UGA Football: Bulldogs Continue Preparation for Top Ten Matchup at Home

The No. 2 Georgia Bulldogs continued preparation Wednesday Sept. 29, prior to Saturday’s Top-Ten Southeastern Conference matchup against No. 8 Arkansas. Head football coach Kirby Smart met with the media on the SEC’s weekly teleconference call while players offered comments after practice.

Head Coach Kirby Smart
Opening Statement…
“We are coming into the home game excited about Arkansas coming to play at our place. I have a lot of respect for Sam (Pittman) and his staff. They have done a tremendous job creating a new culture and energy there at Arkansas. I would expect nothing less from him. I’m very thankful for what he did with our organization before he left. It will be an exciting atmosphere. I can’t wait to see the atmosphere created Saturday. With our fan base and the early kick, it should be very interesting. I’m excited to see our guys get ready to go play in another big one.”

On Arkansas success with the deep ball…
“They run the ball well. When you run the ball successfully you create one-on-one opportunities and shots. They’ve done that well. I also think their quarterback does an unbelievable job of throwing the deep ball. That is probably the best throw that KJ (Jefferson) makes. Getting the timing on the deep ball. They have some really big wideouts that create matchup issues.”

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UGA Football: Frierson Chats With Robert Beal

Robert Beal Jr. doesn’t spend that much time watching contact sports on television. Georgia’s 6-foot-4 and 255-pound outside linebacker would prefer to watch either bowling or tennis, he said during a Quick Chat this week.

A senior from Peachtree Ridge, Ga., Beal got into football, he said, because he was too physical for basketball when he was in fifth grade. It’s a transition that has worked out well for him. Beal has seven tackles, including a sack, and seven quarterback hurries through four games this season. In last Saturday’s 62-0 shutout of Vanderbilt, he had three solo stops, a 10-yard sack and two QB hurries,

During our Quick Chat, Beal talked about his start in football, not liking getting hit, his love of bowling, and much more. Here’s some of what he had to say:

Frierson: What do you remember about your start in football? We’re you really eager to play or did you kind of fall into it?

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UGA Football: Game Notes – Georgia Welcomes Arkansas to Sanford

Game & Broadcast Info
  • Kickoff: Saturday, October 2 – 12:00 p.m. ET
  • Location: Dooley Field at Sanford Stadium (92,746) | Athens, Ga.
  • 2021 Records: Georgia 4-0 (2-0 SEC), Arkansas 4-0 (1-0 SEC)
  • History: Georgia vs. Arkansas All-Time Series Results: UGA 11-4
  • Rankings: Georgia #2, Arkansas #8/11
  • TV: ESPN – Chris Fowler (PxP), Kirk Herbstreit (analyst),
  • 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: 81/81/81
  • Web Stats: GameTracker
  • Twitter: #ARKvsUGA
  • ReBroadcast: SEC Network: TBA

 

Georgia 2021 Averages Arkansas
43.8 Scoring Offense 35.8
5.8 Scoring Defense 14.5
+2 Turnover Margin +3
454.2 Total Offense 480.0
176.5 Rushing Offense 261.0
277.8 Passing Offense 219.0
10.1 Punt Returns 3.2
22.0 Kickoff Returns 27.2

Georgia-Arkansas Series History

Georgia leads the all-time series with Arkansas by a 11-4 margin. The two programs last met in Fayetteville to open the shortened 2020 season with the Bulldogs knocking off the Razorbacks 37-10. Arkansas left Sanford Stadium with a 31-24 win during its last trip to Athens in 2010. The first four clashes in the series came in bowl games starting with the 1969 Sugar Bowl, a 16-2 Arkansas win. Also of note, Georgia captured the 2002 SEC Championship with a 30-3 victory over the Razorbacks in Atlanta.

This Saturday’s showdown marks the second matchup between Bulldog head coach Kirby Smart and Arkansas’ Sam Pittman, who spent the 2016-19 seasons at Georgia, the first three as the offensive line coach and the final year as Associate Head Coach in charge of the offensive line.

Pittman is just one of several Razorbacks on staff with Georgia connections. Former Bulldog special teams coach Scott Fountain is the Assistant Head Coach/Special Teams Coordinator for the Razorbacks. Former Georgia assistant strength coaches Jamil Walker and Ed Ellis are on staff as Walker serves as the team’s head strength coach while Ellis is the senior associate director. Former Bulldog Fernando Velasco serves as the team’s Director of Player Development, while former Bulldog staffer Patrick Doherty is the Director of Football Operations.

Top 10 Foes In Smart Era

Georgia is 11-6 against top-10 teams under Kirby Smart, including 3-0 at home. Most recently, the Bulldogs started the 2021 season by edging then No. 3 Clemson 10-3 in Charlotte, N.C., during the Duke’s Mayo Classic. The Bulldogs ended last season with a 24-21 win over eighth-ranked and undefeated Cincinnati during the Chick-fil-A Peach Bowl in Atlanta. Georgia’s highest-ranked win under Smart was over No. 2 Oklahoma (54-48, 2OT) in a CFP Semifinal at the 2018 Rose Bowl Game.

ESPN College GameDay Is Athens Bound

This will mark the first time ESPN College GameDay will be in Athens since coming for the showdown of No. 4 Georgia versus No. 7 Auburn in 2020. The Bulldogs left the Tigers behind in that matchup 27-6. This marked the last top-10 matchup in Athens. The production was trimmed down because of the COVID-19 regulations and was set up in Sanford Stadium’s west side plaza rather than the traditional Myer’s Quad. GameDay was also in Charlotte for the top-five matchup against Clemson. This marks the sixth time that GameDay has come to Athens.

Dominating Defense

Currently Georgia leads the nation in Scoring Defense giving up just 5.8 points per game. The defense has allowed just one touchdown this season and it came in the fourth quarter versus South Carolina with the Bulldogs leading 40-6. Georgia’s opponents have advanced to the Red Zone only four times this season resulting in three field goals and turning it over once on downs.

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