2018 SEC Championship Game

Last updated

2018 SEC Championship Game
Conference Championship
1234Total
Alabama01471435
Georgia7147028
DateDecember 1, 2018
Season 2018
Stadium Mercedes-Benz Stadium
Location Atlanta, Georgia
MVP Josh Jacobs, RB, Alabama
Favorite Alabama by 14
Referee Matt Loeffler
Attendance77,141
United States TV coverage
Network CBS, Westwood One, SEC Radio
Announcers Brad Nessler, Gary Danielson, and Jamie Erdahl (CBS)
Ryan Radtke, Derek Rackley and Ross Tucker (Westwood One)
Dave Neal, David Archer and Stephen Hartzell (SEC Radio)
SEC Championship Game
 < 2017   2019 > 
2018 Southeastern Conference football standings
ConfOverall
Team W L  W L 
East Division
No.Georgia x  7 1   11 3  
No. 12 Kentucky  5 3   10 3  
No.Florida  5 3   10 3  
South Carolina  4 4   7 6  
Missouri  4 4   8 5  
Vanderbilt  3 5   6 7  
Tennessee  2 6   5 7  
West Division
No. 2 Alabama x$^  8 0   14 1  
No. 16 Texas A&M  5 3   9 4  
No. 6 LSU  5 3   10 3  
Mississippi State* 4 4   8 5  
Auburn  3 5   8 5  
Ole Miss  1 7   5 7  
Arkansas  0 8   2 10  
Championship: Alabama 35, Georgia 28
  • ^ College Football Playoff participant
  • $ Conference champion
  • x Division champion/co-champions
  • * Mississippi State vacated four conference and eight total wins due to NCAA violations. [1]
Rankings from AP Poll

The 2018 SEC Championship Game was played on Saturday, December 1, 2018, in the Mercedes-Benz Stadium in Atlanta, Georgia, to determine the 2018 football champion of the Southeastern Conference (SEC). The game featured the East Division champion Georgia against the West Division champion Alabama. Georgia, the East Division Champion, was the designated home team. The game was televised by CBS for the eighteenth straight year. Alabama came back from a 28–14 deficit in the third quarter to defeat Georgia, 35–28.

Contents

2017 season

In the 2017 SEC Championship Game, the East champion Georgia defeated the West champion Auburn 28–7 in a rematch from three weeks prior where Auburn defeated Georgia 40–17. It was the first time since 2008 an East Division team won the SEC Championship.

Teams

Alabama

Also on November 3, Alabama secured its spot in the title game by defeating LSU by a score of 29–0. This gave Alabama a two-game lead over LSU in the West Division, with the Crimson Tide holding the potential tiebreaker. LSU then lost 74-72 to Texas A&M in the final game of the regular season, thus meaning Alabama had won every possible tiebreaker.

Georgia

Georgia won its November 3 game against Kentucky, securing the East Division. While Georgia could have finished in a tie for the division title with any combination of Kentucky and Florida, Georgia also defeated Florida during the season, giving the Bulldogs all possible divisional tiebreakers. [2] The Bulldogs ultimately won the East title by two games.

Alabama vs. Georgia series history

This match up was the 69th all time meeting against the Crimson Tide and Bulldogs. They last played each other last season for the College Football Playoff National Championship . Alabama defeated Georgia, in overtime, 26–23. [3] After the January 8, 2018 match up, Alabama leads the all time series 39–25–4. This match up was the first time since 2012, that the two teams face off in the conference title game.

Game summary

Scoring summary

Scoring summary
QuarterTime Drive TeamScoring informationScore
Plays Yards TOP BAMAUGA
13:087603:08UGA Isaac Nauta 20-yard touchdown reception from Jake Fromm, Rodrigo Blankenship kick good07
214:568753:12BAMAJosh Jacobs 1-yard touchdown run, Joseph Bulovas kick good77
27:3113747:25UGA D'Andre Swift 9-yard touchdown run, Rodrigo Blankenship kick good714
24:056512:22UGAD'Andre Swift 11-yard touchdown reception from Jake Fromm, Rodrigo Blankenship kick good721
22:184751:47BAMAJosh Jacobs 0-yard fumble recovery1421
312:393511:14UGA Riley Ridley 23-yard touchdown reception from Jake Fromm, Rodrigo Blankenship kick good1428
33:024721:29BAMA Jaylen Waddle 51-yard touchdown reception from Tua Tagovailoa, Joseph Bulovas kick good2128
45:1916807:08BAMA Jerry Jeudy 10-yard touchdown reception from Jalen Hurts, Joseph Bulovas kick good2828
41:045522:00BAMAJalen Hurts 15-yard touchdown run, Joseph Bulovas kick good3528
"TOP" = time of possession. For other American football terms, see Glossary of American football.3528

