The Bulldogs defeated the Crimson Tide in a rematch of the SEC title game.
Indianapolis — Confetti rained down on Georgia. The Bulldogs fans chanted „Kir-by, Kir-by!“ Four decades of pent-up emotion were unleashed Monday night as the Bulldogs snapped a frustrating national championship drought by vanquishing their nemesis. Stetson Bennett delivered the biggest throws of his storybook career and Georgia’s defense sealed the sweetest victory in program history, beating Alabama 33-18 in the College Football Playoff for its first title in 41 years. „I’ve never been around a group of players that really wanted it so bad and wouldn’t be denied,“ Georgia coach Kirby Smart said. „I told the guys in the locker room, just take a picture of this.“ Smart, a Bulldogs defensive back in the mid-1990s, returned to his alma mater in 2016 after helping Nick Saban build a dynasty as an assistant at Alabama. Georgia has become an elite program under Smart, but hadn’t been able to chase down its Southeastern Conference rival. Until now. „This was for all the glory, we took it,“ defensive tackle Jordan Davis said. And they did it the way Alabama has broken their hearts so many times in recent years: coming from behind and finishing with a flourish. Bennett connected with Adonai Mitchell on a 40-yard touchdown to give No.3 Georgia a 19-18 lead with 8:09 left and then hooked up with Brock Bowers for a 15-yard TD on a screen to put the Bulldogs up eight with 3:33 left.
