DawgNation Cover 5: What has been the best moment of the Georgia football season so far?

Posted by Admin December 25, 2024 Football

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This holiday week is a time for reflection. About a lot of things that mean the world to all of us in our lives.

With the DawgNation crew, it is also a great time to reflect on the storybook 2025 season up to this point. The Bulldogs have had a championship season, no matter what happens over the next 31 days.

That was accomplished when the Dawgs earned their third SEC championship of Kirby Smart’s time in Athens.

They’ve beaten Bevo and Texas twice. Toppled Tech in eight overtimes at home. That extended the robust win streak at Sanford Stadium to 31 games.

Georgia leaned on Carson Beck at times and then saw him work his way out of what seemed like a month-long slump.

They’ve won the SEC title with a backup quarterback finishing the game. Georgia has won games without their No. 1 tailback in key stretches. There has been the hope that the Bulldogs would add a receiver back to the lineup after some off-the-field issues. It looked promising.

Until it did not.

What was the best moment of the 2025 season? Well, the DawgNation crew has their own thoughts about that one.

What was the best moment of the 2024 season (so far)?

Brandon Adams: The win at Texas in October

Georgia fans react during the closing minutes of Georgia’s 30-15 win against Texas at Darrel K Royal Texas Memorial Stadium, Saturday, October 19, 2024, in Austin, Tx. (Jason Getz / AJC) (Jason Getz / Jason.Getz@ajc.com/AJC Freelancer)

Why: “Georgia desperately needed that win after losing at Alabama. But more importantly, the win in Austin signified that, no matter how much fanfare accompanied the Longhorns’ entrance to the SEC, UGA was still the top brand in the conference.”

Mike Griffith: The Carson Beck scramble on the first play of the second quarter against Tennessee

Georgia quarterback Carson Beck (15) runs for a touchdown during the second half in an NCAA football game at Sanford Stadium, Saturday, November 16, 2024, in Athens. Georgia won 31-17 over Tennessee. (Hyosub Shin / AJC) (HYOSUB SHIN / AJC/AJC Freelancer)

Why: “Beck’s scramble, and subsequent first down, was a turning point for Beck individually, for Georgia in the game, and for the Bulldogs as a whole as the team felt truly “together” for the first time all season. Close second: Dan Jackson’s fumble-inducing hit in the fourth quarter against Tech.”

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Kaylee Mansell: The overtime win against Texas

Georgia tight end Oscar Delp (4, center) and others react after Georgia running back Trevor Etienne (1) scored the game-winning 4-yard touchdown against Texas in overtime during the 2024 SEC Championship game at Mercedes-Benz Stadium, Saturday, December 7, 2024, in Atlanta. Georgia won 22-19. Jason Getz / AJC) (Jason Getz / Jason.Getz@ajc.com/AJC Freelancer)

Why: “No season has been filled with more adversity than this one for the Dawgs under Smart. After losing two games on the road, fans wondered if this was truly a UGA team that could get it done. But against all odds, with their backs against the wall, UGA was able to pull off an SEC Championship that solidified their place in the college football playoffs.

Connor Riley: Gunner Stockton getting jacked up against Texas

Georgia quarterback Gunner Stockton takes on two Texas defenders to get a pivotal first down in overtime and set-up the game-winning touchdown in the Bulldogs’ 22-19 win in the SEC Championship Game in Atlanta, Saturday, Dec. 7, 2024, in Atlanta. (AP Photo/Mike Stewart) (Mike Stewart/Dawgnation)

Why: “It was a brutal hit. Stockton was fortunate to not be hurt and hold on to the ball. Yet Stockton got up, this Georgia team kept fighting and on the next play, the Bulldogs won the SEC Championship. It was perfectly emblematic of everything this team has been. Far from pretty yet, Georgia found a way to keep going.”

Jeff Sentell: When “Dirty Dan” jacked up Georgia Tech

Georgia defensive back Dan Jackson prepares for a kickoff return against Georgia Tech at Bobby Dodd Stadium, Saturday, November 25, 2023, in Atlanta. Georgia won 31-23. (Jason Getz / Jason.Getz@ajc.com) (Jason Getz/AJC Freelancer)

Why: “This season doesn’t feel the same without that effort play. The national perception of the team would shift. We love it for everything it means. This had been a year of offensive uncertainty and unpredictability, but Georgia turned a game it had no business winning with its defense. The defensive hero was a walk-on who hung around for another season because of the strong culture of the Georgia locker room. Georgia’s defense and its culture have been the bedrocks of the nation’s best program under Kirby Smart.”