GAME DAY: Players to watch, Alabama vs. Georgia

Monday
Jan 8, 2018 at 11:00 AM

ALABAMA

Rashaan Evans

Sr./LB

6-3/234

Key Stat: Posted 14 tackles and 2.5 sacks in Alabama's last two national championship games.

Buzz: Some of the best games of Evans' career have come in the national championship game. He had two sacks as a sophomore in 2015, then posted 11 tackles as a starter last year. Evans is used some as a pass rusher and will have a chance to disrupt Jake Fromm. He'll also be the man in the middle of the defense responsible for making the calls to stop Georgia's rushing attack. The Dawgs have to go through him.

 

Calvin Ridley

Jr./WR

6-1/190

Key Stat: Ranks in top three all-time at Alabama in receptions, receiving yards, receiving touchdowns, 100-yard games.

Buzz: Ridley can tie Amari Cooper's record for career receptions with eight grabs or pass it with nine catches. That's a tall order, but Ridley remains Alabama's biggest threat on the outside. He has 15 catches for 20-plus yards this season. Ridley nearly had another huge catch on a flea flicker that quarterback Jalen Hurts left short against Clemson. To beat Georgia, Alabama will probably have to convert an opportunity like that.

 

Jalen Hurts

So./QB

6-2/218

Key stat: Has one interception in 246 attempts this season.

Buzz: Much of Hurts' sophomore campaign was seen through the lens of his performance in last year's national championship. Fair or not, his performance on Monday will likely be another referendum on his season as a whole. He's made good decisions all season and kept the Alabama offense moving with his arm and his legs. He'll have to do it one more time against one of the nation's toughest defenses.

 

GEORGIA

Roquan Smith

Jr./LB

6-1/225

Key stat: 76 solo tackles for the season

Buzz: The Butkus Award winner leads Georgia in total stops (124) and QB pressures (18) and is tied with D’Andre Walker in QB sacks with 5.5. The speedy junior’s team-high 76 solo tackles is more than double the number posted by J.R. Reed, who is second on the team with 38. Smith’s 124 total stops is nearly as many as the next two Bulldogs’ combined — Reed is second on the team with 76 total tackles and Lorenzo Carter is third with 57.

 

Jake Fromm

Fr./QB

6-2/225

Key stat: 2-1 when Georgia trails at halftime

Buzz: Fromm’s high school coach Von Lassiter said the freshman has “ice in his veins” and he may need it if the title game is close late. Fromm directed a game-tying drive in the Rose Bowl and a fourth-quarter drive that led to a go-ahead field goal in a road game against Notre Dame. He is also within striking distance of the program record for touchdowns by a freshman. He’s accounted for 26 touchdowns — including 23 TD passes — which is two behind the mark set by Aaron Murray in 2010.

 

Nick Chubb

Sr./RB

5-10/225

Key stat: Georgia is 21-3 when Chubb runs for 100 yards or more

Buzz: Chubb enters the final game of his collegiate career second only to Herschel Walker on the Georgia and SEC lists of career rushing leaders. Chubb’s 4,744 career rushing yards — 1,320 this season — is even more impressive considering he missed much of his sophomore season with a knee injury and shares a backfield with roommate and fellow senior Sony Michel. Together, the duo has accounted for 347 carries, 2,449 yards and 31 touchdowns this season.

Monday
Jan 8, 2018 at 11:00 AM

ALABAMA

Rashaan Evans

Sr./LB

6-3/234

Key Stat: Posted 14 tackles and 2.5 sacks in Alabama's last two national championship games.

Buzz: Some of the best games of Evans' career have come in the national championship game. He had two sacks as a sophomore in 2015, then posted 11 tackles as a starter last year. Evans is used some as a pass rusher and will have a chance to disrupt Jake Fromm. He'll also be the man in the middle of the defense responsible for making the calls to stop Georgia's rushing attack. The Dawgs have to go through him.

 

Calvin Ridley

Jr./WR

6-1/190

Key Stat: Ranks in top three all-time at Alabama in receptions, receiving yards, receiving touchdowns, 100-yard games.

Buzz: Ridley can tie Amari Cooper's record for career receptions with eight grabs or pass it with nine catches. That's a tall order, but Ridley remains Alabama's biggest threat on the outside. He has 15 catches for 20-plus yards this season. Ridley nearly had another huge catch on a flea flicker that quarterback Jalen Hurts left short against Clemson. To beat Georgia, Alabama will probably have to convert an opportunity like that.

 

Jalen Hurts

So./QB

6-2/218

Key stat: Has one interception in 246 attempts this season.

Buzz: Much of Hurts' sophomore campaign was seen through the lens of his performance in last year's national championship. Fair or not, his performance on Monday will likely be another referendum on his season as a whole. He's made good decisions all season and kept the Alabama offense moving with his arm and his legs. He'll have to do it one more time against one of the nation's toughest defenses.

 

GEORGIA

Roquan Smith

Jr./LB

6-1/225

Key stat: 76 solo tackles for the season

Buzz: The Butkus Award winner leads Georgia in total stops (124) and QB pressures (18) and is tied with D’Andre Walker in QB sacks with 5.5. The speedy junior’s team-high 76 solo tackles is more than double the number posted by J.R. Reed, who is second on the team with 38. Smith’s 124 total stops is nearly as many as the next two Bulldogs’ combined — Reed is second on the team with 76 total tackles and Lorenzo Carter is third with 57.

 

Jake Fromm

Fr./QB

6-2/225

Key stat: 2-1 when Georgia trails at halftime

Buzz: Fromm’s high school coach Von Lassiter said the freshman has “ice in his veins” and he may need it if the title game is close late. Fromm directed a game-tying drive in the Rose Bowl and a fourth-quarter drive that led to a go-ahead field goal in a road game against Notre Dame. He is also within striking distance of the program record for touchdowns by a freshman. He’s accounted for 26 touchdowns — including 23 TD passes — which is two behind the mark set by Aaron Murray in 2010.

 

Nick Chubb

Sr./RB

5-10/225

Key stat: Georgia is 21-3 when Chubb runs for 100 yards or more

Buzz: Chubb enters the final game of his collegiate career second only to Herschel Walker on the Georgia and SEC lists of career rushing leaders. Chubb’s 4,744 career rushing yards — 1,320 this season — is even more impressive considering he missed much of his sophomore season with a knee injury and shares a backfield with roommate and fellow senior Sony Michel. Together, the duo has accounted for 347 carries, 2,449 yards and 31 touchdowns this season.

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