INGLEWOOD, Calif. — Kirby Smart likes to say you’re either elite, or you’re not, and through the first half his Georgia football team certainly qualifies.
The Bulldogs charged to a 38-7 halftime lead over TCU in the CFP Championship Game in SoFi Stadium.
“We were aggressive, but it’s a 60-minute game,” Smart said. “We have not had our best moments in the third quarter and they have, so we’ve got to challenge our team to come out, play really physical, and play aggressive.”
TCU coach Sonny Dykes said things went about as bad as possible for his team.
“We turned the ball over three times, gave up a bunch of big plays,” Dykes said. “We’ve just got to get settled in. It seemed like a little bit early maybe our guys were a little bit wide-eyed and we’ve just got to settle in and play football.
“We’re making uncharacteristic mistakes and if we get some momentum in the second half, maybe we get back in this game.”
Brock Bowers has been hot early, making 5 catches for 102 yards in the first half, while Stetson Bennett is 14-of-18 passing for 223 yards with 2 touchdowns and 3 carries for 39 yards and 2 touchdowns.
The 38 points represents a new CFP record for most points in a half, exceeding the 35 Alabama scored against Ohio State in 2020.
Georgia opened the scoring when Stetson Bennett kept on a read option, taking the ball up the middle into the TCU 3-3-5 offense, running untouched into the end zone at the 11:01 mark of the opening quarter.
The Bulldogs made it 10-0 on Jack Podlesny’s 24-yard field goal with 6:51 left in the opening quarter.
Chris Smith had set up the Georgia offense at the TCU 33 when he stripped the ball from Derius Davis, who was sprinting around end on a jet sweep. Javon Bullard was there to recover.
TCU cut the lead to 10-7 at the 4:45 mark of the first quarter when Max Duggan kept on a read option from the 2-yard line.
The Horned Frogs score was set up when Javon Bullard and Kelee Ringo got crossed up in coverage, both covering an inside receiver, as Derius Davis went long on the outside and broke wide open, catching a 60-yard pass to the UGA 11.
Georgia struck back quickly when Ladd McConkey broke wide open and caught a 37-yard TD pass to cap a four-play, 70-yard drive with 2:43 left in the first quarter.
The Bulldogs’ 17 first-quarter points were the most by any team in a CFP game.
The Bulldogs went 92 yards on 11 plays on their next drive, Stetson Bennett scoring on a 6-yard keeper to make it 24-7 at the 8:30 mark.
The deficit tied TCU’s second-largest of the season — the largest was 18 to Kansas State in those teams’ first meeting on Oct. 22 (28-10, 8:09 second quarter), and Frogs came back and won. TCU also trailed Oklahoma State by 17 in second quarter, 24-7, and came back and won.
Georgia made it clear there would be no comeback this time, marching 66 yards on 11 plays to extend their lead to 31-7 with 1:19 left in the second quarter.
It marked the first time the Horned Frogs failed to score in a second quarter this season.
Georgia got the ball back when Jalen Carter pressured Duggan, and the TCU QB released the ball too early leading to a Bullard interception at the 22.
Two plays later, A.D. Mitchell skied high to pull down a jump ball, making it 38-7 at the half.
