The No. 8 Georgia Bulldogs started slowly in the Chick-fil-A Peach Bowl on Friday afternoon. In fact, they trailed the No. 9 Cincinnati Bearcats by 11 heading into the fourth quarter and showed very little energy on the sideline to indicate a comeback was possible.
However, the Dawgs did prevail.
Capitalizing on a fumble recovery early in the fourth quarter, Georgia quickly scored to pull within five. The Bulldogs then ended the game with a pair of field goals and a safety while the defense shut down the Bearcats offense to win, 24-21.
Georgia kicker Jake Podlesny nailed a 53-yard field goal with three seconds remaining in regulation to give the Bulldogs a 1-point edge. The defense capped off the afternoon with a safety on the final play.
The Bulldogs defensive pressure fueled the team’s comeback in the fourth quarter. Georgia recorded eight sacks, including one that led to a fumble recovery. The Bulldogs scored a touchdown on offense two plays later.
While Georgia’s offense struggled most of the day, the defense excelled, especially after halftime. After Cincinnati running back Jerome Ford ran for a 79-yard touchdown on the second play of the third quarter, Cincinnati posted 17 yards during the final 29 minutes of regulation.
Still, our DawgNation Facebook group focused heavily on the offense’s struggles and the team’s lackluster start to the contest. The Bulldogs were a putrid 1-for-11 on third down. They also rushed for only 45 yards and under 2.0 yards per carry.
A big reason for the struggles offensively was the lack of continuity along the offensive line due to opt outs and injuries. DawgNation fans were not pleased with players electing to forego dressing for Georgia one more time in an effort to begin preparing for the NFL draft.
Here’s a little taste of DawgNation’s reaction to the win and the team’s struggles in the Peach Bowl:
