Tag: Georgia Bulldogs
No. 1 Texas, No. 5 Georgia square off in SEC power struggle
No. 1 Texas continues its quest to return to the national championship picture when No. 5 Georgia makes its second-ever trip to Austin, Texas, on Saturday for a Southeastern Conference blockbuster.
SEC newcomer Texas (6-0, 2-0) hosts its first ranked opponent while Georgia faces the top-ranked team in the regular season for the first time since losing to No. 1 Florida in 2009 (41-17). With both teams ranked in the top 5, there is an historic backdrop in play for a game that could help determine the postseason pecking order of the loaded SEC.
Longhorns coach Steve Sarkisian believes Saturday’s game can serve as a statement of Texas’ arrival in the SEC, while Georgia has won 44 of its last 45 regular-season games and has been ranked in the top 10 for 57 consecutive weeks.
“The appeal of a game like this is you love those games that — if you want to call them the measuring stick or kind of a barometer for where you are at in a juncture of the season,” Sarkisian said. “This is against a really good team and one that has been in national championship games and conference championship games that has won at a really high level, and a head coach who has done it at a high level. That’s the fun part. It’s like, ‘OK, let’s see if what we do on a regular basis is good enough. … That’s what we can find out.”
More than good enough last week in a 34-3 dismantling of then-No.18 Oklahoma in the Red River Rivalry, Texas (6-0, 2-0) sprinted to its best start since 2009, when it won its first 13 games of the season before falling to Alabama in the BCS National Championship Game.
The return of quarterback Quinn Ewers was a welcome sight for the Longhorns last week. The junior played in his first game since Sept. 14, when he suffered an oblique strain. Ewers threw for 199 yards, a touchdown and an interception, also adding a score on the ground.
Georgia (5-1, 3-1) knows winning. Its current senior class is 47-3. But the Bulldogs are a rare underdog Saturday. Following a 41-34 loss at Alabama, the Bulldogs have won two SEC games in succession, topping Auburn 31-13 and Mississippi State 41-31.
The Bulldogs jumped out to a commanding 17-point halftime lead Saturday, but allowed three second-half touchdowns against the one-win Mississippi State team. The Georgia defense, ranked fifth or better in each of the last three seasons in terms of points allowed per game, ranks 21st nationally this year, surrendering 17.2 points per contest.
Georgia head coach Kirby Smart knows his team has to improve ahead of Saturday’s game, one that has major College Football Playoff implications.
“I want them to play their best game against Texas,” Smart said. “Simply stated, we have not played our best game, we have not put a complete game together and that’s what every coach’s goal is, which is to play your best game moving forward. That’s what’s going to be needed to go on the road at Texas and play. We have to play better and that’s the only goal I’m thinking about right now is how we play this week.”
Quarterback Carson Beck has shouldered the offensive load in recent weeks. Beck threw for 459 yards, the third-highest single-game total in Georgia history, last week. His 1,818 passing yards are good for ninth in the nation.
In a matchup between a pair of experienced quarterbacks, Smart sees similarities between Beck and Ewers.
“I think the comparisons between him and Carson (Beck) are so similar in terms of the kind of quarterbacks they are,” Smart said of Ewers. “They’re both better athletes than people think, they both have awareness of coverage and they’re really good in the pocket.”
Saturday’s showdown marks the sixth meeting all-time between the programs. Most recently, Texas beat Georgia, 28-21 in the 2019 Sugar Bowl. The only other time in five previous games that Georgia came to Austin, Bulldogs backup quarterback Fran Tarkenton led a 95-yard, go-ahead drive before Bobby Gurwitz scored a 1-yard TD to give Texas a 13-8 win.
–Field Level Media
College Week 6 Picks: Vandy, Georgia, Mizzou
No. 5 Georgia, Auburn look to rebound in SEC clash
Both No. 5 Georgia and visiting Auburn find themselves in uncharted territory ahead of their Southeastern Conference matchup in Athens, Ga., on Saturday afternoon.
