TCU HORNED FROGS NOTES:
ABOUT THE GAME
TCU will make its first College Football Playoff National Championship appearance when it faces Georgia on Jan. 9 at SoFi Stadium in Inglewood, Calif.
The Horned Frogs are playing in the Los Angeles area for the first time since the 2011 Rose Bowl, when they defeated Wisconsin 21-19 to cap a 13-0 season and finish with a No. 2 national ranking.
TCU is looking to win its third national title and first since 1938. The 1938 team was led by Heisman Trophy winning quarterback Davey O’Brien. TCU quarterback Max Duggan was the 2022 Heisman runner-up while also becoming the first Horned Frog to win the Davey O’Brien Award.
TCU is looking to become just the fifth team, and first since Michigan State in 1962, to win a national championship after having a losing record the previous season.
The Horned Frogs are the third team since 1998 to play in a national title game after being unranked in the Preseason Associated Press poll.
TCU is the first Big 12 team to win a CFP game. The Horned Frogs are also the first Big 12 member to play for a national championship since Texas in 2009.
TCU has tied a program record with its 13 wins, equaling the 2010 team.
A TCU victory would make Sonny Dykes just the second college football head coach in history, joining George Washington Woodruff for Penn in 1892, to win 14 games in his first season.
Dykes is just the eighth head coach with a CFP victory.
TCU’s six wins over ranked opponents ties Tennessee for the national lead.
TCU will play outside the state of Texas for just the fifth time this season and second since Oct. 29 at West Virginia.
TALKING HORNED FROGS
TCU was the first Big 12 team to be 12-0 since Texas in 2009. The Horned Frogs were also the first Big 12 member to go 9-0 in conference play since Oklahoma in 2016.
TCU is the first school from the state of Texas to make the College Football Playoff and just the second team (Michigan, 2021) to be in the CFP after starting the season unranked.
Five of TCU’s wins were against teams it lost to by at least two scores last season, including four by at least three scores.
TCU is the first team since 1975 to win seven straight games by 10 points or less.
Sonny Dykes became the first head football coach in TCU and Big 12 history to start 12-0 in his first season. He’s just the fourth head coach
nationally since 1996 to accomplish the feat.
The Horned Frogs are just the third team since 1960 (Stanford, 2012; Iowa, 1960) to win four consecutive games over ranked opponents in a calendar month.
TCU’s four consecutive games with a win over a ranked opponent ties for first nationally since 1996.
TCU has eight more wins than it had all of last season. Only Tulane (+10) has a bigger improvement.
SERIES NOTES
TCU and Georgia are meeting for just the fifth time and first since the 2016 Liberty Bowl, when the Bulldogs won 31-23 in Head Coach Kirby
Smart’s first season. Georgia holds a 4-0 series lead. Georgia won both games (1980, 1988) in Athens as well as taking a 40-26 victory in the 1942 Orange Bowl.
HOMECOMING
TCU running back Emari Demercado, who has his master’s degree, is an Inglewood, Calif., native who grew up walking distance from SoFi Stadium.
4Demercado rushed for a career-high 150 yards in the CFP Semifinal win over Michigan.
FAMILIAR FACE
TCU defensive lineman Tymon Mitchell played his first three seasons at Georgia, including five games on last year’s national championship team.
Mitchell is fourth on TCU this season with 3.0 sacks. He has played in all 14 games with 19 tackles.
GIVING BACK
Jordy Sandy is donating $20 to Fort Worth’s Hope Center for Autism for every punt inside the 20-yard line. Sandy has a 9-year-old cousin with autism back home in Australia. He has totaled $320 with 16 punts inside the 20 this season.
TCU SUPPORT
Since it began Big 12 play in 2012, TCU has had over $400 million in donor-funded athletics facilities upgrades. The most recent project was the $113 million Legends Club & Suites which opened in Fall 2020 on the east side of Amon G. Carter Stadium.
BY THE NUMBERS
2 – National championships won by TCU (1935 and 1938).
3 – Assistant coaches (Paul Gonzales, Malcolm Kelly, Doug Meacham) retained by Head Coach Sonny Dykes when he took over at TCU.
6 – TCU is one of just six programs nationally to have played in all current College Football Playoff bowl games. The others are Alabama, Florida State, Miami (Fla.), Oklahoma and Tennessee.
27 – Horned Frogs with their degree already in hand. Emari Demercado also has his master’s degree.
126 – Years TCU has been playing football.
150 – TCU’s campus is in the midst of a Sesquicentennial celebration for its 150th academic year.
1873 – Year TCU was founded as AddRan Male and Female College in Thorp Spring, Texas.
1896 – Year TCU played its first football game, an 8-6 win over Toby’s Business College.
