5 critical things we learned about Alabama football after yet another win over UGA

Alabama did it again on Saturday night, getting the best of Georgia in a 24-21 victory in Athens. The Tide broke out to a 14-0 lead early in the second quarter, and held off the Bulldogs from there, thanks to some opportunistic plays defensively.

It wasn't a perfect game by any means for Alabama, but Kalen DeBoer's team responded to adversity on the road and finally pulled a tense one out. They showed the fight that Alabama fans had been begging for after a lifeless loss to Florida State in the opener. They proved that the wins over UL Monroe and Wisconsin weren't flukes, nor were they just beating up on inferior opponents.

A win over Georgia on the road will age well. Alabama is right back in the thick of the College Football Playoff picture, jumping seven spots up to No. 10 in the AP Poll. A brutal schedule remains in front of them, but there's a renewed confidence around the program, further fueled by a massive road victory.

5 things we learned about Alabama from the 24-21 win over Georgia

Ty Simpson is one of the best quarterbacks in the nation

Coming into the year, I thought Ty Simpson just needed to be solid. Not spectacular. A game manager who would raise the floor significantly from the bottomless pit the offense fell in several times last season with Jalen Milroe at QB. It was clear after the season opener that Alabama was going to need much more than that at QB. It was also a significant question mark whether Simpson could be the guy to elevate the offense to the level it needed to be at.

That's no longer a question mark.

Simpson has been spectacular in three straight games since an uneven performance in Tallahassee. He lit up UL Monroe and Wisconsin, and was surgical in leading the Tide to 24 points in the first half to build a double-digit halftime lead.

The offense sputtered in the second half, but Simpson's performance was more than enough. Alabama walked out of Athens with a win, and Simpson walked out as one of the favorites in the Heisman Trophy race.

Alabama needs more out of Ryan Williams

After a terrific performance against Wisconsin, star sophomore WR Ryan Williams took a step backward in the Tide's win over the Bulldogs.

He dropped another pass - his fifth of the young season - this one a long ball from Simpson that would have been a touchdown on the Tide's opening possession:

Williams also missed a couple of blocks on Alabama's opening drive touchdown. He found himself on the bench as a result, with Alabama leaning on Isaiah Horton and freshman Lotzeir Brooks. Williams ended up only playing 41 of the 79 available offensive snaps, fewer than both Germie Bernard and Horton.

Williams stepped up later in the game and came up with a couple of critical catches to keep drives alive, but it's clear that the drops are a significant problem for the sophomore wide receiver. Alabama needs Williams to get it figured out. There's plenty of talent in the WR room, but no one has as much talent and explosiveness as Williams.

Alabama's offensive line shuffling continues - and was even more extreme

Alabama is still not getting the push from the interior of the offensive line that it wants, and that is causing issues running the football. Alabama managed only 117 yards on the ground on a 3.1 yards per carry average. The pass blocking was exceptional, however, and Simpson was only pressured on two dropbacks and was never sacked.

Despite Kadyn Proctor calling for an end to the rotation up front, DeBoer and company actually rotated more against Georgia. Only Proctor and C Parker Brailsford played every snap. Alabama rotated at the other three positions, playing four guards and four tackles against the Bulldogs.

Perhaps the most interesting observation is that RG Jaeden Roberts only got in for seven total snaps. He's healthy, and many Alabama fans have been calling for him to replace Geno VanDeMark. More interesting, however, was that at times Wilkin Formby kicked inside to RG to play alongside RT Michael Carroll. Redshirt freshman William Sanders got extended work this week and seemed to play well. Freshman Jackson Lloyd's snaps came as a sixth offensive lineman when Alabama decided to go heavy.

It doesn't look like the rotating up front is going to change anytime soon. It's hard to argue with the pass blocking results. Alabama will hope they can find a combination in the coming weeks that will spark a dormant running game.

The defense made plays when it had to, but question marks remain

Kane Wommack got an earful from Kalen DeBoer after Alabama surrendered a touchdown on a poorly timed safety blitz in the second quarter. The defense surrendered quite a few big plays, particularly on the ground. Georgia racked up 227 rushing yards on 33 attempts, consistently gashing Alabama.

Those holes were frequently available off the edges; that's an area Alabama will really have to figure out with injuries to Jah-Marien Latham and now Qua Russaw.

The secondary allowed open receivers, and if it wasn't for a wide-open drop in the fourth quarter by a Georgia WR, the outcome of this game could've been different.

But you also have to give credit where credit is due: Wommack's defense made plays when they had to make plays. LT Overton blew up a 4th-and-1 in the redzone in the fourth quarter to force a turnover on downs. And then Alabama forced a punt with under four to go, thanks to freshman Dijon Lee blowing up a screen pass. The Bulldogs didn't get the ball back from there.

Alabama's offense was the story of the first half, dropping 24 points on Kirby Smart's defense. But it was the defense that helped the Tide seal the win. The offense failed to put up any points in the second half. The defense stepped up and allowed only one single Georgia touchdown to preserve the win.

Ryan Grubb's creative play-calling helped Alabama get the win

Ryan Grubb came up with some creative play-calling in crucial situations to help Alabama escape Athens with a win.

Following a Georgia touchdown late in the first half to cut the Alabama lead to 17-14, the Tide engineered a masterful two-minute drive to score a touchdown before the half. It was aided by a 3rd-and-1 conversion where Germie Bernard took a handoff and then threw a short pass forward to Isaiah Horton.

In the redzone, it was the most memorable play of the evening: a screen pass to LT Kadyn Proctor, which was ultimately ruled a lateral and a run, with Proctor barrelling forward for a gain of 11 yards down to the 2-yard line. Simpson ran for a touchdown on the next play.

Then, to put the game away, Grubb dialed up a brilliant play call on 3rd-and-5 to get the ball to Jam Miller in the flat for a first down that sealed the game:

It was a gutsy call, but Grubb played to win the football game. He trusted his QB - and his senior RB returning from injury - to make the play. They did.