Ty Simpson passed for 276 yards and two touchdowns and ran for a score as No. 17 Alabama held on late to beat No. 5 Georgia 24-21 on Saturday night to hand the Bulldogs their first home loss in six years.
Alabama (3-1, 1-0 Southeastern Conference) has won three straight opening the season with a 31-17 loss at Florida State.
Georgia (3-1, 1-1) fell behind 17-7 in the first half and never led. The Bulldogs fell to 1-7 against Alabama under coach Kirby Smart, the Crimson Tide’s former defensive coordinator.
Alabama ended Georgia’s home winning streak at 33. It was the longest active streak among FBS schools and included 10 wins against Top 25 teams.
With the Crimson Tide leading 24-21 early in the fourth quarter, defensive lineman LT Overton dropped Georgia running back Cash Jones for a 2-yard loss on a fourth-and-1 run from the Alabama 8. After making another defensive stop, Alabama held the ball for the final 3 minutes, 19 seconds.
Georgia trailed 21-7 at halftime of its a 44-41 overtime win at Tennessee last week. After falling behind 17-7 against the Crimson Tide, the Bulldogs couldn’t complete another comeback.
The takeaway
Alabama: Led by Simpson, the Crimson Tide won the game on third downs on both sides of the ball. The offense converted 12 of 19 third downs while holding the Bulldogs to only two successful conversions on eight attempts.
Georgia: The Bulldogs struggled again with missed tackles in their first game after giving up 496 yards at Tennessee. The defense gave up 262 yards in the first half as Alabama scored on four of five possessions. Bowens, who had 12 carries for 119 yards and a touchdown, took over as Georgia’s go-to running back after starter Nate Frazier’s lost fumble in the second quarter.
Up next
Alabama: The Crimson Tide will play host No. 18 Vanderbilt next Saturday. The Commodores improved to 5-0 for the first time since 2008 by beating Utah State 55-35.
Georgia: The Bulldogs host Kentucky in another SEC game next Saturday,
Reporting by The Associated Press.
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