Georgia football: Throwback Thursday with the best 2021 photos

Georgia football had one of the most memorable championship runs in 2021, and it produced some incredible photos. On Thursdays, we look back at some of the best moments throughout Georgia football history, and today we’re highlighting that historic run.

From Week 1 at Clemson to the College Football Playoff Championship game, there is a limitless amount of good memories.

However, we wanted to look at each game and choose one photo we thought best represented that feeling when Georgia came out victorious.

After 41 years of waiting for another championship, reflecting on this year is always fun to do. From the incredible reaction videos of Kelee Ringo’s pick-six to watching any of the games in general, last year was one to remember.

Here are the best images from the 2021 Georgia football national championship run.

We hand-picked these 15 photos — yes, even one from the SEC Championship game because, good and bad, fans should never forget the ups and downs. It was all part of the journey and important to the overall outcome.

What head coach Kirby Smart and his staff were able to accomplish in just six short years is something Georgia fans have waited a long time for — some even lifetimes. It was my first title for me, and it’s even hard to describe six months later what it felt like to see the team I love so much win it.

I cried that night. I screamed and couldn’t believe what I’d always dreamt of seeing happened finally— reflecting and choosing one photo from each game brought back so many memories that it was truly a delight picking them.

If there are other photos you feel should be highlighted, leave us a comment so we can feature them on a future “Throwback Thursday,” we can feature them. We all are so excited for the 2022 season, but before fall camp begins, let’s take a ride on that national title run one more time.

The best Georgia football photo vs. Clemson

One of the easiest decisions for this piece was the Clemson photo because this pick-six from Christopher Smith gave the Dawgs a 1-0 start to the season. He scored the game’s only touchdown, so it felt right to give him the honor of best photo from the season’s first game.

Georgia won 10-3 and defeated the No.3 team in the country to go 1-0 and see head coach Kirby Smart go 6-0 in opening games.

The best Georgia football photo vs. UAB

This photo was one of the favorites because of starting quarterback Stetson Bennett’s performance against the Blazers. He went 10-of-12 for 288 yards and five touchdowns.

At this moment, fans started to realize that Bennett wasn’t the same quarterback they knew in the previous season. The Dawgs won 56-7 and moved to 2-0.

The best Georgia football photo vs. South Carolina

Week 3 brought another beatdown, but the defense did their job. While the Gamecocks scored more than most SEC opponents did on the Dawgs in 2021, they didn’t have enough to challenge Georgia.

Nolan Smith led the defense that week with eight total tackles, .5 tackles for loss, .5 sacks and one forced fumble.

Georgia went on to win 40-13 and cruised to 3-0. This game was a moment that I remember because while the Dawgs gave up 13, it was because South Carolina got lucky.

The best Georgia football photo vs. Vanderbilt

Once again, Georgia traveled to Nashville and steamrolled Vanderbilt. Thirty-five points in the first quarter was another moment that fans began to realize this group was different.

Georgia scored five touchdowns on the ground and three through the air, so we chose the photo of Kenny McIntosh celebrating because that is what the Dawgs did all day. The Dawgs won 62-0 and left Nashville 4-0.

The best Georgia football photo vs. Arkansas

College GameDay was in town for this top-10 matchup between the Dawgs and the Hogs. It was one of the loudest games all season, and it was at noon.

While there were a lot of incredible photos from that game, the easiest one to go with was Dan Jackson’s punt, which resulted in a touchdown. This game was a big moment for the defense as the Dawgs shut out their second straight SEC opponent 37-0 to move to 5-0.

The best Georgia football photo vs. Auburn

A road trip to Auburn was a test for Georgia — the first true road test of the season. Jordan-Hare Stadium is no slouch, so the Dawgs had to fight hard, but it ended in another double-digit victory.

We chose this photo of Ladd McConkey and Zamir White because they both had incredible games against the Tigers.

White rushed 18 times for 79 yards and two touchdowns, while McConkey caught five balls for 135 yards and one score. These two were huge powerhouses in the Dawgs’ 34-10 win over Auburn to cruise to 6-0.

The best Georgia football photo vs. Kentucky

Georgia returned home to take on a scrappy Kentucky team who wanted to send the Dawgs into the bye week with a loss. While the Wildcats gave the Dawgs a tougher test than most, it still wasn’t enough to come out on top.

We went with this incredible Brock Bowers photos because he had five catches for 101 yards and two touchdowns, including the one in this picture. He helped Georgia beat Kentucky 30-13, and the Dawgs moved to 7-0.

The best Georgia football photo vs. Florida

The World’s Largest Outdoor Cocktail Party started sluggishly as the Gators came ready to play, but the Dawgs quickly turned it around with those 24 second-quarter points the defense helped produce.