$113,000,000 – Cost of TCU’s new donor-funded Legends Club & Suites on the east side of Amon G. Carter Stadium.
IN CHARGE
Offensive Coordinator Garrett Riley served the previous two seasons under Sonny Dykes at SMU. The younger brother of USC Head Coach Lincoln Riley, Garrett Riley guided one of the nation’s most prolific offenses with the Mustangs. Prior to his time at SMU, Riley spent the 2019 season as running backs coach at Appalachian State. He also spent three seasons (2016-18) at Kansas. From 2013-15, Riley was at East Carolina. He was the outside receivers coach in 2015, when consensus All-American and Biletnikoff Award finalist Zay Jones caught 98 passes.
EXPLOSIVENESS
TCU tops the nation with 21 plays of 50-plus yards, 14 offensive touchdowns of at least 50 yards and 10 scoring plays of at least 60 yards. Including a pair of Derius Davis punt returns and a Josh Newton Pick 6, the Horned Frogs are also in sole possession of first in the FBS with 17 total touchdowns of 50-plus yards as well as 12 overall TDs of at least 60 yards. TCU and Oregon are the only FBS teams averaging at least 250 yards per game passing, 200 rushing and have at least 30 passing and 30 rushing touchdowns.
SETTING THE PACE
Below is a look at TCU’s rankings in the Big 12 and nationally in several major offensive categories:
Category Big 12 Rank FBS Rank
Scoring Offense (41.1) 1st 5th
Passes Had Intercepted (6) T-1st T-12th
Total Offense (474.1) 1st 13th
Passing Efficiency (160.5) 2nd 8th
Yards Per Play (6.9) 2nd 13th
Yards Per Completion (13.6) 2nd 19th
Passing Offense (269.6) 3rd 29th
OFFENSIVE IMPROVEMENT
TCU has the nation’s sixth-most improved offense in points per game this season:
Team 2021 2022 Difference
TCU 28.7 41.1 +12.4
The Horned Frogs are 19th among Power 5 programs and 32nd nationally for improvement in total offense per game:
Team 2021 2022 Difference
TCU 435.8 474.1 +38.3
TCU’s 575 points this season rank second in program history (604, 2014). It scored at least 34 points in its opening nine games for the first time. 4TCU’s 479 yards in the first half against Oklahoma were the most nationally in a half versus an FBS opponent this year. TCU finished with a season-high 668 yards for the game.
The Horned Frogs had four touchdowns of at least 62 yards against Oklahoma:
Touchdown Yards
Max Duggan TD pass to Taye Barber 73
Max Duggan TD run 67
Max Duggan TD pass to Gunnar Henderson 62
Kendre Miller TD run 69
TCU is the only program nationally with four touchdowns of that length against an FBS opponent this season. TCU scored 62 points and had 377 yards in the regular-season finale against an Iowa State team that was eighth nationally in scoring defense (16.5 points) and sixth in total defense (277.3 yards) entering the game.
Iowa State had not allowed more than 31 points this season with only two teams scoring above 24. TCU had 24 points in the first quarter. TCU’s 62 points were its most in a game since a 63-0 win over Jackson State in the 2017 opener. The 48-point victory was TCU’s largest in a Big 12 game since beating Iowa State 55-3 in 2014.
AMONG THE NATION’S BEST
Below are Max Duggan’s national rankings on passes of 20+ yards:
Category Number P5/FBS
Completion Pct. 48.7 2nd/2nd
Completions 37 /T-4th
Passing TDs 17 1st/2nd
Passing Yards 1,286 1st/3rd
Duggan’s 17 touchdown passes of at least 20 yards trail only Ohio State’s C.J. Stroud (18) among Power 5 quarterbacks. Duggan has accounted for three or more touchdowns in nine games this season. In TCU’s four straight October wins over ranked opponents, he had 15 total TDs and one interception. Duggan is first in the Big 12 and 10th in the nation in passing efficiency with a 162.3 rating.
DUGGAN DYK
With a 73-yard touchdown pass to Taye Barber and a 67-yard scoring run just 1:18 apart against Oklahoma, Max Duggan became just the second player nationally in the last 15 years and first since Lamar Jackson in 2016 with a touchdown pass and TD run of at least 60 yards in the first quarter of a game.
THE COMEBACK
In the comeback win at Baylor, Max Duggan led TCU on fourth-quarter scoring drives on its final two possessions without its leading rusher (Kendre Miller) and top-two receivers (Quentin Johnston, Derius Davis). The game-winning drive also came with TCU not having any timeouts available.
Included below are the drives and Duggan’s stats:
Plays-Yards Time Passing Rushing
11-90 4:41 5-6-55 2-21
9-46 1:34 2-3-28 2-12
Totals 20-136 7-9-83 4-33
Duggan totaled 377 yards and two touchdowns in the game. He had his fifth 300-yard passing effort (327) while rushing for a team-best 50 yards.
