ATLANTA, Georgia — Alabama’s Eddie Lacy ran for 181 yards and won most valuable player honors in Saturday’s 32-28 SEC Championship Game win over Georgia. The league put together a highlight video of his best plays:
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ATLANTA, Georgia — Video of Saturday’s 45-yard winning touchdown pass from AJ McCarron to Amari Cooper. The video comes from the SEC and has several replays, too.
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We have one highlight package for you, and it comes from the Southeastern Conference. We had the ESPN package, but the network apparently took it down.
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Alabama celebrates winning the SEC game.
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ATLANTA, Georgia — Nick Saban assured the masses they were in for a 15-round fight.
It felt like 50. And for everybody from SEC diehards to football purists, every twist and turn of Saturday night’s SEC Championship Game was glorious.
The SEC couldn’t have asked for a much better exhibit to showcase the degree of difficulty in winning the nation’s premier conference.
No program has done that more than Alabama, so in that regard it was fitting the Crimson Tide survived 32-28 over Georgia in an epic clash in front of 75,624 delirious fans at the Georgia Dome.
No. 2-ranked Alabama’s 23rd SEC title – and the Crimson Tide’s (12-1) subsequent reward of trying to defend its national championship Jan. 7 in South Florida vs. No. 1 Notre Dame (12-0) – remained in doubt until every last second had ticked off.
“We kind of had that, I-would-not-be-denied attitude out there today,” said Alabama coach Nick Saban, who improved to 4-1 in SEC Championship games. “This conference will test your mettle.”
Given 68 seconds (with no timeouts remaining) to go 85 yards, Georgia junior quarterback Aaron Murray nearly pulled off the most incredulous comeback imaginable.
A couple of downfield hookups to Tavarres King and Arthur Lynch helped No. 3 Georgia (11-2) land 8 yards from victory, with 15 seconds to go. The clock winded when everybody was set, and the Bulldogs chose to go for it right then and there.
“Spiking the ball takes time,” Georgia coach Mark Richt said. “We had plenty of time to call a play, so the goal was to take a shot at their back right end of the end zone.”
Murray’s pass was deflected and accidentally caught by flanker Chris Conley, who was immediately downed at the 5-yard-line. The final few seconds ticked off, and the Crimson Tide burst into pandemonium while Georgia’s sideline deflatedly sunk, staring out as the streamers cascaded from the rafters on victorious Alabama.
Though Saturday was dominated by the run game, Alabama junior quarterback AJ McCarron launched the game-winning pass, a 45-yard strike to true freshman Amari Cooper.
“That guy’s a freak of nature, especially for a freshman,” McCarron said of Cooper (seven receptions, 127 yards). “He’s a full-speed guy at all times.”
There were five lead changes from the final play of the first half on. The Bulldogs briefly held the largest advantage, going up 21-10 when Alec Ogletree returned a blocked field goal 55 yards midway through the third quarter.
“We made our mind up at the beginning of the week, that this was going to be a dogfight. Sixty minutes,” Alabama senior linebacker Nico Johnson said. “That’s what we got. No matter what the adversity or circumstances, we kept fighting until the last whistle blows.”
And to think, there wasn’t a single point in the first quarter, unprecedented in the SEC title game.
Alabama’s 350 rushing yards set an SEC championship record. Game MVP Eddie Lacy (181 yards, two touchdowns) and T.J. Yeldon (153) were the first pair of teammates to each surpass the century mark in title-game history, which they each did by the end of the third quarter.
“He was pretty relentless – Eddie did as fine a job as anybody has ever done for us,”
Saban said. “The way we were able to run the ball, especially in the second half, was probably the difference in the game.”
They were countered by Georgia’s Todd Gurley, who rolled up 122 rushing yards and with his two scores is now at 16 on the year, topping Herschel Walker for the program’s most touchdowns by a freshman.
Georgia saw its six-game winning streak snapped, and awaits its bowl destination announcement Sunday. Saban emphasized the opposing Bulldogs deserve to play in a BCS bowl game, though it’s unlikely with four other SEC teams in the top ten.
“I told them, I was disappointed, but I wasn’t disappointed in them,” Richt said. “That was the main thing. I told them they were warriors. It was a knock-down, drag-out fight and everybody swung to the end.
“We had a chance at the end, we just didn’t get it done.”
The Crimson Tide won’t have to sweat it out. They’ll go for their third national title in four years, seemingly unthinkable a month ago after losing at home to Texas A&M before Kansas State and Oregon losses reopened the door.
“After that loss, we just had to stay focused, and we weren’t worried about the outcome of other games,” Lacy said. “The chips fell where they fell because we played the way we were supposed to.”
The SEC West has won four straight league titles – three by Alabama and the fourth by Auburn, in 2010 – the division’s longest such streak.
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The Georgia Dome about two hours before kickoff.
–The Southeastern Conference has issued 857 media credentials for today’s championship game between Alabama and Georgia.
