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2021 SEC Championship Game

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2021 SEC Championship Game
Conference Championship
Georgia Bulldogs Alabama Crimson Tide
(12–0) (11–1)
24 41
Head coach: 
Kirby Smart		 Head coach: 
Nick Saban
APCoachesCFP
111
APCoachesCFP
423
1234 Total
Georgia 31407 24
Alabama 024710 41
DateDecember 4, 2021
Season2021
StadiumMercedes-Benz Stadium
LocationAtlanta, Georgia
MVPBryce Young, QB, Alabama
FavoriteGeorgia by 6.5
RefereeKen Williamson[1]
Attendance78,030
United States TV coverage
NetworkCBS, Westwood One, SEC Radio
AnnouncersBrad Nessler, Gary Danielson, and Jamie Erdahl (CBS)
Mike Watts, Derek Rackley and Olivia Harlan (Westwood One)
Dave Neal, David Archer and Stephen Hartzell (SEC Radio)
SEC Championship Game
 < 2020  2022 > 
2021 Southeastern Conference football standings
Conf Overall
Team   W   L     W   L  
East Division
No. 1 Georgia x#^   8 – 0     14 – 1  
No. 18 Kentucky   0* – 3     0* – 3  
Tennessee   4 – 4     7 – 6  
Missouri   3 – 5     6 – 7  
South Carolina   3 – 5     7 – 6  
Florida   2 – 6     6 – 7  
Vanderbilt   0 – 8     2 – 10  
West Division
No. 2 Alabama x$^   7 – 1     13 – 2  
No. 11 Ole Miss   6 – 2     10 – 3  
No. 21 Arkansas   4 – 4     9 – 4  
Mississippi State   4 – 4     7 – 6  
Texas A&M   4 – 4     8 – 4  
Auburn   3 – 5     6 – 7  
LSU   3 – 5     6 – 7  
Championship: Alabama 41, Georgia 24
  • # – College Football Playoff champion
  • ^ – College Football Playoff participant
  • $ – Conference champion
  • x – Division champion/co-champions
Rankings from AP Poll

The 2021 SEC Championship Game was a college football game that was played on December 4, 2021, at Mercedes-Benz Stadium in Atlanta, Georgia. It was the 30th edition of the SEC Championship Game and determined the champion of the Southeastern Conference (SEC) for the 2021 season. The game began at 4:00 p.m. EST and was aired on CBS. The contest featured the Georgia Bulldogs, the East Division champions, and the Alabama Crimson Tide, the West Division champions.

Teams

[edit]
Main article: Alabama–Georgia football rivalry

The 2021 SEC Championship Game featured the Georgia Bulldogs, champions of the East Division, and the Alabama Crimson Tide, champions of the West Division. It was the teams' 71st meeting, with Alabama leading the series 41–25–4;[2] they first met in 1895 and played frequently from 1901 to the mid-1970s.[3] Alabama has won the last six meetings between the teams, with Georgia's last victory over the Tide coming in 2007.[4] This was the third time Georgia and Alabama have played for an SEC Championship; the Crimson Tide won each of the previous two meetings, in 2012 and 2018.[2] Alabama entered the game holding a 3–0 postseason advantage over Georgia, having won the 2018 College Football Playoff National Championship in addition to the two aforementioned SEC Championship Games.[4]

This was the ninth SEC title game appearance for Georgia; they first appeared in 2002 and were 3–5 overall in previous appearances, though the Bulldogs have won 13 SEC championships in total, dating back to 1942. Alabama made their 14th SEC championship game appearance, dating back to the inaugural game in 1992; the Crimson Tide entered the game 9–4 in SEC title games in that stretch.[4] Including titles earned before the championship game format, Alabama leads the conference with 28 in total,[2] dating back to 1933.[4] Georgia and Alabama have appeared frequently in recent SEC Championship Games; entering the game, nine of the last ten title games featured at least one of the two teams, with Georgia's last appearance being in 2019, and Alabama returning consecutively after winning the previous year.[5]

