Media reacts to back-and-forth first half of Alabama-Georgia game
No. 2 and No. 3 have played things just about even in the first half in Tuscaloosa. With under a minute left in the half, Georgia scored to go up 24-17 and Alabama answered with a 52-yard field goal as time expired to cut it to 24-20.
Georgia’s defense has slowed down but not completely shut down Alabama’s high-powered offense. When the Bulldogs have the ball, Stetson Bennett IV is showing he can make plays on college football’s biggest stage, bouncing back strong from an early interception.
It’s not quite what we saw last week between Alabama and Ole Miss, but the UGA offense is able to move and score points on the much-maligned Crimson Tide defense.
Here’s a small sample of media reactions to the first half:
Alabama and Georgia looks like real football!!
— Ryan Clark (@Realrclark25) October 18, 2020
Bama’s D no longer scares anybody. Linebackers a liability. Plus, Saban knows now he can’t play man to man. Bennett deserves respect now!
— Tim Brando (@TimBrando) October 18, 2020
Georgia’s D is not scared of playing man coverage even with all that speed that Bama has.
— David Pollack (@davidpollack47) October 18, 2020
Buddy, Bama is trying to run Cine to death tonight and staying away from Richie
— Michael Felder (@InTheBleachers) October 18, 2020
Georgia challenges every single throw. No soft zones. Everything is aggressive.
— Derek Tyson (@DerekJTyson) October 18, 2020
When I saw James Cook at AA Bowl, I thought he had a chance to be as good of a WR as RB. Very comfortable out there.
— Barton Simmons (@bartonsimmons) October 18, 2020
Bennett is savvy. Checking down and comfortable and frankly Alabama’s D getting gauged up the gut and in the perimeter.
— Tim Brando (@TimBrando) October 18, 2020
Alabama when a RB comes out of the backfield pic.twitter.com/eTn3P4qqS3
— Clint Lamb (@ClintRLamb) October 18, 2020
Also, why is there always somebody on Alabama who runs perfect routes?
— Tom Fornelli (@TomFornelli) October 18, 2020
Impressive answer drive there by Bama…
— Landry Football (@LandryFootball) October 18, 2020
Feel like Alabama could just rotate wheel routes between three WRs and Najee Harris and score every play
— Matt Brown (@MattBrownCFB) October 18, 2020
Bama WRs are so good.
— Pat Forde (@ByPatForde) October 18, 2020
Making this trust fund kid look like Michael Vick.
— Hunter Johnson (@HunterLJohnson) October 18, 2020
A walk on QB is shredding our D😔☹️
— BamaHammer (@Bama_Hammer) October 18, 2020
Dawgs also getting a lot of manageable third downs. https://t.co/buzJ3lLFHV
— Ralph D. Russo (@ralphDrussoAP) October 18, 2020
Spotting the ball is hard. How in the world did they overturn that Georgia spot?
— Kevin McGuire (@KevinOnCFB) October 18, 2020
HOW does Alabama fall for that. My goodness.
— Pat Forde (@ByPatForde) October 18, 2020
When you get called for jumping offside on a fourth and short… pic.twitter.com/nfqSUuDHZK
— Kevin McGuire (@KevinOnCFB) October 18, 2020
lol that we managed to bait an Alabama defense into two offsides jumps in one play
— Amanda Mull (@amandamull) October 18, 2020
The Mailman … delivered. #iknowiknow
— Nicole Auerbach (@NicoleAuerbach) October 18, 2020
mailman delivers again
— Booger (@ESPNBooger) October 18, 2020
It’s the little things missing in UGAs passing game…ball out little late here, incomplete route here, good play design but overthrow etc…but they finally get it on crosser…Nice play design to simplify for there…Nice answer for Dawgs.
— Landry Football (@LandryFootball) October 18, 2020
Hit the third one. The hardest one. https://t.co/KHzgKpvGWY
— Ralph D. Russo (@ralphDrussoAP) October 18, 2020
Nick Saban's presence not helping the Alabama defense. Again.
— Kevin Scarbinsky (@KevinScarbinsky) October 18, 2020
Georgia has scored touchdowns when they get down in the redzone and that’s huge when you are playing an explosive offense like bama!! Pressure squarely on bama to respond in this game
— DjShockley (@DjShockley3) October 18, 2020
The silence in these limited capacity stadiums when the home team falls behind is deafening #UGAvsALA @JOXRoundtable
— Jim Dunaway (@jimdunaway) October 18, 2020
Gonna take 40 to win. That's the part I am looking at the most. Talked about it on the show with @TheSamAcho UGA's gotta come out scoring in the 2nd half not try to sit on a lead
— Michael Felder (@InTheBleachers) October 18, 2020
Damn, and people thought it was just Ole Miss making Bama's D look bad.
— Desmond Howard (@DesmondHoward) October 18, 2020
Love the confidence by Bennett has had balls batted down, he has missed some throws but when they have needed him the most he has came thru
— DjShockley (@DjShockley3) October 18, 2020
What a way to cap the half. Will Reichard makes a 52-yard field goal.
Georgia leads 24-20 in what has been a dandy.
— Ross Dellenger (@RossDellenger) October 18, 2020
Alabama just hit a 52-yard field goal, NOW this year is ridiculous.
— Stewart Mandel (@slmandel) October 18, 2020
OMG!! Reichard made it!!!
He made it from 52 yards!!!
Bama has a KICKER!
— Stephen M. Smith (@CoachingMSmith) October 18, 2020
52 yard BOMBBBBB #ForTheBrand
— Pat McAfee (@PatMcAfeeShow) October 18, 2020
So far the MVPs of the game are this excellent Birmingham-based officiating crew. Trying to find a way to take that TD away? Not even I can Gump that hard.
We know UGA can play with bama for 3 and 3/4 quarters with bama. What they need to show is that they can play 4 full quarters and can finish against bama.
They cant , they are overrated . That elite defense isnt very elite when they play a good offense. Florida will lut up at least 40 on them to. Except them to lose at least 2 more games after tonight’s butt kicking they receive
So the media hasn’t noticed that there are kickers (in the SEC and elsewhere) hitting 50+ field goals these days? Yeah those are fun (every week).
Pretty sure they know. The joke is the fact they aren’t used to seeing Alabama because for the longest, Alabama kickers miss kicks you expect them to hit
What a RK Maroon. It was a joke since Bama kickers have missed a slew of FG/EP. A 50+ FG from Bama has been rare.
Nobody named stetson bennett 4 can beat bama. Inaccurate, too short to see receivers.choker!! #7 can’t catch either. Bama Clemson again.
Uga makes me sick every year same crap. All hype, that defense is getting lit up. I dont think Kirby could win with an nfl defense. He recruits 5 stars but cant coach them . Stetson Bennett shouldn’t be allowed to step on another college field