MIAMI, Fla. – The numbers jumped off the paper.

All-American Aidan Hutchinson came into Friday’s Orange Bowl with 14 sacks for losses of 73 yards. Fellow defensive David Ojabo had 11 for losses of 86.

Against Georgia, their total was zero—the same number for the entire Michigan team.

“I think we practice against good pass rushers each day,” Smart said. “Jamaree (Salyer) and Warren (McClendon), they listen to everybody talk about those guys rushing hard. But they do a nice job.”

No doubt.

With the exception of a perimeter play by Hutchinson on Brock Bowers for a negative play, the Heisman trophy runner-up was basically a non-factor.

Ditto for Ojabo.

“There were a couple of times we got beat, even on touchdown passes and Stetson (Bennett) did a great job of getting the ball in the air,” Smart said. “Once we did not block the edge rusher and he came Scot free, but Stetson got the ball out to James (Cook), which was our only score of the second half.”

Michigan head coach Jim Harbaugh gave credit where it was due.

“It was a heckuva football fight, and they got the better end of it,” Harbaugh said. “Their guys did a great job.

Safety Christopher Smith was called for targeting late in the second quarter and ejected from the game.

He missed the second half of the Orange Bowl but will be able to play in the national championship against Alabama.

The play occurred during Derion Kendrick’s interception late, when he lowered his helmet and hit a Michigan player above the shoulders.

Later, backup linebacker Chaz Chambliss was also ejected for targeting. He will have to miss the first half of the national championship game.

Offensive coordinator Todd Monken dipped into his bag of tricks when he had running back Kenny McIntosh attempt a pass, which he completed to Adonai Mitchell for an 18-yard score.

Apparently, it came as quite as a surprise to James Cook.

“I mean, he didn’t throw a good pass all week,” Cook smiled. “So, when Coach Monken called that, I said, ‘Hold on. I know he ain’t going to call that, because he didn’t throw a good pass all week. But he threw it. It was a good pass. I was stunned. I give it to him. Great throw.”

McIntosh became the first non-quarterback to throw a touchdown pass for Georgia since Terry Godwin against Penn State in the 2015 Taxslayer Bowl against Penn State.

Brock Bowers appeared to ding his shoulder late in the game, but Smart said his freshman tight end is fine.

Per Smart, Bowers suffered a slight injury a few weeks ago. Smart anticipates Bowes having no problems as far as the national championship is concerned.

“He’s a tough kid,” Smart said. “He’s going to be fine.”

The Bulldogs did not appear to suffer any significant injuries.

… Officials Friday were from the Big 12 Conference.

… When Georgia scored on its opening drive, it marked the first time the Wolverines have trailed by a touchdown all year, according to ESPN.

… By scoring 27 in the first half, it marked the most points by Georgia in the first half of a bowl game. Ironically, the record is 33 set by the Bulldogs in the 1942 Orange Bowl against Texas Christian.

… With Kendrick's two interceptions, he joins Tony Taylor, Asher Allen, Damian Swann, Dominick Sanders, and Richard LeCounte as the last six Bulldogs with two interceptions in a bowl game.

… Georgia's MVPs were Bennett (offense: 21-for-31, 307 yards, 3 touchdowns; 3 rushes, 32 yards) and Kendrick (defense: 2 interceptions, 5 tackles). This the second time Georgia has been in the College Football Playoff. The first time came when the 2017 SEC Champions outlasted No. 2 seed Oklahoma 54-48 in double overtime in the Rose Bowl. Then, it fell to No. 4 seed Alabama 26-23 in overtime in the National Championship in Atlanta.

… The Bulldogs entered as the national leader in scoring defense at 9.5 points per game while Michigan was averaging 37.7 points per game. Michigan tallied 325 yards on 63 plays. Georgia leads the nation in red zone defense, and Michigan was just 1-for-3 inside the 20, which included a fourth down stop at the UGA 6 in the fourth quarter. Opponents have made 28 trips this year and 12 times have come away with no points. Michigan got its lone touchdown with 4:25 left in the contest.

… Friday’s leading tackler was junior Nolan Smith with eight stops and a sack, followed by 2021 Butkus Award winner junior Nakobe Dean with seven tackles, two tackles for a loss, one sack, and a forced fumble (recovered by Devonte Wyatt). Georgia forced a total of three turnovers, but did not convert any into points. Dean and senior Robert Beal collected sacks in the first half as they led the team with 6 and 5.5 this year. Overall, Georgia had four sacks to give them 45 this year.

… Coming into Friday, the Bulldogs were averaging 39.4 points per game and posted a 34-11 win over No. 2 Michigan, which was allowing just 16.1 points per game. Georgia finished with 515 yards of total offense on 67 plays. At the half, Georgia had built a 27-3 lead on 330 yards of total offense on 36 plays.

… Bennett improved to 13-3 as a starter (10-1 this year). In the first half, he went 16-for-21 for 234 yards and two touchdowns to nine different receivers. He completed his first nine passes for 92 yards before his first incompletion. With 1:38 left in the first half, he connected for a 57-yard touchdown pass to Jermaine Burton that finished a 37-second drive in three plays, covering 69 yards and made it 27-3. Bennett completed a 39-yard touchdown pass to James Cook to make it 34-3 with 11:11 left in the game.

… The leading receiver was freshman tight end Brock Bowers (six receptions, 56 yards, one touchdown), and the leading rusher was senior Zamir White with 54 yards on 12 carries. Senior James Cook had 32 yards on six attempts, and he also had four catches for 112 yards.

… Georgia took a 7-0 lead, driving 80 yards on seven plays in 4:11 to start the game. The drive was capped by a nine-yard TD pass from Bennett to Bowers. For Bowers, it was his school record 12th touchdown reception and his 50th overall catch, which also is a record for tight ends in a season. Georgia went up 14-0 after a halfback pass from McIntosh to Mitchell for 18 yards. It was the first touchdown pass by a running back since Thomas Brown to Joe Tereshinski (QB) for 9 yards against Florida in 2005.

… Georgia made its fourth appearance in the Orange Bowl, and the first since 1960, when it blanked Missouri 14-0. The Bulldogs are now 3-1 in the Orange Bowl. Georgia’s first-ever bowl game was the 1942 Orange Bowl, where the No. 20 Bulldogs defeated No. 14 TCU 40-26 to cap a 9-1-1 season. Georgia made its 25th consecutive appearance in a bowl game tonight, which is the nation’s longest active streak. Overall, the Bulldogs have played in 58 bowl games and own a mark of 34-21-3. Georgia is now 2-1 against Michigan, with the other two meetings coming during the regular season in Ann Arbor in 1957 and 1965.

… The Bulldogs’ senior class now improves to 44-8, and that ties for the most wins by a senior class, joining the 2005, 2018, and 2020 teams. Also, Georgia became only the third team in school history to win a record 13 games in a year, joining the 2002 and 2017 squads.