ALABAMA TAKES OVER IN 2ND HALF

A positive COVID-19 test couldn’t keep Nick Saban from the sideline, and Georgia’s heralded defense had scant hope of keeping Alabama’s playmakers out of the end zone.

Mac Jones passed for 417 yards and four touchdowns and the Crimson Tide picked apart No. 3 Georgia’s heralded defense in the second half of a 41-24 victory Saturday night. It ended up being a decisive ’Bama victory in a collision of the Southeastern Conference’s last remaining unbeaten teams.

The Crimson Tide (4-0), with Saban stalking the sideline after all, rallied with three touchdowns in a 10-minute span starting late in the third quarter.

The nation’s top scoring offense ultimately got the emphatic upper hand in a battle with the Bulldogs (3-1) and one of the nation’s best defenses.

“This was an obvious great win against a very, very good football team,” said Saban, who was cleared early in the day after a false COVID positive. “I was very proud of the way our guys fought in the game.

“I sort of knew it was going to be a 15-round fight, and we wouldn’t be winning until the late rounds.”

Georgia had no answer for Jones and star receivers Jaylen Waddle and Devonta Smith, especially with Alabama’s own beleaguered defense grabbing two secondhalf interceptions and three overall. Freshman Malachi Moore had one at the goal line and returned it 42 yards.

Smith caught 11 passes for 167 yards and two touchdowns, including one in the fourth quarter that effectively put it out of reach.

Waddle caught a 90-yard touchdown pass and gained 161 yards on six catches.

Alabama 41, Georgia 24

Jones completed 24 of 32 passes and was strong after an interception on the opening play.

“The goal was just to win the game,” Jones said. “You can look at their defense. They have good players in the secondary, they have good linebackers, they have good defensive linemen but so do we.”

Then there was some oldschool ground and pound too. Najee Harris gained 152 yards on 31 carries carries with a touchdown during that game-clinching span. He did it against the nation’s top run defense, which came in allowing 38 rushing yards and 12.3 points per game.

Georgia’s Stetson Bennett completed 18 of 40 passes for 269 yards and two touchdowns, including an 82yarder to James Cook. But he threw three interceptions.

Bennett was angry with himself over his mistakes, especially that final interception throwing across his body, calling it “just stupid.”

“I was frustrated with myself,” the former walk-on said.

Alabama got a boost about seven hours before the game when the SEC cleared Saban to return to business of usual, determining a Wednesday COVID test was a false positive. He tested negative Thursday, Friday and Saturday.

“That was very emotional,” he said.

“It was very crazy,” Jones said. “We were in our little quarterback meeting and he just showed up.”

The Tide has won the last six meetings with Georgia. This was the first one that didn’t go down to the wire. Georgia’s defense allowed 564 yards.