Casagrande: Alabama’s new Atlanta legend the latest to crush Georgia’s soul – AL.com

It was 8:34 p.m. on Saturday night and Alabama quarterback Jalen Milroe was still in his full uniform and pads.

Stepping out of Alabama’s cigar-smoke filled locker room, family and friends were waiting. They took pictures as fake confetti continued to fall on a digital loop on the Mercedes-Benz Stadium video boards.

The moment looked intimate. Only workers were left to clean the field Milroe figurative set ablaze.

Perhaps the greatest story of this dynastic era took another impossible turn on that same plastic turf more than an hour earlier.

Alabama 27, Georgia 24 was the latest absurd twist for this powerhouse moonlighting as a plucky underdog.

This was on par with Jalen Hurts’ relieving Tua Tagovailoa mere months after 2nd and 26 to crush Georgia’s soul in the 2018 SEC title game.

Saturday, it was Milroe’s turn.

And his incredible rise from benched to legend took a particularly savage tone this time.

This version of Alabama decoupling Georgia from its spirit had many authors but Milroe was the glue. It wasn’t a singular moment like the Iron Bowl’s 4th-and-31 prayer.

No, this was a drive.

A march to history when the walls were closing in.

Alabama’s 10-point lead had just been trimmed to 20-17 with 10:16 left and things weren’t looking great. Memories of the Crimson Tide blowing fourth-quarter leads twice last year and twice in 2021 leave scars. That includes the CFP title game against Georgia in Indianapolis when Kirby Smart finally exorcised his Saban demon.

It was all in line early in the fourth quarter Saturday as the Crimson Tide had blown a few key opportunities to bust this open against the top-ranked Bulldogs. A recovered fumble at the Georgia 11 yielded just a field goal so when Georgia stormed 35 yards on four plays following a big punt return, its deficit was just 20-17 with a ton of football to play.

Alabama had gone three-and-out on the previous offensive drive and the environment wasn’t conducive for the West Division champs. It’s fair to say it was 70/30 Bulldog fans every one of them was barking after Carson Beck dove into the end zone to make it 20-17.

This was Milroe’s moment. He could forever flush the memories from the Texas loss by opening the throttle amid the chaos.

It was deafening in Mercedes-Benz Stadium when Alabama stepped to the 25-yard line up 3 and 10:16 to play.

Milroe shut each one of them up and stole their dinner.

The quarterback who opened the day 0-for-4, then 3-for-9 completed his final five passes. The last four came on that drive starting with 10:16 to go and the degree of difficulty kept rising.

A 21-yarder to Isaiah Bond came on the first snap, a tone setter and crowd husher. These two became eternally linked seven days earlier for their Iron Bowl heroism so their connection on this drive only takes that to another level.

Milroe to Bond for 12 yards on the third play of the drive put the Tide on the Georgia 33. They were locked in, dead set on making life miserable for the CFP selection committee.

To this point, the four undefeated Power 5 teams had weathered every upset bid, remarkably avoiding the pitfalls that made every other playoff selection fairly routine.

But the 12 committee members in a Texas boardroom felt their guts wretch on third-and-2 from the Georgia 25. Milroe was trying to make something happen instead of settling for another long field goal attempt that wouldn’t make it a two-score game. So like he did at Texas A&M, the quarterback went Dr. Pepper challenge chest pass just before getting hit.

Milroe to Bond, 13 yards. The clock was ticking, sticks were moving and the Alabama tied in the punch bowl was growing awfully fragrant.

The fairytale was nearly complete when Milroe to Bond on the next play was initially called a touchdown before video review showed the receiver was down just short.

Two plays later, Roydell Williams dove in from the one-foot line and Alabama was up 10 with 5:47 to play.

Milroe to Bond came four times on that drive for 57 yards. A week after using a butcher knife at Auburn, they gutted Georgia with a butter knife.

And after Georgia trimmed it back to 27-24 less than three minutes later, Milroe finished the deal himself.

With the dogs barking on their final leg, Milroe opened the final drive of the night with a 30-yard run.

Two plays later, he put Georgia to bed.

His 9-yard scamper for a first down made it a math equation.

One handoff. Two knees.

Ballgame.

Milroe finished the night 13-for-23 with 192 yards and two touchdowns. He was sacked four times in a bit of a regression but this was also an elite Georgia defense.

Most importantly, Milroe’s unconventional style took a lead over Georgia and never gave it back. This was a performance that was equal part bully ball with timely passing when Alabama needed it the most.

Rarely pretty yet effective, Milroe’s place in Alabama history is as undeniable as it was improbable in September.

He’s the heartbeat of a blue blood lost its intestinal fortitude in recent years only to return as an underdog scraping to survive.

This SEC title team was different from the others. While each celebrated the win, this celebration was perhaps just a little more joyful.

Hard to blame them from where they were when Milroe was benched for the most disheartening win possible at USF.

They were left for dead only to crawl out from the gutter and end Georgia’s three-peat bid.

So Milroe deserved to savor every minute of the postgame in a suddenly quiet coliseum.

Why take those pads off either?

Soak it all in with the family who never left your side after the Texas loss.

You’re an Alabama legend now, Jalen Milroe. Hard to imagine anyone who did more to earn it.

Michael Casagrande is a reporter for the Alabama Media Group. Follow him on Twitter @ByCasagrande or on Facebook.