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ENGLEWOOD, Calif. (AP) — Stetson Bennett stepped into Georgia nearly six years ago when the Bulldogs began to grow into college football’s most dominant program. He walked away early in the fourth quarter on Monday night to a standing ovation from thousands of grateful Bulldogs fans during timeouts.
Bennett’s improbable journey follows the recent trajectory of the Bulldogs, while Brock Bowers reveals Georgia’s current and future as a strong team of stacked talents who have only known championships for an incredible two years. It symbolizes the future.
The quarterback’s surprising connection to his tight end was also evident when the Dawgs dismantled TCU 65-7. That chemistry played a big part in helping the Bulldogs become champions once again.
Bowers finished with seven catches for 152 yards and a touchdown from Bennett, including a 22-yard TD catch that slammed the door on the Horned Frogs in the third quarter of this epic blowout.
Bennett is more than five years older than Bowers, but the quarterback bridged that slight generational gap to form a partnership and host its final national tournament at SoFi Stadium.
In the first half, Bennett became the first player in Georgia’s long history to gain 4,000 total offensive yards throughout his career, with much help from Bowers. He also broke the Bulldogs’ Aaron Murray’s single-season passing record in the first half.
Bennett, who is five years older than the current NFL playoff team’s starting quarterbacks, finished 29-3 as a starter in Georgia. Bennett joined Matt Reinert and AJ McCarron as the only quarterback to lead the team to back-to-back national championships in the 21st century, making Georgia the fourth team since 1980.
Bowers’ decision to move from Northern California to Athens and his subsequent development into a football juggernaut that inspires comparisons to Travis Kelce represent what Georgia has become in the past few seasons. A typical example. Map it and turn them all into stars.
A 6-foot-4-inch multisport athlete who is insanely quick for his size, Bowers has enjoyed remarkable success since arriving in Georgia in 2021. He counters defenses with his strength, speed, and versatility.
By late in the third quarter of the title game, Bowers received more yards than TCU’s offense combined.
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AP College Football: https://apnews.com/hub/college-football and https://twitter.com/AP_Top25
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