THE COMEBACK, PART II
Max Duggan keyed TCU’s furious fourth-quarter comeback against Kansas State in the Big 12 Championship Game, leading a pair of scoring drives to force overtime after an 11-point deficit in the final 7:34. Duggan became the first player with 250 yards passing and 100 rushing in a conference championship game since Clemson’s Deshaun Watson in 2015. Because of a TCU penalty, he rushed for 95 yards on the game-tying 80-yard drive. He had a 19-yard run on a 4th-and-2 and a 40-yard gain to set up his 8-yard scoring run on the next snap. He then completed a pass to Jared Wiley for the 2-point conversion.
CLIMBING THE CHARTS
Max Duggan’s 32 touchdown passes rank second in a season at TCU:
Name Passing TDs
- Trevone Boykin, 2014 33
- Max Duggan, 2022 32
- Trevone Boykin, 2015 31
Duggan is also second in career TD passes:
Name Passing TDs
- Trevone Boykin, 2012-15 86
- Max Duggan, 2019-present 73
- Andy Dalton, 2007-10 71
Duggan trails only Boykin in touchdowns responsible for in a season:
Name TDs Responsible For
- Trevone Boykin, 2014 42
- Max Duggan, 2022 40
- Trevone Boykin, 2015 40
He is third at TCU with 9,466 career passing yards. Duggan’s 63.7 completion percentage ranks sixth for a season at TCU. He has just six picks this season. The 1.5 interception percentage is just behind TCU’s record of 1.4 (Brandon Hassell, 3 interceptions, 217 attempts, 2004).
MILLER AND 1K
Kendre Miller’s 1,399 yards make him TCU’s first 1,000-yard rusher since Kyle Hicks had 1,042 in 2016. Miller’s 1,399 yards are the most by a Frog since LaDainian Tomlinson led the nation with 2,158 in 2000. Miller’s run of five straight 100-yard games came to an end at Baylor. It was the longest streak by a Horned Frog since Lonta Hobbs with five in 2002. Miller has topped 100 yards in seven of his last 12 games.
FINDING PAYDIRT
Kendre Miller had a rushing touchdown in the opening 13 games this season, the longest streak by a Horned Frog to begin a campaign. The previous mark was LaDainian Tomlinson scoring in all 12 contests in 2000. Dating back to last year and before it was snapped in the Michigan game when he left the contest early due to injury, Miller’s 14 consecutive games with a rushing touchdown was the longest active streak in the
nation and second in TCU history:
Name Consecutive Games Rushing TD
LaDainian Tomlinson 15 (1999-2000)
Kendre Miller 14 (2021-22)
Miller and Max Duggan continue to ascend on TCU’s career rushing touchdowns list:
Name Rushing TDs
- Joseph Turner, 2006-09 29
- Jim Swink, 1954-56 28
- Max Duggan, 2019-present 27
Trevone Boykin, 2012-15 27
- Kendre Miller, 2020-present 26
SPEED
Once called “pound-for-pound the strongest guy on the team,” 5-foot-10, 175-pound Derius Davis has a 550 squat, 370 bench and 350 clean while being clocked at 4.3 in the 40.
VETERAN DUO
Fifth-year seniors Derius Davis and Taye Barber, who took advantage of an extra season of eligibility due to the 2020 COVID campaign, are second and third on TCU in receptions with 37 and 36, respectively
TURNAROUNDS
SportSource Analytics ranks TCU’s defense No. 1 in the nation for the largest percentage improvement in points per possession allowed this season compared to last year. TCU ranks fifth among Power 5 programs and 10th in the FBS for most improved in points per game allowed this season.
THIRD DOWN STOPS
TCU opponents are just 22-of-85 (25.9 percent) on third-down conversions the last six games:
Opponent Third-Down Conversions
Texas Tech 3-of-16
Texas 1-of-13
Baylor 6-of-14
Iowa State 4-of-13
Kansas State 5-of-16
Michigan 3-of-13
TCU opponents converted 40.5 percent (49-of-121) of third downs in the opening eight contests. TCU is only allowing a 34.5 percent third-down conversion rate for the season.
THE PICK ARTISTS
4Thanks to Bud Clark and Dee Winters, TCU had two
interception returns for touchdowns against Michigan.
4It was the second time in the last three games
for the Horned Frogs to have two Pick 6s. Millard
Bradford and Josh Newton had interception returns for
touchdowns against Iowa State.
4Before this season, TCU’s last game with two
Pick 6s was in 2009 with Rafael Priest and Daryl
Washington against New Mexico.
