January 1, 2018; Pasadena, CA, USA; Georgia Bulldogs running back Sony Michel (1) runs the ball for the winning touchdown during the overtime period in the 2018 Rose Bowl college football playoff semifinal game at Rose Bowl Stadium. Photo Credit: Gary A. Vasquez-USA TODAY Sports
PASADENA, Calif. — Lorenzo Carter’s block of an Austin Seibert field-goal attempt in double-overtime set the stage for Sony Michel’s game-winning, 27-yard touchdown run, as No. 3 Georgia outlasted No. 2 Oklahoma 54-48 in the College Football Playoff semifinal at the Rose Bowl on Monday.
Michel — the Offensive Player of the Game — rushed for 181 yards, scored three touchdowns on the ground and a fourth receiving, and gained redemption for an earlier miscue in the first overtime game in Rose Bowl history.
Georgia (13-1) fell behind 45-38 when Oklahoma defensive back Steven Parker scooped up a Michel fumble, walked a tight rope, and ran the ball 46 yards for a touchdown.
Running back Nick Chubb scored the second of his two rushing touchdowns for Georgia on a 2-yard, direct snap to force overtime at 45-45. Chubb contributed 145 yards rushing to the Bulldogs’ 502 total yards of offense.
Parker’s touchdown was the second of two consecutive scores for Oklahoma (12-2), which fell behind after a 24-0 run by Georgia.
A Rodrigo Blankenship field goal of 55 yards just before halftime began the Bulldogs’ outpouring, which spanned the third quarter and spilled into the fourth.
Chubb and Michel scored on touchdown runs of 50 and 38 yards in the third quarter, then a Dominick Sanders interception of Mayfield led to a 4-yard touchdown from quarterback Jake Fromm to wide receiver Javon Wims. Wims’ grab gave Georgia its first lead with 13:57 remaining in regulation.
But after accruing just 29 yards of offense in the third quarter, Oklahoma responded with a six-play, 88-yard scoring drive to force a tie. Wide receiver CeeDee Lamb made a spectacular leaping catch along the sideline for 36 yards. A Mayfield scramble led to the Oklahoma quarterback zipping an 11-yard touchdown pass to Dimitri Flowers.
Oklahoma scored on five of its six possessions in the first half, racking up 31 points on just 40 plays. A double-reserve on which Lamb found a wide-open Mayfield in the corner of the end zone gave the Sooners a three-possession lead, with no signs of slowing down.
Sooners running back Rodney Anderson ripped off 125 of his 201 rushing yards in the first half, reaching the end zone twice.
NOTES: The 102 combined points scored Monday broke the previous Rose Bowl record of 101, set in USC’s 52-49 win over Penn State last year. … Oklahoma gained 360 yards of offense in the first half, Georgia’s highest single-half yield of the season. The Sooners’ 29 yards in the third quarter were a season-low for the Sooners. … Oklahoma QB Baker Mayfield broke fellow Heisman Trophy winner Sam Bradford’s single-season program record for yards of 4,760. He also set a Big 12 Conference record with a touchdown pass in his 40th consecutive game. … Georgia LB Roquan Smith earned Defensive Player of the Game.