Georgia (3-1, 1-1 SEC) is coming off its first regular-season loss since Nov. 7, 2020, as the Bulldogs fell 41-34 to then-No. 4 Alabama last weekend.
After rallying from a 28-0 deficit, Georgia lost on a 75-yard touchdown pass from Alabama’s Jalen Milroe with 2:18 left, snapping the Bulldogs’ school-record 42 game regular-season winning streak and SEC-record 28-game conference unbeaten string.
Although the poor start to the game left a sour taste for Georgia and coach Kirby Smart, there’s no time to wallow in self-pity ahead of Saturday’s 2024 edition of the “Deep South’s Oldest Rivalry.”
“I’m certainly proud of the resiliency we showed (to come back), but as proud as I am of that, I’m just as disappointed of the start,” Smart said. “But we’ve got to get ready for Auburn, who’s a really, really good football team. … Obviously the record may not indicate it, but the record doesn’t speak for what that team is.”
Georgia hopes to see more consistency from quarterback Carson Beck, who battled back from a forgettable start against Alabama. Beck passed for 439 yards and three touchdowns but threw three interceptions and lost a fumble on the first drive of the fourth quarter.
“That first half, we played terrible,” Beck said. “I don’t think we need to watch the film to go see that we didn’t play our best. That starts with me. I’ve got to be better.”
As for Auburn, the Tigers (2-3, 0-2) are off to their worst start through five games since 2012, when they began 1-4 and finished 3-9 overall and 0-8 in the SEC.
Most recently, Auburn lost 27-21 to then-No. 21 Oklahoma despite holding an 11-point, fourth-quarter lead and outgaining the Sooners 482-291.
Auburn has had a glaring turnover problem this season: Payton Thorne and Hank Brown have combined to throw nine interceptions.
The recurring issue reared its head last weekend as Thorne threw a pick-six to Oklahoma’s Kip Lewis, who gave the Sooners the eventual game-winning score with 4:06 left.
“Saturday hurt,” Auburn coach Hugh Freeze said. “It hurt our kids, our staff, and I’m sure it hurt our incredible fans, who have been marvelous over our five straight home games to open the season. … Our fans have done their part, which makes not being 5-0 very hard to swallow. We’re judged on results, and it’s my responsibility to bring results to this program that restore its glory.”
A bright spot for Freeze and the Tigers has been the defense, which has allowed an average of just 18.8 points per contest. The unit will be put to the test Saturday against a Bulldogs offense coming off a 519-yard output against the Crimson Tide.
“There are many positives to build from,” Freeze said. “We’ve done some really, really good things that I hope can carry over as we get ready for a top-ranked team in Georgia. We certainly can’t let the hurt and sting of losing a game that you felt like you should have won last too long.”
–Field Level Media
Georgia Alabama Betting Preview
Under new regime, No. 4 Alabama out to halt No. 2 Georgia’s streak
One of college football’s oldest rivalries will lack a familiar face on the sideline, but that won’t diminish the anticipation for the meeting of perennial powers.
No. 2 Georgia (3-0, 1-0 SEC) travels to Tuscaloosa to take on No. 4 Alabama (3-0, 0-0) on Saturday as the SEC rivals match up for the 74th time.
For the first time since the 2003 meeting, the Crimson Tide will be without Nick Saban, one of the greatest coaches in college football history. A new face in the series’ storied history will emerge as first-year Alabama coach Kalen DeBoer leads the Crimson Tide into their first conference game of 2024.
In Saban’s final victory before his retirement, Alabama handed Georgia its last loss, 27-24 in last year’s SEC Championship Game. DeBoer’s new regime looks to forge its own path.
“This is a new team, this is a new season,” DeBoer said. “That’s what I always make sure we’re emphasizing. This is the 2024 Alabama Crimson Tide football team, but there are certainly learning moments that you have when you’ve been through the experiences. Obviously, that’s not me. That’s our players.”
