Category: UGA Football

BIRMINGHAM, Alabama — The SEC is adjusting its football schedule following the postponement of two games originally scheduled for October 17 due to positive tests and quarantine of individuals related to COVID-19.

One of the adjustments will move the Saturday,  Oct. 24 Georgia-Kentucky game in Lexington to Saturday, Oct. 31. Kickoff for that game will be 12:00 noon ET on the SEC Network.  The Bulldogs will now be off on Oct. 24.

On Monday it was announced that, due to positive tests and quarantine in the Vanderbilt football program, the Vanderbilt at Missouri game of Oct. 17 is rescheduled for Dec. 12.

On Wednesday it was announced that, due to positive tests and quarantine in the Florida football program, the LSU at Florida game of Oct. 17 is rescheduled for Dec. 12.  In addition, due to an extended pause of team activities for the Florida football program at the advice of health officials, the Missouri at Florida game originally scheduled for Oct. 24 is rescheduled for Oct. 31 and will be televised on the SEC Network Alternate channel at 7:30 pm ET/6:30 pm CT.

Also, the Kentucky at Missouri game of Oct. 31 is rescheduled for Oct. 24 at 4 pm ET / 3 pm CT on the SEC Network and the Georgia at Kentucky game of Oct. 24 is rescheduled for Oct. 31 at Noon ET / 11 am CT on the SEC Network.

In addition, the South Carolina at LSU game of October 24 will change game times and is now scheduled for 7 pm ET / 6 pm CT on ESPN.

SEC Football Schedule Adjustments:

• Kentucky at Missouri moves from Oct. 31 to Oct. 24 at 4 pm ET/3 pm CT on SEC Network
• South Carolina at LSU remains on Oct. 24, changes game time to 7 pm ET/6 pm CT on ESPN
• Georgia at Kentucky moves from Oct. 24 to Oct. 31 at Noon ET/11 am CT on SEC Network
• Missouri at Florida moves from Oct. 24 to Oct. 31 at 7:30 ET/6:30 CT on SEC Network Alternate
• Vanderbilt at Missouri moves from Oct. 17 to Dec. 12, time and network TBA
• LSU at Florida moves from Oct. 17 to Dec. 12, time and network TBA

Georgia vs Alabama Gameday Guide

Game & Broadcast Info

On Saturday, Georgia will make its second of at least three scheduled appearances on CBS this season. The network televised the Bulldogs’ 44-21 win over #14 Tennessee last weekend in Athens. The Bulldogs’ alltime record on CBS is 62-42-1. The Florida contest (Nov. 7, 3:30 p.m.) is also slated to be on the network.

No. 3 Georgia goes on the road to face No. 2 Alabama this Saturday at 8 p.m. ET in a matchup of the SEC division leaders. Under Kirby Smart, the Bulldogs are 9-4 in Top-10 showdowns. Georgia’s last win over a team ranked as high as No. 2 came in the 2018 College Football Playoff Semifinal when the Bulldogs defeated No. 2 Oklahoma 54-48 in overtime in the Rose Bowl Game.

Georgia has faced Alabama twice in the Smart era with the Crimson Tide rallying back both times. No. 4 Alabama won the 2018 CFP National Championship Game 26-23 over No. 3 Georgia in overtime. Then, No. 1 Alabama edged No. 4 Georgia 35-28 during the 2018 SEC Championship Game.

The Bulldogs went 3-1 versus Top-10 teams in 2019. Georgia beat No. 7 Notre Dame in Athens, No. 6 Florida in Jacksonville, Fla., and No. 7 Baylor in the Sugar Bowl. The lone loss came to then No. 2 LSU in the SEC Championship Game.

This Saturday, the Bulldogs will be facing their third Top-15 foe in a row. Georgia dominated No. 7 Auburn 27-6 in Athens on Oct. 3 and then beat No. 14 Tennessee 44-21 at home last weekend. The last time the Bulldogs faced three Top-25 teams in a row in three consecutive weeks came in 2018 when Georgia reeled off victories over No. 9 Florida, No. 9 Kentucky and No. 24 Auburn.

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ATHENS, Ga. — Georgia junior quarterback Stetson Bennett has been selected as the Manning Award Quarterback of the Week after earning the honor over seven other Manning Award Stars of the Week in the Allstate Sugar Bowl’s Facebook contest.

Bennett, making his second career start, directed the No. 3 Bulldogs to 431 yards of total offense on 77 plays in a 44-21 SEC win over No. 14 Tennessee.  He completed 16-of-27 passes for 238 yards and two touchdowns, while also adding a rushing touchdown, as he led the Bulldogs to 27 points in the second half.

