Live Updates: Alabama 27, Georgia 24; Final
ATLANTA – No. 8 Alabama (11-1, 8-0 SEC) will play top-ranked Georgia (12-0, 8-0) today in the SEC Championship Game. The Crimson Tide and Bulldogs will face off at Mercedes-Benz Stadium, and the conference title game is set to kick at 3 p.m. CT, for the final time, on CBS.
Alabama will be playing in its 15th SEC Championship Game on Saturday as the 2023 SEC Western Division champion. The Crimson Tide won the SEC Western Division title with an 8-0 league record as part of an 11-1 overall record during the regular season. Alabama enters Saturday’s contest with Georgia having won eight straight SEC Championship matchups dating back to a win over Florida in the 2009 game. During the eight-game stretch, the Crimson Tide is averaging 39.6 points per game and outscoring the opposition, 317-182.
Alabama and Georgia will meet for the fourth time in SEC Championship Game history on Saturday afternoon in Atlanta. The previous three contests between the Crimson Tide and Bulldogs came in 2012 (32-28), 2018 (35- 28) and 2021 (41-24) with UA coming out on top all three times. Saturday’s matchup will also be Alabama head coach Nick Saban’s fifth pairing with UGA in the SEC title game, as Saban and his LSU Tigers downed Georgia, 34-14, in 2003.
Game links: WATCH | LISTEN | STATS
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PREGAME
— Today’s SEC officiating crew will be led by Kyle Olson.
— Jase McClellan is in uniform and fielding kickoffs during warmups.
— Alabama’s captains vs. Georgia: Deontae Lawson, Tyler Booker and Dallas Turner.
— McClellan hasn’t done much since the entire team took the field. He’s been in the end zone, watching the other RBs go through drills.
— Roydell Williams was the first RB up in full-team drills in pregame warmups, followed by Jam Miller.
— Georgia wins the toss and elects to defer to the second half. Alabama will receive the opening kickoff.
FIRST QUARTER
— Jase McClellan is no longer in uniform and is sporting a walking boot on the Alabama sideline. Roydell Williams starts at RB.
— Jalen Milroe dialed up a deep shot to Isaiah Bond on the first play, but it looked like his pass was tipped.
— Jalen Milroe scrambles, but he is dropped for a sack. Alabama goes three-and-out to start things out.
— Carson Beck with a quick pass to Brock Bowers for a 23-yard gain and a first down on UGA’s first play.
TOUCHDOWN: Georgia 7, Alabama 0 (9:31)
— Kendall Milton with a 17-yard run to take an early lead.
— Alabama goes three-and-out on its first two drives. Jalen Milroe is 0-for-3 to begin the SECCG.
— Nice play by Malachi Moore to get off his block and make a TFL of Brock Bowers (-3 yards).
— Alabama’s defense forces a three-and-out, but Malachi Moore was close to coming up with a pick. Looked like Emmanuel Henderson almost blocked the UGA punt, too.
— Jalen Milroe keeps it (9 yards) and then Jam Miller rumbles ahead (4 yards) for UA’s first first down.
FIELD GOAL: Georgia 7, Alabama 3 (3:43)
— Will Reichard boots a 43-yarder through the uprights. That’s the NCAA record.
— The Alabama defense comes up with another stop. Looked like Trez Marshall was there first on the TFL. Georgia will punt from its own 32.
— Jalen Milroe’s first completion is a 9-yard gain to Roydell Williams. Roydell with a nice drive so far with runs of 12 and 8 before that catch.
SECOND QUARTER
— Jalen Milroe finds Kobe Prentice over the middle, who picks up 18 yards, plus 15 more after a face mask penalty. UA at the UGA 29.
— On 4th and 1 at the UGA 20, Jalen Milroe hands it off to Roydell Williams, who moves the sticks.
TOUCHDOWN: Alabama 10, Georgia 7 (12:04)
— Jalen Milroe hits a wide-open Jam Miller for a 28-yard TD. The Tide takes the lead.
— Kool-Aid McKinstry looked to have a pick, but it was a bit too high. Still, he comes up with a PBU on a Carson Beck throw to the end zone.
— On 3rd and 7, Carson Beck steps up in the pocket and scrambles for a first down. UGA inside the 20.
— Back-to-back stops be Deontae Lawson, this one for a 2-yard loss. Then on 3rd and 12, Dallas Turner comes up with a sack. Georgia will have to. attempt a long field goal.
— Georgia kicker Peyton Woodring doinks a 50-yard field goal try, and Alabama takes over at its own 32.
— Jalen Milroe dials up a deep shot for Jermaine Burton, and UGA is flagged for PI. Tide at its own 47.
— Roydell Williams had a bit of a limp when he left the field. Looks like he’s getting some extra tape from Jeff Allen on the Alabama bench.
