MIAMI GARDENS, Fla. — Georgia football couldn’t do anything to change the past on Saturday, but the Bulldogs made a statement about their future.

Georgia scored a record-breaking 63-3 victory over Florida State at Hard Rock Stadium in the Orange Bowl, racing out to a 42-3 that led Kirby Smart to pull starting QB Carson Beck at halftime.

It was the largest margin of victory in bowl game history, eclipsing the record UGA set last season in its 65-7 CFP Championship Game win over TCU.

Both the Bulldogs (13-1) and the Seminoles (13-1) were missing starters and had players in the NCAA transfer portal, but none of UGA’s NFL-bound healthy players opted out as the team out-grained FSU 673 yards to 209.

Georgia’s prowess in bowl games under Smart is well-known; the Bulldogs having now won seven straight en route to seven-straight Top 10 finishes.

A national-television audience — along with the 63,324 announced to be on hand — tuned in to watch what Smart referred to as a “matchup of giants.”

UGA quarterback Carson Beck stood tall in the pocket throughout the first half, completing 13 of 19 passes for 203 yards and 2 touchdowns in the two quarters he played.

This, even though Georgia All-American tight end Brock Bowers was sidelined by injury and starting receiver Ladd McConkey played limited snaps and had just one catch.

The good news was UGA’s top three pass catchers in the game — Dillon Bell (5 catches, 86 yards), Dominic Lovett (3-38) and Oscar Delp (3-31) — are all returning.

Beck finished with 3,941 yards passing in the 14 games he played his first season as the Bulldogs’ starter — the second-most in a single season behind Stetson Bennett’s 15-game total of 4,127 last season.

Beck, expected to lose Bowers, McConkey and Marcus Rosemy-Jacksaint to the NFL Draft, figures to rank among early Heisman Trophy favorites in 2024.

More importantly, Beck has the look of a quarterback who could lead Georgia to another national title in 2024.

Smart made the argument that UGA had a case to make the four-team CFP field this season after losing only one game this season — 27-24 to Alabama — after being ranked No. 1 throughout the 2023 campaign.

College football is moving to a 12-team playoff next season, culminating with the national championship game being played in Atlanta’s Mercedes-Benz Stadium on Jan. 20, 2025.

Georgia could, quite possibly, play three games in Atlanta next season. The Bulldogs open the season against Clemson in Mercedes-Benz Stadium, and the SEC Championship Game will be played there on Dec. 7.

As impressive as the Bulldogs were against Florida State, scoring on nine consecutive drives after getting stopped on their opening possession, Smart has continued to add through the portal.

Already, Georgia has added explosive Florida tailback Travis Etienne along with 6-foot-5 Miami receiver Colbie Young and 6-3 Vanderbilt receiver London Humphreys through the transfer portal.

UGA backup quarterback Gunner Stockton showed mobility and playmaking ability in the second half, 6-of-10 passing for 96 yards along with 46 yards on 7 carries.

But Smart said earlier in the month the Bulldogs might add yet another quarterback through the portal, looking to ensure championship depth should anything happen to Beck.

For now, Georgia rolls out of Hard Rock Stadium with as much momentum as any program in the nation, great promise in place, statement made.