MIAMI GARDENS, Fla. – No. 3 Georgia defeated No. 2 Michigan 34-11 in a College Football Playoff semifinal in the Orange Bowl at Hard Rock Stadium. The Bulldogs (13-1) advance to the CFP Championship game. The Wolverines’ season ends at 12-2.
Here’s how it unfolded:
Game ball
Considering all the criticism and second-guessing he has endured the past month, quarterback Stetson Bennett deserves any rewards coming his way. But Bennett earned all the praise coming his way with an almost flawless first half of work. The fifth-year senior completed 16 of 22 passes for 234 yards and two touchdowns in the first two quarters. His scoring tosses went to Jermaine Burton for 57 yards and to Brock Bowers for nine yards. He also had 53- and 35-yard completions in the opening half. Bennett added a key 20-yard run in the first quarter in which he evaded the pressure of star defensive end Aidan Hutchinson. After tight end John FitzPatrick dropped what should have been a first-down pass at the end of the possession, Georgia settled for a 43-yard field goal. Bennett led the Bulldogs on scoring drives on their first five possession before the half ended with them first-and-10 at the 50. The Bulldogs finished with 515 total yards, Bennett had 307 yards passing and three touchdowns and was named the Orange Bowl’s most outstanding offensive player.
Key play
Georgia went to its bag of tricks early in the game. On its second possession of the contest, Bennett tossed the ball to running back Kenny McIntosh in the backfield for what looked like a standard toss sweep around right end. But McIntosh stopped suddenly and hurled a strike down the field to wide receiver A.D. Mitchell near the right boundary of the end zone. The touchdown and subsequent PAT gave Georgia a 14-0 lead with 4:41 still remaining in the first quarter and quietened an excited Michigan crowd, which outnumbered the Bulldogs slightly.
Credit: HYOSUB SHIN / AJC
Credit: HYOSUB SHIN / AJC
Key stat
With three catches on Georgia’s opening possession of the game, freshman Bowers established a school record for receptions in a season by a tight end. Bowers came in with 47 catches, just two behind Shannon Mitchell, who had 49 in 1993. Bennett targeted Bowers on the third play of the game, a streak down the Bulldogs’ sideline which he hauled for a 35-yard gain. Bowers got seven yards on the next play, a tight end screen to the right. And finally, Bowers ran a quick flare left and took it to the end zone for a 9-yard touchdown. That gave Bowers another Georgia record – 12 TD receptions in a season – passing wide receiver Terrence Edwards (11 in 2002).
What we learned
Georgia’s defense is still pretty good, and those defensive backs are as well. Senior cornerback Derion Kendrick, who like all of the Bulldogs’ DBs had a tough game in the previous outing, rebounded with two interceptions Friday. The second of the night was particularly important as it came in Georgia’s end zone and ended a Michigan scoring threat. That pick, which came at the 9:57 mark of the third quarter, came just 6½ minutes after Kendrick’s first interception, which ended the Wolverines’ last possession of the first half. Also, Georgia had three sacks at that point, after having none in the previous game against Alabama. Quarterback Cade McNamara had 103 yards passing and no touchdowns through three quarters.
Credit: HYOSUB SHIN / AJC
Credit: HYOSUB SHIN / AJC
Key developments
Georgia was leading 27-3 at the time, but its cause was certainly hurt when senior safety Christopher Smith was disqualified for targeting with just 1:28 remaining in second quarter. Kendrick had intercepted Cade McNamara’s pass for Roman Wilson on the Michigan sideline when Smith hit a Wolverines player with helmet-to-helmet contact away from the play. The personal-foul penalty meant Smith would have to sit out the rest of the game, but he will not miss the next contest. … At the same time, Kendrick’s interception was being reviewed for whether the interception was made out of bounds or after he’d left the field of play and come back in. The latter was proved true, but Kendrick had been forced out by the receiver. … Meanwhile, there were concerns before the game that Georgia center Sedrick Van Pran-Granger would not be able to go. UGA radio play-by-play man Scott Howard reported well before kickoff that the redshirt freshman from New Orleans was questionable but didn’t know if it was for illness or injury. Van Pran-Granger started and played the whole game.
He said it
“Our offense was moving the ball in the second half. But you have to give credit to the Georgia defense. They’re hard to score on.” -- Michigan coach Jim Harbaugh
What’s next
Georgia and Alabama will meet for the national championship for the second time in the past four years. They will face off in the College Football Playoff title game at 8 p.m. Jan. 10. (ESPN).
