CFP National Championship 2018: Stats, Box Score for Alabama vs. Georgia

Monday's CFB National Championship provided all the drama we expected and then some.

The Alabama Crimson Tide won their fifth national title in nine years and head coach Nick Saban tied Paul "Bear" Bryant for most all-time championships by a coach with six.

The Crimson Tide came back from a 13-point halftime deficit thanks to the play of backup quarterback Tua Tagovailoa and a defensive unit that smothered the Georgia Bulldogs in the trenches.

Below is a look at the key numbers produced by Tagovailoa and other key players from Monday's game. The full box score can be found here.

Georgia's Star Running Backs Held Under 100 Yards

What was seen by some as an impossible task after the Rose Bowl occurred on Monday night as Georgia senior running backs Sony Michel and Nick Chubb were held under 100 yards each by the Alabama defense. Michel recorded 98 yards on 14 carries, while Chubb was held to 25 yards on 18 carries.

Georgia's decision to start the game out by throwing the ball showed us how big of a concern Alabama's defensive push was in the eyes of the Bulldogs coaching staff.

Neither Chubb or Michel were able to make a consistent impact on the contest, and the duo produced a single big play that came in the first half.

Jamie Squire/Getty Images

Michel's 26-yard scamper down the right sideline was able to give Georgia a boost and set up a field goal, but we didn't witness many more explosive runs from the senior and his partner in crime.

That is a credit to the Alabama defensive line led by Raekwon Davis and Da'Ron Payne. The Crimson Tide got a good push on the interior for most of the contest and were able to disrupt any rhythm Georgia attempted to find, especially in the second half.

Georgia was able to total 133 yards on 45 carries, which is 39 yards more than Alabama's season average, but it was never able to work its stars into the game, even though it tried to open up the Crimson Tide defense through the passing game.

Tagovailoa More Efficient in One Half Than Fromm and Hurts

Quarterback play became an unexpected focal point of each offense from the start, as Georgia opted to let freshman Jake Fromm air it out on the first few drives to keep attention off Chubb and Michel.

Fromm wasn't able to get into a rhythm until the middle of the first quarter after the running backs received a few carries.

Whatever success Fromm found in the first half was taken away in the second half with the exception of an 80-yard beauty of a touchdown to wide receiver Mecole Hardman.

Fromm ended 16-of-32 in the air with 232 passing yards, but he had two interceptions compared to his one touchdown toss.

Alabama starter Jalen Hurts didn't do anything to impress during his time on the field, as he went 3-of-8 for 21 yards in the first half.

Hurts' horrific performance led to Saban replacing him with freshman Tua Tagovailoa.

Mike Ehrmann/Getty Images

The freshman from Hawai'i completed 14 of his 24 passes for 166 yards and three touchdowns. The only blemish on his stat line was an interception that came out of a poor decision on a rollout to the left.

If he makes the expected improvements in the offseason, we could see Tagovailoa putting up similar numbers in the postseason a year from now.

Linebackers Shined as Expected

An argument can be made that the deepest position when you combine the two rosters is linebacker.

Alabama and Georgia had pro prospects roaming the second layer of defense all night, even with the Crimson Tide dealing with a few key absences at the position.

Georgia's Roquan Smith, who is projected by Bleacher Report's Matt Miller to be a first-round pick in April's NFL draft, was the top tackler on either defense, as he had 13 total tackles, nine of which were of the solo variety.

Scott Cunningham/Getty Images

Smith also posted 2.5 tackles for loss while Davin Bellamy added an additional 1.5 tackles for loss from linebacker for the Bulldogs.

Mack Wilson and Rashaan Evans were the top contributors on the Alabama defense, which is one of the reasons why Georgia's running attack couldn't work the way it wanted to.

Wilson totaled 12 tackles, two of which were for a loss, while Evans had eight tackles, including 1.5 for loss. Terrell Lewis was third on the defensive stat chart with seven tackles, six of which were solo.

Although some of the faces will change on both sides next season, don't be surprised if each linebacker unit leads its respective defense to college football's final game next season.

Follow Joe on Twitter, @JTansey90.

Statistics obtained from ESPN.com.