TIDE SURGES BACK
Freshman QB fuels rally that stuns Dawgs
ATLANTA — Alabama coach Nick Saban was looking for a spark and he found it in Tua Tagovailoa.
Saban inserted the highly touted freshman quarterback into the college football national title game in the second half, replacing starter Jalen Hurts, and the move paid big dividends.
Tagovailoa connected with DeVonta Smith on a 41-yard touchdown pass in overtime to lift Alabama to a 26-23 win over Georgia Monday night.
The dual-threat quarterback from Hawaii led his team on scoring drives of 56, 15, 71, 66 and 41 yards as the Crimson Tide rallied from a 13-point halftime deficit.
The win gave Alabama its 17th national championship. It was the sixth career title for Saban,
tying him with legendary Tide coach Bear Bryant.
Georgia entered the game with one of the most proficient rushing attacks in college football, but instead chose to try to attack Alabama’s vaunted defense through the air. Quarterback Jake Fromm attempted seven consecutive passes during the Bulldogs’ first two offensive drives.
But it was a return to form on the third possession that helped the Bulldogs earn an early lead, with the combination of Nick Chubb and Sony Michel guiding the offense down the field. Michel broke off a 26-yard run, tight-rope-walking his way down the right sideline.
However the drive would stall at the Alabama 24-yard line, forcing Rodrigo Blankenship to kick a 41-yard field goal to push Georgia out front 3-0 with 14:14 left in the second quarter.
Fromm showcased poise under pressure during the first half while finding open receivers.
Alabama, meanwhile, looked out of sorts early.
The Crimson Tide took the opening kickoff and drove down to the Georgia 22-yard line before being forced to attempt a field goal. Andy Pappanastos connected on a 35-yard field goal, but a false-start penalty pushed the ball back five yards. The ensuing 40-yard attempt sailed wide left, leaving Alabama scoreless.
Georgia’s defense confused Tide QB Hurts throughout much of the first half, with the Bulldogs’ secondary taking away many of Alabama’s options from the line of scrimmage.
Time and time again, Fromm found ways to get his team out of trouble.
Georgia took over with 1:16 left in the first half and Fromm worked quickly to move the Bulldogs down the field. A pair of 14-yard runs — one by Michel and one by Fromm — put the team into Alabama territory. A pair of Tide penalties gave the home team all the momentum it needed, with Mecole Hardman sprinting into the end zone with seven seconds left to extend the lead to 13-0.
It was different story in the second half, however, thanks to Tagovailoa.
He drove Alabama’s offense downfield on the initial drive after intermission, capping it with a sixyard touchdown pass to Henry Ruggs III that cut the lead to 13-7 with 8:52 in the third quarter.
Fromm responded with his own magic, finding Hardman open downfield for an 80-yard touchdown that pushed the lead to 20-7 with 6:52.
The Tide remained determined and steadily began erasing the deficit.
Alabama trailed 20-13 with 7:10 left in the game when Tagovailoa marched the Tide down the field. Tagovailoa found Calvin Ridley in the back of the end zone to tie the game at 20 apiece.
Fromm couldn’t answer and Pappanastos missed what could have been a game-winner, sending the game to overtime. Georgia converted a field goal and Tagovailoa took a costly sack on his first overtime snap, but he bounced back the next play and tossed the game-winning touchdown strike.