No. 1 Georgia football brings home first SEC title since 2017. Here are five takeaways

ATLANTA—Georgia’s last three times at the plate the first Saturday in December in Mercedes-Benz Stadium ended up as a swing and a miss.

This time, some crazy plays early went the Bulldogs way like so much has this season. Stetson Bennett kept hitting open receivers for touchdowns. And Georgia ended up hanging half a hundred to put an exclamation point behind its No. 1 ranking.

The team that followed in the very big shadow of the still celebrated national champion Bulldogs from last season now has something that year didn’t produce: an SEC championship.

The Bulldogs ran out to a 28-point first-half lead and celebrated a 50-30 thumping of No. 14 LSU for their first conference title in five years and most points in 10 trips to the title game.

"I told those kids, I don't want one kid to walk out of our program without an SEC championship ring for their career," coach Kirby Smart said coach Kirby Smart said after adding a second SEC title to the one his team won in 2017. "That was about to happen if we didn't get that one. They said enough was enough tonight. They got 'em one."

Bennett and Jalen Carter and company became the fourth Georgia team to win the conference championship game, also joining the 2002, 2005 and 2017 teams.

Georgia left its last three trips here on the wrong side of the outcome, with a 7-point loss to Alabama in 2018 and lopsided defeats to LSU in 2019 and Alabama in 2021.

Here are five takeaways as Georgia became the first team in program history to go to 13-0:

Crazy plays go Georgia's way

Georgia had a can-you-believe-that play that turned into a score followed by another did-that-just-happen play that led to another.

The Bulldogs did what they seem to do often in an SEC Championship game—block a kick. This time it was Nazir Stackhouse getting his hand on a 33-yard field goal try.

Stackhouse went to the sideline and was getting high fives while the play on the field went on even though some—including LSU defensive players—didn’t seem to notice.

Georgia safety Chris Smith picked it up and raced 96 yards for a touchdown and a 7-0 lead.

LSU coach Brian Kelly could only shake his head in disbelief.

"It's our responsibility to have our guys alert in that situation," Kelly said. "They were not alert."

The Tigers (9-4) quickly answered back, but trailed 14-7 entering the second quarter despite outgaining Georgia 158-76.

Georgia increased the lead to 21-7 with a fortuitous bounce off the helmet of an LSU player.

Smith defended a slant well to Jack Bech. The LSU receiver was on the ground when the ball caromed off his helmet, was tipped by nickel back Javon Bullard and inside linebacker Smael Mondon snatched it for the interception.

"I just saw the ball bounce up and it floated in the air," Mondon said. "It was like slow motion. I just grabbed it."

That led to a quick-strike touchdown pass to Ladd McConkey for 22 yards and a 21-7 lead and the Bulldogs had changed the complexion of the game.

Bulldogs await playoff matchup

Georgia will now await its matchup for the College Football Playoff Semifinal.

TCU or Ohio State look to be its likely opponent after No. 4 Southern Cal’s 47-24 loss to Utah in the Pac-12 championship game Friday night dealt the Trojans their second loss and shook up the picture.

The No. 5 Buckeyes (11-1) needed help after getting throttled 45-23 to Michigan in the Big Ten championship game Nov. 25. TCU (12-1) lost 31-28 in overtime to Kansas State in the Big 12 title game,

The four-team field and semifinals parings for the Peach Bowl in Atlanta and Fiesta Bowl in Tempe, Ariz. will be announced at 12:15 p.m. Sunday on ESPN.

The Bulldogs are set to be the No. 1 seed after being the No. 3 seed in 2021 and 2017.

Smart is in line for $800,000 in bonuses already now. He gets $300,000 for winning the SEC championship and $500,000 for the Bulldogs making the playoff.

Going to the Peach Bowl will mean a third game this season in Mercedes-Benz Stadium and ninth all-time for Georgia since the venue opened in 2017.

Georgia rolled Oregon 49-3 in the season opener here and the win against LSU brings Georgia's record to 4-4 in Mercedes-Benz Stadium.

Stetson Bennett adds to his legacy

Stetson Bennett threw more touchdowns against an SEC team than he has in his Georgia career.

And he did it before the end of the first half.

Bennett fired four touchdown passes in the first two quarters and Georgia players celebrated in kind.

Darnell Washington threw a kiss to Georgia fans behind the end zone after his 14-yard touchdown catch in the middle of the end zone and Dillon Bell did the griddy after his 3-yard touchdown grab across the middle as well.

Bennett, named SEC Championship MVP, completed 23 of 29 passes for 274 yards the 4 TD passes and 0 interceptions.

The biggest celebration came on a pass not thrown by Bennett, but wide receiver A.D. Mitchell.

