Thanks for joining me this evening, I'm Hollie Lusk. Continue to follow more coverage of the college football season here at VAVEL USA!!
Derrick Henry also wins the MVP for the SEC Championship Game!
Florida Stat Leaders: Treon Harris 9/24, 165 yards, 1 TD. Jordan Cronkite 2 carries, 8 yards. CJ Worton 1 reception, 46 yards, 1 TD
Mike Zarrilli/Getty Images North America
Alabama Stat Leaders: Jake Coker 18/26, 204 yards, 2 TD. Derrick Henry 44 carries, 189 yards, 1 TD. Calvin Ridley 8 receptions, 102 yards.
Mike Zarrilli/Getty Images North America
Alabama wins the SEC Championship game and has more than likely punched their ticket to the College Football Playoff.
FINAL: Florida Gators 15, Alabama Crimson Tide 29
4th Quarter (2:08) Alabama continues to run the ball, running the clock out as much as they can
4th Quarter (3:58) Florida tries going for it on fourth down but Harris is unable to convert.
4th Quarter (4:30) Harris runs 23 yards for a first down
4th Quarter (4:35) Bama punts it. Fair catch caught at the 10-yard line.
4th Quarter (4:47) False start resulting in a 5-yard penalty
Florida Timeout
4th Quarter (4:59) Florida tries an onside kick but Bama recovers it
Florida Gators 15, Alabama Crimson Tide 29
4th Quarter (5:02) CJ Worton scores a touchdown off of a 46-yard touchdown pass by Harris! Florida gets the 2-point conversion
4th Quarter (5:55) Florida finally picks up a first down
4th Quarter (6:11) OJ Howard drops a perfect pass from Coker, costing the Tide a first down
Emotions are high right now. The only difference is Alabama has the playoffs to think about while Florida has nothing to lose.
4th Quarter (7:48) After the punt return, Florida's Vernon Hargreaves gets a 15-yard penalty after a late hit.
Tempers are flaring. Flags have been thrown after Cyrus Jones and Demarcus Robinson get into a scuffle after the play
4th Quarter (8:18) Harris tried to make something work but was tackled behind the line.
Florida Gators 7, Alabama Crimson Tide 29
4th Quarter (8:51) Richard Mullaney snatches the ball out of the air for a touchdown!
4th Quarter (10:43) The Tide continues to march up the field. Another first down, this time by Mullaney.
4th Quarter (13:09) Henry with a 21-yard gain! He's heating up
4th Quarter (13:26) Bama forces Florida to punt. 42-yard punt and Bama will get it at their own 43-yard line
4th Quarter (13:30) Harris is still having trouble throwing the ball and nothing is happening on the ground so far
That was the first missed field goal by Griffith since the Mississippi State game on November 14th.
4th Quarter (14:12) Adam Griffith misses the field goal
Florida Gators 7, Alabama Crimson Tide 22
Kevin C Cox/ Getty Images North America
END 3RD QUARTER
3rd Quarter (1:07) Henry again with a 12-yard pickup
3rd Quarter (1:55) Derrick Henry finally gets a long run that goes for 18 yards
3rd Quarter (2:13) Humphrey intercepts the ball!
3rd Quarter (2:36) Florida runs for 2 yards. They're having difficulty with the Bama front seven
Florida Gators 7, Alabama Crimson Tide 22
3rd Quarter (2:49) Stewart hauls in the long pass from Coker! Touchdown Alabama!
Ridley is down on the field. He's been hit hard today and is struggling now with his leg.
3rd Quarter (5:07) Coker picks up the first down. He's having a great game so far
Alabama Timeout
3rd Quarter (7:31) Henry gets a short burst, picking up 9 yards on first down
3rd Quarter (7:52) Harris throws behind Callaway resulting in a fourth down. Tough break for Florida that drive
3rd Quarter (7:55) Florida is called for a false start. 5-yard penalty making it 3rd and 15
3rd Quarter (7:58) Harris has a man WIDE open downfield but Goolsby is unable to haul it in
Florida Gators 7, Alabama Crimson Tide 15
3rd Quarter (8:04) After the timeout, Alabama elects to take a field goal. Adam Griffith is now 2/2 today.
