scoring was likely tamped down by the weather, and if the two teams meet again on a fast track it may well favor Alabama. But, last night it was a Georgia team led by a more experienced QB that made the plays necessary to win the game.
SEC officiating made headlines again for all the wrong reasons, and everyone involved is tired of incompetence damaging the product. In a close game, a couple
of calls can swing the outcome and it may or may not be your team’s turn to feel the brunt. Kalen DeBoer correctly said after the game that his goal is to be in position where officials can’t affect things. That’s the right approach, but when you are playing a team that is as good as yours, getting separation on the scoreboard isn’t easy.
In any case, yesterday turned out pretty well for both of these teams and I’d expect both rankings to stay relatively stable, with Georgia moving up to 1 and Alabama staying in the 7-9 area. There is a great chance that these two teams meet again.
A few impressions:
This was a heavyweight battle, and Georgia simply made more plays.
Stockton’s accuracy was outstanding last night, and Georgia’s receivers made some outstanding contested catches including what might have been the key play of the game from Craig Dandridge to convert 3rd and 6 on Georgia’s last scoring drive. If Zabien Brown gets that ball to the turf and Georgia has to punt from deep in their own territory again, the game may well have turned out differently.
Alabama came up just short on a lot of close plays, and that was the difference. Brown almost got that ball out, QB Reese almost had an interception, and Alabama almost recovered the muffed punt. Lotzeir Brooks had some uncharacteristic drops early in the game as Georgia built their ten point lead. Georgia missed a field goal and Stockton threw one interception, but the Dawgs made more key plays with fewer mistakes and margins are razor thin in these types of matchups.
Keelon Russell was baptized by fire and will be better for it.
Alabama’s defense is getting plenty of criticism today, and I think they’d probably hold up better in a rematch if they can be a bit healthier in the front seven. But, this Georgia offense is elite and they only scored 20 points. Alabama was a slight favorite in the game because of what Russell and the passing game had put on tape in recent weeks, but 17 points isn’t going to get it done in the playoffs.
Keelon finished the first quarter with only 24 passing yards, with Brooks’ drops being a big factor. As the game went on, he gained confidence and made some highlight plays with both his arm and his legs. The best hope for Alabama going forward is that Keelon has the potential to play much better than he did last night, while Stockton played about as well as he can save for the interception. A more mature, fully operational Keelon Russell on a faster track with the speed Alabama has outside would undoubtedly put more points on the board.
The film from this game should be extremely beneficial for Keelon’s development.
We now have confirmation that the offensive line improvement is real.
Adrian Klemm has received plenty of praise this season for the improvement in the offensive line from last season, but there was always some hesitation about how it would hold up against a team like Georgia. While Georgia won their share of battles, it’s fair to say that the offensive line passed the test. Alabama was able to run the ball much better against this Georgia front than against most anyone in 2025. The pass pro was tested more than they had been all season as well, and they won more often than they lost. Russell’s pocket presence and escapability doesn’t hurt.
You have to wonder if Dijon Lee lost a starting job tonight.
I really don’t want to pile on the dude, but Dijon had an awful night and that’s undoubtedly what led to him losing his cool at the end. It was somewhat excusable to get beat by Duce Robinson and Nyck Harbor, but Georgia’s receivers aren’t that caliber. He is a liability in man coverage, and is clearly playing out of position at this point. It’s hard to believe that the staff will continue to run him out there at corner.
Five-star freshman Jorden Edmonds was a gametime decision last night and may well be the first option in that spot. Edmonds had all kinds of buzz in camp but hasn’t seen the field with a foot injury. Dre Kirkpatrick Jr. is running third at Husky and has shown some solid coverage skills. Zyan Gibson and Carmelo O’Neal are listed as the backups outside, though O’Neal has had a rough time as well.
The kicking game continues to be elite.
Alabama was able to hold Georgia’s scoring down in large part because they owned the field position battle, particularly in the first half. Alex Asparuhov punted five times, and dropped all five inside the 20. To Georgia’s credit, they were able to drive the field a couple of times, but forcing the opponent to drive the entire field is a recipe for success. Conor Talty continues to look like a robot splitting the uprights, and Lorcan Quinn destroys the ball on kickoffs.
Injuries are piling up.
This has to be the biggest concern coming out of that game. Terrance Green was out for the second half, and Georgia ran for 157 of their 206 yards with the big man on the sideline. Racin Delgatty has some kind of lower leg injury and will be evaluated. Ryan Coleman-Williams was already sporting a knee brace and now likely has a concussion. Zulu and Justin Hill are still weeks away from returning.
Of those, Delgatty is probably most concerning at the critical center position. Casey Poe is running second string, and he will likely get the nod next week in Knoxville if Racin can’t go. Alabama has worked to build some depth, and it is getting tested.
Such is life in the SEC. All of Alabama’s goals are still available, and frankly the schedule isn’t looking quite as daunting from this point forward as it did in the preseason. Hopefully these injuries won’t be long term and the team can bounce back at Tennessee next week.
Roll Tide.
