2022 CFP National Championship Recap
Score by Quarters
| 1st | 2nd | 3rd | 4th | Final | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| #3 Georgia (14-1) | 0 | 6 | 7 | 20 | 33 |
| #1 Alabama (13-2) | 3 | 6 | 0 | 9 | 18 |
Player of the Game
Player of the Game
In the contest, senior quarterback Stetson Bennett, a former walk-on, threw two touchdown passes, including scoring throws of 40 yards to Adonai Mitchell and 15 yards to Brock Bowers. Bennett completed 17-of-26 passes for 224 yards en route to being voted the Offensive Player of the Game.
Georgia again leaned on its defense, allowing only 30 rushing yards from the Tide. UGA’s title clinching touchdown came on cornerback Kelee Ringo’s 79-yard interception return of Bryce Young’s pass with less than a minute remaining. It was redemption for a Bulldog defensive unit that hadn’t allowed more than 17 points in a game before being humbled in its 41-24 loss to Alabama in the SEC championship game on Dec. 4. The Bulldogs entered the national championship game allowing a nation-best 9.6 points per game.
Junior DB Lewis Cine was named Defensive Player of the Game after collecting seven total tackles, including six solo stops, one from behind the line of scrimmage and a pass breakup.
Linebackers Quay Walker and Channing Tindall led Georgia with eight tackles apiece, while Nolan Smith pitched in two tackles for loss.
Georgia completed the 2021-22 campaign with a 14-1 record, capped by its first national title since the 1980 season under Vince Dooley. The victory also marked the first for UGA head coach Kirby Smart, former Alabama defensive coordinator, in five meetings with Crimson Tide head coach Nick Saban.
Scoring Summary
| Qtr | Time | Score (V-H) | Team | Scoring Play | Drive |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1st | 09:55 | 0-3 | Alabama | Will Reichard 37 yd field goal | 14-56 (05:05) |
| 2nd | 12:35 | 3-3 | Georgia | Jack Podlesny 24 yd field goal | 11-87 (05:51) |
| 2nd | 11:13 | 3-6 | Alabama | Will Reichard 45 yd field goal | 5-47 (01:22) |
| 2nd | 07:07 | 3-9 | Alabama | Will Reichard 37 yd field goal | 6-55 (02:29) |
| 2nd | 03:09 | 6-9 | Georgia | Jack Podlesny 49 yd field goal | 9-34 (03:58) |
| 3rd | 01:20 | 13-9 | Georgia | Zamir White 1 yd run (Jack Podlesny kick) | 4-80 (01:58) |
| 4th | 12:59 | 13-12 | Alabama | Will Reichard 21 yd field goal | 10-72 (03:21) |
| 4th | 10:14 | 13-18 | Alabama | Cameron Latu 3 yd pass from Bryce Young (pass from Bryce Young failed) | 4-16 (01:21) |
| 4th | 08:09 | 19-18 | Georgia | Adonai Mitchell 40 yd pass from Stetson Bennett (James Cook rush failed) | 4-75 (02:05) |
| 4th | 03:33 | 26-18 | Georgia | Brock Bowers 15 yd pass from Stetson Bennett (Jack Podlesny kick) | 7-62 (03:37) |
