Georgia vs. Alabama live score and game tracker: Tide leads SEC Championship Game late in the first half

Alabama has won the special teams battle by a wide margin so far – Will Richard 1-1, Peyton Woodring 0-1. Punter James Burnip is averaging more yards per punt than his Georgia counterpart Brett Thorson, and those margins are making a difference in the Crimson Tide’s 10-7 lead.

Dallas Turner went down again, and Carson Beck — who had been brilliantly leading an offensive campaign at Georgia — went down. The sack was Turner’s ninth of the year, ranking him second in the conference.

After the sack, Georgia lined up for the field goal, then committed a false start, backing them up five yards. The kick from Peyton Woodring hit the post and fell. The loss meant the Tide maintained a 10-7 lead with just over four and a half minutes remaining in the second quarter.

It was Georgia’s Peyton Woodring’s first foul since the start of the season, after scoring 16 in a row. This would also have been the freshman’s longest of the season, nearly 50 yards, and was pushed back five yards on the penalty.

Alabama’s defense was there from Georgia’s first possession. Reading is going well. Put the Bulldog in difficult and remote situations. Carson Beck was 5-5 for a 58-yard TD drive. He is 3-6 for 27 since.

For many DirecTV customers, watching the SEC Championship Game is not an option today.

CBS has been blacked out in dozens of markets across the country due to a carriage dispute between DirecTV and Tegna Inc., the station’s owner.

The service was shut down Thursday and will also impact NFL games scheduled to air on the network on Sunday if an agreement is not reached before then.

Georgia’s defense gets hurt on traditional plays, and every Alabama run seems to absorb defenders to leave them vulnerable to a wheel route to the left. I’m not sure it’s going to change much in terms of what Georgia does, but it’s a message that this isn’t going to be as easy as it looked on the first two drives.

Alabama got its first lead of the game. It looked like botched coverage from Georgia and Jalen Milroe found Jam Miller in the flat for a 28-yard score.

But the most interesting subplot is that Georgia can’t do anything with Alabama’s offensive line right now.

10-7 with 12:04 until the half.

It wasn’t a quick drive, but it was a fourth-down conversion, in which the Tide’s Roydell Williams (who started in place of the injured Jase McLellan) found a hole for the first down and kept Alabama’s drive alive.

Amarius Mims is doubtful to return due to an ankle injury.

Dallas Turner is arguably Alabama’s best player, and the best players should show up in the biggest games. On third-and-2, Tide safety Caleb Downs led the way, allowing Turner to erupt and gobble up Daijun Edwards for a TFL. Georgia punts, and Bama gets the ball back with a chance to take the lead.

Jalen Milroe has yet to complete the pass.

Georgia’s strategy is pretty easy to see and predict: force Jalen Milroe to win the pass and pressure passes. And yes, Georgia spies on the QB, and uses different spies. Chaz Chambliss was doing it with the car. Milroe is 0-for-4 in assists with no major breakouts yet.

Alabama got the field goal that led it, but given field position that might have been a win for Georgia’s defense.

Not so fast, my friend.

After an opening salvo by Georgia that seemed to overwhelm Alabama on offense and defense, the Tide seemed to have their heads together, at least enough to put points on the board.

First, the defense put pressure on Carson Beck, taking him out of the pocket and forcing him to punt to lead to a three-and-out.

Then Jalen Milroe and the offense got to work, taking advantage of the Crimson QB’s athleticism and speed. They were thwarted by a TFL from the Dawgs and an incomplete pass from Milroe, but Will Reichard nailed a 43-yard kick.

Georgia 7, Alabama 3 in the first quarter.

Alabama needs more creativity next time.

Lots of dime packages for Georgia, with the arrival of Dan Jackson as the third safety, and C.J. Allen as Mali’s linebacker, trying to bring speed up the field against Jalen Milroe and company. The result so far is two triple goals.