Mecole Hardman scored the 67th and final touchdown of Georgia’s magical 2017 season.
Midway through the third quarter of January’s national championship game against Alabama, the 5-foot-11, 183-pounder hauled in a pass from Jake Fromm, broke free from Crimson Tide defender Tony Brown and managed to stay in bounds for an 80-yard score. Officials had to look at replays to make sure Hardman had indeed dodged Brown’s tackle attempt while avoiding the sideline.
“It was a good play, and I’ve watched it plenty of times,” Hardman said this week in a news conference. “It was as close as you could get to out of bounds.”
Hardman’s score gave Georgia a 20-7 advantage and countered the momentum Alabama was beginning to build with freshman quarterback Tua Tagovailoa. The Bulldogs took a 20-10 lead into the fourth quarter, but the Crimson Tide rallied to force overtime and eventually prevailed 26-23.
Third-year Georgia coach Kirby Smart has stressed the importance of leaving last season’s accomplishments – which included the program’s first Southeastern Conference championship in 12 seasons and its first Rose Bowl invitation in 75 seasons – in the past.