Gunner Stockton and Georgia finally slammed the door on Alabama’s long-standing mastery of one of college football’s fiercest rivalries.
Stockton threw three touchdown passes and added 39 yards on the ground as No. 3 Georgia overpowered No. 10 Alabama 28–7 in the SEC Championship Game on Saturday, delivering the Bulldogs’ first-ever title-game win over the Crimson Tide and strengthening their claim to a first-round bye in the College Football Playoff.
The performance — steady, efficient, and unflappable — earned Stockton game MVP honors after he completed 20 of 26 passes for 156 yards. But the significance went well beyond statistics.
For Georgia’s fourth-year core, including Stockton, this was the long-awaited breakthrough. The Bulldogs had been 0–4 against Alabama in the SEC title game and just 1–7 overall against the Tide under Kirby Smart. On Saturday, all of that changed.
Georgia (12–1, No. 3 CFP) entered its fifth consecutive SEC Championship appearance looking for redemption — and delivered. The win gave the Bulldogs their fourth conference crown under Smart and the 16th in program history. It also marked consecutive SEC championships, further cementing this era as one of the most dominant stretches in school history.
A commanding 21–0 lead established Georgia’s grip on the game long before the drama of Alabama’s late push could threaten it. And when the Bulldogs needed closing power, they delivered again.
Alabama (10–3, No. 9 CFP) entered the week feeling secure after climbing in the playoff rankings. That confidence evaporated as Georgia controlled every phase.
The Crimson Tide now must await Sunday’s playoff announcement with uneasy anticipation. A second straight season without a CFP appearance under head coach Kalen DeBoer is suddenly very possible.
Georgia thrived on second chances — continuing a remarkable pattern under Smart. His teams are now 4–0 in rematch scenarios, adding this victory to second-shot wins over Auburn (2017), Alabama (2021 national championship), and Texas (2024 SEC Championship).
Cole Speer broke through to block Blake Doud’s punt in the first quarter, giving Georgia the ball at the Alabama 21. Nate Frazier burst for 14 yards on the first snap, and on 3rd-and-goal Stockton rolled right and tossed a 1-yard touchdown to Roderick Robinson II.
Daylon Everette picked off Ty Simpson after KJ Bolden deflected the pass, setting Georgia up near midfield. Stockton capped the short field with another 1-yard TD pass, this time to Dillon Bell, for a 14–0 advantage.
The Bulldogs’ third touchdown came on their opening second-half possession, a nine-yard Nate Frazier run sprung by a sharp block from London Humphreys.
Alabama mounted the largest comeback in SEC Championship history in 2018 when it erased a 14-point deficit to beat Georgia. The Tide also had a habit of flipping games against Smart whenever trailing at half — entering Saturday, Alabama was 3–0 in such situations against the Bulldogs.
This time, there was no rally. Simpson found Germie Bernard for a 23-yard touchdown early in the fourth quarter, cutting the lead to 21–7. But on a do-or-die fourth-and-2 from the Alabama 12, Simpson’s pass fell incomplete with 8:17 left.
Georgia answered immediately and decisively. Stockton hit Zachariah Branch on a 13-yard strike to put the game away, sealing a victory years in the making.
Georgia now heads to the Sugar Bowl in New Orleans for its CFP quarterfinal matchup, carrying momentum — and confidence — after exorcising its greatest conference nemesis. Alabama waits nervously for its fate.
But on this night in Atlanta, there was no debate: Georgia finally stood tall, and the Bulldogs made sure everyone knew it.
