After a tough Week 1 loss against Florida State, Alabama quarterback Ty Simpson utilized that experience to turn his performance around and lift the Crimson Tide to a 24-21 victory over No. 5 Georgia.
“We didn't play up to our standard in Week 1,” Simpson said, per ESPN's Andrea Adelson. “We just came back as a team. We were like, ‘What are we going to do now? Do we want to be known as the team who doesn't finish, doesn't sustain competitive stamina? Or are we going to play with a chip on our shoulder?' We said it all week, ‘Us against the world.'”
In defeating Georgia, Alabama ended the Bulldogs’ 33-game home winning streak at Sanford Stadium, the longest such streak in college football. The win marked a complete turnaround from Alabama's disappointing 31-17 season-opening loss to Florida State in Tallahassee.
It was something of a wake-up call for Kalen DeBoer after losing to Florida State. In that opener, Simpson struggled, and people wondered whether the coach would be able to handle the pressure at Alabama.
Following the loss, Alabama's players and coaches conducted crucial team meetings about who they were and where they were going. The team ensured their mentality was “us against the world,” which would take them ahead.
Ty Simpson shines as Alabama holds off Georgia
Simpson displayed his good play and composure under the pressures against Georgia He was able to convert 12-of-19 third-down passes to keep the drive alive. Alabama had 77 plays to Georgia’s 53 and were firmly in control throughout.
The Crimson Tide scored 24 points in the first half and depended on its defense to hold off Georgia’s comeback attempts. With 1:51 on the clock and facing third-and-5, Simpson was able to give a pass at running back Jam Miller to help get the victory.
Coach Kalen DeBoer praised his team's response to early-season adversity. “There's two things you can do when things are coming down on you a little bit,” DeBoer said. “You can back yourself in a corner or you can fight. And these guys made up their minds they're going to fight.”
Alabama cannot celebrate the Georgia victory for long. The Crimson Tide were defeated by Vanderbilt last season, but they come to Tuscaloosa next week.
Simpson emphasized maintaining their newfound intensity: “That's the kind of mentality that we have to have throughout the season. It's Alabama against everybody.”
