There’s one foremost distinction with how Georgia held Alabama to solely 18 factors to safe a nationwide championship after giving up 41 within the SEC title sport: it received Bryce Young on the bottom and it received stops within the crimson zone. Circumstances pressured a lot of the duty of successful this sport on Young, and issues broke in a different way within the sequel in particular spots because of how Georgia executed, particularly within the crimson zone, with a purpose to safe the Dawgs’ nationwide championship.
Primarily, Georgia’s defense turned sevens into threes and saved the sport movement from changing into a observe meet. The Dawgs’ offense was in a position to keep inside itself as a result of the defense saved breaking serve and never letting Alabama rack up factors to power the UGA offense to be pass-happy whereas chasing the sport.
Jordan Davis tackles Young.
Joshua L. Jones/USA TODAY NETWORK
Whereas it’s true that Georgia sacked Young 4 instances within the nationwide championship sport, three of them got here on the ultimate drive when the consequence was already determined. However one red-zone cease got here on a sack, and tells a narrative of how well timed the suitable stress will be on the quarterback.
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Within the SEC title sport, Georgia opted to spy Young at instances with defensive linemen. The issue with that grew to become uncovered on a few of his most back-breaking runs. Right here’s Jordan Davis retaining tabs on Young …
And right here’s Jalen Carter …
Carter and Davis are distinctive athletes, however it’s troublesome to ask them to chop off a scrambling jitterbug like Young when he takes off. You may see from the movie that they couldn’t, and it produced two of probably the most back-breaking performs within the 31–7 stretch the place Bama snatched the sport with 5 scoring drives in a row.
On a key red-zone cease to power a discipline objective within the second quarter of the nationwide title sport, Georgia opted to assault Young as quickly as he broke the pocket and used LB Channing Tindall to do it right here. Georgia’s line of defense punctures the pocket and flushes Young to at least one facet. Tindall cleans it up in area. The passing idea and Georgia’s protection of it means there’s no bail out for Young to throw the ball and it as an alternative turns into a cease on third down.
This comes one play after Bama tight finish Cameron Latu dropped a landing cross. The place stops within the crimson zone are involved, it doesn’t harm to be fortunate along with being good.
Though Young had a large open Ja’Corey Brooks on a crossing route on the primary drive of the sport, he ought to have had a large open Jahleel Billingsley as nicely. However Billingsley fell down whereas breaking open, and Bama opted for a discipline objective.
When you think about the quantity of stress the Dawgs received on the Heisman winner was just about the identical—39% of dropbacks on Monday night time versus 36% of dropbacks in December’s SEC championship sport—the little issues matter in an enormous means. This was a one-possession sport for many of the night time till Kelee Ringo’s punctuating pick-six. The under isn’t a sack, however it’s a hurried throw as Quay Walker bears down on Young. If the QB had time to set his ft and ship the ball, it’s possible on track. Young slams the bottom in frustration because the ball falls harmlessly to the turf, and Bama has to kick one other discipline objective.
Regardless of dealing with 85 performs, Georgia’s defense bowed up when it mattered probably the most. On performs that began on the UGA facet of the 50-yard line, Bama solely gained 53 yards on 30 performs. Georgia bowed up all the way in which into its personal crimson zone. At halftime of the SEC championship, as Young was operating round and away from his defense, Kirby Sensible advised CBS, “On the finish of the day you’ve gotta get to him or he’s gonna get you.”
Within the nationwide title sport, the mission was completed.
“We needed to have an effect on Bryce,” Sensible mentioned after the sport, “and we felt like if we might get off the sector on third down we might be more energizing and we might have an opportunity to hurry higher. I assumed coach [Dan] Lanning, Tray Scott, and [Glenn] Schumann did an incredible job placing the plan collectively, however the gamers carried it out.”
Extra School Football Protection:
• How Georgia Lastly Broke Via to Win It All
• Approach-Too-Early High 25 for 2022 Season
• Bennett’s Resolve Keys Georgia’s Nationwide Title
