Georgia Opens Season Against Oregon

Saturday, September 3

Atlanta, Ga.

3:30 p.m.

University of Georgia

Oregon

August 29, 2022 | Football

Complete Game Notes Game Notes Index Gameday Central

Game & Broadcast Info

Kickoff: Saturday, September 3 - 3:30 p.m. ET
Location: Mercedes-Benz Stadium | Atlanta, Ga.
2021 Records: Georgia 14-1 (8-0 SEC), Oregon 10-4 (7-2 PAC12)
History: Georgia vs. Oregon All-Time Series Results: UGA 1-0
2022 Rankings: Georgia #3, Oregon #11/12
TV: ABC - Sean McDonough, Play-by-Play; Todd Blackledge, Analyst; Molly McGrath, Sideline Reporter
Video Stream: ESPN+
Radio: WSB AM 750 - Bulldog Network | Affiliates | Scott Howard (PxP), Eric Zeier (Color), DJ Shockley (sideline)
Audio Stream: georgiadogs.com
Satellite: SiriusXM: UGA 81, National 80
Web Stats: Live Stats
Twitter: #OREvsUGA
SECN ReBroadcast:Tuesday, September 6th - 11a-2pm ET

STAT COMPARISONS

Georgia	2021 Averages	Oregon
38.6	Points/Game	31.4
10.2	Points Allowed/Game	27.0
190.6	Rush Yards/Game	202.4
251.9	Pass Yards/Game	221.2
442.5	Total Offense/Game	423.6
268.9	Total Defense/Game	384.6

2022 SEASON OPENER

Georgia and Oregon are set to face off for the first time in 45 years in the 2022 Chick-fil-A Kickoff Game at Mercedes- Benz Stadium in Atlanta on Saturday, Sept. 3. This will mark only the second time the two football programs have met. The one previous meeting resulted in a 27-16 home win for the Bulldogs in 1977. The Ducks are led by firstyear coach Dan Lanning, who spent the previous four seasons on Kirby Smart's staff (serving as DC from 2019-21).

The 2022 Georgia-Oregon matchup will mark the Bulldogs' fourth scheduled appearance in the Chick-fil-A Kickoff Game. Georgia previously fell 35-21 to Boise State in 2011 and defeated North Carolina 33-24 in the 2016 contest during Smart's debut as head coach. The Bulldogs were supposed to face Virginia to open the 2020 season in Atlanta. However, the COVID-19 pandemic forced the cancellation of that contest. Oregon will be making its first-ever appearance in the Chick-fil-A Kickoff Game, and will be the second Pac-12 team to play in the game.

The matchup with the Ducks marks the first of four non-conference games in 2022. Georgia plays host to Samford for its home opener on Sept. 10. The Bulldogs will be matched up against Kent State two weeks later. Georgia completes its regular season versus the Yellow Jackets in Sanford Stadium on Nov. 26. The Bulldogs' first SEC contest will be at South Carolina on Sept. 17. The first league opponent coming to Athens will be Auburn on Oct. 8.

The Bulldogs are 98-27-3 in season openers including winning their last eight. In the Smart era, Georgia is 6-0 in season openers including 2-0 against ranked teams (2016: #22 UNC, 33-24; 2021: #3 Clemson, 10-3).

STETSON BENNETT RETURNS AS SIGNAL CALLER

After helping lead Georgia to the 2021 national championship, senior QB Stetson Bennett returns to the quarterbacks room in 2022. Bennett is 14-3 as a starter, including 11-1 last season. He set the school record for Passing Efficiency at 176.7 during the 2021 campaign. Bennett was the Offensive MVP in both the College Football Playoff National Championship win over top-ranked Alabama as well as in the CFP Semifinal Orange Bowl victory over No. 2 Michigan. He directed the Bulldogs to the first undefeated regular season in the SEC (school record 8-0) since 1982.

GETTING DEFENSIVE

Senior OLB Nolan Smith, redshirt sophomore DB Kelee Ringo and senior S Christopher Smith are the Bulldogs' three returning defensive starters from last season's championship team. Eight Georgia defenders were taken in the 2022 NFL Draft, including the No. 1 overall pick in Travon Walker (Jacksonville) and four others in the First Round (Jordan Davis, Philadelphia; Quay Walker, Devonte Wyatt, Green Bay; Lewis Cine, Minnesota).

For the third time in school history, Georgia led the nation in Scoring Defense. The 2021 unit allowed just 10.2 points per game and only 153 total points in 15 games.

