Georgia beats Alabama 20-17 in Tuscaloosa as late no-call draws scrutiny

Georgia escapes Tuscaloosa with a 20-17 win

Georgia beat Alabama 20-17 at Bryant-Denny Stadium on Saturday night, pushing the Bulldogs to 6-0 and dropping the Crimson Tide to 5-1. It was Georgia's first win in Tuscaloosa since 2014 and Kirby Smart's first win there as Georgia's head coach.

Peyton Woodring kicked a 43-yard field goal in the first quarter to put Georgia up 3-0. London Humphreys caught a 20-yard touchdown pass from Gunner Stockton to make it 10-0 in the second quarter. Alabama answered twice before halftime, a 22-yard touchdown catch from Marshall Pritchett and a 1-yard touchdown run from EJ Crowell, and Alabama led 14-10 at the break.

Stockton put Georgia back in front with a 14-yard touchdown run in the third quarter, 17-14. Alabama's Conor Talty tied it with a 39-yard field goal, and Peyton Woodring's 23-yard field goal with 5:25 left in the fourth quarter decided it, 20-17.

Stockton and Phillips did the heavy lifting

Stockton completed 18 of 22 passes for 249 yards with a touchdown and an interception, and Dwight Phillips Jr. ran 17 times for 120 yards. Georgia finished with 455 total yards, 206 of it on the ground, despite one turnover and seven penalties for 57 yards.

Russell went 16 of 30 for 185 yards and a touchdown for Alabama, and Trae'shawn Brown ran nine times for 90 yards. Alabama totaled 346 yards, 161 rushing, with one turnover of its own. Caleb Woodson led all tacklers with nine, and Yhonzae Pierre had Alabama's lone sack. Joseph Jonah-Ajonye had Georgia's only sack, and Raylen Wilson led the Bulldogs with nine tackles.

A no-call in the end zone drew the postgame attention

Alabama cornerback Dijon Lee Jr. was flagged for pass interference in the second half, a penalty that helped set up Stockton's touchdown run. Later, with Alabama trying to answer Georgia's go-ahead field goal, officials did not call pass interference on Georgia safety KJ Bolden in the end zone. Bolden then sacked Russell on the next play, and Alabama had to punt. Lee Jr. was also called for a personal foul for shoving a Georgia receiver after the whistle, which let the Bulldogs run out the final three minutes.

Alabama coach Kalen DeBoer said after the game, "We just got to control the things we can control." Georgia coach Kirby Smart said, "I didn't come here to lose."

Alabama's top receiver left the game twice

Alabama receiver Ryan Coleman-Williams, who finished with three catches for 39 yards, left the game twice, once with an apparent left leg injury and once to be evaluated for a concussion. Russell had targeted him in the end zone from Georgia's 16-yard line late in the second quarter, but the pass was broken up.

The win was Georgia's third over Alabama in their last 13 meetings and the Bulldogs' first regular-season win over the Tide since 2007.

Facts per ESPN box score. Opinion is the taproom's.