ATLANTA - Georgia's hopes seemed dim after entering the locker room with three points and 61 total yards of offense - not to mention an injured Carson Beck.

With a receiving core plagued by drops, Georgia turned to its ground game and, more specifically, Trevor Etienne.

Returning from a rib injury that had kept him out of the last three games, Etienne made his return Saturday on the biggest stage of his career to date. And he did so in MVP-esque form. Etienne finished with 94 yards and two touchdowns on 16 carries.

“Yeah, to me, Trevor Etienne probably, no disrespect to Daylen (Everette), I know Daylen had a big game, and he got the MVP. But Trevor Etienne was the MVP," Georgia head coach Kirby Smart said. "Because he came and said, Coach, I want to play this game. I came to this school because I want to win a championship.”

The Florida transfer was the only Bulldog to find the end zone, with the first giving Georgia its first lead early in the third quarter. The final one - a four-yard rush - captured Georgia's 15th SEC championship.

“You don't want to rush back into things. But I've never been a part of a game like this or something like this,” Etienne said of his return from injury. “And I wanted this one back. It means a lot to me.”

Etienne wasn’t shy about wanting to play for a championship after transferring to Georgia. He even said it during an appearance on the Real Talk Podcast in the spring. However, that wasn’t the only thing that made his game-winning touchdown a full-circle moment.

Just last week, while Georgia pulled out a thrilling 44-42 win in eight overtimes over Georgia Tech, Etienne couldn’t help Georgia. Instead, he was forced to look on from the sidelines due to his injury.

“I was standing in front of the heater. It was a little cold,” Etienne said of last week’s game. “But I was like, oh, my God, it's a nail-biter. You know, like you don't know what's going to happen. But like I said, this team never gives in, never gives up.”

It contrasted to Saturday night when Etienne experienced a moment he’ll never forget.

“We get the play call, Carson hands off, perfect handoff, best handoff of my life,” Etienne said. “And I hit it back side, man, and then everybody stormed the field. It was a great feeling. It's something I'll remember forever.”