Smart, Bulldogs finally tame Tide, win SEC title

ATLANTA — Georgia coach Kirby Smart doesn’t have an Alabama problem anymore.

After Smart’s teams dropped seven of their previous eight games against the Crimson Tide, the No. 3 Bulldogs flipped the script with a dominant 28-7 victory over No. 9 Alabama in Saturday’s SEC championship game at Mercedes-Benz Stadium.

By securing their second straight SEC title, the Bulldogs finished 12-1 and likely secured a top-four seed and first-round bye in the upcoming College Football Playoff.

It’s the first time Georgia has won back-to-back SEC championships since tailback Herschel Walker led the Bulldogs to three straight from 1980 to 1982.

The fact the latest one came against Alabama, which hired Smart to work as an assistant under former coach Nick Saban from 2007 to 2015, made it that much sweeter. It was Georgia’s most lopsided win against the Tide since a 21-0 victory Oct. 2, 1976.

“It’s not about redemption; they’ve got a great program, great head coach,” Smart said. “It’s about our team tonight. These guys have been doubted, and since that last game — our team was really physical tonight. Played an excellent game. Really proud of them and proud for these Georgia fans.”

In Alabama’s 24-21 victory Sept. 27 that ended Georgia’s 33-game home winning streak, the Bulldogs trailed 14-0 early and never took the lead.

That wasn’t the case Saturday, as walk-on receiver Cole Speer delivered the first big play, blocking Alabama’s punt from its 21 with 6:31 left in the first quarter. That set up Gunner Stockton‘s 1-yard touchdown pass to running back Roderick Robinson II for an early 7-0 lead.

The Bulldogs were only getting started.

On the Tide’s next possession, safety KJ Bolden tipped Ty Simpson‘s pass, which cornerback Daylen Everette intercepted. Georgia put together a 14-play drive that culminated with Stockton’s 5-yard scoring pass to Dillon Bell to make it 14-0.

Georgia’s defense, which had trouble getting off the field in the teams’ first meeting this season, held the Crimson Tide to minus-3 rushing yards on 16 attempts. Alabama’s longest run was 5 yards.

It was only the second time in school history that Alabama was held to negative rushing yards (it had minus-45 in a 35-10 loss to Missouri in the 1968 Gator Bowl).

“I think that helped a lot,” Everette said. “We just tried to make it one-dimensional. That’s one thing we emphasized coming into this season: We’ve got to do better stopping the run on defense.”

Simpson, who threw for 276 yards with three touchdowns in the earlier meeting, wasn’t nearly as good Saturday. He completed 19 of 39 passes for 212 yards with 1 touchdown and 1 interception. He was sacked three times.

Going back to the second half of the September game, Georgia’s defense shut out the Tide in five straight quarters.

Alabama didn’t find the end zone Saturday until Simpson’s 23-yard touchdown to Germie Bernard with 12:33 left in the fourth quarter.

The Crimson Tide converted only 3 of 13 third downs, after going 13-for-19 in the earlier win at Georgia.

“We told them after that [September] game there wasn’t a lack of execution in that game at home,” Smart said. “They outplayed us. They out-executed us. They probably outcoached us. We weren’t going to let that happen again in terms of the way we played.”

Georgia has allowed 10 points or fewer in each of its past four games, the longest streak in a season since the Bulldogs did it in eight straight games in 1971, according to ESPN Research.

“It was a huge difference,” Smart said. “It was the domination on that side of the ball. A lot of it came with a chip on their shoulder from the last one. It came with a chip on their shoulder from improving.”

Stockton was named the game’s MVP after completing 20 of 26 passes for 156 yards with 3 touchdowns. He was 8-for-10 for 61 yards with all three scores on third down.

“It’s a great feeling to see him get that,” Everette said of Stockton. “Proud of him for everything he’s done this year. Probably one of the toughest kids on the team. Toughest kid I know. Take all the hits, pop right back up.”

As the SEC’s highest-ranked team, Georgia won’t play again until a CFP quarterfinal at the Allstate Sugar Bowl on New Year’s Day (8 p.m. ET, ABC). The Bulldogs won’t learn their place in the 12-team bracket until it’s announced Sunday.

Georgia will be looking for revenge in New Orleans, as well. The Bulldogs fell to Notre Dame 23-10 in a CFP quarterfinal after the 2024 season. That was Stockton’s first start for the Bulldogs after Carson Beck was injured in the SEC championship game.

“We never quit,” Stockton said. “I think we’ve shown that in every game. I think that’s one of the best parts about our team, is we never quit.”