With the Alabama offense struggling and trailing Georgia late in the fourth quarter, Jalen Milroe looked to Ryan Williams.
The freshman receiver didn’t disappoint to lift No. 4 Alabama over No. 2 Georgia 41-34.
With 2:31 left in the game, Milroe found the freshman wide receiver down the right sideline, and the Saraland High School product did the rest for a one-play scoring strike and eventual game winner.
Williams caught the ball at the Georgia 46, made a move and was off to the races.
“It’s all about matchups,” Milroe said right after the game. “Find your 1 on 1, find your matchups. … Those plays we rep. Repetition, repetition is so important.
“It’s all about trust, and I trust Ryan Williams and I gave him a play.”
The 17-year-old finished with six catches for 177 yards.
He also grabbed a circus catch, turning heads earlier in the game.
Milroe finished 27 of 33 for 374 yards for two touchdowns and an interception. He also rushed for 117 yards and two scores on 16 carries.
“Coming out of the gates, I really felt like in the last two weeks of practice there were steps that were made and some little things,” Alabama coach Kalen DeBoer said right after the game. “He’s got more ahead of him, too. … He did a great job.”
Milroe made it a point to look ahead.
“Every game we have we want to continue to build,” he said. “Not one game can be our best game. We have to keep climbing and getting better. I think that is so important for our team.”
Mark Heim is a reporter for The Alabama Media Group. Follow him on Twitter @Mark_Heim. He can be heard on “The Opening Kickoff” on WNSP-FM 105.5 FM in Mobile or on the free Sound of Mobile App from 6 to 9 a.m. daily.
