Georgia Football: Bulldog Redemption at the Sugar Bowl

Missing 13 players and six of them starters, the Georgia football program showed the future is bright with a win over Baylor in the Sugar Bowl. 

Georgia football has now won 11 games in each of the last three seasons. However, this season comes to a much better close than 2018. Georgia suffered from lack of focus last year in the Sugar Bowl, but that was not the case this time, as the Bulldogs came out motivated for a big win over No. 7 Baylor.

Georgia quarterback Jake Fromm started his 42nd straight game, tops in college football today. He opened the game targeting George Pickens in two of the first three plays, trying to get their big playmaker in the game early.

Speaking of starting, running back D’Andre Swift did not start, instead Zamir White was the starter for the Bulldogs. White had a breakout game rushing 18 times for 92 yards and a touchdown, according to Georgiadogs.com. Kenny McIntosh also got a bigger role in the Sugar Bowl, rushing six times for 30 yards.

James Cook left the game early with a 1st quarter rib injury after just three carries. The cameras showed Swift begging the coaches to put him in the game so that he could be with his teammates. Swift entered the game, and offensive coordinator James Coley called a flea flicker using Swift as a decoy, allowing Fromm to connect with George Pickens for 46 yards.

Fromm would also hookup with Pickens again in the second quarter for the first touchdown of the game. Pickens had seven catches for 118 yards and a touchdown in the first 17 and a half minutes of the game. He would end the game with 12 catches — tying a Georgia bowl game record set by Hines Ward in the 1998 Outback Bowl — for 175 yards and one touchdown.

Spreading the ball around, Fromm also connected with Matt Landers for a touchdown at the end of the first half but would miss a two-point conversion on a pass to Eli Wolf. He was 14/19 for 190 yards and two touchdowns in the first half.

With the passing game hitting on all cylinders 2020 Georgia wide receiver commit Jermaine Burton was even itching to be a part of this Bulldog offense:

https://twitter.com/dbassassin13/status/1212566515242995713?s=20

Fromm finished the game 20 of 30, hitting on 67 percent of his passes for 250 yards 2 touchdowns and zero interceptions. A perfect end to his season, and possibly his time at Georgia.

After running a fake field goal in the second half, Zamir White would power the ball across the goal line on a 13-yard run, finally putting to bed all the jokes about the fake punt Smart attempted two years ago in the SEC Championship.

On defense, Richard LeCounte would get the first of three turnovers for Georgia’s defense in the game, an interception off a deflection a little past midway in the first quarter.

Georgia’s defense shutout their opponent in the first half for the 12th time in 14 games this season. However, Baylor would come out and go right down the field, scoring a touchdown on their opening drive of the second half on eight plays that went for 75 yards.

On Baylor’s second possession of the second half, they went for it on fourth down and Azeez Ojulari was able to get a strip-sack which Travon Walker recovered. Ojulari had a heck of a game totaling five tackles, one sack, and a forced fumble.

Georgia Bulldogs Football

Travon Walker also had a very solid game, totaling three tackles, a sack, and a fumble recovery. Walker was also hit with a bogus late hit penalty late in the game after hitting Brewer while he was in the air, but still in the field of play.

Speaking of that hit by Walker on Baylor’s starting quarterback, Brewer went out of the game with a head injury. So the Bears turned to their back up quarterback, Jacob Zeno.

However, Georgia would not be denied, even with a backup quarterback in the game – something which has been trouble for the Dawgs in the past. Richard LeCounte sealed the game with his second interception of the night late in the fourth quarter. If this was LeCounte’s last game in red and black he ended it on a high note.

Speaking of safeties that had a big game, Lewis Cine really came into his own in the absence of J.R. Reed. Cine was second on the team in tackles with six. He was one of Georgia’s tone setters from the very start of the game.

The future looks very bright for these Bulldogs as they go into 2020. George Pickens is looking like the stud we all thought he could be, Georgia’s running back room looks to be in great hands even with Herrien and Swift moving on, and the offensive line looks like they won’t miss a single beat without Thomas and Wilson.

Georgia is also bringing back a top-five defense loaded with studs like Nolan Smith, Quay Walker, Travon Walker, Tyrique Stevenson, Jordan Davis, Cine, and Ojulari.

2019 was a rebuilding year for the Dawgs that was filled with growing pains. With this Sugar Bowl victory, the young pups have shown how much they have grown over the last season. It’s safe to say the Dawgs are ready to make a statement in 2020.