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lier. He got his yards, but he was hurried a heap and he was sacked four times. Stetson Bennett’s numbers were not of Bryce Young’s magnitude, but his 40-yard touchdown pass to Adonai Mitchell came at the most propitious time, a gem of an athletic hand-eye-coordination- body- maneuvering- the- defender- outof- position catch as you will ever see. That was an NFL throw and catch. Which would you rather have, a Heisman trophy or a national championship ring?
Kelee Ringo’s opportune 79-yard interception return was classic but remember team effort wins championships. It was Dirty Dan Jackson’s block of the last defender which paved the way for the brilliant game clinching score.
The way Jackson, a walk-on from North Hall in Gainesville, got his name is worthy of note. In a team meeting one day, Coach Kirby Smart asked Lewis Cine the age old battlefield question. “If you were in a fox hole in a critical situation, who is the person you would want beside you? “Easy, Cine replied, “Dirty Dan Jackson.”
Alabama couldn’t put up big numbers on offense, even with the Heisman trophy winner in their backfield, because of the Bulldogs’ red zone defense, certainly one the best ever in a UGA championship game. (Not to overlook the 1980 team, holding Notre Dame to ten total points; same with the 1946 national champions limiting Charlie Justice and North Carolina to ten points.)
Worthy of mention:
With mistakes, penalties and turnovers, the Dawgs’ offense never lost its composure. Adversity can destroy a team, but not this one. There were examples of leadership across the board, the defense encouraging the offense and the offense encouraging the defense on the sideline all night long.
On James Cook’s rush of 67 yards in the third quarter, Coach John Jancek noted, “It was classic blocking, there was a hat on every hat,” meaning that every Bulldog offensive player made a timely block on their defensive counterpart.
Nick Saban gracious in defeat: He is a very smart coach. He knows anything you say will be held against you, but I think he was genuinely happy that if he had to lose, he would prefer to lose to Kirby. How ‘bout Amy Robach, of ABC’s Good Morning America, openly cheering for her alma mater to win the game. Georgia will always be on her mind. How nice.
