Georgia blows past LSU in SEC Championship Game

No. 1 Georgia was favored in the SEC Championship by 17.5 points against an LSU team that finished the year at 9-3.

The final score was even more lopsided.

In head coach Brian Kelly’s first season at the helm in Baton Rouge, the Tigers far exceeded expectations en route to winning the SEC West.

But Kelly’s first trip to the SEC Championship matched up an LSU team short on depth with a Georgia team that was 12-0 and hitting on all cylinders.

The result: a 50-30 blowout by the Bulldogs.

For a moment, it appeared the Tigers might hang around with the nation’s top ranked team. With the game still scoreless in the final minutes of the first quarter, LSU put together a 14-play drive that resulted in a field goal attempt to go ahead 3-0.

Instead of taking the lead, the Tigers fell behind 7-0 after a bizarre sequence. The field goal attempt was blocked, but LSU’s players seemed unaware that the ball was still live despite the block. Georgia scooped it up and ran it back 96 yards for the touchdown.

The Tigers answered with a quick scoring drive to tie it up at 7-7, but Georgia did the same to extend the lead to 14-7 to close out the first quarter. By halftime, the Bulldogs were ahead 35-10.

LSU quarterback Jayden Daniels played in the first half, but after taking a number of hits to an already injured ankle, backup quarterback Garrett Nussmeier stepped in for the second half. Nussmeier hit on some nice throws and led a few touchdown drives, but it wasn’t going to be enough on a night where the Bulldogs hit the 50-point mark.

LSU’s offense scored more points (30) than any other team had against the Bulldogs this season. The Tigers also now own the SEC Championship single-game passing record with 502 yards.

Unfortunately, the Bulldogs still won by 20 points.

Here’s the recap on how all the scoring played out in this year’s SEC Championship Game.

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FIRST QUARTER

LSU won the toss and elected to receive

The Tigers took the ball first to kick off the SEC Championship, and quarterback Jayden Daniels was the team’s starter after suffering an ankle injury a week ago.

Daniels quickly picked up a third down conversion with his legs, then another five-yard keeper on first down. But a pair of incomplete passes for a fourth down and punt.

The good news for LSU: the defense immediately forced a three-and-out on Georgia’s opening possession to give the offense the ball back.

That’s when Daniels began to click early with his receivers.

The Tigers went on an impressive 14-play, 69-yard drive where Daniels pulled the trigger in a number of big throws, and by drive’s end he was 8-for-10 passing with completions to six different receivers. But after being forced into a field goal attempt from the 14-yard line, things went awry.

LSU’s field goal attempt was blocked, but unlike an extra point, the ball isn’t immediately blown dead. The Tigers began to jog off the field following the miss, but Georgia scooped up the live ball and returned it 96 yards for a touchdown.

The LSU special teams woes have loomed over the team like a dark cloud this season, but that proved to be one of the most head-scratching moments of the year as it appeared the Tigers weren’t coached up to the rules of the moment.

Georgia 7, LSU 0 – 3:33 remaining in first quarter

After a gut punch to momentum following LSU’s 14-play drive, the Tigers quickly shook off the seven points by matching it.

First, Josh Williams opened things with a seven yard run, then he caught a pass and took it 15 yards. From there, Daniels hit Kayshon Boutte in stride and Boutte did the rest, running past the UGA defense for the 53-yard touchdown.

LSU 7, Georgia 7 – 2:21 remaining in first quarter

Georgia went three-and-out on the opening possession, but the Bulldogs weren’t going to find the same fate twice out of the gates.

Quarterback Stetson Bennett led UGA on a seven-play scoring drive that resulted in a short touchdown pass to tight end Brock Bowers. Bowers also had a 32-yard catch on the drive.

Georgia 14, LSU 7 – 0:03 remaining in first quarter

SECOND QUARTER

On LSU’s ensuing possession, the bad luck arrived.

Jack Bech went up for a contested pass that was tipped into the air, deflected off Bech’s helmet on the way down, was tipped by a UGA defender, then caught by Georgia’s Smael Mondon Jr. for the interception.

On the first Georgia snap, Bennett hit Ladd McConkey for the 22-yard touchdown.

Georgia 21, LSU 7 – 14:43 remaining in second quarter

In need of points after falling behind by double-digits, the Tigers came out passing with a nine-yard throw from Daniels to Brian Thomas Jr. But the drive stalled there following a second down incompletion and a third down handoff to Josh Williams that was stuffed at the line.

LSU punted the ball back to Georgia as the clock ticked under 13 minutes until halftime.

The Bulldogs went on a nine-play drive following the punt, but the LSU defense forced the field goal, which went off the upright for the miss to keep the score at 21-7 with eight minutes until halftime.

For the Tigers, three straight incompletions on a pass thrown away by Daniels, a contested ball over the middle to Boutte and a deep pass to Nabers led to another punt.

Georgia took the ball back over up 14 points with just under seven minutes until halftime.

The Bulldogs then turned in the offense’s first double-digit play drive of the first half, converting three times on third down passes to set up 1st-and-10 from inside the red zone.

