University of Georgia Athletics
Saturday, November 4
Athens, Ga.
3:30 PM
University of Georgia
vs
South Carolina
Notes: No Rest for Dawgs as Gamecocks Come To Town
October 30, 2017 | Football
The Georgia Bulldogs vs. The South Carolina Gamecocks
Game & Broadcast Info
- Game 9: Georgia Bulldogs vs. South Carolina Gamecocks
- Kickoff: Saturday, November 4 - 3:30 p.m. ET
- Location: Sanford Stadium (92,746) - Athens, Ga.
- 2017 Records: Georgia 8-0 (5-0 SEC), South Carolina 6-2 (4-2 SEC)
- 2016 Records: Georgia 8-5 (4-4 SEC), South Carolina 6-7 (3-5 SEC)
- Rankings: Georgia #2, South Carolina NR
- TV: CBS - Carter Blackburn (PxP), Aaron Taylor (analyst), Rick Neuheisel (analyst), John Schriffen (sideline)
- 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 134, XM 191
- Web Stats: Live Stats
- Twitter: #SCvsUGA
- ReBroadcast: SEC Network: TBA
| Georgia | 2017 Averages | South Carolina |
| 38.1 | Scoring Offense | 26.2 |
| *11.9 | Scoring Defense | 20.2 |
| +2 | Turnover Margin | +8 |
| 446.6 | Total Offense | 343.4 |
| 284.0 | Rushing Offense | 123.5 |
| 162.6 | Passing Offense | 219.9 |
| 7.8 | Punt Returns | 8.9 |
| 24.4 | Kickoff Returns | 24.4 |
*ranks No. 3 nationally
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Bulldogs Ready For Another SEC Test
Second-ranked Georgia enters Saturday's SEC Eastern Division game with South Carolina at 8-0 overall, 5-0 in the league while USC is 6-2 overall, 4-2 in the SEC. Last Saturday, Georgia crushed Florida 42-7 in Jacksonville while South Carolina defeated Vanderbilt in Williams-Brice Stadium 34-27. Georgia leads the SEC East and faces a confident Gamecock squad that has their first three-game SEC winning streak since 2013. Meanwhile, the Bulldogs have won their five conference games by an average of 32 points. Georgia will be aiming to go 9-0 for the seventh time in school history and first since 1982 when the Bulldogs completed the regular season 11-0. The other Georgia teams with splendid starts came in 1927 (9-0), 1942 (9-0), 1946 (11-0), 1971 (9-0) and 1980 (12-0).
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Inside The SEC Numbers
Georgia is one of five undefeated teams in the Associated Press Top 25 poll this week. Alabama and Georgia give the SEC the top two spots in the poll for the first time since Sept. 16, 2012. The last conference to go 1-2 in a poll was the Big Ten in 2015 when Ohio State and Michigan State owned the top two spots. The Bulldogs rank second in the league in Scoring Offense (38.1 points per game) while the Gamecocks are 10th (26.2 points per game). The Bulldogs are outscoring their opponents 90-17 in the first quarter and 106-3 in the third quarter. In Scoring Defense, the Bulldogs are second in the SEC and rank third nationally (11.9 points per game) while the Gamecocks are sixth in the league (20.2 points per game). Georgia has allowed only 95 points this year while USC has given up 162. Georgia is one of only three teams nationally to have scored on each trip inside the Red Zone this year. The Bulldogs are 31-for-31 (22 touchdowns, nine field goals) while USC is scoring 82 percent of the time, going 18-for-22 (11 touchdowns, seven field goals). In Red Zone Defense, Georgia is second in the SEC at 73 percent (11-for-15) while the Gamecocks are fourth at 79 percent (23-for-29).