4Clark’s team-best five interceptions this season are
the most by a Horned Frog since 2019, when current
Baltimore Raven Ar’Darius Washington had five.
4The five interceptions by Clark have come in just 11
games and rank second in the Big 12 as well as tying
for 11th nationally.
4Clark’s pick at Baylor was in the TCU end zone to
end a Bears’ scoring threat late in the first half.
4The first three interceptions of Clark’s career came
in consecutive games against Oklahoma State, Kansas
State and West Virginia.
4Clark’s streak of a pick in three straight contests
was the longest by a Horned Frog since Chris Hackett
had an interception in four straight in 2014.
4Including Mark Perry’s three interceptions at
Colorado and Johnny Hodges having one at Navy, 15
Horned Frogs have at least one career pick.
THE VERSATILE ONE
Linebacker Shadrach Banks made his first career start at Texas and combined on a fourth-down stop for no gain on the Longhorns’ opening series. He finished with four tackles, including one for loss. In the 38-31 win at Kansas, Banks became the only linebacker in the nation to recover a fumble at the 1-yard line and return kickoffs later in the game. The 250-pound Banks had two kickoff returns for 62 yards with a long of 37 against the Jayhawks.
SECOND HALF STINGINESS
TCU allowed just eight offensive touchdowns in the second half of its previous eight games before Michigan:
Team 2nd Half Points 1st Downs Yards
Oklahoma State 6 8 150
Kansas State 0 4 87
West Virginia 10 11 125
Texas Tech 14 11 181
Texas 10* 11 127
Baylor 14 7 182
Iowa State 7 9 190^
Kansas State 14 11 201
*The lone TD was a defensive score
^113 yards came in the fourth quarter after TCU led 55-7
TCU forced a 3-and-out on Baylor’s final two series to set the stage for its comeback. Texas Tech totaled 96 of its second-half yards in the final minutes with TCU comfortably ahead. The Red Raiders were 3-of-16 on third-down conversions. West Virginia was held to 54 yards on 20 snaps in the fourth quarter. The first Kansas State game saw TCU hold an opponent scoreless in the second half for the first time since a 10-7 win against Cal in the 2018 Cheez-It Bowl. The Wildcats were also held to four first downs and 87 yards of offense over the final two quarters. Oklahoma State had 32 yards in the fourth quarter.
The following is a look at first- and second-half yards allowed by TCU in comeback wins this season:
Team First Half Second Half
Oklahoma State 236 150
Kansas State 303 87
West Virginia 305 135
Baylor 319 182
Below is a look at the first- and second-half points surrendered by TCU in a three-game October stretch:
Team First Half Second Half
Oklahoma State 24 6
Kansas State 28 0
West Virginia 21 10
MAKING AN IMPRESSION
Linebacker Johnny Hodges played the previous two seasons at Navy. Hodges had a career-best 14 tackles against SMU last year and then Mustang Head Coach Sonny Dykes. His next-best game was seven stops versus Tulsa and then Golden Hurricanes Defensive Coordinator Joe Gillespie.
SPLITTING UPRIGHTS
Griffin Kell had a 40-yard field goal as time expired to give TCU a 29-28 win at Baylor. It was TCU’s first game-winning field goal on the final play of regulation since 2014, when Jaden Oberkrom nailed a 37-yard kick to beat West Virginia 31-30 in Morgantown. Kell, from nearby Arlington, was trained by Oberkrom, a 2015 All-American and the Big 12’s career leader in field goals made with 79 (2012-15). Kell had a career best 54-yard field goal, fifth-longest in TCU history, against Iowa State. Kell is 17-of-19 on field goals this season with 16 of those makes in the last 10 games. One of his two misses was blocked while the other, a 55-yard attempt in the Big 12 Championship Game, was just wide. Kell is 46-of-58 on field goals in his career, including a 25-yard kick with 6 seconds to play to give TCU a 31-28 win over Kansas last season. He made three field goals (30, 46, 24 yards) in the 30-28 win over Baylor in 2021.
GEORGIA BULLDOGS NOTES:
BULLDOGS BATTLE TCU FOR CFP NATIONAL CHAMPIONSHIP
Top-ranked Georgia enters the CFP National Championship Game with a 14-0 mark following its 42-41 victory over No. 4 Ohio State at the Chick-fil-A Peach Bowl in Atlanta. The Bulldogs are aiming to become the first team in the CFP era to win back-to-back national championships. A year ago, Georgia was seeded No. 3 and beat No. 2 Michigan 34-11 in a semifinal and then No. 1 Alabama 33-18 for the championship. Also, the Bulldogs will be looking to become just the third FBS team in the modern era to cap a perfect 15-0 season with a national title as Clemson did it in 2018 and then LSU in 2019 when it beat the Tigers. Georgia has won 16 straight games going back to last season’s CFP semifinal/Capital One Orange Bowl win over Michigan. The school record is 17 in a row set from 1945-47. The Bulldogs are now 4-1 in the CFP in Kirby Smart’s seventh season at the helm. In just his second season in 2017, the Bulldogs reached the CFP and won a thrilling semifinal over No. 2 Oklahoma in the Rose Bowl Game (54-48 in double overtime). Then, the Bulldogs were stunned by No. 4 Alabama 26-23 in overtime in Atlanta to miss out on a crown. Georgia has won three consensus national championships in its history, claiming the title in 1942, 1980 and 2021.
