University of Georgia Athletics
Saturday, November 25
Atlanta, Ga.
12:00 PM
University of Georgia
at
Georgia Tech
Notes: Georgia Battles Tech, Aims for 11th Win
November 20, 2017 | Football
The Georgia Bulldogs vs. The Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets
Game & Broadcast Info
- Game 12: Georgia Bulldogs vs. Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets
- Kickoff: Saturday, November 25 - 12:00 p.m. ET
- Location: Bobby Dodd Stadium (55,000) - Atlanta, Ga.
- 2017 Records: Georgia 10-1 (7-1 SEC), Georgia Tech 5-5 (4-4 ACC)
- 2016 Records: Georgia 8-5 (4-4 SEC), Georgia Tech 9-4 (4-4 ACC)
- Rankings: Georgia #7, Georgia Tech NR
- TV: ABC - Dave Pasch (PxP), Greg McElroy (analyst), Tom Luginbill (sideline)
- Video Stream: WatchESPN
- Radio: WSB AM 750 - Bulldog Network | Affiliates | Scott Howard (PxP), Eric Zeier (Color), Chuck Dowdle (sideline)
- Audio Stream: georgiadogs.com | Mobile
- Satellite: Sirius 112, XM 203
- Web Stats: Live Stats
- Twitter: #UGAvsGT
- ReBroadcast: SEC Network: 11/27 9AM; 11/29 11AM
| Georgia | 2017 Averages | Georgia Tech |
| 35.3 | Scoring Offense | 30.2 |
| *14.4 | Scoring Defense | 25.4 |
| +2 | Turnover Margin | -4 |
| 431.4 | Total Offense | 408.2 |
| ^267.4 | Rushing Offense | ^319.3 |
| 164.0 | Passing Offense | 88.9 |
| 8.8 | Punt Returns | 7.5 |
| 25.3 | Kickoff Returns | 19.7 |
*ranks No. 4 nationally; ^ranked top-10 nationally
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Dogs Aim For 11-Win Regular Season
Since a 12th game was added to the college football season in 2002, Georgia has gone 11-1 during the regular season twice, in 2002 and most recently in 2012. In school history, there have been nine teams that have won a total of at least 11 games in a season. The record for wins is held by the 2002 squad that went 13-1 final record. The other teams that have won at least 11 games overall include the following squads: 1942 - 11-1; 1946 - 11-0; 1971 - 11-1; 1980 - 12-0; 1982 - 11-1; 2003 - 11-3; 2007 - 11-2; 2012 - 12-2.
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Governor's Cup & 39th Win On The Line For Senior Class
Georgia concludes its regular season with a chance to improve the overall record for the team's 31 seniors. The Bulldog senior class pushed its four-year record to 38-12 last weekend in Athens with a 42-13 victory over Kentucky. Georgia Tech is coming off of a 43-20 loss at Duke, giving them a 5-5 overall record this season.
Saturday's winner earns the Governor's Cup Trophy, and Georgia last hoisted the hardware in 2015. The Bulldogs have won the last eight matchups with the Yellow Jackets in Atlanta dating back to 2001, including Georgia's 13-7 victory in 2015. Georgia's senior class is looking for its second win over Georgia Tech after the Yellow Jackets tallied victories in Athens in 2014 and 2016.
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Rivalry Rumblings
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- Georgia leads the series 65-39-5 and doesn't count two Georgia Tech wins during WWII (1943-44) when the Yellow Jackets utilized players from a naval officer's training program hosted on campus.
- From 1917-24, Georgia and Georgia Tech did not play each other because of a dispute caused by a Georgia parade float that ridiculed the Yellow Jackets for playing football during World War I.
- Georgia Tech's 51-48 win in overtime in 1999 on ABC was the highest-scoring game in the series and featured 1,102 total yards of offense. In overtime, Georgia blocked the Yellow Jackets' first field goal attempt on third down and the Jackets recovered it. Then, Luke Manget kicked a 38-yarder on the mulligan for the win.
- In 1978, Georgia trailed 20-0 in the second quarter when freshman Buck Belue came off the sideline and rallied the team to a 29-28 victory, the biggest comeback in school history to that point.
- Georgia closed out the 2002 regular season in Athens with a 51-7 thrashing of Georgia Tech on CBS. It was the most points ever for a Bulldog squad against the Yellow Jackets.
- Since 1995, the winner of the Georgia-Georgia Tech game has been awarded the Governor's Cup Trophy. Since then, the Bulldogs are 16-6 in that stretch.
- The Georgia-Georgia Tech series is one of the nation's oldest. There are only 15 other FBS rivalries that have been played more with Minnesota-Wisconsin at the top with 126 games. They meet Saturday in Minnesota with the series tied at 59-59-8.
