With the college football world watching, Alabama football introduced itself to the SEC in a major way Saturday night.
The No. 4 Crimson Tide downed No. 1 Georgia 41-34 at Bryant-Denny Stadium for Alabama 's first conference win of the 2024 campaign.
After losing the lead on a Carson Beck 67-yard score with less than three minutes left, Alabama quarterback Jalen Milroe threw a 75-yard touchdown pass to Ryan Williams gave the Crimson Tide the lead. Cornerback Zabien Brown secured the win with 43 seconds left with an interception in the end zone.
Alabama has two-straight wins against Georgia after beating the Bulldogs in the 2023 SEC Championship.
Here are three takeaways from No. 4 Alabama (4-0, 1-0 SEC) vs. No. 1 Georgia (3-1, 1-1).
The stage was set. Milroe, Alabama's quarterback, flanked behind center in the biggest game in college football. It's a moment he's been in before. And based on how he rose to the occasion against a nationally-renowned Bulldogs defense, it's one he will be on again.
Milroe picked Georgia apart, leading an efficient – at times imperfect – and explosive scheme that has become the calling card of the Crimson Tide with coach Kalen DeBoer and offensive coordinator Nick Sheridan behind the controls. It was diverse, a healthy balance of run and pass that left the Bulldogs unable to respond.
Mantras that remain Jalen Milroe's foundation before Alabama football vs Georgia
The cast of characters around Milroe rotated. But the Alabama quarterback was at the center of it all, and he was not intimidated.
When he needed it most, after Georgia had found some momentum against him, Milroe had his signature moment: a 75-yard score to Williams to take a lead the Crimson Tide wouldn't lose in the final three minutes of the win.
Georgia had no answers for Milroe early, who passed for more than 300 yards and ran for more than 100 while producing four touchdowns. And the Crimson Tide finished victorious because of it.
Kane Wommack and the Alabama defense arrived with a reputation as a bend-but-don't-break unit, one that doesn't utilize a lot of pressure, but shuts offenses down when absolutely necessary.
Alabama was not doing much differently against Georgia. Bulldogs quarterback Carson Beck didn't see much pressure initially. But Beck had nowhere to throw against Wommack's 4-2-5 front, one that gave him fits, that forced throws downfield, which allowed the Crimson Tide to become opportunistic. Pressure later became an added bonus, with players like Keanu Koht, Jihaad Campbell and Qua Russaw forcing themselves in the Bulldogs backfield.
Wommack recognized the talent of Beck and the Georgia offense in the days leading up to Saturday night. But it was never about stopping Georgia. It was about introducing the SEC to his "swarm" identity.
Georgia put together long scoring drives in the second half to give Alabama some discomfort but the unit held off the Bulldogs just enough to assure a victory.
DeBoer had never been a part of an SEC win before Saturday night, having faced teams like LSU , Tennessee and even Alabama as an offensive coordinator for programs such as Eastern Michigan, Fresno State and Indiana .
But in front of a sellout crowd that included Alabama coaching legend Nick Saban as part of the ESPN "College GameDay" crew, DeBoer introduced himself as the coach who had a 12-2 record as a head coach against AP Top 25 teams.
In Alabama's first SEC game without Saban since 2006, DeBoer looked like he belonged.
Colin Gay covers Alabama football for The Tuscaloosa News, part of the USA TODAY Network. Reach him at cgay@gannett.com or follow him @_ColinGay on X, formerly known as Twitter.
This article originally appeared on The Tuscaloosa News: Takeaways from Alabama football statement win vs Georgia