Alabama Timeout
3rd Quarter (8:37) Jake Coker is unable to pick up the first down. It's 4th and 1. Looks like Bama is going for it
3rd Quarter (10:33) Alabama goes for it on 4th and 2. Stewart picks up the first down for Bama
3rd Quarter (12:20) Cooper Bateman has to come in for Jake Coker for one play. Hands the ball off to Henry who picks up 4 yards
3rd Quarter (12:20) Florida is called for roughing the passer. Gives Alabama an automatic first down and an extra 15-yards
3rd Quarter (13:33) Alabama gets a 5-yard penalty from a false start
3rd Quarter (14:30) Stewart starts the 3rd quarter off with two good pickups. A 6-yard run and a 12-yard reception
Reminder: Alabama will get the ball to start the second half.
Special teams have been a big part of this game too. Florida had the punt return. Alabama had the blocked punt to get the safety. Bama also had the blocked field goal and Bama made a field goal. JK Scott has given Florida terrible field position just about every time because of his booming punts.
Takeaways from the first half: Both defenses have been phenomenal. Both teams have also had that one big play to get things going. For Florida it was the punt return by Antonio Callaway. For Alabama it was the 55-yard pass to Calvin Ridley that set up the Alabama touchdown.
Stat Leaders at the half: ALABAMA: Jake Coker 8/12, 101 yards, 0 TD, 0 INT. Derrick Henry 19 carries, 65 yards, 1 TD. Calvin Ridley 4 receptions, 81 yards. FLORIDA: Treon Harris 6/12, 84 yards, 0 TD, 0 INT. Jordan Cronkite 2 carries, 8 yards. Antonio Callaway 1 reception, 46 yards, 1 TD from punt return
At the half: Florida Gators 7, Alabama Crimson Tide 12
END 2ND QUARTER
Alabama's Cam Robinson is down on the field. There's been a ton of injuries today
2nd Quarter (1:13) Alabama penalized with a block in the back, pushing them back 10 yards.
2nd Quarter (2:17) Ball is batted down and bounces back to Harris. Harris tries throwing it but that is illegal so Florida will get a 5-yard penalty and a loss of downs.
That touchdown extends Henry's streak to 18 consecutive games with at least one touchdown.
Florida Gators 7, Alabama Crimson Tide 12
2nd Quarter (2:26) Touchdown Tide courtesy of Derrick Henry!
Florida calls their final timeout of the half
2nd Quarter (3:18) CALVIN RIDLEY MAKES AN INSANE CATCH! 56-yard pass by Coker!
2nd Quarter (4:02) After the penalty and sack, Florida is unable to convert the first down.
2nd Quarter (4:47) Ryan Anderson sacks Harris. Anderson's fifth sack of the year
2nd Quarter (5:36) 10-yard penalty against Florida for holding. This makes it 1st down and 20
Florida Gators 7, Alabama Crimson Tide 5
2nd Quarter (5:48) Adam Griffith's kick is up and good.
2nd Quarter (6:10) Bama comes up short on first down. Adam Griffith will come out to attempt a field goal
Another Florida player is down on the field. Injuries are not in favor of the Gators right now
2nd Quarter (7:41) Jake Coker is making plays all by himself, picking up another first down
2nd Quarter (8:40) Another first down for the Tide. The offense is steadily making their way up field
2nd Quarter (10:37) Calvin Ridley picks up the first down for Bama
2nd Quarter (11:19) Jake Coker runs for a first down!
Huge points there for Florida. With how good both defenses are playing today, a touchdown on special teams may be all it takes to spark the Florida offense.
