The Georgia Bulldogs’ season and National Championship bid ended on Thursday in New Orleans after the Notre Dame Fighting Irish secured a 23-10 victory.
The leadup to the game was, without a doubt, hectic. After the heinous attack on Bourbon Street on New Year’s, coaches and players from both teams had to navigate a world of uncertainty and grief. The Georgia players, only two blocks away from the attack, spent most of Wednesday on lockdown in their hotel. After a near 24-hour postponement, the game went ahead with increased security and police presence on Thursday.
However, there were no excuses from Coach Smart after the loss: “[Notre Dame] played exactly like we expected them to play – physical, tough, don’t beat yourself, and they did that exact thing.”
Georgia certainly did not do that thing. Turnovers, penalties, and dropped passes limited Georgia to only one touchdown on the night. On the ground, Georgia accumulated only 68 yards all game. In the air, Gunner Stockton put up a heroic effort with 238 yards passing and a touchdown, and without dropped passes, that number would be well over 300 yards in his first ever Georgia start.
The game wasn’t without controversy as well – missed roughing the kicker calls, sideline interference penalties. But the tale of the game, in my dad’s humble words, was Georgia’s ability to shoot themselves in the foot. On the second drive of the game, Georgia settled in and drove the ball 71 yards in 13 plays only for a Trevor Etienne fumble to give Notre Dame the ball. Then, in maybe the biggest gaffe of the game, Georgia got aggressive with :39 left in the half. Stockton dropped back only to be blindsided on a sack fumble. On the next play, ND QB Riley Leonard found WR Beaux Collins for a 13-yard touchdown.
Georgia went into the locker room down 13-3, a common trend for them this season. But I expected Georgia to come out the second half motivated. In quality matchups this season, Georgia scored a total of 35 first half points compared to 136 in the second-half. And then on the opening kickoff of the second half, Notre Dame returned it for a 98-yard touchdown, the 2nd longest in Sugar Bowl history and longest in College Football Playoff history.
The rest was all Notre Dame and more mistakes from Georgia. A false start on 4th-and-1 on the opponent’s 42-yard line led to a turnover-on-downs the next play. On the other side of the ball, an offsides on 4th-and-1 late in the game kept the ball out of Stockton’s hands.
But for the Georgia seniors, they leave the field as the most accomplished Georgia senior class of all time. Two national titles, two SEC championships, 55 wins, and a perfect 25-0 record at home. Kirby made sure to honor his players after the game, especially senior leaders Tate Ratledge and Jalon Walker who sat next to him. “What they did with this team in the toughest year of my tenure, they dominated the room, they controlled the room, they led the room through hard games and situations… These two guys right here are as special as they come.”
Notre Dame will move on to face Penn State in the semi-finals, the winner of which will play either Ohio State or Texas in the National Championship.
photo credit Michael Lerzo, Union Recorder (mlerzophotography)
Logan Cook
On Wednesday night, the University of Georgia Bulldogs look for a repeat of the 1981 Sugar Bowl by beating Notre Dame in their first ever 12-team College Football Playoff matchup.
The Bulldogs (11-2) will take the field for the first time after battling Texas to the wire in an overtime SEC Championship that saw quarterback Carson Beck take his last college snap on a handoff to Trevor Etienne for the game-winner. Now, Beck will hand the ball off to his protege, Gunner Stockton.
Notre Dame (12-1) is, in my opinion, still the biggest question mark left in the college football playoffs. Statistically, Notre Dame is one of the best teams in the nation, and possible the best defense in the nation. But a subpar schedule and an ugly upset to Northern Illinois kept them out of the top four all season.
Notre Dame isn’t new to playoffs. The Irish made the 4-team playoff in 2018 and 2020 but failed to move past the opening round both times. A win would mark the first Notre Dame CFP victory.
But the Irish have looked good this year. Very good, even. Their FEI rating ranks them third among D1 programs behind only Ohio State and Oregon (Georgia – 8th). The Irish defensive index ranks first (Georgia – 13th). Judging solely by those stats, one might assume Georgia should be the underdog, and with backup quarterback Gunner Stockton getting his first career start, Vegas almost agreed as the current spread sees Georgia as only a point and a half favorite over the Irish.
Among real title contenders, Notre Dame has largely stayed out of the spotlight. While the SEC and BIG 10 dominated headlines and filled primetime broadcasts, the Irish have kept quiet and just played football. They opened up the season with a 23-13 win over 20th ranked Texas A&M. They handled both Army and Navy easily, beat Louisville by a touchdown, and won a shootout with USC to end the season. Last week, they beat Indiana in the opening round of the playoffs 27-17.
But none of those are comparable to an SEC schedule. Looking through the Irish schedule, Notre Dame’s toughest test came on the road at Texas A&M to open the season, a game where a sick Connor Weigman completed only 40% of passes and totaled a QBR of 54. I don’t say this to paint Notre Dame as a bad football team. But they don’t have as much experience on a national scale.
Georgia, on the other hand, will have the experience, the depth, the nerves, the composure, and the home field advantage (Dawg Nation travels better than any). Georgia will rely on their experience over an untested Notre Dame team.
When asked about the matchup on Monday, Kirby Smart showed his respect for Notre Dame. “Their backups, their starters, the receiving core, their defensive line – they’re big,” Smart said. “And that’s what it starts with in the SEC. They have to have the size and girth because you have to take on these teams week in and week out that have great size. Notre Dame is built that way. What you see on the tape speaks louder than the paper does.
“They’ve had a tremendous season, and just an honor to be played with two great programs matched up against each other, which that’s what the College Football Playoff was meant to be. And where better to do it than in the Sugar Bowl where there’s been historic matchups, of not only these two teams, but a lot of teams.”
Georgia Offense – Welcome to the Gunner Show
photo credit Michael Lerzo, Union Recorder (mlerzophotography)
Though he has hardly stepped foot on a college football field, Gunner Stockton is already building himself quite the lore. Hailing from Rabun Gap in the far northeast mountains of Georgia, Stockton comes from a long line of UGA ancestry. Both of his parents attended school there. His grandfather passed away from a heart attack during the 2010 Georgia/Florida matchup. Georgia red runs through his veins.
In high school, Stockton broke the state records for career touchdowns and passing yards, beating Deshawn Watson and Trevor Lawrence respectively. In the pocket, he can stand in and get the ball out of his hands quickly, but his specialty is his ability to make plays on the run. While not the most agile, the dude will straight up run you over and hop right back up, just like he did on the second to last play of the SEC Championship Game when his helmet came off and Carson Beck replaced him.
Now, Stockton prepares for this game as a starter, the first time in his career that he will do so. When asked about his preparation, Offensive Coordinator Mike Bobo praised his approach – “He’s approaching it like he has all season. I can’t say enough about the way he’s approaching every game. HIs day-in, day-out of how he approaches getting ready for the game as if he was the starter prepared him for this moment. If you asked me that last year, I don’t think he had that same mindset. For this game prep, things are centered around him and his strengths and what he does well. That’s how it is different from weeks before when it was centered around Carson. Now it’s centered around Gunner and what he does well.”
