TUSCALOOSA — Georgia’s football stock plummeted in the first quarter of the Bulldogs’ 41-34 loss to Alabama on Saturday night.
RELATED: The story of how the Bulldogs missed out on an incredible comeback
Georgia nearly recovered from a 28-0 deficit just five plays into the second quarter, briefly scoring on Carson Beck’s 67-yard touchdown pass to Dillon Bell with 2:31 left. They regained a 34-33 lead.
But Alabama quarterback Jalen Milroe (27-of-33, 374 yards, 2 TDs passing, 16 carries, 117 yards, 2 TDs rushing) was just too good.
The Bulldogs (3-1, 1-1 SEC) remain in contention for a spot in the SEC Championship Game and the Expansion 12-team College Football Playoff, taking on Auburn next Saturday at 3:30 p.m.
RELATED: Connor Riley’s Georgia report card after 41-34 loss to Alabama
Here’s a look at how Georgia’s individual players fared.
Stock prices soar
Dillon Bell had a breakout performance, catching five passes for 100 yards and one touchdown. A great move by Bell put them ahead with a 67-yard go-ahead touchdown.
Smael Mondon is as healthy as ever since suffering a foot injury late last year, playing through offseason surgery, and pulling a Tide receiver off the ball for a clutch interception at UGA’s 5-yard line. looked competent in
Dominique Lovett wasn’t at his best due to an offensive pass interference charge, but Lovett had six catches for 59 yards.
Trevor Etienne was inexplicably underutilized in the game plan, but the Florida transfer had 12 carries for 55 yards, often slipping past potential Tide tacklers.
Cornerback Daniel Harris returned from a one-game suspension and recorded a tackle for loss and a pass breakup, outperforming any other UGA defensive back, according to PFF.
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Arian Smith had a career-high 132 yards and a touchdown on six catches, but the senior receiver missed a sound that led to an Alabama interception at the UGA 22 and a 48-yard pass on the opening drive. It slipped through my hands.
Dan Jackson led UGA with 10 tackles, but it was clear that Alabama was targeting the senior safety, who is not the fastest member of Georgia’s secondary.
Out of stock
Kirby Smart, the greatest head coach in Georgia history, doesn’t often put down arrows, but he put himself in that category at the beginning of his postgame press conference. Fall on me. ”
Georgia defensive coordinator Glenn Shuman, coached by Coach DeBoer’s offensive staff, held a one-step lead in points through the first four drives. Smart said UGA adjusted with a simpler defense that the team was able to run in the second half.
UGA offensive coordinator Mike Bobo kept Milroe off the field and failed to establish a run game that would provide any help to Beck and the passing game. Bobo’s go-to call came too late and failed to prepare Beck to play his best football four games into the season.
Carson Beck has had a shaky start to the season, and Saturday’s game was a microcosm of that. Beck threw three interceptions, had a fumble in the second half and played a safety on an intentional groundout from the end zone. Beck also converted on 5-of-5 fourth down throws, passing for a career-high 439 yards and three TDs, and was agile on scrambles.
Malachi Starks had eight tackles and looked like an All-American, but he couldn’t keep up with Tide freshmen Ryan Williams and Milroe in key moments, changing the dynamic needed to win against elite competition. I couldn’t play like that. .
