University of Georgia Athletics
Bulldogs Moving On As Accolades Keep Coming
October 23, 2024 | Football, The Frierson Files
By John Frierson
Staff Writer
The accolades have kept coming in long after Georgia quarterback Carson Beck took a knee for the final time in Austin last Saturday night. Big wins and great performances do tend to reverberate like that, though more outside a football team's bubble than in it.
"Win or lose, you get right back to work," offensive lineman Dylan Fairchild said after practice Tuesday.
So the Bulldogs didn't celebrate long into the night after taking down then-No. 1 Texas, 30-15?
"The locker room was awesome, but the flight, guys were kind of winding down and trying to get some sleep," Fairchild said.
Led by the Bulldog defense and its seven sacks, 10 tackles for loss and four takeaways, Georgia took command of the game early and never relinquished it — much to the chagrin of most of the 105,000-plus fans packed inside Darren K Royal-Texas Memorial Stadium. It was the most aggressive and effective the defense has been this season, and Texas, which came in averaging 42.3 points a game, was in trouble from the outset.
On Sunday, Georgia rose from No. 5 to No. 2 in the latest Associated Press poll while the Longhorns fell from the top spot to No. 5. In the coaches' poll, Georgia moved up two spots to No. 2 — the Bulldogs are behind unbeaten Oregon in both polls — while Texas dropped from the top spot to No. 6.
Do polls really matter at this point in the season? Probably not, but you'd still rather be in the top five and climbing as we head toward November than going in the other direction. The Bulldogs are off Saturday, so any movement after this weekend's action will be based on what happens to the other teams high in the rankings.
With the win over Texas, Georgia improved to 4-5 all-time against No. 1-ranked opponents. The last three times the Bulldogs have gone up against No. 1 — Alabama in the National Championship Game for the 2021 season, Tennessee in Athens in 2022, and now UT in Austin — Georgia has come out on top.
On Monday, two of Georgia's defensive stars against Texas, linebacker Jalon Walker and defensive lineman Mykel Williams, were honored by the SEC for their play against the Longhorns. In addition, Georgia was named the Cheez-It National Team of the Week, which hopefully includes a big crate of crackers as the prize.
Walker, who had three sacks (for minus-23 yards), seven total tackles, seven QB pressures, and a fumble recovery, was named the SEC Co-Defensive Player of the Week. Williams, who had a pair of sacks and a forced fumble, was named the Co-Defensive Lineman of the Week.
Another Bulldog defender, cornerback Daylen Everette, was also a very worthy candidate for some awards after playing probably his best game as a Bulldog. On a blitz from the outside late in the first quarter, Everette sacked quarterback Quinn Ewers, knocking the ball loose in the process, and later dove on the fumble at the Texas 13-yard line. Four plays later, Trevor Etienne ran the ball in for the first of his three touchdowns, putting Georgia up 7-0.
With about 10 minutes to go until halftime, and with Texas down 10-0 and facing a third-and-5 at its 30, Everett, who tied Walker with seven tackles, jumped in front of the intended receiver on a pass and pulled in the interception at the 34. Three plays later, Etienne ran 15 yards for a touchdown and a 17-point lead.
"They were out there making plays, too," Everette said of Walker and Williams getting honored by the SEC. "I couldn't even be mad based on the game they had. So, I was happy for them that they got it."
On Tuesday, punter Brett Thorson, who averaged 54.0 yards on his four attempts against Texas, twice pinning the Longhorns inside their 20, was named the Ray Guy Award Punter of the Week. Thorson ranks fourth in the FBS with a net average of 45.1 yards, and none of his 22 punts this season have been returned for positive yardage.
"He has got a leg," Fairchild said. "It's really cool to see."
Also Tuesday, Georgia coach Kirby Smart was honored as the Bear Bryant Awards Coach of the Week and Walker was honored twice more, as the Badnarik Award Player of the Week and he was announced as a semifinalist for the Jason Witten Collegiate Man of the Year award.
In total, that's a lot of praise for a team after one win. And it was a big win. But the Bulldogs haven't achieved all they have over the past few seasons — two national championships and wins in 52 of their past 55 games — by spending time admiring themselves in the mirror.
"We're just doing our thing the same way we would any other week," Everette said Tuesday. "We're going into this week seeing where we messed up and where we can get better."
Before the Bulldogs head down the homestretch of their regular season, they get a brief rest this weekend. Fairchild and Everette both said they will be heading home, Fairchild to Cumming, Ga., where he might get to taste his mom's delicious steak au poivre, and Everette to Norfolk, Va., where he will get to watch both of his brothers, one older and one younger, play football games while he's home.
Georgia might not have a game Saturday — next up is the annual Georgia-Florida duel in Jacksonville on Nov. 2 — but the team is prepping this week like the most important games of its season are still ahead. Because they are.
