Alabama 32-28 Over Georgia In SEC Championship
ATLANTA,
Ga. - Two of college football's most storied programs put on a classic
battle in the Georgia Dome in a rollicking showcase of national
importance that pushed both teams to their limits, but second-ranked
Alabama (12-1 overall) had just enough to outlast third-ranked Georgia
(11-2 overall), beating the Bulldogs, 32-28, to win the 2012
Southeastern Conference Championship before a crowd of 75,624 Saturday
evening.
Now the Crimson Tide awaits Sunday evening's Bowl Championship Series
announcements, anticipating a berth in the National Championship Game
against undefeated Notre Dame (12-0 overall). The BCS National
Championship Game is scheduled for Monday, January 7, at Sun Life
Stadium in Miami, Fla.
Alabama running back Eddie Lacy rushed for 181 yards and two touchdowns
on 20 carries to earn Most Outstanding Player honors as the Tide
amassed 512 total yards, with Lacy and freshman T.J. Yeldon (153 yards
on 25 yards) both eclipsing the century mark on the ground. Wideout
Amari Cooper caught seven passes for 127 yards and a touchdown and
quarterback AJ McCarron passed for 162 yards and a score while
completing 13 of 21 passes with one interception.
Safety Robert Lester led the Tide defense with eight tackles,
linebacker C.J. Mosley had seven stops and linebacker Xzavier Dickson
had five tackles and two quarterback sacks.
The Tide needed every bit of those offensive heroics to withstand a
Georgia team that proved to be explosive and opportunistic, building an
11-point second-half lead before the Alabama running game proved to be
the difference. But not by much.
Alabama outgained Georgia, but Bulldogs quarterback Aaron Murray passed
for 265 yards and running back Todd Gurley rushed for 122 yards and two
scores on 23 carries. Flanker Tavarres King had five catches for 142
yards for the Bulldogs.
The teams opened the game by exchanging punts on their first
possessions. Starting at its own 19-yard line, Alabama opened its
second possession with a nine-yard run off left guard by Lacy. Lacy
then ran for eight more off right tackle on second down before a
McCarron pass to Christion Jones was broken up by Bacarri Rambo at the
Georgia 47, setting up a second-and-10 at the Alabama 36. McCarron
tossed a screen pass to Lacy to the right side that gained six, setting
up third-and-four at the Tide 42. McCarron dropped back to pass,
couldn't find a receiver and was hit as he threw by Bulldogs linebacker
Jarvis Jones, forcing a fumble that was recovered by Georgia linebacker
Christian Robinson, setting the Bulldogs up at the Alabama 40 with 9:33
left in the first quarter.
A false start penalty by Georgia running back Todd Gurley created a
first-and-15 at the Alabama 45. Gurley rushed for three on first down.
On second down, a successful screen pass to Gurley that gained good
yardage was wiped out by a holding penalty, setting up second-and-21 at
the Alabama 49. Murray passed complete to flanker Chris Conley for
eight yards to set up a third-and-11 at the Alabama 41. Murray threw to
receiver Malcolm Mitchell for 12 yards and a first down at the Tide 29.
After a Gurley rush for one yard and an incomplete pass, Georgia faced
third-and-nine at the Tide 28. Murray was pressured as he faded back to
pass and was sacked by Dickson for a loss of five yards to force a
50-yard field attempt by Marshall Morgan that missed wide right with
6:22 left in the first quarter.
Alabama moved into Georgia territory for the first time on its next
possession. Two passes to wide receiver Amari Cooper, a 14-yarder on a
quick out patter and a three-yard pass on another quick hitter, reached
the 50. Yeldon then rushed for four yards over left guard to set up
third-and-three at the Georgia 46. Yeldon was then stopped for two
yards at the Georgia 44, setting up an Alabama punt. The Tide ran a
successful fake on the punt, but the play was nullified by a delay of
game penalty on Alabama. The ensuing punt was fair caught at the
Georgia 13.
Gurley rushed for eight yards off left tackle to the Bulldog 21, and
then carried for two more for a first down at the Georgia 23. On the
next play, Dickson sacked Murray for a loss of two to the 21. On
second-and-12, Gurley rushed to his left on a stretch play for 13 yards
and a first down. After an incompletion on first down and a false start
penalty, Georgia faced second-and 15 at its own 29. Running back Keith
Marshall took a handoff off left guard for two yards to set up
third-and-13 at the 31. Murray then connected with wide receiver
Tavarres King for a 33-yard gain to the Alabama 36 as King beat Tide
corner Deion Belue in a crowd of defenders. A pass to Gurley lost four
yards before a pass to Gurley gained four to set up third-and-10 at the
Tide 36. A pass for Conley was incomplete on the final play of the
first quarter, the first scoreless first quarter in SEC Championship
Game history. The second quarter began with Georgia completing a
16-yard pass on a fake punt to reach the Tide 20 as tight end Arthur
Lynch, who lined up as the protection blocker, threw complete across
the middle of the field to Sanders Cummings, a cornerback who was in on
punt coverage.