SERIES HISTORY WITH THE HORNED FROGS
Georgia owns a 4-0 advantage against TCU with a pair of wins in bowl games and two during the regular season in Athens. The most recent meeting came in the 2016 Liberty Bowl to wrap up Kirby Smart’s first season at the helm. Georgia posted a 31-23 win in Memphis. Before that,
Georgia claimed a pair of victories during the Vince Dooley era, winning 38-10 in Athens in game two of the 1988 season and 34-3 in Athens in game four of the 1980 national championship season. The first meeting with TCU came in the 1942 Orange Bowl in Miami, a 40-26 Bulldog triumph. The victory gave Georgia a 9-1-1 season under Wallace Butts and with a team that featured All-America halfback Frank Sinkwich, who played most of the year with a broken jaw. His performance in the Orange Bowl is still considered by many as one of the best in the postseason. He accounted for 382 yards of total offense (139 rushing, 9-for-13 passing for 243 yards and 3 TDs). Sinkwich would become Georgia’s first Heisman Trophy winner the next season.
SENIORS MAKING HISTORY
After capturing the SEC Championship with a 50-30 win over No. 14 LSU in Atlanta on Dec. 3, Georgia erased a 14-point fourth quarter deficit to top No. 4 Ohio State in the CFP Semifinal. The Bulldog senior class has established a school record for most career victories with a 48-5 mark. That mark included just nine regular season games and a bowl triumph during the COVID-shortened season of 2020. The 2021 Bulldog class that finished their career as national champions tallied a 45-8 mark.
QUICK FACTS
• Seventh season as Georgia coach • 80-15 Career Record • 2021 NATIONAL CHAMPIONS
• 2017 CFP national runner-up • 2017, 2022 SEC Champions • SEC Eastern Division Champs 2017-19 & 21-22
• 2017 George Munger award (National Coach of the Year by Maxwell Club) • SEC Coach of the Year, 2017, 2021-22
• Bulldogs have won two Butkus Awards • One Outland Trophy, Bednarik Award, Thorpe Award, Groza Award, Mackey Award & Burlsworth Trophy
• One Heisman Trophy finalist • 17 1st-team All-Americans • 11 1st Round NFL Draft picks • 45 NFL Draft Picks
• A total of 168 players on SEC Academic Honor Rolls, including a high of 35 on the 2021 national championship team
27 DEFENSE AND SPECIAL TEAMS SCORES UNDER SMART
Under Kirby Smart, Georgia has registered 27 scores on defense and special teams. The Dogs are 24-1 (loss came versus #8 UF in 2020) when they register a non-offensive score under Smart. This year, the Bulldogs have had a safety on a blocked punt versus Kent State and Chris Smith ran a blocked field goal back 96 yards for a touchdown versus No. 14 LSU. In 2021, Georgia had six of these scores: Smith’s 74-yd INT return (#3 CU); Jamon Dumas-Johnson’s 20-yd INT return (UAB); Safety (SC); Zamir White 0-yd return of blocked punt (#8 ARK); Nakobe Dean’s 50-yd INT return (UF); Safety (UM); Kelee Ringo’s 79-yd INT return (UA-2).
DEFENSIVE SCORING IN THE SMART ERA
{100 Points on 15 TDs, 5 Safeties}
2016: 14 points in 3 different games (Pick-Six, Fumble Ret., Safety); 2017: 6 points in one game (Fumble Ret.); 2018: 12 points in 2 different games (Pick-Six, Fumble Ret.); 2019: 18 points in 3 different games (2 Fumble Ret., 1 Fumble Rec.); 2020: 22 points in 4 different games (2 Pick-Sixes 1 Fumble Ret., 2 Safeties); 2021: 28 points in 6 different games (4 Pick-Sixes, 2 Safeties); 2022: none
40 POINTS ON SPECIAL TEAMS IN THE SMART ERA
2016: 12 points in 2 games (KOR, PR); 2017: none; 2018: 12 points in 2 games (PR, Blocked Punt Ret.); 2019: none; 2020: none; 2021: 8 points in 2 games (Blocked Punt Ret.; Safety/Blocked Punt); 2022: 8 points in 2 games (Safety/Blocked Punt; Blocked FG Ret.)
