Alabama vs. Georgia: Game Grades, Analysis for Crimson Tide and Bulldogs

The Alabama Crimson Tide went to Athens, Georgia, on Saturday afternoon and took down the Georgia Bulldogs 38-10. The final box score can be found on NCAA.com.

Alabama dominated on offense, defense and special teams. The Crimson Tide looked like a team that could win their second consecutive SEC title. Georgia, on the other hand, could not get anything going and will have to regroup, because everything it wants to achieve this season is still possible if it wins the rest of its SEC games.

Here are game grades for the Crimson Tide and Bulldogs.

Positional Unit	First Half	Final Grade
Passing Offense	A	A
Rushing Offense	B-	A-
Passing Defense	A+	A+
Rushing Defense	A	B-
Special Teams	A	A+
Coaching	A	A

Passing Offense: Jacob Coker had his best game as a member of the Crimson Tide, throwing for 190 yards and one touchdown. He got great protection from his offensive line and was never sacked, and receiver Calvin Ridley came up with some big catches.

Rushing Offense: Derrick Henry had a strong afternoon with 148 yards on 26 carries. He got great help from his offensive line, which made his life a lot easier while running up the middle. Kenyan Drake was quiet with only nine yards on five carries. But so long as Henry gets around 150 rushing yards per game, Alabama will likely win every game it plays this season.

Passing Defense: The Georgia passing attack was non-existent because the Alabama front seven and secondary were able to get after both Greyson Lambert and Brice Ramsey. Eddie Jackson, Minkah Fitzpatrick and Ronnie Harrison notched interceptions, and the entire defense came up with seven pass breakups. The defense also held Georgia to 11 completions on 31 attempts.

Rushing Defense: For the most part, the Crimson Tide held the Georgia run game in check. The Bulldogs rushed for 193 yards, but 83 of those came on one play late in the game. Reggie Ragland was all over the field with eight tackles, and he was a big reason why the Bulldogs offensive line could not get any consistent holes for Nick Chubb and Sony Michel.

Special Teams: Special teams normally hurt Alabama with missed field goals and miscues in kickoff coverage. That was not the case on Saturday as Adam Griffith made his only field goal, Fitzpatrick blocked a punt and scored on the play, and the coverage unit took Georgia return man Isaiah McKenzie out of the game. The special teams were really the reason the Tide won by a big margin.

Coaching: Nick Saban does it again. He got his players physically and mentally ready for the Bulldogs and the weather conditions when their backs were against the wall. Alabama had a business-like approach to the game and was ready for everything Georgia threw at it. The Crimson Tide had to win this game, but they also knew they had to play their game and not let the distractions get to them, and the coaching staff did a good job of that in Athens.

Positional Unit	First Half	Final Grade
Passing Offense	D	F
Rushing Offense	C-	C+
Passing Defense	D	D
Rushing Defense	D	D
Special Teams	F	F
Coaching	D	D

Passing Offense: Lambert had his worst game as a Bulldog on Saturday. He never got into a rhythm, was inaccurate (10-of-24) and could not handle the weather. Ramsey was just as bad, as he only completed one of his six passes and threw two interceptions. This is a huge concern moving forward because the coaches have to decide who to go with at quarterback as the Bulldogs try to get things right for the rest of the season.

Rushing Offense: Chubb and Michel were bottled up until the second half. Chubb finished with 146 rushing yards, while Michel notched 53. The problem was they really did not get the carries in the first half, and when they did, the Alabama front seven swarmed to them and did not let them run rampant. It was a modest day for the Georgia run game, which tallied 193 yards on 38 carries.

Passing Defense: Coker did not go wild in the passing game, but he made some big plays at the right time because the Georgia secondary had a hard time covering the Alabama receivers while keeping an eye on Henry and Drake. The Bulldogs only allowed 190 passing yards and one score, but all of Coker’s 11 completions came at key moments in the game. The Georgia front seven did not get a sack either, which hurt.

Rushing Defense: Georgia kept Henry in check in the first quarter, but once the offensive line settled in, he was able to get some big runs in the second quarter and the second half. Outside of Tim Kimbrough, who led the team with 13 tackles, the front seven for Georgia was beaten by the Alabama offensive line, as the Crimson Tide rushed for 189 yards on 47 carries.

Special Teams: This had to be the worst special teams performance of the season for the Bulldogs. Not only did they allow a blocked punt for a score, but they were in bad field position all game because of special teams coverage, and McKenzie only had notched three yards on two punt returns. The offense played a factor in the loss, but special teams were the reason this game was not close.

Coaching: Alabama outcoached Georgia. Everything offensive coordinator Brian Schottenheimer called, Alabama defensive coordinator Kirby Smart was able to read and counteract. The same goes for Alabama offensive coordinator Lane Kiffin, who outsmarted Georgia defensive coordinator Jeremy Pruitt. Georgia head coach Mark Richt always has one bad loss each season, and while Alabama is a great football team, there is no excuse for the Bulldogs to lose by four touchdowns at home to any team.