Photo courtesy of Georgia athletics
The first top-5 match-up of the 2020 college football is set to go down this weekend under the lights.
3-0 teams will collide at Bryant-Denny Stadium on Saturday night as No. 3 Georgia visits No. 2 Alabama. This will be the 70th meeting all-time between the teams, but the first in Tuscaloosa since 2007.
Alabama is 40-25-4 all-time against the Bulldogs. Before the teams meet on Saturday, take a look back on the last five meetings between the schools:
(1) Alabama 35, (4) Georgia 28 — Dec. 1, 2018 (SEC Championship)
Two touchdown passes from Jake Fromm and two touchdowns from Josh Jacobs gave Georgia a 28-14 lead over undefeated Alabama early in the third quarter, but backup quarterback Jalen Hurts spurred a comeback for the Crimson Tide. After a 51-yard touchdown pass from Tua Tagovailoa to Jaylen Waddle cut the lead to seven, Hurts led two fourth-quarter scoring drives to deliver Alabama. After his 10-yard touchdown pass to Jerry Jeudy tied the game, Hurts’ 15-yard touchdown run following a failed fake punt put Alabama ahead for good with just over a minute to play.
(4) Alabama 26, (3) Georgia 23 — Jan. 8, 2018 (College Football Playoff National Championship, Overtime)
The opposite of the following season’s SEC Championship, Tua Tagovailoa replaced an ineffective Jalen Hurts and led Alabama to its fifth national championship under head coach Nick Saban. Georgia led 13-0 at halftime and by 10 after three quarters, but Tagovailoa’s 7-yard touchdown pass to Calvin Ridley tied the game with less than four minutes to play. After Alabama kicker Andy Pappanastos missed the game-winner at the end of regulation, Georgia regained the lead on a field goal by Rodrigo Blakenship in overtime. Facing 2nd-and-26 on Alabama’s second play of overtime, the freshman Tagovailoa hit DeVonta Smith in stride for the title-clinching 41-yard touchdown.
(13) Alabama 38, (8) Georgia 10 — Oct. 3, 2015
Alabama held Georgia to 299 yards and 12 first downs while forcing four turnovers to dominate the Bulldogs in Athens. Eventual Heisman Trophy winner Derrick Henry rushed for 148 yards and a touchdown in the win. Calvin Ridley caught five passes for 120 yards and a score for the Crimson Tide. Minkah Fitzpatrick and Eddie Jackson each scored non-offensive touchdowns for Alabama in the victory. Nick Chubb’s 83-yard run late in the third quarter accounted for Georgia’s only touchdown.
(2) Alabama 32, (3) Georgia 28 — Dec. 1, 2012 (SEC Championship)
In a de facto national semifinal for the SEC Championship, Georgia finished five yards shy of its first conference championship in a decade. Georgia led 21-10 in the third quarter and by three with less than four minutes to go when Alabama’s AJ McCarron found Amari Cooper for the go-ahead 45-yard touchdown with 3:15 to go. After the teams exchanged punts, Aaron Murray marched the Bulldogs 77 yards in less than a minute. With the ball at the 8-yard-line, Murray’s pass was tipped into the hands of wide receiver Chris Conley, but Conley fell at the 5-yard-line and time expired. Running backs Eddie Lacy and T.J. Yeldon combined for 334 yards rushing and three touchdowns for Alabama. Todd Gurley rushed for 122 yards and two touchdowns for Georgia in the loss. The Crimson Tide would go on to win the national championship.
(8) Alabama 41, (3) Georgia 30 — Sept. 27, 2008
Under second-year head coach Nick Saban, Alabama went into Athens and made a major statement early in the 2008 season. The Crimson Tide got touchdowns from four different players to race to a 31-0 halftime lead. Georgia answered with 17 unanswered points on touchdowns from Knowshon Moreno and Prince Miller, but Glen Coffee’s second touchdown of the night with less than five minutes to play put the game away for the Crimson Tide. Julio Jones led Alabama with five catches for 94 yards and a touchdown. Georgia quarterback Matthew Stafford passed for 274 yards and two scores in the loss.
Mike Ferguson is the managing editor for Fifth Quarter. Be sure to follow Mike on Twitter at @MikeWFerguson. Follow all of Mike’s work by liking his Facebook page.