Florida Gators 7, Alabama Crimson Tide 2
2nd Quarter (11:54) Antonio Callaway returns the punt for a touchdown!
2nd Quarter (12:11) Florida defense keeps the Bama offense from doing much of anything.
2nd Quarter (13:10) Townsend with a 55-yard punt
2nd Quarter (13:50) Tim Williams with a HUGE sack. Harris is getting beat up right now
2nd Quarter (14:03) A'Shawn Robinson is down on the field after that play
2nd Quarter (14:08) Harris is sacked, 3 Tide players at the scene.
Florida Timeout
2nd Quarter (14:15) Harris has all day to throw but overthrows the nearest receiver by about 10 yards
2nd Quarter (14:55) Florida forces Henry to fumble and recovers it.
It's a battle of the defenses so far this afternoon. Both Florida and Alabama have come up with big plays on defense. Florida's offense started heating up but ended with a blocked field goal attempt. Alabama's offense is having a tough time getting start.
Tim Tebow showed up to support his Gators (Mike Zarrilli/Getty Images North America)
END 1ST QUARTER
1st Quarter (2:06) JK Scott perfectly placed punt. Florida will get it on the 2-yard line
1st Quarter (2:46) Florida's defense holds strong again forcing another Bama punt
1st Quarter (4:24) Alabama gets a 5-yard penalty for illegal motion
1st Quarter (4:38) The kick is blocked by DJ Pettway!
1st Quarter (5:06) The pass is short of the first down. Florida is going to try a field goal.
Timeout taken by Florida. Alabama is up 2-0 but Florida is pushing down the field. Ball is on the 27-yard line. Third down is coming up for Florida.
1st Quarter (6:05) Harris is getting into a rhythm. Another first down for Florida
Antonio Callaway 46-yard reception (Kevin C Cox/ Getty Images North America
1st Quarter (6:45) What a pass by Treon Harris! 46-yard pickup
1st Quarter (7:16) JK Scott with a booming 66-yard punt. Antonio Callaway returns it 1 yard to the 8-yard line.
1st Quarter (7:40) Jake Coker is sacked by Jonathon Bullard, forcing Alabama to punt again.
1st Quarter (8:48) Derrick Henry tackled behind the line. Florida's defense has been stellar so far.
1st Quarter (8:59) Cyrus Jones returns the kick for 24 yards to the 38-yard line
Alabama Crimson Tide 2, Florida Gators 0
Blocked punt resulting in a safety (Mike Zarrilli/Getty Images North America)
1st Quarter (9:05) Alabama's Keith Holcombe blocks the punt! It goes out of the back of the end zone for a safety.
1st Quarter (9:39) Another 3-and-out for the Bama defense. Florida's offense just has nowhere to go
1st Quarter (10:02) Reuben Foster tackles Treon Harris for a three yard loss
Huge stop by the Florida defense right there! Got good pressure on Coker a couple of times and forced a fumble and punt. That's a big win for Florida
1st (Quarter 10:13) JK Scott has a 54-yard punt. Florida calls a fair catch at the 13-yard line
1st Quarter (10:56) Coker is hit hard and fumbles the ball. Alabama recovers but is forced to punt
Alabama is looking really good on this drive so far. Everyone seems to be on the same page and are making some good plays to pick up first downs.
1st Quarter (12:05) Florida's Jalen Tabor is down on the field after that last play.
1st Quarter (12:28) Calvin Ridley picks up 14 yards and a first down
1st Quarter (13:25) Derrick Henry gets the first first down of the game
1st Quarter (13:52) Cyrus Jones is tackled inside the 10 yard line after a 60 yard punt by Townsend
1st Quarter (14:25) Alabama's defense forces a 3-and-out.
1st Quarter (15:00) Florida takes a knee in the end zone to begin the game
Florida wins the toss and elects to receive.
Teacher and Student (Mike Zarrilli/Getty Images North America)
Good afternoon everyone! We are about 40 minutes away from kickoff!
