Alabama Beats Georgia, Ending Bulldogs’ Home Streak

ATHENS, Ga. — Ty Simpson threw for 276 yards and two touchdowns as No. 17 Alabama triumphed over No. 5 Georgia with a score of 24-21 on Saturday night, marking the Bulldogs’ first home loss in six years.

Alabama (3-1, 1-0 Southeastern Conference) has secured three consecutive victories after starting the season with a 31-17 defeat against Florida State.

Georgia’s 33-game home winning streak was a significant milestone for the program, with their last loss in front of home fans occurring on October 12, 2019, in a double-overtime game against South Carolina.

“This is a step forward for our team,” said coach Karen DeBoer. “They’re already discussing improvements, but there’s still work to be done. We’re concentrating on what we can control, and I’m really proud of them.”

Georgia (3-1, 1-1) never took the lead, trailing 17-7 in the first half. Under coach Kirby Smart, who previously served as Alabama’s defensive coordinator, the Bulldogs have now lost seven out of eight matchups against the Crimson Tide.

Alabama ended Georgia’s home win streak, which was the longest in FBS, including ten victories against ranked teams.

“I’m really proud of my team and Alabama as a whole,” Simpson stated. “Before the game, I said, ‘It’s Alabama for the world.’”

At the start of the fourth quarter, Alabama was ahead 24-21 when defensive lineman LT Overton made a crucial play, tackling Cash Jones for a two-yard loss on his fourth run from the Alabama 8.

“That play is crucial for us,” Smart commented. “We didn’t make the necessary block, and they capitalized on it with a great stop.”

After forcing a punt during Georgia’s last possession, Alabama maintained possession for 19 seconds in the final three minutes of the game.

Georgia had previously overcome a 21-7 halftime deficit to win 44-41 in overtime against Tennessee last week. However, they couldn’t replicate that comeback against Alabama.

The Bulldogs had a standout performance from freshman Chauncey Bowens, who rushed for 119 yards and a touchdown on 12 carries, stepping up after starter Nate Frasier lost a fumble in the second quarter.

“That wasn’t his first fumble,” Smart noted regarding Frasier. “It was really about Chauncey being the hot back more than what Nate did.”

Georgia managed to rush for 227 yards, with multiple players contributing but only passed for 130 yards, which became a point of concern for the team.