DALLAS (FWAA) ā The Alabama Crimson Tide was electric at the start and the finish in toppling No. 2 Georgia, 41-34, in a prime-time SEC classic in Tuscaloosa last Saturday. For ending Georgiaās 42-game regular-season and 28-game regular-season conference win streaks, Alabama (4-0) has earned the Cheez-It National Team of the Week for games played the weekend of Sept. 28, as selected by the All-America Committee of the Football Writers Association of America.
This is the sixth time for Alabama to earn the national team of the week honor and the first since 2018 when the then-top-ranked Crimson Tide won at No. 3 LSU, 29-0, in the weekend of Nov. 3.
Alabama shot out to a 28-0 lead shortly into the second quarter as quarterback Jalen Milroe completed his first 11 passes. His 36-yard touchdown run on a read option keeper at 12:24 of the the second quarter gave the Crimson Tide a four-score lead, bringing the Bryant-Denny Stadium crowd to a deafening roar. Alabamaās defense even got into the scoring mix in the first half as it forced an intentional grounding call in the Georgia end zone for a safety and a 30-7 edge at the half.
The Crimson Tide led 33-15 at the end of the third quarter before Georgia (3-1) rallied with a flurry of big plays, the last a 67-yard catch-and-run that brought it all the way back to a 34-33 lead, silencing the home crowd with 2:31 left.
But Milroe, who finished 27-of-33 for a career-high 374 passing yards, had one more big play left. On the next play following the kickoff, Milroe connected with Ryan Williams down the right sideline for a 75-yard touchdown pass, with Williams leaping for the catch, spinning away from the defender, and then sprinting into the end zone on what will surely be one of the full seasonās highlight plays. Williams was one of 11 receivers to catch a Milroe pass in the game.
Georgia rallied again to move into scoring position, but Alabama freshman defensive back Zabien Brown intercepted Carson Beckās pass in the end zone to secure the victory.
āWe pushed each other to the very end,ā said first-year Alabama head coach Kalen DeBoer, who won his SEC opener. āWe expect to win these games. Of course, the locker room is full of excitement but I also want to make sure they realize thatās the expectation. Thereās a lot of season left.ā
Alabamaās defense produced four total turnovers (three interceptions, one fumble) to aid the winning effort. The win improves Alabama to 16-1 (.941) in SEC home openers since 2008, and the Crimson Tide have scored 40 or more points in the first four games of season for the first time since 2019.
The Crimson Tide go to Nashville to take on Vanderbilt in a 4:15 p.m. ET kickoff Saturday on the SEC Network.
Since 2002, the FWAA has named a National Team of the Week. Coming into the 2023 season, 284 teams have been honored, including 101 different Division I programs. Each honored team will receive a custom Cheez-It "care package" along with a hand-crafted game ball made in America by Dallas-based Big Game USA, the nation's leading manufacturer of custom footballs.
The other National Team of the Week nominees for the weekend of Sept. 28 were:
Alabama shot out to a 28-0 lead shortly into the second quarter as quarterback Jalen Milroe completed his first 11 passes. His 36-yard touchdown run on a read option keeper at 12:24 of the the second quarter gave the Crimson Tide a four-score lead, bringing the Bryant-Denny Stadium crowd to a deafening roar. Alabamaās defense even got into the scoring mix in the first half as it forced an intentional grounding call in the Georgia end zone for a safety and a 30-7 edge at the half.
The Crimson Tide led 33-15 at the end of the third quarter before Georgia (3-1) rallied with a flurry of big plays, the last a 67-yard catch-and-run that brought it all the way back to a 34-33 lead, silencing the home crowd with 2:31 left.
But Milroe, who finished 27-of-33 for a career-high 374 passing yards, had one more big play left. On the next play following the kickoff, Milroe connected with Ryan Williams down the right sideline for a 75-yard touchdown pass, with Williams leaping for the catch, spinning away from the defender, and then sprinting into the end zone on what will surely be one of the full seasonās highlight plays. Williams was one of 11 receivers to catch a Milroe pass in the game.
Georgia rallied again to move into scoring position, but Alabama freshman defensive back Zabien Brown intercepted Carson Beckās pass in the end zone to secure the victory.
āWe pushed each other to the very end,ā said first-year Alabama head coach Kalen DeBoer, who won his SEC opener. āWe expect to win these games. Of course, the locker room is full of excitement but I also want to make sure they realize thatās the expectation. Thereās a lot of season left.ā
Alabamaās defense produced four total turnovers (three interceptions, one fumble) to aid the winning effort. The win improves Alabama to 16-1 (.941) in SEC home openers since 2008, and the Crimson Tide have scored 40 or more points in the first four games of season for the first time since 2019.
The Crimson Tide go to Nashville to take on Vanderbilt in a 4:15 p.m. ET kickoff Saturday on the SEC Network.
Since 2002, the FWAA has named a National Team of the Week. Coming into the 2023 season, 284 teams have been honored, including 101 different Division I programs. Each honored team will receive a custom Cheez-It "care package" along with a hand-crafted game ball made in America by Dallas-based Big Game USA, the nation's leading manufacturer of custom footballs.
The other National Team of the Week nominees for the weekend of Sept. 28 were:
- Arizona (3-1): The Wildcatsā defense stifled No. 10 Utah four times on fourth down, winning in Salt Lake City for the first time since 2014, 23-10. Noah Fifita threw for 197 yards and two touchdowns as Arizona handed Utah its first loss to an unranked team at home since 2018. It was also the first win over an AP Top 25 program for first-year Arizona head coach Brent Brennan.
- Kentucky (3-2): The Wildcats held No. 6 Ole Miss to a season low in points and yards to pull off a 20-17 win on the road. It was just the fifth time for Kentucky to beat a team ranked in the nationās top six. The 'Cats scored the game-winner with 2:25 to play as quarterback Gavin Wimsatt rushed toward the goal line but fumbled, with the ball falling directly into the arms of tight end Josh Kattus, who fell forward into the end zone for the score. Ole Miss came into the game averaging 55 points and 670 yards per contest but Kentucky held it to 17 points and just 353 total yards.
