Category: UGA Football

By John Frierson
Staff Writer

ATLANTA — Christopher Smith had been here before. Stetson Bennett had been here before. Kenny McIntosh had been here before.

The top-ranked Georgia football team’s seniors took the field at Mercedes-Benz Stadium on Saturday afternoon as the defending national champions and winners of 14 straight games. They had done so much in their careers, but before Saturday, they hadn’t won an SEC championship.

Now they have, beating No. 14 LSU, 50-30, in a game that had a bit of everything. And because of those Georgia seniors, with help from so many others, they have checked off the only item missing from their wildest-dreams bingo card.

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ATLANTA — The top-ranked Georgia football team produced explosive plays all over the field during the Bulldogs’ 50-30 win over No. 14 LSU in the SEC Championship Game on Saturday afternoon at Mercedes-Benz Stadium.

On offense, defense and special teams, the Bulldogs (13-0) delivered en route to the program’s first SEC title since 2017. Georgia’s offense produced a gaudy 529 yards and went 5-for-5 in the red zone.

While the defense gave up a lot of yards and big plays, it also forced three turnovers and made multiple timely stops to help Georgia pull away for good. And special teams produced a touchdown early, on safety Christopher Smith’s 96-yard blocked field goal return for a touchdown for the game’s first points.

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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.

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*Undefeated Georgia and Michigan rank in the top 12 nationally in Scoring Offense (SO) and Scoring Defense (SD). The Bulldogs are 12th in SO (38.2 ppg) and first in SD (11.3). The Wolverines are seventh in SO (39.8) and third in SD (12.7).

Top-ranked Georgia (12-0, 8-0 SEC) will be looking to capture its 14th SEC title when it meets No. 11 LSU (9-3, 6-2 SEC). The Bulldogs will be making their fifth appearance in the SEC Championship Game (SECCG) in the Kirby Smart era that began in 2016. Georgia’s last SEC title came in 2017 when the sixth-ranked Bulldogs beat fourth-ranked Auburn 28-7. In 2018 and 2021, Georgia fell to Alabama while in 2019, LSU defeated Georgia on its way to a perfect 15-0 season. The Tigers along with Clemson in 2018 are the only teams to go 15-0 in the modern era (1937-present).

Georgia’s 13 conference titles rank the second most in the SEC. The Bulldogs are 3-6 all-time in the SECCG, including 1-3 versus LSU. The teams have met with an SEC title on the line in 2003, 2005, 2011 and 2019. Georgia’s only win came in 2005 when the 13th-ranked Bulldogs upset No. 3 LSU 34-14. Georgia’s first appearance in the SECCG came in 2002 when it beat Arkansas. That Bulldog squad posted a 13-1 final mark.

LSU leads the overall series 18-13-1 including 2-0 against Smart’s Bulldogs. During the 2018 regular season, second-ranked Georgia was upset 36-16 by 13th-ranked LSU in Baton Rouge. The Bulldogs finished 11-3 that year. The only other meeting came in the 2019 SECCG. Georgia completed that campaign 12-2.
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ATHENS, Ga. — Bulldog sixth-year senior quarterback Stetson Bennett has been named one of 11 finalists for the Manning Award, according to an announcement from the award and the Allstate Sugar Bowl.

Bennett, a native of Blackshear, Ga., has been named to the award’s Stars of the Week list three times and been honored as the National Quarterback of the Week twice this season.  The Manning Award will name its 19^th winner after the postseason in January 2023.

Bulldogs have been no strangers as Manning Award finalists since its inception in 2004.  Jake Fromm (2018-19), Aaron Murray (2012-13), Matthew Stafford (2008), D.J. Shockley (2005) and David Greene (2004) were all finalists at least once in their careers.

Bennett directed the top-ranked Bulldogs to an undefeated regular season for the second consecutive year in 2022.  He is 246-for-366 for 3,151 yards (67.2 completion percentage) with 16 touchdowns and six interceptions.  A game captain twice this season so far, Bennett has rushed 45 times for 190 yards and seven touchdowns while being sacked only seven times, including none in the last five games.

Bennett is also a finalist for the Burlsworth Trophy and Johnny Unitas Golden Arm Award after earning Southeastern Conference weekly honors this season as well as Walter Camp National Offensive Player of the Week honors.

Georgia (12-0, 8-0 SEC) starts the postseason in the SEC Championship Game at Mercedes-Benz Stadium versus LSU (9-3, 6-2 SEC) on Saturday.  CBS will televise the matchup at 4 p.m.

*Undefeated Georgia and Michigan rank in the top 12 nationally in Scoring Offense (SO) and Scoring Defense (SD). The Bulldogs are 12th in SO (38.2 ppg) and first in SD (11.3). The Wolverines are seventh in SO (39.8) and third in SD (12.7).

Top-ranked Georgia (12-0, 8-0 SEC) will be looking to capture its 14th SEC title when it meets No. 11 LSU (9-3, 6-2 SEC). The Bulldogs will be making their fifth appearance in the SEC Championship Game (SECCG) in the Kirby Smart era that began in 2016. Georgia’s last SEC title came in 2017 when the sixth-ranked Bulldogs beat fourth-ranked Auburn 28-7. In 2018 and 2021, Georgia fell to Alabama while in 2019, LSU defeated Georgia on its way to a perfect 15-0 season. The Tigers along with Clemson in 2018 are the only teams to go 15-0 in the modern era (1937-present).

Georgia’s 13 conference titles rank the second most in the SEC. The Bulldogs are 3-6 all-time in the SECCG, including 1-3 versus LSU. The teams have met with an SEC title on the line in 2003, 2005, 2011 and 2019. Georgia’s only win came in 2005 when the 13th-ranked Bulldogs upset No. 3 LSU 34-14. Georgia’s first appearance in the SECCG came in 2002 when it beat Arkansas. That Bulldog squad posted a 13-1 final mark.

LSU leads the overall series 18-13-1 including 2-0 against Smart’s Bulldogs. During the 2018 regular season, second-ranked Georgia was upset 36-16 by 13th-ranked LSU in Baton Rouge. The Bulldogs finished 11-3 that year. The only other meeting came in the 2019 SECCG. Georgia completed that campaign 12-2.
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