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2022National
Champions
Edition
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FROM THE FIELD
BY GREG POOLE
GLENN SCHUMANN AND
JALEN CARTER
PHOTO BY: GREG POOLE
SPIKE SQUAD MEMBER,
ETHAN MARCUM
PHOTO BY: GREG POOLE
NO. 1 ACROSS THE BOARD,
MARCUS ROSEMARY-
JACKSAINT
GEORGIA - 65 | TCU 7
What a year!
Unexpected (by me, at least) blowout wins bookended the 2022 season/
postseason. Between lie, a blowout of South Carolina, a hard-nosed Kent
State squad, and Missouri was also a hard out. The Dawgs brought the
Vols back to earth, followed by wins in artic conditions and against stiff
competition at Mississippi State and Kentucky.
I was surprised by Ohio State’s outstanding performance in the Peach.
But when one thinks of that game, the enduring memory has to be the
field goal attempt to end it.
Bennett-to-Mitchell beats the defender toward the corner of the end
zone to give the Dawgs the lead after Podlesny’s PAT. Ohio State moved
the ball to the Georgia 40, and the ref placed it about one-half yard inside
the left hash. Only eight seconds were on the clock as the Buckeye kicker
moved forward.
From about 73 yards behind the ball, I focused on Darris Smith, Georgia’s
other number 19. From Baxley, he is a true-freshman outside linebacker
who mainly played on special teams. Darris, Georgia’s designated field
goal blocker, is 6-5, 225-pound and has excellent leaping ability.
The ball zips to the holder, I press and hold the shutter release, and a split
second later, the roar explodes. I thought Mr. Smith had just achieved a
moment of lifetime fame; instead, a duck hook field goal propelled the
Dawgs to LA and the showdown with up-start TCU.
The national championship game and the environs were just weird. First
was the weather, indistinguishable from a dreary winter day in North
Georgia. Then there was a stadium designed to take advantage of the
beautiful SoCal environment featuring a sail rather than a roof. However, a
sail is marginally effective when a North Georgia winter storm visits.
The game’s weirdness is all about the destruction of an opponent in a
national title game. TCU is a better football team than the score of the
championship game indicates, and they are the type of team that often
gives UGA fits. The Frogs’ early score indicated a close game was in store.
NOT!
The outcome was not so much a function of TCU’s inability as it was
the combination of Georgia putting all aspects of its game together. Of
course, UGA also possessed a marked advantage in talent, and that talent
was hitting on all cylinders. The Dawgs led 24-7 with more than eight
minutes left in the half before extending the lead to 38-7 at the horn. They
had defeated TCU’s defense and shut down their vaunted offense. Game
faces began to dissolve into smiles. The ‘Toads were toast, and both teams
knew it.
At this time last year, pundits declared that Georgia and Kirby could not
contend with some many experienced players leaving for the NFL. We’ll
see!
Kirby 2, Pundits 0
PHOTO BY: GREG POOLE
BULLDAWGILLUSTRATED 20 2022 NATIONAL CHAMPIONS EDITION