Three weeks ago, Alabama defensive coordinator Kane Wommack drew a parallel between this year's defense and the legendary, national-championship-winning 2015 unit. At the time of the statement, the Crimson Tide had just allowed 36 points to Florida State, while letting the Seminoles convert 8-of-14 third downs.
Wommack's players responded by forcing six turnovers over the next two games, shutting down South Carolina and Mississippi State in consecutive weeks and reminding the nation that this defense is uber-talented and has shown flashes of elite play.
But those flashes were few and far between on Saturday, as the Crimson Tide fell 20-17 to Georgia at Bryant-Denny Stadium.
Whatever positives there were for a defense that, to be fair, did hold the Bulldogs to less than half of their average point total against SEC opponents this year were entirely overshadowed by the negatives, which often came on third down.
Georgia converted on seven of its 13 third downs, with an average distance of 7.7 yards needed to move the chains. In this article, we'll look at some of those conversions, as well as a few of the defense's other blunders, as we try to figure out if Wommack's statement holds any water.
We have to first acknowledge that Gunner Stockton is one of the best quarterbacks on short throws in the nation. He entered the game 25-for-27 on passes shorter than 10 yards. Stopping the Bulldogs on third-and-short was always going to be a tall task, which is why this second-quarter third-and-three conversion is hardly a surprise.
But he was also able to generate explosives.
Jaden Reddell gets a step on Bray Hubbard in the middle of the field, Stockton recognizes it, and the result is a 53-yard pickup that would lead to the Bulldogs' first touchdown of the game on the following play.
Stockton does deserve a ton of credit for his performance, especially in the first half, when Georgia's success was more a result of his polish, rather than a byproduct of Alabama's poor play (coming shortly). Here, the fifth-year senior delivers a strike on third-and-six on the following drive to move the chains.
There's not much to fault Zabien Brown for, as he is all over the receiver. Xavier Griffin even got a piece of the ball, but it didn't matter. It's a great route from Talyn Taylor and a great throw.
I wrote a few weeks ago about G.B.O.T. (Get Back on Track) plays, and how Alabama has largely done a very good job of setting up third-and-manageables in second-and-long situations. Two can play at that game, as we see Taylor generate separation from Dijon Lee, allowing Georgia to move the chains on second-and-15.
Much of the focus of this article is on the secondary, for good reason, but we do need to address the fact that Alabama's defensive line had, by far, its worst showing of the season. Yhonzae Pierre recorded the only sack of the game in the second quarter, but, beyond that, Georgia feasted on the ground. With the Bulldogs' top two running backs out, Dwight Phillips and Bo Walker combined for 189 rushing yards, and holes like this were a big reason why.
Georgia's offensive line dominated. Pierre, Devan Thompkins, Terrance Green, Kedrick Bingley-Jones, and London Simmons have formed the core of a defensive front that had appeared to take a huge step forward from last year, but this game casts doubt on its ability against a truly elite line.
Now, back to Lee. Stockton makes another excellent throw on third-and-seven, but Lee absolutely should be able to break this up. You can see him trying to locate the ball, but he is unable to find it and loses to true freshman Craig Dandridge.
Remember this matchup.
That drive would end with Georgia's second and final touchdown of the day, a 14-yard rush from Stockton.
Lee is lost here. Pause the video at 0:02 or 0:22, as Stockton crosses the line of scrimmage. The sophomore's reaction is delayed, and you can see him freeze up for a split second. That's just not something we should be seeing from someone who has been praised so much in the past for his natural instincts.
After Alabama tied the game up with a Conor Talty field goal, the defense had the opportunity to set Keelon Russell & Co. up with good field position. Wommack decided to rush three on third-and-four, but it didn't occur to any of the eight dropped back in coverage to cover the flat.
Yhonzae Pierre has been dropped into coverage less than many expected this season, and the rust is on display here, as he is presumably the player supposed to cover the flat. As a result of the miscue, there isn't even anybody in Taylor's vicinity here. This is as free as it gets.
Taylor is left wide open in the flat. | ABC
On the very next play, we got another reminder that Alabama's front didn't do the defense many favors.
Tight end Elyiss Williams (81) seals Pierre, and freshman Zykie Helton (55) makes this all happen, taking both Simmons and Luke Metz out of the play. Add in tackle Juan Gaston (73) folding Bray Hubbard, and Phillips executing a flawless spin move on Keon Sabb, and the result is a 31-yard run.
This could easily turn into an all-encompassing 2,500-word expos on Alabama's struggles, but the Crimson Tide's biggest problem ultimately was in the secondary, wearing a No. 5 jersey.
Lee was bad. He's struggled all season, but this was the worst game he's played in crimson and white. And this was his worst play from the game.
He is once again entirely lost. This ball is underthrown, and he doesn't even know it until it is too late. The sophomore is on an island with Taylor for a reason; he showed an ability throughout the 2025 season to win these matchups. From Duce Robinson's dominance to Nyck Harbor's touchdown, that has not been the case this year.
Backup Carmelo O'Neal got on the field in Lee's stead after the penalty, and fought through a block to help Alabama actually get a third-down stop minutes later.
O'Neal, a transfer from Mercer, drew significant praise in fall camp , and despite some struggles in Alabama's first few games, looked solid in his limited action against the Bulldogs.
Despite all of the third-down conversions, gaping holes, and blown coverages, Wommack's defense had the chance to be heroes. But with Georgia facing a third-and-eight with three minutes to play, up by three, Stockton made one of his best plays of the day, throwing a bullet to the 6-foot-7 Williams.
You all know what happened next. Dandridge, who got the better of Lee on that third-and-seven in the third quarter, drew Lee into throwing a punch, prompting the unsportsmanlike conduct penalty that sealed Alabama's fate right as the team was set to get one final shot at stopping the Bulldogs on third down.
It felt like a fitting end for Alabama's defense and one symbolic of the unit's performance as a whole. The Crimson Tide slowed down Georgia's offense in a way that no other team has this year. But in the biggest moments, it couldn't get the Bulldogs off the field. And Lee, who had been at the center of so many of those moments, turned a bad, but still redeemable, day into a nightmare for himself and the team.
Wommack pointed to the 2015 defense after Florida State as proof that a bad game can be the start of something great. Alabama's defense answered with urgency, forcing the six turnovers across two dominant performances. But the problem the Seminoles exposed, the third-down ineptitude, is the same one Georgia exploited, and, until it's fixed, the 2015 comparison remains an aspiration and not a reality.
That 2015 team lost a game and found its identity. This one still has a lot of questions to answer, starting with how it uses a cornerback who just threw a punch in the biggest moment of the season.
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This article was originally published on www.si.com/college/alabama as FILM: Alabama's Defense Couldn't Get Off the Field Against Georgia .
