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Freshman sensation Ryan Williams saved No. 4 Alabama from an epic collapse against No. 2 Georgia on Saturday night.
Williams made an incredible 75-yard touchdown catch with 2:18 left to give Alabama a 41-34 victory over the Bulldogs. Look at his ability to adjust to the ball while in the air, his awareness to stay in bounds, and the spin move to make Georgia defenders miss.
The touchdown came as Alabama was about to blow a 28-0 first-half lead. Georgia had gone ahead 34-33 (its first lead of the game) just 13 seconds before Williams crossed the goal line when Carson Beck hit Dillon Bell for a 67-yard touchdown pass after Bell got behind Alabama’s secondary.
The Bulldogs still had plenty of time after Williams’ touchdown and made it all the way to the Alabama 20. This time, another freshman sealed the game. Zabien Brown intercepted Beck in the end zone with 43 seconds left as Beck tried to beat him one-on-one.
It was the second consecutive play that Georgia targeted Brown in single coverage with a bigger receiver in Colbie Young.
“I knew he’s a smart guy and sooner or later he would read what’s going on and make a play,” Alabama coach Kalen DeBoer said after the game on ABC.
Georgia scored 19 straight points after Alabama went up 33-15 with 1:23 left in the third quarter. That Crimson Tide field goal was set up by another improbable catch by the 17-year-old Williams.
Aside from Williams’ heroics, Alabama’s offense was sluggish throughout the second half. It was a stark contrast to the first half, when Georgia couldn’t stop the Crimson Tide.
Alabama quarterback Jalen Milroe accounted for three of Alabama’s first four touchdowns and combined with Jam Miller to produce a highlight reel that shouldn’t be missed in what Williams did. When DeBoer made the smart decision to go for it on fourth-and-short in Georgia territory, Milroe took a shotgun snap with Miller beside him in the backfield.
Miller made a block that took Jalon Walker’s helmet off. The hit allowed Milroe to get to the edge and he spun up the sideline for a 36-yard touchdown run.
Milroe finished the game 27-of-33 passing for 374 yards and four total touchdowns with one interception. He also rushed 16 times for 117 yards and assumed status as the clear Heisman favorite in late September. With 18 combined passing and rushing TDs in four games, Milroe leads the country in touchdowns per game.
Carson Beck’s Hard Night
While Milroe shined in the first half, Beck never got on track. He found his groove in the second half as Georgia rallied furiously, but his struggles in the first half helped put the Bulldogs in a serious hole.
Beck threw three interceptions and also fumbled early in the fourth quarter when Alabama was up by 18. Beck’s first interception set up a short field for Alabama’s third touchdown of the night and he seemed bewildered by the Crimson Tide’s coverages during the first 30 minutes.
Beck finished the game completing 27 of 50 passes for 439 yards and three touchdowns.
Alabama’s second half drought
Georgia opened the second half with a punt, but Alabama quickly went within three. The Bulldogs followed with a long touchdown drive before Alabama needed Williams’ catch to set up a field goal to restore a three-possession lead.
In the three drives between Williams’ field goal and touchdown, Alabama ran a total of 14 plays for 41 yards. Aside from Williams’ two receptions (and excluding the team’s final drive of the game when Milroe ran out the clock), Alabama had just 62 yards of offense in the second half.
It was a streak of offensive futility that would have lived in infamy in DeBoer’s first SEC game if Bell’s touchdown had stood as the game-winning score or if Beck had thrown his final pass to a spot where Young could have made a play on Brown.
Ryan Williams has been great all season
Williams has been Alabama’s top receiver as a true freshman since the start of the season. He reclassified in the class of 2024 to sign with the Crimson Tide in January and was the No. 4 player in the country despite being younger than most players in his recruiting class at 17 years old.
Williams finished Saturday night’s game with six receptions for 177 yards. It’s already his second 100-yard game in 2024 and he has five touchdown receptions. On the season, Williams has 16 catches for 462 yards for an absurd 28.9 yards per catch. Williams and Ohio State freshman phenom Jeremiah Smith are already two of the best wide receivers in the country in their first month of college football.
