The Bulldogs converted it with a trick play, but Smart insisted that he wasn't trying to run up the score. When Georgia scored its final touchdown early in the fourth quarter for a 48-23 lead, Smart surprisingly called for a 2-point conversion. While there were some huge defensive lapses in the second half, this game was never in doubt. But Smart continues to impress with his ability to keep the team motivated. Georgia: Win or lose in the SEC title game, the Bulldogs were assured of a spot in the playoff. LSU: Kelly's debut season turned a bit ugly the last two weeks, but the Tigers are on the right track. The sixth-year senior, a former walk-on who was offensive MVP of both Georgia playoffs wins a year ago, struck for four TD passes in a less than 15-minute span: 3 yards to Brock Bowers, 22 yards to Ladd McConkey, 14 yards to Darnell Washington and 3 yards to Dillon Bell. LSU quickly tied it up on Daniels' 53-yard touchdown pass to Kayshon Boutte, only to have Bennett take control from there. "It's our responsibility to have our guys alert in that situation. "Obviously, we did a poor job if coaching," he said. LSU coach Brian Kelly blamed himself and his staff for allowing the play to happen. "You're not allowed to pick it up unless you can score with it," Smart said. He looked toward the sideline to see if it was OK to grab it. "That's a scenario we go over a lot in practice," he said. When Nazir Stackhouse burst through the middle of the line to block LSU's 32-yard field goal attempt late in the first quarter, Smith knew what to do. The Bulldogs showed they are more than just a bunch of talented athletes - this is a smart, well-coached group.
"I've tried not to play attention to any of it," Smart said of all the chaos. No matter who makes the elite field, Georgia is firmly focused on becoming the first repeat national title since Alabama in 2011-12, having won all but one game this season by double-digit margins. 3 TCU lost to Kansas State in overtime for the Big 12 championship, further clouding a playoff picture that suddenly looks much more favorable for No. Just as the SEC game was kicking off, No. 4 Southern California is presumably out after getting blown out by Utah in the Pac-12 title game Friday night. Tennessee and Clemson also ruined their playoff hopes with losses late in the regular season, while No. LSU's outside hopes of crashing the four-team playoff field were wiped out a week ago by a stunning loss at Texas A&M, one of several upsets that will give the selection committee plenty to think about before its announcement Sunday. Georgia heads into the playoff assured of a return trip to Atlanta for a de facto semifinal home game at Mercedes-Benz Stadium, just 75 miles from its Athens campus. They said enough is enough and got 'em one tonight." "I don't want one kid to walk out of our program without an SEC championship ring in their careers," coach Kirby Smart said. The Bulldogs were denied in this game a year ago by Alabama, before bouncing back to beat the Crimson Tide in the title game. Georgia accomplished something that not even last season's national championship squad could could do - win its first SEC title since 2017. 14 CFP) to three second-half touchdowns, but it wasn't nearly enough. LSU quarterback Jayden Daniels re-injured a sore right ankle late in the second quarter, giving way to Garrett Nussmeier in the second half. 1 CFP) also caught a big break when Smith deflected a pass that bounced off an LSU receiver's helmet and wound up being picked off by the Bulldogs, setting up a score that contributed to a 35-10 lead by halftime. I'm not that bad at football, either," Bennett said with a smile. Stetson Bennett threw a season-high four touchdown passes in another stellar postseason performance, while Smith's heads-up play gave the Bulldogs an early spark. 11 Tigers 50-30 in the Southeastern Conference championship game Saturday. With all sorts of turmoil behind them in the rankings, Georgia headed to the College Football Playoff as the clear No. They've been a step ahead of everyone for two years now. They were a step ahead of LSU on Saturday. He suddenly scooped it up and took off the other way, sprinting 96 yards for a touchdown that epitomized the Bulldogs program. The LSU players trudged off the field, thinking the play was over.Ĭhristopher Smith knew better. 14 LSU to claim SEC titleĪTLANTA - Georgia swatted away the field goal attempt, the ball spinning to a stop at its 4-yard line.
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