ATLANTA - The Georgia football revenge tour completed its successful 2017 run Saturday at Bobby Dodd Stadium, adding rival Georgia Tech to its list of avenged foes from Kirby Smart's first season as head coach with a dominating 38-7 Governor's Cup win.
The 11-1 and seventh-ranked Bulldogs scored the game's first 14 and final 24 points, riding another potent performance on the ground, an efficient passing day from Jake Fromm and a Roquan Smith-led defense that held Tech 205 yards under its average of 431 per game.
"They have a very hard offense to prepare for, but our kids took the challenge head on and did a good job preparing for it," said Smart, whose team will play Auburn this Saturday in the Southeastern Conference championship game at Atlanta's Mercedes-Benz Stadium.
"Offensively we've grown. I think Jake's gotten better. We're trying to improve the passing game, and we're getting there. Today was one of our better efforts."
The game was one of the season's most balanced efforts from the Georgia offense, which came in 14th in the SEC in passing and second in rushing. Saturday the Bulldogs put up 471 total yards - 247 on the ground and 224 through the air.
Seniors Sony Michel and Nick Chubb combined for 137 rushing yards and two scores, with freshman D'Andre Smith adding 37 yards and another touchdown.
Fromm, after missing on his first two passes, completed 12 of his final 14 attempts for 224 yards and a pair of touchdowns, including a season-long 78-yarder to Ahkil Crumpton in the fourth quarter that capped the freshman quarterback's strong day. He had an early 21-yard touchdown pass to favorite target Javon Wims, who led the team with five catches and had 77 yards, as Georgia built a 14-0 lead.
"Jake's really growing as a quarterback," Wims said. "We have great timing in the passing game; we're improving every game. On that touchdown he threw it before I even made my break."
Georgia Tech (5-6), which will miss a bowl game for just the second time in coach Paul Johnson's 10 seasons, used a 32-yard run by Nathan Cottrell to spark a 75-yard drive in the second quarter that cut Georgia's lead to 14-7. Cottrell's run, the longest gain of the day for the Yellow Jackets, led to Taquon Marshall's 10-yard touchdown pass to a wide-open Ricky Jeune.
Despite having just 42 seconds left in the half, the Bulldogs stayed aggressive as Smart tried to regain momentum. Michel ripped off 10 yards on first down and Fromm completed three passes, the last one to Wims for 23 yards to the 20. Rodrigo Blankenship nailed a 37-yard field goal for a 17-7 lead as the half ended.
"Getting those points before the half was big for our team," Smart said. "You always want those final points before the half."
Georgia increased its lead to 24-7 on its second possession of the third quarter with a 77-yard drive that featured a 39-yard pass from Fromm to a leaping Mecole Hardman at the 4. Michel scored around right end on the next play.
Georgia Tech's next possession, sorely needed to result in points, lasted just three plays and lost 4 yards. Linebacker Smith, who led the defense with nine tackles - eight solo - and three tackles for loss, sacked Marshall on third down.
Though the Tech quarterback had 72 yards on 17 carries, fellow 1,000-yard rusher KaVonte Benson was held to 44 yards on 12 carries. Smith and fellow linebackers D'Andre Walker (six tackles, two for loss) and Natrez Patrick (five tackles) consistently sealed off the edges and helped stuff the middle.
"It was an awesome performance," Smith said. "We gave up a few plays, but you expect that when playing their offense. But overall we were pretty solid."
Contact Lindsey Young at lyoung@timesfreepress.com or at 423-757-6296; follow on Twitter @youngsports22