Remember that Cager catch against ND? Our top 8 moments from Georgia’s 2019 season

The end of the year can mean only one thing: it’s time for lists looking back on the previous 365 days.

The same goes for Georgia football. There have been plenty of great moments this season, but the close of 2019 brings an opportunity to look back on the best plays from this campaign.

Here’s a look at the eight most memorable plays of Georgia’s 2019 season:

George Pickens diving catch vs. Murray State, 9/7

Arguably the most impressive play of Pickens’ freshman campaign came in just his second game. The Bulldogs were already in control, up 28-7 in the second quarter, when Jake Fromm lofted a pass down the left sideline. Pickens layed out and snagged the ball, hauling it in as he rolled over and landed on his shoulder. The play gained 43 yards, and Pickens had the first of many freshman year highlights.

Lawrence Cager TD catch vs. Notre Dame, 9/21

Heading into the fourth game of the season against Notre Dame, the Bulldogs were still searching for a go-to receiver. But against the Fighting Irish, Cager began to step into that role. He finished the night with five catches for 82 yards, including one of Georgia’s two touchdowns on the night. Early in the fourth quarter with the Bulldogs leading 13-10, Cager twisted around and hauled in a back shoulder throw from Fromm. He then found a way to tap a foot in the end zone for what proved to be a decisive score in a 23-17 win.

J.R. Reed interception vs. Notre Dame, 9/21

On the drive after Cager’s touchdown, Notre Dame went on a drive looking to get back in the game. But then the Irish got tricky. They tried a flea flicker, but pressure forced quarterback Ian Book to flee the pocket to his right. He fired down the field anyway, but Reed came streaking over from his safety spot and intercepted the ball as he slid out of bounds. The Bulldogs still had to fend off a late Notre Dame comeback, but it could have been a much different game if this Irish drive hadn’t been thwarted by the senior safety.

Eric Stokes/Tae Crowder TD vs. Tennessee, 10/5

This play didn’t affect the game’s outcome, as Georgia led 36-14 with under five minutes to play in the fourth quarter at the time. But it still goes down as one of the best highlights in a season full of them for the Bulldog defense. Cornerback Eric Stokes came streaking off the edge on a corner blitz. Volunteer quarterback Brian Maurer never saw him, getting leveled and fumbling in the process. Linebacker Tae Crowder then got to showcase the skills that made him a running back once upon a time, scooping the loose ball and rumbling 60 yards for the contest’s final score.

Lawrence Cager TD vs. Florida, 11/2

It got late pretty early for Georgia in 2019, as the early November contest in Jacksonville very likely would determine the SEC East representative in the SEC Championship Game. The Bulldogs jumped out to a 16-3 lead, but the Gators got back in it with a third quarter touchdown to cut the lead to 16-10. But Georgia had an answer on the next drive. On the seventh play of the drive, Fromm faked a handoff and rolled to his right. He then planted and threw back to his left, where Cager was all by his lonesome running down the sideline. He strolled into the endzone untouched, registering a 52-yard touchdown and extending the lead back to 14 after a two-point conversion. However, this play still might have been ultimately meaningless if not for the next play on the list.

Jake Fromm pass to Eli Wolf vs. Florida, 11/2

Georgia got the ball in the fourth quarter leading 24-17 and needing to kill the final 3:05 off the clock. However, the Bulldogs faced a third-and-7 knowing that a failed conversion gave the ball back to the Gators for a chance to tie. Fromm dropped back to throw and lofted a pass to the right side just as Florida players got to him. The ball rose and then floated down perfectly into the hands of tight end Eli Wolf for a gain of 22 and a first down, sealing both the third straight win in the series for Georgia and giving the team a leg up in the SEC East race.

Jake Fromm TD pass to Dominick Blaylock vs. Auburn, 11/16

The Bulldogs traveled to the Plains with their first chance to clinch the SEC East amid growing concerns about the state of the offense. But on its second drive of the game, Georgia struck first in a big way. Fromm fired deep down the middle for freshman receiver Dominick Blaylock, who hauled in the pass over his shoulder and outran Tiger defenders to the endzone. The first of Fromm’s three touchdown passes staked the Bulldogs to an early 7-0 lead in what was expected to be a defensive struggle.

Travon Walker sack vs. Auburn, 11/16

Georgia’s lead over Auburn grew to as much as 21-0, but the Tigers came roaring back with a pair of touchdowns in the fourth quarter. They took over on their own 27-yard line late in the fourth quarter with one last chance to drive and tie it, but three straight incompletions set up a fourth-and-10. Freshman defensive lineman Travon Walker lined up over the center, then looped around the right side of the offensive line after the snap. The Tigers lost track of him, and he brought down quarterback Bo Nix for a game-sealing sack. Walker then ran to the sideline and sent Kirby Smart flying with a chest bump, setting off the celebration of Georgia’s third consecutive SEC East championship.