TUSCALOOSA, Ala.– The No. 4-ranked Alabama Crimson Tide held off the No. 2-ranked Georgia Bulldogs 41-34 on Saturday night in a game for the ages. This was the first SEC game of the Kalen DeBoer era, and it doesn’t get much more exciting than this.

The Bulldogs erased a 28-0 deficit and even took a 34-33 lead with just over two minutes left in the fourth quarter. However, Alabama quarterback Jalen Milroe’s connection with freshman phenom wide receiver Ryan Williams for a 75-yard touchdown just 13 seconds later ended Georgia’s hopes of completing the miraculous comeback.

There is so much to parse from this instant classic on Saban Field at Bryant-Denny Stadium. Here are five takeaways:

Prior to Saturday’s game, Georgia had not allowed a touchdown in the first three games of the young season. Milroe and the Crimson Tide ended that streak in less than five minutes on a seven-yard touchdown run by the dual-threat quarterback.

When Georgia came into the game, he scored a total of 18 points. Milroe and Alabama’s offense scored 21 points with just over two minutes left in the first quarter! Things cooled off a bit in the second quarter as Alabama scored nine points in the period, but the ball wasn’t in Georgia’s hands nearly as much as the Tide’s recent opponents.

This was largely due to Milroe’s dominance in the air and on the ground, as he did in the first half, going 18 of 21 for 199 yards for a touchdown and a crazy interception that rebounded to tight end CJ Dippre, while also recording nine carries for 128 yards and another goal. For reference, Milroe outscored Georgia’s entire offense in the first half 327 (of Alabama’s 355 total yards) to 153 as the Tide went to the locker room up 30-7.

“He does it through the air as well as with his feet,” DeBoer said of Milroe’s performance during the post-game press conference. “It’s hard to play against him when you’re on the other side. When he had to put the ball somewhere I really felt his accuracy played a role and that’s to do with his timing and the rhythm, the confidence and the belief he has in his game.” receivers and the person who catches the pass.”

Perhaps a large part of Milroe’s success and long time on the field in the first half was due to the Tide’s defense keeping Georgia from gaining yards. Like Alabama, much of the Bulldogs’ early offensive success came from an abundance of explosive plays.

In the first half, Alabama pulled in two interceptions, forced two fumbles (neither were recovered by the Tide), pressured Georgia quarterback Carson Beck throughout, including a late safety, and allowed just 153 total yards and nine first downs. Alabama held Beck to completing less than 50 percent of his attempts for just 100 yards while allowing 5.5 yards per play compared to Milroe and company’s 9.1.

Entering the third quarter, Georgia had yet to give up a third in five attempts, and another strong stretch alone pushed that figure to 1 in 10. The Bulldogs scored eight points in the quarter on a 15-play drive, which may seem long, but there was only one play of more than 20 yards on a possession.

Defensive back Domani Jackson and linebacker Jihaad Campbell each scored an interception, but perhaps captain and linebacker Deontae Lawson was the Tide’s best player on this side of the ball on Saturday night as he recorded a whopping 10 tackles, including two for loss and a third -down pocket.

Leading 33-15 to start the fourth quarter, the Crimson Tide lead looked comfortable, but a turnover completely reversed as the deafening crowd at Saban Field at Bryant-Denny Stadium grew silent.

Entering this game, Beck was widely considered one of the best quarterbacks in all of college football. That was not the case in the first 45 minutes, but in the last 15 minutes he could no longer miss. In the fourth quarter alone, Beck completed 11 of 18 pass attempts for 259 yards and two touchdowns. As previously mentioned, the Bulldogs’ offense was nonexistent on third down, but many of Beck’s fourth-quarter numbers came on fourth down as Georgia converted on both tries in the final period and went 5 of 5 on the night was.

“They did a good job converting fourth downs,” DeBoer said. “I think that was really the story in the second half: those fourth down calls and fourth down plays. If we really get one or two of those, the game is very different in the second half.”

He spread the ball around to several pass catchers, and the Crimson Tide just couldn’t figure it out. The Bulldogs defense locked down and that combined with the shooting attack ultimately made it a 33-28 game. After another stop, Beck connected with Dillon Bell for a 67-yard touchdown to take a 34–33 lead (two-point conversion missed) as only Georgia fans were the ones making noise at Saban Field at the Bryant-Denny Stage.

What was once a 28-0 lead at home turned into a 34-33 deficit and the Crimson Tide needed a hero.

The whole “he’s only 17” thing is certainly starting to become redundant, but Alabama wide receiver Ryan Williams can’t stop shocking the world. Against one of the best defenses in college football, the freshman phenom led the Tide with five receptions for 102 yards entering the fourth quarter.

Trailing 34-33 with 2:31 remaining in regulation, Alabama had to figure out a way to put points on the board after failing to do so since kicker Graham Nicholson’s first field goal of the season late in the third quarter. Furthermore, the Crimson Tide had not scored a touchdown until early in the second quarter.

On the first play of the drive, Milroe found Williams who blasted his way for a 75-yard touchdown. While it is one of the loudest moments in recent Alabama history, it is without a doubt the best moment since the stadium’s renaming and the Tide season itself.

Williams is probably the most famous college football receiver in America right now, earning the recognition of future NBA Hall-of-Famers LeBron James and Chris Paul, in addition to the X-posts of many other public figures (formerly known as Twitter) on Saturday The Evening continued to prove that.

Nevertheless, the game was far from over after Williams’ touchdown, as Alabama needed one more stop.

In college football, players are allowed to wear the same jersey number as long as they are not on the field at the same time. The No. 2 was special on Saturday night because of Williams’ dominance, but another freshman with the same number on the other side of the ball certainly deserves some recognition.

Beck and company thrived under pressure on the first two plays of Georgia’s final drive in regulation, as the Bulldogs found themselves in the red zone with 47 seconds left. Another Alabama offensive miracle was unlikely, but that doesn’t mean there wasn’t room for a defensive miracle.

Beck launched the ball into the end zone, but Alabama defensive back Zabien Brown jumped in front of the ball and made the interception of a lifetime. Once again, the home crowd roared louder than it had in years as the “Game of the Year” officially lived up to the hype.

“This is why I came to Alabama,” Brown said after the game.

Brown admitted he didn’t really remember the surreal moment when it happened, but assured it will remain in his memory for a long time.

“(Defensive coordinator Kane) Wommack said plays like that that you’ll remember for the rest of your life,” Brown said.