Statistics

1234Total
No. 1 Crimson Tide01471435
No. 4 Bulldogs7147028
StatisticsAlabamaGeorgia
First downs2123
Total yards403454
Rushes–yards29–15739–153
Passing yards246301
Passing: Comp–Att–Int17–34–225–40–0
Time of possession24:3035:30
TeamCategoryPlayerStatistics
AlabamaPassingTua Tagovailoa10–25, 164 yards, 1 TD, 2 INTs
RushingJosh Jacobs8 carries, 83 yards, 2 TDs
ReceivingJaylen Waddle4 receptions, 113 yards, 1 TD
GeorgiaPassingJake Fromm25–39, 301 yards, 3 TDs
RushingD'Andre Swift16 carries, 75 yards, 1 TD
ReceivingIsaac Nauta4 receptions, 81 yards, 1 TD

Note: 77,141 was the officially announced attendance figure; "turnstile count" subsequently reported as 69,614. [4]

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">SEC Championship Game</span> Annual American football game

The SEC Championship Game is an annual American football game that has determined the Southeastern Conference's season champion since 1992. For its first 32 seasons, the championship game pitted the SEC East Division regular season champion against the West Division regular season champion. With the SEC eliminating football divisions after the 2023 season, future games will feature the top two teams in the conference standings. Since 2007, the game has typically been played on the first Saturday of December, and the game has been held in Atlanta since 1994, first at the Georgia Dome, and at Mercedes-Benz Stadium since 2017.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Alabama Crimson Tide football</span> University of Alabama Football Team

The Alabama Crimson Tide football program represents the University of Alabama in the sport of American football. The team competes in the Football Bowl Subdivision (FBS) of the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) and the Western Division of the Southeastern Conference (SEC). The team is currently led by Kalen DeBoer. The Crimson Tide is among the most storied and decorated football programs in NCAA history. Since beginning play in 1892, the program claims 18 national championships, including 13 wire-service national titles in the poll-era, and five other titles before the poll-era. From 1958 to 1982, the team was led by Hall of Fame coach Paul "Bear" Bryant, who won six national titles with the program. Alabama then had a dominant run under head coach Nick Saban between 2007 and 2023, resulting in six further national titles.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">2005 SEC Championship Game</span> College football game

The 2005 Dr. Pepper SEC Championship Game was played on December 3, 2005 in the Georgia Dome in Atlanta, Georgia. The game determined the 2005 football champion of the Southeastern Conference. The Georgia Bulldogs, winners of the Eastern division of the SEC, defeated the LSU Tigers, who won the Western division, by a score of 34-14. This was the second time the two teams have met in the conference championship game. The first time was in 2003 when LSU defeated Georgia by the score 34-13.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">2011 LSU Tigers football team</span> American college football season

The 2011 LSU Tigers football team represented Louisiana State University in the 2011 NCAA Division I FBS football season. The Tigers were led by seventh-year head coach Les Miles and played their home games at Tiger Stadium. They were a member of the Western Division of the Southeastern Conference. They finished the season 13–1, 8–0 in SEC play to be Western Division champions. They represented the division in the SEC Championship Game where they defeated Eastern Division champion Georgia 42–10 be crowned SEC champions. They finished the season ranked #1 in the final BCS poll to earn a spot in the BCS National Championship Game vs #2 Alabama. The Tigers, who had defeated Alabama 9–6 in the regular season, lost to the Crimson Tide 21–0. It was the first time a team was ever shut out in a BCS game.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">2011 Southeastern Conference football season</span> Sports season

The 2011 Southeastern Conference football season began on Thursday, September 1, 2011 with Kentucky taking on Western Kentucky on ESPNU. The season concluded on January 9, 2012 as the Alabama Crimson Tide shut out LSU Tigers, 21–0 in the Allstate BCS National Championship Game at the Mercedes-Benz Superdome in New Orleans to claim their 14th national championship in school history. It was also the final season for the SEC before Texas A&M and Missouri joined the conference from the Big 12 the following season.