Through three games, DeBoer’s Crimson Tide have steamrolled Western Kentucky, South Florida and Wisconsin by a combined score of 147-26. Facing its first national power of the season, Alabama is the betting underdog at home for the first time since 2007.
“What we get to do is let any of the naysayers know what we’re capable of,” DeBoer said. “That’s no one’s fault, but it is a tribute to what people see in Georgia and how quality their football team is, and to their credit, that’s exactly what they are.”
Alabama quarterback Jalen Milroe looks to extend his excellent start to the season. In his second year as the starter, he has an 8-0 touchdown-interception ratio through the air, adding 156 rushing yards and six touchdowns on the ground.
Milroe has the distinction of being the last quarterback to beat Georgia, which is riding a 42-game regular-season win streak.
“(Jalen) has made a considerable jump as a natural pocket passer,” Georgia coach Kirby Smart said. “You see him make more throws that are rhythm throws, on time throws, RPO throws. You can tell he’s becoming much more comfortable.”
As for Smart, Saturday marks his first meeting against the Saban-less Crimson Tide. Smart, who served under Saban as Alabama’s defensive coordinator from 2008-15 and is in his ninth season at Georgia, isn’t giving much mind to nostalgia.
“I don’t expect it to be strange,” Smart said of not facing his former boss. “That’s just the normal course of progression. … You really have to focus on the players. Focus on what they have to do, and what we have to do to execute.”
After beating then-No. 14 Clemson and Tennessee Tech by a combined 82-6, Georgia won a surprising 14-13 struggle at Kentucky on Sept. 14.
In Georgia’s first trip to Tuscaloosa since a 41-24 loss on Oct. 17, 2020, Smart knows the impact the game will have on the future of his program.
“I think any time you get to play against a really good team that’s a powerhouse in college football, it’s a challenge,” Smart said. “I look at it as a hell of an opportunity. I really look at it as a hell of an opportunity for our kids and our program on the national stage. It’s the reason kids want to come to Georgia, they say, ‘I want to play in games like that.’ That’s what we’ve built our program on, playing tough opponents.”
Alabama, which has won eight of the last nine matchups, leads the all-time series 43-26-4.
–Field Level Media
No. 1 Georgia destroys Tennessee Tech in lopsided rout
Carson Beck completed 18 of 25 passes for 242 yards and five touchdowns, helping lead No.1 Georgia to a 48-3 rout of visiting Tennessee Tech on Saturday in Athens, Ga.
Trevor Etienne, making his Bulldog debut, ran the ball five times for 78 yards, as Georgia (2-0) won its 41st straight regular season game, and extended its home winning streak to 26. Arian Smith, who led the Bulldogs with 73 receiving yards, was one of five Georgia receivers to catch a touchdown.
After last week’s 34-3 win over then-No.14 Clemson, the Georgia defense has yet to allow a touchdown through two games.
Tennessee Tech (0-2) mustered just 134 total yards, as quarterback Jordyn Potts was 5 of 8 for 18 passing yards and Aidan Littles led the Golden Eagles with 45 rushing yards.
After forcing a three-and-out on Tennessee Tech’s opening drive, Anthony Evans III’s 46-yard punt return set the Bulldogs up on the Golden Eagles’ 22-yard line. Beck then found Dillon Bell in the corner of the end zone for Georgia’s first touchdown at the 12:27 mark of the first.
Following another Tennessee Tech punt, Beck led a seven-play, 58-yard scoring drive that was capped with a six-yard touchdown pass to Colbie Young, extending Georgia’s lead to 14-0 with 6:37 remaining in the first quarter.
Beck was 8 of 8 for 90 yards on the first two drives, while connecting with seven different receivers.
Georgia held its two-touchdown lead after the first quarter. Beck’s completion streak was broken after 11 passes. With 11:45 remaining in the second, Peyton Woodring’s 27-yard field goal stamped Georgia’s 14-play, 71-yard drive.
