It wasn’t as dramatic as the Iron Bowl, but Alabama’s 27-24 win over Georgia in the SEC Championship Game was pretty close.
Alabama’s win on Saturday broke Georgia’s 29-game winning streak and gave the Crimson Tide their 30th SEC title in school history. Alabama now has to wait until Sunday to see if they did enough to earn a spot in the College Football Playoffs.
Here are a few takeaways from Alabama’s SEC Championship win.
Reichard All Alone on Top
Going into the contest, kicker Will Reichard was tied for the NCAA all-time points record, and he didn’t take long to solidify himself as the lone record holder with a 43-yard field goal in the first quarter. Reichard added a 28-yard field goal in the third quarter to go a perfect 2-for-2 on field goals. Reichard also hit all three of his extra points, finishing the night with 539 career points.
Burnip Flipped the Field
In a defensive battle where field position mattered, Alabama punter James Burnip was able to consistently flip the field for the Crimson Tide. Burnip punted the ball five times for an average of 46.6 yards. He had a long of 56, but more importantly, he was able to pin the Bulldogs inside the 20-yard line three times out of his five punts.
Defense Shows Out
Coming into the matchup, Georgia was the second-highest-scoring team in the SEC, averaging right at 40 points a game. Alabama’s defense showed up and limited the high-scoring offense to just 24 points. It started with limiting the rushing attack of Georgia, only allowing 78 yards on the ground. Preventing the Bulldogs’ rushing attack from getting going helped slow down the passing attack of Carson Beck, who was unable to connect with a receiver for a touchdown.
Red Zone Efficiency
Alabama’s efficiency in the red zone was crucial on Saturday. Alabama converted all five possessions in the red zone for points. In the five trips inside the red zone, the Crimson Tide converted three for touchdowns and two for field goals.
Bond, Isaiah Bond
Fresh off making the catch of the season, Isaiah Bond followed up his Iron Bowl performance with another great showing. Bond caught five passes for 79 yards but also had the most important catch of the game again on Saturday. On a fourth down with four yards to go at the end of the half, Milroe connected with Bond for a diving 22-yard catch to extend the drive. Two plays later, Milroe hit Jermaine Burton for a 15-yard touchdown pass that was a huge turning point in the game.
Alabama will have a nail-biting wait to see if the committee will select them as one of the four teams to participate in the College Football Playoffs.
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