Georgia’s Ladd McConkey praises Stetson Bennett after another national title: ‘He shows up in the big moments’

In the College Football Playoff semifinal, Georgia Bulldogs wide receiver Ladd McConkey was battling through a knee injury that had been bugging him the late few weeks of the season. There was no telling how he would play against TCU in the national championship game on Monday night. 

The answer? Two touchdowns and 88 yards on five receptions in the 65-7 beatdown by the Bulldogs over the Horned Frogs. 

“I feel like we started clicking,” McConkey told Fox News Digital in the Georgia locker room after the Bulldogs set the new college football record for most points scored in a title game. “Brought the momentum and we kept it rolling. When my number was called I tried to make plays.”

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Stetson Bennett, the MVP of the game by a landslide, was responsible for six total touchdowns in the game – four passing and two rushing. Bennett’s nearly perfect performance led head coach Kirby Smart to give him a curtain call just as the fourth quarter begun. 

“He shows up in the big moments,” McConkey said of Bennett. “Y’all have seen it all year. Tonight wasn’t any different. We’re so lucky to have him as our quarterback.”

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McConkey was just a freshman when he saw the confetti fall on him for the first time last year, as Georgia defeated Alabama. But with two under his belt in his first two collegiate seasons, he knows this is a rare occasion.

Ladd McConkey #84 of the Georgia Bulldogs celebrates after catching a touchdown pass against the TCU Horned Frogs in the first half of the College Football Playoff National Championship held at SoFi Stadium on January 9, 2023 in Inglewood, California.
(Jamie Schwaberow/Getty Images)

“It’s awesome any time you can win a national championship, not once but twice. You gotta soak it all in, you got to enjoy it,” he said. “It’s not something that happens often.”

McConkey finished his sophomore year with 674 yards and five touchdowns in 14 games leading up to tonight’s big victory. 

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Can the Bulldogs make it three in a row to truly cement their dynasty status? McConkey’s schedule moving forward could tell you a thing or two about how the Bulldogs program functions. 

Ladd McConkey #84 of the Georgia Bulldogs celebrates with fans after defeating the TCU Horned Frogs in the College Football Playoff National Championship game at SoFi Stadium on January 09, 2023 in Inglewood, California.
(Ronald Martinez/Getty Images)

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“Coach Smart says we got a two-week break, we got the discretion period and then back to work,” McConkey said.