INDIANAPOLIS — To make it official, Stetson Bennett IV cried. The Georgia quarterback’s tears had plenty of company from Dawg Nation, which has been running with emotions for 41 years. After all that time, it was never going to be easy. But on a bitterly cold Monday night — at least outside Lucas Oil Stadium — the wait was certainly worth it.
To make it a party, Kirby Smart seemed to almost give permission to the trespassers who made it onto the field after Georgia’s biggest win since the start of the Reagan Administration.
“There’s going to be some property torn up in Indianapolis tonight,” Georgia’s sixth-year coach said.
The damage had already been done in the No. 3 Bulldogs’ 33-18 win over No. 1 Alabama that at least dented a dynasty but certainly unleashed a celebration for the ages.
The program of Herschel and Dooley is now linked historically to the legend of Stetson and Kirby.
The quarterback from Blackshear, Georgia, rose from walk-on to hero with a go-ahead 40-yard touchdown pass to Adonai Mitchell with 8:09 to play. Smart fulfilled a destiny that started with him turning down several job offers while at Alabama until his alma mater came calling in 2016.
A lot of heartbreak had to be endured. Smart broke an 0-4 record against his mentor, Nick Saban. he became the second Saban assistant (both this season) to beat the legend. Whether that indicates any kind of weakness for Saban, 70, is a discussion for another time.
On Monday, all it took for Georgia to lift itself out of the championship dark ages was a rally for the ages.
The Dawgs trailed 18-13 with 10:14 left, then proceeded to score 20 unanswered points. The last came on a pick six by Kelee Ringo, setting off a celebration all the way from Indianapolis to…
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