Blue & Gold Illustrated: America's Foremost Authority on Notre Dame Football
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34 JANUARY 2025 BLUE & GOLD ILLUSTRATED QUARTERFINAL PREVIEW: GEORGIA C O L L E G E F O O T B A L L P L A Y O F F Aug. 31: No. 1 Georgia 34, No. 14 Clemson 3 Led by their stifling defense, the top-ranked Bulldogs opened the season with a dominant win. Georgia got an interception from safety Malaki Starks in the fourth quarter and limited the Tigers to just 188 total yards. Quarterback Carson Beck completed 23 of 33 throws for 278 yards and 2 touchdowns to spark a 28-point second half for the UGA offense. Sept. 7: No. 1 Georgia 48, Tennessee Tech 3 Beck tossed 5 touchdown passes — matching a school record that had been accomplished seven other times — to five different receivers, and the Georgia offense amassed 498 total yards while cruising to a victory over an FCS-level foe. The UGA defense recorded 3 sacks, forced 1 turnover and surrendered only 134 total yards. Sept. 14: No. 1 Georgia 13, Kentucky 12 The Bulldogs struggled mightily before scratch- ing and clawing past the unranked Wildcats. Georgia trailed 9-3 in the third quarter but ral- lied and seized the lead with 12:20 re- maining on a 3-yard touchdown run by Branson Robinson. Georgia's defense held Kentucky to 284 yards and 3.9 yards per play, and forced 1 turnover. Sept. 28: No. 4 Alabama 41, No. 2 Georgia 34 Georgia suffered its first regular-season defeat since 2020 in a game that featured 1,066 yards of offense. The Bulldogs dug themselves a 28-0 deficit before battling back to take a 34-33 lead on Beck's 67- yard scoring connection with wide re- ceiver Dillon Bell with 2:31 remaining. However, it took only 13 seconds for the Tide to regain the lead on quarter- back Jalen Milroe's 75-yard touchdown toss to wideout Ryan Williams. Oct. 5: No. 5 Georgia 31, Auburn 13 Running back Trevor Etienne rushed for 88 yards and 2 touchdowns, Beck threw for 240 yards and 2 scores, and the Bulldogs notched their eighth straight win over Auburn. Twenty Bulldog defenders had at least 1 tackle, including seven with 3 or more stops each. Safeties Dan Jackson and Malaki Starks led the way with 7 and 6 tackles, respectively. Oct. 12: No. 5 Georgia 41, Mississippi State 31 Georgia amassed 605 yards of offense, with Beck throwing for a career-high 459 yards and 3 touchdowns while com- pleting passes to 11 different receivers. Five different Bulldogs caught 4 or more passes; wideout Arian Smith had 5 for a career- high 134 yards and 1 touchdown. Beck also tied the single-season school record for completions in a single game with 36 in 48 attempts. Oct. 19: No. 5 Georgia 30, No. 1 Texas 15 The Bulldogs overcame 3 interceptions by Beck thanks in large part to a defensive effort that held one of college football's top offenses — 43.2 points per game coming into the contest — in check. Georgia finished with 10 tackles for loss and 7 sacks, with linebacker Jalon Walker accounting for 3 sacks and a fumble recovery. Nov. 2: No. 2 Georgia 34, Florida 20 Georgia came up with several big plays late in the game to pull away from the Gators for its seventh victory of the season. With the game tied 20-20, Beck connected with wide receiver Dominic Lovett for a 10-yard touchdown with 4:01 to go. That was followed soon after by an interception by linebacker CJ Al- len, and Dwight Phillips Jr. tallied a 4-yard scoring run to ice the game. Nov. 9: No. 16 Ole Miss 28, No. 3 Georgia 10 The Bulldogs could not overcome 3 turnovers on a rainy day in Oxford, producing just 245 total yards and a season-low 10 points. Allen led the defense with 8 tackles and 2 QB hurries while Walker and Starks contributed 6 tackles each, but Ole Miss tallied the final 12 points of the game to secure the upset. Nov. 16: No. 12 Georgia 31, No. 7 Tennessee 17 Georgia rallied from a 10-0 deficit and held the Volunteers scoreless in the second half to earn an important victory. Beck passed for 347 yards with a pair of first- half scoring passes to tight end Oscar Delp and ran for the go-ahead score in the third quarter. Delp and fellow tight end Ben Yurosek combined to haul in 9 receptions for 106 yards. Nov. 23: No. 10 Georgia 59, UMass 21 Running back Nate Frazier finished with career highs in rushing yards (136), touchdowns (3) and carries (21) to high- light the Bulldogs' 550-yard offensive performance en route to a comfortable win. Beck contributed 297 yards and 4 touchdowns through the air. Nov. 29: No. 7 Georgia 44, Georgia Tech 42 (8 OT) Georgia rallied from 14 points down inside the final four minutes of regu- lation and then outlasted the Yellow Jackets in an epic overtime battle, when Frazier bulled his way into the end zone for the win in the eighth extra period. The Jackets outgained UGA 563-405 and had the ball more than 14 minutes longer, but were outscored 44-25 after halftime. Dec. 7: No. 5 Georgia 22, No. 2 Texas 19 (OT) The Bulldogs won their third SEC championship (and second in three years) under head coach Kirby Smart, overcoming a slow start and an injury that sidelined Beck for the second half to pull out their second straight stunning overtime win. Seldom-used backup quarterback Gunner Stockton completed 12 of 16 passes for 71 yards and directed UGA's game-winning drive in overtime. Note: The Associated Press poll was used for rankings until the College Foot- ball Playoff rankings came out in Week 10. Wide receiver Arian Smith reeled in 5 receptions for a career-high 134 yards and 1 touchdown in UGA's 41-31 win over Mississippi State. PHOTO COURTESY GEORGIA Georgia's Season In Review