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CFP National Championship: Georgia Bulldogs vs. Alabama Crimson Tide | Full Game Highlights

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Georgia finally got over the hump against Alabama, and it took a 79-yard interception return to make it official.

The Georgia Bulldogs beat the Alabama Crimson Tide 33-18 in the College Football Playoff National Championship on January 10, 2022, at Lucas Oil Stadium in Indianapolis. It was Georgia’s first national title since 1980 and Kirby Smart’s first win over his old boss Nick Saban after five straight losses to him. Stetson Bennett, a former walk-on, threw for 224 yards and two touchdowns and was named Offensive Player of the Game, while Bryce Young and the Alabama offense couldn’t find enough answers down the stretch.

• Georgia won its first national championship in 41 years, and Kirby Smart beat Nick Saban for the first time in five head-to-head meetings.
• Stetson Bennett, voted Offensive Player of the Game, went 17-of-26 for 224 yards and two touchdowns, including a 40-yard go-ahead throw to Adonai Mitchell and a 15-yard score to Brock Bowers.
• Kelee Ringo sealed the win with 54 seconds left, intercepting Bryce Young and returning it 79 yards for a touchdown to make it 33-18.

A Defensive Grind Through the First Half

This wasn’t a shootout for most of the night. Alabama led 9-6 at the half on three Will Reichard field goals against two from Georgia’s Jack Podlesny, and both defenses spent the opening two quarters swallowing up whatever the other offense tried to build. Georgia’s front seven, in particular, was setting up the story of the second half — Alabama would finish the game with just 30 rushing yards on 28 carries.

Georgia’s Third-Quarter Push and a Controversial Swing

Georgia grabbed its first lead late in the third quarter when Zamir White punched in a 1-yard touchdown run, set up by a 67-yard burst from James Cook. Alabama answered early in the fourth quarter, going back up 18-13 on a 3-yard touchdown pass from Young to Cameron Latu that followed a controversial Georgia turnover — the kind of officiating flashpoint that gets replayed and argued over for years, not unlike the sort of moment that ends up on any list of controversial sports and entertainment turns.

Bennett and the Bulldogs Take Over

From there, Georgia scored 20 unanswered points in the final ten minutes. Bennett hit Adonai Mitchell for a 40-yard go-ahead touchdown, then found freshman tight end Brock Bowers for a 15-yard score to push the lead to 26-18. On defense, Lewis Cine was named Defensive Player of the Game with seven tackles, and linebackers Quay Walker and Channing Tindall each finished with eight tackles as Georgia’s defense strangled Alabama’s ground game all night.

Georgia held Alabama to 30 rushing yards on 28 carries — and still needed one more play to put the game away.

Kelee Ringo’s Pick-Six Ends It

Bryce Young, the reigning Heisman winner, finished 35-of-57 for 369 yards, one touchdown and two interceptions, and the second of those picks was the one that ended his night for good. With 54 seconds left, Kelee Ringo stepped in front of a Young pass down the sideline and took it 79 yards to the end zone, making the final score 33-18 and setting off the celebration for a Georgia program that had waited 41 years for this exact moment. Clips of the return spread fast across every corner of the internet’s trending feeds within minutes of the final whistle. Bennett’s stat line — 17-of-26, 224 yards, two touchdowns, zero turnovers — was the quieter story of the night, but Ringo’s return is the one that will show up on highlight reels for as long as people talk about this game.