Georgia made a huge statement in its 63-3 rout of Florida State this past Saturday in the Orange Bowl.
Both teams were left out of the College Football Playoff, but the No. 6 Bulldogs showed why they should have made it after losing Dec. 2 to No. 4 Alabama in the SEC Championship game.
While the No. 5 Seminoles had many starters choosing not to play, Georgia had 20-plus players missing as well.
The Bulldogs dominated Florida State – in all facets of the game – in their 60-point win.
“The game mattered because we’re playing a game. As long as winning matters, we are going to compete like hell at Georgia. It doesn’t matter who it is,” Georgia head coach Kirby Smart said to reporters after the game. “We gave them about five things, and we looked at them each day before practice, and there were five notes on there. One of them was the senior class turning 49 (wins) into 50. And these two guys right here (Kendall Milton and Kamari Lassiter) were a big part of it. They are tremendous parts of our culture, and all games matter if you are playing a game.”
Milton rushed for a team-high 104 yards with a career-high two rushing scores on just nine carries. The senior rushed for 86 yards and a touchdown in the first quarter to give Georgia the lead.
Milton found the end zone again on the first play of the second quarter as the Bulldogs piled up 28 more points to lead Florida State 42-3 at halftime. By that point, the contest was already over.
Georgia quarterback Carson Beck tossed two touchdown passes to Dominic Lovett and Arian Smith in the second quarter, while Daijun Edwards and Ladd McConkey had one rushing score each.
Georgia’s defense and special teams did their part during the second quarter.
The Bulldogs recovered a fumble, forced a turnover on downs, and also came up with an interception before the half. Georgia defensive back Javon Bullard said he felt like Georgia played with a “chip on its shoulder.”
“Like I’ve been preaching, we feel like we’re one of the best four teams in the country,” Bullard said. “It’s a testament to how we practiced, how we played. We had a chip on our shoulders coming in. We felt like we were one of the best teams in the country. We played like that tonight.”
Georgia didn’t take its foot off the gas in the second half, either. The Bulldogs played their backups the rest of the game and didn’t disappoint. They scored three more times in the second half.
Georgia backup quarterback Gunner Stockton shined and completed 6 of 10 passes for 96 yards and a pair of touchdowns. The redshirt freshman signal-caller also rushed for 46 yards on seven carries.
“That was super fun (to watch). Gunner hasn’t gotten a lot of experience as far as in-game stuff. But, for him to go out there, and have almost two full quarters of work, that was super fun,” Beck said of Stockton’s performance. “And to see him throw his first touchdown … I just remember what it was like for me when I got my first opportunity to go into a game. I know he probably had a similar feeling today, and I know how exciting that is, so I just tried to cheer him on.”
Freshman running back Roderick Robinson III, who has battled injuries this year, had a great game. He rushed for 70 yards on seven attempts.
Sophomore Dillon Bell also hauled in five receptions for 86 yards. Freshman Anthony Evans Jr. hauled in his first career touchdown as well.
Defensively, freshman linebacker CJ Allen led Georgia in tackles with six. Sophomores Daylen Everette and Malaki Starks had one interception each off Florida State quarterback Brock Glenn.
Offensively, the Bulldogs had a season-high 673 yards of total offense while their defense held Florida State to just 209 yards.
The Seminoles also were held to 2-of-12 conversions on third downs.
Bullard said Georgia played to its standard in the Orange Bowl, despite its missing players.
“Georgia is going to be Georgia, no matter who we play. It’s a testament to how (hard) we work,” Bullard said. “Some people may think a game like this doesn’t matter. That wasn’t our thought process at all. These guys (2023 Bulldogs) came in ready to work, they were dialed into the plan and bought into the preparation. A win is a win and I’m happy to get one more with these guys.”