According to Alabama coach Kalen DeBoer, there was a pivotal moment in Alabama’s 41-34 triumph over Georgia on Saturday that set the tone for his team’s historic victory at Bryant-Denny Stadium.
And it was not Ryan Williams’ 75-yard reception.
It came right after Dillon Bell caught a 67-yard touchdown pass from Carson Beck to give Georgia a 34-33 lead with 2:31 left in the game.
“The 2-point conversion was something, I felt, was really key,” DeBoer said during an appearance on “The Paul Finebaum Show.” “Our guys, even in the midst of giving up a touchdown, we line back up and we get the stop there. What that does is (indicate) a field goal can win it.
“To me, at that time, there’s so much time on the clock. It’s not about the time. It’s about putting some plays together, getting some connections, letting our guys execute and do their thing.”
It didn’t exactly go to plan. Jalen Milroe found Williams for what is now considered one of the greatest plays in Alabama football history.
“When Jalen identified Ryan 1 on 1, it was something we’ve been working on a lot,” DeBoer explained. “To throw that ball down the field and those two connect, Ryan did his thing.”
The crowd at sold-out Bryant-Denny was deafening. The Tide stole back the lead in 12 seconds, which led to a concern for DeBoer.
“The next thought was we left too much time on the clock,” the coach said. “That’s forever. That’s an eternity nowadays with the two-minute warning and three timeouts. …
“That was a lot of time left on the clock, but you’re never going to argue against guys doing wat they did there in that moment.”
The Bulldogs drove 55 yards in 11 plays before Alabama’s Zabien Brown intercepted Beck to secure the victory.