–Alabama beat Florida in the first SEC Championship Game 28-21 with Tide defensive back Antonio Langham scoring on a 27-yard interception return with 3:16 to play. In the past 20 SEC Championship Games, 13 have featured a defensive touchdown.
–Alabama quarterback AJ McCarron is wearing a gray bowtie with crimson dots to the Georgia Dome today.
–ESPN’s Lee Corso picked Alabama to win in the network’s popular Gameday show this morning. He put on the Big Al elephant head, and unlike when he did the same a month ago at Baton Rouge, nobody snuck an anti-Bama button onto the mascot prop.
–It’s 66 degrees and sunny outside the Georgia Dome. It’s 72 degrees inside.
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Nick Saban’s 2009 Alabama team beat Florida in the SEC Championshp Game. (AP photo by David Goldman)
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ATLANTA — The last time Alabama played in the Georgia Dome, the Crimson Tide whipped Tim Tebow‘s Florida Gators and won the program’s first SEC title in 10 years.
The players enjoyed a shower of confetti after the dominating 32-13 victory, and for a little while at least, they celebrated their championship as if nothing else mattered.
So, if you’re wondering if Alabama will look past Georgia today and peek ahead just a little to Notre Dame and the BCS National Championship Game, consider that day in 2009.
“I was a freshman that year, and in a way, the SEC Championship Game was more fun than the national championship game,” senior linebacker Nico Johnson said. “It’s a great place to play, and it’s a great game.”
That memory appears to have motivated the Tide players old enough to be part of it, as No. 2-ranked Alabama (11-1) faces No. 3 Georgia (11-1) today in the Georgia Dome.
Four current Tide players appeared in that 2009 game, including Johnson, safety Robert Lester, offensive lineman Barrett Jones and tight end Michael Williams.
“We remember how that game felt,” Williams said.
Today also is a chance for Alabama to gain a bit of redemption from a year ago. Even though the Tide won the national championship, it didn’t qualify for the SEC Championship Game. LSU beat Georgia in last year’s game.
“It was a big deal for our team because that was one of the goals this year and now we have a chance to go out the same way we came in and as a senior unit and a leadership group, that’s what we try to do,” Williams said. “That’s what we strived to do this season.”
Lester played on special teams in 2009, making one solo tackle in the win over Florida.
“Just the title of it being the SEC championship makes it such a huge game,” he said. “Two SEC teams, two of the top SEC teams battling against each other in the Georgia Dome, what else can you say about it?”
And as for 2009, he added, “We played against a Florida team that had Tim Tebow, that was almost perfect. And they came out and made plays and we were ready for that game and played a great game.”
Senior offensive guard Chance Warmack played in five games in 2009, but didn’t appear in the SEC Championship Game. He is from Atlanta and is eager to get a chance to play in his hometown.
Also, he will play against Georgia for the first time. The Crimson Tide and Bulldogs haven’t played each other since 2008.
“Ah, man, people have been calling me since right after the Auburn game,” Warmack said. “It’s an exciting thing for me and for my teammates who are from Georgia. This is another type of game that you hope for.
“I had never played against Georgia before. I wasn’t here in 2008. I’m happy that everything arranged itself for me to play Georgia this year.”
Alabama coach Nick Saban has coached in this game four times, winning with LSU in 2001 and 2003 and Alabama in 2009 and losing with Alabama in 2008.
“To me, in all those games that I’ve been a part of, this is about as good as any game in the country other than the national championship game,” Saban said.
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Tagged Michael Williams, Nick Saban, Nico Johnson, Robert Lester
Alabama running back T.J. Yeldon needs 44 rushing yards to tie the school freshman season record. (AP photo by David Goldman)
When: 3 p.m., today
Where: Atlanta
Line: Alabama by 7.5
TV: CBS
Four-down territory
1. Stakes: The winner will go to the BCS National Championship Game and play No. 1 Notre Dame. There are more games on the schedule and another round of polls and computer rankings, but even a lightning strike of those computers won’t change that. Both Alabama and Georgia have a history with Notre Dame. Alabama lost to Notre Dame in the Sugar Bowl on Dec. 31, 1973, to lose The Associated Press national title. Seven years later, Georgia beat Notre Dame in the same bowl to clinch its last national crown.
2. Efficient quarterbacks: Georgia’s Aaron Murray ranks first nationally in passing efficiency with a 177.15 rating, while Alabama’s AJ McCarron sits at No. 2, not far behind at 176.26. For comparison, when Florida’s Tim Tebow led the nation in that statistic in 2009, his rating was 164.17. If McCarron has an edge, however, it’s in interceptions. Murray has throw 29 in 39 career starts, including seven this year, while McCarron has seven in 25 starts, with only two this season.
