Xavier Truss of the Georgia Bulldogs celebrates with teammates after his team’s first touchdown against the TCU Horned Frogs in the College Football Playoff National Championship game on January 09, 2023 in Inglewood, Calif.
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Xavier Truss of the Georgia Bulldogs celebrates with teammates after his team’s first touchdown against the TCU Horned Frogs in the College Football Playoff National Championship game on January 09, 2023 in Inglewood, Calif.
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the University of Georgia Bulldogs showed why they are the the best team in college football – again. With a relentless and dominant performance in the national championship game, Georgia defeated Texas Christian University 65-7. to complete undefeated and repeat as national champions.
The 65th point scored by Georgia are the most in a championship game (BCS/College Football Playoff).
TCU entered as a a huge underdog and the team had no answer for Georgia. After the kickoff, Georgia stopped TCU’s opening drive, and then scored first with a 21-yard rushing touchdown by senior quarterback Stetson Bennett. The Bulldogs marched down the field in less than three minutes cutting through TCU’s defense.
It was a sign of things to come.
TCU quarterback Max Duggan is sacked in the second quarter during the College Football Playoff National Championship game on January 09, 2023.
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TCU quarterback Max Duggan is sacked in the second quarter during the College Football Playoff National Championship game on January 09, 2023.
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UGA forced a fumble on the Horned Frogs’ next offensive drive and the turnover led to another Georgia score – a 24-yard field goal to go up 10-0 midway through the first quarter.
But third-ranked TCU answered on its next drive. Quarterback Max Duggan led the Horned Frogs 75-yards for a score. Like the Georgia QB, Duggan, the Heisman runner-up, rushed for a touchdown to cut the Bulldog lead to 10-7. They would be TCU’s only points of the half.
Georgia answered right away – with Bennett’s 37-yard touchdown pass to extend the lead to 17-7. The Bulldog defense stopped TCU on its next series and then went 92-yards for Stetson Bennett rushing for another touchdown for a 24-7 Georgia lead in the second quarter.
An interception by Duggan led to another Bulldog touchdown before halftime.
Quarterback Stetson Bennett #13 of the Georgia Bulldogs reacts after a touchdown pass in the first quarter against the TCU Horned Frogs in the College Football Playoff National Championship game on January 09, 2023.
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Quarterback Stetson Bennett #13 of the Georgia Bulldogs reacts after a touchdown pass in the first quarter against the TCU Horned Frogs in the College Football Playoff National Championship game on January 09, 2023.
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Georgia simply dominated to lead 38-7 at the break, scoring on its sixth possession (the first team to do so in the playoffs). The Bulldogs racked up 354 yards of offense in the half and averaged 9 yards per game.
TCU started the second half on a positive note – forcing a Georgia punt. But the Horned Frog offense was stymied once again and the Bulldogs picked up where they left off – with another touchdown pass from Bennett to extend the lead to 45-7.
With 11 minutes left in the third quarter, the game was essentially over.
Bulldog quarterback Stetson Bennett accounted for six touchdowns (two rushing and four passing) and was removed from the game 95-seconds into the fourth quarter.
Georgia entered the contest undefeated (14-0) and the defending national champions. Led by Bennett (a former walk-on QB), Georgia swept the Southeastern Conference – the best conference in college football. Georgia was ranked number one for most of the season.
Texas Christian is a private university in Fort Worth, Texas with registration of about 12,000. Entered the title game with a 13-1 record and the Big 12 Conference champions. Before the season started, TCU was picked to finish 7th in the conference and was a 200-to-1 longshot to win the national championship. But the Horned Frogs surprised legions of football fans throughout the season with their ability to win. They couldn’t find a way past Georgia though in the most important game of the year.
The Southeastern Conference dominated the FBS Division I college football playoffs. Since 2014 when the PKS started, an SEC team won the title six times. Before Georgia, no team had repeated as national champion in the CFP era.
One notable Bulldog did not get to see the win. Georgia’s famous mascot, Uga X, did not make the trip to Southern California for the championship game. The bulldog is a common fixture at Georgia games wearing a UGA uniform and hanging out in an air-conditioned doghouse on the sideline. His owners said WTOC Television the cross country flight would have been too difficult for the 9 year old bulldog.
It’s safe to say that Uga X will enjoy the upcoming victory parade in Athens, Ga.
