University of Georgia Athletics
Notes: Dawgs Face Vols In Pivotal SEC Matchup
September 26, 2016 | Football
The Georgia Bulldogs vs. The Tennessee Volunteers
Game & Broadcast Info
- Game 5: Georgia Bulldogs vs. Tennessee Vols
- Kickoff: Saturday, October 1 - 3:30 p.m. ET
- Location: Sanford Stadium (92,746), Athens, Ga.
- Records: Georgia 3-1 (1-1 SEC), Tennessee 4-0 (1-0 SEC)
- Rankings: Georgia 25/20, Tennessee 11/11
- TV: CBS - Verne Lundquist (play-by-play); Gary Danielson (color analyst); Allie LaForce (sideline reporter)
- Video Stream: CBSSports.com
- Radio: WSB AM 750 - Bulldog Network | Affiliates
Scott Howard (PxP), Eric Zeier (Color), Chuck Dowdle (sideline) - Audio Stream: georgiadogs.com | Mobile
- Satellite: Sirius 83, XM 190
- Live Stats:
- Twitter: #TENNvsUGA
- ReBroadcast: SEC Network : 10/3-9pm, 10/4-12pm, 10/6-12pm
A change in the game opening time has been made to all remaining home games. For Georgia's game against Tennessee and for the remaining home games, gates will open up two hours before kickoff. This is a change from the past when gates opened 90 minutes before kick.
Georgia (3-1, 1-1 SEC) and Tennessee (4-0, 1-0 SEC) have produced big comebacks this season. While Georgia was unable to overcome a huge deficit last week at No. 23 Ole Miss, Tennessee remained unbeaten by finally beating Florida.
The Bulldogs have rallied back from being down by 10 points in wins over #22 North Carolina in Atlanta and at Missouri while the Volunteers have done it against Appalachian State, Virginia Tech and most recently against Florida. However, the comeback against the Gators was after trailing 21-0. It was like the Georgia game last October in Neyland Stadium when the Vols fell behind 24-3 in the same Smokey Gray uniforms they wore versus UF Saturday, and then raced back for a 38-31 win. Last week, UT used a 35-point outburst to beat UF 38-28 and snapped an 11-year losing streak in the series.
The Bulldogs are glad to finally be home. Georgia closed out September with its second straight SEC road game. This season marked the first since 1966 that Georgia had just one of its first four games at home and first time since 2006 that Georgia played its first two SEC games on the road. Meanwhile, the Volunteers have played three of their first four games in Knoxville. UT's lone trip outside of Knoxville was a neutral site contest in Bristol, Tenn. They set a college football attendance record in a 45-24 win over Virginia Tech at Bristol Motor Speedway as 156,990 watched the contest.
For the 14th time in the series, both teams are ranked in the top 25, and the Bulldogs are 5-8 in these ranked matchups. In the Associated Press Top 25 poll this week, Georgia checks in at No. 25 while the Volunteers are No. 11. The last time both squads met while in the top 25 came in 2006 in Athens when No. 13 UT beat No. 10 Georgia 51-33. A year earlier in Knoxville, then No. 5 Georgia edged No. 7 UT 27-14.
Georgia trails in the all-time series with Tennessee 22-21-2 as it dates back to 1899. The last four meetings between the teams have been decided by a touchdown or less with one needing overtime. Last time in Athens, the Bulldogs edged the Volunteers 35- 32 in 2014. The Vols won nine in a row starting in 1989, and the streak ended in 2000 when then No. 19 Georgia posted a 21-10 victory over No. 21 UT in Athens. Georgia's streak of five straight victories in the series, which matched the longest winning stretch over Tennessee in school history, ended last year.
The Bulldogs let a 21-point lead slip away during last year's matchup at Tennessee. Current Chicago Bear Leonard Floyd put Georgia on the scoreboard by returning a fumble 96 yards in the opening period. Following a Volunteer field goal, the Bulldogs managed another pair of touchdowns, including a 70-yard punt return from Reggie Davis, and their only field goal of the game to take a 24-3 edge with 3:27 left in the half. But Evan Berry jumpstarted Tennessee's next possession with a 46-yard kickoff return and the Volunteers scored eight plays later. Following a fumble on the ensuing kickoff, Tennessee took control at the Georgia 25 yard line and scored less than 30 seconds later to make it 24-17.
