Alabama Football: Halftime report vs. Georgia Bulldogs

Alabama football is halfway through a game for the ages.

We knew that this Alabama football game against the Georgia Bulldogs was going to be one of the best of the season, and it has lived up to the hype through one half. Nick Saban was able to coach, and it is obvious that his team needs him so far.

Crimson Tide fans were concerned after Mac Jones’s first pass was picked off, and they were even more worried when the play stood upon review. Thankfully, the Alabama defensive line stepped up with a swatted pass and interception that will remind everyone of other elite interceptions by defensive linemen.

After both teams exchanged turnovers, Mac Jones and the Crimson Tide marched down the field to take the lead early.

Defensively, Alabama has looked like a completely different team. Ole Miss tore the Alabama defense apart, and they came back with a vengeance in this first half. Georgia shot themselves in the foot with a few mistakes, but Alabama’s defensive line still managed to get pressure early.

However, Alabama also shot itself in the foot offensively. Drops by wide receivers stalled two drives and kept Alabama from extending the lead.

Through one half, neither team has done anything to pull away in this game. Both teams have relied on big plays, and both teams have hurt themselves on both sides of the football. No one is playing perfect, and this is truly anyone’s game. Going into halftime, Alabama is down 24-20.

What will it take for Alabama football to pull away in the second half? Well, they need more from Mac Jones. He is avoiding mistakes, but he needs to be even more efficient against the UGA secondary. The running game hasn’t gotten very far, so this is Mac’s time to take over and lead this team to victory. However, that will have to be paired with his receivers making plays when he gives them opportunities. The drops are not on Mac, and this game would be significantly different if Alabama caught those passes.

Georgia will receive the kickoff at the start of the second half, so the defense will be immediately tested once again. If they want to stop Georgia, they must perform better on third downs. Thankfully, the Tide will have Jordan Battle for the second half.