Future Opponent Week 5 Game to Watch: Alabama vs Georgia
On Saturday at 6:30 p.m. Central Time, No. 17 Alabama (2-1) goes on the road to face No. 5 Georgia (3-0). Both teams are fresh off a bye week. Aside from the College Football Playoff Game when the Bulldogs defeated the Crimson Tide 33-18, Alabama has won 7 of its last 8 matchups against Georgia.
Dawgs have some serious bite and grit
Georgia is coming off its biggest win of the season, a 44-41 overtime win in Knoxville against Tennessee. Georgia rallied from a 21-7 deficit after being struck early by some explosive plays from the Tennessee passing game. What was particularly impressive was Georgia’s ability to win the game while relying on the pass. The Bulldogs finished the game with 304 passing yards and 198 rushing yards.
Georgia’s latest win has instilled a lot of confidence in junior quarterback Gunner Stockton. Stockton was efficient, 23/31 on the road for 304 yards, 2 touchdowns, and 0 interceptions. Heading into the Tennessee matchup, many pundits wondered if Georgia could win if it had to rely on Stockton’s arm, and he passed that test with flying colors. One play that really stood out was Stockton’s 28-yard bucket throw to junior receiver London Humphreys in the fourth quarter. It was a perfect throw on an elite route by Humphreys, highlighting just how dangerous Georgia can be.
Besides Humphreys, who has 8 catches for 96 yards and 2 touchdowns, the Bulldog passing attack features junior Zachariah Branch and senior Colbie Young. Branch has 11 catches for 181 yards and 2 touchdowns, and Young has 13 catches for 179 yards.
In the run game, Georgia has four featured ball carriers. Sophomore Nate Frazier is the lead back with 39 carries for 189 yards and 2 touchdowns to go, averaging 4.8 yards per carry. Sophomore Dwight Phillips Jr. has emerged as a chunk yard machine with 17 carries for 144 yards and a touchdown, averaging 8.5 yards per carry. Freshman Chauncey Bowens has also gotten plenty of use for the Bulldogs and has 29 carries for 121 yards and 2 touchdowns this season. In short yardage situations, the Bulldogs turn to senior Josh McCray, who has 10 carries for 22 yards and 2 scores. McCray had the game-winning touchdown in overtime against Tennessee.
Georgia’s defense is young, but it showed some real grit against Tennessee by picking off Volunteers quarterback Joey Aguilar twice in the second half. The Bulldog secondary has 3 total interceptions this season. Junior linebackers Raylen Wilson and CJ Allen are tackling machines. Wilson and Allen have 23 and 22 tackles, respectively, through 3 games, and both players have 1 sack. Sophomore linebacker Chris Cole currently leads Georgia’s pass rush with 2 sacks. If there’s one weakness of the Georgia defense, it is the secondary. Tennessee quarterback torched the Georgia secondary for 371 yards for much of the game, and the Volunteers were able to move the ball through the air with relative ease in the first half. Georgia’s secondary will be tested again this weekend against a dynamic Alabama passing game.
Lots of questions around Alabama
The Crimson Tide opened 2025 with a 31-17 loss to Florida State, who bullied and punished the Alabama defense for an entire game. Since its season-opening clunker, Alabama has defeated the University of Louisiana Monroe 73-0 and Wisconsin 38-14. After three games, the question remains: “Just how good is Alabama?” The University of Louisiana Monroe game was a clear cupcake game, and Wisconsin continues to be a Big Ten team that struggles to score against high-end Power Four competition.
Offensively, Alabama is led by its passing game. Junior quarterback Ty Simpson has thrown for 862 yards, 9 touchdowns, 0 interceptions, and has a 71.9 completion percentage through 3 games. The Crimson Tide has an elite receiving room led by senior Germie Bernard and sophomore phenom Ryan Williams. Bernard has 15 catches for 275 yards and 3 touchdowns, while Williams has 10 catches for 195 yards and 2 touchdowns. The third option for Simpson is no slouch with junior Isaiah Horton, who has 9 catches for 105 yards and 2 touchdowns this season. Alabama’s run game features freshman Kevin Riley, who has 23 carries for 120 yards and no touchdowns so far this season. The Crimson Tide also features running back Richard Young, who has 19 carries for 48 yards and a touchdown. Gone are the days of Nick Saban’s run-heavy offenses for the Crimson Tide.
Defensively, Alabama is led by senior linebacker Deontae Lawson, junior defensive back Keon Sabb, junior defensive back Bray Hubbard, and senior linebacker Justin Jefferson. Johnson has 10 tackles, Sabb has 9 tackles, Bray has 8 tackles and 2 interceptions, and Jefferson has 7 tackles and an interception. The Alabama pass rush has just 4 sacks this season. Although Alabama is currently ranked 19th in total defense according to NCAA.com, that statistic is a bit deceiving. Alabama is currently ranked 110th nationally in red zone defense, 119th in third down conversion percent defense, and 116th in fourth down conversion percent defense. These troubling statistics seem to indicate that teams can not only move the ball on Alabama’s defense, but also score in the red zone like they never did while Nick Saban was the head coach.
Big picture, if you look at head coach Kalen DeBoer’s program, it seems to mirror an old Pac-12 team rather than an SEC team. Lots of dynamic offense in the passing game, little emphasis on the run, and a suspect defense that can be scored upon.
Quarterback battle
With the SEC wide open in a way it hasn’t been in years, quarterback play is now more crucial than it has ever been. Gunner Stockton showed some serious mental toughness playing from behind on the road against Tennessee and by taking care of the football. Ty Simpson has yet to pass such a test, and Saturday will be a gigantic spot on the road for him. In the season opener, Simpson took care of the football, but could not consistently string completions together to put Alabama in a position to score. If Alabama is going to win on Saturday, it will have to do so through the air.
Meanwhile, Stockton has a steady run game that he can lean on as well as a home crowd. That said, Stockton has yet to dominate a game from under center completely. If Stockton can put together a stellar performance on Saturday, it will be a firm statement that he can be the guy who can lead Georgia towards a playoff run.
Prediction
Fans should expect a great deal of offense on Saturday, with both secondaries susceptible to big plays. While Alabama will generate some big plays, Georgia’s run game and Alabama’s lack of a strong run game will doom the Crimson Tide late. Kirby Smart finally gets that signature regular-season win against Alabama.
Georgia wins 38-21.