A number of Georgia defenders will be aiming to play bigger roles in 2022. Returning senior STAR William Poole, who is a recent Georgia graduate, got the nod in two of the Bulldogs' three postseason contests and junior S Dan Jackson, junior DL Jalen Carter and senior OLB Robert Beal all started games last year and return. Junior S Tykee Smith and junior ILB Rian Davis also sustained season-ending injuries early in the 2021 campaign and will have an opportunity to help the Bulldogs continue their success on that side of the ball.

HEAD FOOTBALL COACH

A 2021 College Football Playoff national championship, a 2018 CFP title game appearance, 2017 Southeastern Conference Championship, four SEC Eastern Division titles, 66 wins and six bowl victories are more than respectable rewards over a six-year period. That's what Georgia got when it hired former Georgia player and Alabama defensive coordinator Kirby Smart to head the program in December of 2015.

His impact, along with a stellar coaching staff, players, and a passionate fan base has put Georgia on the national stage six years running. His 2021 team became UGA's first national champion since 1980, the first since 1982 to go undefeated in the SEC regular season, a No. 1 national ranking by all the major polls and the first ever to win 14 games. It marked the fifth straight team to finish the

regular season ranked in the top ten of the College Football Playoff rankings. The team set 21 school records, highlighted by the nation'stop-ranked defense. The third-ranked Bulldogs defeated #2 Michigan, 34-11, in the Capital One Orange Bowl in Miami and then No. 1 Alabama, 33-18, in the championship game in Indianapolis. The senior class also set the mark for most career wins by going 45-8. After the regular season, Smart was named SEC Coach of the Year for the second time in five years.

Georgia's championship season enjoyed a fitting exclamation mark at the 2022 NFL Draft. The Bulldogs set a Draft record with 15 players taken, including five defenders in the first round, led by the first overall selection, junior Travon Walker.

QUICK FACTS

• Seventh season as Georgia coach • 66-15 Career Record • 2021 NATIONAL CHAMPIONS • 2017 CFP national runner-up • 2017 SEC Champions • SEC Eastern Division Champs 2017-19-21 • 2017 George Munger award (National Coach of the Year by Maxwell Club) • SEC Coach of the Year, 2017 & 2021 • Bulldogs have won two Butkus Awards • One Outland Trophy • One Chuck Bednarik Award • One Thorpe Award • One Lou Groza Award • THIRTEEN 1st-team All-Americans • ELEVEN 1st Round NFL Draft picks • FORTY-FIVE NFL Draft Picks overall • A total of 168 players on SEC Academic Honor Rolls, including a high of 35 on the 2021 national championship team

NINE VICTORIES WHEN TIED OR TRAILING LATE

SEASON	OPPONENT	START OF 4TH QUARTER OR DEFICIT	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	Trailed 17-16, trailed 19-17 with 10:21 left	20-19
2017	$ #2 Oklahoma	Tied 31-31, trailed 45-38 with 0:55 left	54-48 2ot
2020	~ #8 Cincinnati	Trailed 21-10, trailed 21-19 with :03 left	24-21
2022	! #1 Alabama	Trailed 18-13 with 10:14 left	33-18

%Chick-fil-A Kickoff Classic; ^Liberty Bowl; $Rose Bowl Game; ~Chick-fil-A Peach Bowl; !CFP National Championship

TOP IND. SINGLE GAME PERFORMANCES UNDER SMART

Rushing Yards: 222, Nick Chubb vs. #22 UNC (9/3/16)
Rushing TDs: 3, Sony Michel UK (11/18/17); vs. #2 Oklahoma (1/1/18)
Longest Rush: 83-TD, D'Andre Swift @ #9 UK (11/3/18)
Passing Yards: 401, JT Daniels MSU (11/21/20)
Passing TDs: 5, Stetson Bennett UAB (9/11/21)
Receiving Yards: 197 (8 rec.), Jermaine Burton MSU (11/21/20)
Receiving TDs: 2, by 7 different Bulldogs multiple times
Longest Pass/TD Pass: 89-TD, S. Bennett to Brock Bowers UAB (9/11/21)
Tackles: 15, Nakobe Dean vs. #8 UF (11/7/20)
Sacks: 3, Trenton Thompson vs. TCU (12/30/16); Azeez Ojulari vs. #8 UC (1/1/21); Channing Tindall @ UT (11/13/21)
TFL: 3, Azeez Ojulari #7 AU (10/3/20); Thompson vs. Nicholls (9/10/16); 3, Azeez Ojulari vs. #8 UC (1/1/21); Channing Tindall @ UT(11/13/21)

25 DEFENSE AND SPECIAL TEAMS SCORES

Under Kirby Smart, Georgia has registered 25 scores on defense and special teams. The Dogs are 22-1 (loss came versus #8 UF in 2020) when they register a non-offensive score under Smart.