Kirby was asked about what Gunner brings to table on Monday. Smart replied, “Number one thing a quarterback has to have is decision making skills. He makes really good decisions. Number two thing for our quarterbacks is accuracy. He has accuracy… Athletic ability and talent probably takes over third, and he has those traits. All of the intangibles in terms of toughness, character embody what he was raised on… All the players play harder for him. I think he raises the skill level of everybody around him because of who he is.”
Despite the growing Gunner Stockton lore and fans’ dreams of glory, the fact remains that he will strap on his helmet for the first time as a starter on one of the biggest stages possible. Yes, he received invaluable experience in the SEC Championship game. But preparing for the game as the starter – going through first team reps as a starter – having your name plastered all over social media – There’s no doubt this game will be different for Stockton.
Stockton’s inexperience nearly cost Georgia the SEC Championship after a failed attempt at throwing a pass away led to an easy interception late in the game. Fortunately, Texas wasn’t able to capitalize, and Gunner did more than enough to make up for the costly error. But the more throws Gunner has to make from the pocket, the more likely Notre Dame is to force havoc plays.
The good news is Gunner doesn’t need to be the hero. With Georgia’s offensive line healthy, Georgia will look to pound the running game through Trevor Ettiene and Nate Frazier. Gunner will not need to sit in the pocket all day like Carson Beck and pick apart the Irish defense. If Gunner can force the Irish front to respect his athleticism and running ability, space will open for the plethora of playmakers Georgia has at their disposal.
Tough, Hardnose Defense for the Irish
Let me make one thing clear: Notre Dame has as much speed as any SEC program, especially on defense. Against Indiana, Notre Dame blitzed freely, sending five or six pass rushers the majority of the game, something I don’t expect to change in this game against an inexperienced quarterback. Marcus Freeman and DC AL Golden will make Gunner Stockton uncomfortable through stunts, blitzes, shell coverages, robber concepts, you name it. Expect a lot of one on one coverage on the outside as well, something that a Lawson Luckie’s athelticism or, god forbid, Arian Smith’s speed (and hands?) can take advantage of.
Notre Dame will be without their sack leader in defensive tackle Rylie Mills. Replacing him will be a mix of RD FR Armel Mukam and RS JR Gabriel Rubio. Outside linebacker Jack Kiser anchors the linebacker unit and leads the team in tackles for the season. Middle linebacker Drayk Bowen is a hard nose, downhill, run-stopping force as well. In the secondary, Notre Dame has been without their star cornerback Benjamin Morrison since a season ending injury in October, but safety Xavier Watts leads the team in interceptions with 6, and Leonard Moore is a true lockdown corner. True freshman and athletic freak Bryce Young will play a lot of downs as well, and he could easily be an x-factor in the turnover game with his freakishly long wingspan. Young is the only 5* HS prospect on Notre Dame’s roster (for whatever that is worth). Xavier Watts anchors the secondary as the senior leader and leader in interceptions
Notre Dame – Ground and Pound Offense
Notre Dame’s offense is led by the very experienced Riley Leonard. In three seasons at Duke, Leonard passed for 4000+ yards and rushed for another 1000+. At Notre Dame, it has been a balance of running and passing that has brought Leonard success. With 17 passing touchdowns and 15 rushing touchdowns, Leonard will rely on read options and designed runs to break down the Georgia front. As a passer, Leonard doesn’t have elite arm talent, but he does have brains and brawn. He gets the ball out of his hands quickly, avoids sacks, and manages the offense well. While there isn’t a single name that dominates the receiving core, Leonard spreads the ball around to multiple receivers and tight ends, most notably TE Mitchell Evans and WR Beaux Collins.
As a runner, Leonard will surprise you. He’s big. He isn’t fast. But his awareness and toughness allow him to find pockets in the defense and exploit them. Watch this play from the Indiana game to see my point –
Complementing Leonard is a one-two punch of Jeremiyah Love and Jadarian Price. Love will be a high draft pick next season and flashes NFL speed and explosiveness. Love has recorded 16 rushing touchdowns of his own this season. Also watch for Aneyas Williams on third downs out of the backfield.
Notre Dame’s offense will look to pound the run game. With a heavy emphasis on RPO, Riley Leonard excels at finding the areas of the field to exploit and reads the defense well. Linebacker contains the edge? Hand it off to Love or get the ball out to a receiver to make a play. Linebacker crashes in? Keep it and make a play with your feet.
Leonard has weapons at his disposal, too. The Irish have three running backs that average over 7 yards a carry. Jordan Fiason is a playmaker on the outside and on special teams. At 6’3, Beaux Collins will win one-on-ones. Tight end Mitchell Evans has sure hands as well.
Notre Dame averages only 27 passing plays a game, ranking them 100th among FBS teams and only averages 7.3 yards per completion, but their run game can lull secondaries in and catch them off balance.
On defense, Georgia enters the game without any major absences. Jalen Walker and Chaz Chambliss will play key roles this game in containing the outside edge and pressuring Riley Leonard. Mykel Williams looks to explode back into the highlight reels after getting an important three weeks to rest his ankle that has continued to limit him all season.
The front Seven of Georgia will be key as Glenn Schuman will stack the box and try to keep the ball inside the tackles. Expect a lot of one high safety with the likes of Malaki Starks, Dan Jackson, and K.J. Bolden to play on the line of scrimmage and attack Notre Dame downhill. Dayton Everette and Daniel Harris will be responsible for one-on-one man coverage and preventing the shot plays, especially on short yardage downs.
Cook’s Prediction –
Too many five stars everywhere. Georgia breaks loose in the second half to beat Notre Dame 38-17.
Gunner Stockton will likely throw it fewer than 25 times and Etienne and Frazier both rush for 80+ yards. Add another 40 from Stockton, and a 200+ rushing game leads to the Dawgs heading to Miami to face Boise State or Penn State. Since we are in the prediction portion of the night, I’ll throw in that Boise wins 24-21.
Kirby Smart and the Georgia Bulldogs opened up the practice facility to the media for fifteen minutes of practice on Friday. Reporters were able to get a look at the team in the indoor practice facilities which included the first look at Georgia’s early enrollees from the 2025 recruiting class as players went through positional drills. Quarterbacks, running backs, and tight ends worked through handoffs and play action drills while the offensive line did sled drills outside with punters and kickers in the background.
Coach Smart was as loud and intense over the microphone. “We look like a slow motion snail,” he screamed at the offense during hurry-up drills. Chauncey Bowens caught the wrath of the omnipresent Smart. “Chauncey, wake up!”
This was Georgia’s last practice on campus before arriving in New Orleans on Sunday ahead of their Wednesday night kickoff against Notre Dame. Georgia will have another 15 minute viewing period on Monday for reporters, the last time we will get a look at the team before Wednesday.
Below is a synopsis by position –
Quarterback: Gunner Stockton took first team snaps as the quarterbacks, running backs, and tight ends warmed up. Ryan Puglisi and Jaden Rashada shared snaps at 2nd string with Puglisi taking the majority of them. After the SEC Championship, Kirby was ready to put in Puglisi in the last snap of the game, making him the likely backup if Gunner goes down. Two early enrollees were present: Ryan Montgomery (4*, Findlay Prep, OH), who is recovering from an ACL injury and Hezekiah Millender (3*, Clarke Central, GA).