Georgia

[edit]
Main article: 2021 Georgia Bulldogs football team

Led by sixth-year head coach Kirby Smart, the fifth-ranked Bulldogs began their season with a matchup against No. 3 Clemson in the Duke's Mayo Classic.[6] The game, which hosted College GameDay earlier that morning,[7] played out to a low-scoring 10–3 Georgia win,[8] putting them in the No. 2 spot in the rankings just one week into the season.[9] The Bulldogs put on a dominant performance in their home opener the next week, as they scored eight touchdowns and allowed just one in a victory over UAB,[10] and soundly defeated South Carolina the following week to open SEC play.[11] Back-to-back shutouts followed, as the Bulldogs kept both Vanderbilt and No. 8 Arkansas off the scoreboard, while scoring 62 and 37 points of their own, respectively.[12][13] Georgia continued their form with two more wins against ranked opponents, as they defeated No. 18 Auburn on the road[14] and No. 11 Kentucky at home; the former game saw Georgia play as the No. 1 team in the nation for the first time this season following Texas A&M's upset of then-No. 1 Alabama,[15] and the latter game was the first in which Georgia allowed more than one touchdown.[16] The Bulldogs returned to neutral site play when they faced Florida following a bye week; they defeated the Gators 34–7, with their three touchdowns in just over three minutes at the end of the game's second quarter contributing to the win.[17] This was also the week that Georgia clinched the SEC East's berth in the championship game, as a result of Kentucky's loss to Mississippi State.[18] The Bulldogs finished their conference season in much the same style as the games before; they defeated Missouri 43–6,[19] and allowed a season-high 17 points to Tennessee, though still managed to win by three possessions.[20] Georgia finished the regular season with a pair of non-conference games, as they routed the Charleston Southern Buccaneers by seven scores[21] and their rivals Georgia Tech by the same number,[22] concluding Georgia's first undefeated regular season since 1982.[23]

Alabama

[edit]
Main article: 2021 Alabama Crimson Tide football team

Like Georgia, 15th-year head coach Nick Saban and the top-ranked Crimson Tide opened their season with a neutral site kickoff game, as they faced No. 14 Miami (FL) in the Chick-fil-A Kickoff Game.[24] The game ended with an Alabama victory, as the Tide won convincingly to earn a 1–0 start to their national title defense.[25] They opened their home season with a win against FCS Mercer,[26] and followed it with their first SEC contest at No. 11 Florida, which saw Alabama escape an upset bid with a two-point win against the Gators.[27] Alabama would rout Southern Miss the following week, in a game that featured Jameson Williams record three touchdowns of 80 yards or more,[28] before defeating No. 12 Ole Miss by three touchdowns at home to extend their streak to six consecutive wins in that rivalry series.[29] The Tide suffered their first and only regular season setback the following week, when they were upset by Texas A&M in College Station thanks to Seth Small's 28-yard field goal as time expired,[30] which gave the Aggies a three-point victory.[31] This loss snapped a 19-game winning streak for the Tide and dropped Alabama to No. 5 in the AP Poll,[15] though they were able to rebound with impressive wins over Mississippi State and Tennessee to put their record at 7–1 entering their bye week.[32][33] To begin the month of November, the Crimson Tide hosted LSU, whom they defeated by six points;[34] Alabama then defeated New Mexico State, their final non-conference opponent, by a score of 59–3.[35] The Tide's final home game came against No. 21 Arkansas;[36] Alabama won by only a touchdown despite quarterback Bryce Young's school-record 559 passing yards,[37] and the Tide dropped to No. 3 in the College Football Playoff rankings.[38] With the win, Alabama clinched the SEC West Division title and their spot in the SEC Championship Game.[39] The Crimson Tide concluded their regular season a week later with an Iron Bowl matchup against Auburn; the game went to four overtimes before Alabama came away with a two-point victory;[40] this was the first game in Iron Bowl history to reach overtime.[41]

Game summary

[edit]
2021 SEC Championship Game
Period 1 2 34Total
No. 1 Georgia 3 14 0724
No. 3 Alabama 0 24 71041

at Mercedes-Benz Stadium • Atlanta, Georgia

Game information
First quarter
  • 6:01 Georgia – Jack Podlesny 38 yd FG – 11 plays, 52 yards, 6:28 (Georgia 3–0)
Second quarter
  • 14:56 Georgia – Stetson Bennett pass to Darnell Washington for 5 yds (Jack Podlesny KICK) – 8 plays, 97 yards, 3:36 (Georgia 10–0)
  • 14:12 Alabama – Bryce Young pass to Jameson Williams for 67 yds (Will Reichard KICK) – 3 plays, 75 yards, 0:44 (Georgia 10–7)
  • 9:46 Alabama – Bryce Young pass to John Metchie III for 13 yds (Will Reichard KICK) – 6 plays, 80 yards, 2:57 (Alabama 14–10)
  • 3:28 Alabama – Will Reichard 33 yd FG – 12 plays, 79 yards, 5:13 (Alabama 17–10)
  • 2:06 Georgia – Stetson Bennett pass to Ladd McConkey for 32 yds (Jack Podlesny KICK) – 3 plays, 75 yards, 1:22 (Tied 17–17)
  • 0:26 Alabama – Bryce Young 11 yd rush (Will Reichard KICK) – 9 plays, 75 yards, 1:40 (Alabama 24–17)
Third quarter
  • 13:10 Alabama – Bryce Young pass to Jameson Williams for 55 yds (Will Reichard KICK) – 5 plays, 75 yards, 1:50 (Alabama 31–17)
Fourth quarter
  • 11:59 Alabama – Jordan Battle interception return 42 yards for a touchdown (Will Reichard KICK) (Alabama 38–17)
  • 9:42 Georgia – Stetson Bennett pass to Brock Bowers for 18 yds (Jack Podlesny KICK) – 7 plays, 75 yards, 2:17 (Alabama 38–24)
  • 1:59 Alabama – Will Reichard 41 yd FG – 12 plays, 62 yards, 5:09 (Alabama 41–24)

