Tide reestablishes itself as a national force with rout
ATHENS, Ga. — With its season in the balance, No. 13 Alabama had quite a response Saturday.
The Crimson Tide is still very much a force in the national race.
Jake Coker ran the offense to perfection, the defense turned in a dominating performance, and Alabama even got a touchdown from its special teams in a 38-10 rout of No. 8 Georgia.
Alabama (4-1, 1-1 Southeastern Conference) jumped ahead, 24-3, at halftime and all but iced the victory on Georgia’s first offensive play of the second half. Eddie Jackson intercepted a pass from the Bulldogs’ second quarterback, Brice Ramsey, and returned it 50 yards for a touchdown.
After a discouraging, five-turnover loss to Mississippi in its SEC opener two weeks ago, the Tide looked more like itself on a rainy day between the hedges.
“I told them before the game that the plan we had for them, ordinary men couldn’t go out there and get it done,” said Coach Nick Saban, whose team avoided its first 0-2 start in the SEC since 1990. “We needed them to be extraordinary.” They were. Saban was about as close to gleeful as he can get.
“I know they’ve been criticized a lot, but I thought we played an outstanding game today, every part of the game,” he said.
Indeed, the Tide scored touchdowns on offense, defense and in the kicking game.
Coker, with an assist from Lane Kiffin’s play-calling, completed 11 of 16 passes for 190 yards, passed for one touchdown, and ran for another. Derrick Henry rushed for 148 yards and scored on a 30-yard run that put Alabama ahead to stay midway through the second quarter.
Georgia’s Nick Chubb rushed for 146 yards, which extended his streak of 100yard games to 13 in a row.