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Series History
The Bulldogs own a 49-18-2 edge in the series with South Carolina dating back to their first matchup in 1894, which was a 40-0 win over the Gamecocks in Columbia. Georgia has won the last two in a row and three out of the last four, including last year's matchup on a Sunday on South Carolina's campus after inclement weather pushed the game from its scheduled Saturday date. Last time the teams met in Athens, the Bulldogs slammed the Gamecocks 52-20. Saturday's game with USC will be the second-latest date in the history of the series. In 1939, the teams squared off in Athens on Nov. 18 and Georgia won 33-7. Also, this will be only the third time since 1980 that the Gamecocks and Bulldogs have met after September. They played on Oct. 6 in 2012 (USC 35-7) and on Oct. 9, 2016 (UGA 28-14).
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Georgia OL named to Joe Moore Award Mid-Season Honor Roll
Georgia's offensive line was recently named to the Foundation for Teamwork Mid-Season Honor Roll for the Joe Moore Award, which identified notable performances by offensive line units in college football. The Joe Moore Award Mid-Season Honor Roll includes units that display a high level of toughness, effort, teamwork, consistency, technique, and "finishing." "There's a good chance there's not a single OL coach in the country that's happy with how their unit is playing. That's just their nature. But the teams on the Mid-Season Honor Roll caught the attention of the Subcommittee for good reason," said Aaron Taylor, CBS CFB Analyst for this week's Georgia-South Carolina game and Team Captain of the Joe Moore Award. "As in years past, this award won't be earned until November, the time when college football matters most."
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Head Coach Kirby Smart
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| 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 FSUÂ 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)
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In his first year leading the Bulldogs, Georgia extended its school record to 20 consecutive bowl appearances and posted five fourth-quarter comebacks including wins over No. 8 Auburn and No. 22 North Carolina. He led UGA to an 8-5 final record, which included a victory over TCU in the Liberty Bowl.
He has also made an immediate impact in recruiting circles posting the nation's third-ranked class in 2017 following his first class in 2016 generally considered among the top ten. In addition to his coaching duties, Smart oversees the Kirby Smart Family Foundation, which is focused on being champions in the community by supporting and giving back to needy children and families.
Smart officially came home to Georgia on Dec. 6, 2015. But he still had unfinished business at Alabama, which was chasing a national title. He juggled two jobs for a month until January 11, 2016, when the Tide won its fourth national championship in a seven-year span. Twelve hours later, he was at work in Athens, where he is one of nine head coaches at schools from Power 5 conferences that are coaching at their alma mater.
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)
Top Ind. Single-Game Performances Under Smart
Rushing Yards: 222, Chubb vs. #22 UNC (9/3/16)
Rushing TDs: 2, Multiple players
Longest Rush: 74-TD, Michel vs. Florida (10/28/17)
Passing Yards: 346, Eason vs. VU (10/15/16)
Passing TDs: 3, Fromm vs. Samford (9/16/17), Eason @ Missouri (9/17/16)
Receiving TDs: 2, Godwin vs. Samford (9/16/17), McKenzie @ Missouri (9/17/16)
Longest TD Pass: 66-TD, Eason to McKenzie vs. Nicholls (9/10/16)
Longest Pass: 77, Eason to McKenzie vs. TCU (12/30/16)
Tackles: 13, R. Smith vs. Georgia Tech (11/26/16)
Sacks: 3, T. Thompson vs. TCU (12/30/16)
TFL: 3, Thompson vs. Nicholls (9/10/16)
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 2016 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 in 2016
- Became first UGA football coach since Joel Hunt in 1938 to start his career 3-0 after winning his first 2016 SEC game on the road with a 28-27 victory over Missouri
- Five fourth-quarter comebacks, including wins over #8 AU & #22 UNC
2017: J.R. Reed 3-yd fumble recover for TD vs. Florida
2016: Safety vs. #22 UNC; Lorenzo Carter 24-yd fumble recovery for TD vs. Nicholls; Terry Godwin 43-yd KOR for TD @ SC; Maurice Smith 34-yd INT return for TD vs. #8 Auburn; Isaiah McKenzie 82-yd PR for TD vs. UL Lafayette
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| 6 Victories When Tied Or Trailing Late | |||||||
| Year | Opponent | Start of 4th Qtr. | Final | ||||
| 2016 | %#22 UNC | Trailed 24-23 | 33-24 | ||||
| 2016 | @ Missouri | Trailed 27-21 | 28-27 | ||||
| 2016 | @ Kentucky | Trailed 21-16 | 27-24 | ||||
| 2016 | #8 Auburn | Tied 7-7 | 13-7 | ||||
| 2016 | ^TCU | Trailed 23-21 | 31-23 | ||||
| 2017 | #24 Notre Dame | 17-16, trailed 19-17 with 10:21 left | 20-19 | ||||
%Chick-fil-A Kickoff Classic, Ga. Dome; ^Liberty Bowl, Memphis, Tenn.
