The night started with a sideline sneak attack from 'Bevo' the famous mascot/real-life steer ... and ended with an ambush on the actual playing field.
The UGA football team came up woefully short in many ways in Tuesday's Sugar Bowl, getting roughed up early, showing minimal fight before halftime and then running out of steam in hopes of a late comeback.
The result: A forgettable 28-21 loss to No. 15 Texas, with Georgia keeping the final tally respectable, thanks to a pair of fourth-quarter touchdowns.
The disappointing loss comes just three days after a number of Georgia players got snarky on Twitter, questioning Notre Dame's worth as a College Football Playoff entrant.
Did they back up that social media trash talk with a solid performance against the 'Horns? Not even close.
As such, the Bulldogs (10-3 overall, SEC East champs) likely won't have enough mojo to commandeer the No. 1 ranking next August, when the preseason prognosticators project the elite-level squads for 2019.
So, where did it go wrong on Tuesday night? Well, for starters:
a) Texas controlled the trenches (offensive/defensive lines) for vast stretches of the game. As such, the Longhorns amassed 178 rushing yards ... while holding Georgia to 72 ground yards (2.4 yards per carry).
b) Tailback D'Andre Swift was erratic when toting the rock, accounting for eight carries, 12 rushing yards and two fumbles. The lone saving grace: Swift caught five balls for 30 yards and one touchdown.
c) Texas QB Sam Ehlinger was stellar for the night, accounting for 234 total yards (169 passing) and three rushing touchdowns.
d) Jake Fromm passed for three touchdowns ... but the Georgia quarterback looked out of rhythm for the first three quarters.
(If you're scoring at home, true freshman Justin Fields didn't play, perhaps serving as his final game in a Georgia uniform.)
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Regarding the Bevo reference from above ...
During the pregame pomp and circumstance, the Sugar Bowl organizers tried to bring Bevo and Uga The Dog together for a media photo op, since they represented two of the most iconic mascot brands in college sports.
Bad idea.
Check that. Maybe the worst promotional idea. Ever.
Here's the scene: While cordoned off in a tiny rectangle, the mammoth-sized Bevo instantly despised the dog's presence, charging after Uga before things were all lined up for a poignant mascot photo.
Luckily, Uga escaped without harm, fleeing the scene before Bevo's sharp horns could do any damage.
In hindsight, this story could have had a tragic ending.
Instead, Bevo's aggressiveness was merely a metaphor for the Longhorns players, who dominated the Dawgs in the major categories of first downs, rushing yards, total yards and time of possession.