DID YOU KNOW?
Georgia leads the nation with an 86 percent conversion rate on fourth down (12-for-14). The most recent try came against #4 Ohio State in the CFP Semifinal. The Bulldogs were trailing 38-24 in the fourth quarter and Georgia converted a 4th-and-6 at the OSU 13 yard line. The Bulldogs have a pair of touchdowns on fourth down this year (Kent State, Georgia Tech).
RUSHING TO A CONCLUSION
The Bulldogs are third nationally with 39 rushing touchdowns (The school record is 42 set in 2017). Eight different Bulldogs have scored a rushing TD this year. Senior RB Kenny McIntosh has a team-leading 10. He had 182 all-purpose yards in the win over Tech. Georgia is averaging 201.9 yards per game and 5.5 yards per carry. In the Bulldogs’ victory over No. 14 LSU in the SECCG, junior RB Kendall Milton went for a career-high 113 yards on only eight carries (14.1 avg.) as Georgia torched the Tigers for 255 on the ground. Georgia’s offensive line features C Sedrick Van Pran (29 consecutive starts), RT Warren McClendon (team high 37 consecutive starts ended in CFP Semifinal due to knee injury) and RG Tate Ratledge (made 13 of the 14 starts this season) along with LT Broderick Jones (14 consecutive starts) . LG Xavier Truss (started 13 of the 14 games) missed the game versus No. 1 Tennessee due to a toe injury. RSo. Devin Willock got his first career start against the Vols for Truss and then started for Ratledge at Kentucky. The unit was a Joe Moore Award finalist in recognition of being one of the country’s top offensive lines. The versatile Warren Ericson (17 career starts) relieved an injured Ratledge for the final 14 games of 2021. He can play all five spots along the line. Amarius Mims is lining up at either tackle position, including making his first career start against #4 Ohio State. They have helped Georgia pile up 39.4 points/game and 494.9 yards/game thus far. Georgia ran for a season-high 292 yards and six touchdowns in their 42-10 win over Auburn. The Bulldogs averaged 7.5 yards/carry against the Tigers. Georgia’s rushing tally versus Auburn was the most since 2020 against Missouri (316). The six rushing scores were the most for Georgia since the 2018 contest versus UMass.
BENNETT 28-3 AS A STARTER AT GEORGIA
Senior Stetson Bennett, a native of Blackshear, Ga., began his career with the Bulldogs as a walk-on in 2017 when he was redshirted. Bennett transferred to Jones College (Miss.) where he started in 2018 and then returned to the Bulldogs on scholarship in 2019. He saw action that season in five games including throwing passes in four of them. In 2020, he started five games and then got the nod in the final 11 contests of the 2021 national championship season and has started every game in 2022. The first week of December this year was a monumental one for Bennett, who led Georgia to the SEC Championship on Dec. 3. Not long before he was named the winner of the Burlsworth Trophy (awarded annually to the most outstanding college player who began his career as a walk-on) on Dec. 5, the news was announced that he was one of four finalists for the Heisman Trophy. Bennett is the third Heisman finalist invited to New York joining 1982 Heisman winner Herschel Walker and 1992 running back Garrison Hearst. In addition to Walker, Georgia’s other Heisman winner was 1942 quarterback Frank Sinkwich. In his Bulldog career, Bennett has won a national championship and an SEC title and is 28-3 as a starter. He has completed 64.9 percent of his passes (583-for-898,
8,124 yards, 62 TDs, 21 INTs). Most recently, Bennett earned CFP Semifinal Offensive MVP honors in winning a shootout over #4 Ohio State. He was 23-for-34 with 398 yards and three touchdowns. Georgia erased a 14-point deficit in the fourth quarter and Bennett directed a 72-yard game winning touchdown drive that finished with a TD pass with :54 left. In school history, Georgia is 3-5 all-time against the No. 1 team and Bennett is 2-0. He led Georgia to a victory over No. 1 Alabama in the 2022 CFP National Championship Game and then against top-ranked Tennessee this season. Bennett also earned MVP honors at the 2022 SEC Championship Game going 23-for-29 for 274 yards, and threw four touchdown passes against No. 14 LSU. After falling behind for only the second time this season (No. 1 Tennessee 3-0, 10:05 1stQ), Bennett directed an 80-yard touchdown drive that was capped by his 13-yard scamper to the pylon. The Bulldogs would never trail again against the Vols. Bennett took off for a career-long 64-yard touchdown run during the win over Auburn, giving the Bulldogs a 28-3 edge at the start of the fourth quarter. His scoring scamper