Georgia football dominated Michigan Friday night in the Orange Bowl semifinal playoff game, and it was great seeing the Dawgs look like themselves again.
After such an embarrassing loss to Alabama in the SEC Championship, the game against Michigan made fans a little nervous.
However, the Dawgs reminded us all they went 12-0 for a reason and handled their business.
All units did their job against Michigan, there wasn’t a weak spot for the Dawgs, and they outcoached the Wolverines.
After beating down Michigan in the semifinals, Georgia football produced one of its best report cards.
Georgia amassed 518 offensive yards, with 190 rushing and 328 passing. The Dawgs held Michigan to 88 rushing yards, 237 passing, and 325 total yards.
Once again, Georgia shut down a heavy-hitting rush attack and didn’t allow the Wolverines much success. Michigan did get a late score, but at that point, the Dawgs had put the game away, and the Wolverines stood no chance.
That defense wreaked all kinds of havoc, and well, Michigan’s pass rushers were contained nicely by Georgia’s offense, or the Dawgs got it off quick enough to prevent them from making any big plays.
It was a total team effort from the Dawgs, and they played within themselves. They didn’t try to do too much or too little.
Georgia did their job and got out of Miami with another win by at least 17 points. The Dawgs looked like they took the Alabama loss personally, and Michigan happened to be the team standing between them and a revenge national championship meeting.
Georgia was on a mission, and no one would stop them from getting their 13th win on the season.
After going through the stats and rewatching, here is how each position and how Georgia’s coaching graded out for the Orange Bowl.
Georgia football quarterback: A+
Stetson Bennett earns an A+ for his performance in the Orange Bowl because he did his job and led the Dawgs to a win.
He went 21-of-31 for 310 yards and three touchdowns as he made so many clutch throws against the Wolverines that no one should question why he is the starting quarterback for Georgia football.
Bennett proved himself to the half of the fan base who didn’t think he was worthy of starting for the Dawgs. He completed 67% of his passes, and while there were a few questionable decisions, none of them cost Georgia anything.
Every quarterback has a bad choice here and there, so people who criticize his every move need to remember that. His performance earned him the Offense MVP title, and rightfully so. This young man put his team on his shoulders and asked his wideouts to make the plays. Those guys were there for Bennett, and the passing game was impressive all night long.
There wasn’t much more Georgia needed out of Bennett. He won a big ball game by throwing more than 20 passes, and one has to assume the game plan was like this for a reason.
Bennett is the starting quarterback and will be for the national championship.
Georgia football running backs: A
Even though Georgia football didn’t score a rushing touchdown against Michigan, this unit did a great job against a strong defense.
The Dawgs recorded 35 rushes for 190 yards and averaged 5.4 yards a touch. When you’re halfway to a first down each time, you tote the rock, and the offensive line is doing a good job.
There were times the running backs got stuffed and couldn’t get much going because the line struggled to get the push, but this group did a great job. They worked their tails off to put up those 190 yards, which is why they earned an A grade.
Zamir White led the team with 12 rushes for 54 yards, Daijun Edwards had four carries for 38 yards and James Cook had six carries for 32 yards.
Starting quarterback Stetson Bennett recorded three carries for 32 yards, including two big first down runs to keep drives going.
The Dawgs used their rush attack to compliment the passing game because it was evident they were going to beat Michigan through the air. Georgia could run the ball a little better, but for now, we’re going to accept it because a 23-point win is a job well done from every unit in the Red and Black.
Georgia football receivers and tight ends: A
Georgia football targeted 12 different receivers at least once against the Wolverines, and nine of them caught at least one pass from starting quarterback Stetson Bennett.
There were a couple of drops and times the blocking could have been better — looking at you, Darnell Washington — but this group did a standup job for the most part.
Brock Bowers paced the Dawgs with the most catches at six for 68 yards and one score, giving him the single-season record for the most touchdowns scored by a Georgia receiver at 12.
James Cook recorded three catches for 99 yards, including a 53-yard touchdown pass of pure perfection.
