Current:Home > ContactJalen Milroe, Ryan Williams uncork an Alabama football party, humble Georgia, Kirby Smart -Secure Growth Solutions
Jalen Milroe, Ryan Williams uncork an Alabama football party, humble Georgia, Kirby Smart
View
Date:2025-04-13 20:28:36
- Alabama football's next great quarterback is born. Jalen Milroe becomes a hero while Alabama humbles Georgia.
- Kalen DeBoer coached circles around Kirby Smart until Georgia's furious rally.
- Who needs Nick Saban? Not Jalen Milroe. He's perfect for Kalen DeBoer.
TUSCALOOSA, Ala. – Pandomonium filled the air, and Bryant-Denny swelled with so much energy it's a wonder it didn't burst.
Alabama fans hugged and chest bumped and high-fived and shook pompoms and generally lost their minds.
Amid all that euphoria, Jalen Milroe stood calmly on the turf and extended two fingers in the air.
Alabama's star quarterback had just completed the biggest pass of his career. More work to do, though. The 2-point conversion awaited.
Milroe completed that, too. Is there anything he can't do? Not on this night.
Milroe completed nearly every pass he threw. He juked and sprinted and turned corners with the speed of a track sprinter and the power of a fullback. He laid waste to Kirby Smart's defense in a way few have.
On a night of celebration here, No. 4 Alabama recaptured exalted status, Milroe ascended to superhero fame, and the Crimson Tide humbled No. 1 Georgia, 41-34.
Jalen Milroe to Ryan Williams sends Alabama football into euphoria
Even a premier quarterback needs a little help from his friends. Milroe threw so many pinpoint passes that led his receivers to the perfect spot on the field and left Georgia's defenders no hope.
But, Milroe's 75-yard touchdown pass that gave Kalen DeBoer a statement victory in his first SEC game? That was a jump ball into 1-on-1 coverage.
Who better to throw it to than than 17-year-old Ryan Williams, Alabama's wunderkind wide receiver?
"I just have so much trust in him," Milroe said.
Williams outdueled Georgia defensive back Julian Humphrey to come down with the catch. Oh, but he wasn't finished.
Williams had 45 yards to go to the end zone. He spun and sprinted and stiff-armed his way across the goal line and provided Alabama with some sweet, sweet ecstasy after it frittered away every bit of its 23-point halftime lead.
Alabama makes a statement, before Georgia rallies
Who needs Nick Saban? Not Milroe. Not Alabama (4-0). Not anymore, anyway.
The GOAT passed this program into capable hands. He also left a great quarterback in the cupboard. DeBoer and Milroe are cooking. Together, they roasted Georgia.
"We had a solution to everything they were going to present to us," Milroe said.
Billed as a showdown, this became a beatdown – for three quarters, anyway.
Georgia mounted a furious fourth-quarter rally and captured the lead with less than 3 minutes remaining before Milroe responded with his final haymaker.
Milroe finished with 491 combined yards and enough highlights to fill a Heisman reel.
Milroe played like a complete package, while Georgia’s Carson Beck threw two interceptions and lost a fumble before carving up Alabama's secondary throughout a furious finish. His third interception of the game ended the Bulldogs' hopes for good.
Georgia (3-1) looked overmatched, outwitted and outmuscled from the opening drive, when Milroe steered the Crimson Tide 70 yards with such ease that you could’ve mistaken Georgia for pushovers. Never mind that Georgia had not allowed a touchdown throughout its first three games.
Smart built a fierce defense while winning consecutive national titles. That unit’s long gone.
Jalen Milroe takes flight after Nick Saban retires, hands reins to Kalen DeBoer
Jan. 10 became a mournful day for Alabama fans. They grieved Saban’s retirement and laid Coca-Colas, Little Debbie oatmeal pies and pompoms at the foot of Saban’s statue.
He’s alive, folks. Saban just hung up his whistle – and, for Milroe, how fortunate that he did.
Tommy Rees, Saban’s final offensive coordinator, proved a poor choice. Liberated from Rees and Saban, Milroe looks like a different quarterback, an elite quarterback, as he stars for DeBoer.
DMX’s “Party Up” blared on the stadium sound system after Alabama reached a crisp 30 points in the second quarter after scoring a safety. The DJ chose the right tune for the moment. The party was, indeed, on, and it stayed that way, right up until Georgia's fourth-quarter stampede nearly spoiled the moment.
Georgia's rally gave Milroe one final grand stage. He seized the moment.
While Williams celebrated his touchdown to cap a 177-yard receiving night, Milroe held those two fingers in the air.
"I think it's so important at the quarterback position to be calm, cool, collected," Milroe said.
Unflappable 'til the end.
Alabama's next star quarterback is born.
Blake Toppmeyer is the USA TODAY Network's national college football columnist. Email him at BToppmeyer@gannett.com and follow him on Twitter @btoppmeyer.
Subscribe to read all of his columns.
veryGood! (8)
Related
- Big Lots store closures could exceed 300 nationwide, discount chain reveals in filing
- Kim Kardashian Jokes That Son Saint Is “Not as Cute as I Thought” After He Pulled This Move
- Nickelodeon Kids' Choice Awards 2023 Red Carpet Fashion: See Every Look
- Israeli prime minister fires defense minister, sparking mass protests
- USA women's basketball live updates at Olympics: Start time vs Nigeria, how to watch
- Shop the 8 Best Beach Tote Bags for Spring Break Starting at $10
- Video shows massive anti-ship mine from World War II being destroyed in Croatia
- Ariana Madix Supported by Kristen Doute and More VPR Co-Stars After Tom Sandoval Split
- Taylor Swift Cancels Austria Concerts After Confirmation of Planned Terrorist Attack
- Keke Palmer Gets Real About Motherhood Struggles After Welcoming Baby Boy
Ranking
- Eva Mendes Shares Message of Gratitude to Olympics for Keeping Her and Ryan Gosling's Kids Private
- North Korea test-fires two more ballistic missiles, South Korea says
- Iraq war trauma still fresh, but 20 years after the U.S.-led invasion, for many there's at least hope
- Get $128 J.Crew Jeans for $28, $278 Boots for $45, and More Jaw-Dropping Deals
- PHOTO COLLECTION: AP Top Photos of the Day Wednesday August 7, 2024
- The Voice Preview: See Blake Shelton Hit His Buzzer for the Last Time on Season 23
- Alex Murdaugh Found Guilty of Murdering Wife Maggie and Son Paul Murdaugh
- Here’s Why Kourtney Kardashian Is Clapping Back on Pregnancy Speculation
Recommendation
Rolling Loud 2024: Lineup, how to stream the world's largest hip hop music festival
Is Miranda Cosgrove Up for a Drake & Josh Revival? She Says...
Pete Davidson and Chase Sui Wonders Involved in Car Accident in Beverly Hills
Russia to deploy tactical nuclear weapons in Belarus, on Ukraine's northern border, Putin says
Mega Millions winning numbers for August 6 drawing: Jackpot climbs to $398 million
Polar explorer, once diagnosed with terminal cancer, still lives for adventure
The Bachelor Sneak Peek: Gabi Worries She Might Be Too Much For Zach
The 28 Best Amazon Sales and Deals to Shop This Weekend: Clothes, Televisions, Beauty Products, and More