The Georgia Bulldogs (6-0) picked up their best win of the season, defeating the Alabama Crimson Tide (5-1) on the road 20-17. It was the first time the Bulldogs were victorious against the Crimson Tide in the regular season since 2007, and it pushed them to the No. 1 spot in the Associated Press rankings.
The win was not pretty at all. Georgia had four fumbles, a season-high seven penalties, and a missed field goal. Alabama even had a 14-10 halftime lead, but Georgia hunkered down and came through in the clutch, with Peyton Woodring making a 23-yard go-ahead field goal with 5:25 left to go. Georgia needed one more defensive stop, and then, partially with the help of a controversial no-call, the Bulldogs secured the win with a Valdin Sone sack.
Then, Alabama's Dijon Lee II committed a reckless unsportsmanlike conduct penalty with 2:19 left to go, allowing them to take a knee and run out the clock.
Dwight Phillips Jr. Stepped Up Again
Georgia's lead back Nate Frazier looked prime to make his return against Alabama, as he'd been dealing with a rib injury that took him out for the Oklahoma game and most of Vanderbilt. Unfortunately, he wasn't ready to go against Alabama. Secondary back Chauncey Bowens was also ruled out, so the next back up was Dwight Phillips Jr.
Once again, just like he did against Oklahoma, Phillips Jr. came through again. He had 120 yards on 17 carries, gashing the Alabama defense many times over. Now, he has 372 total yards and two touchdowns on 45 touches. The junior from Pebblebrook High School in Marietta, Georgia is playing like Georgia's lead back.
“What a great kid, man," said Georgia coach Kirby Smart. "This Dwight Phillips, man, y’all don’t know how special this kid is. He ain’t complained one time since being here, and he’s so tough for his size. And Bobo came to me before the game and said, ‘Nate don’t look like he can go.’ I said, ‘We’ve got to give it to Peanut.’ I said, ‘You remember that game when we were in Georgia and they gave a ball to Torin Kirtsey, who weighed about 175. I don’t know how many times Toran carried it, maybe 30. I said, ‘If we gotta give it to Dwight that many times, he can do it.'"
Gunner Stockton was Money on Third Down
When people judge quarterbacks, there's something that they overlook at times: their ability to convert on third down. People call third down the money down because you're usually just one play away from punting the football away. Teams always try to avoid third down by dialing up big plays on first or second down, but against the Alabama defense, that's easier said than done.
Gunner Stockton made his due on third down against Alabama. He converted six third downs with his arms and his legs, and he went eight for nine on third down. There were times where he definitely earned some help outside of his control, such as the pass interference by Dijon Lee in the third quarter, but he was money when it mattered the most.
“Yeah, it’s a deal that you get better with experience," said Kirby Smart. "So he had a couple of plays that, hey, didn’t work out. He didn’t let them affect him. You know, he had the pick, which was kind of batted. And then he had a boot that we thought could have been a big play that he underthrew. He doesn’t let things fester and affect him. And when he’s gotta stand in there and throw a bullet and make a play, he was able to do it tonight in really critical situations."
Defense Contained Keelon Russell
The main talking point on why Alabama could beat Georgia, other than previous matchups, was that Georgia hadn't faced a quarterback like Keelon Russell. The sophomore quarterback was on a heater, with 10 touchdowns to no interceptions in the last three games. Georgia hasn't faced a quarterback nearly as good, and they didn't even get to face Jared Curtis when Vanderbilt traveled to Athens.
Russell had his moments, but ultimately, Georgia was able to stop him, as he had just 185 yards and a touchdown on 30 dropbacks. Wide receiver Ryan Coleman-Williams left the game early, and he still led the receiving core with 39 yards on three receptions.
Georgia's pass rush stood strong, sacking Keelon Russell, including icing the game with a Valdin Sone sack that took Alabama out of field goal range late. “I told (defensive coordinator) Glenn Schumann to be aggressive. If we’re aggressive, then we lose swinging, and we get the ball back, and we got a chance to win. Like, we didn’t come here to play to lose. I didn’t come here to play to go to overtime. I came here to win. And he called up a timely blitz that knocked them out of field-goal range," Smart said, on the Valdin Sone sack.
Georgia improves to 6-0 and solidifies itself as the best team in the nation, for now. The Bulldogs head home to face the Auburn Tigers at 3:30 p.m. ET in another edition of the Deep South's Oldest Rivalry. The game will be streamed on ESPN.
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This article originally appeared on UGA Wire: Takeaways from Georgia's 20-17 win over Alabama