| 4th | 00:54 | 33-18 | Georgia | Kelee Ringo 79 yd interception return (Jack Podlesny kick) | (02:39) |
Team Statistics
| UGA | UA | |
|---|---|---|
| First downs | 20 | 22 |
| Rushing | 7 | 5 |
| Passing | 10 | 15 |
| Penalty | 3 | 2 |
| Rushes-Yards | 30-140 | 28-30 |
| Passing Yards | 224 | 369 |
| Passes Comp-Att-Int | 17-26-0 | 35-57-2 |
| Total Offense (Plays-Yards) | 56-364 | 85-399 |
| Punt Returns-Yards | 0-0 | 1- -2 |
| Kickoff Returns-Yards | 1-30 | 0-0 |
| Punts (Number-Avg) | 5-44.6 | 4-37.0 |
| Fumbles-Lost | 0-0 | 0-0 |
| Sacks By (Number-Yards) | 4-43 | 5-46 |
| Penalties-Yards | 10-70 | 7-57 |
| 3rd Down Conversions | 4-of-12 | 9-of-20 |
| 4th Down Conversions | 0-of-0 | 0-of-1 |
Individual Statistics
| UGA | UA | |
|---|---|---|
| Rushing | Zamir White, 13-84, 1 TD; James Cook, 6-77; Kenny McIntosh, 2-6; Ladd McConkey, 1- -3; Stetson Bennett, 8 - -24. | Brian Robinson Jr., 22-68; Trey Sanders, 2-5; Bryce Young, 4- -43. |
| Passing | Stetson Bennett, 17-26-0, 244, 2 TD. | Bryce Young, 35-57-2, 369, 1 TD. |
| Receiving | Brock Bowers, 4-36, 1 TD; Kenny McIntosh, 3-23; Adonai Mitchell, 2-50, 1 TD; Jermaine Burton, 2-28; James Cook, 2-15; George Pickens, 1-52; Darnell Washington, 1-9; Kearis Jackson, 1-8; Ladd McConkey, 1-3. | Slade Bolden, 7-44; Ja’Corey Brooks, 6-47; Traeshon Holden, 6-28; Cameron Latu, 5-102, 1 TD; Jameson Williams, 4-65; Brian Robinson Jr., 4-28; Agiye Hall, 2-52; Trey Sanders, 1-3; Jahleel Billingsley, 0-0. |
| Punting | Jake Camarda, 5-223, 44.6. | James Burnip, 4-148, 37.0. |
| Returns | Punt: None; Kickoff: Kenny McIntosh, 1-30; Intercept: Kelee Ringo, 1-79. | Punt: Slade Bolden, 1- -2; Kickoff: None; Intercept: None. |
| Field Goals | Jack Podlesny, 2-2 (24 Good, 49 Good). | Will Reichard, 4-5 (37 Good, 45 Good, 37 Good, 48 Blocked, 21 Good). |
| Tackles (Solo-Assist-Total, Sacks-Yds, TFL-Yds) |
Quay Walker (7-1-8, 0, 1.0-2); Channing Tindall (5-3-8, 1.0-13, 1.5-14); Lewis Cine (6-1-7, 0, 1.0-1); Christopher Smith (5-2-7, 0, 0); Nolan Smith (5-2-7, 1.0-12, 2.0-13); Kelee Ringo (6-0-6, 0, 0); William Poole (3-1-4, 0, 0.5-0); Devonte Wyatt (3-1-4, 0, 0); Nakobe Dean (2-2-4, 0, 0); Derion Kendrick (2-1-3, 0, 0); Travon Walker (2-1-3, 1.0-12, 1.0-12); Robert Beal Jr. (2-1-3, 1.0-6, 1.0-6); Jalen Carter (1-2-3, 0, 0); Jordan Davis (1-1-2 , 0, 1.0-2); Dan Jackson (0-1-1, 0, 0). | Christian Harris (5-2-7, 3.0-34, 4.0-37); DeMarcco Hellams (4-3-7, 0 1.0-1); Henry To’oTo’o (4-2-6, 0, 0); Jordan Battle (4-0-4, 0, 0); Will Anderson Jr. (3-1-4, 0, 0); Phidarian Mathis (2-2-4, 0, 0); Kool-Aid McKinstry (2-2-4, 0, 0); Dallas Turner (2-2-4, 2.0-12, 2.0-12); Brian Branch (2-1-3, 0, 0); Khyree Jackson (2-0-2, 0, 0); DJ Dale (1-1-2, 0, 0); Byron Young (1-0-1, 0, 0); Daniel Wright (0-1-1, 0, 0); LaBryan Ray (0-1-1, 0, 0). |
