From Clemson to Alabama, here are the best moments from Georgia’s championship run

The Georgia Bulldogs are once again on top of the college football world after knocking off rival Alabama to take home Georgia’s first title in more than 40 years.

Throughout the season there were questions of whether head coach Kirby Smart could win the big game or if former walk-on quarterback Stetson Bennett could lead a team to a title.

The Bulldogs answered all those questions and plenty more in their 33-18 win over the Tide on Monday night in the national championship.

This group will go down as one of the best ever to don the red and black. Each game this season featured a stepping stone to the eventual national title from the first game in a top-five showdown with Clemson to the loss to Alabama in the SEC title game. This season ended 41 years of pain and suffering by a fan base starved for a title.

Here is a look at some of the best moments and key performances from each game of the 2021-22 season for the Georgia Bulldogs.

Game 1: Georgia 10, Clemson 3

This game started the road to the National Championship. It was one of the most anticipated games of the college football season and it lived up in some ways to all the offseason hype.

Safety Chris Smith returned an interception 74 yards for the game’s only touchdown. The defense showcased its ability to win a game when the offense struggled to move the ball most of the night.

Game 2: Georgia 56, UAB 7

Stetson Bennett’s season got started in this game after J.T. Daniels was injured against Clemson. Bennett went 10-of-12 for 288 yards and five touchdowns.

Freshman tight-end Brock Bowers topped 100 yards and caught a pair of touchdowns. Bowers proved he could be an effective weapon early in the season with key weapons out with injury.

Game 3: Georgia 40, South Carolina 13

Daniels returned to face the Gamecocks and lit up the secondary for more than 300 yards and three scores. In the postgame press conference, South Carolina head coach Shane Beamer explained just how good the Georgia defense was.

Game 4: Georgia 62, Vanderbilt 0

Wide receiver Ladd McConkey and Bowers, two oo Georgia’s most reliable pass catchers in 2021, combined for 150 yards and three scores in this blowout

Game 5: Georgia 37, Arkansas 0

Pundits claimed Arkansas was poised to upset Georgia. Instead, the Bulldogs showed up and won in dominating fashion, shutting out the Razorbacks and establishing themselves as one of the top teams in the country.

Bennett also took over as the full-time starter; Daniels only played sparingly the rest of the season.

Game 6: Georgia 34, Auburn 10

The Bulldogs, defense led by Nakobe Dean, never let Auburn get into a rhythm. Bo Nix was pressured much of the game and a few of his passes were dropped or batted around, including one Dean intercepted.

That interception swung the momentum in Georgia’s direction

Game 7: Georgia 30, Kentucky 13

Following Alabama’s loss to Texas A&M, the Bulldogs moved to No. 1 in the rankings. Some pundits thought this could be a trap game, but Georgia responded with another blowout win over a Top 15 opponent.

Game 8: Georgia 34, Florida 7

How quickly can a game turn from a nail-biter to a blowout?. Georgia and Florida fans learned the answer. Georgia held a 3-0 lead late in the first half but scored three touchdowns and went into the break up 24-0.

The scoring outburst was capped by a 50-yard interception return by Nakobe Dean when Anthony Richardson’s pass went right into his hands and he sprinted up the sideline for the score.

Game 9: Georgia 43, Missouri 6

UGA’s win over Missouri was forgettable, but it’s also when Bulldog fans learned Bennett would be the team’s permanent starting quarterback. Daniels was clearly healthy but it had become Bennett’s starting job to lose.

Game 10: Georgia 41, Tennessee 17

Could Tennessee’s uptempo could give the Bulldogs problems?. The Volunteers jumped out to an early 10-7 lead, only to have Georgia reel off 34 straight points to turn in another dominating performance over an in-conference rival.

Running back James Cook led the way with more than 140 yards of total offense and three scores.

Game 11: Georgia 56, Charleston Southern 7

The blowout was the seniors’ final game between the hedges. The most memorable moment was when defensive tackle Jordan Davis ran for a touchdown

Game 12: Georgia 45, Georgia Tech 0

Brock Bowers gave fans one of the most electric plays of the season when he caught the ball and sprinted straight up the middle of the field for the score. Georgia’s defense pitched its third shutout of the season.

Game 13: Alabama 41, Georgia 24

The SEC title game was the one blemish on the Bulldogs otherwise perfect season. Alabama quarterback Bryce Young dissected the Georgia defense and put a stranglehold on the Heisman Trophy race with the win.

Georgia players weren’t defeated after the game, however: they knew they needed to refocus ahead of the College Football Playoff.

Game 14: Georgia 34, Michigan 11

For weeks the Bulldogs were doubted ahead of their meeting with a red-hot Michigan team. The performance in the SEC title game left a lot to be desired and had many projecting a semi-final exit. Instead, Georgia jumped all over Michigan en route to another blowout victory.

The signature play came on a half -back pass from Kenny McIntosh to Adonai Mitchell.

Game 15: Georgia 33, Alabama 18

The revenge and redemption game for the Bulldogs came just over a month after being blown out in Atlanta in the SEC title game. It looked as though Georgia might be destined to lose to its nemesis once again when Bennett fumbled the ball late in the fourth quarter.

Alabama took an 18-13 lead before Georgia stormed back with a pair of Bennett touchdown passes, none bigger than the go-ahead strike to Mitchell on a beautifully placed throw. Kelee Ringo sealed the game with a 79-yard interception return for a touchdown.