Georgia absolutely dominates short-handed Florida State 63-3 in the Orange Bowl
No. 5 Florida State’s undefeated season is over.
The depleted Seminoles were blown out by No. 6 Georgia 63-3 in the Orange Bowl. But before you read any further, let’s make this abundantly clear: Saturday’s game is not a referendum on the Seminoles’ season or their worthiness for the College Football Playoff.
Florida State (13-1) had just 53 scholarship players for the Orange Bowl due to injuries, transfers and opt-outs. The FBS scholarship limit, in case you didn’t know, is 85. In addition to not having starting quarterback Jordan Travis — the man whose injury was the main reason Florida State missed the College Football Playoff — the Seminoles didn’t have leading rusher Trey Benson, its top receivers Keon Coleman and Johnny Wilson, tight end Jaheim Bell, defensive end Jared Verse, linebacker and leading tackler Tatum Bethune and multiple other defensive starters.
All the absences led to the spread moving significantly in Georgia’s favor, especially in the days before kickoff. The two-time defending national champions closed as a 23.5-point favorite and the total was just 44.5 points.
The list of missing players also included backup QB Tate Rodemaker. He missed the ACC title game because of a head injury he sustained in the regular season finale against Florida and entered the transfer portal ahead of the Orange Bowl. That meant true freshman and No. 3 QB Brock Glenn started the Orange Bowl after starting in place of Rodemaker in the ACC title game.
Just like in the ACC title game, it was clear that Glenn was a true freshman third stringer. He was overmatched, especially without any key players to throw to. Saturday was not the statement that many Florida State fans wanted their team to make.
Georgia runs wild
Georgia (13-1) was also missing key players — but not nearly as many as Florida State. The Bulldogs didn’t have All-American TE Brock Bowers and LT Amarius Mims. Both players suffered high ankle sprains during the regular season and weren’t at 100% when they returned.
Georgia didn’t need Bowers to overwhelm the Florida State defense. The Bulldogs rushed for 372 yards and averaged over 8 yards an attempt. Five of Georgia’s nine touchdowns were on the ground.
The Bulldogs blew the game open in the second quarter. Georgia scored five touchdowns in the second 15 minutes, including on a 27-yard run by Ladd McConkey. The receiver caught a backward pass in what was clearly a play designed for him to throw downfield. But with no receiver open, McConkey zigged and zagged across the field for a TD himself.
Ladd McConkey weaves his way into the endzone for a Bulldog TD 💪
Georgia up BIG over FSU in the first half 😳
(via @espn) pic.twitter.com/ex4DHUcuX2— Yahoo Sports (@YahooSports) December 30, 2023
The play was Georgia’s third TD of the quarter with 10:18 to go before halftime and its second within 30 seconds. McConkey’s TD to give Georgia a 28-3 lead came after Florida State fumbled the kick return following a TD run by Daijun Edwards.
Georgia was up 42-3 at halftime and the big lead allowed head coach Kirby Smart to sit QB Carson Beck for the entirety of the second half. Beck finished the first half 13-of-18 passing for 203 yards and two touchdowns. The Bulldogs had 673 total yards.
Georgia aims for a 2024 title run
Though the Bulldogs’ dream of being the first team to win three consecutive national titles since Minnesota in the 1930s is over, Georgia should enter 2024 as one of the top teams in the country once again.
Beck is coming back in 2024 and the run game should be well-stocked with Roderick Robinson and others despite the losses of Edwards and Kendall Milton. The Bulldogs got a commitment from former Florida running back Trevor Etienne in December; the younger brother of Jacksonville Jaguars RB Travis Etienne rushed 131 times for 753 yards and eight TDs in 2023.
The defense should reload again too. There will be plenty of talent on the Georgia roster once again. But the Bulldogs also have one of the toughest schedules in the country.
Georgia opens with Clemson in Week 1 and heads to Alabama in Week 5. The Bulldogs also have trips to Texas and Ole Miss on tap. That’s three road trips to teams that will finish in the top 10 in the AP Top 25 this season and likely open the 2024 season in similar spots.
Florida State, meanwhile, is likely looking for a new quarterback through the transfer portal since Travis’ eligibility is up. The Seminoles and head coach Mike Norvell have utilized the transfer portal as well as any other team in college football over the last two seasons. If FSU can find an experienced quarterback, the Seminoles should be in the mix for the ACC title again in 2024 and a guaranteed spot in the newly expanded 12-team playoff for the conference champion.
