Georgia outlasts Oklahoma for Rose Bowl
UNIVERSITY of Georgia g running g backs Sony Michel and Nick Chubb combined on Monday for the most dominant performormance of their collegiate ate careers, colluding for 326 rushing yards s and six total touch- downs as the No3 3 Bulldogs (13-1) hauled uled down No2 Oklahoma oma (12-2) to win the Rose Bowl 54-48 after two overtimes to win the e first national semifinal game.
The outcome set Georgia up with a de facto home game in Atlanta on January ry 8 for the national t i t l e against the he No4 Alabama Crimson Tide, who ho downed No1 Clemson Tigers in n the Sugar Bowl later on Monday.
Michel (pictured, AFP) ran for 181 yards and scored four ur times – the final touchdown coming g on a 27-yard run in the second overtime to clinch the victory for the Bulldogs. Chubb scored twice and g gained 145 y yards on the ground. Chubb ranks No2 and Michel No3 on the list of Georgia’s career caree rushing leaders, behind 1982 Heism Heisman Trophy winner Herschel Walker.
Michel and Chubb’s collaborative collabo performance upstaged Okla Oklahoma quarterback Blake Mayfield, th this seas o n’s He i s ma n winner, who wh produced a th thrilling performa performance on M o n d a y a f t e r a w week of i n t e n s e s c r ut i ny ov e r h i s d e a l i n g w i t h f l u - l i k e symp symptoms. The roars of the Okla- homa supporters peaked in the second quarter when Mayfield caught a pass, his first in college, at the tail end of a double reverse for a 2-yard touchdown that gave Oklahoma a 31-14 lead.
Oklahoma, deploying a huddle-free, quick-strike offence, scored on five of its six possessions in the opening half. Rodney Anderson accounted for touchdowns on runs of 9 and 41 yards. Mayfield connected with Marquise Brown for a 13-yard touchdown pass.
After his own touchdown reception with six seconds to spare before halftime had vaulted Oklahoma to a 17-point lead, a botched squib kick enabled Georgia to squeeze in a 55-yard field goal before the break.
Georgia displayed a rapid-response offence of its own, albeit of a different style, scoring on one-play drives with runs of 75 yards (Michel) and 50 (Chubb). Michel’s long run, which came one minute into the second quarter, capped a scoring frenzy at the start of the game that featured five touchdowns in the first 16 minutes.
The Bulldogs made some effective defensive tweaks at halftime, which led to Mayfield’s dusting himself off frequently after getting sacked.
Georgia made hay of the Sooners’ stalled offence and eventually pulled in front by 38-31 with Jake Fromm’s 4-yard touchdown pass to Javon Wims – a short drive set up by Dominick Sanders’s interception of Mayfield.
Then Mayfield, staying upright, ran and threw his team back into a tie on an 11-yard toss to Dimitri Flowers.
The Sooners took one more lead in regulation on a 46-yard fumble return by Steven Parker with just under seven minutes remaining, but Chubb scored on a direct snap from 2 yards out with 55 seconds left to force overtime.
The teams swapped field goals, then Lorenzo Carter of Georgia blocked Austin Seibert’s subsequent attempt.
The Bulldogs called another direct snap, this time for Michel, who dashed 27 yards on the final play to send him, Chubb and Georgia to one final bowl this season.