Running Backs: Trevor Etienne, Nate Frazier, and Cash Jones all shared reps at running back, but missing from the rotation were Branson Robinson (knee) and Roderick Robinson (ankle). Both have battled injuries this season but were available for the SEC Championship. Chauncey Bowens, Dwight Phillips Jr., and early enrollee Bo Walker (4*, Rabun Gap-Nacoochee School, GA) all took reps as well.
Wide receiver – A few recievers impressed in the short viewing window. During scramble drills against scout team defense, early enrollee Landon Roldan (4*, North Oconee, GA) caught a short pass from Rashada. On the very last play of the media viewing period, Stockton scrambled to the right and found Colbie Young on a deep touchdown catch. While able to practice, Young is still not expected to play this season following his legal issues. Also present were early enrollees Tayln Taylor (5*, Geneva Comunity, IL) and CJ Wiley (4*, Milton, GA). Wiley looked imposing at 6’4, a physical presence that Georgia has been missing in the receiver room.
Tight End – Oscar Delp, Lawson Luckie, and Ben Yurosek all shared first team reps, which won’t surprise anyone. All three will see relatively equal action on Wednesday night. Yurosek has been the biggest surprise to me. After early struggles, he has solidified himself as a dependable blocker and possession receiver for the Dawgs. Elyiss Williams (5*, Camden County, GA) was not hard to miss at 6’7, and Ethan Barbour (4*, Milton, GA) looked imposing as well.
Offensive Line – The offensive line were the only players outside in the cold for the beginning of practice. The first group that went was Freeling, Fairchild, Wilson, Ratledge, and Truss. Micah Morris, Earnest Greene Jr. and Drew Bobo took reps with the second string. I believe I saw all of 6’7 345 of Juan Gaston (4*, Westlake, GA) in the background as well.
Defense – Probably the most notable thing I saw on defense was tackling drills. While it may seem elementary and obvious, Georgia has struggled with tackling the season, so it is good to see us working on the fundamentals. While I wasn’t able to see most of the defensive drills, many 5 star early enrollees were, I believe, present. Cornerstone prospects Elijah Griffin (5*, Savannah Christian, GA), Isaiah Gibson (5*, Warner Robbins, GA) and Zayden Walker (5*, Schley County, GA) all practiced in scout team jerseys.
The Georgia team will arrive in New Orleans on Sunday ahead of their Wednesday night kickoff against Notre Dame. Georgia will have another 15 minute viewing period on Monday for reporters, the last time we will get a look at the team before Wednesday.
The Georgia Bulldogs are bringing home the SEC Championship trophy, beating the Texas Longhorns for the second time this season in a 22-19 overtime victory. This is the 17th SEC championship in Georgia’s history and Kirby Smart’s third as head coach. The win didn’t come without drama. Starting quarterback Carson Beck suffered an injury to his throwing elbow on the last play of the second quarter. Backup quarterback Gunner Stockton got his first experience against an SEC opponent in the second half, leading Georgia’s offense to 223 yards in the second half and bringing home the victory.
Texas found their way to the SEC title game in their first season in the conference. The Bulldogs beat the Longhorns 30-15 in October, but Texas survived the rest of their schedule unblemished going 11-1.
Texas opened up the game with the ball and started moving it early until Daylon Everette tipped a Quinn Ewers pass to himself for the interception. Georgia’s offense flubbed their good field position, going three and out on their subsequent drive. Texas’s offense found life after a 50 yard pass to Matthew Golden set up a 41-yard field goal by Bert Auburn, putting the Horns up 3-0. Georgia stalled again on their next drive, and Texas took their time in the next 14 plays, driving it 56 yards and kicking another field goal, making it 6-0.
The first half ended with Georgia struggling to maintain drives. The Longhorns held the ball for 20:02 of the first half compared to Georgia’s 9:58. To make matters worse, Mike Bobo was in the locker room preparing his backup quarterback to face the number one defense in the nation.
Gunner Stockton listened, and in his first drive he led the Dawgs 75-yards in 10 plays finished off by a Trevor Etienne ten-yard rushing touchdown. Both teams traded scoreless drives before Bert Auburn missed a 51-yard field goal, his second miss of the game.
It was only a minute into the fourth quarter when Quinn Ewers found DeAndre Moore Jr. on a 41-yard touchdown, tying the game at 13 apiece. The Georgia offense responded, taking the ball all the way down to the Texas goal line, eating nine minutes off of the 4th quarter game clock, resulting in a Woodring field goal to make the score 16-13.
Daylon Everette nearly sealed the game with a late interception until Stockton’s lack of experience nearly cost Georgia the game when he threw a costly interception late in the 4th after being pressured by the Texas defensive line. Texas ran the 2-minute drill giving Bert Auburn a chance to tie the game with 18 seconds remaining, which he did, sending the game into overtime.
Texas failed to find the endzone in their first overtime possession. Georgia took over, and after Gunner Stockton took a big hit on 2nd down and had to leave the game, and injured Carson Beck stepped in to hand the ball off to Trevor Etienne who put Georgia on top 22-19, and the celebration ensued.
After the game, Georgia players hailed the Rabun Gap quarterback as the hero of the night. “We had full confidence in [Stockton] to get the job done,” senior Lineman Tate Ratledge said. “He did a great job stepping up when he had to.” Kirby Smart added, “The players believe in Gunner. They love Gunner. The offensive staff did a great job helping him out in how they called the game. And he did a great job executing.”
The win secured the 2 seed in the college football playoffs. Georgia will play the winner of Notre Dame vs. Indiana on January 1st.
The Georgia – Georgia Tech rivalry is renewed after a back and forth, eight-overtime thriller on Friday night. It has been seven years since the 2016 matchup in Kirby’s first year when Tech upset Georgia 28-27. Ever since, the rivalry has been owned by the Dogs. But the current Georgia Tech team looks a lot different than the days of the Paul Johnson triple option or the Reggie Ball 4th and throwaway. Brent Key has this Yellow Jacket football team playing tough, hardnose football. It was evident in last year’s matchup in Bobby Dodd when Haynes King took Georgia down to the wire.
That toughness was on display this year as well as the Jackets dominated the first half on both sides of the football. In five first-half drives, Tech sustained long, time-consuming possessions, eating up the clock and keeping Carson Beck and the Georgia offense off the field. Georgia’s defense was able to hold Tech to a field goal and a turnover on downs on two drives, but a Haynes King rushing touchdown and a Jamal Haynes receiving touchdown put Tech in front 17-0. Tech tallied 307 yards of offense in the first half.
Georgia’s offense finally came alive in the second half. After a scoreless thirty minutes, the Georgia offense would find the endzone on six of their next eight possessions. Late in the third, Beck found Oscar Delp in the endzone after driving 51 yards in 6 plays. The Yellow Jackets responded with a field goal of their own before Nate Frazier’s touchdown made it 20-13 with 8:18 left on the clock.