Alabama Crimson Tide football under Nick Saban covers the history of the Alabama Crimson Tide football program from when Nick Saban was hired as head coach in 2007 up until his retirement after the 2023 season. Alabama plays as part of the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) Football Bowl Subdivision (FBS) and is a member of the West Division of the Southeastern Conference (SEC). The Tide plays its home games at Bryant–Denny Stadium in Tuscaloosa, Alabama. Their overall official record under Saban was 201–29 (.878), 23 bowl game appearances with 16 victories, ten SEC West titles, nine SEC championships, and six national championships. From 2008 up until his retirement, Saban's teams have spent part or all of each season ranked at least top 4 in national polls.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">2015 Sugar Bowl</span> College football game

The 2015 Sugar Bowl was a college football game that was played on January 1, 2015 at the Mercedes-Benz Superdome in New Orleans, Louisiana. It was the 81st Sugar Bowl, and a semifinal game in the College Football Playoff. It was one of the 2014–15 bowl games that concluded the 2014 FBS football season. Sponsored by the Allstate insurance company, the game was officially known as the College Football Playoff Semifinal at the Allstate Sugar Bowl.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">2015 SEC Championship Game</span> College football game

The 2015 SEC Championship Game was played on Saturday, December 5, 2015 in the Georgia Dome in Atlanta, and determined the 2015 football champion of the Southeastern Conference (SEC). The game was played between the East Division champion Florida Gators and West Division champion Alabama Crimson Tide. Alabama was the designated home team. CBS televised the game for the fifteenth consecutive year.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">2018 College Football Playoff National Championship</span> College football game

The 2018 College Football Playoff National Championship was a college football bowl game played on January 8, 2018, at Mercedes-Benz Stadium in Atlanta, Georgia, and was televised nationally by ESPN. The fourth College Football Playoff National Championship, the game determined a national champion in the NCAA Division I Football Bowl Subdivision for the 2017 season. It was the final game of the 2017-18 College Football Playoff (CFP) and, aside from the all star games following this, was the cumulating game of the 2017-18 bowl season. Sponsored by telecommunications company AT&T, the game was officially known as the 2018 College Football Playoff National Championship presented by AT&T.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">2017 Auburn Tigers football team</span> American college football season

The 2017 Auburn Tigers football team represented Auburn University in the 2017 NCAA Division I FBS football season. The Tigers played their home games at Jordan–Hare Stadium in Auburn, Alabama and competed in the Western Division of the Southeastern Conference (SEC). They were led by fifth-year head coach Gus Malzahn. Auburn finished the season 10–4 overall and 7–1 in SEC play to win a share of the Western Division title with Alabama. Due to their head-to-head win over Alabama, they represented the Western Division in the SEC Championship Game where they lost to Georgia. They were invited to the Peach Bowl, where they lost to American Athletic Conference champion UCF.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">2017 SEC Championship Game</span> College football game

The 2017 SEC Championship Game was played on December 2, 2017, at Mercedes-Benz Stadium in Atlanta, Georgia, and determined the 2017 football champion of the Southeastern Conference (SEC). This was the first SEC Conference football championship at the Mercedes-Benz Stadium. The game featured the Eastern Division Champion, Georgia Bulldogs against the Western Division Co-Champion, the Auburn Tigers. This championship game marked the first time Auburn and Georgia had rematched each other in the same year, with the previous iteration having been played on November 11, 2017. In the earlier game, Auburn beat Georgia by a score of 40–17. In this rematch, Georgia won the SEC Championship by beating Auburn 28–7. This was also the first SEC Championship Game with new SEC on CBS announcer Brad Nessler replacing Verne Lundquist, who retired in 2016. The game was televised nationally by CBS.

The 2018 Sugar Bowl was a College Football Playoff semifinal bowl game that was played on January 1, 2018 at the Mercedes-Benz Superdome in New Orleans. The 84th Sugar Bowl game, it matched two of the top four teams selected by the Selection Committee-Alabama from the SEC and Clemson from the ACC to compete to face the winner of the Rose Bowl (Georgia) in the 2018 College Football Playoff National Championship played on January 8, 2018, at Mercedes-Benz Stadium in Atlanta, Georgia. It was one of the 2017–18 bowl games that concluded the 2017 FBS football season. Sponsored by the Allstate insurance company, the game is officially known as the Allstate Sugar Bowl.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">2018 Alabama Crimson Tide football team</span> American college football season