The Volunteers opened the second half with another pair of scores to take a 31-24 lead, their first of the game. While Davis, who finished with 101 yards receiving and 244 all-purpose, hauled in a 48-yard touchdown catch to tie the score, Tennessee went on a 78-yard scoring drive to score the game-winner with 5:48 left. Jake Ganus led the Bulldogs defensively with 12 stops and an interception.
UGA leads USC 48-18-2 in the all-time series that dates back to 1894. Georgia crushed the Gamecocks 52-20 last year in Athens but hasn't won in Columbia since 2008
| Georgia | 2016 Averages | Tennessee |
| 25.2 | Scoring Offense | 32.8 |
| 30.0 | Scoring Defense | 21.0 |
| +2 | Turnover Margin | +2 |
| 413.0 | Total Offense | 387.8 |
| 196.8 | Rushing Offense | 186.5 |
| 216.2 | Passing Offense | 201.2 |
| 9.9 | Punt Returns | 5.5 |
| 21.6 | Kickoff Returns | 26.4 |
Head Coach Kirby Smart
| Personal Full Name: Kirby Paul Smart Birthdate: December 23, 1975 Birthplace: Montgomery, Alabama Family: Wife: Mary Beth; Children: twins Weston and Julia (Feb. 8, 2008), and Andrew (May 25, 2012) High School: Bainbridge (Ga.) College: BBA Georgia '98; MS Florida State '03 Coaching Experience 1999 Georgia Admin. Asst. 2000 Valdosta State Defensive Backs 2001 Valdosta State Def. Coord. 2002-03 Florida State Grad. Assistant 2004 LSU Defensive Backs 2005 Georgia Running Backs 2006 Miami Dolphins Safeties 2007 Alabama Asst. HC/DBs 2008-13, '15 Alabama Def. Coord./ILBs 2014 Alabama Asst. HC/Safeties 2016-current Georgia Head Coach Playing Experience Georgia (1995-98): Four-year letterman as defensive back. First team All-SEC in '98; 13 career interceptions; four-time member of SEC Academic Honor Roll. Bainbridge H.S. (1991-93): Three-year letterman in football, basketball, and baseball; first team Class AAAA All-State as a senior; 16 career interceptions. High School Coach: Sonny Smart (father) |
On Dec. 6, 2015, Smart officially came home to Georgia. But he had unfinished business at Alabama, which was still chasing a national title. He juggled two jobs for a month until January 11, 2016, when the Crimson Tide won its fourth national championship in a 7-year span. Twelve hours later, he was in Athens ready to go to work.
When Smart was named head coach he said "It's an honor and privilege to return home to the University of Georgia and my home state. I'm deeply appreciative of the faith President Morehead, Greg McGarity, and the Athletic Board Executive Committee have demonstrated in asking me to lead one of the truly great college football programs in the country. I also want to thank Coach Saban. I have been fortunate to spend 11 seasons with him as my mentor and have learned a tremendous amount from him as a coach and teacher. I'm honored and excited for the opportunity at Georgia and promise high energy, effort every day, and hard work every minute on the part of all our coaches, staff and student-athletes."
Smart has served on the Alabama staff the past nine years, the past seven as defensive coordinator. During his tenure at Alabama, the Crimson Tide won three BCS National Championships, one College Football Playoff national title, three Southeastern Conference crowns, six SEC western division titles, and was ranked in the nation's final top ten rankings the last eight years in a row.
A former standout defensive back and scholar-athlete at Georgia, Smart was one of the nation's most respected defensive coordinators. During his time at Alabama, he coached players at three different positions, in addition to his coordinating duties. He was recognized as the 2012 AFCA Assistant Coach of the Year and the 2009 Broyles Award winner as college football's top assistant coach. He was also a finalist for the 2015 Broyles Award.