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Bulldog Offense Averaging 42 Points In SEC Games
Georgia has opened up SEC play 5-0 and is averaging 42.4 points/game with wins over #17 Mississippi State (31-3), at Tennessee (41-0), at Vanderbilt (45-14), versus Missouri (53-28) and against Florida (42-7) en route to an 8-0 overall mark. The Bulldogs are tied for the national lead in Red Zone Offense, going a perfect 31-for-31, including 22 touchdowns.
Freshman QB Jake Fromm is 7-0 as a starter and is ranked second in the SEC in Passing Efficiency at 171.9. Georgia leads the SEC and ranks fifth nationally in Third Down Conversions at 50 percent. Six of Fromm's 13 touchdown passes have covered at least 30 yards. Fromm took over for sophomore Jacob Eason after he went down with a knee injury in the first quarter of the season opener versus Appalachian State.
Fromm is a two-time recipient of SEC Freshman of the Week honors. He earned the accolade in victories over #17 MSU and versus Missouri. In the era of RPOs, Fromm has three rushing touchdowns to go with his passing stats.
Fromm is only the seventh true freshman Bulldog quarterback to start a game, including just the second to do it on the road in his first career start. True freshman Georgia quarterbacks to start include Johnny Rauch (1945), Joe Dupree (1990), Eric Zeier (1991), Quincy Carter (1998), Matt Stafford (2006), Jacob Eason (2016) and now Fromm. Fromm joined Zeier as the only true freshmen to have their first career start on the road. In addition, Fromm joins Rauch as the only true freshman Bulldog QB to lead Georgia to a victory over Florida.
Fromm's first career start came at #24 Notre Dame. Trailing 19-17 with 6:47 left in the contest, Fromm directed a nine play, 63-yard drive to set up the go-ahead field goal. He was 3-for-4 for 45 yards during the drive.
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| Jake Fromm (UGA Career) | |||||||
| 2017 | Att | Cmp | TD | Int | Yds | Sk | Eff. |
| ASU (W) | 15 | 10 | 1 | 0 | 143 | 0 | 168.7 |
| @ #24 ND (W) | 29 | 16 | 1 | 1 | 141 | 2 | 100.5 |
| SU (W) | 13 | 8 | 3 | 0 | 165 | 0 | 244.3 |
| #17 MSU (W) | 12 | 9 | 2 | 0 | 201 | 0 | 270.7 |
| @ UT (W) | 15 | 7 | 1 | 1 | 84 | 2 | 102.4 |
| @ VU (W) | 11 | 7 | 2 | 0 | 102 | 1 | 201.5 |
| MU (W) | 26 | 18 | 2 | 1 | 326 | 1 | 192.2 |
| vs. UF (W) | 4 | 7 | 1 | 1 | 101 | 0 | 196.9 |
| TOTAL | 125 | 82 | 13 | 4 | 1,263 | 6 | 171.9 |
| Jacob Eason (2016 UGA) | |||||||
| 2016 | Att | Cmp | TD | Int | Yds | Sk | Eff. |
