ATLANTA (AP) — Alabama is heading back to the national championship game — by a mere 4 yards.
AJ
McCarron threw a 45-yard touchdown pass to Amari Cooper with 3:15
remaining, and the No. 2 Crimson Tide barely held off No. 3 Georgia
32-28 in a Southeastern Conference title game for the ages Saturday.
After
an apparent game-clinching interception by Alabama was overturned on a
video review, Georgia's Aaron Murray completed a 15-yard pass to Arthur
Lynch, a 23-yarder to Tavarres King and a 26-yarder to Lynch, who was
hauled down at the Alabama 8 as the clock continued to run.
The Bulldogs were out of timeouts.
Instead
of spiking the ball and gathering themselves, the Bulldog snapped the
ball with 9 seconds to go. Murray attempted a pass into the corner but
it was deflected at the line, winding up in the arms of Chris Conley out
in the right flats.
Surprised to get the ball, he slipped down at the 5.
Georgia
couldn't get off another play. Alabama celebrated as confetti fell from
the Georgia Dome roof. The Bulldogs collapsed on the field, stunned
they had come so close to knocking off the team that has won two of the
last three national titles.
The Tide will get a chance to make it
three out of four when they face top-ranked Notre Dame for the BCS crown
on Jan. 7 in Miami.
"I'm ready to have heart attack here," Alabama coach Nick Saban said.
For
the Bulldogs (11-2), the consolation prize will likely be a spot in the
Capital One Bowl, though they certainly looked like a team fully
deserving of a BCS bid. Georgia coach Mark Richt said his team had the
play it wanted at the end, but Alabama ruined it by getting a hand on
the ball.
"I told the guys I was disappointed, but I'm not
disappointed in them," Richt said. "They're warriors. We had a chance at
the end. We just didn't get it done."
In a back-and-forth second
half that looked nothing like a game in the defensive-minded SEC, the
Crimson Tide trailed 21-10 after Alec Ogletree returned a blocked field
goal for a touchdown in the third quarter.
Alabama rallied behind a
punishing run game, finishing with 350 yards on the ground, an SEC
championship game record. Eddie Lacy rumbled for 181 yards on 20
carries, including two TDs. Freshman T.J. Yeldon added 153 yards on 25
carries, also scoring a TD.
But the Tide won it through the air.
With
Georgia stacking the line, McCarron fooled the Bulldogs with play
action and delivered a perfectly thrown pass to Cooper, who beat Damian
Swann in single coverage down the left side.
Georgia played like a champion, too.
The
Bulldogs punted the ball back to Alabama with 2:25 left, relying on
their defense to finally stop the Tide. Georgia used up its final two
timeouts, forced a punt and got the ball back at its 15 with 1:16
remaining.
Alabama broke into a celebration when a pass down the
middle for Conley was deflected and Dee Milliner appeared to make a
diving interception. But the replay showed the ball hit the ground, so
Murray and the Georgia offense trotted back on the field for their last
gasp.
And what a gasp it was.
Just not quite enough.
Todd
Gurley led Georgia with 122 yards rushing, including a couple of TDs.
Murray was 18 of 33 for 265 yards with one touchdown and one
interception.
McCarron was 12 of 21 for 162 yards with an interception, just his third of the season.
After a defensive slugfest in the first half, the final two quarters were nothing but run-and-gun.
Or, more accurately, Alabama running and Georgia gunning.
Trailing
10-7, Georgia took the kickoff to start the second half and marched
down the field for a go-ahead touchdown. Gurley ran it seven times for
44 yards, the last of his carries a leg-churning, 3-yard drive up the
middle to make it 14-10.
Alabama looked like it was about to
answer, holding the ball for more than 5 1-2 minutes, before the drive
stalled and the Tide sent out Cade Foster for a 50-yard field-goal
attempt. Trying to get distance on the kick, he booted a low ball that
Cornelius Washington swatted down with his left hand. Ogletree scooped
up the bouncing ball and returned it 55 yards for a touchdown.
Suddenly, the Bulldogs led 21-10.
But the Tide wasn't about to go away that easy.
A
little too pumped up, Georgia's T.J. Stripling committed a silly
personal foul on the kickoff return and Alabama quickly drove for a
score to get back in the game. Yeldon broke off a 31-yard run, Swann was
called interference on a throw down the middle, and Yeldon powered in
from the 10. He ran it again for the 2-point conversion, pulling Alabama
to 21-18.
Georgia went three-and-out, and Lacy came back in to
continue the ground assault. He barreled over right guard for 32 yards.
Then a 15-yarder. Then a 14-yarder. He caught a quick breather, Yeldon
running twice to get it down to the 1.
Lacy returned for the first play of the fourth period, scoring to put Alabama ahead 25-21.
The Tide appeared to have all the momentum.
It lasted about 2 minutes.
Murray
found King down the middle for a 45-yard completion and Gurley finished
off the lightning-quick possession with a 10-yard touchdown run up the
middle.
After the clock had finally run out on Georgia, Richt made one last pitch for a BCS bid.
"Do I think we're worthy of a BCS bowl?" he said. "Yes I do."
The Bulldogs even got props from Saban.
"It
would be a crying shame if Georgia doesn't get to go to a BCS bowl
game," the Alabama coach said. "They played a tremendous game out there.
That was a great football game, by both teams. It came right down to
the last play."
(Copyright 2012 by The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved.)