Nolan Smith forced a fumble and caught an interception during that game, so he gets the nod for having one of the best photos from that week. Nakobe Dean also had a phenomenal game, with a 50-yard pick-six. Georgia went on to beat Florida 34-7 and leave Jacksonville with their heads held high and 8-0 on the season.

Fans knew when Georgia went down to Florida and overcame a sluggish start that this season was on the right track for something special.

The best Georgia football photo vs. Missouri

Georgia welcomed Missouri to town, and the Tigers gave the Dawgs a fight. It was a complete team win for Georgia, with both sides of the ball doing their job to stay perfect on the season.

This photo of Nolan Smith and Travon Walker was one of my all-time favorites of the entire season. That passion you see between the two shows what kind of bond this team had. Walker finished with four tackles, two tackles for loss and one sack in the game.

Georgia destroyed Missouri 43-6, and the Dawgs headed to Knoxville ranked 9-0 on the season, ranked No. 1 in the polls and looked to avoid a disaster.

The best Georgia football photo vs. Tennessee

Georgia traveled to Knoxville and got hit head-on by a scrappy Vols team looking to screw up the Cinderella story. While Tennessee gave the Dawgs a fight, Georgia eventually pulled away and won.

This game was hard to pick through because it was such a prolific matchup that provided both offensive and defensive photos worthy of this slot. However, James Cook was the difference maker, in my opinion.

He tallied 10 rushes for 104 yards, two touchdowns and averaged 10.4 yards a touch. Cook also had three catches for 43 yards and one score, giving him 147 all-purpose yards and three trips to the endzone — it’s hard to argue that.

Georgia left Knoxville with the SEC East title officially under its belt and 10-0.

The best Georgia football photo vs. Charleston Southern

Week 11 brought up a lot of emotions as it was Senior Day for the Dawgs. While Georgia fans and players made many memories that day, the best one came from the big man himself, Jordan Davis. The crowd went nuts when he lined up and rushed that ball into the endzone, making us love him even more.

This game was special because of that play, and so that is why Davis’ touchdown celebration is our photo pick. Georgia won 56-7 that day and moved to 11-0 on the season.

The best Georgia football photo vs. Georgia Tech

Georgia football went to Bobby Dodd Stadium and delivered its third shutout of the season against in-state rivals Georgia Tech. This photo of James Cook, Broderick Jones and Devonte Wyatt with head coach Kirby Smart’s son Andrew was too good not to choose.

There were many good things that happened in this photo, but with the celebration of Georgia going 12-0 for the first time in school history, we had to choose this picture. The Dawgs beat Georgia Tech 45-0 and looked unstoppable.

The best Georgia football photo vs. Alabama at the SEC Championship Game

The lone loss on Georgia’s historic 2021 national championship run came at the hands of Alabama in the SEC Championship Game. After going 12-0 to get there, the Dawgs got beat up by the Tide, and reality set back in for fans.

I debated on choosing one of the bright moments from that game, like highlighting Bowers on his performance, but instead, I chose this photo because it epitomized what this team felt after a loss like that.

That defeat put a chip on the Dawgs’ shoulders because they knew that outcome wasn’t what they wanted their legacy to be. Instead of letting that loss define them, they rose out of the ashes, and we all know how the rest of the season went.

The best Georgia football photo vs. Michigan at the Orange Bowl

From defeat to proving a point, in less than a month, Georgia went from licking its wounds to putting a pounding on Michigan in the semifinals of the College Football Playoffs. This Orange Bowl victory was a defining moment for Stetson Bennett, which is why he gets the honors here.

James Cook was another reason, but Bennett needed to put this team on his back and prove he could come out on top in a must-win situation. He went 20-of-30 for 313 yards and three touchdowns. This photo stands out to me because it’s his redemption moment.

His teammates didn’t doubt him, but many of the fans did, so this victory should be a reminder of why Bennett was the starter. Georgia took Michigan down a few notches and won 34-11 to get a shot at revenge against Alabama.

The best Georgia football photo vs. Alabama at the CFP Championship Game

Another game that provided way too many memorable moments to pick one, but after much deliberation, we had to go with the photo that will forever sit in Georgia fans’ heads. This pick-six from Kelee Ringo exorcised the demons out in Athens, and it will be one of the most famous plays in Dawgs’ history.

There were so many incredible photos of the celebration, but if this play didn’t happen, there is no telling if Georgia would have won the game or not. Ringo is the hero, along with every other player on that 2021 team. They did it together and ended the 41-year drought.

We will have to do one of these with photos just from the College Football Playoff Championship Game because it deserves its own throwback Thursday piece.

There you have it, folks, the 15 photos from the Dawgs’ historic 14-1 championship-winning season. Georgia football gave the fans so many memories last season that they should get cherished for years to come. What did you think of these photos? Which would you have chosen as your favorites? Let us know!