A four-time member of the SEC Academic Honor Roll, Smart received his BBA degree in Finance from UGA in 1998 and his M.S. in Physical Education from Florida State in 2003. The Bainbridge, Ga., native is married to the former Mary Beth Lycett of McDonough, Ga., a 4-year letterwinner, and 2-year starter, on the Georgia women's basketball team from 2000-2003. The couple met long after their undergraduate days at UGA, when Lycett -- then working in the UGAAA business office -- helped arrange Smart's trip to interview for the Bulldogs' running backs coaching job in 2005. They are now the proud parents of twins Weston and Julia (Feb. 8, 2008) and son Andrew (May 25, 2012).
Did You Know?
Kirby Smart is one of nine head coaches at schools from Power 5 conferences that are coaching at their alma maters.
The complete list:
Paul Chryst (Wisconsin)
Barry Odom (Missouri)
Pat Fitzgerald (Northwestern)
Mark Richt (Miami)
Mike Gundy (Oklahoma State)
David Shaw (Stanford)
Jim Harbaugh (Michigan)
Kirby Smart (GEORGIA)
Cliff Kingsbury (Texas Tech)
| The Kirby Smart Record | ||||
| Year | W | L | Pct. | SEC |
| 2016 | 3 | 1 | 1.000 | 1-1 |
Quick Facts
- Led UGA to its first win over a ranked team in a season opener away from Sanford Stadium in school history, posting a 33-24 win over #22 UNC during the Chick-Fil-A Kickoff Classic
- In head coaching debut, Bulldogs overcame a 10-point deficit in the second half and scored the final 19 points of the game in a win over the #22 Tar Heels in the Georgia Dome
- Became first UGA football coach since Joel Hunt in 1938 to start his career 3-0 after winning his first SEC game on the road with a 28-27 victory over Missouri
DOG TRACKS
| RUSHING |
| 27 Nick Chubb, TB: 422 yards on 83 att., 5.1 avg., 3 TDs, 55 long |
| 35 Brian Herrien, TB: 184 yards on 26 att., 7.1 avg., 3 TDs, 23 long |
| PASSING |
| 10 Jacob Eason, QB: 64x123, 780 yards, 5 TD, 3 INTs, 131.82 eff. |
| 11 Greyson Lambert, QB: 7x11, 56 yards, 0 TD, 0 INT, 106.40 eff. |
| RECEIVING |
| 16 Isaiah McKenzie 21 rec., 318 yards, 4 TD, 66 long |
| 5 Terry Godwin 12 rec., 163 yards, 0 TD, 36 long |
| TACKLES |
| 6 Natrez Patrick: 24 total tackles (14 solo, 10 asts.), 0.5 TFL |
| 78 Trenton Thompson: 20 total tackles (8, 12), 4.0 TFL, 1 SACK |
True freshman QB Jacob Eason is now 2-1 as a starter. In a 45-14 road loss to #23 Ole Miss, he went 16-for-36 for 137 yards and one INT. He led the Bulldogs on a fourth quarter comeback in the 28-27 road win at Missouri in just his second career start. He finished 29-for-55 for 308 yards and three touchdowns (all career highs). This was the most attempts for a Bulldog since sophomore Cory Phillips went 36-for-62 against Georgia Tech in 2000. In the win over Mizzou, Eason and the Bulldogs converted a 4th-and-10 with 1:29 left that resulted in a 20-yard scoring strike to junior Isaiah McKenzie. This game-winning TD capped an 80-yard drive in 10 plays that took just 2:03.
Eason became only the sixth Bulldog freshman QB to start a game and the first since Matthew Stafford in 2006 when he lined up behind center in the win over Nicholls. He saw his first action in the win over #22 UNC and completed 8-of-12 for 131 yards and a score (McKenzie).
