Georgia football didn’t wake up until the second half against Georgia Tech, but the Dawgs still managed to run away with this game to win 37-14. A garbage touchdown late allowed the Yellow Jackets to cover the spread, but the Dawgs won by 23 points, which is all that matters.
The Dawgs didn’t have to be perfect against the Yellow Jackets, but this performance felt like pulling teeth until deep in the second half. Georgia had to fight off the refs and the Yellow Jackets, as neither wanted to just give up the victory.
Sometimes gritty wins are how teams stay undefeated and do something great. This team isn’t the 2021 one; it has its own identity, so people need to remember that. Each group is different, and as long as they win, who cares how it happens?
The Dawgs got the job done, and even with giving up the garbage touchdown, it was a dominating victory over one of our biggest rivals — if you want to consider Tech that anymore. There were some good things and some not-so-great things, but as a whole, it was another conservative win that featured some explosive plays that allowed the Dawgs to move to 12-0 for the second straight year.
Georgia football made history by beating Georgia Tech.
It’s tough to go undefeated in the regular season, and not many teams do it, so it’s historic for Georgia to finish the regular season 12-0 in back-to-back years. The Dawgs join an elite company, Alabama, to be one of two SEC teams to achieve this feat.
#UGA (2021-2022) joins Alabama (1973-1974 and 2008-2009) as the only @SEC teams in the last half-century to go undefeated in back-to-back regular seasons. @UGASportscom pic.twitter.com/Df1tkDgFDP
— Patrick Garbin (@patrickgarbin) November 26, 2022
Georgia rushed for 264 yards and threw for 143 yards and four touchdowns. Stetson Bennett went 10-of-18 for 140 yards and two scores. He also had five carries for 21 yards. Bennett tried to score with his feet, but the atrocious referees called him short not once but two times.
Kenny McIntosh led the team in rushing and receiving yards as he toted the rock 12 times for 86 yards and one score. He also had two catches for 96 yards, including that incredible 83-yarder that helped set up his rushing touchdown. Kendall Milton had four carries for 56 yards as he scored on a 44-yard run.
Daijun Edwards tallied eight carries for 57 yards, and Branson Robinson had six carries for 26 yards.
Brock Bowers caught the second passing touchdown, and Marcus Rosemy-Jacksaint scored the first of the game, giving Georgia some momentum to work with — it was very little momentum, but it was some nonetheless.
Georgia’s defense held Georgia Tech to 40 yards rushing but gave up 215 yards through the air. The Yellow Jackets marched down the field on the game’s first drive, but the Dawgs tightened up and handled their business.
The Dawgs were able to cause some pressure but still had some momentum of lazy tackling that needed to get cleaned up before the postseason. Smael Mondon led the team with six tackles and 1.5 tackles for loss. As a whole, the defense finished with four sacks and 11 tackles for loss.
Jack Podlesney is a workhorse for the Dawgs. He went 3-of-3 on field goals, including a 50-yarder that Georgia appreciated. The Dawgs have a talented kicker they can count on, which is why they have such a successful red zone conversion rate.
Who cares about the last few weeks and the conservative playcalling? Georgia played to win, and they still got those victories. The red zone struggles are slightly an issue, but something I wouldn’t worry about too much.
From an immediate reaction, Georgia finally ran away with this thing, but at the same time, the Dawgs got the job done and made history. How upset can we be with this team when it’s 12-0 and going to play for an SEC Championship and possibly more? Georgia fans need to trust the process and hope the offense leaves this conservative playcalling in the regular season.