In 2021, Georgia had six of these scores: Christopher Smith's 74-yd INT return (#3 CU); Jamon Dumas-Johnson's 20-yd INT return (UAB); Safety (SC); Zamir White 0-yd return of blocked punt (#8 ARK); Nakobe Dean's 50-yd INT return (UF); Safety (UM); Kelee Ringo's 79-yd INT return (UA-2).

HEAD COACHES AT THEIR ALMA MATER

Kirby Smart is one of 11 Power 5 head coaches who are leading their alma maters.

Head Coach	Alma Mater
Tom Allen	Indiana (7th season)
Paul Chryst	Wisconsin (8th season)
Mario Cristobal	Miami (Fla.) (1st season)
Pat Fitzgerald	Northwestern (17th season)
Scott Frost	Nebraska (5th season)
Mike Gundy	Oklahoma State (18th season)
Jim Harbaugh	Michigan (8th season)
Clark Lea	Vanderbilt (2nd season)
David Shaw	Stanford (12th season)
Kirby Smart	Georgia (7th season)
Jonathan Smith	Oregon State (5th season)

2022 ASSISTANT COACHES

Offensive Coordinator - Quarterbacks Coach - Todd Monken
Fain & Billy Slaughter Co-Defensive Coordinator - Inside Linebackers - Glenn Schumann
Co-Defensive Coordinator - Will Muschamp
Passing Game Coordinator - Wide Receivers - Bryan McClendon
Run Game Coordinator - Running Backs - Dell McGee
Defensive Backs Coach - Fran Brown
Assistant Coach - Tight Ends - Todd Hartley
Offensive Line Coach - Stacy Searels
Assistant Coach - Defensive Line - Tray Scott
Assistant Coach - Outside Linebackers - Chidera Uzo-Diribe

NEW FACES ON THE SIDELINES

The Bulldogs will feature four new on the field coaches. Bryan McClendon, who won an SEC title with Georgia as a receiver in 2005, returns as passing game coordinator and wide receivers coach. He most recently held the same spot for Oregon from 2020-21. McClendon was a graduate assistant at UGA in 2007-08 and was the running backs coach from 2009-15. Stacy Searels will be Georgia's new offensive line coach after serving in the same role for the Bulldogs from 2007-10. He has most recently been North Carolina's OL coach for the last three years. Another pair of coaches will join UGA for the first time in their careers. Fran Brown was named the defensive backs coach after serving as the secondary coach at Rutgers. Chidera Uzo-Diribe is the Bulldogs' new outside linebackers coach following a stint in the same position at Texas Christian University.

A LOOK AT THE LINE

Georgia's offensive line is slated to return three of five starters after Jamaree Salyer and Justin Shaffer had a combined 50 starts between them and have since moved on to the NFL. The Bulldogs welcome back redshirt sophomore C Sedrick Van Pran and senior RT Warren McClendon, who each started all 15 games. RG Warren Ericson started the final 14 games of the year after redshirt freshman Tate Ratledge was lost for the season following a foot injury in the opener versus Clemson. Both sophomore Amarius Mims and redshirt sophomore Broderick Jones saw extended looks during Georgia's national championship run and will be called upon to help fill in the vacancies in 2022. Jones started the final four regular season games last year when Salyer went down with an injury.

SPECIALISTS RETURN

Senior PK Jack Podlesny is back in 2022 for his third season as UGA's top kicker. Podlesny made 22 of 27 fieldgoal attempts last year and drilled 71 of 72 PATs. The Bulldogs will be without four-year starter Jake Camarda, who averaged 46.7 yards on 47 punts last season. Camarda's career mark of 45.8 yards set the UGA record, topping the previous mark set by Drew Butler (45.4). The Bulldog snappers return in senior Payne Walker and junior William Mote. Walker handles the snapping duties on field goals and PATs while Mote is called on for punts. Early enrollee Brett Thorson, a native of Australia, is vying for the open spot at punter.