| vs. *#22 UNC | 12 | 8 | 1 | 0 | 131 | 1 | 185.9 |
| NICH (W) | 20 | 11 | 1 | 1 | 204 | 1 | 147.2 |
| @ MIZZOU (W) | 55 | 29 | 3 | 1 | 308 | 4 | 114.1 |
| @ #23 OM (L) | 36 | 16 | 0 | 1 | 137 | 3 | 70.9 |
| #11 UT (L) | 28 | 17 | 2 | 1 | 211 | 3 | 140.4 |
| @ SC (W) | 17 | 5 | 1 | 1 | 29 | 1 | 51.4 |
| VU (L) 40 | 27 | 1 | 0 | 3 | 46 | 1 | 148.4 |
| vs. #14 UF (L) | 33 | 15 | 1 | 0 | 143 | 2 | 91.9 |
| @ UK (W) | 31 | 17 | 1 | 0 | 245 | 0 | 131.9 |
| #8 AU (W) | 31 | 20 | 0 | 0 | 208 | 2 | 120.9 |
| LA (W) | 19 | 13 | 2 | 1 | 165 | 0 | 165.5 |
| GT (L) | 27 | 14 | 1 | 2 | 139 | 0 | 92.5 |
| ^TCU (W) | 21 | 12 | 2 | 0 | 164 | 3 | 154.2 |
| 2017 | Att | Cmp | TD | Int | Yds | Sk | Eff. |
| vs. App State^ (W) | 3 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 4 | 1 | 44.5 |
| @ Tennessee (W) | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0.0 |
| @ VU (W) | 3 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 24 | 1 | 167.2 |
| vs. Florida (W) | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| TOTAL | 7 | 4 | 0 | 0 | 28 | 2 | 90.7 |
*came in as a reserve; ^sustained a knee injury in 1st Q and left game
| CAREER | G/GS | Cmp. | Att. | Pct. | Yds. | INT | TD | Eff. | LG |
| 17/14 | 208 | 377 | 55.2 | 2,458 | 8 | 16 | 119.7 | 77 TCU |
Chubb, Michel Highlight Bulldog Rushing Attack
The centerpieces of the Bulldog backfield are seniors Nick Chubb and Sony Michel (for a complete look at Chubb's career, see pg. 4). Chubb is one of only eight players in SEC history with at least 4,000 career rushing yards.
Here's the top five active rushing leaders in NCAA FBS:
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| 1. | Royce Freeman (Oregon) | Sr. | 48 games | 5,242 yards | 54 TDs |
| 2. | Justin Jackson (Northwestern) | Sr. | 46 games | 4,773 yards | 37 TDs |
| 3. | Jarvion Franklin (W. Michigan) | Sr. | 48 games | 4,281 yards | 48 TDs |
| 4. | Nick Chubb (Georgia) | Sr. | 40 games | 4,189 yards | 38 TDs |
| 5. | Larry Rose III (New Mexico St.) | Sr. | 38 games | 4,165 yards | 31 TDs |
| 15. | Sony Michel (Georgia) | Sr. | 40 games | 3,040 | 25 TDs |
Georgia ranks second in the SEC and 10th nationally in Rushing Offense at 284.0 yds/game.
Michel went for 137 yards and two touchdowns on just six carries in the win over the Gators to become only the sixth Bulldog in school history to rush for more than 3,000 yards.
Chubb and Michel are the first Bulldog teammates to each have 1,000-yard rushing seasons in their career.
