Ty Simpson and Alabama made sure history changed hands on Saturday night. The Crimson Tide quarterback passed for 276 yards and two touchdowns and added a rushing score as No. 17 Alabama held off No. 5 Georgia 24-21, snapping the Bulldogs’ 33-game home winning streak and handing them their first defeat at Sanford Stadium since 2019.
Alabama (3-1, 1-0 SEC) has rebounded from its season-opening loss at Florida State with three straight victories, while Georgia (3-1, 1-1) once again found itself unable to climb over its longtime nemesis. The Bulldogs fell to 1-7 against the Crimson Tide under head coach Kirby Smart, a former Alabama defensive coordinator.
“This was about resilience,” Simpson said. “We knew the streak they had, we knew the challenge, but we came here to make a statement.”
Alabama struck early, building a 17-7 lead in the first half behind Simpson’s precision passing and a defense that bottled up Georgia’s air attack. The Bulldogs, who last week overcame a 21-7 halftime deficit in a dramatic 44-41 overtime win at Tennessee, once again tried to rally. But the Tide never relinquished control.
With Alabama clinging to a 24-21 lead early in the fourth quarter, Georgia drove to the Tide 8-yard line. On fourth-and-1, defensive lineman LT Overton stuffed running back Cash Jones for a 2-yard loss — the Bulldogs’ last best chance. Georgia’s final possession ended in a punt, and Alabama milked the final 3:19 off the clock.
Georgia’s offense leaned on freshman running back Chauncey Bowens after starter Nate Frazier fumbled in the second quarter. Bowens impressed, rushing 12 times for 119 yards and a touchdown, including a 43-yard breakaway. Wide receiver Dillon Bell added another 43-yard run as part of a rushing attack that piled up 227 yards. But the Bulldogs’ passing game sputtered, managing just 130 yards through the air.
Alabama’s defense suffered a blow in the third quarter when a booth-initiated review led to a targeting call on defensive tackle James Smith. Smith was disqualified after a helmet-to-helmet hit on Bowens, thinning the Tide’s defensive line rotation for the second half.
Georgia’s 33-game home winning streak was the longest active run in the FBS and a school record. It included 10 victories over ranked opponents. The Bulldogs’ last loss in Athens came on Oct. 12, 2019 — a 20-17 double-overtime defeat to South Carolina.
“This one stings,” Smart admitted. “We had our chances. Alabama played tough, and we didn’t finish.”
The Crimson Tide return to Tuscaloosa to host No. 18 Vanderbilt, which improved to 5-0 for the first time since 2008 after a 55-35 win over Utah State. The Bulldogs stay home to face Kentucky, which is coming off a 35-13 loss to South Carolina.
