Georgia Wild Peach Bowl wins over Ohio State in a late touchdown

ATLANTA — Georgia seemed down for the count multiple times in the Peach Bowl against Ohio State on Saturday night. Bulldogs were victorious in the end. Stetson Bennett Another incredible performance in crunch-time added to his legend.

Bennett led Georgia on a late touchdown drive capped by Bennett’s 10-yard touchdown pass to AD Mitchell to help the Bulldogs pull off an incredible 42-41 victory in the Peach Bowl as part of the College Football Playoff semifinals. The Bulldogs’ dramatic end to the game was chaotic. They had led for 55 seconds on Saturday night, but then lost the lead in the final minute.

Georgia (8-0 SEC, Georgia 14-0) will face TCU next Monday for the CFP national title.

Georgia won the ball with 2:43 remaining in the game. Bennett let the team slide down the field. Bennett hit Brock Bowers, Kearis Jackson and put Georgia in Ohio State territory with a pair pass that accumulated 50 yards.

Bennett concluded the drive with a great pass to Mitchell. Mitchell ran up to Bennett and took the ball for a touchdown. Bennett completed the game 23 of 24, passing for 398 yard with 3 touchdowns & 1 interception.

Georgia delivered a huge shot of momentum with Bennett’s 76-yard touchdown pass to Arian Smith with a little over eight minutes to go in the fourth quarter to get within three, but Ohio State countered with a long drive that ended with a 48-yard Noah Ruggles field goal. What came next was Georgia’s last hope of a drive, which Bennett spun into another wild race down the field that ultimately put the Bulldogs up for good.

The Bulldogs needed to take advantage of having the second half’s first possession after a track meet of a first half, but Georgia found little success while Ohio State found just enough to stay in front until the final minutes.

Stroud hit Emeka Ebuka for a 10-yard touchdown for the second half’s first score to push the Buckeyes to a 35-24 lead, and an inconsistent Georgia offense sputtered through most of the quarter. Over the next six minutes, the two teams traded field goals before Bennett’s shot at Smith brought Georgia within three.

Stroud ended the game on 23 of 34 passing for 348 yard and 4 touchdowns.

Georgia was in serious trouble in the second quarter, but managed to come up with some key plays to get back in contention.

The Bulldogs looked like they were in a terrible hole after Bennett’s interception allowed for a CJ Sroud touchdown pass from Marvin Harrison Jr. to give the Buckeyes an impressive 21-7 lead. 

Georgia was down 21-7 after Stetson Bennett’s interception created a short field for Buckeyes. Stroud hit Marvin Harrison Jr. 16 yards for a score. Georgia responded immediately with Stetson Bent hitting Arian Smith for 47 yards, and Kendall Milton racing to his right for an eleven-yard score. 

Mykel Williams, Georgia’s defensive end, came in for a big third-down sack to give Georgia the ball. Two plays after McIntosh’s long run, Bennett called his own number with a 3-yard touchdown run to tie the game.

Georgia forced another three-and-out on the next drive — its third of the game — and came right back for another score.. The Bulldogs put together a six-play drive that seemed destined to end in the end zone again, but the team had to settle for Jack Podlesny’s 32-yard field goal for its first lead of the game.

As momentous as taking the lead was for the Bulldogs, it didn’t last long.

Stroud hit Egbuka for 19 yards on the ensuing drive’s second play before finding Julian Fleming for 13 yards on the following play. Stroud took the big shot with the next play, firing deep downfield to Xavier Johnson. Johnson made a catch and then executed a smooth spin move for a score of 37 yards.

Georgia tried to make one more scoring drive, but Georgia was unable to do so. The Bulldogs then wisely stopped the clock to enter the locker room three minutes later.

Both teams traded blows back-and-forth as the game began.

Neither team manufactured much in the early going before the Buckeyes found the game’s first points when Stroud rolled to his right, extended the play then fired deep to the end zone to Harrison, who was well past Malaki Starks and made the easy catch for a 31-yard score.

Georgia responded with an eight-play drive, which seemed to settle the Bulldogs. The Bulldogs ended their drive with an outstanding call. Bennett made a great pass to Kenny McIntosh through a screen that allowed McIntosh to run downfield for a 25-yard rushing touchdown.

Ohio State’s Miyan Williams delivered the next trip to the end zone with a 2-yard run with 12:30 to go in the first half.