Georgia was busy playing the first half of its game with Georgia Tech when the Iron Bowl ended this past Saturday, but that doesn’t mean the Bulldogs haven’t seen “fourth-and-31″ multiple times since then.

Jalen Milroe threw to Isaiah Bond in the back of the end zone for a touchdown with 32 seconds remaining on Saturday, giving Alabama a 27-24 win over Auburn in the Iron Bowl at Jordan-Hare Stadium. During a teleconference with reporters on Monday, Georgia quarterback Carson Beck was asked how many times as a youngster he had pretended making that type of play in pick-up games.

“It’s definitely like a backyard football type of deal, the quarterback kind of throwing it up, especially fourth-and-goal,” Beck said. “I mean, absolutely insane. Just a crazy play.”

Beck and Georgia beat Georgia Tech 31-23 on Saturday night to run their record to 12-0 heading into Saturday’s SEC championship game showdown with No. 8 Alabama (11-1) in Atlanta. He said his admiration for the significance of the Crimson Tide’s game-winning play in the Iron Bowl has only grown with repeated viewings.

“Obviously, we had to play Georgia Tech, but I saw it after,” Beck said. “What a crazy ending to the game. That’s one of the biggest rivalries in all of college football, the Alabama-Auburn game. … You see so many crazy plays from the history and past of that game, but watching that was definitely crazy.”

Georgia defensive back Kamari Lassiter took a more analytic approach. He said the game-winning touchdown was perfectly executed by Alabama.

“That was a very good play on the offense’s part,” Lassiter said. “The quarterback was able to have a lot of time and be able to dissect what coverage they were in. The receivers were definitely able to have time to get open and scramble around. It was just a very good throw and catch at the end of a game, in a very tight ball game. It was a play they needed and they were able to make it happen.”

Bulldogs head coach Kirby Smart, a former Alabama defensive coordinator as well as a one-time All-SEC defensive back at Georgia, said there was nothing fluky about the play. It was an outstanding throw by Milroe, he said, but also an excellent play design by the Crimson Tide coaches.

“I didn’t see it until yesterday when I watched that game, went through the tape,” Smart said. “It was crazy how it got to that point, like to be down there and be close and then be all the way back up, and then to come out on top with that play. I mean, it shows his arm talent. Most teams have a play-by-design that they play from certain yardage intervals, you know, maybe 15-to-25 is this play, 25-to-35 is this play.

“It’s not just a Hail Mary play. It’s a play to try to find a one-on-one, and they were able to find a one-on-one, which that gives you the best percentages you could have.”

The 2023 SEC championship game kicks off at 3 p.m. from Mercedes Benz Stadium in Atlanta. The game will air live on CBS.