Greyson Lambert returns for his final year of eligibility. After transferring to UGA from Virginia to start graduate school during the 2015 summer, the Jesup, Ga., native has started a total of 13 games, going 11-2 in those contests. He was Georgia's starter in the season-opening win over #22 North Carolina.
| Jacob Eason | ||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Year | G/GS | Cmp. | Att. | Pct. | Yds. | INT | TD | Eff. | LG | |
| 2016 | 4/3 | 64 | 123 | 52.0 | 780 | 3 | 5 | 131.8 | 66TD NICH | |
| Greyson Lambert (2013-14 UVA; 2015-16 UGA) | ||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Year | G/GS | Cmp. | Att. | Pct. | Yds. | INT | TD | Eff. | LG | |
| 2013 | 7/0 | 33 | 75 | .440 | 340 | 2 | 1 | 81.1 | 23 UNC | |
| 2014 | 9/9 | 154 | 261 | .590 | 1,632 | 11 | 10 | 115.7 | 54 VT | |
| 2015 | 12/12 | 162 | 256 | .633 | 1,959 | 2 | 12 | 141.5 | 48 ULM, UT | |
| 2016 | 2/1 | 7 | 11 | .636 | 56 | 0 | 0 | 106.4 | 25 UNC | |
| Total | 30/22 | 356 | 603 | .590 | 3,987 | 15 | 23 | 122.2 | 54 VT | |
The centerpieces of the Bulldog backfield are juniors Nick Chubb and Sony Michel. They are the first Bulldog teammates to each have 1,000-yard rushing seasons in their career. Michel returned this season after he became the 10th Georgia player in history to rush for more than 1,000 yards while starting six games in 2015 He became a starter last year after Chubb, who became the ninth running back with 1,000+ yards in 2014, went down with the knee injury against UT.
Chubb returned to the lineup in dramatic fashion in the 2016 season opener against #22 UNC, earning Maxwell Award/ SEC Player of the Week honors for his efforts. After sustaining a season-ending knee injury at UT (Oct. 10, 2015), he underwent surgery and extensive rehab. Against UNC, he tallied a Chick- Fil-A Kickoff Game record 222 yards on 32 carries. This marked his third career 200-yard game with only legendary running back Herschel Walker having more with nine. Due to an ankle injury, Chubb missed the second half of the game at #23 Ole Miss and finished with 57 yards on 12 carries.
Freshman Brian Herrien has been the Bulldogs' third back and led the team at #23 Ole Miss with 78 yards on 11 carries (7.1 avg.) and two touchdowns. Herrien, who also had two catches against the Rebels, is Georgia's second leading rusher with 184 yards. Elijah Holyfield, another true freshman, got his first carries versus #23 Ole Miss and finished with 27 yards on four carries and one 19-yard catch. Junior fullback Christian Payne, a former walk-on from Athens and product of Prince Avenue School, was also a key to Georgia's 289 yards rushing in the win over #22 UNC. He showcased his receiving skills in the road win at Missouri, registering a career-high five catches for 41 yards, including his first career touchdown.
| Nick Chubb | |||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| G/GS | Att. | Yds | TD | LG | Rec | Yds | TD | LG | |
| 2014 | 13/8 | 219 | 1,547 | 14 | 83 | 18 | 213 | 2 | 27 |
| 2015 | 6/6 | 92 | 747 | 7 | 83 | 4 | 32 | 1 | 24 |
| 2016 | 4/3 | 82 | 422 | 3 | 55 | 1 | 12 | 0 | 12 |
| Total | 23/17 | 394 | 2,716 | 24 | 83 | 23 | 257 | 3 | 27 |
| Sony Michel | |||||||||
| G/GS | Att. | Yds | TD | LG | Rec | Yds | TD | LG | |
| 2014 | 8/1 | 64 | 410 | 5 | 75 | 7 | 106 | 1 | 33 |
| 2015 | 13/6 | 219 | 1,161 | 8 | 66 | 26 | 270 | 3 | 48 |
| 2016 | 3/1 | 23 | 106 | 0 | 19 | 7 | 58 | 0 | 29 |
| Total | 24/8 | 306 | 1,677 | 13 | 75 | 40 | 434 | 4 | 48 |
During Georgia's 3-1 start, 15 different Bulldogs have caught a pass, headlined by junior WR/PR/KOR Isaiah McKenzie. He has 21 catches for 318 yards and four touchdowns, which eclipses his total from his first two seasons (16 rec., 190 yds., 0 TDs). In the wins over Missouri and #22 North Carolina, he had a career-high 122 yards in each contest. Against Nicholls, he added another explosive play, registering a 66-yard TD reception, the longest by the Bulldogs since 2013 (Aaron Murray to Todd Gurley for 83 yards vs. Florida).
