Back-To-Back

STATS THAT
MATTER
BY: COBY SERINA
GEORGIA - 65
TCU - 7
THE BEST PART OF BROCK
‘THE BEAST’ BOWERS?...
HE’S BACK FOR ONE
MORE SEASON!
PHOTO BY: ROB SAYE
3
A look back at what decided the game
between Georgia and Texas Christian
A look back at what decided the game
between Georgia and TCU.
On Monday January 9, the Georgia
Bulldogs produced a night that will go
down in history. 65-7. You may see scores
like that in September. Maybe early
October, when teams play the cupcakes
on the schedule, but the 2022 Dawgs were
different. Todd Monken decided to drop
nine touchdowns on Sonny Dykes and the
Texas Christian University Horned Frogs
on college football’s biggest stage: the
National Championship Game.
The Frogs just couldn’t hold up against
what Georgia was throwing at them. There
was a drastic talent disparity favoring
Georgia that was made known prior to
the matchup, but no one thought it would
end up the way it did. The Dawgs held up
on both sides of the ball when it mattered
most, and it led to the largest margin of
victory of any bowl game in history.
152
2
Williams, Bear Alexander and Jalon
With that game being Steton Bennett’s
last time suiting up in the Red and Black,
it leaves fans with a lot to think about.
Having led his team to back-to-back
national titles after struggling to find a
roster spot just a couple years before is the
kinda stuff Hollywood writers get paid to
come up with. Bennett just did it. But even
though the Mailman has made his final
delivery, there’s still plenty of talent that’ll
be returning in 2023 for the potential
three-peat. The Dawgs are in good hands,
and here are a couple reasons why.
152
After having a quiet end to the regular
season, Brock Bowers turned it all
the way up for the last three games.
The most impressive of which was
the National Championship where
he gained 152 receiving yards off of
seven receptions. He only scored one
touchdown off of those, but he was
most definitely setting up his teammates
for success. The fact that he isn’t draft
eligible should be considered a crime,
but no one wearing Red and Black is
complaining.
3
Defensively, freshmen played a big role
in this victory. Even before Coach Kirby
Smart unleashed the second string
defenders later in the fourth quarter,
the first-years were getting at it. Three
different freshmen found their way
to the quarterback for sacks: Mykel
Walker. Williams and Walker on the
edge and Bear in the middle is going to
be problematic for years to come. Add
Marvin Jones to that group as well, and
it’s pretty safe to say that this Georgia
defense is in good hands. Nolan Smith’s
injury served as the catalyst offering
young bucks the opportunity to rush
off the edge, and Williams, Walker and
Jones made the most of it. We could see
something similar to the 2021 defensive
front sooner rather than later.
2
Not only did Javon Bullard manage to
get two interceptions, he also recovered
a fumble forced by Chris Smith making
2022National
Champions
Edition
Back-To-Back
him responsible for all three defensive
turnovers for the Dawgs. With the
way everything else in the game was
going, the turnovers were really just the
cherry on top with the offense scoring
65 already stealing the show. Bullard
is quickly emerging as one of, if not,
the best defenders on this team. He’s
deployed all over the field because of his
STAR position getting opportunities to
do anything and everything. If it weren’t
for injury, Bullard probably would have
had a sack too. Tykee Smith, who also
plays STAR, got one in Bullard’s absence.
64%
About 64% of Georgia’s rushing
production was amassed by players who
are expected to return and play in the
2023 season. Some heavy hitting names
amongst that group being: Kendall
Milton, Branson Robinson and Daijun
Edwards. Milton and Edwards have
announced they are returning for their
senior season. Robinson has climbed
the depth chart as a freshman and has
drawn multiple comparisons to former
DGD Nick Chubb. Regardless of who
they’re compared to, these guys really
run angry. RBU’s future is looking bright!
BULLDAWGILLUSTRATED 24 2022 NATIONAL CHAMPIONS EDITION