Starters & Reserves
Georgia Starters
| Pos. | No. | Offense |
|---|---|---|
| TE | 0 | Darnell Washington |
| RB | 3 | Zamir White |
| WR | 5 | Adonai Mitchell |
| WR | 7 | Jermaine Burton |
| QB | 13 | Stetson Bennett |
| TE | 19 | Brock Bowers |
| OL | 50 | Warren Ericson |
| OL | 54 | Justin Shaffer |
| OL | 63 | Sedrick Van Pran |
| OL | 69 | Jamaree Salyer |
| OL | 70 | Warren McClendon |
| Pos. | No. | Defense |
|---|---|---|
| LB | 4 | Nolan Smith |
| DB | 5 | Kelee Ringo |
| LB | 7 | Quay Walker |
| CB | 11 | Derion Kendrick |
| DB | 16 | Lewis Cine |
| LB | 17 | Nakobe Dean |
| DB | 29 | Christopher Smith |
| DB | 31 | William Poole |
| DL | 44 | Travon Walker |
| DL | 95 | Devonte Wyatt |
| DL | 99 | Jordan Davis |
Georgia Reserves
1 - George Pickens, 2 - Kendall Milton, 4 - James Cook, 6 - Kenny McIntosh, 8 - MJ Sherman, 9 - Ameer Speed, 10 - Kearis Jackson, 10 - Jamon Dumas-Johnson, 13 - Kamari Lassiter, 20 - Smael Mondon, 22 - Javon Bullard, 23 - Jaylen Johnson, 30 - Daijun Edwards, 33 - Robert Beal Jr., 35 - John Staton IV, 41 - Channing Tindall, 47 - Payne Walker, 47 - Dan Jackson, 56 - William Mote, 59 - Broderick Jones, 73 - Xavier Truss, 77 - Devin Willock, 81 - Marcus Rosemy-Jacksaint, 84 - Ladd McConkey, 85 - Owen Condon, 86 - John FitzPatrick, 88 - Jalen Carter, 89 - Malcolm Brown, 90 - Jake Camarda, 92 - Julian Rochester, 96 - Jack Podlesny, 96 - Zion Logue.
Alabama Starters
| Pos. | No. | Offense |
|---|---|---|
| WR | 1 | Jameson Williams |
| RB | 4 | Brian Robinson Jr. |
| WR | 7 | Ja’Corey Brooks |
| QB | 9 | Bryce Young |
| WR | 18 | Slade Bolden |
| OL | 55 | Emil Ekiyor Jr. |
| OL | 56 | Seth McLaughlin |
| OL | 70 | Javion Cohen |
| OL | 73 | Evan Neal |
| OL | 79 | Chris Owens |
| TE | 81 | Cameron Latu |
| Pos. | No. | Defense |
|---|---|---|
| DB | 1 | Kool-Aid McKinstry |
| DB | 2 | DeMarcco Hellams |
| DB | 6 | Khyree Jackson |
| LB | 8 | Christian Harris |
| DB | 9 | Jordan Battle |
| LB | 10 | Henry To’oTo’o |
| DB | 14 | Brian Branch |
| LB | 31 | Will Anderson Jr. |
| DL | 47 | Byron Young |
| DL | 48 | Phidarian Mathis |
| DL | 94 | DJ Dale |
Alabama Reserves
3 - Daniel Wright, 5 - Javon Baker, 6 - Trey Sanders, 10 - JoJo Earle, 11 - Kristian Story, 11 - Traeshon Holden, 12 - Christian Leary, 13 - Malachi Moore, 15 - Dallas Turner, 16 - Will Reichard, 18 - LaBryan Ray, 19 - Jahleel Billingsley, 20 - Drew Sanders, 27 - DeVonta Smith, 30 - King Mwikuta, 35 - Shane Lee, 37 - Demouy Kennedy, 40 - Kendrick Blackshire, 41 - Chris Braswell, 42 - Jaylen Moody, 49 - Kaine Williams, 50 - Tim Smith, 51 - Kneeland Hibbett, 65 - JC Latham, 74 - Damieon George Jr., 75 - Tommy Brown, 84 - Agiye Hall, 85 - Kendall Randolph, 86 - James Burnip, 92 - Justin Eboigbe, 93 - Jah-Marien Latham.
