Welcome to Atlanta where the players play and Bama rolls on opponents like every day. Track meet, fast cleats, see Najee roamin’ and the touchdowns didn’t stop until the two-minute warning.
Except this is the 2020 remix and it had to go down like Kyle Trask at the end when the Tide brought him to the ground.
If you don’t happen to speak 2000’s Hip Hop, here’s what that meant: No. 1 Alabama defeated No. 7 Florida 52-46 Saturday night at Mercedes-Benz Stadium in Atlanta, Ga. The two teams casually put up 98 total points, the most in an SEC Championship game. Basically, if you like exciting touchdown runs and absolute dime passes, this was the conference championship game for you.
The first half was relatively straight forward – Alabama scored first off of an 8-yard run by senior running back and Bay Area local Najee Harris. The Tide is now 148-8 when scoring on an opening drive and Harris has accounted for eight of those first-drive touchdowns. Florida quarterback Kyle Trask countered with a 51-yard bomb to wide receiver Kadarius Toney. Alabama quarterback Mac Jones found DeVonta Smith for a 31-yard score mere minutes later but the Gators only managed a 40-yard field goal by Evan McPherson to finish out the first quarter.
The plethora of points – Alabama’s 35 first-half points was the most in a first half in SEC Championship game history, meant it would be a race to the finish line. It also meant that mistakes would be costly unless you are Jones of course and your interceptions turn into fumble recovery first downs.
Florida scored swiftly to start the second half on a neat little four-play, 75-yard, 1:35 drive that resulted in a 50-yard touchdown from Trask to Trevon Grimes, closing the gap on the Tide’s 18-point lead. And the Gators even managed to force Bama’s first punt of the game with five minutes left in the third quarter.
Florida Head Coach Dan Mullen orchestrated possibly his best drive of the game, a 12-play, eight-yard, 4:58 thing of beauty culminating in a three-yard rushing touchdown by Nayquan Wright – only his second rushing touchdown of the season. This score with 18 seconds left in the third quarter not only cut Alabama’s lead to three but made that 14 unanswered points for the Gators.
But you can’t ever sleep on Alabama Head Coach Nick Saban, especially in the fourth quarter. Harris ran one in from the one-yard line to start the fourth quarter, Trask fumbled the ball on the Gators’ first possession and Bama effectively turned that into three more points with a 20-yard field goal by Will Reichard.
Harris finished with 32 carries for 178 yards and two touchdowns. He also caught five passes for 67 more yards and three more touchdowns, earning him game MVP honors and setting the record for most touchdowns in an SEC Championship game. Jones, who finished 33-43 for 418 yards and five touchdowns also set an SEC Championship game record for most passing yards.
There was a scary moment when Alabama offensive lineman Landon Dickerson was carted off the field with a knee injury. But his team rallied around and for him, scoring one last touchdown from Jones to Smith, making it a two-score game with 4:59 to play. Smith finished with 15 catches for 184 yards and two touchdowns. This is Alabama’s third straight 50+ point game.
Trask tried to rally the troops, finding tight end Kyle Pitts for a 22-yard score with 2:07 left in the game and even converting on the two-point try. But even an 11-man rush defense couldn’t offset a perfect 44-yard punt by Charlie Scott, a two-yard return by Toney, and a sack to squash Florida’s dreams.
Alabama remains undefeated with a perfect 11-0 record and the Crimson Tide’s head coach couldn’t be happier.
“My appreciation is for every guy on our team, these guys have worked hard all year long,” said Saban after the game. “It’s been a tough year, a lot of disruptions but they’ve handled it extremely well and to win the SEC Championship is something I’m very proud of. Now I’m sure they will get an opportunity to go to the playoffs.”
Cue the Jermaine Dupri as the College Football Playoff Committee prepares to say ‘Welcome” to Alabama at that coveted No. 1 spot.
Featured Image Courtesy of the Southeastern Conference
