The Senior Bowl game is all about moments, and the five Georgia players who competed had their fair share in a game that featured a dramatic ending on Saturday.
The American team the five Georgia players were a part of beat the National team, 22-19, on Jack Bech’s walk-off touchdown catch from Memphis QB Seth Henigan.
The TCU tight end had six catches for 68 yards including the game-winner and earned MVP honors at Hancock-Whitney Stadium on the University of South Alabama campus.
The Bech family storyline is one the Georgia players and UGA fans can relate to, as Jack Bech lost his 28-year-old brother, Tiger, in the terrorist attack that occurred in the early-morning hours of New Year’s Day in New Orleans.
The Bulldogs’ Sugar Bowl game was postponed on account of the tragedy, which the Senior Bowl recognized by having each player honor former Princeton player Tiger Bech by wearing a No. 7 helmet sticker.
Georgia receiver Arian Smith was on the field when Bech scored the game-winning touchdown and was among the first to congratulate him.
Smith, himself, had two catches including a 32-yard catch that saw him adjust to a back-shoulder throw while the ball was hanging in the air.
Smith’s other catch went for five yards before he was tackled to the turf, the ball coming out as he hit the field. The play was not reviewed, however, and the officials incorrectly ruled for a change of possession as a National team player recovered the loose ball.
The two passes thrown Smith’s way that weren’t caught were not on him; on one play Jalen Milroe short-armed the throw, and on the other, the defender had ahold of his jersey as the ball was arriving.
SEC quarterbacks Milroe and Jaxson Dart, for the National team, struggled running an NFL style offense: Dart was just 1-of-3 passing for 39 yards, while Milroe was 3 of 5 for 21 yards.
Credit: AP
Credit: AP
Georgia’s defensive players all had standout moments.
Dan Jackson patrolled the field at safety, not letting anything get behind him while making three tackles and recording a pass breakup.
Among Jackson’s impressive moments was an open-field tackle on Oklahoma State tailback Ollie Gordon, a former Big 12 Offensive Player of the Year and Doak Walker Award winner.
The 233-pound Gordon had broken free when Jackson came up and made the lower-body hit that cut him down.
Smael Mondon had two tackles at middle linebacker and also broke up a pass.
Mondon, like Jackson, displayed the sound open-field tackling skills that UGA coach Kirby Smart’s players are known for.
Mondon showed his quickness and speed on one memorable play, chasing down USC back Jo’quavious “Woody” Marks — a former Atlanta Carver High School standout who started his career at Mississippi State.
The outgoing Georgia linebacker swooped in from behind and wrapped up Marks’ legs, limiting what could have been an explosive pass play to 15 yards.
Departing Georgia defensive end Ty Ingram-Dawkins showed his open-field speed and pursuit, too, keeping a potential explosive run play in check.
National team quarterback Taylor Elgersma had broken out of the pocket on a bootleg, and Ingram-Dawkins reversed field and went into pursuit, chasing down the Canadian quarterback in the open field and limiting him to a 3-yard gain.
Three plays earlier, Ingram-Dawkins had plugged the hole and dropped Marks for no gain.
Georgia running back Trevor Etienne had five carries for 12 yards.
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