Then Georgia’s hopes seemed to be lost in what wouldn’t be the last time as Haynes King rushed for an 11-yard touchdown putting the Jackets up by two possessions at 27-13. Beck completed five of seven passes for 58 yards the next drive, finding Dominic Lovett in the endzone with 3:54 left in the game. Three plays later, Senior safety Dan Jackson forced a Haynes King fumble giving Georgia the ball at the 38 yard line with two minutes to go. Beck scrambled his way down the field and completed another touchdown to Dominic Lovett, tying the game. Beck finished with 297 yards and five touchdowns.
Overtime came, and each team traded touchdowns on their first and second attempts. In the third overtime, new NCAA rules dictated teams trade 2-pt conversion attempts. Neither team converted their attempts in the 3rd or 4th overtime. Both converted in the 5th. Dan Jackson sacked King in the 6th but Georgia failed to convert on offense. In the 7th, Kaynes King was stuffed at the 1-yard line after a pass interference call on Georgia’s defense. Finally, in the 8th overtime and early into Saturday morning, Nate Frazier scored, giving Georgia the improbable victory.
The win nearly cements Georgia’s position in the playoffs, though Kirby Smart will hope to take advantage of the conference championship game against Texas to secure a top four seed and a first round bye. Kick off is scheduled for 4:00 on ABC.
Photo credit – Michael Lerzo, mlerzophotgraphy, Union Recorder
The Georgia Bulldogs (9-2) defeated the UMass Minutemen (2-9) by a score of 59-21 on Saturday afternoon. While it wasn’t quite as easy as fans hoped, Kirby Smart and the Dawgs overcame a disappointing defensive performance to find the victory
Most attention on Saturday was elsewhere as college football earthquakes shook the national landscape. Multiple playoff hopefuls were upset including Ole Miss, Texas A&M, BYU strengthening Georgia’s playoff resume. Georgia also mathematically sealed their place in the SEC Championship game on December 7th in Atlanta against Texas or Texas A&M.
But attention inside Sanford Stadium was on the seniors. Before the game, Georgia honored a senior class that will leave Athens as the winningest class in program history. Smart said after the game, “It’s hard to put into words what they’ve done…. They’ve set a standard here, and if you make it five or six years in our program, you’re a tough dude.”
Carson Beck and the Georgia receiving game led the way in the first half. All four first half drives resulted in Carson Beck passing touchdowns to Oscar Delp, Cash Jones, Dominic Lovett, and Arian Smith. Beck tallied 297 yards on the day. The struggles came on the defensive side of the ball. A banged up Dawgs defense struggled to stop the run as the Minutemen rushed for 209 yards in the first half alone, finding the endzone twice. Defensive lineman Christen Miller left the game early in the first quarter with an arm injury.
After the intermission, Georgia stalled on the first drive but were saved via a 53-yard boot by Peyton Woodring to make it 31-14. UMass responded quickly thanks to a defensive mistake by Georgia. Quarterback AJ Hairston found Jacoby Keeney-James on a 75-yard bomb that left Daniel Harris and Dan Jackson scratching their heads.
Then the Nate Frazier party started. Georgia took the next possession 75 yards in 9 plays finished off by a 9-yard Nate Frazier touchdown. Frazier found the endzone again on the next drive on a 15-yard run, and then a third time in the 4th quarter. Frazier finished with 136 yards on 21 carries and three touchdowns.
Georgia ended the afternoon with a final touchdown on a scoop and score from linebacker Chris Cole, sealing the 59-21 victory.
After the game, Smart noted, “we didn’t play well defensively, obviously. Disappointed there. Probably the best thing we need for a wakeup call.”
Fans hope that the defense will answer that call this week as Georgia Tech rolls into town on Friday night. Haynes King and Jamal Haynes pose a threat on the ground, and Kirby will need an improved defensive performance. Kickoff is at 7:30 on ABC.
Carson Beck and the Georgia Bulldogs silenced critics on Saturday night by leading Georgia (8-2, 6-2) to a 31-17 victory over Tennessee (8-2, 5-2).
The win comes less than a week after the CFB playoff committee ranked Georgia on the outside of the playoffs following the loss to Ole Miss. Fair to say this week that Kirby Smart and the Dawgs needed a statement, and what a statement they made. Carson Beck threw for 347 yards and tallied three total touchdowns, and the defense held a dangerous Volunteer offense to only 17 points. It was a confident, comfortable victory, just what Kirby Smart needed to get back into the playoff hunt.
At first things didn’t seem like they were headed that way. Tennessee got out to an early 10-0 lead, but in the second quarter, Carson Beck woke from a coma and found Oscar Delp on a 19-yard touchdown pass capping off a 75-yard drive. If once wasn’t enough for you, they then went on a 84-yard drive again finished by another Delp touchdown. Standout Vol running back Dylan Sampson broke open a 27-yard touchdown late in the 2nd quarter, and Georgia responded with a field goal to make it 17-17 at half.
The rest was all the Dawgs. Carson Beck and the Georgia offense sustained drives in the second half eating up 7:22 seconds in the third on a 12 play, 87-yard drive finished by a Beck scramble and touchdown. They did the same in the 4th wasting 8:47 seconds with a drive that ended in a Nate Frazier touchdown, sealing the 31-17 victory.
What a sigh of relief for Carson Beck. After weeks of poor performances, criticism, abuse from armchair experts, and leaked cell phone numbers, Carson had the last laugh. The Georgia offense looked stellar through the air all night. The tight ends, Delp in particular, stepped up in a need way, and Kirby Smart found important depth from freshmen like Chauncey Bowens and Nitro Tuggle.
The crowd played their part as well. Smart credited the blacked-out crowd for their role in the victory: “The energy was electric. It helped us and inspired our kids and players. I thought it affected [Tennessee]. Once again, a team has to go on the road to that kind of night environment, it’s really hard.”
Beck and Smart will look to carry this momentum into the final two regular season games: Umass and Georgia Tech at home. The victory finishes Georgia’s regular season SEC schedule with a 6-2 record and the greatest odds of making the SEC Championship game. ESPN also puts the Dawgs CFB Playoff odds at 92%.
The Ole Miss Rebels (8-2, 4-2 SEC) beat the Georgia Bulldogs (7-2, 5-2 SEC) on Saturday 28-10, leaving Georgia with their second loss of the season.
The Dawgs started the game about as perfect as a team can. Georgia’s defense opened the first drive with a tackle for loss, sack, and then an interception by Senior Dan Jackson. Carson Beck and the Georgia offense took advantage of the short field, driving it 21 yards in seven plays and finding the endzone after a Nate Frazier run.
Then, everything went downhill. The Dawgs punted on their next four drives. Ole Miss, meanwhile, scored on their next four. Quarterback Jaxson Dart left the game early, but backup Austin Simmons took it down the field and put Ole Miss on the board with a score of 7-7. Dart returned and shredded the Georgia defense, resulting in three consecutive Rebel field goals. The first half ended 16-7.
