Alabama Crimson Tide may have lost more than just the game against Georgia after concerning injury to Ryan Coleman-Williams
The Alabama Crimson Tide walked out of Tuscaloosa with a loss to the Georgia Bulldogs, a banged-up star receiver, and plenty of questions about what the officials saw on several game-changing plays.
The Alabama Crimson Tide just lost to the Georgia Bulldogs in Tuscaloosa, and the final result may not be the worst news of the night. Alabama WR Ryan Coleman-Williams left the game before halftime with a lower-body injury, and then the game with a head injury, so depending on what comes next, the Crimson Tide may have lost more than just a football game.
On top of that, the officiating crew had a night to forget. Several key calls went Georgia’s way, and one of them arguably decided the game.
What happened to Ryan Coleman-Williams?
Coleman-Williams has been nursing a knee concern, and while Alabama has stayed quiet about it, he has been wearing a knee brace. Early in the game, he went down awkwardly and appeared to tweak something in his lower body.
He came back and tried to battle through it. Then a Georgia defender unloaded on him with a hit that somehow did not draw a targeting flag. Coleman-Williams got up looking dazed and confused, and he never returned to the game.
Kaelen DeBoer would only go on to say that RCW has a “head injury.” He also added that C Racin Delgatty would be evaluated for a lower body injury and that NT Terrance Green re-aggravated an injury from last week.
For an Alabama offense that gets a lot of its explosives from RCW, that is a major concern heading into one of the biggest rivalry games on the schedule, as the Crimson Tide head to Knoxville next week.
A rough night for the officials in Tuscaloosa
What makes the Coleman-Williams situation even more frustrating is how it happened. He was injured on a play that wasn’t called targeting, and it fit right in with what was a horrible officiating night in Tuscaloosa.
You can forget about the non-targeting call on Coleman-Williams, as bad of a miss as that was. You can also forget about QB Reese’s interception being overturned despite no clear and indisputable evidence on the replay.
Those were bad enough. The call that should bother Alabama fans most came late, with the Crimson Tide in position to go down the field and take the lead over the Bulldogs.
On a pass intended for Rico Scott, the Georgia defender was quite literally hugging him while the ball was in the air. No pass interference flag came out. That drive was Alabama’s chance to go up on Georgia, and the officials let a clear foul slide.
I don’t know exactly what the officials in Tuscaloosa were doing on that play. What I do know is that the bounces went Georgia’s way all night, and the calls certainly did too.
That isn’t just a frustrated fan base talking, either. Even the broadcast’s rules analyst, who sided with Georgia on calls all night long, agreed that it was the wrong call and that pass interference should have been flagged.
Ryan Coleman-Williams stats vs. UGA
- 3 receptions
- 39 yards receiving
- 13 yards average per catch
What’s next for Alabama after the Georgia loss?
The game is over, and no amount of frustration with the officials will change the result. There is a chance Alabama sees Georgia again later in the season, whether that comes in the SEC Championship Game or the College Football Playoff.
If that rematch happens, the Crimson Tide will want a fully healthy Coleman-Williams on the field. For now, the bigger question is whether he’ll be available against Tennessee.
Alabama can live with one loss in October. Whether this one stings for weeks to come will determine the outcome of the season.