It came on an end around when Mitchell, sidelined most of the season with an ankle injury, hit Washington in the right corner of the end zone on a two-point conversion to give Georgia 50 points with 13:13 to go. It came after Kenny McIntosh’s 8-yard touchdown run, his second score of the game.

Bennett’s longest pass play went for 32 yards to tight end Brock Bowers on a drive that ended with a 3-yard Bennett to Bowers touchdown pass. He also completed a 22-yard touchdown pass to Ladd McConkey.

Bennett’s career-best in touchdown passes was 5 against UAB last season and he also threw 4 against Georgia Tech in 2021.

Georgia converted 5 of 7 third down conversions in the first half and Bennett led scoring drives of 75 and 76 yards in the first half.

"We were in a zone," Bennett said. "It felt like what we were calling, we were executing."

Bennett, one of two players remaining from Georgia’s 2017 SEC championship along with outside linebacker Robert Beal, improved to 27-3 as a starter.

That includes 3-0 against top 15 teams this season. The others were No. 11 Oregon and No. 1 Tennessee.

Bennett threw 8 touchdowns and 0 interceptions in those three games and had two rushing touchdowns.

Georgia defense gets gashed

Georgia sacked Jayden Daniels three times in the first half.

Defensive tackle Jalen Carter picked Daniels up on a first-half sack and kept a bear hug on him while lifting his right hand up and signaling No. 1.

"I told y'all he's different," inside linebacker Jamon Dumas-Johnson said. "Who else do y'all see doing that?"

LSU scored on a 53-yard Daniels to Kayshon Boutte touchdown pass, but the Bulldogs held the Tigers to 0 yards on 11 plays with three punts and an interception on its next four possessions.

Georgia led 35-10 at the half after scoring 28 unanswered points before an LSU field goal.

LSU lit up Georgia’s defense in the second half even though the game was out of reach.

The Tigers put up 338 yards in the second half and racked up 549 total including 491 passing. Georgia entered the game ranked No. 1 in the nation in scoring defense at 11.3 per game and No. 4 in yards allowed at 270.7.

"I wouldn't say it's cause for concern," Mondon said.

"We got a lot of work to do," Smith said. "Definitely don't flush it. But we were able to come out on top with a great team win."

Daniels was 16 of 24 for 208 yards with a touchdown and interception but did not return in the second half.

He was in a boot earlier in the week and reinjured an ankle in the second quarter. He was not as much of a difference-maker with his feet. His longest run went for 5 yards.

Garrett Nussmeier, who replaced him, threw a 34-yard touchdown pass to Malik Navers. Georgia safety Malaki Starks went for the interception on the play and was beat.

"I would bet money on Malaki playing a half safety a thousand times," Smart said. "He misjudged the ball and the kid is crushed for it. But you know what, he's going to be a better football player for having experienced it."

Starks again was victimized in coverage with Kelee Ringo on a pass over the middle for 59 yards to Nabers again, but on fourtg-and-goal-on the Georgia 5, Dumas-Johnson made the tackle.

A 43-yard run up the middle by Williams set up a 1-yard Noah Cain touchdown to cut the lead to 42-23.

Nussmeier was 15 of 27 for 294 yards with 2 touchdowns and an interception.

"In the second half there was pressure in his face and he didn't really make no special throws," Dumas-Johnson said. "He kept throwing the ball up hoping his receivers got it."

Injuries take some joy out of SEC championship

Georgia is the SEC champion for the 14^th time in program history, but it remains to be seen if the victory was costly with a couple of key offensive starters injured.

Wide receiver Ladd McConkey and right tackle Warren McClendon both left the game in the first half with knee injuries and did not return.

McConkey entered the game tied for the team lead in catches. McClendon started his 37^th straight game Saturday.

Smart called McClendon's injury a "light MCL. I don't know how long it will be...I don't know what grade it is. We'll get with that tomorrow."

McClendon was pushed back while blocking and tripped over right guard Devin Willock. He was replaced by sophomore Amarius Mims.

McConkey had 46 catches for 606 yards and 4 touchdowns entering the game and had 5 catches for 69 yards before leaving the game in the second quarter after a 22-yard catch near the sideline.

"Ladd's is continuation of what he's been having. His knees have been bothering him and he has tendonitis in there. It didn't so much hurt him so much on the play. It just started aggravating him more and it didn't look like he could go."

Georgia is now 4-6 in SEC championship games. The other SEC titles came in the 1942, 1946, 1948, 1959, 1966, 1968, 1976, 1980, 1981 and 1982 seasons.

Georgia was the third biggest SEC championship game favorite in the 31 title matchups in the event’s history behind Florida’s 24 ½ points over Arkansas in 1995 and Alabama’s 24 over Florida in 2016, according to the SEC Network. The Bulldogs were picked to win by 17.

This article originally appeared on Athens Banner-Herald: No. 1 Georgia football blasts LSU in SEC championship game