Sony Michel and Malcolm Mitchell provided the offense, and Georgia’s defense made it hold up in a 24-17 victory over Penn State on Saturday in the TaxSlayer Bowl in Jacksonville, Fla.

The Bulldogs secured the victory when it knocked down a potential tying touchdown pass near the end zone on the final play.

What it means: With the victory, Georgia concluded its ninth season of at least 10 victories within the last 15 years and the school’s 22nd overall. New coach Kirby Smart will take over a program that is loaded with talent and one that should only get significantly better still if prized quarterback recruit Jacob Eason is anywhere as good as advertised. The future looks bright in Athens.

What I liked: Georgia’s offensive line has endured an up-and-down season, but they played what was perhaps their finest game of the season by keeping their quarterbacks clean against a Penn State pass rush that entered the game tied for the national lead with 44 sacks. The Nittany Lions managed no sacks in the decisive first half and just two overall. They accounted for very little pressure of any sort all afternoon as Bulldogs quarterbacks Greyson Lambert and Brice Ramsey had all day to consistently find targets downfield.

What I didn’t like: Georgia was again inconsistent offensively, thanks in large part to the same erratic quarterback play that has characterized the entire season. Lambert, however, rebounded nicely from a forgettable first period by completing four of five passes in the second quarter, including a 17-yard scoring strike to freshman receiver Terry Godwin that gave the Dawgs a 17-3 advantage just before the half. Lambert finished the day 10 of 20 for 115 yards and a touchdown without an interception, but consistency has eluded him all season.

Who’s the man: Godwin, a former five-star recruit and former high school quarterback, had been coming on strong in the second half of his freshman season to become the reliable second receiver the Dawgs desperately needed. He oozes of athletic ability and gave a glimpse of what Georgia might expect to see more in the future by throwing for one touchdown and catching another in the waning minutes of the first half to give his team an insurmountable 17-3 halftime lead.

Key play: The game was tied at 3-apiece midway through the second period when Godwin lined up in the “Wild Dawg” formation, took the snap and threw his first pass of the year, a 44-yard scoring completion to Mitchell that put the Dawgs ahead for good, 10-3, with 6:46 left in the first half.

What’s next: New coach Kirby Smart will have plenty of talent to work with when he finishes his postseason run with Alabama and devotes himself entirely to his alma mater. How quickly Eason picks up the college game could determine how high the Dawgs rise next year.