For the first time since 1980, the Georgia Bulldogs are college football national champions. In the rematch of an SEC title game they lost 41-24, the Dawgs flipped the script on Alabama in an impressive 33-18 victory that saw them chip away at the Tide until the floodgates opened in the fourth quarter.
Georgia trailed early, as Alabama opened the game with an impressive field goal drive and added two more in the half, unable to find the end zone. The Bulldogs likewise got off to a shaky offensive start, with Stetson Bennett looking rattled early on and Georgia seeming like the team just trying to hold on. Luckily, their defense allowed Bennett over a half of football to get settled, holding Alabama to five field goal attempts on their first five drives across midfield, blocking one of them.
The Bulldogs finally drew first blood in the end zone with an impressive drive on the ground, but the game again flipped towards the Tide when a wild fumble miraculously got recovered inbounds by an Alabama defender. That led to a Tide touchdown to go up 18-13, and it seemed more pain was in store for Georgia.
From that point, however, the Bulldogs dominated the final 10 minutes of play as Bennett came alive with some terrific throws, most notably a 40-yard bomb to Adonai Mitchell to go back up after the fumble.
WHAT A CATCH
ADONAI MITCHELL DELIVERED FOR A 40-YARD TD! pic.twitter.com/S86FwsqP1L
— ESPN (@espn) January 11, 2022
After that, it was another stop by the defense and Georgia began to lean on Alabama, running the ball and ultimately catching Alabama selling out to stop the run with a swing pass to Brock Bowers.
BROCK. BOWERS.
Georgia extends the lead pic.twitter.com/gexLW8mXTG
— ESPN (@espn) January 11, 2022
The icing on the cake came as Alabama found itself down 8, desperate for a touchdown and two-point to tie, and Bryce Young was not on the same page with one of his receivers, underthrowing a vertical route that got picked off by Kelee Ringo, who despite Kirby Smart screaming at him to go down, took it all the way back to the house for a pick-six.
GEORGIA PICK-SIX TO SEAL THE WIN! #NationalChampionship pic.twitter.com/MHlE9MMZHI
— ESPN (@espn) January 11, 2022
It was not until that moment that Georgia fans were able to exhale, as their long drought was finally over and they were national champions for the first time since 1980 — and got by Bama to do it.