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| Career Rushing For Sony Michel | |||||||||
| Year | 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 | 12/2 | 152 | 840 | 4 | 42 | 22 | 149 | 1 | 33 |
| 2017 | 7/0 | 74 | 629 | 8 | 74 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 3 |
| Total | 40/9 | 509 | 3,040 | 25 | 75 | 57 | 526 | 5 | 48 |
| Career Rushing For Nick Chubb | |||||||||
| Year | G/GS | Att. | Yards | Per/Att. | Per/Gm. | TD | LG | ||
| 2014 | 13/8 | 219 | 1,547 | 7.1 | 119.0 | 14 | 83 CSU | ||
| 2015 | 6/6 | 92 | 747 | 8.1 | 124.5 | 7 | 83 ALA | ||
| 2016 | 13/11 | 224 | 1,130 | 5.0 | 86.9 | 8 | 55 UNC | ||
| 2017 | 8/8 | 120 | 765 | 6.4 | 95.6 | 9 | 33 VU | ||
| Total | 40/33 | 655 | 4,189 | 6.4 | 104.7 | 38 | 83 (2x) | ||
| Career Receiving For Nick Chubb | |||||||||
| Year | G/GS | Rec. | Yards | Per/Rec. | Per/Gm. | TD | LG | ||
| 2014 | 13/8 | 18 | 213 | 11.8 | 16.4 | 2 | 27 AUB | ||
| 2015 | 6/6 | 4 | 32 | 8.0 | 5.3 | 1 | 24 SU | ||
| 2016 | 13/11 | 5 | 86 | 17.2 | 6.6 | 1 | 49TD LA | ||
| 2017 | 8/8 | 1 | 11 | 11 | 0.1 | 0 | 11ND | ||
| Total | 40/33 | 28 | 342 | 12.2 | 8.6 | 4 | 49TD LA | ||
Offensive Line Making A Statement
One of the story lines for the Bulldogs this season is the development of the offensive line. Georgia's unit has been selected as a member of the 2017 Joe Moore Award Mid-Season Honor Roll. The Bulldogs tallied 292 yards and four touchdowns on the ground against Florida. Coming into the contest, the Gators had allowed just four rushing TDs on the year, which ranked third nationally. Against Missouri, the Bulldogs piled up 370 rushing yards and finished with the second-most total yards (696) in UGA history. The unit paved the way for a season-high 423 rushing yards on 54 carries (7.8 avg.) against Vanderbilt, the sixth most in UGA history and the most since 1987 when Georgia had 454 yards versus VU.
The Bulldogs have started the same combination at LT, C and RT all year with Isaiah Wynn, who was named a Midseason All-American by The All-American, junior Lamont Gaillard and freshman Andrew Thomas, respectively. Thomas became the first true freshman to start on the offensive line for the Bulldogs since John Theus in 2012.
Junior LG Kendall Baker started his sixth straight game versus Florida while sophomore Solomon Kindley has started the last three at RG.
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An Array Of Targets
A total of 15 Bulldogs have caught a pass this season. Senior Javon Wims leads the team lead with 19 receptions for 329 yards and three touchdowns. Junior Terry Godwin has a team best five TDs and 369 yards on 16 catches. He made an acrobatic one-handed grab for a five-yard TD at No. 24 Notre Dame, which was No. 1 on ESPN SportsCenter's "Top-10 List."
Sophomore Mecole Hardman converted to WR from DB after last season. He had his best game of his career against Missouri, accounting for two catches for 71 yards, including a 59-yard touchdown. Hardman also scored his first rushing touchdown, a 35-yard scamper, and added 66 return yards on three kickoffs.
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Defense Setting The Tone
In Scoring Defense, the Bulldogs are second in the SEC and rank third nationally (11.9 points/game). In SEC games, Georgia has outscored its five opponents 212-52. The Bulldog defense had a stretch during the 2017 season of holding opponents without a touchdown for 31 straight drives. The streak started in the final quarter of the Samford game and continued until the first half of the Vanderbilt game. This was the longest streak of its kind since 2006.
The Bulldogs had a shutout of the Gators until just under three minutes left in the contest. At that point, Georgia was up 42-0 and the final was 42-7.
In Red Zone Defense, Georgia is second in the SEC at 73 percent. Florida had a 15-play, 82-yard drive going when the Bulldog defense stopped them on fourth down on the 4 yard line. This marked the first time the Gators had been stopped in the Red Zone all year.
