UGA Football: SEC Championship – Georgia vs. LSU Postgame Notes

Bulldogs Capture SEC Crown: Top-ranked Georgia improves to 13-0 for the first time in school history after a 50-30 victory over No. 14 LSU in the SEC Championship Game to capture its 14th SEC title in school history. The 14 titles is the second most in the SEC.

*The 2022 senior class added to its school record for wins as it now stands at 47-5.

*The Bulldogs have won 15 straight going back to last season’s CFP semifinal/Capital One Orange Bowl win over No. 2 Michigan.

*This is the 2nd SEC title in the Kirby Smart era (the first since 2017) as the Bulldogs are now 79-15 in his seven seasons at the helm.

*With today’s win, Georgia improves to 9-2 all-time as the No. 1 ranked CFP team including 4-0 in 2022.

*Senior QB Stetson Bennett becomes the 4th Bulldog to earn SEC Championship Game MVP honors (David Greene, QB-’02, D.J. Shockley, QB-’05, Roquan Smith, LB-’17). The Bulldogs are now 4-6 in the SEC Championship Game and 2-3 versus LSU.

Bulldogs Tally 50 Points: Georgia carried a 35-10 lead to halftime and won 50-30 with 529 yards of offense on 73 plays.

*The 35 points tied the mark for most in an SEC Championship Game first half as Alabama led Florida 35-17 in 2020.

*Georgia came in ranked 12th nationally in Scoring (38.2 ppg) and now outscored foes 279-67 in opening half and 115-23 in the 1st qtr.

*After an LSU TD in the first quarter to tie it at 7-all, Georgia responded with a 75-yard TD drive on seven plays to take a 14-7 lead.

*Senior QB Stetson Bennett (23-for-29 for 274 yards, 4 TDs) finished the 1st half 19-for-24 for 214 yards and 4 TDs to four different Bulldogs. (3-yarder to Brock Bowers, 22-yarder to Ladd McConkey, 14-yarder to Darnell Washington, 3-yarder to Dillon Bell).

*Bennett now has 269 completions this season which ties the single season record, also by Eric Zeier in 1993.

*Sophomore Brock Bowers posted a team-high six catches for 81 yards and a TD while RS-sophomore Ladd McConkey had five catches in the first half for 69 yards and a TD. McConkey (knee) did not return in the second half.

*Following a Red Zone stop by the defense, Georgia put together a 95-yard drive on eight plays in 4:27 to make it 42-17. A key play in the drive was a 51-yard scamper by Kendall Milton while Kenny McIntosh capped the drive with a 2-yard score, his ninth of year.

*Georgia converted a two-point play when AD Mitchell tossed one to Darnell Washington to make it 50-23 with 13:13 left in the game. It was the first successful two-point play since Bennett ran in for one against Arkansas in 2020.

                

Defense Faces Aerial Attack: Georgia came in ranked 1st nationally in Scoring Defense, allowing just 11.3 points a game. LSU managed to post 30 points, gaining a season-high 549 yards (502-passing; 47-rushing) on 72 plays. The passing yards was the second most ever by a Bulldog opponent, trailing only the 528 put up by Kenucky in the Wildcats 34-30 loss in Lexington in 2000.

*Following LSU’s TD to make it 7-all, the Tigers next four possesssions resulted in Zero yards on 11 plays with three punts and an INT as Georgia built a 35-7 advantage. On their final possession of the first half, LSU notched a field goal, going 51 yards on seven plays.

*The Tigers became only the second team to score a first quarter TD against Georgia as Ga. Tech did it last week. After Tech scored, Georgia outscored Tech 37-0 until allowing a TD with 2:55 left in the contest. Today for the rest of the half, Georgia outscored LSU 28-3.

*The leading tacklers were sophomores Javon Bullard  and Smael Mondon each with six. Also, the Bulldogs had four sacks by junior Jalen Carter, sophomore Chaz Chambliss, senior Tramel Walthour and senior Robert Beal with a forced fumble by Beal.