Sophomore Terry Godwin is second on the team with 12 catches for 163 yards. Godwin's career highlights include becoming the first Bulldog in school history to catch and throw a touchdown during a bowl game when he earned MVP honors in Georgia's win over Penn State at the 2016 TaxSlayer Bowl. eam with 35 catches for 379 yards and two touchdowns.
This season, three of the five starters on the offensive line return from 2015. Seniors Greg Pyke (OG/OT) and Brandon Kublanow (C/OG) and junior Isaiah Wynn (OT) have combined for 74 career starts. The Bulldogs have also benefitted from getting graduate transfer Tyler Catalina and the emergence of redshirt sophomore Lamont Gaillard as they joined the aforementioned trio in the starting lineup for the first four games this year. Junior guard Dyshon Sims, who has played in 19 games and started one, is in the rotation as well.
The line of scrimmage helped pave the way for 289 rushing yards and 474 yards of total offense against #22 UNC. However, the Bulldogs did surrender four sacks versus UNC. At Missouri, the Bulldogs ran 93 plays for 409 yards. Georgia had just 101 yards on the ground with 308 through the air. The Bulldogs also allowed four sacks versus the Tigers. The Bulldogs racked up 396 yards at #23 Ole Miss, including 230 on the ground, but Georgia gave up another three sacks in a 45-14 loss.
Georgia is 3-for-4 on fourth down this year, including 2-for-3 against #23 Ole Miss. One of the Bulldogs' conversions came after freshman Marshall Long faked a punt and connected with Sony Michel for a 29-yard completion. Georgia's first conversion this season resulted in a 20-yard touchdown on 4th-and-10 with 1:29 left to beat Missouri 28-27. Last year, the Bulldogs were 5-for-12 on fourth down, including one touchdown. Michel had a 34-yard touchdown run versus Georgia Tech in the first quarter on 4th-and-1.
Georgia is 3-1 but has trailed in all four of its games this year, including three by at least 10 points. Most recently, the Bulldogs fell behind at #23 Ole Miss 31-0 at the half and eventually trailed 45-0 before losing 45-14. After that output, Georgia slipped to 12th in the SEC in scoring defense at 30.0 ppg. In the 28-27 road win over Missouri, the defense limited the Tigers to seven points in the second half as they gained just 128 yards on 35 plays. In the first half, Missouri tallied 20 points on 40 plays, gaining 343 yards.
Georgia's defense opened the season against a high-powered UNC offense. The Bulldogs held the #22 Tar Heels to 24 points and 315 total yards on offense. Most importantly when the Bulldogs fell behind 24-14 with 6:34 left in the third period, the Georgia defense blanked North Carolina the rest of the game as the Bulldogs rallied back for a 33-24 victory.
Against Nicholls, the defense responded again in a tight contest. While the Colonels scored 24 points, 17 of those came after Bulldog turnovers. They had one sustained TD drive (11 plays for 75 yards) while the other two covered just nine and 30 yards. Also, a Nicholls field goal drive was minus one yard after a 91-yard interception return gave them first-and-goal at the Bulldog 8 midway through the fourth quarter.
After facing Drew Lock (Missouri) and Chad Kelly (Ole Miss) the past two weeks, here comes Joshua Dobbs ( Tennessee), and that trio ranks first, third and fourth in total offense in the SEC. Georgia's opponents have nine TDs and four FGs in the Red Zone in 14 trips and six TDs have come via the pass. The lone stop came on an interception by senior Quincy Mauger when it trailed 27-21 in the 4th quarter at Missouri. He has had a pair of games with two interceptions, both against the Tigers. Sophomore DB Juwuan Briscoe had an eventful performance against the Tigers too. He finished with three tackles, two fumble recoveries, one interception and one forced fumble in the one-point win over Missouri.
