Only Georgia’s oldest players were alive the last time the Bulldogs beat rival Alabama in Athens, Ga.
It’s been 22 years since the Bulldogs took down the Crimson Tide at Sanford Stadium.
Saturday night presents a chance for No. 5 Georgia to end its home woes against visiting No. 17 Alabama, and Georgia coach Kirby Smart knows how much his team can benefit from the partisan crowd’s energy in a Southeastern Conference showdown.
“Being at home is an advantage,” Smart said. “Going on the road is hard. Playing at home, it helps. The atmosphere helps. The crowd noise helps. Being familiar with your surroundings helps, but at the end of the day, you’ve got to go play football. It comes down to matchups. Certainly glad it’s at home, but we’ve still got to play well.”
Georgia (3-0, 1-0 SEC) enjoyed a week off after its thrilling 44-41 overtime victory at No. 15 Tennessee on Sept. 13.
In his first full season as the Bulldogs’ starter, quarterback Gunner Stockton has thrown for 721 yards and four touchdowns with no interceptions. He also has run for 124 yards and three TDs.
“He’s a physical kid. He’s tough. He’s gritty,” Alabama defensive coordinator Kane Wommack said of Stockton. “He makes the right decisions the vast majority of the time. And so he has certainly brought an element to their run game that maybe they didn’t have as much with Carson (Beck) a year ago. And I think that’s something that certainly we’re going to have to account for.”
After an ugly season-opening loss at Florida State, Alabama (2-1, 0-0 SEC) has temporarily silenced its doubters with blowout wins over UL-Monroe and Wisconsin. The Crimson Tide prepare to hit the road for the first time since their 31-17 setback in Tallahassee, eager to push their way back into the conversation of national elites.
“Going to Athens, it’s going to be a great atmosphere, great environment, and something our guys are looking forward to,” Alabama head coach Kalen DeBoer said. “You can tell with the way we’ve practiced, just high energy and looking forward to the challenge.”
Alabama has won nine of 10 against Georgia since 2007, the lone exception being the 2021-22 national championship game in Indianapolis.
Last year, DeBoer saw his team squander a 28-0 lead before Ryan Williams’ 75-yard touchdown reception with 2:18 remaining gave the Crimson Tide a 41-34 win. On the eve of the one-year anniversary of one of the series’ most memorable games, DeBoer won’t let his players forget it.
“It’s never over until it’s over,” DeBoer said. “Last year (against Georgia) was exactly one that we lived out. It was great. Then it was hard. Then we found a way. You play because crazy things happen. You play because you love to compete, and that’s what our guys are going to do here on Saturday.”
Crimson Tide quarterback Ty Simpson has taken a similar route as Stockton. Following three years as a backup, Simpson was handed the reins to the offense, throwing for nine scores without an interception through the first three starts of his career. Aiding his production is Williams, a Freshman All-American last year who had 165 receiving yards and a pair of touchdowns two weeks ago against Wisconsin.
“He’s a dynamic receiver,” Smart said of Williams, “when you’ve got a guy that’s a 100-meter champ and has the ball skills he has. He possesses all the traits of elite wideouts. He’s an all-around great player, and he’s proven to be an explosive play waiting to happen.”