Statistics

[edit]

Team statistics

[edit]
Team statistical comparison
Statistic Georgia Alabama
First downs 30 25
First downs rushing 10 8
First downs passing 15 15
First downs penalty 5 2
Third down efficiency 3–12 7–14
Fourth down efficiency 2–4 0–0
Total plays–net yards 78–449 70–536
Rushing attempts–net yards 30–109 26–115
Yards per rush 3.6 4.4
Yards passing 340 421
Pass completions–attempts 29–48 26–44
Interceptions thrown 2 0
Punt returns–total yards 2–6 0–0
Kickoff returns–total yards 2–45 0–0
Punts–total yardage 4–210 5–219
Fumbles–lost 0–0 0–0
Penalties–yards 6–45 7–85
Time of possession 34:13 25:47

Individual statistics

[edit]
Georgia statistics
Bulldogs passing
C–A Yds TD INT
Stetson Bennett 29–48 340 3 2
Bulldogs rushing
Car Yds TD Avg
James Cook 11 38 0 3.5
Bulldogs receiving
Rec Yds TD Avg
Brock Bowers 10 139 1 13.9
Alabama statistics
Crimson Tide passing
C–A Yds TD INT
Bryce Young 26–44 421 3 0
Crimson Tide rushing
Car Yds TD Avg
Brian Robinson 16 55 0 3.4
Crimson Tide receiving
Rec Yds TD Avg
Jameson Williams 7 184 2 26.3