Bulldogs Put A Pair On CoSIDA Academic All-District Team
Georgia had two players named to the CoSIDA Academic All-District Team last week. Senior DB Aaron Davis was voted to the squad for the third consecutive year while redshirt sophomore PK Rodrigo Blankenship was included on the team for the first time in his career.
Davis, a native of Locust Grove, Ga., has a 3.45 GPA and after graduating with a Finance degree, is now working on a degree in Computer Science. Blankenship, a native of Marietta, Ga., owns a 3.75 GPA in his Digital and Broadcast Journalism major.
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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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Piling Up The Points
Georgia enters the Georgia Tech game averaging 35.3 points/game overall. The Bulldogs lead the nation in Red Zone Offense, going 40-for-41, including 30 touchdowns. Freshman QB Jake Fromm is 9-1 as a starter. Georgia leads the SEC and ranks fifth nationally in Third Down Conversions at 48 percent. 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. Fromm joined Eric Zeier (1991)as the only true freshmen to have their first career start on the road.
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 |
| USC (W) | 22 | 16 | 2 | 0 | 196 | 1 | 177.6 |
| @ #10 Auburn (L) | 28 | 13 | 1 | 0 | 184 | 4 | 113.4 |
| UK (W) | 14 | 9 | 1 | 1 | 123 | 1 | 147.4 |
| TOTAL | 192 | 117 | 17 | 5 | 1,766 | 12 | 160.5 |
| 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 |
| vs. Kentucky (W) | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| TOTAL | 7 | 4 | 0 | 0 | 28 | 2 | 90.7 |
*came in as a reserve
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| CAREER | G/GS | Cmp. | Att. | Pct. | Yds. | INT | TD | Eff. | LG |
| 18/14 | 208 | 377 | 55.2 | 2,458 | 8 | 16 | 119.7 | 77 TCU |
Chubb, Michel Highlight Bulldog Rushing Attack
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, a Maxwell Award semifinalist, ranks fourth in SEC history with 4,469 career rushing yards. He joins Herschel Walker as the only Bulldogs to have three different 1,000-yard seasons.
Here's the top five active rushing leaders in NCAA FBS:
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| 1. | Royce Freeman (Oregon) | Sr. | 50 games | 5,499 yards | 58 TDs |
| 2. | Justin Jackson (Northwestern) | Sr. | 49 games | 5,139 yards | 38 TDs |
| 3. | Jarvion Franklin (W. Michigan) | Sr. | 51 games | 4,815 yards | 52 TDs |
| 4. | Nick Chubb (Georgia) | Sr. | 43 games | 4,469 yards | 42 TDs |
| 5. | Ito Smith (Southern Miss) | Sr. | 50 games | 4,294 yards | 41 TDs |
| 18. | Sony Michel (Georgia) | Sr. | 43 games | 3,229 | 29 TDs |
While Chubb went over the 1,000-yard mark for the season against Kentucky, Michel needs 182 yards to reach his second 1,000-yard season. The Bulldogs have never had two 1,000-yard rushers in the same season.
Michel went for 137 yards and two touchdowns on just six carries in the win over Florida 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 | 10/0 | 111 | 818 | 12 | 74 | 3 | 17 | 0 | 16 |
| Total | 43/10 | 546 | 3,229 | 29 | 75 | 58 | 542 | 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 | 11/11 | 166 | 1,045 | 6.3 | 95.0 | 12 | 55UK | ||
| Total | 43/36 | 701 | 4,469 | 6.4 | 103.9 | 41 | 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 | 11/11 | 2 | 20 | 10 | 0.2 | 0 | 11ND | ||
| Total | 43/36 | 29 | 351 | 12.1 | 8.2 | 4 | 49TD LA | ||
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A Look At The Line
Georgia ranks second in the SEC in Rushing Offense at 267.4 ypg. In their latest effort, the Bulldogs tallied 381 yards rushing in the win over Kentucky. Georgia Tech's defense has allowed 144.3 yards/game this season. Georgia amassed 292 yards rushing and four touchdowns in the 42-7 rout of 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.
Georgia has started the same combination at LT, C and RT in 2017 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 10th straight game versus Kentucky. Redshirt freshman Ben Cleveland made his first career start at RG after redshirt freshman RG Solomon Kindley had started five in a row.