The Bulldogs blanked the Volunteers 41-0 in Knoxville, which snapped the nation's fourth-longest active scoring streak and sixth-longest streak in college football history. The Vols had scored in 289 games in a row dating back to 1994.
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LBs Anchor Bulldog Defense
Junior ILB Roquan Smith, who was named to the Associated Press, Sporting News' and ESPN Midseason All-America teams, is on pace to lead the team in tackles for the second straight season. This year, Smith has the most tackles of any Bulldog with 61. He led the team in tackles with 95 in 2016. This marked the first time a sophomore led UGA in tackles since 2008 (Rennie Curran, 115). Senior Reggie Carter returned to the lineup versus Florida after missing two games and had four stops. Junior Natrez Patrick has missed the last three games and has 16 starts in his career.
Senior OLBs Lorenzo Carter matched his career high with a team-high nine tackles against the Gators, including a sack. He and Davin Bellamy wreaked havoc at #24 Notre Dame, as the defense forced their first two turnovers of the year. Carter now has 13.5 career sacks. Both Smith and Lorenzo Carter have been named Butkus Award semifinalists.
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Take A Look At The Guys Up Front
The anchor is senior nose John Atkins, who has 20 stops for the frontline. Junior Trenton Thompson returned to action versus Florida after missing the wins over Missouri and Vanderbilt following an MCL sprain in the victory over Tennessee. Sophomores Tyler Clark (4 tackles, 0.5 sack) and Julian Rochester (3 tackles, 1 sack) also played a part in the Bulldogs having a season-high five sacks in the win over the Gators.
In Georgia's 20-19 road win at #24 Notre Dame, the Irish totaled only 55 yards on the ground, the least recorded by the Irish since 2011. Then, UGA held the Vols to 142 yards in total offense, the lowest ever in the Kirby Smart era and the first shutout since 2014 (34-0, Missouri).
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Tackles, And Now A Touchdown For Reed
Newcomer J.R. Reed played a part in the 42-7 demolition of Florida by scooping up a fumble and returning it three yards for a touchdown. The redshirt sophomore added nine tackles against the Gators. He ranks second on the team with 44 tackles. Reed tallied a career best 10 tackles and three pass breakups in the dominating 31-3 win over #17 MSU. Reed followed that up by notching his first career interception (followed by a 34-yard return) and fumble recovery to go with three tackles in the road shutout of Tennessee. Reed added a blocked field goal against Samford to his early season contributions to the Bulldogs. He also had a sack and a forced fumble in the same play against App State and a TFL versus #24 Notre Dame.
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Sanders Sets One Record, Creeping Up On Another
Senior safety Dominick Sanders, a Thorpe Award semifinalst, set the Bulldog record for career interception return yardage after picking off his 14th career pass and returning it 18 yards versus Missouri. After snagging his 15th career interception a game later during the rout of Florida, Sanders emerged as the NCAA active career leader and is third on the UGA all-time list. Sanders collected his first interception of the year against #17 MSU and had a 15-yard return. Sanders is now ninth in school history for non-kickers at 46 starts and has started the last 26 contests.
After not having an interception in the first three games, the Bulldogs now have six picks on the year.
INTERCEPTIONS (RET. YDS) - CAREER
T1. 16 (315) - Jake Scott, 1967-68
16 (293) - Baccari Rambo, 2009-12
2. 15 (*342) - Dominick Sanders 2014-
*UGA record, fifth in SEC history
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Nizialek Headlines Punting Game
Graduate transfer Cameron Nizialek (NYE-zuh-lek) arrived in Athens during the preseason and earned the starting punting job. This year, he has posted a 43.8 average on 30 punts, including placing 15 inside the 20. Opponents have had just six punt returns for nine yards. Georgia is fourth nationally in Net Punting at 43.8 yds./game. The Bulldogs are on pace to set the school's Net Punting record (42.6, Collin Barber, 2013).
