Field Street Forum

*Undefeated Georgia and Michigan rank in the top 12 nationally in Scoring Offense (SO) and Scoring Defense (SD). The Bulldogs are 12th in SO (38.2 ppg) and first in SD (11.3). The Wolverines are seventh in SO (39.8) and third in SD (12.7).

Top-ranked Georgia (12-0, 8-0 SEC) will be looking to capture its 14th SEC title when it meets No. 11 LSU (9-3, 6-2 SEC). The Bulldogs will be making their fifth appearance in the SEC Championship Game (SECCG) in the Kirby Smart era that began in 2016. Georgia’s last SEC title came in 2017 when the sixth-ranked Bulldogs beat fourth-ranked Auburn 28-7. In 2018 and 2021, Georgia fell to Alabama while in 2019, LSU defeated Georgia on its way to a perfect 15-0 season. The Tigers along with Clemson in 2018 are the only teams to go 15-0 in the modern era (1937-present).

Georgia’s 13 conference titles rank the second most in the SEC. The Bulldogs are 3-6 all-time in the SECCG, including 1-3 versus LSU. The teams have met with an SEC title on the line in 2003, 2005, 2011 and 2019. Georgia’s only win came in 2005 when the 13th-ranked Bulldogs upset No. 3 LSU 34-14. Georgia’s first appearance in the SECCG came in 2002 when it beat Arkansas. That Bulldog squad posted a 13-1 final mark.

LSU leads the overall series 18-13-1 including 2-0 against Smart’s Bulldogs. During the 2018 regular season, second-ranked Georgia was upset 36-16 by 13th-ranked LSU in Baton Rouge. The Bulldogs finished 11-3 that year. The only other meeting came in the 2019 SECCG. Georgia completed that campaign 12-2.
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ATHENS, Ga. — Bulldog sixth-year senior quarterback Stetson Bennett has been named one of 11 finalists for the Manning Award, according to an announcement from the award and the Allstate Sugar Bowl.

Bennett, a native of Blackshear, Ga., has been named to the award’s Stars of the Week list three times and been honored as the National Quarterback of the Week twice this season.  The Manning Award will name its 19^th winner after the postseason in January 2023.

Bulldogs have been no strangers as Manning Award finalists since its inception in 2004.  Jake Fromm (2018-19), Aaron Murray (2012-13), Matthew Stafford (2008), D.J. Shockley (2005) and David Greene (2004) were all finalists at least once in their careers.

Bennett directed the top-ranked Bulldogs to an undefeated regular season for the second consecutive year in 2022.  He is 246-for-366 for 3,151 yards (67.2 completion percentage) with 16 touchdowns and six interceptions.  A game captain twice this season so far, Bennett has rushed 45 times for 190 yards and seven touchdowns while being sacked only seven times, including none in the last five games.

Bennett is also a finalist for the Burlsworth Trophy and Johnny Unitas Golden Arm Award after earning Southeastern Conference weekly honors this season as well as Walter Camp National Offensive Player of the Week honors.

Georgia (12-0, 8-0 SEC) starts the postseason in the SEC Championship Game at Mercedes-Benz Stadium versus LSU (9-3, 6-2 SEC) on Saturday.  CBS will televise the matchup at 4 p.m.