After a Georgia timeout, the Bulldogs had a first down at the Alabama
20. Marshall carried for one yard on first down. Then Murray, off a
play fake, found tight end Jay Rome for a 19-yard touchdown pass with
13:59 left in the second quarter. Morgan's extra-point gave the
Bulldogs a 7-0 lead after the 13-play, 87-yard drive that consumed 4:48
of game clock.
Cyrus Jones returned the ensuing kickoff to the Alabama 24. After an
incompletion on first down, Yeldon was stopped for a yard loss on a
draw play. On third-and-11, McCarron was sacked for a loss of nine
yards at the Alabama 14 to force a punt. Cody Mandell's 42-yard punt
was returned seven yards by Malcolm Mitchell to the Alabama 49-yard
line where Georgia took possession with 12:01 left in the second
quarter.
Alabama forced a Georgia punt from the Bulldogs 48 after UGA lost three
yards on three plays. The punt by Collin Barber went 34 yards, out of
bounds at the Tide 18 with 11:16 left in the first half. On the first
play, McCarron passed deep to Cooper on a streak pattern and Cooper
outleaped and outfought Rambo for a 44-yard catch at the Georgia 38.
Lacy then took a handoff for six yards before racing for 20 more on a
handoff up the middle of the Georgia defense to the UGA 12. A quick
pass to Cooper gained a yard and Lacy rushed for three more to the
Georgia 8-yard line. On third-and-six, McCarron was flushed from the
pocket and missed high as he passed to an open Christion Jones in the
end zone. But a roughing the passer penalty on Georgia linebacker Alec
Ogletree gave the Tide a first-and-goal at the UGA 4.
But Alabama could not cash in the new opportunity, Lacy rushed off left
tackle for three yards on first down. On second-and-goal at the UGA 1,
Lacy fumbled at the goal line, losing four yards and setting up a
third-and-goal at the Georgia 5 as McCarron recovered the loose ball.
McCarron then passed for Cooper in the end zone, but his pass was well
behind the receiver and right in the hands of Georgia safety Sanders
Commings in the end zone for a touchback with 6:41 left in the second
quarter. Georgia punted from its own 24 after three plays and Jones
fair caught Barber's 46-yard punt at the Alabama 30 with 5:04 left in
the first half.
At this point, the Alabama offense re-established its ground game as
the Tide marched 70 yards in six plays to a game-tying touchdown.
Yeldon started the drive with a six-yard run over right tackle, and
then gained six more on another play off right tackle to the Alabama
42. After a three-yard pass to tight end Michael Williams on first down
reached the UA 45, Yeldon bulled up the middle for 14 yards to the
Georgia 41. After another Yeldon rush failed to gain, Lacy took a
handoff off right tackle and sprinted 41 yards to a touchdown with 1:59
left in the second quarter. Jeremy Shelley's conversion kick tied the
game at 7-7.
Georgia started its next possession at its own 25 following a touchback
on the kickoff. On first down, Murray passed to Mitchell for 14 yards
to the Georgia 39. Then Murray passed complete to King for 10 more to
the Bulldogs 49. On the next play, Murray threw deep from the shotgun
formation and Alabama safety HaHa Clinton-Dix intercepted the pass at
the Tide 18. Clinton-Dix returned the pass 35 yards to the Georgia
47-yard line with 1:15 left in the first half.
From there, Alabama marched 42 yards in six plays to take a slim lead at halftime.
On first down, Yeldon took a handoff on a draw play and gained eight
yards. After an incompletion and a Georgia timeout, Alabama faced
third-and-two at the Georgia 39 with 42 seconds left in the first half.
Yeldon rushed for three yards and a first down at the Georgia 36. With
the clock running, McCarron rushed from the pass pocket for nine yards
to the Georgia 27, going out of bounds with 14 seconds left in the
half. From the 27, McCarron was again forced from the pocket and raced
untouched down the middle of the field for 22 yards to the Georgia 5.
Alabama called timeout with five seconds left in the half and a
first-and-goal at the UGA 5. From there, Shelley kicked a 22-yard field
goal to give Alabama a 10-7 lead as the first half expired.
Georgia started the second half at its own 25 after a touchback on the
kickoff and quickly moved 75 yards in nine plays to regain the lead.