On the heels of the fourth Golden Eagle punt, the Bulldogs added a score before the half, as Beck found Dominic Lovett for a ten-yard touchdown pass with 1:11 remaining in the second quarter.
Leading 24-0 at halftime, Georgia outgained Tennessee Tech 250-52 in the first half.
On the opening drive of the second half, Beck threw his fourth touchdown, this time to Smith, for a 50-yard pass to extend Georgia’s advantage to 31-0.
After a Golden Eagles fumble, Beck connected with his fifth new touchdown recipient, as Lawson Luckie caught a 37-yard pass to give the Bulldogs a 38-0 lead with 12:21 left in the third. Branson Robinson ran in a 13-yard score for Georgia’s only rushing touchdown of the game, pushing the Bulldogs’ lead to 45-0 at the 6:46 mark of the third.
Woodring’s 30-yard field goal with 3:07 left in the game was equalized by Hayden Olsen’s 32-yard field goal for Tennessee Tech as time expired.
–Field Level Media
Georgia DL Mykel Williams (ankle) is week-to-week
Standout Georgia defensive lineman Mykel Williams is week-to-week with a Grade 2 left ankle sprain, coach Kirby Smart announced on Monday.
The 6-foot-5, 265-pound junior is questionable for Saturday’s home game against FCS opponent Tennessee Tech “but it’s not long term,” Smart said.
Williams was injured by a low block from Clemson running back Phil Mafah midway through the third quarter in the Bulldogs’ 34-3 victory on Saturday in Atlanta. He went to the locker room and returned in a walking boot.
Mafah was flagged for an illegal block on the play. Williams had two tackles for loss in the game.
Williams is regarded as a potential top-five pick in the 2025 NFL Draft. He was a freshman All-American in 2022 and a second-team All-SEC selection in 2023.
–Field Level Media
No. 1 Georgia crushes No. 14 Clemson
ATLANTA — Carson Beck completed 23 of 33 passes for 278 yards and a pair of touchdowns, as No. 1 Georgia steamrolled No. 14 Clemson 34-3 on Saturday.
Georgia outscored Clemson 28-3 in the second half, extending its regular-season winning streak to 40 games. Nate Frazier added 83 rushing yards and a score for the Bulldogs, who won their third straight in the series.
Clemson was outgained 447-188, as junior quarterback Cade Klubnik was 18-for-29 for 142 yards. He also threw an interception to Malaki Starks.
Following a scoreless first quarter, the Bulldogs ate up 6:26 with a 12-play, 68-yard drive. On third-and-4 from the Clemson 8-yard line, Peter Woods sacked Beck for a 4-yard loss, setting up Peyton Woodring’s 30-yard field goal for the game’s first score at the 8:49 mark of the second quarter.
Another Clemson three-and-out led to Georgia’s five-play, 31-yard drive that was capped with Woodring’s 55-yard field goal, giving the Bulldogs a 6-0 lead with 4:16 left.
Georgia out gained Clemson 160-76 in the first half. The Clemson offense managed just two first downs in the opening half, to Georgia’s eight.
On the opening drive of the second half, Beck found Arian Smith for 32 yards, then Dillon Bell’s 27-yard run set the Bulldogs up on the Clemson 9. Two plays later, Beck connected with Colbie Young for a 7-yard pass, extending Georgia’s lead to 13-0 at the 12:01 mark.
Clemson’s offense finally threatened on the ensuing drive, as Klubnik’s 19-yard pass to Jake Briningstool and a roughing-the-passer penalty moved the ball to Georgia’s 36. However, after reaching the Georgia 7, the drive stalled and Clemson settled for Nolan Hauser’s 26-yard field goal with 6:34 left.
Beck and company then answered with an eight-play, 75-yard scoring drive, which included 24-yard and 23-yard passes to Frazier and London Humphreys, respectively. The drive was stamped with Frazier’s 1-yard rushing score.