— Jalen Milroe is sacked for an 11-yard loss, bringing up 3rd and 21 from the Alabama 46-yard line. Nick Saban calls a timeout.
— Jalen Milroe completes it to Amari Niblack, but it’s short of the sticks. Georgia calls a timeout with UA facing a 4th and 4 at the UGA 37.
— On 4th and 4 at the UGA 37, the Tide goes for it and Isaiah Bond comes up with a 22-yard catch down to the Bulldogs’ 15-yard line.
TOUCHDOWN: Alabama 17, Georgia 7 (0:48)
— Jalen Milroe finds Jermaine Burton in the end zone for a 15-yard score before the half.
THIRD QUARTER
— Arnold, McKinstry and Campbell combine to stop Kendall Milton for a loss on 3rd down. UGA will punt.
— Alabama goes three-and-out on its first offensive series of the 2H.
— Carson Beck looks deep for Arian Smith, who hauls in a 51-yard catch down to the Tide 19. The call on the field stands after review.
— Kool-Aid McKinstry is slow to get up and then goes down to boos from the UGA fans. Trainers come out to check on the right corner.
— Kool-Aid McKinstry walks off the field under his own power and is heading to the medical tent.
— Trey Amos replaces McKinstry at right cornerback and breaks up a pass intended for Brock Bowers.
FIELD GOAL: Alabama 17, Georgia 10 (8:51)
— Peyton Woodring’s 34-yarder cuts the Tide lead to 7.
— On 3rd and 8, Jalen Milroe looks to Jermaine Burton along the UGA sideline, who makes a 13-yard grab.
— Kirby Smart is not happy with a horse-collar flag on UGA. Alabama now with the ball at the Dawgs 39.
— Alabama will punt from the UGA 45 on 4th and 16 after the officials ruled Jalen Milroe down (he wasn’t).
— Trey Amos remains in the game at right CB. Kool-Aid McKinstry is out of the tent and on the UA sideline, but he doesn’t have his helmet.
— Georgia fumbles the football on a reverse attempt, and Trez Marshall recovers it. Huge break, and the Tide is 11 yards from the end zone.
FIELD GOAL: Alabama 20, Georgia 10 (0:48)
— Will Reichard moves the Crimson Tide’s lead back up to 10 points following a 28-yarder.
— No Dallas Turner to start this drive. He’s currently riding a stationary bike behind the Alabama bench.
FOURTH QUARTER
— Justin Eboigbe sacks Caron Beck to bring up 2nd and 13 at the UGA 35. That was UA’s second sack.
— Trey Amos almost picks it off, but the Dawgs’ third-down pass still falls incomplete. UGA will punt from its own 35 with 14:12 to play.
— Jalen Milroe is sacked for the fourth time today. That will bring up 3rd and 19 from UA’s own 11.
— Bulldogs with a big punt return to set up prime field position (UA 35).
— Terrion Arnold flagged for PI on an incompletion on 3rd and 2. Dawgs get a fresh set of downs at UA’s 16.
TOUCHDOWN: Alabama 20, Georgia 17 (10:16)
— Carson Beck keeps it (1 yard) to cut UA’s lead to three.
— Jalen Milroe with a quick pass to Isaiah Bond for a 21-yard gain to the Alabama 46. Roydell Williams follows that up with a 9-yard run.
— Jalen Milroe somehow gets rid of it to Isaiah Bond to move the chains. Tide is now at the Bulldogs’ 12.
— After review, Isaiah Bond is ruled short of the goal line. First and Goal at the UGA 1 coming up for UA.
TOUCHDOWN: Alabama 27, Georgia 17 (5:47)
— Roydell Williams’ second effort leads to six points.
— On 3rd and 1, Alabama stops UGA short of the sticks. Georgia will go for it with less than 5:00 to play. And they convert.
— Jaheim Oatis is penalized for grabbing Carson Beck’s facemask. UGA is now at the Alabama 40.
— Alabama’s defense stops Kendall Milton short of the goal line on 3rd and Goal at the 1. Bulldogs call a timeout before going for it.
TOUCHDOWN: Alabama 27, Georgia 24 (2:52)
— On 4th and 1, Kendall Milton crosses the goal line.
— Jalen Milroe takes off for a 30-yard gain down to the UGA 45. Looked like UA was trying to run a jet sweep but the snap wasn’t great. Milroe still makes a play, though.
— Jalen Milroe fakes a toss and runs up the middle for a 9-yard gain and a fresh set of downs. UA now at the UGA 34 with under 1:30.
— Georgia calls its final timeout with 1:15 to play. Alabama faces 2nd and 8 at the Dawgs’ 32 after this.
— The Crimson Tide is SEC Champs.
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