See also

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References

[edit]
  1. ^ "Officiating crews for the 2021 college football conference championship games". footballzebras.com. November 30, 2021. Retrieved December 4, 2021.
  2. ^ a b c "Georgia Football Game Notes - Georgia vs. Alabama" (PDF). Georgia Bulldogs Football. p. 1. Retrieved December 1, 2021.
  3. ^ "2021 Georgia Football Media Guide". Georgia Bulldogs Football. p. 177. Retrieved December 1, 2021.
  4. ^ a b c d "Alabama Football Game Notes - Game 13 vs. Georgia" (PDF). Alabama Crimson Tide Football. pp. 1, 12–13. Retrieved December 1, 2021.
  5. ^ Zarpentine, Bryan (November 29, 2021). "SEC Championship: No. 4 Alabama vs. No. 1 Georgia Odds, Best Bets, Prediction". BetQL. Retrieved December 1, 2021.
  6. ^ O'Gara, Connor (September 3, 2021). "Final thoughts (and a prediction) for Georgia-Clemson". Saturday Down South. Retrieved December 1, 2021.
  7. ^ Crosby, Robert (September 4, 2021). "College Gameday Makes Picks on Georgia v. Clemson". Sports Illustrated. Retrieved December 1, 2021.
  8. ^ Becton, Stan; Putnik, Gary (September 4, 2021). "No. 5 Georgia's defense dominates in win over No. 3 Clemson". National Collegiate Athletic Association. Retrieved December 1, 2021.
  9. ^ Jeyarajah, Shehan (September 7, 2021). "AP Top 25 poll: Georgia rises to No. 2, UCLA and Virginia Tech enter new college football rankings". CBS Sports. Retrieved December 1, 2021.
  10. ^ Reno, Harrison (September 11, 2021). "Georgia vs UAB: The Good, The Bad, The Ugly". Sports Illustrated. Retrieved December 1, 2021.
  11. ^ Associated Press (September 18, 2021). "Daniels, UGa defense lead No. 2 Dawgs past South Carolina 40-13". CBS Sports. Retrieved December 1, 2021.
  12. ^ Associated Press (September 25, 2021). "Daniels plays quarter as No. 2 Georgia dominates Vandy 62-0". CBS Sports. Retrieved December 1, 2021.
  13. ^ "College football fans react to Georgia's blowout statement over Arkansas". Saturday Down South. October 2, 2021. Retrieved December 1, 2021.
  14. ^ Condon, Jack (October 9, 2021). "Game Recap: #2 Georgia 34, #18 Auburn 10". SB Nation. Retrieved December 1, 2021.
  15. ^ a b Kratch, James (October 10, 2021). "AP Top 25 ballot breakdown: Georgia jumps to No. 1; where does Texas A&M rank after Alabama upset?". NJ.com. Retrieved December 1, 2021.
  16. ^ Hale, Jon (October 16, 2021). "Three takeaways from Kentucky football's first loss of the season at No. 1 Georgia". The Courier-Journal. Retrieved December 1, 2021.
  17. ^ Hutchins, Andy (October 30, 2021). "Georgia 34, Florida 7: Gators doomed in a flash by flurry of mistakes". SB Nation. Retrieved December 1, 2021.
  18. ^ Crowell, Evan (October 30, 2021). "Georgia Clinches SEC Championship Berth". Sports Illustrated. Archived from the original on October 31, 2021. Retrieved November 12, 2021.
  19. ^ Griffith, Mike (November 6, 2021). "RECAP: Georgia 43, Missouri 6, Bulldogs stay on track in SEC". DawgNation. Retrieved December 1, 2021.
  20. ^ Associated Press (November 18, 2021). "Bennett, No. 1 Georgia remain perfect, rout Tennessee 41-17". CBS Sports. Retrieved December 1, 2021.
  21. ^ Weiszer, Marc (November 20, 2021). "Georgia vs. Charleston Southern football game: Final score, highlights, commentary". Athens Banner-Herald. Retrieved December 1, 2021.
  22. ^ "Jackets Close Season With Loss to No. 1 Georgia". Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets. November 27, 2021. Retrieved December 1, 2021.
  23. ^ Reno, Harrison (November 28, 2021). "AP Poll: Georgia Stays Number One, While Alabama Drops". Sports Illustrated. Retrieved December 1, 2021.
  24. ^ Smith, Stephen M. (September 4, 2021). "Alabama-Miami Game Preview to open 2021 season". Touchdown Alabama. Retrieved December 1, 2021.
  25. ^ Potter, Charlie (September 4, 2021). "Recap: No. 1 Alabama blasts No. 14 Miami to open 2021 football season". 247Sports. Retrieved December 1, 2021.
  26. ^ Associated Press (September 11, 2021). "Young, McClellan lead No. 1 Alabama to 48-14 rout of Mercer". CBS Sports. Retrieved December 1, 2021.
  27. ^ Becton, Stan (September 21, 2021). "No. 1 Alabama hangs on, holds off No. 11 Florida's rally". National Collegiate Athletic Association. Retrieved December 1, 2021.
  28. ^ "Williams, No. 1 Alabama sprint by Southern Miss, 63-14". ESPN. September 25, 2021. Retrieved December 1, 2021.
  29. ^ Suss, Nick (October 2, 2021). "Lane Kiffin, Matt Corral, No. 12 Ole Miss football crushed 42-21 at No. 1 Alabama". The Clarion-Ledger. Retrieved December 1, 2021.
  30. ^ Associated Press (October 10, 2021). "Texas A&M beats No. 1 Alabama 41-38 on last-play field goal". CBS Sports. Retrieved December 1, 2021.
  31. ^ Weaver, Morgan (October 10, 2021). "Aggie Recap: Alabama". KBTX. Retrieved December 1, 2021.
  32. ^ Associated Press (October 16, 2021). "No. 5 Alabama rebounds from loss to rout Mississippi State 49-9". CBS Sports. Retrieved December 1, 2021.
  33. ^ "Alabama has to work hard to earn win of Tennessee". Paris Post-Intelligencer. October 25, 2021. Retrieved December 1, 2021.
  34. ^ Rodak, Mike (November 7, 2021). "What Saban said after Alabama's 20-14 win over LSU". AL.com. Retrieved December 1, 2021.
  35. ^ Associated Press (November 13, 2021). "Young, Williams, No. 3 Alabama romp over New Mexico St 59-3". CBS Sports. Retrieved December 1, 2021.
  36. ^ Jones, Matt (November 20, 2021). "Alabama holds off Arkansas, wins 42-35". Whole Hog Sports. Retrieved December 1, 2021.
  37. ^ Associated Press (November 21, 2021). "Young sets record, No. 2 Bama tops No. 21 Arkansas 42-35". CBS Sports. Retrieved December 1, 2021.
  38. ^ Blackwell, Joey (November 23, 2021). "Alabama Drops to No. 3 in Latest College Football Playoff Rankings". Sports Illustrated. Retrieved December 1, 2021.
  39. ^ Hunte, Sydney (November 22, 2021). "Alabama humorously trolls Arkansas in Pig Latin after win to clinch SEC West". Saturday Down South. Retrieved December 1, 2021.
  40. ^ Mohr, Dani (November 28, 2021). "Alabama vs. Auburn final score, results: No. 3 Tide escape with 4-OT victory in Iron Bowl". Sporting News. Retrieved December 1, 2021.
  41. ^ Condon, Jack (November 27, 2021). "GAME RECAP: Alabama 24, Auburn 22 (4 OT)". SB Nation. Retrieved December 1, 2021.
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