COVERAGE OF NATIONAL CHAMPIONSHIP FOOTBALL GAME,

’Bama turns tide in thriller

ATLANTA—Tua Tagovailoa threw a 41-yard touchdown to DeVonta Smith to give No. 4 Alabama a 26-23 overtime victory against No. 3 Georgia to win the national championship Monday night.

Tagovailoa entered the game at halftime, replacing a struggling Jalen Hurts, and threw three touchdown passes, including the game-ender to give the Crimson Tide its fifth national championship since 2009 under coach Nick Saban.

After Alabama kicker Andy Pappanastos missed a 37-yard field goal that would have won it for the Tide at the end of regulation, Georgia took the lead with a 51-yard field goal from Rodrigo Blankenship in overtime.

Tagovailoa took a terrible sack on Alabama’s first play, losing 16 yards. On the next play he found Smith, another freshman, streaking down the sideline and hit him in stride for the national championship.

Alabama 0 0 10 10 6—26 Georgia 0 13 7 0 3—23 Second Quarter UGA—FG Blankenship 41, 14:14 UGA—FG Blankenship 27, 7:33 UGA—Hardman 1 run (Blankenship kick), :07 Third Quarter

BAMA—Ruggs 6 pass from Tagovailoa (Pappanastos kick), 8:52 UGA—Hardman 80 pass from Fromm (Blankenship kick), 6:52 BAMA—FG Pappanastos 43, 5:15 Fourth Quarter

BAMA—FG Pappanastos 30, 9:24 BAMA—C.Ridley 7 pass from Tagovailoa (Pappanastos kick), 3:49 First Overtime

UGA—FG Blankenship 51, :00 BAMA—D.Smith 41 pass from Tagovailoa, :00

AP Photo/David J. Phillip Alabama’s Tony Brown breaks up a pass intended for Georgia’s Javon Wims during the first half of the College Football Playoff championship game Monday in Atlanta.