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An Array Of Targets
A total of 16 Bulldogs have caught a pass this season, including eight different players in the win over South Carolina. Senior Javon Wims leads the team lead with 33 receptions for 554 yards and five touchdowns. Junior Terry Godwin also has five TDs along with 492 yards on 24 catches. Eleven of his catches have been for 20+ yards. 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 2016 and is showing his versatility, including tallying 203 all-purpose yards at #10 Auburn. He had his best game of his career against Missouri, accounting for two catches for 71 yards, including a 59-yard touchdown. He also scored his first rushing touchdown, a 35-yard scamper, and added 66 return yards on three kickoffs. Hardman leads the SEC in Kickoff Returns (27.2) and is third in the league in Punt Returns (10.8).
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Defense Setting The Tone
In Scoring Defense, the Bulldogs are fourth nationally (14.4 points/game). 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 Florida until just under three minutes left in the contest. At that point, Georgia was up 42-0 and the final was 42-7.
Georgia held six of its eight SEC opponents to 14 points or less. 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 a Midseason All-American and is a Nagurski Trophy and Butkus Award finalist/Bednarik Award semifinalist, is on pace to lead UGA in tackles for the second year in a row. In 2017, Smith has the most tackles on the team with 91, including a 12-tackle performance at #10 Auburn. He led the team in tackles (95) in 2016. This marked the first time a sophomore led UGA in tackles since 2008 (Rennie Curran, 115). Senior Reggie Carter was the second-leading tackler in the win over USC with seven stops, including a TFL. Junior Natrez Patrick had seven assists in the victory over Kentucky.
Senior OLBs Lorenzo Carter, also a Butkus Award semifinalist, matched his career high with a team-high nine tackles against Florida, 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 27 stops for the frontline. Junior Trenton Thompson missed the wins over Missouri and Vanderbilt due to a MCL sprain and has 30 stops on the year, including three TFLs. Sophomore DL Tyler Clark and Julian Rochester 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
Redshirt sophomore J.R. Reed ranks second on the team with 61 tackles and two INTs. He had a career-best 11 tackle game at #10 Auburn. Reed started in the 42-7 demolition of Florida and scooped up a fumble and returned it three yards for a touchdown and was named the SEC Co-Defensive Player of the Week. He added nine tackles against the Gators.
Reed enjoyed a big night in the 31-3 win over #17 MSU with 10 tackles and three pass breakups. He followed that up with his first career INT (followed by a 34-yard ret.) and fumble recovery to go with three tackles in the road shutout of UT. Reed added a blocked field goal against Samford. He also had a sack and a forced fumble in the same play against App State.
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Sanders Sets One Record, Creeping Up On Another
Senior safety Dominick Sanders, a Thorpe Award semifinalist, 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 tied for fifth in school history for non-kickers at 49 starts and has started the last 29 contests.
After not having an interception in the first three games, the Bulldogs now have nine 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, earned the starting punting job and has now been named a Ray Guy Award semifinalist. This year, he has posted a 44.5 average on 43 punts, including placing 21 inside the 20. Opponents have had just eight punt returns for 40 yards. Georgia is fourth nationally in Net Punting at 42.7. The Bulldogs are lingering around 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 35.3 points/game, redshirt sophomore PK Rodrigo Blankenship has been busy, booming 70 kickoffs, 48 PATs and 12 field goals. In his busiest night, he tallied 17 points in Georgia's win over Missouri on Oct. 14. The Groza Award semifinalist 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 FG at the 3:34 mark in the fourth quarter on the road in the 20-19 victory over the #24 Irish.
This year, 51 of Blankenship's 70 kickoffs have been touchbacks. That currently is tied with Kevin Butler for the school record, which was set in 1981. Blankenship 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, Burlsworth Trophy Semifinalist
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. In addition, the Luella HS graduate was included as one of 10 semifinalists for the Burlsworth Trophy, which honors college football's most outstanding player who began his career as a walk-on.
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 11 games and is fourth on the team with 37 tackles and an interception.
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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 was included as a semifinalist for the 2017 William V. Campbell Trophy. Blazevich, a native of Charlotte, N.C., was one of 71 semifinalists from the FBS. 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)
- RSo. DB J.R. Reed: SEC Co-Defensive Player of the Week after 42-7 win vs. UF (8 tackles, 0.5 sacks, fumble recovery for a touchdown)
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) en route to its 9-0 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 games 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
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
Garrison Smith, DE, Seahawks
Maurice Smith, S, Dolphins
Matthew Stafford, QB, Lions
John Theus, OL, Panthers
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
Cordy Glenn, OT, Bills
Brandon Kublanow, OL, Ravens
Keith Marshall, RB, Redskins
Quincy Mauger, TE, Falcons
Malcolm Mitchell, WR, Patriots
PRACTICE SQUAD
Reggie Davis, WR, Falcons
Orson Charles, TE, Chiefs
Players Mentioned
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