In the opening drive of the second half, Georgia drove the ball 70 yards only to be stopped in the red zone, and a Peyton Woodring field goal made it 16-10. The rest of the scoring happened in Rebel territory as Dart found receiver Antwane Wells Jr. to make it 22-10. Georgia’s next four and, ultimately, final possessions ended in turnovers, two via Nate Frazier fumbles and the other two on downs. Two fourth quarter Ole Miss field goals led to the 28-10 final.
It was an awful performance all around from Georgia who struggled to find consistency anywhere. Carson Beck was improved from his previous performances, but he and his receivers inability to find explosive plays continued. In the rushing game, the Ole Miss’ front seven held Georgia at only 1.8 yards a carry. No offensive player for Georgia tallied more than fifty yards, and only once did Georgia have a play of 20+ yards in the entire game.
Fans have taken to social media to criticize offensive coordinator Mike Bobo for lack of quality playcalling. Some criticize Carson Beck and call for his benching. Regardless of who you decide to blame, most fans agree that Georgia is nowhere near the standard of the 2021/22 Georgia football teams, and changes need to be made in the coming weeks to curb the offensive inconsistencies.
After the game, Kirby Smart remained calm and praised Ole Miss for their efforts: “I told my team during the week I thought [Ole Miss] was the most talented team we’d played. They really should be undefeated. I know people think that’s not true but they outplayed us tonight, outcoached us and did a great job.”
Georgia’s hopes for the SEC and National Championships are not completely crushed, however, as many two loss teams will fight to make it in the 12 team playoff at the end of the season. But Georgia now must face Tennessee and Georgia Tech who will both be looking to hand them their third loss. Kickoff against the Vols will be at 7:30 P.M. on ABC.
Georgia (7-1, 5-1) celebrated their 4th straight victory over Florida (4-4, 2-3) in Jacksonville despite turnover struggles. The 34-20 win puts Georgia on top of the SEC standings with a 5-1 conference record following Texas A&M’s loss to the South Carolina Gamecocks.
The first half was full of frustrations for Carson Beck and the Dawgs. The offense settled for a 23-yard Woodring field goal after driving it 83 yards on the second drive of the game. The next two drives ended in interceptions. On the first, Beck missed an underneath defender on a route by London Humphries. On the second, Beck tried to force a throw through a tight window and was intercepted by the underneath defender.
Florida capitalized on the first turnover with a deep throw from DJ Lagway to Aidan Mizell to make it 7-3. Then, on the next drive, disaster struck for the Gators as Lagway fell to the ground with an ankle injury. The true freshman had to be carted off of the field, and Florida’s task became much more difficult. The rest of the first half resulted in a flurry of field goals making the score 13-6.
The Dawgs found their rhythm in the second half, however. Running backs Nate Frazier, Cash Jones, Dominic Lovett, and freshman Dwight Phillips each found the end zone. Tide shifted in Georgia’s favor in the third quarter when a snap on a Florida field goal attempt went sailing, giving Georgia great field position after Jalon Walker a recovery. Florida did find the endzone in the 4th on a 15-yard Jakobi Jackson run, but Georgia came out with the 34-20 victory.
After the final, it was all celebration as Georgia players hopped into the stands to pose for pictures with fans. Despite the celebrations, however, the fans and media focused on the struggles of Carson Beck. Beck threw for 309 yards and two touchdowns, but he found the opposing team three times. Two of the interceptions, inarguably, were the fault of the quarterback, and the third came after a hit on the throw.
Without question, the media, and fans will continue to ask questions if Beck’s turnover struggles continue. Kirby responded to some of those questions after the game. “[Beck] did some really good things. What he can’t do is throw the ball late over the middle… you can’t turn the ball over and be a good football team, and he knows that.”
Beck added his thoughts as well. “I made two bad decisions… It’s hard to move on from it, but that’s what we do. That’s what I do. No matter what, I’m going to keep coming every single play no matter what happens the play before, and I’ve always been resilient in that way. In the future, I have to be better.”
Georgia moves on to face Ole Miss on Saturday in Oxford. Kickoff is a 3:30 on ABC.
The #5 ranked Georgia Bulldogs beat the #1 Texas Longhorns by a score of 30-15, putting them back in contention for the best record in college football. For the first time in 50 consecutive games, Georgia entered as the underdog, the last being the 2021 home opener against Clemson. Texas entered favored by 4.5 points, and the entire panel of College Gameday experts picked the Longhorns, but Kirby and the Dawgs handled business and silenced the doubters.
The first quarter saw both teams trade 3-and-outs and turnovers. Both teams ended their first drives with punts, and on Georgia’s second drive Carson Beck tried to thread a ball between two defenders but was intercepted. Georgia got the ball right back, but after a long drive led by Trevor Etienne, Texas intercepted Beck again after the ball bounced off of Lawson Luckie’s hands.
Georgia’s defense, however, dominated all night long, and their first of four turnovers came when Daylen Everette forced a sack-fumble and recovered it, giving the Dawgs good field position and a major shift in momentum. Trevor Etienne then found the end zone making it 7-0.
The defense continued to dominate, forcing a 3-and-out leaving Georgia with good field position again leading to a Peyton Woodring field goal, one of three for the kicker on the night.. Then Daylen Everette forced his second turnover of the game when he intercepted Quinn Ewers which was followed by Trevor Etienne’s second touchdown, making it 17-0. An Arch Manning cameo, two Texas punts, and three Georgia field goals finished the second quarter, putting Georgia up 23-0. Georgia dominated the first half, holding Texas to only 62 yards to Georgia’s 170.
Finally, Texas started moving the ball in the third quarter. They drove it 55 yards, finished by an Isaiah Bond touchdown. Controversy ensued when officials overturned a pass interference call long after the play was over. The questionable call came on a Texas interception but was called back on the penalty, leading to Longhorn fans showing their frustration by throwing their water bottles and beer cans onto the field. Then, inexplicably, the refs reversed the call without a review, giving Texas the ball. Quinn Ewers then found Jaydon Blue in the end zone making it 23-15.
But the rest was all Georgia. The offense drove 89 yards the next drive, finished by Trevor Etienne’s third and final touchdown of the night, leading to a final score of 30-15. Georgia will hang their hat on their stellar defensive play, forcing four four total turnovers and limiting Texas to 259 total yards.
After the game, Kirby said: “I’m so proud of these guys. Nobody believed. Nobody gave us a chance. These guys are so resilient. We talked about intent. What was our intent when we walked on the field? Our intent was to eat and be hungry. What I want is a team that fights their ass off, and they did tonight.”
The Dawgs now head into a BYE week coming off their most complete performance, which they will look to continue in two weeks’ time in Jacksonville as they take on the Gators.
I remember the first time I saw him on the field. “Who the hell is number 47?” I probably said. Something about him reminded me of an auto-generated video game player. Strange number, generic name, nondescript in every way.
