INDIANAPOLIS, Ind. - Georgia's offense had been stuck in the mud all night.
Throughout Monday's national championship game, the Bulldogs struggled to move the ball while killing themselves with penalties. They trailed 18-13 with just over 10 minutes remaining in the season.
With their backs against the wall, the Georgia offense responded. It came up with a pair of touchdown drives to take the lead and then seal a national championship in a 33-18 win over Alabama.
The Bulldogs trailed in the fourth quarter following a fumble from quarterback Stetson Bennett. The Crimson Tide capitalized on the short field, seizing the 18-13 lead with 10:14 left in the game.
Senior offensive lineman Jamaree Salyer said the Bulldogs "re-centered" themselves in that moment. Panic or desperation didn't seep in. Rather, Georgia's offense realized it needed to get on the same page after struggling all night and avoid turnovers.
Georgia began the drive on its own 25. Two completions sandwiched around a pass interference call gave the Bulldogs a first down. After a sack, Georgia faced second-and-18 at the Alabama 40-yard line.
On the next play, an Alabama defender jumped offsides. Bennett took the snap and heaved a deep ball towards AD Mitchell. The freshman from Texas soared over his defender for an impressive touchdown grab, putting the Bulldogs back in front 19-18 with 8:09 to play.
"I knew that once I fumbled the ball I was not going to be the reason we lost this game," Bennett said. "Coach Monk dialed up awesome play action. We had been running the ball a lot, and I think we went three straight play action and then one deep ball, then we got them to jump offsides because they'd been timing up the snap a lot. But it's the thing that Coach Smart and the whole team has been preaching all year, resiliency, toughness, composure, connection."
The Bulldog defense then held with a three-and-out. The offense returned to the field with a new scenario. Holding a one-point lead with 7:10 left to play, Georgia had to simultaneously work the clock while also trying to score and seize command of the game.
Bennett said the team intended to score a touchdown because they anticipated Alabama doing the same. Salyer added the Bulldogs really hoped to drain all the time off the clock.
"Obviously running seven minutes off the clock is tough, but we've done it plenty of times before since my time here at Georgia," Salyer said. "That's kind of our calling card. That's what we want to be known as, a team, an offensive line that can finish the game, and we did."
Georgia began the drive with four straight runs. Senior Zamir White ripped off gains of seven, five, and seven yards to move the Bulldogs down to the Alabama 39-yard line.
"I personally feel like we were built for it, like camp and just like the workouts we've been through and just all the things like we're just grinding for, just everything," White said of the final drive.
Later in the possession, Georgia faced a third-and-1. Bennett faked to senior running back James Cook and flipped a pass to freshman tight end Brock Bowers. He raced into the end zone for a 15-yard score to put the Bulldogs up 26-18.
The defense then ultimately sealed the win with a pick-6. But the two massive drives by the offense in the closing minutes pulled the Bulldogs from another tight defeat to a historic victory.
"It's the thing that Coach Smart and the whole team has been preaching all year, resiliency, toughness, composure, connection," Bennett said. "I knew that those guys beside me had my back, and I had their back, too."