Nizialek spent his first three seasons at Columbia University where he finished with a degree in Economics. In his career with the Lions, Nizialek averaged 41.3 yards on 149 punts in three seasons. He averaged 44.8 on his punts in 2016.
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Busy Season For Blankenship
With one of the SEC's best offenses scoring 38.1 points/game, redshirt sophomore PK Rodrigo Blankenship has been busy, booming 56 kickoffs, 37 PATs and 10 field goals. In his busiest night, he tallied 17 points in Georgia's win over Missouri on Oct. 14. He booted four field goals and five PATs, which ranks second on the school's all-time list. Blankenship earned the starting job before the 2017 opener and received the news before the Notre Dame game in week two that he had been awarded a scholarship. He hit the game-winning 30-yard field goal at the 3:34 mark in the fourth quarter on the road in the 20-19 victory over the #24 Irish.
This year, 41 of Blankenship's 56 kickoffs this year have been touchbacks. He has had a streak of 18 consecutive touchbacks. Last year, he totaled 21 touchbacks for the year.
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Bulldogs Lead As NFL Captains
Six former Georgia players have been named team captains for their respective squads this year: C David Andrews, New England Patriots; LB Thomas Davis, Carolina Panthers; RB Todd Gurley, L.A. Rams; LB Justin Houston, Kansas City Chiefs; S Reshad Jones, Miami Dolphins; LB Alec Ogletree, L.A. Rams
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A Family Tradition
The snapping responsibility for the Bulldogs has been shared by senior Trent Frix and junior Nick Moore. Frix is snapping on field goals and extra points. He is the younger brother of former snapper Ty Frix (2009-12) and the son of former snapper Mitch Frix (1981-82).
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Davis Named To Allstate AFCA Good Works Team
Senior DB Aaron Davis has been named to the 2017 Allstate AFCA Good Works Team. Davis is one of 11 players from the NCAA FBS selected based on their commitment to community service.
Davis, a Finance graduate and native of Locust Grove, Ga., is one of four players from the SEC on the FBS 2017 Allstate AFCA Good Works Team. Georgia leads the nation in Allstate AFCA Good Works Team honorees with 18 since the award's inception in 1992, including four straight and six in the last seven years. Current Bulldog TE Jeb Blazevich was awarded the honor in 2016. This year, Davis has started all eight games and is fifth on the team with 23 tackles.
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McBride Named Finalist For NFF Chapter Scholar-Athlete Award
Freshman inside linebacker Nate McBride was named a finalist for the 2017 National Football Foundation (NFF) Chapter Scholar-Athlete Awards, which annually honor five recipients for their accomplishments as athletes, scholars and citizens at the high school level.
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Blazevich Named Campbell Trophy Semifinalist
Senior TE Jeb Blazevich has been included as a semifinalist for the 2017 William V. Campbell Trophy. Blazevich, a native of Charlotte, N.C., is one of 71 semifinalists from the FBS. He is now a candidate to be named one of 12-14 finalists for the Campbell Trophy on Nov. 1 and to be included in this year's NFF National Scholar-Athlete Class. Georgia's last semifinalist for the honor was ILB Jake Ganus in 2015.
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Bulldog 2017 SEC Honors
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- Sr. OLB Lorenzo Carter: SEC Defensive Player of the Week after 20-19 win at #24 ND (7 tackles, 1 sack, 2 forced fumbles, 2 recovered fumbles)
- Fr. QB Jake Fromm: SEC Freshman of the Week after 31-3 win vs. #17 MSU (9-for-12 for 201 yds., 2 touchdowns, 0 interceptions)
- Sr. TB Nick Chubb: SEC Offensive Player of the Week after 41-0 win at UT (16 carries for 109 yds., eclipsed 100-mark for 20th time in his career)
- Sr. LT Isaiah Wynn: SEC Offensive Lineman of the Week after 45-14 win at Vanderbilt (graded out at 92 percent and had 8 "knockdown" blocks as offense racked up 423 yds. rushing)
- Fr. QB Jake Fromm: SEC Freshman of the Week after 53-28 win vs. MU (18-for-26 for a career-high 326 yds., 2 passing TDs, 1 rushing TD)
Georgia Graduates
Georgia has seven players on this year's roster who have already earned their degrees. The players who received a bachelor degree from UGA include: N John Atkins (Sociology), OT Aulden Bynum (Agricultural & Applied Economics), ILB Reggie Carter (Economics), DB Aaron Davis (Finance) and QB Brice Ramsey (Communication Studies).
