ATLANTA — No. 1 Georgia made its case to stay atop the College Football Playoff rankings when the Bulldogs crushed No. 14 LSU 50-30 in the 2022 SEC Championship Game. The Dawgs improved to to 13-0 for the first time in program history before the final CFP rankings are released Sunday. The defending national champions never trailed as Georgia captured the program’s fourth SEC championship and first since 2017.
Even last season’s Georgia team with its historically dominant defense didn’t win the SEC crown. This is the first time the Dawgs have come out of the SEC title game with an undefeated record; the 2002 and 2017 teams each suffered one loss in the regular season, while the 2005 team lost twice before winning the conference.
A steady hand from sixth-year senior quarterback Stetson Bennett IV, along with some horrible breaks for LSU, helped the Bulldogs open a 35-10 halftime lead. In particular, a Christopher Smith 95-yard touchdown return with a blocked field goal and an interception that deflected off an LSU player’s helmet helped spark Georgia in the first half.
After halftime, UGA withstood a charge from a resilient LSU team. Tigers QB Jayden Daniels left the game at halftime after appearing to aggravate an ankle injury. With backup Garrett Nussmeier in the game, LSU pulled to within 35-17 and threatened to get even closer when the Dawgs made a critical stop on fourth-and-1 to keep LSU out of the end zone midway through the third. fourth
Georgia shut the door from there with scoring drives of 95 and 75 yards for its 12th double-digit win in 13 games this season entering the playoffs.
Bad breaks for the Tigers
LSU looked poised to score the game’s first points as the Tigers drove deep into Georgia territory on their second possession. Then came a freak play that swung the momentum and set the tone for the first half. Georgia defensive tackle Nazir Stackhouse blocked a 32-yard field goal attempt by LSU kicker Damian Ramos, sending the ball dribbling toward the goal line. Before the ball stopped moving, Georgia’s Christopher Smith caught it and raced 95 yards for an impressive touchdown.
Later in the half, Georgia benefited from an equally peculiar interception as linebacker Smael Mondon Jr. made a pick after the football deflected off the helmet of LSU wide receiver Jack Bech. On the first play of Georgia’s ensuing possession, Bennett found Ladd McConkey for a 22-yard touchdown that put the Bulldogs up 21-7.
Combined, the two plays were crippling blows for an LSU team that entered as a 17.5-point underdog.
Bennett’s unfinished business
There is little Bennett hasn’t accomplished in his storybook career. The former undersized walk-on can now add an SEC Championship to his list. Bennett threw four touchdown passes, all in the first half, and spread the football to 10 different targets during the game. In the SEC championship game era, quarterbacks like Eric Zeier, Quincy Carter, David Greene, DJ Shockley, Matthew Stafford, Aaron Murray and Jake Fromm have all come through Georgia and become NFL Draft picks. Each engineered their share of team success, but none can boast a legacy like Bennett’s on his winding journey to program history.
With an SEC title now on his resume along with last season’s national title and another CFP performance coming up, Bennett’s work as Georgia’s quarterback compares favorably to any of his predecessors. Even if he goes undrafted and never plays in the NFL, he has solidified his place in Georgia football and SEC football history.
Undisputed number 1?
Tennessee was ranked No. 1 and Georgia was ranked No. 3 in the first CFP rankings of the season. The Bulldogs quickly turned that around with a convincing 27-13 win over the Volunteers on November 5th. They’ve been ranked No. 1 in every edition of the rankings since then and made a strong case to stay there with their performance against LSU. If Georgia is indeed ranked No. 1 in Sunday’s final release of the CFP rankings, it would mark the first time in the CFP era that the Bulldogs enter the playoff ranked No. 1. The 2017 team was ranked third and lost a classic national championship game to Alabama, while last year’s team was ranked third behind Alabama and Michigan before beating the Crimson Tide by the title
LSU is promising under Brian Kelly
It’s been a peculiar debut season for LSU coach Brian Kelly. The Tigers opened with a loss to Florida State and then some ugly moments, including a 40-13 home loss to Tennessee and a surprising loss at Texas A&M last week. But LSU made obvious strides since last season and won what many consider the toughest division in college football. While the final SEC Championship Game score suggests LSU was dominated, the Tigers also showed flashes that they may not be far from competing in the national picture. If Daniels had been fully healthy, his dual-threat dynamic could have given Georgia headaches, and if the two odd plays mentioned above had gone well, it certainly would have led to a more competitive game. However, the play of Nussmeier in the second half and the overall resilience of LSU, which gained 549 yards against one of the top defenses in the country. Nussmeier went 15-of-27 for 294 yards with two touchdowns and one interception.
Georgia’s health is progressing
Something to watch moving forward will be the status of wide receiver Ladd McConkey and offensive lineman Warren McClendon. Both are key for the team that missed the second half with knee injuries. McConkey has become Georgia’s top receiver and McClendon has started every game this season at right tackle. His health will be huge for the Bulldogs to move into the College Football Playoff.