MIAMI GARDENS, Fla. — Well, the debate if whether Florida State belonged in the playoffs was quickly settled on Saturday -- but the question of if Georgia was one of the four best teams picked up steam once again after the Dawgs trounced the 'Noles by a final of 63-3 in the Orange Bowl.
It was a masterclass performance by Kirby Smart and company on Saturday. Led by quarterback Carson Beck in the first half and backup Gunner Stockton in the second half, the Dawgs sent a message from the get-go and never let their foot off the gas pedal.
After FSU made some stops on the Dawgs' offense in the first quarter, UGA operated a relentless attack in the second quarter to the tune of five touchdowns. It was a balanced attack that featured three rushing scores and two more through the air, capped off by a wild 27-yard touchdown rush by wide receiver Ladd McConkey in what may be his last game as a Bulldog.
Senior running backs Kendall Milton and Daijun Edwards each made the most of their final opportunity to impress NFL scouts, as both scored two touchdowns and paced the way for the ground attack that tallied over 350 yards.
Beck was 13/18 for 203 yards and two touchdowns and broke the UGA single-season completion percentage record, surpassing the great Stetson Bennett IV.
When the second half rolled around, freshman gunslinger Gunner Stockton rose to the occasion by throwing for 96 yards and two touchdowns on 6/10 through the air.
Georgia racked up 675 total yards of offense, compared to just 209 from Florida State in what was a game that had social media fired up.
Much was made of Florida State being left out of the College Football Playoff after they went a perfect 13-0 and won the ACC, but Saturday's performance did not resemble a team that belonged in the final four.
Now, yes, the Seminoles had numerous opt-outs to star players on their way to the NFL Draft, but you would imagine a team suing their conference and opting out of the bowl game would want to send a message to the college football world they belonged where they thought they did.
Regardless, it was a fantastic win for Smart and his team to cap off the year on a positive note and head into the offseason with something to build on for those who are back in the silver britches in 2024.