AD Mitchell had an incredible touchdown catch thrown from Kenny McIntosh to go up 14-0, and that kid is gaining confidence each game.
Jermaine Burton also had a big day with one catch for a 57-yard touchdown. He was so brilliant on that route and created just enough separation, plus the defensive back just quit on the route, which allowed him to catch it and score.
This group played with a purpose and made sure to help make Bennett look good. There isn’t much to improve on, as they did more than enough to put up points and give Georgia all the momentum. All of Georgia’s points came through the air or from a field goal, so that is how on point this receiving group was for the Dawgs.
Georgia football offensive line: A
Both of Georgia football’s lines did a fantastic job against Michigan. The offensive line did a great job preventing Aiden Hutchinson and David Ojabo from doing much of anything.
Georgia’s offensive line made both of them look silly at times and to stop a duo with 25 sacks combined on the season is a big win for this unit.
The Dawgs didn’t get an A+ here because there were times they struggled to get a big enough push while running the ball and starting quarterback Stetson Bennett got hit a few times.
However, Michigan recorded zero sacks for the first time all season and just two tackles for loss, so the Dawgs offensive line did their job. Both offensive tackles earned a few pancake blocks, including one on Hutchinson from Jamaree Salyer.
This group knew they had to protect Bennett, and they did a pretty good job at it. Whatever work they did the last few weeks showed as every person on that line looked more polished.
The only thing I’d like to see them improve on is their rush blocking because sometimes it gets congested. If they can get that push up front and allow those running backs to get some momentum going, Georgia will have one of the most efficient offenses in college football.
Georgia football defensive line: A+
Two defensive units earned A+ grades, and the defensive line is one of them, with the linebackers being the other.
Jordan Davis, Jalen Carter, DeVonte Wyatt, and the rest of that defensive line did a tremendous job and silenced any haters who had something to say.
Davis isn’t slow, and he proved that running down an offensive player to prevent a significant gain. Carter and Davis both pancaked Michigan players a few times and made big plays. Wyatt forced one of the fumbles and earned a quarterback hurry. Davis finished with two tackles while Carter recorded three.
This group manhandled the best offensive line in the country without skipping a beat. Michigan had no answers for the big Dawgs up front, and it showed.
With them getting the advantage off the snap, it allowed the linebackers to put a ton of pressure on the quarterbacks and earn those four sacks. The defensive line also did a great job at putting pressure on.
Tray Scott had his men ready for that offensive line and showed who the better line was on the night. When those linemen came in with “Run the Damn Ball” shirts on for warm-ups, I had a suspicion that the defensive front seven would nip that in the bud quickly.
This group held one of the best rush attacks to 88 rushing yards on 27 carries. The Wolverines averaged 3.3 yards a touch, and Hassan Haskins recorded just 39 yards on nine carries.
Georgia knew they had to contain their runners to win this game, and they did just that. The longest run of the day for Michigan was 19 yards, and the Dawgs need to be happy with that performance.
Georgia football linebackers: A+
Georgia football’s linebacker corp is one of the most talented in the entire country. Sure, Alabama has Will Anderson, but Georgia has at least three to four guys who can cause just as much trouble. They are lethal by a committee and do it as a team. Now Alabama has other talented linebackers, but what they don’t have is the Butkus Award winner, and he is one of the biggest reasons this unit got the grade they did.
This group earns an A+ though, because they caused problems all night long. Nakobe Dean proved Friday night why he will make a ton of money in the NFL from his performance. He is so smart and strategic about everything, not to mention his speed is mind-blowing.
Georgia recorded four sacks as Dean, Nolan Smith, Robert Beal Jr., and Travon Walker earned a quarterback takedown. Dean paced the Dawgs with two tackles for loss and forced a fumble. There wasn’t much he didn’t do to bully Michigan’s offense, and those Wolverines will remember his name forever.
Smith led the Dawgs with eight total tackles, including five solo ones. Quay Walker recorded six tackles, and Dean had seven.
Those linebackers committed a few crimes on the field Friday night and forgot that those offensive players have families because every time they hit one of them, it was a physical takedown.
