Georgia did more than just win the SEC Championship game Saturday. The Bulldogs also ensured that Carson Beck will get extra time to heal before the College Football Playoff. They let the members of the CFP’s selection committee off the hook, too. They won’t be forced to come up with excuses to let Georgia in the playoff with an injured quarterback a year after they snubbed Florida State in similar circumstances.
That became moot once Georgia running back Travis Etienne ran in for the winning score in overtime at Mercedes-Benz Stadium. The Bulldogs became SEC champions for the 15th time and earned an automatic bid for the 12-team playoff. This Georgia team is a notch below the squads that won back-to-back national championships in 2021 and 2022 but will get a chance to add another title to the trophy case.
““I’ve had more physically tough (teams), I’ve had more physically talented,” Bulldogs coach Kirby Smart said. “But I don’t know if I’ve ever had a more mentally tough team. They just keep coming and keep coming, and they never say die.”
The fifth-ranked Bulldogs (11-2) dug deep to turn back No. 2 Texas (11-2). They didn’t get the lead until the third quarter. Georgia gave back that advantage, gained another lead in regulation and then squandered that one with less than a minute to go. The Bulldogs finally prevailed in extra time. They are sure to earn a bye for the first round of CFP in two weeks before playing a quarterfinals game (the Sugar Bowl on Jan. 1).
It’s not clear if Beck will be ready to play by then. Smart said Beck suffered an “upper extremity” injury when a defender hit his arm as he passed on the final play of the first half. Beck clutched his right elbow after hitting the turf and didn’t play again until the game’s final play. Smart said Beck was to get an MRI to determine the extent of the injury.
Georgia’s win ensures a spot in the CFP field no matter Beck’s status. It’s possible the Bulldogs would have made it even with a loss. Smart seemed to think that was the case. Asked about his decision to call a successful fake punt from UGA’s 30-yard line with the score tied in the fourth quarter, Smart said it’s “a lot easier to call it when you think you’re going to be in the playoff, either way.”
Smart said he also was motivated to take that chance because backup quarterback Gunner Stockton was in the game. Stockton’s interception opened the door for Texas to kick a tying field goal in the final minute. He made up for that mistake during the extra period.
Stockton’s 8-yard run set up a first-and-goal before Etienne scored on the next play. Beck returned to the game to hand off to Etienne because Stockton lost his helmet during his run. Stockton had played only in mop-up duty before Sunday. He was good enough against Texas: five of his 12 completions gained first downs, and his overtime run set up the winning score.
“Him coming in the game made everybody realize this is new juice we’ve got to come out in the second half with,” Georgia guard Tate Ratledge said.
The Bulldogs didn’t have it in the first half. That’s typical for them. They’ve now scored seven points or less before halftime in seven games this season. Georgia’s 6-3 halftime deficit could have been much worse. The Longhorns outgained UGA by more than 200 yards in the half while producing nine plays of 15 yards or more and holding the ball for twice as long.
Georgia’s defense bent, but rarely broke. The Longhorns failed to score on four consecutive possessions spanning the second and third quarters. After Georgia gained a 16-13 lead in the fourth quarter, Georgia’s Dylan Everette, the game MVP, snagged his second interception of the game. The Bulldogs gave it right back when Stockton threw a pick. Texas went on to gain a first down 29 yards from the end zone, but Georgia’s defense held again.
Bert Auburn’s 21-yard field goal tied the score with 18 seconds to go in regulation. Texas gained one first down in overtime before Auburn kicked another field goal. Stockton converted a third down for Georgia with a pass to Oscar Delp. Two plays later he sprinted for the end zone but was stopped by a shoulder-to-helmet hit from Andrew Mukuba. A targeting penalty was overturned on replay.
Etienne ended the game with his second touchdown run. He gained 122 yards on 21 touches. Etienne accounted for 44% of Georgia’s 277 total yards.
“He made some special runs tonight that gave us some juice and energy and he took some pressure off of Gunner,” Smart said.
Now the Bulldogs don’t have to worry about the CFP selection committee deciding their fate. Florida State was left out of last year’s playoff when facing a similar situation as Georgia does now. The committee broke from precedent and left out an undefeated power-conference champion because, it said, the Seminoles were a different team without injured quarterback Jordan Travis.
The Bulldogs are a different team without Beck. But they still were good enough to put away Texas team and leave no doubts about their playoff chances.
