Chick-fil-A Peach Bowl post-game news and notes

ATLANTA – For linebacker Azeez Ojulari, it was all about sticking with the game plan.

Three sacks and two forced fumbles later, the redshirt sophomore’s patience was rewarded, not only helping to secure the Bulldogs’ 24-21 win in the Chick-fil-A Peach Bowl, but earning himself the Defensive Team MVP Award.

“We just did everything the coaches wanted us to do. Made sure we had to get this win for the team,” Ojulari said. “The momentum—we just used it. It helped us on our way.”

Ojulari’s third sack came on the game’s final play, when he hauled down Bearcat quarterback Desmond Ridder in the end zone, moments after Jack Podlesny’s 53-yard field put Georgia ahead for the first time in the game.

Podlesny, who converted all three of his field-goal attempts, earned Peach Bowl Offensive MVP honors, becoming the first kicker to be so honored since Mississippi State’s Tim Rogers in 1995.

Ojulari finished the year with 8.5 sacks, 12.5 tackles for losses of 66 yards, and three forced fumbles - all tops on the team.

“We just executed what we had to execute,” Ojulari said. “We just kept playing hard.”

Thanks to Podlesny, head coach Kirby Smart doesn't have to worry with what might have been had the walk-on kicker not converted the game-winning 53-yard field goal to lift the Bulldogs to a 24-21 win in Friday’s Chick-fil-A Peach Bowl.

A 9.5-point favorite going in, it took Podlesny’s kick to save Georgia from dropping a game to Cincinnati, who earned the right to play in the Peach Bowl after beating Tulsa 27-24 to win the AAC Championship.

Head coach Luke Fickell’s Bearcats certainly proved they were more than a worthy opponent. Considering Georgia is thought by many to be one of the nation’s premier programs, a loss to the Bearcats no doubt would have still reflected poorly on the Bulldogs.

“I said it before: It was going to be the highs of high, the lows of low. The truth lies somewhere in the middle,” said Smart, when asked if he would have gone into the off-season feeling different about his team.

“Everybody believes in momentum. I'd feel much better if we just played our best game. I don't think we played our best game,” Smart said. “I want to give Cincinnati credit for that— they created some of that.”

Nevertheless, Smart knows what the perception would have been with a loss, and he's happy his players were able to show that yes, they truly cared about playing Friday’s game.

“The narrative was out there that our team didn't want to be here, they didn't want to practice. That was never true. Our guys practiced hard,” Smart said. “They played a really good, motivated football team that was trying to remain undefeated.”

James Cook was back in Florida to be with his family following the death of his father, but the junior running back was definitely on the minds of his teammates and coaches.

“James and I have been very close since I got here. I remember when I posted my commitment to Georgia, Cook hit me right away. I got in contact with him. He was one of the first people I buddied up with,” quarterback JT Daniels said. “He's been like a brother to me since I got here. As soon as I heard, I hit him, made sure he's doing good.”

Running back coach Dell McGee honored Cook by wearing his No. 4 jersey on the sideline during the game.

“He's a leader, he's a worker. You never hear him complain. He's always doing the right thing. When something bad happens to someone good like that, it sits with you. It was something that, as a team, we all thought about it,” Daniels said. “You saw Coach Dell with the No. 4 jersey. That's how much Cook means to us, how much we're there for him when he needs it. We know he'd be there for us if we needed him."

…Georgia’s first and last points of the 2020 season were safeties (at Arkansas in opener).

…The 2020 Bulldog seniors conclude their career with a 44-9 record, tying the school mark for most wins by a class; sharing it with the Classes of 2005 and 2019. Georgia’s 2020 season was limited to just 10 games due to the ongoing pandemic, as it went 8-2. This was the first 10-game season since 1970, when the Bulldogs went 5-5.

…Daniels finished 26-for-32 for 392 yards, with one touchdown, one fumble and one interception. Georgia ran 25 plays for 243 yards of offense (224-pass, 19-rush) in the first half and ended up with 449 yards for the game on 63 plays. Daniels had a pair of 50-plus yard completions in the first half, his first two as a Bulldog. He had a 51-yarder to Pickens and a 55-yarder to freshman Arian Smith.

…Other than opt-outs Ben Cleveland, Monty Rice, Tre' McKitty, DJ Daniel, and Eric Stokes, the only other players missing were sophomore defensive end Travon Walker, who sources say missed the contest due to contact tracing and defensive back Mark Webb who missed the game with a foot injury.

…Sixty scholarship players dressed out for the game, per the count of UGASports and other Bulldog beat writers in the press box.

…Georgia’s starting offensive line featured a shakeup with the absence of Cleveland and starting center Trey Hill (knee). Redshirt freshman Xavier Truss made his first career start at left tackle, with Jamaree Salyer moving from left tackle to left guard. Warren Ericson started in place of Hill at center, with Justin Shaffer sliding over to right guard. Redshirt freshman Warren McClendon once again opened at right guard, as he did in Georgia’s previous nine games.

…The Bulldogs’ secondary also featured a new look. With Stokes out, Tyrique Stevenson moved from Star to cornerback, with Latavious Brini making his first career start at Star. The rest of the starting secondary included Tyson Campbell (cornerback), Christopher Smith (free safety), and Lewis Cine (strong safety).

…Cincinnati starting left tackle James Hudson was ejected from the game following a targeting call late in the second quarter, following a hit on Bulldog cornerback Tyson Campbell.

…UGA's leading tacklers were Nakobe Dean and Quay Walker with seven stops each. Jordan Davis had his first sack of the year, while junior Adam Anderson had two sacks to give him 6.5 for the season—plus a fumble recovery. Senior Malik Herring added a sack in the second half to give him two this season. Redshirt sophomore Azeez Ojulari had three sacks as well, giving the Dawgs eight on the day. The previous team-high for sacks in a game this season was five against Tennessee.

...With their 57th postseason appearance, the Bulldogs also extend their nation-leading active bowl streak to 24 and move to 33-21-3 in postseason matchups while Cincinnati falls to 10-10. The loss snaps Cincinnati’s two-game bowl win streak.

…Under Kirby Smart, Georgia is now 10-6 against top-10 teams and 6-4 against top-10 teams at neutral site venues.

… Georgia moves to 4-2 in Chick-fil-A Peach Bowl matchups, in its first trip to Atlanta since the Bulldog’s 2006 win over No. 14 Virginia Tech. The Bulldogs are now tied for second in all-time Chick-fil-A Peach Bowl wins (four) with NC State and Auburn.

…Redshirt sophomore Zamir White had 39 yards on 11 carries while sophomore Kenny McIntosh had five for 18 yards. Georgia’s second-leading rusher this season, junior James Cook, did not play today as he was back home in Florida after the sudden passing of his father James Cook Sr.

… Sophomore George Pickens (7-135 yards, one touchdown) led the receivers today. Pickens first catch covered 51 yards while his touchdown catch was for 16 yards. Pickens has a team-high six touchdown receptions. Freshman tight end Darnell Washington tallied three catches for 46 yards including a career-high 38-yard reception. Coming in today, he had only four catches for 120 yards with two for 61 yards coming in the last game at Missouri. Freshman Arian Smith had a career-long 55-yard reception. Redshirt sophomore Kearis Jackson had three catches for 47 yards. McIntosh had five receptions for 43 yards.