Evaluating Alabama football’s performance in the thriller against Georgia

Alabama football did it against Georgia on Saturday. Barely.

The Crimson Tide blew a huge lead and fell behind the Bulldogs with 2:31 left. Then Jalen Milroe hit Ryan Williams, who made a circus catch for a long touchdown before Zabien Brown picked off Carson Beck to seal the win for UA.

Next, the Tide travels to Vanderbilt. Before that, here are our scores for Saturday’s win.

Attack: B+

In the beginning this would have been an A+ without even thinking about it. Before Georgia could bat an eyelid, the Crimson Tide had a 28-point lead early in the second quarter.

Quarterback Jalen Milroe looked outstanding. UA shredded the UGA defense, but the dominance didn’t last.

The attack stagnated in the second half. If the Crimson Tide had been able to move the ball more consistently, Georgia’s comeback would have been much more difficult to pull off.

But when it really mattered, Milroe and Co. came through. The touchdown throw to Williams brought Alabama to 41 points, which should be enough to beat almost anyone.

Certainly not a perfect performance for Alabama. But the offense receives more than just a passing grade for this performance.

Defense: A-

Not quite perfect here either. But defensive coordinator Kane Wommack’s unit gave Georgia fits, especially in the first half.

Alabama made life difficult for UGA quarterback Carson Beck, beating him three times, including Brown’s game-saving play in the final minute. Beck was also sacked three times and cited for intentionally grounding in the end zone because of an Alabama safety trying to fend off an aggressive tackle.

The comeback cannot be ignored. While Georgia got way too many chances against a tired squad, a few late stops would have ended the game before the freshman cornerback could.

But once again, Alabama’s defense found a way to win against one of college football’s top teams.

Special Teams: A

James Burnip could well be the best bettor in the country. Graham Nicholson was perfect on extra points and made his first field goal in an Alabama jersey after missing his first attempt at Wisconsin.

The punt return game also looked pretty good. Overall, a great performance by the special forces.

Overall: A-

It could have been easier. But Alabama beat Georgia without Nick Saban taking the lead.

The Bulldogs struggled, but Kalen DeBoer’s team responded when it mattered most, entering the next phase of SEC play undefeated.