'Run, run, as fast as you can.

You can't catch me!

I'm the Gingerbread man!"

And they couldn't catch him.

 

When the Alabama Crimson Tide and the Georgia Bulldogs met in Atlanta for the SEC Championship, Crimson Tide quarterback Bryce Young stole the show. The Heisman Trophy winner passed for an SEC Championship Game record 421 yards and tossed three touchdowns but it wasn't his arm that devastated the Bulldog defense.

Young eluded the Georgia defensive line and rushed for 40 yards and a touchdown on just three carries. The Dawgs were able to force eight QB hurries but Young was never sacked, always evading the rush and making dynamic decisions.

"Bryce is an extremely talented athlete. He's slippery. And I forgot, we were watching, I think "Hard Knocks" with the Colts, and they were talking about the gingerbread man and how Kyler Murray was running around like a gingerbread man. That's what we've been calling him all week. Just seeing him run around our defense in the SEC Championship game, you have to tighten up," said Georgia defensive lineman Jordan Davis.

The Dawg defenders have been putting in extra work chasing down speedy wide receivers to try to emulate the elusiveness of the Heisman Trophy winner.

Young's athletic ability to avoid rushers has been the "break glass in case of emergency" option for the Alabama offense this year as he's only rushed for 40 or more yards in two games in 2021.

"He's busy, just sit there, be calm and being able to extend plays and make plays. Just his ability to do that also just makes it tougher for the front seven to get aggressive. We've been kind of working on that and basically trying to make it a different outcome than the last time where we had no sacks, very uncharacteristic of us," said Nakobe Dean.

If the Dawg defenders are referring to Young as "The Gingerbread Man" it seems an appropriate time to examine the classic nursery rhyme.

No one can catch "The Gingerbread Man" in 1875 Folktale. Not the bakers of the gingerbread man, not the cow, not the horse, not the horse, a field full of famers or even a schoolyard full of children could catch the crafty cookie.

Only the sly old fox was able to best "The Gingerbread Man" due deftly deception. The fox convinced "The Gingerbread Man" that he was harmless and meant to help the cookie cross a river. Once "The Gingerbread Man" relaxed, the fox pounced, devouring and consuming the life "The Gingerbread Man" enjoyed.

Perhaps this will be the Bulldog strategy on Monday night. The Georgia defensive front could be more disciplined in their rushing lanes in Indianapolis and keep Young contained in the pocket preventing his escape. Couple that with improved secondary play on the back end and the Dawgs just might devour Young and the Crimson Tide championship hopes.

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