Against #22 UNC, junior CB Malkom Parrish had a teamhigh seven tackles while junior CB Aaron Davis had five stops and graduate transfer STAR Maurice Smith also had five tackles plus two pass break-ups. Smith joined the team late in the summer after graduating and completing his undergraduate career at Alabama. Smith played in all 15 games for the 14-1 national champions in 2015 and finished with 15 stops. He played in 41 career games (starting two) and made 38 tackles, 1.5 sacks, five pass break-ups, one forced fumble and a fumble recovery for Alabama.
All-SEC performer Dominick Sanders notched his 10th career interception in the win over Nicholls. He had a leagueleading six picks in 2015 and finished last year with a UGA single season record of 205 interception return yards, which ranked fifth in SEC history. At Missouri, Sanders stripped the ball and the Bulldogs recovered as the Tigers' attempted to get in to field goal range in the final minute down one point.
| UGA RECORD BOOKS - INT RETURN YARDS (CAREER): | ||
|---|---|---|
| Rank | Int Yards | Player |
| 1. | 315 | Jake Scott (16), 1967-68 {fifth in SEC history} |
| 2. | 303 | Scott Woerner (13), 1977-80 |
| 3. | 293 | Bacarri Rambo (16), 2009-12 |
| 4. | 269 | Dominick Sanders (10), 2014- |
Georgia's early season success has been due in part to winning the battle on the line of scrimmage. Veterans DaQuan Hawkins-Muckle, Trenton Thompson and John Atkins are leading this group. In the season opener, true freshman David Marshall finished with four tackles, including the team's only sack. Thompson had a breakout performance against Nicholls, tallying a career-high 11 stops, three TFLs and one sack. Atkins answered the bell versus Missouri with a career-high five tackles. At ILB sophomores Roquan Smith and Natrez Patrick plus junior Reggie Carter are getting an opportunity to make more plays this year. Carter, who tied a career high with seven tackles against Nicholls, has returned after missing the 2015 season with shoulder surgery. Against #22 UNC, Smith was second on the team with six tackles, including two tackles for loss and one of the TFLs resulted in a safety as Georgia rallied back from a 10-point deficit. Patrick added five stops against the Tar Heels and then posted a career-high nine stops in the road win at Missouri.
Juniors Davin Bellamy and Lorenzo Carter are manning the OLB spots. Carter returned a fumble 24 yards for a TD in the win over Nicholls. Sophomore D'Andre Walker and senior Chuks Amaechi can help too. Smart mentioned that Walker is a weapon on special teams after fighting through blockers to tally two stops versus #22 UNC on kickoffs. Amaechi was second on the team with five stops in the win at Missouri.
After redshirt sophomore William Ham went 3-for-7 in field goals in the first three games, redshirt freshman Rodrigo Blankenship got a shot at #23 Ole Miss and went 0-1. Both have kicked PATs and shared kickoff duties this season. True freshman Marshall Long is taking care of the punting, averaging 39.6 yards on 22 punts. The snapping responsibility has been shared by juniors Glenn Welch and Trent Frix. Frix is the younger brother of former snapper Ty Frix (2009-12) and the son of former snapper Mitch Frix (1981-82).
Junior Isaiah McKenzie has already made his mark in the SEC record book with his returns. Currently, his four punt returns for touchdowns rank fifth best in SEC history while his five total returns for scores (four PR, one KOR) is tied for third best in the league record books. This year, McKenzie has eightreturns for 79 yards for an SEC-best 9.9 average.
