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3 takeaways from Georgia’s thrilling overtime win over Texas in SEC Championship Game
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Georgia defeated Texas 22-19 on Saturday night in the SEC Championship Game, clinching its third conference crown of the Kirby Smart era.
The Bulldogs needed overtime to get there, and ultimately won it on a walk-off Trevor Etienne touchdown run. Carson Beck didn’t play in the second half except for the final play of the game when he came onto the field for Gunner Stockton, who lost his helmet on the previous play.
It was a dramatic ending for a chaotic game that was also the first overtime affair in SEC Championship Game history.
Here are 3 takeaways from Georgia’s instant-classic win over Texas:
Carson Beck’s injury
Carson Beck suffered an apparent elbow injury on the final play of the first half. He was hit from behind as he was attempting to throw a deep ball on the final play of the second quarter, causing him to be in some serious pain.
Beck was unable to continue and ABC cameras later showed him with a large ice pack on his right elbow.
Gunner Stockton entered the game for Beck. There were some ups and downs, but overall Stockton was exceptional in his first-ever meaningful snaps at the collegiate level. He led multiple scoring drives, including a go-ahead touchdown drive to start the third quarter.
However, an ill-advised interception with a little over 2 minutes remaining gave Texas the ball back with a chance to tie or win the game. The Longhorns did ultimately tie the game with a Bert Auburn field goal with a few seconds left in regulation, sending this contest to overtime for the first time in SEC Championship Game history.
In over time, Stockton led a game-winning drive that was set up by a fierce 8-yard run right through the middle of Texas’s defense. The Bulldogs won on the next play on an Etienne touchdown run.
Georgia’s identity showed up in the second half
Even with Georgia does have a difference-maker at quarterback, the best teams during the Kirby Smart era have featured an elite running game and a fearsome defense. Those features showed up in the second half in a big way.
After the Bulldogs totaled -2 rushing yards in the first-half (an all-time low for the Smart era), Georgia ended up rushing for 129 yards in the second half. Trevor Etienne broke multiple big runs, including a key 48-yarder midway through the third quarter to set up a key scoring drive. Nate Frazier also had a couple of chunk runs in the 4th quarter. UGA averaged nearly 5 yards a carry in the second half.
Defensively, Georgia held Texas to just 4 yards per play after the Longhorns gained north of 5 in the first half. UT only managed 2 scoring drives in the second half and was held to a field goal on its first possession of overtime.
CFP seeding
With this victory, Georgia has more-or-less clinched a first-round bye in the College Football Playoff. The Bulldogs are likely to be the No. 2 seed in the CFP, which is a significant improvement over where they could have been with a loss to the Longhorns.
Both Big Ten Championship Game participants entered this week ranked ahead of No. 5 Georgia, so it seems likely that the winner of that game — No. 1 Oregon or No. 3 Penn State — will have the No. 1 overall seed. Likewise, Georgia is ranked above each of the other 3 possible conference champs from the ACC, Big 12 and Mountain West.
But by seemingly clinching the No. 2 seed, Georgia will be set up to face the winner of the No. 7/No. 10 first-round game. The Bulldogs will avoid having to play a first round game entirely and could end up facing Boise State or Indiana in the quarterfinals.
Spenser is a news editor for Saturday Down South and covers college football across all Saturday Football brands.