If it does come down to a game of field goals, Florida may not fair too well. They've had problems all year with their field goal kickers and their starter, Austin Hardin, is 5/13 on the season. Hardin has missed his last four attempts, including two against Florida State last week. Backup Jorge Powell looked promising, but he went down with a season ending injury during the LSU game.
With both teams having superb defenses, this game could very well come down to special teams. Luckily for Alabama, field goal kicker Adam Griffith has made a complete turnaround from the beginning of this season. It's remarkable that he's gone from starting off 0-4 to making 13/14 in his last six games. Griffith was 5/5 last week against rival Auburn and had a career long 55-yard field goal against LSU in early November. Needless to say, he's been an incredible asset for the Tide.
Kelvin Taylor will also have to have a big game to give Florida a chance. That isn't an easy task, just ask LSU's Leonard Fournette. Taylor has 977 rushing yards and 13 touchdowns this season. He was one of the only good things for Florida's offense last week against Florida State. In that game he rushed for 136 yards on 26 carries. He will be the only threat for Alabama considering Florida's troubles going through the air.
If Derrick Henry has a good game against Florida, it could very well lock up his Heisman win. Henry now has 17 consecutive games with at least one touchdown. Henry leads the nation with 1797 rushing yards and 22 touchdowns. He is also ranked third with an average of 149.8 rushing yards per game. If Florida plans on winning this game they must keep him from getting any big plays. The only problem for Florida's defense is Henry has a habit of continuously running over defenses until he finally breaks away. He also has been known to carry a couple defenders with him in order to get a first down.
Alabama also has a lethal defense that Florida will have to get through. The Tide's rushing defense is ranked number one nationally, allowing only 78.9 yards per game. Alabama's front seven are dominant. Florida's offensive line will have to put in a lot of work to keep them from getting to Harris. Alabama is ranked number three with 41 sacks this season.
Florida's defense may prove to be a challenge for the Crimson Tide. Cornerback Vernon Hargreaves leads the Gators on pass rush defense. He has four interceptions this year and is ranked in the top ten nationally. Florida's rushing defense is also ranked number seven in the country. This will be the highest ranking rush defense Bama has face since playing the number five Wisconsin in the season opener.
Jake Coker won over the starting quarterback role early on in the year. He has a completion percentage of 65.4 to go along with 15 passing touchdowns, two rushing touchdowns, and eight interceptions. Coker has steadily improved in every game this year but at times can be errant when throwing the ball, especially when being pressured. He's done a relatively good job at making plays on the ground, however. Coker is a big guy at 6'5. 232 pounds but he's not afraid to take a hit, which is what has helped extend drives for the Crimson Tide.
Florida will be sticking with quarterback Treon Harris according to head coach Jim McElwain. McElwain has stated that he's partially to blame for the poor performances from Harris stating, “Probably haven’t done as good a job … helping some of those things moving forward. He’s learning. He’s there. He’s engaged. He’s our quarterback, and I’m glad he’s our quarterback." Harris has a 53.7% completion rate this season with eight touchdowns and four interceptions.
Alabama enters this game as the SEC West winner. Their one loss in the regular season was to the Ole Miss Rebels in the middle of September. Since that loss, Alabama has consistently played to a high standard and has fought their way back to being ranked number two in by the College Football Playoff Committee.
Florida will be coming into this game as the winner of the SEC East. They boast a 10-2 record for the regular season, and went undefeated against the rest of the SEC East. They're only losses are to the LSU Tigers and instate rival Florida State.
Welcome to VAVEL USA's LIVE coverage of the 2015 SEC Championship Game between the Florida Gators and Alabama Crimson Tide. I'm Hollie Lusk and I will be providing minute-to-minute updates, commentary, and results of the SEC Championship Game. The game starts at 4:00 PM EST on Saturday, December 5, 2015 at the Georgia Dome in Atlanta, Georgia. Stay here for the battle of the SEC!