The 2018 Alabama Crimson Tide football team represented the University of Alabama in the 2018 NCAA Division I FBS football season. This season marked the Crimson Tide's 124th overall season, 85th as a member of the Southeastern Conference (SEC), and 27th within the SEC Western Division. They played their home games at Bryant–Denny Stadium in Tuscaloosa, Alabama and were led by twelfth-year head coach Nick Saban.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Alabama–Georgia football rivalry</span> American college football rivalry

The Alabama–Georgia football rivalry is a college football rivalry game between the Crimson Tide of the University of Alabama and the Bulldogs of the University of Georgia. The two bordering state schools were charter members of the Southeastern Conference (SEC) in 1933 and played every season from 1944 to 1965. Despite no longer playing annually, Alabama and Georgia have met in several nationally important matchups in the twenty-first century, including four Southeastern Conference championship games and two College Football Playoff national championship games since 2010, bringing the rivalry back into national prominence.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">2019 SEC Championship Game</span> College football game

The 2019 SEC Championship Game was a college football game played on Saturday, December 7, 2019, at Mercedes-Benz Stadium in Atlanta, Georgia. The game determined the 2019 champion of the Southeastern Conference (SEC). The game featured the East division champions the University of Georgia Bulldogs (Georgia) and the West division champions the Louisiana State University Tigers (LSU). Beginning in 1992, this served as the conference's 28th annual championship game. After a dominating performance by transfer quarterback Joe Burrow, LSU became the 2019 SEC champions winning the game by a final score of 37–10. The strong performance not only earned LSU the 2019 SEC Championship trophy but it contributed to earning the No.1 seed in the 2019 College Football Playoffs. After their loss, Georgia moved to the fifth spot in the rankings and earned a bid to play in their second consecutive Allstate Sugar Bowl.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">2020 SEC Championship Game</span> College football game

The 2020 SEC Championship Game presented by Dr. Pepper was a college football game played on Saturday, December 19, 2020, at Mercedes-Benz Stadium in Atlanta, Georgia. The game determined the 2020 champion of the Southeastern Conference (SEC). The game, the 29th SEC Championship, featured the Florida Gators, champions of the East division, and the Alabama Crimson Tide, champions of the West division.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">2021 SEC Championship Game</span> College football game

The 2021 SEC Championship Game was a college football game that was played on December 4, 2021, at Mercedes-Benz Stadium in Atlanta, Georgia. It was the 30th edition of the SEC Championship Game and determined the champion of the Southeastern Conference (SEC) for the 2021 season. The game began at 4:00 p.m. EST and was aired on CBS. The contest featured the Georgia Bulldogs, the East Division champions, and the Alabama Crimson Tide, the West Division champions.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">2022 SEC Championship Game</span> College football game

The 2022 SEC Championship Game was a college football game played on December 3, 2022, at Mercedes-Benz Stadium in Atlanta, Georgia. It was the 31st edition of the SEC Championship Game and determined the champion of the Southeastern Conference (SEC) for the 2022 season. The game began at 4:00 p.m. EST on CBS. The contest featured the LSU Tigers, the West Division champions and the Georgia Bulldogs of the East Division.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">2023 SEC Championship Game</span> College football game

The 2023 SEC Championship Game was a college football game that was played on December 2, 2023, at Mercedes-Benz Stadium in Atlanta, Georgia. It was the 32nd edition of the SEC Championship Game. The contest featured the Alabama Crimson Tide, the West Division champions and the Georgia Bulldogs the East Division Champions. The game began at 4:00 p.m. EST and was televised on CBS for the twenty-third consecutive year, and also the final SEC Championship game to be televised on the network. Alabama won the game by a score of 27–24 and, therefore, became champions of the Southeastern Conference (SEC) for the 2023 season, while ending Georgia’s 29-game winning streak that began in the 2021 Orange Bowl CFP Semifinal.

References

  1. Journal, Logan Lowery Daily. "MSU fires Moorhead after two seasons". Daily Journal. All eight of Moorhead's victories in 2018 had to be vacated after 10 football players were reprimanded by the NCAA for academic misconduct involving a former part-time tutor and an online chemistry class.
  2. "No. 6 Georgia, No. 9 Kentucky meet in pivotal SEC East game". ESPN.com . STATS LLC. October 30, 2018. Retrieved November 2, 2018.
  3. "Alabama won the national championship over Georgia on a play called … "Seattle"?".
  4. Tucker, Tim (February 25, 2019). "Falcons, other events at Mercedes-Benz draw smaller crowds than announced". Atlanta Journal-Constitution . Retrieved February 25, 2019.