Photo curtesy, Syndication: The Columbus Dispatch
Georgia had every reason to throw in the towel, not having an answer while battling futuristic NFL receivers in Emeka Egbuka, Julian Fleming, and Marvin Harrison Jr., which refused to be covered. Toss in Heisman hopeful quarterback C.J. Stroud, who led the attack by getting the ball out in passing lanes and countering with his feet to keep the Bulldogs off balance.
With the great effort the Buckeyes put forth, it ended Saturday night when Jack Podlesny split the uprights to give Georgia a 42-41 victory in Chick-fil-A Peach Bowl at Mercedes-Benz Stadium.
Stetson Bennett threw a ten-yard scoring strike to receiver Adonai Mitchell with 54 seconds left, knotting the game 41-all with Podlesny’s bonus kick, making the difference 42-41. Bennett’s big play passes, 15 yards to tight end Brock Bowers, set up a first down on the Bulldogs’ 45 and a game-breaking 35-yard strike to receiver Kearis Jackson at Ohio State’s 10-yard line.
“It’s in our hands now, and then when we scored, I was scared because they (Ohio State) played a hell of a game,” Stetson Bennett told reporters once the Bulldogs took possession of the winning drive.
“My heart goes out to them (Ohio State) because they played well enough to win the game and got a really good football team,” Georgia’s coach Kirby Smart mentioned to a group of reporters. “So do we. Our guys were extremely resilient.”
The Buckeyes watched its opportunity slip away after Stroud rambled 28 yards to Georgia’s 31-yard line. However, Georgia’s defense stepped in, dropping running back Dallan Hayden for a one-yard loss, and cornerback Kellee Ringo broke up a pass to force a 50-yard field goal attempt which sailed left of the upright.
“I thought our team came out and swung and played hard in this game,” Buckeyes coach Ryan Day explained to reporters. “It came down to one play, and it wasn’t the last play. It was a lot of plays in the game; you wished you had back.”
The fourth quarter turned in Georgia’s favor as it outscored the Buckeyes 18-3. The Bulldogs’ defense is partly to blame. It forced a four-and-out on Ohio State’s first possession of the fourth quarter when Dumas-Johnson sacked Stroud for a 12-yard loss on the Buckeye’s second drive of the quarter. Still, Noah Ruggles booted a 48-yard field goal to put Ohio State up 41-35 with 2:43 left.
In the previous series, Bennett made the game look like child’s play with a one-play, 76-yard touchdown bomb to speedster wide-out Arian Smith, who streaked down the left sideline wide open. That pulled the Bulldogs within three points, 38-35 with 8:41 to go. The defender, Junior safety Ransom Lathan who attempted to cover Smith, lost his balance, falling to the ground upon switch his body from left to right.
The historical contest treated fans with big plays all evening as a bevy of future NFL talent showered the field, led by Bennett and Stroud.
This game will ink the history books as one of the best college games of all time.
However, last year’s national champions refused to quit though it trialed 38-24 with 31 seconds to play in the third quarter as the clock sided with the Buckeyes.
Ohio State’s offense kept the Bulldogs on its heels throughout the game, especially in the third quarter. Stroud’s ability to get the ball to his star receiving corps, which included Egbuka, Fleming, and Harrison, was nearly unstoppable until the offense slowed a bit behind Harrison’s injury with 35 seconds left in the third quarter. Cornerback Javon Bullard delivered a devastating blow to Harrison’s helmet and neck area while drawing a flag for targeting before being overturned.
“I will open with a lot of respect for Ohio State and Ryan Day’s program,” Smart spoke to reporters. “I just saw C.J. Stroud out there.”
The two powers slugged it out in the first half.
After Podlesny’s 47-yard field goal drifted left, Stroud and company marched 71-yards in four plays, highlighted by Egbuka and Harrison’s massive gains. Ultimately, Stroud scrambled out of pressure and found Harrison for a sliding touchdown reception as the Buckeyes led 7-0 following Ruggles’ extra point kick.
Bennett and the Bulldogs responded in likewise fashion. But the Buckeyes senior defensive end Zack Harrison served up a damper by dropping receiver Ladd McConkey for a seven-yard loss at the 25 before Bennett got on track with 20 yards pass to receiver Dominick Blaylock at the 45. A play later, running back Daijun Edwards added an 18-yard run before Buckeyes’ linebacker Steele Chambers and defensive end JT Tuimoloau sacked Bennett at the 25, equaling a seven loss. It did little to stop Georgia on its next snap when running back Kenny McIntosh executed a slip screen, weaving through defenders on his way to the end zone with 3:15 left in the first quarter. That tied the game 7-all with Podlesny’s kick.
Ohio State quickly pieced together an 11-play, 75-yard touchdown drive, which began with 3:15 left in the first quarter and ended with 12:30 to go in the second quarter. Stroud and Harrison hook up again on a 24-yard pickup at the Bulldogs 16-yard line. A couple of plays later, edge rusher Chaz Chambliss dropped Stroud at the 12 for a loss of one. It mattered little. On the next play, Georgia’s cornerback Javon Bullard’s pass interference infraction gave the Buckeyes a fresh set of downs on the two-yard line, where running back Miyan Williams bulled his way through defenders as Ohio State regained the lead, 14-7 after Ruggles’ kick.
“We were dialed in on what we were going to do, and I feel like we did that, and Coach Day called a hell of a game,” C.J. Stroud said to reporters.
Not long afterward, Ohio state would increase its lead to 14 when Chambers intercepted Bennett and returned the ball 15 yards to Bulldogs’ 30 with 12:20 left in the second quarter.
Stroud threw 13 yards to Fleming at the 17-yard line before scrambling out of the grasp of a defender and throwing a dart to Harrison in the end zone, pushing the Buckeyes’ lead 21-7 with 10:56 to go in the second quarter.
“We talked at halftime about some games we’ve been in this year, we been behind in,” Smart told reporters. “Including Missouri. I had no doubt our team would come out fighting. We did not play our best game. A lot of that had to do with Ohio State.”
Georgia bounced back like a champion, scoring 14 unanswered points to even the score, 21-21. Edwards got things going by ripping off a 26-yard carry to the 46. The Bulldogs and Ohio State overcame adversity several times during the game.
Still, Bennett would not be denied, spotting Smith for a 47-yard reception at the Buckeyes 11. Junior running back Kendall Milton sprinted around the right side to the end zone, cutting Ohio State’s lead, 21-14 with 9:16 left in the second quarter.
Then freshman defensive lineman MyKel Williams sacked Stroud for a ten-yard loss which forced a punt.
Fueled and ready, the Bulldogs’ offensive line opened a seam wide enough for McIntosh to break into a foot race before stumbling at the Buckeyes’ 10. Edwards added seven ground yards and Bennett completed the drive, sprinting around the left side into the end zone with 6:07 remaining in the second quarter. Podlesny’s kick made the score, 21-21.
The Bulldogs and Ohio State overcame adversity several times during the game. Neither team’s offense had problems maximizing the game clock.
Georgia forced another stop and grabbed its first lead for 55 seconds, following Podlesny’s 33-yard field goal. That made the score 24-21.
However, with 1:44 left, Ohio State progressed down the field as Stroud threw 19 yards to Egbuka and 13 to Fleming, moving the offense to the Bulldogs’ 17-yard line. He continued by going up top, finding receiver Xavier Johnson, who used a spin move to split two defenders while dashing to the end zone. Fans watched the four-play, 75-yard possession leave 49 seconds on the clock as Ohio State regained the lead, 28-24 leading to intermission.