But as I learn more about Dan Jackson, I realize the inspiration of a football player he is. After the Auburn game, Kirby emphasized the significance of Jackson’s story -“He’s an awesome kid. What a great story. He’s one of the greatest stories in college football that no one talks about…”
Coming out of North Hall High School in Gainesville, Jackson walked on as a scout team player for the Bulldogs in 2019. Kirby told reporters, “he got to school here and said ‘hey coach, I’d like to play football.’ Like, we didn’t recruit him. We recruited Ladd McConkey, we recruited these walk-ons. This guy showed up at our doorstep.”
He was a nobody. A zero star prospect on 247 sports, zero division 1 offers, and Dan Jackson decided he wants to play for one of the best teams in college football. On the scout team, he flashed speed and toughness, earning the respect of his coaches and teammates.
In 2021, he found the field as a special teams player and backup safety. Against Arkansas, Jackson blocked a punt in the endzone leading to a Zamir White touchdown. Jackson racked up 37 tackles in the 2021 season.
In 2022, he continued to work, rotating in on defense for safeties Malaki Starks and Chris Smith. In the famous Kelee Ringo pick-6 against Alabama, Dan Jackson streaked down the field alongside Ringo, taking a massive hit on the final block of the play securing the Georgia National Championship.
In 2023, Jackson changed his number to 17, and he found the field more regularly, rotating with Malaki Starks and Javon Bullard. He sealed the South Carolina victory with an interception and finished the season with 20 tackles.
Now, in 2024, Jackson is undoubtedly the leader of this Georgia secondary. Now an everyday starter, Jackson leads the team in solo tackles and is tied for the lead in total tackles and pass deflections. On Saturday, he blocked the 54-yard field goal attempt against Auburn. He has been our most consistent, relentless defensive back all season.
But above his stats, speed, or toughness is his character. Smart said, “He didn’t have to come back this year. He came back because he loves this place. He loves Georgia. He doesn’t do it for him, or for money. He’s never asked for anything, I mean he loves the place… someone really ought to take care of him for the rest of his life, because he will be the best employee, the best worker… I really believe the guy has a chance to play in the National Football League because he’s fast, he’s tough, and he’s smart.”
Still, a YouTube search yields 0 highlight videos, and every post game all he talks about improving as a player and growing as a defensive unit. He is a lesson in humility, toughness, and grit. Jackson is crucial to this Georgia defense, and he has certainly earned everyone’s respect, especially mine.
Wow. It’s hard to find the right words after that one. After an absolutely terrible first half, somehow Georgia found a way to claw back into the game, only to be upset at the end by a score of 41-34.
The Tide extended their record against Kirby Smart to 6-1, and head coach Kalen DeBoer got his first SEC win. Georgia beat Alabama in the 2022 National Title game, but aside from that game, the last Georgia win came in 2007 when Mikey Henderson caught an over the shoulder pass from Matthew Stafford. I was fourteen at the time, and now at thirty-one I am still waiting for the next Georgia regular season win over Alabama.
Everyone knew Georgia would have a difficult task ahead of them in this matchup. But no one expected this bad of a performance from Georgia in the first half. Two interceptions, multiple dropped passes, blown assignments, you name it. The defense was unable to stop Milroe as he torched the Dawgs for 374 yards passing, 117 yard rushing, and four touchdowns.
The scoring happened fast. 7-0. 14-0. 21-0. Then 28-0. In the first 14 minutes of the game, Alabama outgained Georgia 243 yards to Georgia’s 24. Bama averaged 11yards a play in that timespan. It was a blowout, and early in the first most fans had given up.
Georgia finally got on the scoreboard after Trevor Etienne’s 7-yard touchdown, and after an exchange of interceptions, Beck was pressured in the endzone leading to a safety after an intentional grounding penalty, making it 30-7 at half. This marks only the second time in Kirby Smart’s career as a head coach that his team have up 30 points in one half (2016 against Ole Miss).
But then, somehow, Georgia started coming back. In the third quarter, Beck found Arian Smith for a touchdown and Lawson Luckie on a 2-pt conversion, and after an Alabama field goal the quarter ended with the Dawgs down 15-33. Beck then found Luckie in the endzone again in the 4th, but the two-point conversion failed making it 21-33.
In the fourth, Dillon Bell found the end zone twice, first on a three yard run, and then on a 67 yard pass from Beck giving Georgia its first lead at 34-33. The tide had shifted and Georgia’s comeback was complete.
…Until the very next play when Milroe found phenom Ryan Williams for a 75 yard touchdown, putting Bama up again 41-34. Georgia was unable to score on their last drive as Zabien Brown intercepted Beck in the end zone.
This was a heartbreaker for the Dawgs, but Kirby remained optimistic after the game: “I am extremely proud of our team. At halftime our coaches made good adjustments. Everyone was positive… for us, humility is always a week away.” He also took responsibility for the poor first half performance for not getting his players ready to play.
In the end, it was a resilient effort from the Dawgs. When everyone else had given up, when fans called for Gunner Stockton to play the second half, when TVs were turned of, the players and coaches kept fighting, and that is my biggest takeaway. But, regardless, the 42-game win streak is over.
Georgia will look to bounce back at home against Auburn next week. Kickoff will be at 3:30
After week four, it is still clear to me that the SEC is far and above the dominant conference in college football. Outside of Ohio State, it is only SEC teams that have really convinced me that they could be championship contenders. My biggest riser this week is Tennessee who put up an impressive performance on the road in a tough Oklahoma environment.
Texas
Whether it’s Quinn Ewers or Arch Manning under center, Texas has shown that they are the team to beat at the moment. It helps when you have Isaiah Bond and freshman Ryan Wingo to throw to as well. Texas looked dominant against Michigan and has dominated in every other matchup. Their defense has only allowed 22 points through 4 games, and they are without a doubt the team to be at the moment.
Georgia
True, Georgia struggled offensively against Kentucky, but their defense remains the best in the country. They allowed three points against Clemson (who put up 50+ in the next two games) and still haven’t allowed a touchdown all season. As long as Georgia’s offense and Carson Beck can start to find explosive plays at a consistent rate, they will continue to be a top three team even after a loss against Alabama. With a win, they may jump back to #1.
Alabama
Alabama will prove they are a top three team this weekend against Georgia regardless of the result. Their defense is right there with Georgia as the best in the country. Jalen Milroe has looked very good. They dominated Wisconsin. They are certainly a top five team, but they need to prove it against SEC opponents before they are ranked higher.
Ohio State
Ohio State very well could be the best team in the country, but they haven’t had a chance to prove it. Thus far, they have one of the weakest schedules in the country, and they won’t face a real test until week 7 at Oregon. Still, they pass the eye test in many categories. Quinshon Judkins and Treyvon Henderson are, without a doubt, the best running back duo in the nation, and their defense is stacked with top-of-the-list NFL draft prospects. Anything less than 12-0 would be a disappointment for the buckeyes.
Tennessee
Tennessee proved to me against Oklahoma that they can win the SEC this year. Nico Iamaleava, to me, is the difference maker for the Vols. He has looked very sharp in his young career, and he will only improve. Their offense is first in the SEC in yards-per-play and points per drive, and their defense has held N.C. State and Oklahoma to 10 and 15 points respectively.
