Throwback Thursday: Georgia Football's Epic Win Over Oklahoma in Rose Bowl

Roquan Smith Tackles Baker Mayfield in 2018 Rose Bowl | Dawg Post

The Georgia Bulldogs and Oklahoma Sooners will face off in Sanford Stadium on Saturday, marking the first time Oklahoma travels to Athens and the first time these two programs play a regular season game. With Oklahoma’s move to the SEC, this will be the first of many conference bouts between the Dawgs and the Sooners. 

This matchup has only occurred one other time, and the game is considered to be one of the best in college football history. Let’s take a look back on it. 

The Rose Bowl, which was taking place on New Year’s Day in 2018 was a College Football Playoff semi-final game between the No. 2 Oklahoma Sooners and No. 3 Georgia Bulldogs. Both programs entered the game with one loss, both entered it as the champion of their respective conferences. 

Georgia outlasted Oklahoma in a 2OT thriller, winning 54-48. Sony Michel’s touchdown run in the second overtime sent Georgia back to Atlanta to play Alabama in the national championship. 

Oklahoma’s high-powered offense was led by the Heisman Trophy winner Baker Mayfield. The upcoming No. 1 overall NFL Draft pick was throwing to two future professional wide receivers, as well as a tight end. The Sooners were making their second four-team playoff appearance. Oklahoma was about to play the best opponent it had seen all year.  

Georgia was in its second season under Kirby Smart and had found instant success. The Dawgs were led by one of college football’s best running back duos in history, Michel and Nick Chubb. True freshman quarterback Jake Fromm was thrusted into action in the first game of the season due to an injury to Jacob Eason and never looked back. Georgia’s defense was one of the best, but it hadn’t seen an offense like the Sooners’.

Oklahoma scored the first touchdown, but the Dawgs answered quickly. The Sooners then jumped up on the Dawgs, taking a 21-7 lead. Oklahoma had control of the game in the first half. Rodrigo Blankenship was able to knock in a 55-yard field goal to make the game 31-17 at halftime - those three points went a long way. 

Nick Chubb took a 50-yard carry to the house on Georgia’s first offensive play of the second half. Another forced punt and another long touchdown run, this time from Michel, tied the game up at 31. 

Dominick Sanders then picked off Mayfield to open up the fourth quarter and took the pick to the four yard line. Georgia scored two plays later. The Dawgs had gone on a 24-0 run. 

Oklahoma stormed back and scored the next two touchdowns. Georgia was able to tie the game on its final drive regulation to force overtime. 

Both teams knocked in a field goal in the first OT. Oklahoma got the ball to start the second extra period. Georgia’s defense held strong and blocked a field goal attempt. Now, all the Dawgs had to do was kick a field goal to win. 

Instead, on the second play of Georgia’s second overtime possession, Michel took a direct snap all the way to the end zone, ending one of the greatest college football games of all time.