Georgia outlasts Alabama 20-17 in Tuscaloosa, heads toward No. 1

No. 2 Georgia went into Bryant-Denny Stadium on Saturday night and beat No. 6 Alabama 20-17. The Bulldogs ran the ball through the Crimson Tide, and a disputed no-call in the final minutes helped them hold on.

The Associated Press recap carried by NBC Sports singles out Dwight Phillips Jr. as Georgia's offensive lead. The Bulldogs finished with 206 rushing yards even though leading rusher Nate Frazier did not play. Georgia has now beaten Alabama three times in the last 11 meetings. This was its first regular-season win in the series since 2007.

The game swung back and forth until the end, and the finish drew criticism. With Alabama driving late, officials did not call pass interference on Georgia safety JK Bolden on a play where contact looked clear. On the next snap, Bolden sacked Keelon Russell and pushed the Tide out of field-goal range. Alabama still hoped to get the ball back. Instead, cornerback Dijon Lee was flagged for a personal foul, and Georgia used the penalty to run out the clock.

Stockton was efficient for Georgia, completing 18 of 22 passes for 249 yards with a touchdown and an interception. Russell went 16 of 30 for 185 yards and a touchdown for Alabama and added 41 rushing yards.

The result reshapes the top of the polls. No. 1 Texas lost to Oklahoma in the Red River Rivalry on the same day, so a road win over a top-10 opponent gives Georgia (6-0, 4-0 SEC) a strong case for the top spot in Sunday's AP Top 25. Alabama falls to 5-1 and 3-1 in league play. The Tide is still in playoff contention, but it missed a chance to take control of the SEC race at home.

Neither team gets a break next week. Georgia hosts Auburn in the Deep South's Oldest Rivalry, and the market expects the Bulldogs to keep rolling. Georgia is favored at -953 on Novig, and DraftKings has the best sportsbook price at -1450. Full prices are on the Auburn at Georgia page.

Alabama goes on the road to face No. 15 Tennessee in the Third Saturday in October. That is a rivalry game and a must-win if the Tide wants to stay near the front of the conference. Alabama is favored at -251 on Novig with a total of 56.5, and DraftKings' best sportsbook price on the Tide is -258. See the Alabama at Tennessee page for the current market.

Georgia's ground game carried it through a night when its top back was out, and Bolden made the late stop. The Bulldogs leave Tuscaloosa unbeaten and in front in the SEC. Alabama now has a week to recover before it goes to Knoxville.