BREAKING: Georgia Bulldogs football Defensive back Malaki Starks announces resignation after Kirby Smart decision to-..
Malaki Starks is one of the most important members of the Georgia football team.
In an interview with ESPN’s Holly Rowe, Starks shared his first thoughts on Georgia making the College Football Playoff as the No. 2 seed.
The Bulldogs will have some time off to rest and recover, as Georgia has a first-round bye.
“I think the biggest thing is taking the break that we need and getting back healthy,” Starks told Rowe. “Going back to work and getting better on what we need to get better at. Once we figure out who we’ll end up playing, we want to get a good game plan for them.”
Georgia is waiting to learn the status of quarterback Carson Beck, who left Saturday’s game with an upper arm injury. He was replaced by Gunner Stockton, who led Georgia to a comeback win over the Texas Longhorns. Starks had a team-high 8 tackles for Georgia in the win.
The Georgia defense helped carry the day, as the Bulldogs had 6.0 sacks and 15.0 tackles for loss.
Georgia will play the winner of Notre Dame-Indiana on Jan. 1 at 8:45 p.m. ET. The Bulldogs will need the extra time off as Georgia has played overtime games in each of its past two wins.
This was the first SEC Championship game to go into overtime in the history of the game. And Georgia found a way to win it.
“It’s kind of crazy,” Starks said. “Going into overtime this game and then eight overtimes the week before and just being back in that stadium losing last year, I actually kept a piece of confetti from last year in my bag after I left the stadium and I switched it out with won this year because we won. It’s such a great feeling. Once we hit overtime, you know we’ve been there before and we knew what to do. Everybody had confidence in everybody so when you have a team like this it makes it easy.”
While this has not been a vintage Georgia team, it is one that has consistently found a way to win. The Bulldogs have also already beaten three playoff teams, having wins over Texas, Tennessee and Clemson. Texas and Clemson will play each other in a first-round game.
Following Georgia’s loss to Ole Miss, the Bulldogs appeared to be on the outside looking in in terms of making the College Football Playoff.
Now, Georgia has a path to another national championship.
“Everybody doesn’t think we’re supposed to be here,” Starks said. “Beginning of the year when things weren’t going our way, people were doubting us. Even last night, people were doubting us and people said we shouldn’t be. I think just for us to be where we are and we have a shot and have our own destiny, I think that’s huge.”