 

Special Teams Summary: Junior Nazir Stackhouse blocked a 32-yard field goal attempt and Chris Smith returned it 96 yards for a score and a 7-0 lead. It marked Georgia’s first special teams TD of the year and first blocked FG return for a TD since the 2012 SEC Championship Game when Alec Ogletree returned one blocked by Cornelius Washington 55 yards for a score versus Alabama.

*For Smith, it was his second career TD after having a pick-six for 74 yards in the ’21 season opening 10-3 win over Clemson.

*There have been five blocked field goals in SEC Championship Game history and four of them by Georgia. Before tonight, the last one here came in 2017 by DaQuan Hawkins-Muckle on Auburn’s Daniel Carlson’s 31-yard attempt.

*Today marked the 27th defense or special teams score in the Kirby Smart era. Georgia has scored 41 points on special teams in the Smart era. Earlier this year, they had a blocked punt for a safety versus Kent State.

*Senior PK Jack Podlesny registered 6 points, going 0-for-1 in FG (miss 43-yarder) with 6 PATs. He had made 11 straight field goals before tonight’s miss going back to the Vanderbilt game. He is now 23-for-26.  He has a team-high 130 points. He handled kickoffs too.

 

Red Zone Review: Georgia finished 5-for-5 in the Red Zone with 5 TDs while LSU finished 1-for-3 with one TD.

*Georgia came in today ranked 1st nationally in the Red Zone at 97 percent. They have now scored 69-for-71 times including 48 TDs, 21 FGs and twice coming up empty. The Bulldogs came in No. 1 in Scoring Defense and now opponents are only 17-of-28. Today, Georgia blocked a field goal and returned it for a TD on the Tigers first trip. On 4th-and-1 at the UGA 5, the Tigers were stopped for no gain. The third trip resulted in a TD.

 

Points Off Turnovers: Georgia is now Even in Turnover Margin on the year after forcing three turnovers and having one today.

Georgia has scored 54 points off 16 turnovers while opponents have 50 points off 17 turnovers.

*Georgia got an INT by Smael Mondon after a pass break up by Chris Smith and a tip by Javon Bullard to Mondon. It led to a TD and a 21-7 advantage. The Tigers recovered a fumble at the LSU 43 on the opening possession of the 2nd half. It led to a TD.

*Smith added an INT in the 4th quarter, and it was his team-high third and 10th overall by the Bulldogs this year.

*Warren Brinson recovered a fumble caused on sack by Robert Beal, Jr. With 3:21 left, Georgia ran out the clock.

 

Captains, Coin Toss and For Starters: Senior Chris Smith (FS), junior Warren McClendon (RT), redshirt sophomore Sedrick Van Pran (C) and sophomore Jamon Dumas-Johnson (MLB) served as the captains. LSU won the toss elected to receive the ball.

*Six Bulldogs started their second straight SEC Championship Game in Stetson Bennett (QB), Sedrick Van Pran (C), Warren McClendon (RT), Darnell Washington (TE), Marcus Rosemy-Jacksaint (WR) and Kelee Ringo (DB). Kearis Jackson (WR) started tonight after starting the 2019 SEC Championship Game too.       

                                                

Up Next: No.1 Georgia (13-0) will tune in Sunday at noon (ESPN) for the CFP Selection Show to learn its seed and opponent.

*The CFP semifinals will be played Dec. 31 on ESPN in Atlanta (Chick-fil-a Bowl) and Glendale, Ariz. (VRBO Fiesta Bowl). Game times are either 4 pm ET or 8 pm ET. Georgia is 4-2 all-time in the Chick-fil-A/Peach Bowl and has never played in the Fiesta Bowl.

*Georgia will be making its third appearance in the CFP and extend the nation’s longest active bowl streak to 26 straight years.

*The Bulldogs are 35-21-3 all-time in bowls, and the appearances and victories rank second nationally.