Georgia QB JT Daniels kept California cool during the winning Peach Bowl campaign

Georgia QB JT Daniels kept California cool during the winning Peach Bowl campaign

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Georgia quarterback JT Daniels had the weight of Georgia’s football program on his shoulders with 1:28 remaining and no time limit remaining, the Bulldogs lost 21-19.

Daniels, a second-year redshirt defender transferred from the USC, remained as calm as ever with the game at stake, methodically moving Georgia (8-2) to the field below to set the game’s winning field goal in the 24-21 victory over Cincinnati (9-1).

The Bearcats’ pass defense, ranked No. 2 in the country, proved to be as complicated and difficult to plan as expected.

Cincinnati extended their long-running game streak, forcing a turnover (20) with a first quarter interception in the end zone when Daniels and George Pickens crossed paths.

The Cincinnati pressure and quick pass package was a handful for Georgia’s scrambled offensive line.

The Bearcats beat the Bulldogs in the trenches all day, keeping the UGA just 45 yards, running in 24 tries, with runs not exceeding 12 yards.

By making Georgia one-dimensional, Cincinnati was able to raise his ears and shoot Daniels several times, including a forced fumble as he tried to escape a fierce pass in another empty Red Zone possession.

And yet, in the final stroke, Daniels was able to complete 5 of 7 passes for 44 yards, crowning a performance that saw him make 26 of 38 passes for 392 yards and a touchdown.

Daniels reached 4-0 as a Bulldog holder with victory, the attack looking refreshed with him in the center.

“At this point, I feel like I’ve been here for years,” said Daniels. “Instantly, when I joined, I felt a connection with the team, a connection with the way this program is run, as I would say. We are all about the ball.

“It’s something you can say about just about the whole team, is that everyone loves football. We are here to do our job and be the best players we can be. “

Daniels attacked frequently in the Bearcats, connecting with George Pickens in a 51-yard attack in the first quarter, and meeting Arian Smith in a 55-yard bomb and Kearis Jackson in a 42-yard gain.

But there was also the interception in the end zone, and a quarter-to-one pass that Daniels fired into Jackson’s arms for what appeared to be a first down until Jackson fell.

Daniels, as many now recognize his nature, was unmoved and was as happy as anyone after the game.

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“Over the past two and a half months, I really enjoyed the time of being with guys who think like me, who are all about work,” said Daniels, “all about ball, all about competition.”

Daniels ended the season with 80 of 119 passes (67.23 percent) for 1,231 yards with 10 touchdowns, 2 interceptions and 178.49 passer rating.

For a perspective, here is the QB rating for 5 other notable quarterbacks at the time of this writing:

• Alabama QB Mac Jones, 202.35

• Florida QB Kyle Trask, 180.02

• Ohio State QB Justin Fields 174.55

• Clemson QB Trevor Lawrence 172.69

• Oklahoma QB Spencer Rattler 172.56

Daniels has not yet announced his intentions for the next season.

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