Gurley carried for six yards off right guard and then for three more
off right tackle before Murray passed for 31 yards to King, who beat
Belue at the Alabama 35. Gurley rushed for nine on first down and for
four more on second down to the Alabama 22 and first down. Alabama nose
guard Jesse Williams was injured on the play and was helped from the
field. On first down, Murray passed to Mitchell in the end zone, but
Alabama's Dee Milliner broke up the play. Gurley then took a handoff
for 18 yards to the Alabama 4. Gurley gained one on first down, and
then smashed over left guard for three yards and a touchdown. Morgan's
point-after kick gave Georgia a 14-10 lead with 12:09 left in the third
quarter.
After a touchback on the kickoff, Alabama started at its own 25. On the
first play, Lacy took a handoff from McCarron and raced up the middle
for 17 yards to the UA 42. Good coverage forced a sack of McCarron the
next play, losing six yards as Jarvis Jones made the tackle at the
Alabama 36. Facing second-and-16, Lacy took a handoff and gained three
on a rush at left tackle to set up third-and-13 at the Alabama 39.
McCarron hit Cooper on a short pass and Cooper followed good blocking
for 16 yards and a first down at the Georgia 45. Lacy rushed for five
yards up the middle on first down. Cooper took a screen pass and eluded
two tacklers to gain four yards to set up third-and-one at the Georgia
36, from where Lacy gained two yards and a first down at the Georgia 34.
A hurried McCarron passed to Yeldon on a screen on first down, but
Yeldon couldn't hold on. On second-and-10 at the Georgia 34, Yeldon
took a handoff and gained two yards over left guard to set up
third-and-eight at the Georgia 32. McCarron passed to Cooper, but the
pass was tipped, nullifying a pass interference call and forcing a
49-yard field goal attempt by Cade Foster. Foster's kick was blocked by
Georgia's Cornelius Washington and returned 55 yards for a touchdown by
the Bulldogs' Alec Ogletree to give the Bulldogs a 21-10 lead with 6:31
left in the third quarter. It marked the first time an Alabama has
returned a blocked field goal for a touchdown since Kentucky did so on
October 4, 1997.
Alabama quickly responded with an impressive touchdown drive, marching
77 yards in four plays. The Tide started at its own 38 after an
unsportsmanlike conduct penalty on Georgia at the end of Cyrus Jones'
19-yard kickoff return to the Alabama 23. Yeldon rushed for four yards
over right guard on first down, and then raced for 31 yards to the
Georgia 27. Yeldon then carried for two yards over right tackle to the
Georgia 25. McCarron passed to the end zone for Kevin Norwood who was
interfered with on the incompletion to set up Alabama with a first down
at the Georgia 10. In a shotgun formation, McCarron handed off to
Yeldon who took the ball up the middle for a 10-yard touchdown run with
4:19 remaining in the third quarter. Alabama elected to go for a
two-point conversion and converted it as Yeldon took a handoff and
rushed up the middle for the conversion to narrow the Georgia lead to
21-18.
Georgia started at its own 25 after a touchback on the kickoff. Alabama
forced a three-and-out and Christion Jones fair caught the Georgia punt
at the Tide 26 with 3:04 left in the third quarter.
Alabama's offense responded with a brutal touchdown drive that
showcased the Tide's physicality, moving 74 yards in seven plays to
score in 3:07 of game time in a drive that ended the third quarter and
moved the Tide in front as the fourth quarter started.
The Tide offense continued to pound the running game at Georgia. Lacy
bulled for 32 yards over right guard before punishing Georgia's Rambo
on the tackle at the Georgia 42. On the next play, Lacy gashed for 15
more to the UGA 27, then carried for 14 more to the Bulldogs 13. Lacy
was stopped for a loss of two on first down to set up second-and-12 at
the Georgia 15. Yeldon gave Lacy a breather and took a handoff for 13
yards to the Georgia 2 and a first-and-goal. Yeldon carried off right
guard for a yard to the Georgia 1 as the third quarter came to an end.
The first play of the fourth quarter saw Alabama regain the lead. With
nose guard Jesse Williams in at fullback and a three-tight end
formation, Lacy took a handoff and bulled into the end zone for a
touchdown. Alabama took a 25-21 lead with 14:57 remaining in the fourth
quarter. When the drive ended, Lacy had reached 177 rushing yards and
Yeldon had 105 as the Tide has amassed 410 total yards, including 296
on the ground, with still almost a full quarter remaining in a tight
game.
Georgia rallied with an impressive drive of its own to regain the lead,
marching 75 yards in five quick plays to a touchdown in a drive that
consumed just 2:03 of the clock.
Another touchback on the kickoff set up Georgia at its own 25. On the
first play, Murray hit Mitchell for 17 yards to the Georgia 42. Gurley
then carried for a yard. On the next play, King worked free deep for a
45-yard pass to the Alabama 12. Gurley rushed for two yards on first
down to the 10. Gurley then took a handoff and bulled up the middle for
a 10-yard touchdown run with 12:54 left in the fourth quarter. Morgan's
point-after kick gave Georgia a 28-25 lead with 12:54 remaining.