Ole Miss
For Ole Miss, the eye test is the only real metric to use. True, they lead FBS in offensive yards per game, but their strength of schedule so far is ranked 120 out of 134 FBS teams. If Ole Miss can win 2 out of 3 against Georgia, Oklahoma, and LSU, then they will likely be in the SEC Championship game and 12-team playoff with a relatively easy SEC schedule.
Oregon
Oregon has been anything but convincing so far. Their offense struggled against Idaho, their defense struggled against Boise State, and they just haven’t really put it together yet. Still, Dan Lanning is one of college football’s best coaches for a reason, and their offense under Dillon Gabriel will improve before their week seven meeting against Ohio State.
Michigan
Michigan struggled against Texas, but they showed they can grind it out against any team by beating USC this weekend. However, their offense lacks explosive plays. They average roughly 5.5 yards per play (66th in FBS) and average 122 passing yards per game (6th worst in FBS). This method of ground and pound might work against USC, but they will need to balance their offense to compete with the top teams.
Penn State
I guess the Nittany Lions are a top ten team? They feel like the least deserving on this list, but I have them above USC, Notre Dame, and Missouri at the moment. Let’s be honest, Penn State is not a championship contender this year (maybe James Franklin will make me eat my words). But they are the most likely to upset Ohio State and possibly make the Big Ten Championship.
Clemson
To be honest, I’m as surprised as anybody that I am putting Clemson here after their awful performance against Georgia. But since then, they have come out and put up 66 and 59 points on the scoreboard. In those two weeks, Cade Klubnick has finally impressed, Phil Mafah is proving to be what people thought he would be, and Antonio Williams is one of the best receivers in college football. They are my clear favorite to win the ACC this year and will be in the 12 team playoff. What happens after tha against SEC opponents is a different story.
Barely missing from my list –
Missouri who struggled against Vandy.
Notre Dame who can’t seem to put it together for four quarters.
USC who may not have the defense to compete for a championship.
Miami who hasn’t convinced me they are any different than the past fifteen years.
Georgia fans were in full panic mode at the end of the game in Lexington last weekend, and it wasn’t without reason. Georgia’s offense was inconsistent at best and flat out ineffective at worst. The offense mustered only 262 yards while fumbling three times, converting only 5 of 13 on third down, and gaining only 12 total first downs for the entire game.
But Kirby expected this sort of game. In his post game press conference, he referenced that he felt this would be a blow-by-blow game and that Kentucky would feel disrespected after their struggles against South Carolina. He spoke all week about the difficulty of any SEC road game, and, at the moment, unless you are playing Mississippi State or Vanderbilt, the SEC is the SEC regardless of team record or last week’s results.
Georgia’s struggles in the SEC road openers have been well documented. In 2022, Georgia edged out Missouri 26-22 in what was an ugly win. In 2023, Georgia only put up 16 points on the road against Auburn. But in both cases, Georgia came back from these games fired up. After the Missouri scare, Georgia put up at least 42 points in three consecutive games against Auburn, Vandy, and Florida. In 2023, Georgia won their next three games handily including a 51-13 blowout of Kentucky.
Now, I get it, those aren’t the same as playing Bama, and certainly not the same as playing Bama on the road. But historically Georgia has survived these road scares and come back firing on all cylinders.
Are the offensive struggles worrying? Of course. But lost in the mix of the fallout is the fact that Kentucky has a damn good defense, and many thought this game would be an afterthought after their 31-6 loss to South Carolina. But South Carolina almost, and probably should have, beat LSU this week, and the loss for Kentucky isn’t looking as bad as it initially did.
At the end of the day, great teams survive bad games, and that is what Georgia did. Georgia only ran 54 plays on offensive largely because of Kentucky’s game plan of keeping the ball out of Georgia’s hands. Last season, Georgia’s offense averaged 5.6 yards per play. Against Kentucky, this number dropped to only 4.85 yards per play.
And credit goes as much to Kentucky’s defense as it does Georgia’s offensive struggles. The Wildcats mixed and disguised multiple coverages well, consistently confused Georgia’s offensive line with blitz schemes, and got Georgia off of the field on third down. Not to mention their signal-caller on defense has spent the last three seasons playing against Georgia every day at practice, as did their quarterback.
Point being, the struggles were bad, but in a hostile road environment against a legitimate SEC defense, this type of game was expected. My prediction was that Georgia would struggle offensively early but put it together in the 2nd half, which, to an extent, was true. Georgia only got the ball four times after halftime. Both drives in the 3rd went for 60+ yards, and in the 4th Georgia did stutter to a 3 and out but then drove the field again in the last drive eating the clock in the process.
Georgia will come back motivated. They face an Alabama team that is 9th in offensive efficiency, 1st in defensive efficiency, stacked with 5 stars at nearly every position, and hungry to prove themselves in their SEC opener… Okay, maybe Georgia fans should have something to worry about.
But those worries shouldn’t be from a tough road game at Kentucky. The Lexington effect lingers on, but the Dawgs have thirteen days to figure things out, and they will come out in Tuscaloosa with the 13-12 win a distant memory.
Georgia fans took a collective breath of relief late Saturday night as Georgia unconvincingly survived a potential upset against Kentucky, battling to an ugly 13-12 victory.
For Georgia, these are the games that you must survive, which they did, but there are worries among fans regarding Georgia’s offensive struggles: only 102 yards rushing, 160 passing, three fumbles, multiple penalties, 5-13 on third downs, and 12 first downs all game. Georgia has a history of struggling in SEC road openers. They barely beat Missouri in 2022 and only scored 16 against Auburn last season. Georgia has now failed to score more than 16 points in the last three meetings in Lexington. But in each of those matchups, Georgia survived.
The ‘Cats went up 3-0 early after a 55-yard field goal from Alex Raynor. Quarterback Brock Vandagriff, the former UGA backup, looked good early completing 8 of his first 10 attempts and making plays with his legs. Fans briefly thought that Kentucky went up 10-0 in the 2nd quarter after a Kentucky pick-six, but it was called back after replay deemed it an incomplete pass.
It was the Georgia defense that stepped up big in the first half. Linebacker Raylen Wilson forced a fumble on a sack giving Carson Beck great field position, but Georgia’s offense stumbled again and settled for a field goal. Kentucky entered the half up 6-3.
In fans’ minds, this surely was just first half jitters on the road, right? Kirby will definitely fix things at half, right? Most fans stayed calm, but the anxiety continued to simmer underneath.
Then it boiled over in the third. The Wildcats drove the ball 61 yards on the opening drive leading to a field goal to make it 9-3. Georgia responded with their own field goal after a 63-yard drive to make it 9-6. The Georgia offense finally found the end zone after multiple big runs by Trevor Etienne followed by a Branson Robinson touchdown giving the Dawgs a 13-9 lead, their first of the game.
The Wildcats responded with their fourth field goal of the game, leading to the 13-12 final. Georgia defended their one-point lead in what could be described, at best, as sloppy. Two Georgia fumbles were recovered avoiding costly turnovers, and the defense and special teams kept Kentucky out of field goal range as time expired.
