NEW ORLEANS – It’s been a difficult month for 5th-ranked Georgia. First came the beatdown in the SEC Championship at the hands of LSU; then a December ripe with speculation over absent players, leaving many wondering if the Bulldogs might be in store for their second straight Sugar Bowl letdown after last year’s disappointing effort against Texas.

Not this time.

Thanks to big nights from quarterback Jake Fromm and wide receiver George Pickens, the Bulldogs (12-2) proved too much for No. 7 Baylor, outlasting the Bears, 26-14.

Fromm was solid, completing 20 of 30 passes for 250 yards and two touchdowns, with Pickens tying a Georgia bowl record with 12 catches for 175 yards and a score.

With Georgia leading 19-0 at the half, the two teams swapped touchdowns in the third quarter, with Baylor scoring on a 12-yard pass from Charlie Brewer to Denzel Mims.

Georgia would answer, scoring on a 13-yard run by running back Zamir White to re-extend the lead to 19 at 26-7, on a drive that began following a sack and a forced fumble by Bulldog linebacker Azeez Ojulari.

The Bears weren’t done. Baylor's (11-3) next possession to once again draw within 12, this time with Brewer running the football in from 1-yard out.

Unfortunately, Brewer, who completed 24 of 41 passes for 211 yards, never got to see the end. He was knocked out of the game with 8:44 to play on a sideline late hit by Travon Walker. The Bears would not come close to scoring again, with Richard LeCounte ultimately sealing the game with his second interception.

Controlling—much less stopping—Pickens proved to be an impossible task in the first half for Baylor. Pickens drew single coverage and took complete advantage, catching 11 of his 12 receptions in the game for 165 yards and one touchdown on a 27-yard pass from Fromm to make the score 10-0.

Give credit to the Bulldog quarterback as well. Fromm finished the season on a second-half slide, failing to complete 50 percent of his passes for five straight games until Wednesday’s effort against the Bears that saw him complete 14 of 19 throws in the first half for 190 yards and two touchdowns.

His second touchdown went to Matt Landers in what was his first career score. Rodrigo Blankenship added field goals of 24 and 32 yards to account for the halftime score.