Bennett has completed 63 percent of his passes and tallied five touchdown throws, but most importantly, he has no interceptions as Georgia has maintained its ranking among the top teams in the country.  Also of note, he has completed 18 of 25 passes (72 percent) on third downs for 239 yards and three scores while only getting sacked once during those snaps.

While the Manning Award selected 30 quarterbacks for its preseason Watch List, additional quarterbacks are expected to be added to the Watch List later in the season.  Ten finalists will be selected and the winner is scheduled to be announced following the College Football Playoff National Championship.

The No. 3 Bulldogs (3-0 SEC) travel to Tuscaloosa, Ala., to face No. 2 Alabama (3-0 SEC) on Saturday.  CBS will televise the matchup at 8 p.m. ET.

Game & Broadcast Info

On Saturday, Georgia will make its second of at least three scheduled appearances on CBS this season. The network televised the Bulldogs’ 44-21 win over #14 Tennessee last weekend in Athens. The Bulldogs’ alltime record on CBS is 62-42-1. The Florida contest (Nov. 7, 3:30 p.m.) is also slated to be on the network.

No. 3 Georgia goes on the road to face No. 2 Alabama this Saturday at 8 p.m. ET in a matchup of the SEC division leaders. Under Kirby Smart, the Bulldogs are 9-4 in Top-10 showdowns. Georgia’s last win over a team ranked as high as No. 2 came in the 2018 College Football Playoff Semifinal when the Bulldogs defeated No. 2 Oklahoma 54-48 in overtime in the Rose Bowl Game.

Georgia has faced Alabama twice in the Smart era with the Crimson Tide rallying back both times. No. 4 Alabama won the 2018 CFP National Championship Game 26-23 over No. 3 Georgia in overtime. Then, No. 1 Alabama edged No. 4 Georgia 35-28 during the 2018 SEC Championship Game.

The Bulldogs went 3-1 versus Top-10 teams in 2019. Georgia beat No. 7 Notre Dame in Athens, No. 6 Florida in Jacksonville, Fla., and No. 7 Baylor in the Sugar Bowl. The lone loss came to then No. 2 LSU in the SEC Championship Game.

This Saturday, the Bulldogs will be facing their third Top-15 foe in a row. Georgia dominated No. 7 Auburn 27-6 in Athens on Oct. 3 and then beat No. 14 Tennessee 44-21 at home last weekend. The last time the Bulldogs faced three Top-25 teams in a row in three consecutive weeks came in 2018 when Georgia reeled off victories over No. 9 Florida, No. 9 Kentucky and No. 24 Auburn.

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The No. 3 Georgia Bulldogs continued preparation Wednesday, Oct. 14, for Saturday’s contest against No. 2 Alabama.

Georgia will kick off against the Crimson Tide in Tuscaloosa, Ala., at 8:00 p.m., ET, on CBS. Before practice, Georgia head coach Kirby Smart provided an update on the Bulldogs during the SEC Football Weekly Media Teleconference. Following practice, Kenny McIntosh and Kearis Jackson offered these comments on the upcoming games versus Alabama.

Selected comments from Smart and the student-athletes follow:

Head Coach Kirby Smart
Opening Statement
“We’ve had two good practices and getting ready for a third. The guys are excited. It’s certainly a lot easier, in terms of preparation, for your kids when you have a game of this magnitude. It doesn’t get down to motivation. There is a lot of motivation to play in big games. In the SEC, you are getting the opportunity to do that almost every week. Our kids are excited for the opportunity and to play a really good team. I have a lot of respect for Coach [Nick] Saban and their program and the job they have done.”

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Game & Broadcast Info

On Saturday, Georgia will make its second of at least three scheduled appearances on CBS this season. The network televised the Bulldogs’ 44-21 win over #14 Tennessee last weekend in Athens. The Bulldogs’ alltime record on CBS is 62-42-1. The Florida contest (Nov. 7, 3:30 p.m.) is also slated to be on the network.

No. 3 Georgia goes on the road to face No. 2 Alabama this Saturday at 8 p.m. ET in a matchup of the SEC division leaders. Under Kirby Smart, the Bulldogs are 9-4 in Top-10 showdowns. Georgia’s last win over a team ranked as high as No. 2 came in the 2018 College Football Playoff Semifinal when the Bulldogs defeated No. 2 Oklahoma 54-48 in overtime in the Rose Bowl Game.

Georgia has faced Alabama twice in the Smart era with the Crimson Tide rallying back both times. No. 4 Alabama won the 2018 CFP National Championship Game 26-23 over No. 3 Georgia in overtime. Then, No. 1 Alabama edged No. 4 Georgia 35-28 during the 2018 SEC Championship Game.

