Stetson Bennett: Inside the huddle of Georgia’s game-winning drive against Ohio State

ATLANTA —Stetson Bennett couldn’t believe it himself, but once the game was in his hands, he knew what to do with it.

Bennett and Georgia took possession at their own 28 with 2:36 left in the game trailing 41-35 and fans in Mercedes-Benz Stadium on the edge of their seats.

“It’s in our hands now, you know?” Bennett said he thought to himself when he took the field for the game-winning drive.

“Just looking around at everybody, we hadn’t played our best or done our jobs to the best of our ability, but we’re here now,” he said. “We have the ball with 2 minutes left, and if we score a touchdown, you win the game.”

Bennett’s 10-yard TD pass to A.D. Mitchell tied the game and Jack Podlesny’s extra point gave the Bulldogs a 42-41 edge with 54 seconds left.

The only thing Bennett didn’t like about the score was how much time was left on the clock for talented Ohio State quarterback C.J. Stroud.

“When we scored, I was scared to death because they played a hell of a game on offense,” Bennett said. “I was like, ‘Dang, we scored too quick, and then our dudes stepped up. What a game. What a game, you know?”

The defense did come through, stalling the Ohio State drive at the Georgia 32-yard line, leading to the Buckeyes’ missing a potential game-winning 50-yard field goal in the game’s final seconds.

Bennett finished 23-of-34 passing for 398 yards with 3 touchdowns and an interception, winning the game’s Offensive MVP honors.

“I’m a little bit biased,” Bennett said, “(But) that might be better than the [2018] Rose Bowl. I don’t know, but good Lord.”

The Bennett-to-Mitchell connection was missing much of the year, as Mitchell had been sidelined by a high ankle sprain suffered in the second game of the season.

But Mitchell appeared back in form in the clutch, finishing with 43 yards on 3 catches including the game-winning play.

“Just because he was out, it doesn’t change who he was,” Bennett said. “We had to get back on the same page but I knew at the time that at the top of that route, there’s not many people that can stay with him quickness-wise.

“I just trusted him, I put it up before he even came out and just threw it up softly and he went and made a play. Wow.”