INDIANAPOLIS, Ind. – It’s over. Forty-one years of frustration and agony was wiped away Monday night at Lucas Oil Stadium.
The Georgia Bulldogs are your 2021 National Championship with a 33-18 win over Alabama, snapping a seven-game losing streak to the Crimson Tide to secure the coveted crown.
"There's a lot of satisfaction, but ultimately it's those guys in the room, the blood, sweat, and tears, and 200 something workouts and 160 something practices," head coach Kirby Smart said. "I appreciate them so much."
Georgia won the game when Stetson Bennett led the Bulldogs (14-1) to 14 unanswered points in the fourth quarter before Kelee Ringo iced the title with a 79-yard pick six, the longest in championship game history.
For Bennett, the victory capped one of the most wondering stories in college football.
The former walk-on completed 17 of 26 passes for 224 yards and two scores, one each to AD Mitchell and tight end Brock Bowers.
Running backs Zamir White and James Cook rushed for 84 and 77 yards. White scored a touchdown on a 1-yard run.
Bulldog fans would have to sweat out the win.
After Alabama kicked a field goal to draw within 13-12, Bennett was pressured on third down. In the grasp of the defender, Bennett threw as he was hit, with the ball dribbling toward the sideline.
Following a lengthy review, the play was ruled a fumble, giving Alabama (13-2) the football at the Bulldogs 16.
Three plays later, Bryce Young hit Cameron Latu with a 2-yard touchdown pass.
A two-point conversion failed when Young was run down by Nolan Smith, but the Crimson Tide had an 18-13 lead.
On the arm of Bennett, the Bulldogs would answer right back.
A completion of 18 yards to Jermaine Burton was followed by a pass interference call on the Tide to move the ball to the 43 of Alabama.
The Tide would sack Bennett for an 8-yard loss, but on the next play—magic.
Alabama appeared to jump offsides, giving Georgia a free play. Bennett took advantage, hitting freshman Mitchell for a 40-yard touchdown.
"I knew that once I fumbled the ball, I was not going to be the reason we lost this game. Coach Monk dialed up awesome play action," Bennett said. "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."
On the next possession, Bennett hit Bowers for a 15-yard touchdowns to push the lead to eight.
When Ringo made his subsequent Pick-6, the Georgia sideline and crowd consisting mostly of Bulldog fans exploded.
"Our support has been tremendous. When we go on the road, our fans have been absolutely incredible. I think about Loran Smith who's sitting there, I think about hugging Vince Dooley's neck after the game and I'm in tears and he's in tears," Smart said. "I got off the elevator the other night and I thought it was a sign when the elevator opened on the 15th floor and Vince Dooley was sitting on a bench locked out of his room. I thought, God put him there for me to see him the night before this game, and he was waiting on his key to come up to his room.
I knew that meant something. It was a special, special win. It wouldn't have happened without these two guys sitting next to me and those men in that locker room. Just incredible, incredible connection and toughness. That was a tough game."
Trailing 9-6 at the half, Georgia twice made it inside the Alabama 50-yard line, but failed to come away with points.
It appeared the missed opportunities would cost the Bulldogs after Alabama took a punt from its own 2 and drove to the 30 before the defense stiffened, bringing up fourth down.
The Tide would reach for a 47-yard field goal by Will Reichard, but Jalen Carter had other ideas when he broke in and blocked the attempt, keeping the score at 9-6.
That’s when Cook gave Georgia the offensive spark it was desperately searching for.
On the first play, Cook broke off a game record 67-yard run down to the Alabama 13.
Two plays later, White plunged in from the 1 and a 13-9 lead.
Alabama would answer, driving 72 yards on 10 plays for Reichard’s fourth field goal. It could have been worse. A 28-yard completion from Young set the Crimson Tide up at the 5 before Georgia’s defense kept Alabama out of the end zone.
It looked like Georgia received the game’s first big break when Jordan Davis tackled Young. The ball came loose, with Nakobe Dean picking it up and returning for an apparent touchdown.
Not quite.
After a review, it was determined that Young’s arm was going forward, allowing Alabama to keep possession.
The Crimson Tide ultimately settled for a 37-yard field goal by Reichard to cap a 14-play, 56-yard drive.
Georgia would respond with a drive that netted a 24-yard field goal by Jack Podlesny, but otherwise the Bulldogs did not get much going offensively.
Thanks to the defense, the game did not get out of hand.
Alabama responded with two more field goals by Reichard for a 9-3 lead, the final coming on a 37-yarder after Young was sacked by Channing Tindall for a 13-yard sack.
The Bulldogs later answered with a 49-yard field goal by Podlesny to bring Georgia back within 9-6.