It was an ugly win, no doubt. But it was a win for the Dawgs nonetheless, their first SEC win of the season. Coach Smart said after the game about the difficulty of playing on the road – “I told people all week, I knew it. We played Missouri on the road two years ago, we played Auburn on the road [last year]. When you go on the road in the SEC at night, it’s going to be a challenge, and we responded to the challenge.”
Coach Smart will now have thirteen days to prepare for Alabama in Tuscaloosa following the upcoming bye week.
Game Matchup: Georgia faces its first SEC road test on Saturday against the Wildcats.
For Georgia fans, it might be easy to look at Kentucky’s result against South Carolina last week and scoff at the prospect of a Wildcat upset. Kentucky failed to find the endzone against the Gamecocks in their 31-6 loss, and former Georgia Quarterback Brock Vandagriff faced relentless pressure as he threw for only 3/10 completions. South Carolina, though, looks impressive against LSU as I write this, and last week’s loss for Kentucky may not be as bad as it originally seemed.
The Wildcat injury report is, without question, lengthy, and they will most likely have a backup guard and tackle on the left side of the line. But the Dawgs defensive line is even more banged up. Mykel Williams, Jordan Hall, Warren Brinson, and Xavier McCloud will all likely miss the game due to injury, leaving Christen Miller, Tyrion-Ingram Dawkins, and Nazir Stackhouse as the likely starters. Regardless, Georgia will certainly hope to take advantage of Kentucky’s struggling offensive line. Ingram-Dawkins and Miller combined for four tackles for loss and a sack against Tennessee Tech last week. Jamaal Jarrett will likely rotate in as well at defensive tackle.
The matchup that most are looking forward to, however, is between the quarterbacks. Carson Beck, coming off of his record-tying five touchdown performance against the Golden Eagles, faces his former backup Brock Vandagriff. While Vandagriff struggled in his first SEC matchup for the Wildcats, I expect a better performance this week. Out of all the quarterbacks Georgia’s defense will face this year, Vandagriff certainly has the most experience against them. If the Wildcat offensive line can give him some time and Brock can extend plays with his legs, he will cause trouble for Georgia.
Georgia went into the 2022 matchup against the Wildcats as the clear favorites but struggled to a 16-6 victory in cold, windy, wet conditions. The forecast for Saturday is the same with a high chance of rain and thunderstorms throughout the evening. Georgia has a history of slow starts against SEC road opponents (see 2022 Missouri, 2022 Kentucky, 2023 Auburn).
My prediction is for Georgia’s offense to struggle in the first half on the road, but a breakout in the second half will lead to an easy victory for the Dawgs. Depth, Beck’s performance, and multiple turnovers will eventually lead Georgia to their first SEC victory of the season.
Late Thursday night, Georgia Cornerback Daniel Harris was arrested by Athens-Clarke County Police. According to the incident report, Harris was booked in the Athens-Clarke jail at 10:40 P.M. on five misdemeanor charges which included alleged reckless driving, failure to wear a seatbelt, and operation of an unregistered vehicle. Harris was released at 11:47 P.M. after posting a $50 bail.
Multiple sources have reported that Harris was driving 106 mph, more than 40 mph over the posted speed limit, on wet roads.
Harris has played significant minutes this season as a backup to starters Daylen Everette and Julian Humphries. Should Harris be suspended, freshman and former 247Sports top high school prospect Ellis Robinson IV is the most likely to see more time on the field.
The multitude of driving violations within the Georgia football team have been widely reported, the most notable of which was the January, 2023 accident that led to the death of Devin Willock. However, in the year-and-a-half span since the accident, there have been at least 24 driving related charges involving Georgia players. Kirby Smart suspended running back Trevor Etienne for the first game of the 2024 season after he pleaded no contest to a reckless driving charge, though the DUI charge from the same incident was dropped.
The question now left to be answered is how Kirby Smart and the Georgia Athletic Program respond. Following the Clemson game, Smart was asked about the culture of the program. He said, “I wish you could talk to our players. I wish you could live in there and see our guys day to day, and see Thomas Settles (team chaplain) and Bryant Gantt (legal assistant), all the people that stand up in front of our team and talk about connection and share their experiences…”
There is no question, however, that the culture is not perfect, and action will be taken to curtail the alarming number of driving related incidents. Coach Smart has maintained a staunch position that he will not discuss player discipline outside of the clubhouse, citing the protection of the players’ privacy, so it will likely be gameday before we know whether Harris will dress out for the game against Kentucky.
Football is back in Athens as the 2-0 Georgia Bulldogs took down the 0-2 Tennessee Tech Golden Eagles 48-3 on Saturday. Carson Beck showed why many consider him the best quarterback in the nation by throwing for 242 yards on 18 of 25 attempts and tying the school record for touchdown passes in a game at five, putting him with the likes of former UGA greats Stetson Bennett, Matthew Stafford, David Greene, Aaron Murray, D.J. Shockley, and Joe Cox.
The Bulldogs entered the game looking forward to a rare easy week amongst a demanding 2024 schedule. It wasn’t the first meeting, either, between the Bulldogs and the Golden Eagles. They met in 1943 when the Dawgs won by a meager 67-0 and again in 2009 when Joe Cox led Georgia to a 38-0 victory. The 2024 matchup was not much different.
Scoring began early after a 46 yard punt return by Anthony Evans and a 23-yard touchdown pass from Carson Beck to Dillon Bell on the first offensive play of the game. Beck completed seven consecutive passes on the next drive to seven different receivers, the last a 6-yard touchdown to Colbie Young, marking Young’s second touchdown in as many weeks after transferring from Miami.
The second quarter started with a 27 yard field goal by Peyton Woodring and a 10 yard touchdown pass to Dominic Lovett. On the defensive side of the ball, true freshman standout KJ Bolden recorded his first sack. In addition, Christian Miller’s sack and Tyrion Ingram-Dawson’s three tackles for loss helped shut the Golden Eagles out in the first half.
Arian Smith became the fourth Georgia receiver to find the endzone after a Beck pump fake and 50 yard throw. Shortly after, safety Dan Jackson fell on a fumble giving the Dogs great field position which led to Carson Beck’s 5th touchdown by finding tight end Lawson Luckie wide open on a corner route. That would end Carson Beck’s afternoon, allowing backup Gunner Stockton to get experience under center.
Many other backups highlighted the stat sheet for the rest of the game. However, it was Branson Robinson’s 13 yard touchdown and Woodring’s final field goal that finished the ‘Dogs scoring for the afternoon.
When asked whether he wished he had the chance to break the touchdown record, Carson Beck, to no one’s surprise, remained focused on winning: “Whether we run it in five times, throw it in five times, when you look at the scoreboard we’re 1-0 again in week two, and we move on to week three next week.”
Coach Smart also commented on the importance of getting experience for young players: “We were able to play a lot of players today. We subbed out probably earlier than anyone in the country, and I think that helps us down the road. We played a lot of players this week, we played a lot of players last week, we play a lot of players every year. And I think that helps grow our team and our depth.”
Kirby, Carson, and the Dawgs will take that depth to Kentucky next week for the first SEC matchup of the year.
Logan Cook Sports 