Georgia · SECGeorgia beats Alabama, takes sole SEC lead
Kirby Smart earned his first win in Tuscaloosa as the 6-0 Bulldogs ended a five-game regular-season skid against Alabama.
OCT 12, 2026
Georgia's record after the win
Alabama's record after the loss
Georgia's previous regular-season losses to Alabama
01 · The NewsGeorgia Takes Sole SEC Lead
Georgia beat Alabama 20-17 in Tuscaloosa on Saturday, Oct. 10, ending a five-game regular-season losing streak in the series, giving Kirby Smart his first win there as Bulldogs coach and moving Georgia into sole possession of first place in the SEC.
Smart called it another physical, back-and-forth game between programs separated by critical moments.
“I've been in a bunch of those with them, and they all seem similar. Physical game, back and forth, critical calls, critical situations. At the end of the day, our quarterback played well enough for us to win. We scored enough points to win. It was a really extremely physical football game. I have a lot of respect for Alabama, a lot of respect for Coach [Kalen] DeBoer and a lot of respect for their team and how they play,” Smart said.
Georgia had not won in Tuscaloosa since 2007, when Matthew Stafford was the Bulldogs’ quarterback. Smart was on the other side that day, and the victory marked his first there as Georgia’s coach.
Georgia players were pelted with objects by Alabama fans after the game. The objects were not identified, and no disciplinary action was reported.
Georgia hosts Auburn on Saturday, Oct. 17, while Alabama visits Tennessee that afternoon. Smart, who spent time on the Alabama side under Nick Saban, kept the night in perspective.
“We haven't played here much. In 2007, I was here on the other side. How many times have we played since then? Three? We're 1-2. What is everybody else? This is a hard place to play. I don't judge my happiness or success on how we play Alabama. We've got a lot of respect for this place. Nick taught me a lot,” Smart said.
02 · The StakesThe SEC Race Tilts
The win moved the preseason No. 1 Bulldogs to 6-0 and gave them the early inside track in the SEC race and a valuable playoff result on the road. Alabama fell to 5-1, lost the head-to-head game and saw its margin for error shrink. Josh Pate’s preseason bracket ranked Georgia No. 1 and Alabama No. 10; Saturday’s result reinforced the projection for Georgia while handing Alabama a damaging loss.
03 · The Watch ListWhat We're Watching
Can Georgia keep the lead?
Georgia hosts Auburn on Saturday, Oct. 17, after moving into sole possession of first place in the SEC.
How much room does Alabama have left?
Alabama visits Tennessee that afternoon after falling to 5-1, losing the head-to-head game and seeing its margin for error shrink.