Alabama runner-up Najee Harris set a record performance during a 52-46 win over Florida Saturday night in the SEC championship game in Atlanta.
Harris not only set an SEC championship game record with five touchdowns, but also set a conference record in career touchdowns for a runner with 53.
Closer to home, Harris broke Alabama’s career record due to touchdown attacks and runners.
Harris, who defined it as an “honor” to set all these new standards, finished the night with 248 yards in total. He was dynamic in the passing game, getting five pitches over 67 yards, including 23, 17 and 7-yard touchdown plays in Alabama’s first-half blitz. The shortest of the catches scored could have been the best, as Harris sent a possible attacker falling onto the grass with a dazzling move.
“I’ve been catching the ball since birth,” he joked. “People don’t expect it by their current name, but I can catch it.”
But it wasn’t just Harris who rewrote Alabama’s football history during the win over seventh-ranked Gators.
DeVonta Smith broke his own record of receptions in a single game with 15 and became the school’s historic leader in playground reception, beating Amari Cooper.
Smith surpassed 180 yards and added to his school record to receive touchdowns (39).
Mac Jones, who finished with 418 yards and five touchdown passes, set an SEC championship game record to complete with 43.
Jones and Florida quarterback Kyle Trask did nothing to hurt his position as two of the top contenders for the Heisman Trophy. Neither does Smith, the other high-profile Crimson Tide hopeful.
After Saturday night’s performance, Harris should probably be in the mix as well.
“I don’t care about that,” he said. “The two guys we got on now are good enough.”
In addition to catching all of these passes, Smith got a key recovery from his back after Florida’s Trey Dean threw a shot from Jones, snatching the ball from the intended receiver, only to cough it up in a brutal blow. blinded by Alabama open band John Metchie. Jones threw a 31-yard touchdown pass to Smith on the next play.
Alabama coach Nick Saban said the theme of the night was, “We’ve found a way to win.”
After jumping to an early lead, Florida retired, becoming a one-possession game with less than a minute to go.
Ultimately, Alabama’s offense, led by Harris and Smith, was too much to beat the Gators.
“I have to give a lot of credit to our offense,” Saban said. “They responded to the bell with quite consistency in the game. More than 600 yards. Smitty had 15 catches. Najee scored five touchdowns, had 178 yards running, caught five passes. I mean, these guys were pretty phenomenal all year and they certainly delivered tonight when we needed it. “
The Associated Press contributed to this report.