Walk-on Jack Podlesny was the hero, kicking a 54 yard FG with two seconds left to lift the #9 ranked Bulldogs to a hard-fought 24-21 victory over the inspired #8 Cincinnati Bearcats in Mercedes Benz Stadium in Atlanta for the Chick-fil-A Peach Bowl. The undefeated Bearcats gave Georgia everything they could handle in a game that proved that teams outside of the Power Five conferences can hang with the blue bloods and potentially belong in the conversation for future playoff selections. From Georgia’s perspective, it was an at-times sloppy performance, but a strong fourth quarter proved to be enough to give Kirby Smart and company another signature bowl win, adding to last year’s Sugar Bowl victory. As the Dawgs now turn the page on another potential top 6 finish and Peach Bowl win and look forward to lofty expectations in 2021, here are a few observations from yesterday’s game.
1. Georgia will be loaded at Wide Receiver next year.
Quarterback JT Daniels has to be absolutely thrilled with his decision to transfer to Georgia after a 4-0 start to his career as the Bulldogs starting quarterback. A big reason for the success has been the plethora of pass catchers he has available to him, all of which will be returning in 2021. Phenom George Pickens will be back after another huge performance, which saw him grab seven catches for 135 yards and a touchdown. His diving 51-yard catch on a well-thrown ball by Daniels was a glimpse at the type of impact plays he is capable of making, and he will be extremely motivated next season to improve his draft stock. True freshman speedster Arian Smith proved again why he will be an incredible asset next year, blowing by his defender for a 50-yard grab that set up another score. That is back to back games with long, vertical catches for Smith after spending the majority of the season out with a leg injury.
Sophomore Kearis Jackson did have a key fourth down drop but also showed excellent burst on a few screens to create big plays. Jackson was the surprise receiver yardage leader this season and will also be back next year. This is all without star true freshman Jermaine Burton having much of an impact today due to COVID issues. Throw 6’7 mammoth freshman TE Darnell Washington into the mix, and you have arguably one of the most talented receiving rooms in America. Also, do not forget that last year’s impact freshman receiver Dominick Blaylock has missed the entire season with a torn ACL and will hopefully be back healthy next fall. I think it is safe to say Georgia and Daniels will be airing it out a lot in Athens in 2021.
2. The new-look Offensive Line will have to mesh fast
One clear negative from yesterday’s game was the performance of the offensive line. With all-American guard, Ben Cleveland opting out to prepare for the draft as well as starting center Trey Hill missing through injury, offensive line coach Matt Luke was forced to shuffle his starting five around. Xavier Truss struggled in his first career start at left tackle, getting penalized for a block in the back and struggling to open up holes in the run game. Jamaree Salyer was forced to shift inside to guard and looked unsure of himself at times against the incredibly athletic Cincinnati front seven. Warren Ericson probably had the cleanest performance of the line at center, filling in admirably again for Trey Hill, but the right side of the line with Justin Shaffer at guard and Warren McClendon at tackle also had their issues. McClendon had some especially difficult moments in pass protection, and none of the line did well with their run blocking as Georgia managed only 45 yards on 24 carries.
While Cincinnati undoubtedly boasts one of the best defenses in the country, performances like this will not cut it against Georgia’s difficult schedule next year. That schedule includes a season-opening game against Clemson, so the offensive line will clearly be a point of emphasis for Kirby and his staff this Spring as they will look to find the best combination of guys to get back to the consistent run game that the Dawgs need to be successful.
3. Azeez Ojulari made himself a ton of money
If there was one man who won this game for Georgia besides Podlesny, it was undoubtedly star outside linebacker Azeez Ojulari. Most expected Ojulari to opt-out of the bowl game in order to start preparing for the NFL Draft, where he was a potential fringe first round pick. Instead, he decided to battle one last time for his team, and boy oh boy, is Kirby Smart glad that he did. Georgia does not win this game without him, and that is not even a slight exaggeration. Down 21-10 early in the fourth quarter, he sprung the Bulldogs to life, blowing by Cincinnati’s replacement left tackle and stripping Bearcats quarterback Desmond Ridder. Georgia recovered and scored four plays later, and it was game on.
He then picked up his second sack of the fourth quarter on a later Bearcats drive with Georgia still down 21-16, forcing a punt, which led to yet another Dawgs score to shave the lead to 21-19 and put them in position for the miracle FG to win it. But the game’s Defensive MVP wasn’t done yet. He fittingly ended the game with a strip-sack of Ridder that led to a Cincy safety as time expired, putting a bow on a perfect final performance from one of the best pass rushers Georgia has had in a long time. In the never-ending debate on opting out versus playing in the bowl game, Ojulari provided an example of the benefits of playing. He bet on himself and took it upon himself to lead by example one last time, and he will be rewarded by being a surefire first round selection in the upcoming draft.
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