The drive was capped off with yet another touchdown, this time with Bennett hitting Darnell Washington for the touchdown.

Georgia 28, LSU 7 – 2:48 remaining until halftime

Another LSU possession, another three-and-out for the offense.

After going nowhere on a first down run, Daniels was sacked by Jalen Carter to set up a 3rd-and-16. Daniels left the game shaken up, and backup Garrett Nussmeier stepped in for the third-and-long play. His throw over the middle was nearly intercepted, but the ball hit the ground and set up another LSU punt.

UGA took over at the 42-yard line with two minutes until halftime, and Bennett quickly hit on a 19-yard pass before Daijun Edwards popped off a 15-yard run. McConkey then hauled in a 22-yard catch to set up 1st-and-Goal at the 2-yard line. Edwards was hit for a one-yard loss by linebacker Micah Baskerville and safety Major Burns, but Bennett found Dillon Bell on second down for the touchdown.

With Georgia set to get the ball after halftime, the lead appears insurmountable for the Tigers despite an entire second half to play.

Georgia 35, LSU 7 – 0:32 remaining in second quarter

Daniels managed to return to the game for the final drive of the half, and he completed four straight passes before spiking the ball to kill the clock. After another first down pass to Boutte, the Tigers called a timeout and converted on a 42-yard field goal by Damian Ramos.

Georgia 35, LSU 10

HALFTIME

THIRD QUARTER

Georgia got the ball to start the second half and went on an 8-play drive to cross midfield, but a botched exchange on a handoff put the ball on the ground. LSU defensive lineman Jaquelin Roy picked up the loose ball at the 43-yard line.

LSU quarterback Jayden Daniels was 16-for-24 passing for 208 yards, a touchdown and an interception in the first half, but he was clearly hampered by his ankle injury given he rushed for -6 yards across the two quarters.

Daniels wasn’t able to return to the game in the second half, and LSU turned to backup quarterback Garrett Nussmeier.

On the first snap, Nussmeier rolled out and hit Kayshon Boutte for a 20-yard gain. On the second snap, he went vertical to connect with Malik Nabers on a nice throw for the 34-yard touchdown.

Georgia 35, LSU 17 – 10:33 remaining in the third quarter

The LSU defense forced a three-and-out immediately, giving the ball back to Nussmeier and the LSU offense after taking just one minute off the clock.

The Tigers started the drive at the LSU 27-yard line, and Nussmeier picked up where he left off by throwing a deep bomb to Nabers for the 59-yard gain. After a couple incomplete passes from inside the red zone, Nussmeier faced a third down blitz and was able to get rid of the ball to tight end Mason Taylor, who got himself near the sticks for a 4th-and-1.

Down 18 points midway through the third quarter, the Tigers elected to go for it from just outside the five-yard line, but the run by Josh Williams was stuffed to force the turnover on downs.

With eight minutes until the end of the third quarter, the LSU defense quickly got UGA into a third down situation, but a beautifully executed quick screen got the first down. Then, running back Kendall Milton broke off a 51-yard run to put Georgia back in the red zone.

Three plays later, the Bulldogs were back in the end zone.

Georgia 42, LSU 17 – 3:32 remaining in third quarter

Just when it appeared the Tigers might be completely down and out, LSU answered with a five-play touchdown drive. The biggest gain come off a 47-yard run by Josh Williams, who then punched it in for the score three plays later.

LSU went for the two-point conversion but were unsuccesful.

Georgia 42, LSU 23 – 1:46 remaining in third quarter

A 23-yard pass to Brock Bowers got the ball across midfield for the Bulldogs before the clock expired on the end of the third quarter.

FOURTH QUARTER

Georgia running back Daijun Edwards opened up the final quarter with a 28-yard run to get the ball in the red zone, and Kenny McIntosh stepped in to punch in the score from eight yards out.

Despite being up 48-23 with less than 15 minutes to play, Kirby Smart and offensive coordinator Todd Monken went for the jugular. The Bulldogs chose not to kick the extra point, instead calling a trick play on a reverse pass for the two-point conversion to get to 50 points on the scoreboard.

Georgia 50, LSU 23 – 13:13 remaining in the fourth quarter

With Nussmeier still in at quarterback, the Tigers converted on a third down, but the next third down resulted in an interception by the UGA defense.

The Bulldogs got the ball back, but LSU’s defense forced a quick three-and-out and punt.

LSU got the ball back with nine minutes remaining in the game and down by 27 points.

Nussmeier shook off the interception on the prior drive by tossing for 50 yards on the first two plays of the drive, but the memorable moment came on 4th-and-10. Nussmeier appeared to be sacked, but he shook off the defender, spun out of the pocket and delivered a 33-yard strike across his body to Jaray Jenkins for a touchdown.

Georgia 50, LSU 30 – 7:12 remaining in the fourth quarter

The LSU defense forced another three-and-out, but the resulting offensive drive saw Nussmeier get sacked and fumble to give Georgia the ball back with less than four minutes to play.

The Bulldogs kneeled out the clock from there to secure the 20-point win.

FINAL: Georgia 50, LSU 30