Top Plays of the Kirby Smart Era (Semifinal #1)
As Kirby Smart prepares for the start of his eighth season at Georgia’s helm, UGASports wants to determine the Bulldogs’ top plays thus far during the head coach’s successful tenure in Athens. For each matchup in a bracket-style tournament, UGASports staff argue for/against Georgia’s top plays since the start of the 2016 season. Subscribers vote for the top or the best of the two plays—and the play that gets the most votes moves onto the next round.
For the first of two semifinal matchups, we counter Kelee Ringo’s pick-six which clinched Georgia’s win over Alabama for the national championship; vs. the Stetson Bennett-to-Adonai Mitchell 40-yard touchdown which gave the Bulldogs a fourth-quarter lead in the same game. VOTE HERE.
#1 seed—Ringo’s Pick-6 Clinches Championship (2022 CFP National Championship Game vs. Alabama)
With Alabama trailing by eight points with just over a minute remaining and facing third down on Georgia’s 44-yard line, Heisman Trophy winner Bryce Young heaved a pass down the left side intended for Traeshon Holden. Bulldog cornerback Kelee Ringo intercepted Young, clinching an elusive national championship for Georgia, and raced behind a convoy of blockers into the end zone for a 79-yard touchdown.
PAUL: Yes, the Bennett-to-Mitchell touchdown did put the Dawgs ahead of Alabama, but Ringo's pick-six SEALED the deal to win a national championship. We all saw what was coming had Ringo not intercepted Young’s pass. Which of the two plays was all over the front of newspapers everywhere? It was the Ringo interception, not the Mitchell touchdown. One play put Georgia ahead, while the other secured the championship for the Dawgs and put them in the history books.
#1 seed—Bennett-to-Mitchell for the Lead (2022 CFP National Championship Game vs. Alabama)
Trailing Alabama by five points with just over eight minutes remaining in the 2022 CFP National Championship Game, and facing 2nd and 18, Georgia’s Stetson Bennett lobbed a 40-yard touchdown to freshman Adonai Mitchell, who had to adjust to catch the slightly underthrown ball. The scoring play, which capped a 4-play, 75-yard drive, gave the Bulldogs a one-point lead in ultimately a 33-18 championship victory.
PATRICK: I give the Bennett-to-Mitchell touchdown the slight edge simply because it was more “game-deciding” than the Ringo pick-six in my opinion, and therefore a greater/more significant play. Whereas Georgia likely still wins the national championship whether the pick-six happens or not, Bennett-to-Mitchell was a critical score giving the Bulldogs a fourth-quarter, one-point lead over Alabama—a lead they wouldn’t relinquish. And maybe I’m reaching but I think the 40-yard touchdown in the title game is enhanced even further considering the difficulty of Mitchell’s catch. On the other hand, the interception and scoring return seemed to be executed with little difficulty by Ringo.
Your vote helps decide the Bulldogs’ top play of the Kirby Smart era. VOTE HERE.