DawgNation remembers the 2018 National Championship game for what could have been.
Georgia held a 13-0 lead at halftime, but Alabama freshman quarterback Tua Tagovailoa replaced Jalen Hurts at the break and went on to lead the Crimson Tide to a comeback victory on a touchdown throw in overtime.
Georgia coach Kirby Smart remembers the play that sealed Alabama’s win in an interview featured on All Things Covered with Bryant McFadden.
“It was a shock. “What got us is I’d heard all year from friends in Tuscaloosa that they liked the younger quarterback better than Jalen. I kept hearing that. I would hear that, now of course I didn’t think we’re gonna play them, we weren’t scheduled to play them. I thought well if we make the SEC championship, we’ll play Alabama. And then it played out where we played Auburn.”
Hurts had started every game for Alabama dating back to his freshman season in 2016 when he was named SEC Offensive Player of the Year.
“And I’d heard all this stuff about, you know, the younger quarterback can throw the ball better. He can do more stuff, but he was only getting to play mop up time. They didn’t have many games that they got forced to do in (the national title game), I knew at halftime I said, ‘Guys they may have to make a change here because they’re struggling, they’re not scoring.’ People forget that he came in and actually threw a pick on a strange play, like a busted play. The receiver was blocking downfield and DeAndre Baker picks off a pass. Tua threw to him, receiver must get the wrong call he thought was a sprint-out run, and he throws a pick and I’m like, ‘Man, this guy’s struggling a little bit.’ We sacked him a couple times, had him confused, and the next thing you know, he starts throwing dimes.”
Only fitting that the Dawgs faced to future NFL starters. Hurts is now starting quarterback for the Philadelphia Eagles and 2020 No. 5 overall pick Tagovailoa leads the Miami Dolphins.
Make sure you’re caught up on everything Georgia football before the Peach Bowl! We break everything down including, opt-outs and what to watch for from Cincinnati in this week’s episode of UGA Football Live with J.C. Shelton. Listen here: