Georgia Bulldogs blow out Michigan in Orange Bowl to advance to national championship
READ MORE
Full coverage of Orange Bowl 2021
The Georgia Bulldogs outplayed the Michigan Wolverines in their 34-11 College Football Playoff semifinal win in the Orange Bowl on Friday in front of a Michigan-heavy crowd of 66,839 at Hard Rock Stadium.
Expand All
Stetson Bennett’s pass sailed down the right sideline. Jermaine Burton got a step on Vincent Gray, hauled in the catch and ran the final 20 yards unopposed into the end zone.
Touchdown Georgia. Again.
It was just one of the numerous occasions in which the third-ranked Bulldogs outplayed the No. 2 Michigan Wolverines in their 34-11 College Football Playoff semifinal win in the Orange Bowl on Friday in front of a Michigan-heavy crowd of 66,839 at Hard Rock Stadium.
“Really proud of our players,” Georgia coach Kirby Smart said. “We came out from the very start and executed.”
Georgia’s reward: A simultaneous chance for a program-defining moment under Smart and a chance for redemption.
The Bulldogs’ opponent in the national championship on Jan. 10 at Indianapolis’ Lucas Oil Stadium: the top-ranked Alabama Crimson Tide, who knocked off No. 4 Cincinnati 27-6 earlier in the day at the Cotton Bowl and handed Georgia its only loss this season in blowout fashion in the SEC Championship.
It was the type of performance Georgia (13-1) wanted to have after that 41-24 loss to Alabama on Dec. 4 — the only game in which UGA gave up more than 17 points and just the second time they scored less than 25 points in a game this season.
“We knew we were better that,” Bennett said from a stage on the field as red confetti fell.
And they showed it Friday.
The Bulldogs scored on each of their first five drives, three touchdowns and two field goals. They were the first team to do that in a College Football Playoff game.
The defense had four sacks, seven tackles for loss, forced three turnovers and created three turnovers on down while holding Michigan (12-2) to 325 yards of offense and just 11 points (Michigan scored at least 20 points every game this season heading into Friday).
Georgia led 27-3 at halftime, the second-largest margin through 30 minutes of a playoff game behind only LSU in the 2019 Peach Bowl (49-14 over Oklahoma at halftime en route to a 63-28 blowout).
And it was a collective effort.
Bennett, named the game’s offensive most outstanding player, completed 21 of 31 passes for 307 yards and three touchdowns — a 9-yard pass to freshman tight end Brock Bowers in the flat in the first quarter, the 57-yard catch-and-run to Burton in the second quarter and a 39-yarder to James Cook in the fourth quarter.
“That’s my goal,” Bennett said, “to play that well.”
Junior running back Kenny McIntosh, a Fort Lauderdale native and former University School standout, threw an 18-yard touchdown pass to Adonai Mitchell on a trick play to put Georgia up 14-0 with 4:41 left in the first quarter. It was the first pass attempt of his college career.
Cook, who won a state title in high school with Miami Central, caught an over-the-shoulder pass for his 39-yard touchdown in the fourth quarter and also had a 53-yard catch down the sideline on third down in the second quarter that helped set up a field goal. Cook finished with 131 yards from scrimmage (99 yards on three catches; 32 yards on six carries).
Derion Kendrick won most outstanding player on defense after intercepting passes on consecutive defensive drives — ending the first half and starting the second half, and Devonte Wyatt recovered a fumble forced by Nakobe Dean one drive after that. Dean also had eight tackles, a sack and two tackles for loss.
And Georgia held Michigan’s vaunted front-seven without a sack for the first time all season.
It was a sobering end for Michigan, which became the first team to start the season unranked and make it to the playoffs. The Wolverines got here by beating Ohio State for the first time since 2011 and blowing past Iowa in the Big Ten Championship. Michigan was playing arguably its best football down the stretch, winning its final five games 193-72 after losing to Michigan State.
It gave Michigan a chance to win its first national title since 1997.
“One of the best seasons in Michigan football history,” coach Jim Harbaugh said. “We were trying to make it greater.”
But it all came crashing down on Friday as Georgia played one of its best all-around games of the season when it mattered most.
Michigan was down 17 points before it broke up the shutout with a 36-yard field goal. Those were the only points the Wolverines scored until J.J. McCarthy’s 35-yard touchdown pass Andrel Anthony with 4:25 left in regulation.
At that point, though, the game was already over.
“They played a heck of a game in all phases,” Harbaugh said. “It wasn’t our best. It certainly was theirs.”
Next up: Alabama
Now, Georgia gets a chance for redemption by facing its conference counterpart in Alabama.
The Crimson Tide cruised in its semifinal, taking a 17-3 lead on Cincinnati at halftime and padding its lead with 10 more points in the fourth quarter.
Heisman Trophy-winning quarterback Bryce Young threw three touchdowns and running back Brian Robinson Jr. had 204 yards on 24 carries. Alabama’s defense sacked Cincinnati quarterback Desmond Ridder six times.
Just another day in the office for Alabama when it comes to the playoffs.
The Crimson Tide has made the four-team field seven of eight years, has now reached the national championship game six times and won it all three times in that span.
The matchup ensures that an SEC team will win the national title for the third consecutive year and fifth time in the eight years of the playoff format.
This story was originally published December 31, 2021 at 11:00 PM.
.JPG)
