In Week 5 of college football action, the No. 2 Georgia Bulldogs and the No. 4 Alabama Crimson Tide squared off in a game that lived up to the expectations. The Bulldogs led by Kirby Smart had a 42-game winning run going into the contest. Georgia came into the game against first-year Alabama head coach Kalen DeBoer and the unbeaten Crimson Tide as a slight favorite, having won two of the previous three national titles.
However, particularly in the first half, Alabama’s strength at home in Bryant-Denny Stadium proved to be too much for the Bulldogs. Star quarterback Jalen Milroe accounted for four touchdowns in the first 30 minutes. In order to take a 30-7 advantage at halftime, Alabama added another safety. With two weeks to prepare, Georgia’s renowned defense surprisingly had no answer for Milroe’s skill as a passer and ball runner. After all, in the 2023 SEC Championship Game, the Bulldogs had played Milroe—albeit under Nick Saban. Following a 27-24 defeat at the hands of Alabama in that encounter, it appeared as though Georgia would take a more measured approach to the game this year.
Despite having a talented defensive line that included two-time All-American Malaki Starks, Georgia was unable to contain Milroe and company. Despite their best effort, the Bulldogs were unable to overturn Alabama’s two-quartertime lead. In the end, UGA led 34–33 before Milroe’s 75-yard touchdown pass to Ryan Williams, a true freshman receiver, sealed the victory in Tuscaloosa.
After the game, Smart talked on the attempt to defend Milroe. Smart remarked, “He’s really hard to defend.” Thus, you must choose your poison. Would you rather that guy run faster than you? Do you want him to try to stay in close proximity to him and play loose coverage to prevent him from taking off? He threw the ball well, which made it really difficult, and he raced the ball well on the perimeter, causing us to lose contain.”
Before the first quarter in Tuscaloosa, the Bulldogs had not given up a touchdown this season. Milroe was at the core of Alabama’s rapid turnaround of that record. But the second half was a completely different story, with the Tide offense only managing one touchdown, which came from a huge pass to Williams with only two minutes left in the fourth quarter.
Following halftime, Glenn Schumann and Travaris Robinson, the defensive coordinators, along with smart, made modifications. “In the second half, we played some tighter coverage, we made some stops, and we possessed the ball in offense,” Smart stated. “When you make stops, you give yourself a chance.” Georgia (3-1) suffered its first regular-season defeat since 2020 and fell to No. 5 in the AP Poll. The schedule only gets more difficult from there, with games against No. 12 Ole Miss (November 9), No. 4 Tennessee (Nov. 16), and No. 2 Texas (Oct. 19). In order to compete for the SEC championship and the College Football Playoffs, the Bulldogs will need to improve significantly in the first half of the game.