The Bulldogs went 3-1 versus Top-10 teams in 2019. Georgia beat No. 7 Notre Dame in Athens, No. 6 Florida in Jacksonville, Fla., and No. 7 Baylor in the Sugar Bowl. The lone loss came to then No. 2 LSU in the SEC Championship Game.

This Saturday, the Bulldogs will be facing their third Top-15 foe in a row. Georgia dominated No. 7 Auburn 27-6 in Athens on Oct. 3 and then beat No. 14 Tennessee 44-21 at home last weekend. The last time the Bulldogs faced three Top-25 teams in a row in three consecutive weeks came in 2018 when Georgia reeled off victories over No. 9 Florida, No. 9 Kentucky and No. 24 Auburn.

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By John Frierson
Staff Writer

It’s not hard to picture Georgia defensive lineman (and part-time goalline blocker) Jordan Davis, all 6-foot-6 and 330 pounds of him, becoming a big-screen action hero one day. He’s got the size and athleticism to pull it off, as well as the outsized personality and charm.

As I learned during our Quick Chat on Monday, we also did one last season, the junior from Charlotte, N.C., loves the Marvel movies. particularly “Avengers: Infinity War.” I also discovered that Davis loves Swedish Fish candy and road trips.

Here’s some of what he had to say:

Frierson: Now that you’re three games into the season, how are you feeling? Does this feel like a normal season?

Davis: I would say it feels like a normal season. Definitely, it’s the SEC grind so the games are a lot more physical, going back-to-back-to-back. For me, at least, I feel pretty good. I don’t feel sore that much; usually the day after, and after I get in the hot tub and cold tub, I’m fine. I feel good.

Frierson: How did you feel all of your unexpected free time during the quarantine shutdown? Did you pick up any new hobbies?

Davis: I definitely talked with friends and reconnected with friends, and then I played video games. I haven’t played that many video games during the school year, but in quarantine I had a lot of time on my hands and I was able to do that.

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ATHENS, Ga. — Georgia senior linebacker Monty Rice has been named the Chuck Bednarik Award Player of the Week, according to an announcement from the Maxwell Football Club.

The Bednarik Award has been given to the nation’s top collegiate defensive player each year since 1995.  David Pollack earned the honor for the Bulldogs in 2004.  Current Chicago Bear Roquan Smith was Georgia’s last finalist for the accolade in 2017.

Rice, a native of Huntsville, Ala., led the Bulldogs in tackles for the second straight game and scored his first career touchdown during Georgia’s 44-21 rout of No. 14 Tennessee.  He tallied eight stops, including a pair of tackles for loss.  One of Rice’s TFL was a strip-sack that he recovered and returned 20 yards for the Bulldogs’ final touchdown.  Rice directed a defense that held the Vols to minus-1 yards rushing and without a point in the second half.

The No. 3 Bulldogs (3-0 SEC) travel to Tuscaloosa, Ala., to face No. 2 Alabama (3-0 SEC) on Saturday.  CBS will televise the matchup at 8 p.m. ET.

Below are comments from head coach Kirby Smart and Richard LeCounte following practice Tuesday, Oct. 13.

Head Coach Kirby Smart
On COVID-19 positive test results across SEC and his worries…
“There’s really no way to tell. The biggest thing is you’re one day away, one test away, one situation away from a possible situation like Florida’s. We’ve been very fortunate. I think Ron [Courson] and the medical staff has done a great job for us. Ron sends me an article or an NFL reference and we post for our players to see, but we feel like our players are doing a good job, but I’ll be honest with you—when they’re not here at the facility, I don’t always know what they’re doing. The biggest concern we have is post-game, Sunday, and then they’re back into a routine Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday. But you’re one exposure, one outbreak away from losing some guys, so we’ve been very fortunate so far, but we don’t have our test results back even from this week.”

On the evolution of offense in the SEC and what he attributes that to…
“I don’t understand what advanced scouting has to do with it—defense is allowed to scout too. If they have advanced scouting, we have advanced scouting. I don’t know why that would equate to higher scoring, if I’m following you right. By advanced scouting more they should be more successful on offense. We have video tape as well. I think attributing to the scoring is poor tackling, poor fundamentals defensively, up tempo offenses creeping in our league. I will be honest with you— football gets really sloppy when you go really fast. It doesn’t mean it’s not successful. It doesn’t mean it doesn’t score points. I am not saying that. I have been torched by teams that go up tempo. I’m not disgracing that—it gets really sloppy. As things get sloppy, fundamentals go downhill. If fundamentals go downhill, statistics go up.”

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