Rating Alabama football’s performance against Georgia in thriller

alabama football I did that on Saturday against Georgia. Almost.

The Crimson Tide squandered a big lead and fell behind the Bulldogs with 2:31 left. Jalen Milroe then hit Ryan Williams for a long touchdown pass on the circus, then Zabien Brown singled out Carson Beck to secure the win for UA.

Next up the Tide goes to Vanderbilt. Before that, here are our points from Saturday’s win:

Offense: B+

Originally this would have been an A+ without a second thought. Before Georgia could blink, the Crimson Tide took a 28-point lead early in the second quarter.

Quarterback Jalen Milroe looked excellent. UA was hurting the UGA defense, but their dominance wouldn’t last long.

The attack stalled in the second half. Had the Crimson Tide been able to move the ball more consistently, Georgia’s comeback would have been much harder to pull off.

But when it really mattered, Milroe and his friends succeeded. Williams’ goal put Alabama up 41 points, enough to beat just about anyone.

Definitely not a perfect performance for Alabama. But the offense gets more than a passing grade for that effort.

Defense: A-

Again, it’s not completely perfect. But defensive coordinator Kane Wommack’s team was putting Georgia in a tight spot, especially in the first half.

Alabama made life difficult for UGA quarterback Carson Beck, beating him three times, including the game-saving play by Brown in the final minute. Beck was also sacked three times and was flagged for intentionally grounding out in the end zone for Alabama’s safety while trying to evade an aggressive rush.

Return cannot be ignored. While Georgia had too many chances against a tired team, a few late stops could have ended the game before the freshman cornerback could make it.

But once again facing one of the best teams in college football, Alabama’s defense found a way to win.

Special teams: A

James Burnip may be the best punter in the country. Graham Nicholson was excellent on extra points and made his first field goal for Alabama after missing his first try at Wisconsin.

The punt return game also looked pretty good. Overall great effort by special teams units.

Overall: A-

It could have been easier. But Alabama beat Georgia without Nick Saban leading the way.

The Bulldogs struggled, but Kalen DeBoer’s group fought back when necessary and continued undefeated into the next phase of SEC play.