ALABAMA BEATS GEORGIA FOR NATIONAL TITLE
Freshman QB Tagovailoa comes off bench, breaks Bulldogs’ hearts
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 College Football Playoff 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 (13-1) in the final seconds of regulation, Georgia (13-2) took the lead with a 51-yard field goal from Rodrigo Blankenship in overtime.
Tagovailoa took a terrible sack on Alabama’s first play of overtime, losing 16 yards. But on the next play he found Smith, another freshman, streaking down the sideline and hit him in stride for the national championship.
“They had split safeties,” Tagovailoa said of Georgia’s defense on the final play. “I took a shot down field, and (Smith) caught it.”
This game will be remembered for Saban’s decision to change quarterbacks trailing 13-0.
“I just thought we had to throw the ball, and I felt he could do it
better, and he did,” Saban said. “He did a good job, made some plays in the passing game. Just a great win. I’m so happy for Alabama fans. Great for our players. Unbelievable.”
Saban now has six major poll national championships, including one at LSU, matching the record set by the man who led Alabama’s last dynasty, coach Paul Bear Bryant.
This one was nothing like the others.
The all-Southeastern Conference matchup was all Georgia in the first half before Saban pulled Hurts and went with the five-star recruit from Hawaii to start the second half.
The Tide trailed 13-0 at halftime and 20-7 in the third quarter after Georgia’s freshman quarterback, Jake Fromm, hit Mecole Hardman for an 80-yard touchdown pass that had the Georgia fans feeling good about ending a national title drought that dates to 1980.
Alabama’s freshman quarterback didn’t much time to get nervous, because he learned at halftime that he was going into the game.
“I found out when we were in the locker room,” Tagovailoa said. “Coach (Saban) brought the quarterbacks together and made the statement that, ‘Tua, you’re going to start the second half.’ ”
Hurts was gracious in handing over the reins, visibly rooting for the freshman and then celebrating with him after the victory.
Asked what Hurts’ message was to Tagovailoa at halftime, the sophomore quarterback said: “‘Ball. Play your game.’ He has the ‘it’ factor, and I’m so happy for him and for this team.”
Tagovailoa had played in eight games this season. He completed 35-of-53 passes for 470 yards with eight touchdowns against one interception, mostly in mop-up duty. Hurts, meanwhile, was the Southeastern Conference offensive player of the year as a freshman last season.
President Donald Trump attended the first half of the game and was on the field during the national anthem. But he had left by the time things got rolling in the third quarter.
So the president missed most of the scoring. With about six minutes left, Alabama had closed to within 20-13 of its SEC rival from Athens, Ga.