Year	PAT	Pct.	FG	Pct.	LG	Pts
Career Placekicking Statistics For Podlesny
2020	38x38	100.0	13x16	81.3	53	77
2021	71x72	98.6	22x27	81.5	49	137
Total	109x110	99.1	35x43	81.4	53	214

Field Goal Breakdown
Year	1-19	20-29	30-39	40-49	50-99	Long
2020	0-0	2-2	6-7	2-4	3-3	53 UC
2021	0-0	10-10	7-9	5-8	0-0	49 UA
Total	0-0	12-12	13-16	7-12	3-3	53 UC

GEORGIA SIGNS ONE OF NATION'S TOP CLASSES

For the fifth year in a row, the Bulldogs signed one of the country's top classes. Georgia added 29 prospects during the December and February signing periods, including 18 early enrollees, plus DB Marcus Washington Jr. (Grovetown, Ga.) in the summer after he reclassified. The 18 early enrollees are the most that Georgia has had in school history, topping the 16 from 2021. This group started school in January and are eight months into their Bulldog careers after having recently started their fall semester:

DL Keithian "Bear" Alexander (Denton, Texas), OL Aliou Bah (Memphis, Tenn.), WR Dillon Bell (Houston, Texas), OL Drew Bobo (Auburn, Ala.), TE Oscar Delp (Cumming, Ga.), DB Daylen Everette (Norfolk, Va.), OL Earnest Greene III (Los Angeles, Calif.), OL Jacob Hood (Nashville, Tenn.), DB Julian Humphrey (Webster, Texas), OLB Marvin Jones (Sunrise, Fla.), ILB E.J. Lightsey (Fitzgerald, Ga.), DE C.J. Madden (Ellenwood, Ga.), DL Christen Miller (Ellenwood, Ga.), WR De'Nylon Morrissette (Stone Mountain, Ga.), RB Andrew Paul (Dallas, Texas), RB Branson Robinson (Canton, Miss.), OL Griffin Scroggs (Grayson, Ga.), DB Jaheim Singletary (Jacksonville, Fla.), WR C.J. Smith (Apopka, Fla.), DE Darris Smith (Baxley, Ga.), WR Cole Speer (Calhoun, Ga.), DB Malaki Starks (Jefferson, Ga.), QB Gunner Stockton (Tiger, Ga.), DB JaCorey Thomas (Orlando, Fla.), P Brett Thorson (Melbourne, Australia), LB Jalon Walker (Salisbury, N.C.), ILB C.J. Washington (Cedartown, Ga.), DT Shone Washington (New Orleans, La.) and DE Mykel Williams (Columbus, Ga.) are the newest Bulldogs.

Bennett 14-3 As A Starter at Georgia

Senior Stetson Bennett, a native of Blackshear, Ga., who was a 2021 Burlsworth Trophy finalist, began his career with the Bulldogs as a walk-on in 2017 when he was redshirted. Bennett transferred to Jones College (Miss.) where he started in 2018 and then returned to the Bulldogs on scholarship in 2019. He saw action that season in five games including throwing passes in four of them. In 2020, he started five games.

In his Bulldog career, Bennett is 14-3 and has completed 62.0 percent of his passes (291-for-469, 4,301 yards, 39 TDs, 14 INTs).

In 2021, Bennett played in 14 games (11-1 as a starter) and was 185-for-287 (64.4%) for 2,862 yards with 29 TDs and seven INTs.

He ranked fourth nationally in Passing Efficiency (176.7), which broke the school record in that category previously belonging to Aaron Murray (174.8, 2012).

JT Daniels started the season behind center but was sidelined versus UAB due to a lat injury. Bennett stepped in and started that game. Daniels returned against South Carolina and then left the Vanderbilt game after the first quarter with an aggravation of his injury. Bennett played most of the Vanderbilt game and then served as the starter since the Oct. 2 win over No. 8 Arkansas.

Bennett helped Georgia complete a historic 8-0 SEC regular season and its first undefeated regular season since 1982.

During the CFP National Championship Game versus No. 1 Alabama, Bennett finished 17-for-26 passing with 224 yards, two touchdowns and no picks. Trailing 18-13 with 10:14 left in the game, Bennett directed a four-play, 75-yard scoring drive that gave the Bulldogs a one-point lead at the 8:09 mark (a two-point conversion failed). Georgia never relinquished its lead to collect its first national championship in 41 years. Bennett was named the game's Offensive MVP.

Bennett was named the Offensive MVP of the Orange Bowl/CFP Semifinal win over No. 2 Michigan. He completed 20 of his 30 attempts for 313 yards and three touchdowns against the highly-touted Wolverine defense, including Heisman Trophy runner-up Aiden Hutchinson.

Bennett posted career highs in completions (29), yards (340) and attempts (48) and threw for three touchdowns against No. 4 Alabama in the SEC Championship Game.

Bennett enjoyed a record-setting performance, torching the Blazers for a school record tying five TDs (all in the first half). He finished the day 10-for-12 for 288 yards with his scoring strikes covering 9, 12, 61, 73 and 89 yards.