was the longest for a Georgia QB since 1976 when Ray Goff flew 73 yards in a 41-0 win at Clemson. Bennett and Tim Tebow (four) are the only two SEC players since 2004 to have at least four consecutive games with 250 passing yards and one rushing score. Bennett owns the school record for having at least 250 passing yards and at least one rushing score in five games overall during a season. Bennett earned Walter Camp National FBS Offensive Player of the Week and Manning Award National QB of the Week honors while leading No. 3 Georgia to a 49-3 rout of No. 11 Oregon in this season’s opener. He directed the Bulldogs to seven touchdowns on their first seven drives and finished 25 of 31 for a career-high 368 yards and two touchdowns. Bennett also had a 1-yard rushing score against the Ducks. Bennett’s 368 passing yards in the win was the most in a season opener by a Bulldog since 1994 when Eric Zeier tallied 485 yards in a road win over South Carolina. He ranked fourth nationally in Passing Efficiency (176.7) last year, which broke the school record in that category previously belonging to Aaron Murray (174.8, 2012). Bennett helped Georgia complete historic 8-0 SEC regular seasons in 2021 and 2022. During the CFP National Championship Game versus No. 1 Alabama, Bennett finished 17-for-26 passing with 224 yards, two touchdowns and no picks. Trailing 18-13 with 10:14 left in the game, Bennett directed a four-play, 75-yard scoring drive that gave the Bulldogs a one-point lead at the 8:09 mark (a two-point conversion failed). Georgia never relinquished its lead to collect its first national championship in 41 years. Bennett was named the game’s Offensive MVP as was the case in the CFP Semifinal Orange Bowl victory over Michigan.
PILING UP THE POINTS
Georgia is averaging 39.4 points/game, which is ninth nationally. In the SEC Championship Game victory over #14 LSU, the Bulldogs scored 50 points with 549 yards of offense to help capture the program’s 14th SEC title. One game later, Georgia won the CFP Semifinal over #4 Ohio State 42-41 with 533 yards. The Bulldogs have outscored their opponents 551-207 this season, including 303-98 in the opening half. The Bulldogs are 75 of 77 in the Red Zone (a national leading 97 percent) this year with 52 touchdowns and 23 field goals. In the win over #4 Ohio State, redshirt sophomore Arian Smith had career highs of three catches for 129 yards, including a 76-yard touchdown catch. Sophomore AD Mitchell had three catches for 43 yards during a performance that included the eventual game-winning score with :54 left. He has been limited to just five games this year due to an ankle injury. Georgia jumped out to a 24-6 halftime lead on 306 total yards versus No. 1 Tennessee and eventually posted a 27-13 victory. Georgia’s offense generated 49 points against No. 11 Oregon in the 2022 season opener. The Bulldogs tallied 571 yards of offense on 62 plays, scoring touchdowns on their first seven possessions. Georgia had a season-high 579 yards of offense vs Vandy. Redshirt sophomore Ladd McConkey is second on the team with 53 catches for 674 yards (12.7 avg.) and five scores. He had a career-long 70-yard touchdown run at Mississippi State. McConkey is also the primary punt returner with 16 for 197 yards, including a career-long 39 yarder versus Georgia Tech.
TALENTED TIGHT ENDS
Georgia’s tight end room features All-American and 2022 Mackey Award winner Brock Bowers, junior Darnell Washington and freshman Oscar Delp. Bowers was also the 2021 National Freshman of the Year. Bowers, who was also a Rotary Lombardi Award finalist, is the team’s leader with 56 catches (ties his school record mark by a UGA TE) for a team high 790 yards and six TDs while Washington has 27 for 426 yards and two scores. Bowers posted a career high 154 yards on five catches in the win over Florida. Bowers is the only player in the country this season with a rushing TD of at least 75 yards and a receiving TD of at least 75 yards. Twice in his career Bowers has had two receiving scores and a rushing score in the same game. He did it during the road win at South Carolina and also at Vanderbilt last year. He finished with five catches for 121 yards, including a 78-yard touchdown against the Gamecocks. Bowers has had six 100-yard receiving games in his career; three of his career TD catches have covered 75+ yards; his first career TD catch covered 89 yards against UAB. Washington has started 13 of 14 games this year and has been a team captain twice. He caught his third TD of the season versus No. 14 LSU in the SEC Championship Game and also had a two-point conversion grab against the Tigers.
