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Georgia QB Stetson Bennett weeps on sideline after leading Bulldogs to title: 'It just hit me'

Georgia quarterback Stetson Bennett wasn't the most popular guy among fans after the Bulldogs were pushed around last month in their SEC championship loss against Alabama.

Coughing up the football while being sacked early in the fourth quarter of Monday's CFP title game -- leading to Alabama's only touchdown -- certainly didn't help.

But the former walk-on persevered, throwing two fourth-quarter touchdowns, the last a 15-yard TD on a screen pass to Brock Bowers with 3:33 left, as Georgia beat Alabama 33-18. It's the Bulldogs' first national title since 1980.

Cameras showed Bennett weeping on the sideline after realizing the game was in hand.

"It just hit me. I didn’t even watch Kelee [Ringo] score," Bennett said. "I thought he went down.

"Soon as he caught it, I just teared up."

Ringo's play that sealed the game was a 79-yard interception return off a badly underthrown ball by Alabama quarterback and Heisman Trophy winner Bryce Young.

After Bennett's turnover in the third quarter, he said he "wasn't going to be the reason we lost."

"Just knew there was going to be no way to let a TO like that stop us from winning a national championship," he said. "I wasn’t going to let that happen."

Bennett finished 17 of 26 for 224 yards and two touchdowns and was named the game's offensive MVP.

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This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Georgia's Stetson Bennett weeps on sideline after beating Alabama