Alabama football defeated the Florida Gators 52-46 Saturday to win the 2020 SEC Championship.
Najee Harris turned in a masterful performance to lead the Tide to a huge win in Atlanta. The California native finished the game with five total touchdowns. Mac Jones put together another solid outing by throwing for 418 yards and five touchdowns. DeVonta Smith led the Tide in receiving with 184 yards and two touchdowns.
Daniel Wright led the Tide in tackles with six and was followed by Chris Allen and Will Anderson. Anderson also recorded two sacks and one forced fumble.
Harris got the scoring going with an eight-yard touchdown run in the first to put Alabama up 7-0. The Gators answered the Tide’s score with a 51-yard strike from Kyle Trask to Kadarius Toney in the first. Jones threw an interception on the following drive, but Alabama was able to keep possession after John Metchie forced a fumble during the interception return.
Smith scored on the next play to put Alabama 14-7. Florida responded to that score with a 40-yard field goal to cut Alabama’s lead to four points in the first quarter.
Harris pulled in three touchdown receptions in the second quarter. A 1-yard run by Trask was Florida’s lone score in the second. Alabama led 35-17 at halftime.
The third quarter was all Florida. The Gators trimmed the Tide’s lead to four points by keeping Alabama off the board.
Alabama shook off its scoreless third quarter by getting in the end zone early in the fourth quarter with a Najee Harris rushing touchdown. A Will Reichard field goal after a forced fumbled by Anderson to put Alabama up 45-31 in the fourth quarter.
Dan Mullen and company proved they were not going to go away quietly with a one-yard touchdown run by Dameon Pierce. Jones quickly responded with a 15-yard strike from Jones to Smith on a drive that lasted one minute and 28 seconds. This put Alabama 52-38.
A 22-yard touchdown reception by Kyle Pitts put the Gators back into position to make it a game by cutting the Tide’s lead to six points thanks to a two-point conversion. Smith recovered the onside kick following the score.
Florida did get the ball back with 16 seconds go. A Christian Harris sack seal the victory for Alabama.
This is Alabama’s 28th SEC Championship in school history. Alabama is expected to be the No. 1 seed in the College Football Playoffs.
