ATLANTA — A clean old-fashioned close call.
Coach Kirby Smart predicted the No. 1-ranked Georgia Bulldogs would get Georgia Tech’s best shot, and they did – and then some. The Yellow Jackets shot ahead early and hung around late to keep the Georgia faithful, who had traveled to Bobby Dodd Stadium in good number, in some level of anxiety into the fourth quarter.
But as the Bulldogs have been wont to do during their historic run, they simply absorbed all the blows and pulled away for a 31-23 victory.
“Once again, our kids showed up very resilient and tough,” Georgia coach Kirby Smart said afterward. “This game’s not measured by stats and rushing yards and first downs. It’s measured by heart, and our guys go out there and fight and play hard week after week.”
As unspectacular as it might’ve seemed, Georgia’s win established an SEC record for most in a row. That was the 29th consecutive, meaning Georgia’s Smart overtook former Alabama coaches Bear Bryant and Gene Stallings, each of whom had won 28 consecutive in different eras.
How fitting that the Bulldogs will take that third consecutive 12-0 mark to Mercedes-Benz Stadium on Saturday to face No. 8 Alabama (11-1) in the SEC Championship game (4 p.m., CBS). They’ll do so with considerable concerns about being able to defend the run.
The Jackets (6-6) had their way with Georgia’s defense, grabbing rushing yards in chunks and finishing with 205 yards on the ground, the second-most allowed by the Bulldogs this season.
Fortunately for Georgia, it found a little ground game as well. For the second time in the past three games, senior running back Kendall Milton put together a career-best rushing day, this time with 156 yards and two touchdowns.
Georgia’s old-school running game was necessary on this night as the Bulldogs were playing without four offensive starters. Brock Bowers, Ladd McConkey, Tate Ratledge and Rara Thomas all dressed out but never left the sideline. Accordingly, Georgia’s passing game suffered.
But the Bulldogs managed to scrape together enough big plays to narrowly out-gain the pesky Jackets, 437 yards to 363. Seven players combined for only 13 receptions, and three backs and quarterback Carson Beck combined for 262 yards. Added up it equaled a sixth consecutive win over Georgia Tech.
“Every one of our coaches who played at Georgia has a loss against Georgia Tech; they made that known,” said Milton, who as a senior will leave without ever losing to the Jackets. “They made sure we knew how personal it was and about the magnitude and importance of this game. This game was to make history and to finish out the season the right way.”
They almost didn’t.
Leading 31-16 with less than nine minutes to play, Georgia appeared poised to put the game away when it drove within the shadow of Tech’s goal post. But on third-and-5 at the Tech 6-yard line, rather than call another run play, the Bulldogs called for a Beck pass. His throw over the middle for Marcus Rosemy-Jacksaint was deflected and intercepted by defensive back K.J. Wallace in the end zone.
A field goal would’ve put Georgia ahead by three scores, so the risky play was unneccesary.
“We’re trying to score a touchdown,” Smart said. “We’re not going to play for a field goal. Unfortunately they dropped eight and the ball got tipped or richocheted; I don’t know what happened. Unfortunately, that happens. You’d like to have the points with a field goal there, but you want to score touchdowns.”
Given new life, Tech proceeded to run the ball down the Bulldogs’ collective throat. It took the Jackets only 10 plays to cover the 80 yards, and quarterback Haynes King’s 9-yard touchdown run on a keeper around right end made Georgia’s margin an uncomfortably close 31-23 with 3:46 to play.
Tech tried an onside kick, and the Bulldogs’ angst rose again. But linebacker CJ Allen recovered. Not until Georgia converted its final third-down conversion could anyone wearing red relax. The Bulldogs were able to end the game in victory formation at the Tech 21, but the eight-point final margin was far short of the 24 points Tech was getting from Las Vegas sports books.
Beck’s streak of 250-yard passing games was snapped at 11. The junior quarterback finished with 175 yards on 13-of-20 passing with a touchdown and an interception.
Tech’s King was 11-of-20 for 158 yards, and the Jackets piled up 205 yards rushing. It was those rush yards that had the Bulldogs up in arms.
“We are in crunch time,” Georgia safety Javon Bullard said. “This is championship week, playoff mode. (If) we give up 200 yards rushing to Bama, it’s not going to end pretty.”
About the Author