2019	Att	Cmp	TD	Int	Yds	Sk	Eff.
MSU	13	9	2	1	124	0	184.7
ASU	10	9	0	0	109	0	181.6
GT	3	2	0	0	27	0	142.3
#2 LSU	1	0	0	0	0	0	0.0
2019 TOTAL	27	20	2	1	260	0	172.0
2020	Att	Cmp	TD	Int	Yds	Sk	Eff.
@ ARK	29	20	2	0	211	1	152.8
#7 AU (W)	28	17	1	0	240	1	144.5
#14 UT (W)	27	16	2	0	238	1	157.8
@ #2 UA (L)	40	18	2	3	269	2	103.0
@UK (W)	13	9	0	2	131	0	123.1
vs. #8 UF (L)	16	5	1	1	78	0	80.3
@ MU	1	0	0	0	0	0	0.0
vs. #8 UC	1	1	0	0	12	0	200.8
2020 TOTAL	155	86	8	6	1,179	5	128.7
2021	Att	Cmp	TD	Int	Yds	Sk	Eff.
UAB (W)	12	10	*5	0	288	0	422.4
SC	3	1	0	1	4	0	-22.1
VU	15	11	1	1	151	0	166.6
#8 ARK (W)	11	7	0	0	72	0	118.6
@ #18 AU (W)	21	14	2	0	231	1	190.5
#11 UK (W)	20	14	3	0	250	1	224.5
UF (W)	19	10	1	2	161	1	120.1
UM (W)	19	13	2	0	255	0	215.9
@ UT (W)	29	17	1	0	213	2	131.7
CSU (W)	14	8	2	1	105	0	153.0
GT (W)	20	14	4	0	255	1	243.1
#4 UA (L)	48	29	3	2	340	3	132.2
#2 UM (W)	30	20	3	0	313	0	183.7
#1 UA (W)	26	17	2	0	224	5	163.1
2021 TOTAL	287	185	29	7	2,862	14	176.7
CAREER TOTAL	469	291	39	14	4,301	19	160.6

*Ties school record

Bowers Is Back

Brock Bowers burst on to the scene last year and had one of the finest seasons ever by a Bulldog pass catcher in earning All-America honors, and he was just a freshman. A 6-4, 230-pound native of Napa, Calif, he was named the FWAA Freshman of the Year, the Shaun Alexander Freshman of the Year and the SEC Freshman of the Year. He tallied 56 receptions for 882 yards and 14 touchdowns (13 receiving, 1 rushing), all team-bests and school records for a tight end. The 13 TD catches was the most ever by a Bulldog. He was utilized as an H-back too for his superior blocking skills and running ability. In fact, he had four carries for 56 yards and one touchdown. His first career rush resulted in a 12-yard TD at Vanderbilt.

As a pass catcher, Bowers had three 100-yard games; four TD receptions of 25+ yards; his first career TD catch covered 89 yards against UAB, and he had a 77-yard TD at Georgia Tech.

Georgia's tight end room is loaded. Along with Bowers, the top targets here include 6-7, 270-pound junior Darnell Washington, 6-5, 255-pound redshirt sophomore Arik Gilbert and 6-5, 225-pound freshman Oscar Delp.

Running Back Corps

With Zamir White and James Cooks off to the NFL, Georgia's veterans in the backfield will include senior Kenny McIntosh, as well as juniors Kendall Milton and Daijun Edwards. McIntosh was the team's third-leading rusher last season, going for 328 yards and three touchdowns on 58 carries while Milton had 56 attempts for 264 yards and a score in only eight games. Edwards added 210 yards and three touchdowns on 49 carries.

McIntosh and senior receiver Kearis Jackson also handled a majority of the kick return duties last year. McIntosh took eight back for 157 yards (19.6 avg.) while Jackson handled six for 116 (19.3). Jackson also led the team with 22 punt returns for 189 yards (8.6).

Aiming For More Explosive Plays

The Bulldogs averaged 38.6 points/game and outscored their opponents 579-153 last year. The Georgia defense and special teams combined to score six TDs in 2021, two safeties and blocked eight more potential points (two FGs, two PATs).

The Bulldogs had nine touchdowns passes that covered at least 38 yards, including passes to current Georgia receivers AD Mitchell, Arian Smith, Brock Bowers (TE) and Ladd McConkey.

2021 Havoc Review

Georgia featured the nation's top Scoring Defense allowing just 10.2 points/game.

The Bulldogs finished second nationally in Total Defense (268.9 yards/game) and second in Rushing Defense (78.9).

The Bulldogs led the country in Red Zone defense. Opponents advanced to the Red Zone only 32 times and 12 times came away with no points.

The defense allowed 13 TDs in 2021 while it scored four TDs.

In six games last year, Georgia did not allow an offensive TD and that led the FBS.