Georgia vs. Alabama by the numbers: Tide tough on No. 1
No. 1 Georgia (12-0) vs. No. 8 Alabama (11-1)
3 p.m. CST Saturday (CBS)
Mercedes-Benz Stadium in Atlanta
0 Punts have been returned against Georgia this season. Georgia is the only team in the nation that has not had any of its punts returned in 2023. The Bulldogs’ Brett Thorson has punted 27 times for a 42.7-yard average this season. Alabama has returned 19 punts for 174 yards and one TD in 2023.
1 Point is needed by Alabama K Will Reichard to gain sole possession of the major-college career record for points. Reichard is tied with Navy QB Keenan Reynolds, who scored 530 points from 2012 through 2015.
1 Previous SEC Championship Game matched teams that posted 8-0 conference records. In 2009, Alabama and Florida completed their conference campaigns with 8-0 marks before the Crimson Tide defeated the Gators 32-13 in the league title game.
4 Common opponents this season for Alabama and Georgia, with each team sweeping through Auburn, Kentucky, Ole Miss and Tennessee. The Crimson Tide outscored the four teams 134-75. The Bulldogs outscored the four teams 168-60.
5 Consecutive SEC opponents have scored a touchdown on the opening possession against Georgia. Vanderbilt went 75 yards in five plays, but Georgia won 37-20 on Oct. 14. Florida went 66 yards in seven plays, but Georgia won 43-20 on Oct. 28. Missouri went 75 yards in nine plays, but Georgia won 30-21 on Nov. 4. Ole Miss went 75 yards in 11 plays, but Georgia won 52-17 on Nov. 11. Tennessee’s Jaylen Wright ran 75 yards on the game’s first snap, but Georgia won 38-10 on Nov. 18.
6 Georgia players have passed for 3,000 yards in one season, including current QB Carson Beck, whose 3,495 passing yards in 2023 rank fourth on the Bulldogs’ single-season chart. Stetson Bennett set the school single-season record with 4,127 passing yards in 2022. Aaron Murray reached 3,000 passing yards in 2010, 2011, 2012 and 2013, Eric Zeier did in 1993 and 1994, David Greene in 2003 and Matthew Stafford in 2008.
7 Consecutive Alabama quarterbacks have played for SEC championship teams in their first seasons as the full-time starter, with Jalen Milroe set for his opportunity to win on Saturday against Georgia. Blake Sims in 2014, Jake Coker in 2015, Jalen Hurts in 2016, Tua Tagovailoa in 2018, Mac Jones in 2020 and Bryce Young in 2021 went from their first season-opening start to winning the SEC championship. The most recent Alabama quarterback who didn’t accomplish that was AJ McCarron in 2011. While the Tide did not win the SEC title that season, it did win the CFP national championship for 2011.
10 Victories for Alabama against the No. 1 team in the AP Poll, the most victories against the top-ranked team. Alabama has a 10-5 record, including a 7-2 mark under coach Nick Saban, when playing the No. 1 team.
10 Previous appearances in the SEC Championship Game for Georgia. The Bulldogs also represented the Eastern Division in the SEC Championship Game in 2002, 2003, 2005, 2011, 2012, 2017, 2018, 2019, 2021 and 2022. Georgia won the title in 2002, 2005, 2017 and 2022.
14 Previous appearances in the SEC Championship Game for Alabama. The Crimson Tide also represented the Western Division in the SEC Championship Game in 1992, 1993, 1994, 1996, 1999, 2008, 2009, 2012, 2014, 2015, 2016, 2018, 2020 and 2021. Alabama won the title in 1992, 1999, 2009, 2012, 2014, 2015, 2016, 2018, 2020 and 2021.
15 Consecutive December games have been won by Alabama, the longest winning streak in the 12th month in SEC history. The Crimson Tide’s most recent loss in the 12th month is a 31-20 setback against Florida in the SEC Championship Game on Dec. 6, 2008. Since then, Alabama has won eight SEC title games, four bowls that served as CFP semifinal games, two regular-season games and the 2022 Sugar Bowl in December.
16 Consecutive games in Atlanta have been won by Alabama since the Crimson Tide lost to Florida 31-20 on Dec. 6, 2008, in the SEC Championship Game. The victories include eight in the SEC Championship Game, six in season-opening games, one in the Peach Bowl and one in the CFP title game. Alabama has a 7-0 record at Mercedes-Benz Stadium.
18 Of the 31 SEC Championship games have been won by the home team. Alabama is the home team for Saturday’s game.
18 Victories for the Western Division representative and 13 victories for the Eastern Division representative in the SEC Championship Game. In the previous 14 games, Georgia is the only SEC East team to win, taking the title in 2017 and 2022.
23 Victories in 31 SEC Championship games by the team ranked higher in the AP Poll. Georgia is No. 1 and Alabama is No. 8 in this week’s poll.
29 Victories for Alabama coach Nick Saban against teams ranked in the top five of the AP Poll, 11 more than any other coach has had. Saban has a 29-15 record against top-five opponents. Bobby Bowden had 18 victories against top-five opponents during his career.
29 Consecutive victories for Georgia, the longest winning streak in SEC history. Georgia’s most recent loss was a 41-24 setback against Alabama in the SEC Championship Game on Dec. 4, 2021. Georgia’s winning streak is tied for the 12th-longest in major-college football history, seventh-longest in the past 100 years and third-longest in this century.
30 Of the 31 winners in the SEC Championship Game have scored in the fourth quarter. The only title winner that didn’t score in the last period was Florida when it defeated Auburn 28-6 in 2000.
30 Victories and three losses for Alabama coach Nick Saban in games with one of his former assistant coaches as the opposing head coach. Georgia coach Kirby Smart has one of the victories.
34 More tackles for Alabama S Caleb Downs than for any of his teammates this season. Downs has 95 tackles, with LB Jihaad Campbell next with 61.
42 Victories for Alabama, 26 victories for Georgia and four ties in the Crimson Tide-Bulldogs series. Georgia won the most recent meeting 33-18 in the CFP national-championship game for the 2021 season. Three of Alabama’s victories have come in the SEC Championship Game.
103 Victories and 47 losses for Alabama coach Nick Saban in games against opponents ranked in the AP Poll. Saban has the most coaching victories against ranked opponents after passing former Penn State coach Joe Paterno, who had an 86-82 record against ranked teams. Twenty-three of Saban’s victories have come with a margin of victory of 25 or more points.
308 Games have been played by Alabama since it was most recently shut out. Alabama’s scoring streak is the third-longest in SEC history and the 12th-longest in major-college football history. Alabama’s most recent shutout loss came 9-0 to Auburn on Nov. 18, 2000.
349 Yards and five TDs on 41 rushing attempts for RB Kendall Milton in Georgia’s past three games. In his first eight games of the season, Milton totaled 295 yards and five TDs on 58 carries.
371 Games have been played by Georgia since it was most recently shut out, the second-longest scoring streak in SEC history and the third-longest in major-college football history. The Bulldogs haven’t been blanked since losing to Alabama 31-0 on Sept. 30, 1995.
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Mark Inabinett is a sports reporter for Alabama Media Group. Follow him on Twitter at @AMarkG1.