For the second-straight year, the Georgia Bulldogs are heading back to the SEC Championship game. After beating in-state rival Georgia Tech 37-14 last Saturday, Georgia now could capture something it hasn’t been able to since 2017: an SEC title.
Kirby Smart’s team also made it to Mercedes-Benz Stadium last December, but the Bulldogs came up short against Alabama before eventually beating them in a rematch in the National Championship game.
This year, Georgia comes into the contest 12-0, just as it did the year before; however, this time the Bulldogs are lining up against the LSU Tigers, who Smart believes have worked tremendously hard to get to this point and will be a formidable opponent.
“They’ve gotten better throughout from the start of the season until now. I know their quarterback has gotten better,” he said. “And that’s what you’re always trying to do to win an SEC championship is ascend and get better as you go along.”
The last time Georgia played LSU was in 2019 in that year’s SEC Championship game.
Then-quarterback Joe Burrow helped the Tigers put 37 points up against the Bulldogs and eventually led his teammates to a National Championship, too.
When it comes to playing for the conference title, Georgia has historically struggled with LSU. The two teams have played each other four times in the championship game and the Bulldogs prevailed just once, in 2005.
Recently, the Tigers have had the Bulldogs' number also. LSU has won four of the last five meetings between the programs and held the Bulldogs to less than 17 points in each of its victories. Regardless, a lot has changed in Baton Rouge since the last time these two teams saw each other.
The Tigers are now led by first-year head coach Brian Kelly, who like Smart, could be in consideration for SEC Coach of the Year honors. Kelly has been coaching at the collegiate level for almost 35 years and is experienced when it comes to building programs back up to prominence.
Just two years after winning its last title, LSU finished its 2021 season 6-7. The administration then hired Kelly and the Tigers are 9-3 this year.
They also might not have a generational talent like Burrow at the helm of the offense, but junior Jayden Daniels has been difficult to defend most of this year. The Arizona State transfer has thrown for 2,566 yards on the season so far and added 15 touchdowns with only two interceptions. On top of that, Daniels has rushed for over 800 yards and scored 11 touchdowns on the ground.
During a Monday press conference, Smart acknowledged how skilled Daniels is, both on the ground and through the air.
“He can go into super quick, hyper-speed mode, run away from you, run around you. He stiff arms guys. He’s really athletic,” Smart said. “But it’s not like he’s one of these guys that can’t throw. He’s a pocket passer and he’s very polished.”
Georgia’s middle linebackers like Jamon-Dumas Johnson and Smael Mondon will have their hands full in containing Daniels, especially if he’s healthy. Daniels tweaked his ankle in the Tigers’ final regular season contest against Texas A&M last weekend but remains probable to take the field against the Bulldogs this Saturday.
In terms of the Bulldogs' offense, it has occasionally stalled, especially in the red zone lately; however, Smart believes that’s part of the game, and he believes in his guys to make plays.
“I think all offenses are that way. I think it’s called momentum, and it’s real. We’ve had some really bad drives in bad quarters, and I’m like where did that come from?” Smart said. “You’re trying to find the thing that makes you more consistent, but sometimes it’s momentum in the flow of things, and when you get things flowing, you play better.”
With the game in Atlanta, the Bulldogs hope to have some sense of home-field advantage. The last time Georgia played at Mercedes-Benz was the 2022 season opener against Oregon, in which the Bulldogs dominated with a 49-3 win.
If Bulldogs quarterback Stetson Bennett and the rest of the offense can get comfortable like in the game against the Ducks, it may be a long night for the Tigers’ defense, which is currently ranked 36th in the country in total defense, giving up almost 350 yards per game.
Meanwhile, Georgia is eighth in total offense, averaging almost 490 yards per game, and Bennett has had a lot of targets to choose from.
One of the most emerging targets has been redshirt sophomore Ladd McConkey, who’s racked up 244 yards and five touchdowns through the air over his last five games and understands how important a win would mean to his teammates.
“Since I’ve been here we won the national championship, but one of our goals every year is to win the SEC Championship, so that’s a big goal for us and it would be a huge accomplishment," McConkey said. "SEC Championships are hard to come by."
Ultimately, a Georgia victory on Dec. 3, would almost guarantee the Bulldogs the No. 1 seed in the College Football Playoffs, but Smart understands the importance of not looking ahead and focusing on the task at hand.
“It’s not about last year’s team or a comparison. It’s about that next step and having an opportunity to put a number on the wall that stays there forever,” Smart said. “It’s an SEC Championship. You don’t belittle those. Those are hard to come by.”