3 Alabama lost one of its biggest players early in the biggest game of the season.
Widespread recipient Jameson Williams was eliminated with 9:02 left in the second quarter of Saturday’s Iron Bowl after being called upon to target Auburn’s Ja’Varrius Johnson in punt coverage.
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Williams, who moved from Ohio State to Alabama before this season, was a finalist for the Biletnikoff Trophy, the award given to the nation’s top recipient. He leads the SEC with 1,218 yards received and has 10 touchdowns as one of Bryce Young’s goals.
Prior to the disqualification, Williams had two catches for 43 yards, although Alabama had serious difficulty moving the ball overall. It hit all but one drive in the first half.
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On the driveway shortly after Williams’ disqualification, Auburn scored on a 15-meter pass from TJ Finley to Kobe Hudson. After scoring the touchdown, Hudson paid ‘homage’ to Williams by performing a celebration autographed by the Tide recipient.
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It was the only goal in the first half. Auburn led 7-0 after halftime.
Because Williams’ penalty occurred in the first half of Saturday’s game, he will be eligible to play in next week’s entire SEC championship game against No. 1 Georgia.
