Winners, Losers from Georgia Bulldogs’ 16-9 Win over Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets

Last year, the Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets and Georgia Bulldogs put on an eight-overtime shootout with the two teams combining for 86 points with 968 total yards of offense. On Friday night in Atlanta, we got a very different game in the rematch between these two rivals.

Let’s dive into our winners and losers from the Bulldogs’ victory on Friday over the Yellow Jackets.

Winner: Ellis Robinson, CB, Georgia Bulldogs

On a day when the Bulldogs’ secondary held Yellow Jackets quarterback Haynes King to a season-low in passing yards, there are plenty of defenders who could be highlighted as standouts. We’re putting the spotlight on freshman cornerback Ellis Robinson IV. Not only did he play well in his coverage snaps, he also made the most impressive play of the game. On a deep shot by King, Robinson ran the route for the receiver and then made a jaw-dropping grab in the air for the interception. It marked his fourth interception of the season and his third since October 4. It won’t be long before Robinson is one of the best corners in college football.

Loser: Gunner Stockton, QB, Georgia Bulldogs

Taking the field on Friday, there were at least some conversations about Gunner Stockton being a potential top-five Heisman Trophy candidate. A big performance against a Yellow Jackets defense that had allowed over 300 passing yards in its last three contests would have strengthened that case. Instead, Georgia won in spite of Stockton. He threw a costly interception on the opening drive and finished the day completing just 11-of-21 passes for 70 yards, while orchestrating an offense that went just 6-for-14 on third downs. Fortunately for Stockton, his teammates bailed him out.

Winner: Nate Frazier, RB, Georgia Bulldogs

Nate Frazier entered Rivalry Week with just a single 100-yard game this season, largely because he’s in a committee backfield. While he still had to split touches with Josh McCray, it felt on Saturday like Frazier turned every carry into a chunk of yards. Frazier delivered his second 100-yard performance of the season, with his longest carry “only” going for 22 yards. He just consistently fought through first contact and grinded his way for extra yards, proving instrumental in the Bulldogs’ victory.

Loser: Brent Key, Georgia Yellow Jackets Head Coach

On the one hand, you can view a one-score loss to Georgia as a positive for Yellow Jackets head coach Brent Key. However, there’s more room for criticism. After a field goal that made it a one-score game, Key opted against an onside kick with 3:30 left in the fourth quarter and gave the football back to the Bulldogs. The Bulldogs then bled out the clock, not giving it back to Georgia Tech until there were only 13 seconds left. It’s also worth highlighting Key’s background as an offensive line coach and how underwhelming the Yellow Jackets offensive line was on Friday. Put on top of all that the fact that Georgia went from 8-0 to 9-3, and this feels like a major crash out by Key’s program.

Winner: Zachariah Branch, WR, Georgia Bulldogs

It felt like Georgia only had one wide receiver on the field against Georgia Tech. He didn’t just lead the Bulldogs in receiving (53 yards), he accounted for 75.7 percent of the team’s receiving yardage on Friday. The player also delivered the first touchdown of the game, making the snag short of the sticks on 3rd-and-5 and then making the defender miss before strolling into the end zone. The player and Nate Frazier were truly Georgia’s only source of offense.

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