ATHENS — Kirby Smart likes to say “it all starts up front,” and that was a big chunk of the reason why Georgia beat Alabama 20-17 on Saturday.

The SEC office took notice, naming UGA offensive guard Dontrell Glover the SEC Offensive Lineman of the Week and Joseph Jonah-Ajonye the SEC Defensive Lineman of the Week.

The Bulldogs rushed for 206 yards and primary backs Dwight Phillips Jr. (17 carries, 120 yards) and Bo Walker (10 carries, 69 yards) averaged 7 yards per carry between them against an Alabama defense that ranked 10th in the nation entering the game.

“I think if you take sacks and a fumbled (high) snap out, we ran the ball pretty good tonight, guys,” Smart said to the media on Saturday night after the win.

Smart took the opportunity to remind the media that two of Georgia’s offensive linemen, freshman Zykie Helton and Glover, were once committed to play for Alabama.

“You know, we had two kids out there that were committed to Alabama, right?” Smart said. “And it was important to them that they knew who they were by the end of it.”

“When they can run the ball, and then (Gunner Stockton) can do his thing, and those guys are making plays for him, it gets tough to stop,” Alabama coach Kalen DeBoer said after the game. “So, you wanna make them one-dimensional, so you can get off the football field.”

Conversely, Alabama’s rush game was largely slowed outside of Keelon Russell’s mad scrambles and Trae’shawn Brown’s 58-yard run, and Russell was sacked four times.

“I feel like there was enough pressure on Keelon to where it was just either behind the chains, having to run and move where you can’t throw on time,” DeBoer said. “And that’s what you’re trying to do as a defense, to take you off your spot. And when he did, I mean, there was guys that made plays early on. We just were just off a little bit in the early part of the game with some of the timing.

“But again, we were behind the chains, and so now you become one-dimensional in some of those times where, especially, we got into the fringe area, really from the beginning of the game to the end of the game, including the last drive.”

The fourth and final sack came on the Tide’s final pivotal possession and took Alabama out of field goal range.

The first sack, by Jonah-Ajonye, shifted the momentum after Alabama had opened the game with a methodical 11-play drive to reach the Georgia 30.

Twice, the Tide had converted on third down, and two plays before the sack Russell had converted on fourth down.

Jonah-Ajonye’s sack came as the result of his helmet hitting the football as Russell cocked his arm to throw, unaware the Georgia defensive lineman was speeding toward him like a freight train.

The Bulldogs fed off the momentum of the turnover-inducing hit, opening their first possessions with surprise starter Phillips carrying for 9 yards on the first play and another 7 yards on the second play.

Phillips broke another run, for 17 yards, later in the drive that would have been a touchdown if not for a holding penalty.

Three plays later, Georgia scored first in the game on Peyton Woodring’s 43-yard field goal, and the tone had been set.