Top Moments of Georgia's 2022 SEC Championship Run
The 2022 season has been another dream run for the Georgia Bulldogs. After losing 15 players to the NFL Draft, many expected the Dawgs to take a step back. Instead, Georgia has an even better record than they did at this time last year, and are right back in the College Football Playoff; this time as a one-seed.
With so much success - Georgia is 27-1 over the last two seasons - it can become easy for a fanbase to just focus on the postseason. The old championship-or-bust mentality. Every game during the regular season becomes another stepping stone to the Playoff, instead of individual experiences to be enjoyed on their own merit.
That mindset has been there since before the beginning of the season. Chick-Fil-A Peach Bowl CEO Gary Stokan informed the media at SEC Media Days that the Peach Bowl - played on December 31st - sold out of tickets before the Chick-Fil-A Kickoff game between Georgia and Oregon on September 3rd did. Dawgs fans were banking on their team making it back to the CFB. They did, but it’s still important to appreciate the journey. Stop and smell the roses. Below are some of those moments; the ones that will be remembered for a long time.
Top 5 Moments of Georgia’s 2022 SEC Championship Run
5. Brock Bowers’ 73-yard Touchdown vs Florida
It’s always great to beat your rivals, but when you can have fun doing it, that makes it all the better. Georgia had plenty of fun in Jacksonville this year - almost too much - beating Florida 42-20, but it was Brock Bowers’ amazing catch and jaunt down the sidelines that stood out. Leading 14-0 at the beginning of the 2nd quarter, Stetson Bennett took a shot down the left sideline; targeting Bowers. The Florida defender was stride for stride with him, but as the ball arrived, it bounced off the defender and into the arms of Brock Bowers, who took it the rest of the way for the score.
4. 7 Touchdowns on 7 Possessions Against Oregon
The defense is going to take a step back, and a Stetson Bennett-led offense can’t be dominant, right? So, so wrong. Georgia dispelled many offseason storylines in their season opening 49-3 domination of Oregon in Atlanta. The Dawgs scored touchdowns on their first 7 possessions of the game: 4 on the ground and 3 through the air. Stetson Bennett threw for 368 yards and 2 touchdowns in 3 quarters.
3. Christopher Smith Outsmarts Everyone, Returns Blocked FG for a Score
Georgia scored 50 points against LSU, but their first points didn’t come until there was just over 3 minutes to go in the 1st quarter. LSU lined up for a field goal, looking to take a 3-0 lead, but the attempt was blocked. Georgia players started celebrating, LSU players walked off the field, and Georgia coaches screamed at players to get away from the ball. The only person in Mercedes-Benz Stadium who knew what to do was Georgia’s Christopher Smith. Waiting until the ball was just about dead - and LSU was almost all the way off the field - Smith picked up the ball at the last second, and ran unencumbered all the way for a score, giving Georgia a 7-0 lead.
2. Jalen Carter Picks up a Grown Man With one arm.
The Bulldogs have had plenty of exceptional players over the past few years, but none may mean as much to their unit as Jalen Carter does to Georgia’s defense. Georgia is an outstanding defense without him; their the best defense in the country with him. As he’s gotten back to full health following an MCL-sprain suffered at Missouri, Carter is becoming more dominant each week. It culminated in the SEC Championship Game against LSU. Leading LSU big, Carter got pressure on LSU quarterback Jayden Daniels. From one knee, Carter wrapped up Daniels, grasping the quarterback in one arm, and proceeded to stand up, while throwing up a “No. 1” with his other hand. The moment signified Georgia’s dominance and - barring any other internet-breaking moments in the Playoff - will be one of the lasting images for this season.
1. Georgia Fans Show out in the Rain
Facing No. 1 Tennessee in Athens, Georgia had to hear all week about how Athens wasn’t an overwhelmingly-tough place to play. Tennessee plays in front of 100,000+, after all. Ask head coach Josh Heupel if he felt the same way after his Tennessee team was thoroughly dominated in Sanford Stadium. The Georgia faithful showed up early and packed the stadium to the gills. Then came the rain. Up 24-6 in the second half, you could’ve forgiven fans for heading to the covered areas of the stadium. This wasn’t a light sprinkle; it was a torrential downpour. Instead, the rain seemed to invigorate the fans even more. They got even louder; even more intense.
As Tennessee drove down the field, trying to mount some sort of comeback, they faced the unenviable task of driving towards Georgia’s student section, which had become unhinged. The shots of Sanford Stadium - standing arm in arm with each other - are what should stick with people once this season is down. Georgia’s players are elite. The coaches are elite. And, as Kirby Smart said following the win, “These fans are elite.”.
