Regardless of who you cheer for, you have to admit: this was a good game. Though Alabama held their lead for what seemed like a majority of the matchup until the fourth quarter, Georgia was still very much in it the entire time. At the end of the day, there are a couple of things that contributed to the Dawgs’ less than desirable result, so here are some stats to mull over as the Dawgs’ 29 game win streak ended to the Alabama Crimson Tide.
11
One play never defines a whole game, but fans of losing teams will always find a way to try and pin a loss on something so they can better cope with defeat. Given the fact that the final score of this year’s SEC Championship Game wound up only being a three-point difference, 27-24 Alabama, some are pointing to Georgia’s fumble on their own eleven-yard line as the difference in this game. An end-around run to Dillon Bell wasn’t executed correctly, and the timing was off. The result of the play was a fumble and turnover, which led to an Alabama field goal, extending the Tide’s lead to 10. Georgia was constantly playing catch up with Alabama, and this was a key reason behind that.
22
When it comes to this rivalry, it always seems like the referees get involved a bit more than Georgia fans would like. And in the event of a loss, the officials’ supposed mistakes are even more amplified. One call in particular, a play ruled a 22-yard catch by Alabama receiver and Buford High School alumni Isaiah Bond, was especially argued over because of the way the officials handled it. Due to the way Alabama was rushing down the field, trying to move the ball distracted the refs from the nature of the play and didn’t draw enough attention to what many are deeming a missed call before it was too late. Regardless of the call, the play advanced Alabama, kept their drive alive, and led them to score a touchdown that just added to the point total that Georgia failed to either match or surpass.
2
This isn’t a traditional statistic, but it’s important to point out that first-string right tackle and projected first-round pick Amarius Mims only played for two offensive series the entire game – the first two to be specific. Without Mims, Xavier Truss, who traditionally plays on the interior at guard, was moved out to tackle, and the rest of the line had to shift as a result. The thing is, you can’t just lose your best guy and expect everyone else to keep up. The Dawgs definitely felt Mims’ absence – Carson Beck especially. Once Mims was gone, Beck was subjected to the wrath of the Alabama defensive front, and Georgia’s passing game suffered because of it. Mims only playing two offensive drives was a detriment to the Georgia offense.
4
Though Georgia’s offensive line may have gone cold after Mims’ exit, the defensive line was at least able to have its own fair share of highlights – four of them, to be precise. Against Alabama, the Dawgs were able to bring quarterback Jalen Milroe to the ground four different times. Though the defensive line proved to be a threat in some moments, at others it was made obsolete. Milroe would either have no time or infinity to throw the ball or scramble. The defensive line’s inability to consistently get to the quarterback gave Milroe more opportunity than Georgia probably would have wanted. Opportunities that led to scores. Scores that put the Tide ahead of the Dawgs. Scores that won them the game.