Another pair of players joined the Bulldogs as graduate transfers during the offseason: Cameron Nizialek (Columbia University - Economics), David Marvin (Wofford - Biology/Chemistry). Marvin is working on a Master's of Public Health at Georgia. Nizialek is working on a graduate degree in Sport Management and Policy. All of the SEC players who have achieved a degree will be sporting the SEC Graduate patch on their uniforms this year.
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Under the Lights Again & Again
The first four home games of the Bulldogs' 2017 season were night contests and they posted a 4-0 record in that span. Georgia has beaten App State (31-10), Samford (42-14), #17 Mississippi State (31-3) and Missouri (53-28) to its 7-0 start. The only other time that the Bulldogs have played this many night games in Sanford Stadium was in 1943. That year, Georgia played all five of its home contests under the lights and went 5-0 with victories over Presbyterian twice, Tennessee Tech, Wake Forest and Howard.
Georgia played its first night game at Miami (W, 26-0) in 1937. It played host to its first contest under the lights versus Kentucky (T, 7-all) in 1940.
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Dogs in the NFL
ACTIVE
David Andrews, C, Patriots
Geno Atkins, DT, Bengals
Clint Boling, OG, Bengals
Tyler Catalina, G, Redskins
Thomas Davis, LB, Panthers
Leonard Floyd, LB, Bears
Cordy Glenn, OT, Bills
A.J. Green, WR, Bengals
Todd Gurley, RB, Rams
Justin Houston, LB, Chiefs
John Jenkins, DL, Seahawks
Jordan Jenkins, LB, Jets
Charles Johnson, DE, Panthers
Abry Jones, DT, Jaguars
Ben Jones, OL, Titans
Reshad Jones, S, Dolphins
Tavarres King, WR, Giants
Isaiah McKenzie, WR, Broncos
Corey Moore, S, Texans
Alec Ogletree, LB, Rams
Maurice Smith, S, Dolphins
Matthew Stafford, QB, Lions
Blair Walsh, K, Seahawks
Cornelius Washington, DL, Bears
Benjamin Watson, TE, Ravens
Shawn Williams, S, Bengals
Ramik Wilson, LB, Chiefs
INJURED-RESERVE
Brandon Boykin, CB, Bears
Chris Conley, WR, Chiefs
Quincy Mauger, TE, Falcons
Keith Marshall, RB, Redskins
Malcolm Mitchell, WR, Patriots
PRACTICE SQUAD
Sterling Bailey, DE, Vikings
Garrison Smith, DE, Seahawks
Players Mentioned
N
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OT
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OLB
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PK
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TE
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OT
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OLB
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ILB
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TB
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DL
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DB
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QB
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SN
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QB
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C
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WR
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WR
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OL
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PK
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LB
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TB
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FB
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P
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ILB
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QB
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DL
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SS
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ILB
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OL
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DT
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WR
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OT
/ FootballKirby Smart All Access vs Auburn - 2025
Tuesday, October 14
Georgia Football - Tuesday Press Conference - Cash Jones
Tuesday, October 14
Georgia Football - Tuesday Press Conference - Raylen Wilson
Tuesday, October 14
Georgia Football - Gunner Stockton Pre-Ole Miss Press Conference
Monday, October 13