Stetson Bennett of Georgia celebrates after Tuesday’s College Football Playoff championship football game against Alabama in Indianapolis. Georgia won 33-18.
Darron Cummings / AP
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Darron Cummings / AP
Stetson Bennett of Georgia celebrates after Tuesday’s College Football Playoff championship football game against Alabama in Indianapolis. Georgia won 33-18.
Darron Cummings / AP
INDIANAPOLIS – Stetson Bennett made the biggest throw of his story-writing career and Georgia’s defense sealed the sweetest win in show history, beating rival Alabama 33-18 in a College title match Football Playoff on Monday night to win its first national championship in 41 years.
Bennett connected with Adonai Mitchell on a 40-yard touchdown to give No. 3 Georgia a 19-18 lead with 8:09 left and then connected with Brock Bowers for a 15-yard TD on the screen to put Bulldogs up eight with 3:33 left.
The final blow came from Georgia’s overwhelming defense. Kelee Ringo intercepted a slightly deep ball on the sideline of Heisman Trophy winner Bryce Young. Instead of going down with just over a minute left, Ringo took off and went behind a block of troops and went 79 yards to make a touchdown, ushering in a passionate celebration by the Georgia fans who had packing Lucas Oil Stadium.
The Bulldogs (14-1) haven’t won a national title since freshman Herschel Walker led them there in 1980. If simply weathering the drought wasn’t good enough, doing so before No. 1 Alabama (13-2) must do it even better.
Nick Saban’s Crimson Tide has won seven consecutive games against the Bulldogs, including the last four against Georgia coach Kirby Smart, Saban’s longtime assistant.
Bennett, the former walker turned starter, finished 17th in turn with 26 224 yards and no interception.
For most of the first three quarters, the first CFP title game was a rematch of a seasonal casual that was a defensive struggle in the style of the Southeast Conference.
The game’s first touch comes with 1:20 remaining in the third quarter. After James Cook crossed the 67-yard run to put the Bulldogs in the red zone, three more runs – an Alabama free kick – sent them into the final zone. Zamir White rose from the field with Jalen Carter’s defense and Jordan Davis leading the way as savers. The Bulldogs took the lead for the first time, 13-9.
After Alabama scored yet another goal, Tide caught an odd revenue breakout for the Bulldogs.
When Bennett was knocked out deep in Georgia territory, he tried to throw the ball away. The ball missed and bounced off the edge, seemingly harmless. Drew Sanders of Alabama happened to catch the ball while he was running out of bounds.
Surprisingly, the on-court ruling was a clumsy one, which was revoked by Tide and made the call again, giving the ball to Tide in the red area. A few innings later, Young avoided the rush and found Cameron Latu on a 3-yard touchdown that gave Alabama an 18-13 lead with 10:14 remaining in the fourth inning.
Once again there’s a feeling that Georgia won’t be able to break whatever spell Alabama seems to have on the Bulldogs.
Bennett was 13 years old with 22 141 yards when the next lap begins, and you can practically hear all the skeptical Georgia fans wondering why Smart didn’t switch to his four-star reserve QB. he, JT Daniels, gives a spark.
As he’s done so many times in his career starting in scouting and detouring his way through junior college in Mississippi, the small-town Georgia boy nicknamed Mailman made it through.
Bennett completed all three of his passes in 68 yards, including a long pass for Mitchell to touch the ball in 8:09, giving the Bulldogs a 19-18 lead after an unsuccessful two-point conversion.
The Bulldogs’ defense held Young, forcing a three win and loss on Tide’s next drive, and then Georgia embarked on a long-awaited claim to the championship.