Georgia capped off the blowout with a pair of fourth-quarter touchdowns — a 40-yard pass from Beck to Humphreys and then Cash Jones’ 15-yard rushing score.
The 31-point loss was Clemson’s largest defeat since a 51-14 loss to Florida State in 2013. Georgia now leads the all-time series 44-18-4.
Trevor Etienne, a transfer from Florida, didn’t play Saturday for Georgia, a punishment for his arrest on DUI and other driving charges in March, ESPN reported.
The Bulldogs also were limited by the absence of running back Roderick Robinson II, who is recovering from surgery for turf toe.
–Field Level Media
No. 1 Georgia meets No. 14 Clemson in Atlanta in opening clash
When No. 1 Georgia faces No. 14 Clemson in Saturday’s Aflac Kickoff Game in Atlanta, two programs trending in opposite directions will look to prove themselves in the season opener.
Winners of 39 consecutive regular-season games, the Bulldogs saw their reign as back-to-back national champions end in last year’s SEC Championship Game, falling to Alabama.
As for Clemson, the Tigers failed to qualify for the College Football Playoff for a third straight year while missing the 10-win mark for the first time since 2010.
Littered with former five-star recruits and future NFL draft picks, Georgia’s roster has an advantage at almost every position, but coach Kirby Smart won’t undervalue a team and coach in Clemson and Dabo Swinney that have won two national championships in the last eight years.
“Just a lot of respect for their program, what Dabo has done,” Smart said. “He’s got a great culture there, a great environment. … It should be an awesome environment Saturday.”
Coming off a 13-1 season, Georgia features an offense that returns familiar faces as well as the first look into a new era of multiple units.
Fifth-year senior Carson Beck enters his second year as the Bulldogs’ starting quarterback. He threw for 3,941 yards and 24 touchdowns a season ago.
Questions arise, however, as to who Beck will hand the ball to in the backfield.
Early in the offseason, the obvious choice for Georgia’s RB1 was Florida transfer Trevor Etienne, who came to the Bulldogs after rushing for 1,472 yards and 14 touchdowns across two seasons for the Gators.
But after his arrest on DUI charges in March — they were dismissed in July — Etienne’s availability is uncertain for the season opener. Compounding the concern for the Georgia running back group is the toe injury of Roderick Robinson II, a sophomore who rushed for 70 yards in a 63-3 rout of Florida State in the Orange Bowl last season.
“I’m really excited about the backs we’ve got,” Smart said. “The guys have worked really hard. They continue to grow and get better. Rod’s toe is still an issue for him, and he did have surgery. … He’ll probably be week to week.”
As for Etienne, Smart wouldn’t disclose any update early in the week.
“I don’t really talk about all the other stuff, with regards to suspensions, for any of our players,” the coach said.
The Tigers, meanwhile, are eager to return to national glory and have a chance to upset the college football landscape on Saturday.
Finishing 9-4 last year, Clemson saw inconsistency from an offense that struggled to find its footing throughout the year.
The offense does return junior quarterback Cade Klubnik, who threw for 2,844 yards and 19 touchdowns, as well as running back Phil Mafah, who led the team with 965 rushing yards and 13 TD runs. Klubnik will need to improve on a season that saw him throw nine interceptions and lose five fumbles.
“You saw a lot of growth from him throughout the season,” Swinney said. “He was a first-year starter, and now you want to see a big jump.”
Now in the 12-team College Football Playoff era, the Tigers have a greater chance of returning to the sport’s biggest stage but will have to overcome their lowest preseason ranking since 2014, when they were No. 16.
“In my experience, we’ve been unranked and won the league, we’ve been ranked 12th and went all the way to the national championship, and we’ve been ranked high and didn’t finish as well,” Swinney said. “In college football, it’s all about where you are in November and December, not July and August.”
–Field Level Media