Well, y'all gather 'round now, and let me tell y'all 'bout that football game they had down in Georgia on a warm September day in 2023.
Now, this game, it had a little bit of history to it, I tell ya. Coach Smart, he'd been at the helm for them Bulldogs, and this here game marked his 100th game in charge. Can ya believe it? 85 wins and 15 losses, the best record for a coach at any SEC school after 100 games, and two national championships back to back in the last two years. That's somethin' special.
The game kicked off with a bang, young Beck, that quarterback for Georgia, he threw for a mighty 337 yards and even ran for a score. The Bulldogs, they started out hot with an 11-yard touchdown pass to Arian Smith, and it looked like they'd just breeze on through, favored by more than 40 points. But them Blazers, they ain't no pushovers.
They pulled even at 7-all early in the second quarter after a fumble on a punt return by Georgia. UAB's quarterback, Zeno, he connected on a 16-yard scoring pass to Bryce Damous, and they weren't lettin' Georgia have it easy. They even forced a fumble on a kickoff return late in the first half.
Now, don't y'all worry too much 'cause the Bulldogs, they got some tricks up their sleeves. Beck and Bowers, they were the stars of the show. Bowers, he caught nine passes for 120 yards, and he was reliable as a Southern sunset. Beck added another touchdown, and Georgia led 28-14 at halftime.
The game got a bit chippy, with missed opportunities on both sides, and Georgia had some fumbles and missed deep passes. But they had more than enough firepower to take care of business.Beck plunged in for another touchdown early in the second half, and Bowers caught his second scoring pass to extend the lead to 42-14.
It was lookin' mighty good for them Bulldogs. In the fourth quarter, backup quarterback Brock Vandagriff led a touchdown drive for Georgia, and UAB's Zeno added a touchdown run of his own. But in the end, them Bulldogs of UGA, they came out on top, extendin' their school-record winnin' streak to 21 games.
Now, that's a story worth tellin', a tale of Southern football, grit, and glory. Coach Smart and them Bulldogs, they'll remember this one for a long time, I reckon. And as the sun set over Georgia, they knew they were still the kings of the SEC.
