ATLANTA - Kirby Smart’s UGA Football team won the school’s 16th SEC Championship - this time over the Alabama Crimson Tide with a 28-7 win that saw the Dawgs stuff Bama for -3 yards rushing Saturday night.
*Record-Tying 5th Straight SEC Championship Game And 16th Overall SEC Title: Georgia now has won the SECG six times including back-to-back titles to give the Bulldogs their 16th SEC crown in school history. Under Kirby Smart, the Bulldogs now have won the SEC four times (2017, 2022, 2024, 2025). With tonight’s appearance, Georgia joined Florida (1992-96) as the only teams to ever make a record five consecutive SEC Championship Games. Overall, Georgia made its 13th appearance, tying Florida for 2nd most in SEC history.
*Dominating Dawgs Win SEC Crown: With today’s 28-7 win, the third-ranked Bulldogs move to 12-1, and the Senior Class improves to 51-5. The Bulldogs have won nine straight. The 51 wins by this senior class is the second most in school history, trailing only the 2024 group that went 53-5.
*Now in his 10th season, Smart’s record is 117-20, which is the most FBS wins by a coach in his first 10 seasons in the modern era. Georgia now has six seasons with at least 12 wins in the Smart era plus four SEC titles (2017. 2022, 2024, 2025). Georgia is 4-0 in rematches during a season under Smart. The Bulldogs have won back-to-back SEC titles for the first time since a three-year run from 1980-82.
*Up Next: Third-ranked and SEC Champion Georgia (12-1, 7-1 SEC) advances to another CFP quarterfinal at the Sugar Bowl. It will learn Sunday where it lands in the CFP bracket and who it will face after the first round of the playoffs. Kickoff in New Orelans will be at 8 p.m. ET on Jan. 1.
*A Look At The Defense: Third-ranked Georgia limited No. 9 UA to just seven points and 209 total yards (212 passing and minus three yards). The minus three rushing yards was the lowest in the Kirby Smart era, the previous low was -2 by Texas A&M in 2019 on 20 attempts in a 19-13 win.
*Georgia’s leading tacklers were senior JaCorey Thomas with a career-high six plus one TFL and juniors Raylen Wilson and CJ Alllen with five each.
*The Bulldogs had three sacks today. Sophomores Quintavius Johnson and Chris Cole combined for a sack in the 4th quarter while freshman Zayden Walker notched one too. Senior JaCorey Thomas had his first career sack in the first half.
*In the 4th quarter, UA had a 91-yard scoring drive in nine plays along with a pair of Bulldog penalties to cut it to 21-7 with 12:33 left in the contest.
*Down 21-7 with 9:08 left to play, UA began its drive at the 4 and were stopped on 4th-and-2 at the UA 12.
*Going to the 4th quarter, Georgia’s defense had extended its streak of not allowing a TD in the past 12 quarters, dating to the 3rd quarter of the 35-10 win over No. 10 Texas on Nov. 15.
*Down 14-0, UA got the football to start the 2nd half and was forced to punt on a three-and-out following the first career sack by senior JaCorey Thomas.
*Down 21-0, UA was forced to punt after another three-and-out on its second drive of the 2nd half. On its third, it was another three-and-out.
*The Bulldogs blanked No. 9 UA in the first half and led 14-0. UA finished with 70 yards of offense on 21 plays, gaining 17 rushing yards and 53 through the air. Georgia shut out UA in the second half of the regular season meeting in Athens in a 24-21 loss. Also, Georgia blanked Marshall in the first half of the season opener in an eventual 45-7 win.
*Senior Daylen Everette notched his first interception of the season and fourth of his career off a tip by KJ Bolden to give Georgia the ball at the UA45. It was the team’s ninth and first return of the season for 34 yards. It led to a TD and a 14-0 lead with 8:43 left in the first half.
*Offense Led By SECCG MVP Gunner Stockton: The Bulldogs posted a 28-7 win over No. 9 UA for its 16th SEC title as redshirt junior QB Gunner Stockton was named MVP. He finished 20-for-26 with 156 yards and three TDs plus had 39 rushing yards.
In the first half, he led Georgia to a 14-0 lead and was 12-for-17 for 88 yards with 2 TDs plus a team-high 32 rushing yards on seven carries.
*In their first possession of the 3rd quarter, the Bulldogs went 40 yards in six plays in 2:32 for a TD as Nate Frazier scored on 3rd-and-goal with a nine-yard run for a 21-0 lead. It was his sixth rushing TD of the year.
*Up 21-7 with 8:13 left to play, Georgia took over at the UA 12 following a fourth down stop. It led to a 13-yard TD pass from Stockton to Zachariah Branch on 3rd-and-11 to make it 28-7 with 6:51 left in the game.
*At the half, Georgia led 14-0. The Bulldogs tallied 168 yards of offense on 39 plays (88-rushing, 80-passing). The Bulldogs improve to 92-4 when leading at halftime including 1-3 against UA.
*Georgia’s first score was a 21-yard drive after a blocked punt. The drive was capped by a 1-yard TD pass to Roderick Robinson II to make it 7-0 with 4:36 left in the first quarter. It was only the fourth career catch by Robinson and his first for a TD. The drive featured a 14-yard run by Nate Frazier.
*Georgia’s next scoring drive came after an INT as it went 57 yards in 14 plays in 7:44. It featured a 4th-and-1 conversion by Stockton at the UA 26 as the Bulldogs improved to 12-for-16 on 4th down this year. The would add another 4th down conversion later in the second quarter on 4th-and-1 frrom the UGA 49 to improve to 13-for-17 on the year. Georgia came in ranked sixthth nationally with a 73% conversion rate on 4th down. Also on 3rd-and-goal from the 5, Stockton connected with Dillon Bell for a score. It was Bell’s second TD of the year. The Bulldogs turned an INT into seven points and a 14-0 lead.
*Sophomore RB Nate Frazier posted 52 rushing yards on 13 carries while senior Dillon Bell had four carries for 24 yards. Bell had a four receptions for 45 yards and one TD.
*Junior WR Zachariah Branch had five receptions for 53 yards. Branch now has 73 receptions on the season, which ranks second in school history. The record belongs to Brice Hunter who had 76 in 1993.
*Special Teams Update: Junior PK Peyton Woodring tallied four points on PATs plus he handled the kickoffs.
*Senior Cole Speer blocked a punt to set up Georgia at the UA 21. It led to a TD and a 7-0 lead in the first quarter. It was Georgia’s second blocked punt of the season, the first came in the season opener against Marshall by KJ Bolden. It was the third blocked punt in an SEC Championship Game by the Bulldogs, joining DeCory Bryant (2002 vs. Arkansas) and Bryan McClendon (2005 vs. LSU).
*Senior Brett Thorson finished with seven punts for a 45.3 avg. including a long of 59 with minus three on a return, five inside the 20 and one touchback.
*Junior Zachariah Branch had a 22-yard punt return in the third quarter to give the offense the ball at the UA 42. It led to a TD and a 21-0 edge/