RUNNING BACK CORPS
Georgia’s veterans in the backfield are senior Kenny McIntosh and juniors Kendall Milton and Daijun Edwards. After a career-high 143 yards and a touchdown at Kentucky, McIntosh became the leading rusher. He has 779 yards and a team-leading 10 touchdowns. McIntosh scored a touchdown both rushing and receiving for the first time in his career against Vanderbilt. He had nine catches for 117 yards (both career highs) to go along with five carries for 18 yards and a touchdown during the rout of No. 11 Oregon. Edwards ranks second on the team with 739 yards for a 5.5 average and has seven touchdowns. During the win over Auburn, he became the first Bulldog RB since Sony Michel in the 2018 Rose Bowl Game to have three rushing TDs in a game. Edwards provided the go-ahead score in the fourth quarter of the 26-22 win at Missouri on a one-yard rush. Milton scored both a rushing and a receiving touchdown against No. 11 Oregon for the first time in his career. During the SECCG, Milton went for a career-high 113 yards on only eight carries (14. 1 avg.) to highlight a 255-yard rushing day for Georgia. For the year, he has 559 rushing yards and seven TDs.
DEFENSE SETTING THE TONE
The Bulldogs rank fifth nationally in Scoring Defense, giving up just 14.8 points per contest. The defense has posted 26 scoreless quarters, including holding five teams scoreless in the opening half this year. Georgia has held six teams to a season low in points, including No. 1 Tennessee (13) and No. 11 Oregon (3). After missing time with a knee injury, junior DL Jalen Carter, a Lombardi Award finalist, has been a force. In the last seven games, he has accounted for 25 tackles, 6.5 TFLs, three sacks and a pair of forced fumbles. Georgia shut down No. 1 Tennessee to the tune of 13 points after the Vols came in averaging a national best 49.4 points per contest. The 13 points was the lowest scored under head coach Josh Heupel. The Vols did not get a touchdown until 4:15 left in the contest. UT was just 2-of-14 on third downs (14 percent). Georgia posted its second shutout of the year with a 55-0 win over VU. This marked the 10th shutout in the Kirby Smart era (since 2016), the FBS’ most during that span. Georgia is allowing teams to convert on third downs only 27 percent of the time and that ranks second nationally. The 2022 Bulldog defense kept No. 3 Oregon to only a field goal in the season opener. This marked the first time Oregon had failed to score a touchdown in a game since 2017. Late in the fourth quarter, Georgia had an impressive goal line stand late that ended at the two yard line following a 19-play, 87-yard drive that lasted 8:47. Georgia’s first touchdown allowed this year came at South Carolina in game three with 53 seconds remaining in the game. The Dogs have only allowed six rushing TDs this year.
TACKLES, TURNOVERS & SACKS
Jamon Dumas-Johnson is third on the team with 66 tackles, including nine TFL and four sacks. The Butkus Award finalist had one of the six sacks in the win over No. 1 Tennessee. Fellow sophomore ILB Smael Mondon is the team leader with 71 stops. Mondon also recorded his first career interception during the win over No. 14 LSU in the SECCG. Sophomore Javon Bullard earned CFP Semifinal Defensive MVP honors after posting three tackles, including a sack, versus the Buckeyes. Freshman safety Malaki Starks is No. 2 on the team with 67 tackles and has two interceptions on the year. Georgia has 10 picks on the year and has recovered six fumbles and currently even in turnover margin. Senior S Chris Smith forced one of three turnovers versus No. 14 LSU in the SECCG with his team-leading third interception. The Bulldogs forced three interceptions during the victory at South Carolina. Starks had his second pick, one that he returned 42 yards, while S Dan Jackson and ILB Trezmen Marshall each had their first INT. Jackson has not played since the Vanderbilt game because of a foot injury. Both Smith and Starks registered interceptions that eventually turned into 14 points and helped Georgia build a 21-0 lead versus #11 Oregon. his marked Smith’s fourth career pick and his second in a row in a season-opening game after returning his INT for the game’s only touchdown against No. 3 Clemson in 2021. Smith shared SEC Co-Defensive Player of the Week honors following his performance against Oregon. Smith was a Bronko Nagurski
Trophy finalist.
BLOCK THAT KICK
Currently, there are five Bulldogs who have blocked a kick/punt in their Georgia career. This season, junior DL Nazir Stackhouse blocked a field goal that was returned 96 yards for a touchdown by teammate Chris Smith in the opening quarter of the SECCG versus No. 14 LSU. In addition, freshman OLB Jalon Walker blocked a punt that resulted in a safety versus Kent State. Jalen Carter’s blocked field goal against Alabama in the 2022 CFP National Championship Game changed the momentum in the third quarter and ignited the Bulldog offense. The Bulldogs would outscore Alabama 20-9 in the final quarter. Overall, Georgia blocked five kicks last year including punts against No. 8 Arkansas (Dan Jackson) and Missouri (Nolan Smith), a field goal by Kentucky (Devonte Wyatt, 1st round pick Green Bay) and a PAT (Carter versus Kentucky). Smith was injured in the Florida game and has not played since that contest.
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