MIAMI BEACH, Fla. — Kendall Milton sparked Georgia’s record-breaking Orange Bowl victory on Saturday night en route to winning MVP Honors.
Milton had 9 carries for 104 yards and scored the first two touchdowns in the Bulldogs’ 63-3 win over Florida State at Hard Rock Stadium.
“Kendall has meant a lot to this program, he’s given so much and been through a lot,” Georgia coach Kirby Smart said. “I still remember going all the way to California, being in his house, seeing him and his parents, and he’s sacrificed a ton to make this program a better place, and he’s worked his tail off.”
Milton scored at least one TD in his final nine games with the Bulldogs. Milton had touchdowns over the past five games, leading the team with 14 touchdowns this season.
Milton opened the scoring on Saturday under cloudy skies amid 65 degree temperatures with a 15-yard TD run at the 4:05 mark of the first quarter. Milton, on his fifth carry of the game started left and then cut back hard against the grain to his right en route to the end zone.
Milton added to the Georgia lead on the first play of the second quarter, bursting in from 5 yards out behind the right side of the line of scrimmage.
The senior from Clovis, Calif., set up his second TD with a 43-yard gallop five plays into the scoring drive.
As impressive Milton was in the game, he might have been the MVP before the game even kicked off.
Milton was the first of the Georgia players to commit to the Orange Bowl, saying immediately after the SEC Championship Game that “I’ve been through hell and back with these boys, so there’s no way I won’t take every opportunity that I can to be able to play with them.”
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Word spread quickly of Milton’s pledge, and team captain Sedrick Van Pran was also quickly on board.
“The rest of the team kind of took on that responsibility,” Milton said, explaining how Georgia’s opt-in mentality spread through the locker room and during the workouts.
“I would have receivers, the offensive linemen, the defensive linemen coming up to us saying we’re going to send you out the right way, and that showed in practice, how hard we all practice.”
Milton said it was hard to hold his emotions in check, knowing all he and his Georgia teammates have been through together these past four seasons.
It made the team that much more determined to finish on a high note against Florida State in the Orange Bowl.
“Everybody really took it to heart, and I’m just blessed to be with a group of guys like that,” Milton said. “I’ve been fighting tears all week, before the game fighting tears, after the game fighting tears because this team is a family.
“Some people just say it, but this team is a real brotherhood. It really shows day in and day out, and I couldn’t ask for a greater team to be a part of.”