This group stood tough and led the defense with a purpose. These guys want to win it all, and they will do whatever it takes to make that happen. With Dean leading this unit, Georgia has a shot.
I don’t think any Georgia football fan figured we would see another Roquan Smith playing for the Dawgs this soon, but here we are with Dean proving that he is just as good.
Georgia football defensive backs: B
The weakest part of the Georgia football defense remains the secondary, as they gave up the late Michigan touchdown on a blown coverage. David Daniel lost his man, and he went right by him and caught the ball to score. While it didn’t really matter, it’s still something to consider when grading this unit.
That mistake pushed them down to a B grade even with two interceptions on the day.
Derion Kendrick did a fantastic job as he brought down both picks for the Dawgs and got to don those savage turnover pads.
Plus, Georgia gave up 237 yards through the air, and a 43-yard pass, so this group has to tighten up before playing Alabama again. They are an extremely thin group in terms of depth, and it got even thinner when Christopher Smith got ejected for targeting in the first half. However, Dan Jackson did a great job coming in for him.
The Wolverines averaged 13.2 yards per completion, and that is unacceptable when you got a group that Georgia has. Again, depth plays a big part here, but it’s time for them to shut it down again.
They need to get ready for another war, and while their performance against Michigan was good enough, it must be 10 times better against Alabama.
This secondary is on track to be just as elite as the rest of the defense, but they make us nervous for now.
Georgia football special teams: B+
The special teams unit had a solid game against Michigan and earned a respectable B+ grade. If placekicker Jack Podlesny made that last field goal, it would have elevated them to an A, but a B+ is still an excellent grade.
Jake Camarda punted twice all game, averaging 45.5 yards, and went 7-of-7 on kickoff touchbacks. Camarda is why there wasn’t much special teams action because when he kicked the ball, he made sure to make it a touchback. He is such a weapon for Georgia and continues to prove his worth.
The return team didn’t have much to do against the Wolverines since they went for it three times on fourth down, and the defense forced three turnovers, but the Dawgs recorded two kick off returns for 25 yards, averaging 12.5-yard returns.
Michigan’s one punt return was for 16 yards which is another reason this group got a B+ instead of an A, but for the most part, Georgia’s special teams hung tough and didn’t let anything detrimental happen.
Marcus Rosemy-Jacksaint got close to blocking one of the Wolverines’ punts but backed off because he didn’t want to nail the punter, so we will let that slide because the Dawgs didn’t need a stupid penalty.
It’s hard to give this group an A because they didn’t have to do much, which is never a bad thing because that means your other two phases of the ball are doing their jobs.
Georgia football coaching: A
Georgia football had to win the coaching battle against Michigan to come out on top, and they did. The Dawgs put together a much better game plan than the Wolverines and were a lot more creative on offense.
Michigan was more worried about taking selfies and wearing clever shirts during pregame than they were about getting ready for the game. Meanwhile, Georgia was laser-focused, and it showed.
Offensive coordinator Todd Monken did a great job allowing starting quarterback Stetson Bennett to play into his strengths. Trusting Kenny McIntosh to throw that touchdown pass was just what the Dawgs needed and so clever from Monken.
Head coach Kirby Smart did a great job preparing his staff and team. The way they carried themselves looked like they were on a business trip. There was no fooling around, and he didn’t even want his guys celebrating after the game because they know it isn’t the final game.
We can’t forget about the defensive coordinator trio and how well they had their guys prepared. Dan Lanning didn’t look like he is leaving for Oregon with how he coached the defense, which is a huge positive. It’s huge to still have him coach through the playoffs, and it’s paying off so far.
We knew whoever had a better game plan and came better prepared would win, but the way Georgia did it was how the great teams do things. They did get a little conservative at halftime and in the second half, which is why they didn’t get an A+ grade, but there isn’t much to complain about a 23 point win.
Georgia put together a total team win and showed the world that the SEC Championship wasn’t who they were. The Dawgs prepared well for Michigan, and now it’s time for that same mentality going into the national championship.