MIAMI GARDENS, Fla. – Georgia punched their ticket to the 2022 College Football Playoff National Championship Game with a 34-11 victory over Michigan on the 2021 CFP Semifinal at the Orange Bowl.
Here’s how it all went down at Hard Rock Stadium Friday night!
Michigan won the toss and elected to defer to the second half and would kick off to the Bulldogs to get the CFP Semifinal at the Orange Bowl underway.
The Dawgs would get things rolling from their own 20-yard line, and rolling might be an understatement. Running back Zamir White opened the game with a nine-yard carry and then handed the keys over to quarterback Stetson Bennett. He would go four-of-four passing on the drive, with three of his completions to Brock Bowers, including a nine-yard touchdown pass for the first score of the game.
Michigan then took to the field for their first CFP offensive possession ever, which started at their 25-yard line. Before they could get off the snap, they would be pushed back five yards for a false start. After the penalty, quarterback Cade McNamara would take the snap and take off for an 18-yard scramble up the middle after finding no receivers open.
McNamara would connect on his first pass of the game on the ensuing play, finding Hassan Haskins for five yards. Then a 10-yard run up the gut from Donovan Edwards would push Michigan into Dawgs territory. This is where things fizzled out for Michigan. After failing to convert on 3rd and four, they would elect to go for it from the Georgia 41 yard line. McNamara’s pass would sail, just a bit outside of the reach of tight end Erick All, resulting in a turnover on downs.
It would then take just six plays before the Dawgs would again find the endzone. This time on a trick play as Kenny McIntosh took the delayed handoff from Bennett. Then after appearing to start his rush to the right sideline, McIntosh pulled up, looked to pass, and tossed it 18-yards to a wide-open Adonai Mitchell in the back right corner of the endzone for six. This made it 14-0 with 4:41 left in the first quarter.
Much of the same followed for the Wolverines on their ensuing possession. After converting on a 3rd and five, McNamara took a six-yard sack on first down. They could never recover and were forced into a punt on 4th and 18.
Georgia’s offense would then see their first drive not to conclude in the endzone. However, after their drive stalled out at the Michigan 26-yard line, Jack Podlesny would put his leg into a 43-yard field goal to make it 17-0 with 12:26 left in the 2nd quarter.
In desperate need of a score, McNamara got back to work. After they picked up a first down, McNamara would drop one in the breadbasket for Roman Wilson down the right sideline for 42 yards. This set up a 1st and 10 at the Georgia 19-yard line. However, an eight-yard sack followed, and they wouldn’t regain momentum. That said, Michigan would get their first points of the night as Jake Moody put through a 36-yard field goal to cut the deficit to two scores.
Georgia would answer with a field goal of their own on the other end. This time coming from 28-yards out, as Podlesny stayed perfect on the night.
Following a three-and-out from the Wolverines, Georgia went full strike force. On the third play of the drive, Bennett lasered one down the right sideline again. This time, it was to Jermaine Burton, who had broken free and caught it in stride on his way into the endzone for a 57-yard score to make it 27-3 with 1:38 left to play in the half.
McNamara would then be picked off on the first play from scrimmage by Derion Kendrick. However, despite the excitement, after further review, Georgia’s Christopher Smith would be called for targeting and was ejected. UGA took over and wouldn’t press the issue, much to the displeasure of a screaming head coach Kirby Smart, who seemed to want the offense to try and strike for more points with 1:28 left.
In any event, the teams went into the locker room with Georgia in full control, leading 27-3. The Bulldogs had outgained Michigan 330 to 101 in offensive yards. The lone light of hope for the Maize and Blue was they were set to receive the second-half kickoff.
Things started off great for the Maize and Blue, as McNamara started the quarter off with a 10-yard completion for a first down. This would spark the Wolverines as they worked from their own 25-yard line, into the red zone. However, on a 2nd and 11 at the Dawgs 19-yard line, McNamara floated one to the left corner endzone pylon, right into the waiting hands of Kendrick, his second pick of the game.
The Michigan defense would then force a three-and-out, to get their offense the ball back. It would be all for not, though, as a fumble by Blake Corum was recovered by Georgia’s Nakobe Dean.
UGA would chew 5:26 off the clock before sending out Podlesny out for a 45-yard field goal, which sailed wide left.
We would finally get our first points of the second half after a Wolverines turnover on downs. It came on a 39-yard touchdown pass from Bennett to hometown kid, James Cook, who took it into the endzone to put the final stamp on the package set to be delivered to Indianapolis Monday, January 10th.
With UGA leading it 34-3, Michigan tried their best to finally get into the endzone. However, on 4th and goal from the five-yard line, running back Donovan Edwards was pushed out of bounds at the six-yard line with seven minutes left to play.
Following a Georgia three-and-out, Michigan would finally get that coveted touchdown. It would come after a 15-yard targeting foul against Chaz Chambliss. On 1st and 10 from the Dawgs 35 yard line, J.J. McCarthy threw one on a line to the endzone near the left sideline to a wide-open Andrel Anthony for the 35 yard TD score. They would then convert on the two-point conversion to make it a 34-11 deficit.
The Dawgs wouldn’t relinquish possession again as they ran out the final 4:20 on the clock to punch their ticket to Indianapolis, with a matchup against Alabama in the National Title Game. A rematch of this year’s SEC Championship and the 2018 CFP National Title Game, both of which the Tide reigned supreme.
Written by Adrian Beecher