3. Keep up with Jones: Georgia linebacker Jarvis Jones ranks fourth in the nation with 10.5 quarterback sacks, although Alabama coach Nick Saban said it’s just as important how often he affects the quarterback. He has 30 quarterback pressures. Although that’s a statistic that rarely is scored the same from school to school and game to game, consider that Alabama’s leader is defensive end Damion Square with eight. Alabama faced the nation’s leader in sacks, Western Kentucky defensive lineman Quanterus Smith, who got three of his season total of 13 against the Tide.
4. Stopping the run: These two teams have the two top running back combos in the SEC. Georgia’s Todd Gurley (1,138 rushing yards) and Keith Marshall (720) have only 10 more yards combined than Alabama’s Eddie Lacy (1,001) and T.J. Yeldon (847). The Crimson Tide has an advantage, however: Alabama is ranked No. 2 nationally in stopping the run, while Georgia is 67th.
Key matchup
Alabama center Barrett Jones vs. Georgia noseguard John Jenkins: This matchup probably won’t decide the game, but it might be the most interesting and intriguing. Jones at 6-foot-5 and 302 pounds, while Jenkins is 6-3 and 351 pounds. If nothing else, they’ll throw a lot of weight around. But they also are two of the best at their positions. Jenkins hasn’t faced a center as good, smart and sound as Jones. Meanwhile, Jones hasn’t faced a noseguard as active and productive as Jenkins. If the rest of the action didn’t promise to be so exciting, it would be fun to keep the cameras trained on these two guys going at it.
Player of the week
AJ McCarron, QB, Jr., 6-4, 210: McCarron hammered away at a reeling Auburn squad last week by completing 15 of 21 passes for 216 yards and four touchdowns. It marked the fourth time in two years he has thrown four scoring passes in a game, which is his career high. Most importantly, he quarterbacked seven series, and Alabama scored a touchdown on all of them in a 49-0 win.
By the numbers
2: Today marks the second time these two teams have met while both are ranked in the top three. In 1942, No. 2 Georgia beat No. 3 Alabama in Athens 21-10. The Bulldogs went on to win the Rose Bowl.
6: If you don’t like Verne Lundquist and Gary Danielson, this hasn’t been a good season for you. Today is the sixth time they’ll broadcast an Alabama game this season for CBS.
44: Yeldon needs that many yards to match Terry Grant‘s school freshman rushing record, which was set in 2007.
70: Successful kicks out of 70 tries by Alabama’s Jeremy Shelley, including 60 extra points and 10 field goals. To be fair, he doesn’t attempt field goals of more than 45 yards, which are left to Cade Foster, who has made 4 of 8.
Prediction
This game has the makings of one of the best SEC Championship Games, matching up with Alabama’s 28-21 win over Florida in 1992, Florida’s 24-23 win over Alabama in 1994 and Tennessee’s 30-29 win over Auburn in 1997. Both teams are good and play similar physical styles with balanced offenses. They’re playing for a spot in the national title game, just just the conference crown. This should prove a terrific showcase for SEC football. Alabama 24, Georgia 23
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Rodney Cooper ranks second on the team in scoring. (AP photo by Vasha Hunt of Alabama Media Group)
Alabama will play at Cincinnati today in a basketball game. It overlaps the SEC Championship Game. If you’re inclined to turn over to ESPN2 and catch some hoops, this should be of some help.
When: 2 p.m. today
Where: Fifth Third Arena in Cincinnati
Record: Alabama 6-0, Cincinnati 6-0.
TV: ESPN2.
Alabama lineup: G Trevor Lacey, 6-3, So., 13.5 ppg., 3.2 rpg., 4.0 assists; G Trevor Releford, 6-0, Jr., 18.6 ppg., 3.4 assists; C Carl Engstrom, 7-1, Jr., 3.8 ppg., 3.2 rpg.; F Levi Randolph, 6-5, So., 7.0 ppg., 4.0 rpg.; F Rodney Cooper, 6-6, So., 15.8 ppg., 4.8 rpg.
Cincinnati lineup: G Cashmere Wright, 6-0, Sr., 16.5 ppg., 2.0 rpg., 3.0 assists; G Sean Kilpatrick, 6-4, Jr., 21.0 ppg., 6.7 rpg.; G JaQuon Parker, 6-3, Sr., 10.5 ppg., 4.5 rpg.; C Cheikh Mbodj, 6-10, Sr., 4.5 ppg., 4.8 rpg.; F Justin Jackson, 6-8, Jr., 4.3 ppg., 7.2 rpg.
Noteworthy: This is part of the SEC/Big East Challenge, and yes, you read the tipoff time correctly — it starts only an hour before the SEC football championship game kicks off. … This is the second straight year Alabama has started 6-0, following the Tide’s 8-0 beginning to last season. … Cincinnati’s two most impressive wins so far came over Iowa State and Oregon in the Global Sports Classic in Las Vegas. … Through Alabama’s six games, the Tide has allowed only 54.3 points a game. … Alabama is outscoring opponents off turnovers 124-60.
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