Senior Reggie Davis had a team-leading 17 kick returns for 394 yards (23.2 avg.) in 2015 to go with eight punt returns for 110 yards (one for a TD at Tennessee last year that covered 70 yards). This year, Davis is averaging 24.8 yards on six kickoff returns while McKenzie is at 12.0.
| McKenzie's Career Touchdown Returns | ||
|---|---|---|
| Date | Game | Length |
| Sept. 20, 2014 | Troy | 52-yd PR |
| Nov. 8, 2014 | @ Kentucky | *90-yd KOR |
| Nov. 8, 2014 | @ Kentucky | 59-yd PR |
| Sept. 12, 2015 | @ Vanderbilt | 77-yd PR |
| Nov. 14, 2015 | @ Auburn | 53-yd PR |
The Bulldogs had six first-time starters in the 2016 season opener on offense and defense. In game two against Nicholls, Georgia had two more new starters. On the trip to Oxford, Miss., the Bulldogs had another first-time starter. #22 UNC: Michael Chigbu (WR), Tyler Catalina (LT), Lamont Gaillard (RG) Charlie Woerner (TE), Roquan Smith (WLB) and Maurice Smith (STAR). Additionally, all three kicking specialists made their Bulldog debut in William Ham (PK, PAT, KO), Marshall Long (P) and Rodrigo Blankenship (KO). NICHOLLS: Jacob Eason (QB), Jayson Stanley (WR) #21 OM: David Marshall (DE)
In the 2016 season opener, 12 true freshmen made their debut plus two redshirt freshmen. In the win at Missouri, another three true freshmen played for the first time. In 2015, a total of 22 true freshmen, which led the nation, played for the Bulldogs, including 19 in the season opener and that also led the country. Thirty-three Bulldogs earned a snap for the first time in their careers last season. Before the ULM game to start last year, the most true freshmen to play in a season opener since 2001 was 13 coming back in 2012.
In 2016, the Bulldogs are +2 in Turnover Margin. Georgia has forced nine turnovers for 13 points (six scored by the defense) while opponents have scored 31 points off seven Bulldog turnovers. vs. #22 UNC (W, 33-24): UGA did not create any turnovers; UNC did not score off 1 turnover. NICH (W, 26-24): UGA got 6 points off 3 turnovers; NICH got 17 points off 3 turnovers. @ MISSOURI (W, 28-27): UGA got no points off 5 turnovers; MU got 7 points off 1 turnover. @ #23 OM (L, 45-14): UGA got 7 points off 1 turnover; OM got 7 points off 2 turnovers. The Bulldogs have had 12 plays which covered 25+ yards; Opp. have had 15.
Bulldog weekly award winners: Nick Chubb Maxwell Award Player of the Week SEC Off. Player of the Week (vs. #22 UNC) Isaiah McKenzie Paul Hornung Award Honor Roll (vs. #22 UNC, @ MIZZ) Jacob Eason Davey O'Brien Award "Super 8" (@ MIZZ)
The SEC has created a patch to recognize student-athletes who have earned their undergraduate degrees - and the Bulldogs have four who fit the bill. OT Tyler Catalina, QB Greyson Lambert, DB Maurice Smith and receiver Kenneth Towns are seniors athletically and are all pursuing graduate degrees. Catalina (Rhode Island), Lambert (Virginia) and Smith (Alabama) join Towns, who is in his fifth year with the Bulldogs. Towns was a former walk-on from Albany, Ga., who earned a scholarship before the 2016 season.
The Bulldogs have had 10 plays which covered 25+ yards; opponents have had 10.
GAME 1: #18 Georgia vs. #22 UNC
Georgia: 3 plays; Longest: 55-yd. TD rush (Chubb)
UNC: 3 plays; Longest: 95-yd. KOR TD (Logan)
GAME 2: #9 Georgia vs. Nicholls
Georgia: 4 plays; Longest: 66-yd. TD pass (Eason to McKenzie)
NICH: 1 play; Longest: 91-yd. INT ret. (Hall)
GAME 3: #16 Georgia @ Missouri
Georgia: 3 plays; Longest: 32-yd. pass (Eason to Godwin)
MU: 6 plays; Longest: 79-yd. TD pass (Lock to Moore)
GAME 4: #12 Georgia @ #23 Ole Miss
Georgia: 2 plays; Longest: 40-yard KOR (Davis)
OM: 5 plays; Longest: 55-yd. TD pass (Kelly to Lodge)