Staff Writer
The accolades have kept coming in long after Georgia quarterback Carson Beck took a knee for the final time in Austin last Saturday night. Big wins and great performances do tend to reverberate like that, though more outside a football team's bubble than in it.
"Win or lose, you get right back to work," offensive lineman Dylan Fairchild said after practice Tuesday.
So the Bulldogs didn't celebrate long into the night after taking down then-No. 1 Texas, 30-15?
"The locker room was awesome, but the flight, guys were kind of winding down and trying to get some sleep," Fairchild said.
Led by the Bulldog defense and its seven sacks, 10 tackles for loss and four takeaways, Georgia took command of the game early and never relinquished it — much to the chagrin of most of the 105,000-plus fans packed inside Darren K Royal-Texas Memorial Stadium. It was the most aggressive and effective the defense has been this season, and Texas, which came in averaging 42.3 points a game, was in trouble from the outset.
On Sunday, Georgia rose from No. 5 to No. 2 in the latest Associated Press poll while the Longhorns fell from the top spot to No. 5. In the coaches' poll, Georgia moved up two spots to No. 2 — the Bulldogs are behind unbeaten Oregon in both polls — while Texas dropped from the top spot to No. 6.
Do polls really matter at this point in the season? Probably not, but you'd still rather be in the top five and climbing as we head toward November than going in the other direction. The Bulldogs are off Saturday, so any movement after this weekend's action will be based on what happens to the other teams high in the rankings.
With the win over Texas, Georgia improved to 4-5 all-time against No. 1-ranked opponents. The last three times the Bulldogs have gone up against No. 1 — Alabama in the National Championship Game for the 2021 season, Tennessee in Athens in 2022, and now UT in Austin — Georgia has come out on top.
On Monday, two of Georgia's defensive stars against Texas, linebacker Jalon Walker and defensive lineman Mykel Williams, were honored by the SEC for their play against the Longhorns. In addition, Georgia was named the Cheez-It National Team of the Week, which hopefully includes a big crate of crackers as the prize.
Walker, who had three sacks (for minus-23 yards), seven total tackles, seven QB pressures, and a fumble recovery, was named the SEC Co-Defensive Player of the Week. Williams, who had a pair of sacks and a forced fumble, was named the Co-Defensive Lineman of the Week.
Another Bulldog defender, cornerback Daylen Everette, was also a very worthy candidate for some awards after playing probably his best game as a Bulldog. On a blitz from the outside late in the first quarter, Everette sacked quarterback Quinn Ewers, knocking the ball loose in the process, and later dove on the fumble at the Texas 13-yard line. Four plays later, Trevor Etienne ran the ball in for the first of his three touchdowns, putting Georgia up 7-0.
With about 10 minutes to go until halftime, and with Texas down 10-0 and facing a third-and-5 at its 30, Everett, who tied Walker with seven tackles, jumped in front of the intended receiver on a pass and pulled in the interception at the 34. Three plays later, Etienne ran 15 yards for a touchdown and a 17-point lead.
"They were out there making plays, too," Everette said of Walker and Williams getting honored by the SEC. "I couldn't even be mad based on the game they had. So, I was happy for them that they got it."
On Tuesday, punter Brett Thorson, who averaged 54.0 yards on his four attempts against Texas, twice pinning the Longhorns inside their 20, was named the Ray Guy Award Punter of the Week. Thorson ranks fourth in the FBS with a net average of 45.1 yards, and none of his 22 punts this season have been returned for positive yardage.
"He has got a leg," Fairchild said. "It's really cool to see."
Also Tuesday, Georgia coach Kirby Smart was honored as the Bear Bryant Awards Coach of the Week and Walker was honored twice more, as the Badnarik Award Player of the Week and he was announced as a semifinalist for the Jason Witten Collegiate Man of the Year award.
In total, that's a lot of praise for a team after one win. And it was a big win. But the Bulldogs haven't achieved all they have over the past few seasons — two national championships and wins in 52 of their past 55 games — by spending time admiring themselves in the mirror.
"We're just doing our thing the same way we would any other week," Everette said Tuesday. "We're going into this week seeing where we messed up and where we can get better."
Before the Bulldogs head down the homestretch of their regular season, they get a brief rest this weekend. Fairchild and Everette both said they will be heading home, Fairchild to Cumming, Ga., where he might get to taste his mom's delicious steak au poivre, and Everette to Norfolk, Va., where he will get to watch both of his brothers, one older and one younger, play football games while he's home.
Georgia might not have a game Saturday — next up is the annual Georgia-Florida duel in Jacksonville on Nov. 2 — but the team is prepping this week like the most important games of its season are still ahead. Because they are.
Assistant Sports Communications Director John Frierson is the staff writer for the UGA Athletic Association and curator of the ITA Men's Tennis Hall of Fame. You can find his work at: Frierson Files. He's also on Twitter: @FriersonFiles and @ITAHallofFame.
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