Georgia football sets SEC record with 29th straight win, but Yellow Jackets put up a fight
ATLANTA — Georgia football made its rivalry game with Georgia Tech a non-competitive affair since after Kirby Smart’s first season as head coach.
The Bulldogs entered Saturday night having won the last five games by an average of 33.6 points.
This time the Yellow Jackets hung in there trailing by one score past the midway point of the third quarter and again with under 4 minutes to go.
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The No. 1 Bulldogs held on to post a 31-23 victory in a Bobby Dodd Stadium with about half filled with Georgia fans.
The Bulldogs won for an SEC record 29th straight time, but it was their second smallest margin of victory of the season.
Georgia completed its third straight unbeaten regular season, something only seven Bulldog teams have done in 132 seasons of football.
Georgia will take a 12-0 record into the SEC championship game Saturday against.
Here are three things we learned from the Bulldogs’ 12h straight win at Georgia Tech:
Georgia Bulldog offense gets by without star players
Georgia played without three of its top five pass catchers including leading receiver and star tight end Brock Bowers.
After a fumble on the first offensive play from Daijun Edwards, Georgia scored touchdowns on its next three offensive possessions to take a 21-13 lead into halftime.
Bowers was out of the lineup for the third time in the last five games. The first two were after surgery for a high ankle sprain. Bowers seemed bothered by the injury against Tennessee last week. He warmed up Saturday, but did not play.
Georgia also was missing wide receivers Ladd McConkey (ankle) and Rara Thomas (foot).
Carson Beck was 8 of 11 for 122 yards in the first half with a 29-yard touchdown to Dominic Lovett in the left corner of the end zone. He threw an interception in the end zone with 8:24 to go.
Kendall Milton had career highs for rushing yards with 156 and carries with 18 and scored two touchdowns.
Arian Smith made his first catch since Sept. 23 on a screen he took for 12 yards.
Georgia football defense on its heels
Georgia’s defense didn’t give up a touchdown on the opening drive for the first time in six games, but the Yellow Jackets still scored quickly going 37 yards after the Georgia fumble.
Former Georgia analyst Buster Faulkner’s offense didn’t make many big plays but put up 193 yards in the first half behind quarterback Haynes King who scored on a 9-yard touchdown run and got a pair of field goals.
Former Georgia tight end Brett Seither had the longest play a 28-yard catch in the first quarter. He was targeted on a 4th-and-7, but a pass interference on Javon Bullard was wiped out because replay showed Zion Logue had tipped it.
The Yellow Jackets had its most yards of offense — 363-against Georgia since 390 in 2016 when they won 28-27. It was also their most points in the series since then.
The Bulldogs entered allowing 288.1 yards per game this season.
Georgia Bulldogs still king of the road
Georgia posted its 15th straight road victory, tying an FBS record held by Alabama from 1970-75, according to ESPN.
Georgia can lock up a playoff bid with a win in the SEC championship game.
A win would also move Georgia to fifth longest winning streak at 30 all-time, according to a listing by Oklahoma which owns the nation’s longest streak of 47 from 1953-57.
Georgia is currently tied with Clemson (2018-19), Florida State (2012-14) and Miami (1990-93) with 29.
Texas is next with 30 from 1968-70.
Georgia next year can tie its longest winning streak against the Jackets with seven.
Paal Johnson and his triple option offense beat Georgia three times between 2008-16 including in Smart’s first season.
This article originally appeared on Athens Banner-Herald: Georgia football sets SEC winning streak record in beating Georgia Tech