Alabama started its next possession at its own 11 after an
unsportsmanlike conduct penalty on Milliner following Cyrus Jones'
return to the Alabama 21. Yeldon took a handoff on the first play and
gained 10 to the 21. McCarron passed to Cooper on a screen for one
yard. Yeldon took a pitch sweep left for 11 yards to the Alabama 33.
Yeldon took a handoff off left guard for four yards to the Tide 37 to
set up second-and-six. Yeldon took a pitchout around left end for seven
more and a first down at the Alabama 44. Lacy entered for Yeldon and
took a handoff up the middle to gain two yards to the Tide 46. Another
two-yard gain by Lacy set up a third-and six at the Tide 48. McCarron
dropped to pass on third down, but was flushed from the pocked and
rushed for two yards to the 50, forcing an Alabama punt. Mandell's
42-yard punt was fair caught by Georgia's Rhett McGowan to set up the
Bulldogs at their own eight-yard line with 7:14 remaining.
On first down, Murray passed incomplete for King. Gurley took a handoff
for nine yards on second down to the Georgia 17 to set up
third-and-one. Gurley was stopped for no gain on third down to force a
Georgia punt. Christion Jones fielded Collin Barber's 46-yard punt off
a bounce at the Tide 37 and returned it eight yards to the Alabama 45,
setting up the Alabama offense 55 yards from the end zone with 5:24
remaining in the fourth quarter.
The Tide moved 55 yards in four plays to take the lead again.
On the first play, Yeldon took a handoff to the left side for three
yards to the Tide 48. On second-and-eight, McCarron passed to tight end
Michael Williams who slipped while making the catch for a two-yard
gain, setting up third-and-five at the 50. Georgia called its first
timeout of the second half after the teams lined up, stopping the clock
with 4:01 remaining. On third-and-five, Yeldon muscled past tackler
Shawn Williams for a five-yard gain and a first down at the Georgia 45.
On the next play, McCarron faked a handoff and passed deep to Cooper
down the left sideline. Cooper had beaten Georgia cornerback Damian
Swann on a streak pattern and took in the pass at the goal line for a
45-yard touchdown. That gave Alabama a 32-28 lead with 3:15 remaining
after Shelley's conversion kick.
Georgia started again at its own 25 following a touchback on the
kickoff. Tide linebacker Adrian Hubbard spun around a blocker and
sacked Murray on first down for an eight-yard loss at the UGA 17. On
second down, Clinton-Dix broke up a pass in the middle of the field to
set up third-and-18 with 2:33 remaining. On the next play, Murray threw
deep beyond everyone for an incompletion that forced Georgia to punt it
away. Christion Jones fair caught Barber's 47-yard punt at the Alabama
36-yard line with 2:17 remaining.
On the first play, Yeldon rushed up the middle for two yards and
Georgia used its second timeout of the half. On second down, Yeldon
took a handoff off left tackle and gained three yards to the Alabama
41. Georgia used its final timeout with Alabama facing a third-and-five
with 2:06 left on the clock. On the next play, Yeldon took a handoff
off left tackle and gained three yards to set up a fourth-and-two at
the Alabama 44 with the clock moving under the 1:25 mark. Alabama then
let the clock run, calling its first timeout of the second half with
1:16 left in the game and facing a punting situation.
Mandell punted 41 yards to Mitchell, who fair caught the punt at the
Georgia 15 with 1:08 left and no timeouts. On first down, Murray passed
to tight end Arthur Lynch for nine yards to the UGA 24. Lynch stepped
out of bounds with 1:01 remaining. On second down, another pass to
Lynch was broken up. On third down, Gurley took a handoff for four
yards and a first down, going out of bounds to stop the clock with 51
seconds remaining. Murray threw downfield on a seam route on the left
side for flanker Chris Conley, but Alabama safety Vinnie Sunseri broke
up the pass and the ball was deflected into the air. Milliner scooped
up the errant ball at the Georgia 49 with 43 seconds remaining. But an
official's review reversed the ruling, setting up a second-and-10 for
Georgia at the UGA 28 with 45 seconds remaining in the game.
Murray passed to Lynch for 15 yards to the UGA 43 with 38 seconds left.
Murray then passed to King on a crossing route for 23 yards to the
Alabama 34 with 30 seconds remaining. Murray then passed to Lynch for
26 yards to the Alabama eight with 14 seconds left, but the clock
continued running. Murray's next pass was deflected but caught by
Conley in the right flat, but Conley slipped down at the Alabama 5 and
time ran out.
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