Alabama fans in Mobile react to big win

Appleby converted a third-and-14 and two third-and-6 opportunities during the drive, which resulted in the first touchdown allowed by Alabama since the third quarter of the Texas A&M game October 22.

For the next three games, Florida made a decision to sideline Davis.

Freshman quarterback Jalen Hurts finished with 138 passing yards and a touchdown in a composed performance.

However, the senior linebacker wasn’t going to sit out of one of the most important games of his life Saturday – a rematch against Alabama that he had circled on his calendar since previous year – because of an injury.

The Alabama Crimson Tide became the SEC College Football Champions, for the third year in a row, by defeating the Florida Gators 54 to 16 at the Georgia Dome in Atlanta.

With Davis departing from the program following Florida’s bowl game, this Gator team has a plethora of young talent at multiple positions on the field, including the linebacker position, and Davis wants to see his teammates succeed and grow as men. Florida never recovered from the Tide’s 17 points off turnovers. “We stayed down 17 and they go 98 yards”.

Then Derrick Gore blocked a Florida punt and Josh Jacobs returned it 27 yards for a score.

UF limited Alabama to six offensive plays and minus-7 yards of offense in the first quarter.

Alabama’s Bo Scarbrough had 91 yards and two scores.

The Gators got on the board first with an impressive first offensive drive from quarterback Austin Appleby. Griffith’s PAT attempt was blocked and David Reese returned it for a two-point Gators conversion, putting Alabama’s lead at only a touchdown, 16-9.

Appleby said he was hit when throwing on his first interception and the second “was a miscommunication between the receiver and I”. He was convinced Saturday’s ugly 54-16 loss would have been different if not for three first-half interceptions. That’s something they should think about, how important that is, what they are willing to do to do it.

Sophomore cornerback Minkah Fitzpatrick, who returned an interception 44 yards for a touchdown in the first quarter to give Alabama a 10-7 lead, said the goal-line stand was a statement by the Tide defense. “We’re focused on how we’re going to get it corrected”. Walker was 16 for 25 for 199 yards.

“One thing I do know, we’ve got to go to win this bowl game wherever we do end up”, he said. After a big facemask penalty, starting running back Damien Harris left the game.

Florida struggled offensively for much of the second quarter but did end the quarter on a high note. From there they stalled, calling three ineffective run plays and a pass to DeAndre Goolsby that he just barely could not come down with.

By the second quarter, Lane Kiffin’s offense had Florida defenders brains looking like scrambled eggs with his play calling. Even a circus kick return in the third quarter couldn’t help the Buffaloes. Jacobs had a 12-yard run to get the drive started, Hurts did a nice job getting the ball to O.J. Howard for gains of 32 and 9 yards, and Jacobs ran it in from the 6 for a 33-9 lead. When Alabama went to the ground, however, they were tremendously successful, gaining 234 yards rushing across a field of running backs.

Saban has won his last nine “championship” games with wins over Florida (2009, 2015, 2016), Georgia (2012) and Missouri (2014) in the SEC Championship and victories over Texas (2009), LSU (2011), Notre Dame (2012) and Clemson (2015) in national championship contests. Florida gave up a late 36-yard return after a line-drive Johnny Townsend punt.

While this was not a complete surprise as Florida came into Saturday with the second-worst rushing attack in the Southeastern Conference, their inability to provide any rushing attack negated their early play-action calls.

“I can say this is my first championship since the East Houston Aggies as an 8-year-old”, Hurts said after the game. Rashaan Evans, who took over after Hamilton was injured, blew by his blocker and slammed the running back for a 1-yard loss. Alabama and Florida played in the inaugural title game at Birmingham in 1992, as well as the first when the event moved to Atlanta in 1994. Gore came in for mop-up work at tailback and scored the final touchdown.