The Georgia Bulldogs vs. The Arkansas Razorbacks

Game & Broadcast Info

The 2020 season will mark the debut of a new starting quarterback for the Bulldogs for the first time since 2016. That year, current Indianapolis Colt Jacob Eason started the opener until getting hurt. Current Buffalo Bill Jake Fromm came in off the bench in that game and started the next 42 games through 2019. Georgia also has a new offensive coordinator in Todd Monken, who spent last season as the Cleveland Browns’ offensive coordinator.

Georgia kicks off the 2020 season against Arkansas in Fayetteville, Ark. The Bulldogs opened the 2019 season with an SEC road opponent in Vanderbilt, beating the Commodores 30-6. That was the first time since 1995 that the Bulldogs opened a season with a league foe, and the first time it came on the road since 1994. The 2020 regular season features 10 SEC games, and Georgia will play four at home, five on the road and will serve as the home team in the annual neutral site game with Florida in Jacksonville, Fla. The opener between the Bulldogs and Razorbacks will mark the Division I head coaching debut of Arkansas’ Sam Pittman, who spent the previous four 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 and Jesse Stone is Director of Personnel for the offense.

Georgia leads the all-time series with Arkansas by a 10-4 margin. The two programs last met six years ago, when the Bulldogs prevailed 45-32 in Little Rock on Oct. 18, 2014. Their last meeting in Fayetteville occurred in the 2009 season, when Georgia won 52-41. 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.

The Bulldogs are 96-27-3 in season openers including winning 20 of their past 23. Georgia is 4-0 in season openers under Kirby Smart. Last year, the Bulldogs beat Vanderbilt 30-6 in Nashville, Tenn., to kick off their 2019 campaign.

Georgia will wear red pants in the Sept. 26 season opener at Arkansas. Normally the team would wear its standard “silver britches” for home and away games. The gesture is a tribute to the 1980 Bulldogs, who wore them once that season in the opener against Tennessee. Georgia paired the pants with white jerseys as a road uniform that year. This year is the 40th anniversary of that undefeated national championship season. A commemorative patch is also displayed on the chest.

The Bulldogs have not officially worn the red pants since a matchup with South Carolina in 1988. An all-red, specially-issued uniform was used for the 2011 Chick-Fil-A Kickoff Game versus Boise State 2011.

The team also released specially-designed black jerseys that are thought to be in the mix for a game this year as well. Georgia first wore a black jersey as a surprise for the fans during the 2007 Auburn game. The Bulldogs returned in black jerseys in New Orleans for the 2008 Sugar Bowl versus Hawaii later that year. During the 2008 regular season, Georgia took the field in black jerseys during a top-10 matchup with Alabama in Sanford Stadium. Most recently under Kirby Smart, the Bulldogs wore them against Louisiana-Lafayette in 2016.

For the first time since 1936, Georgia and Auburn will renew the Deep South’s Oldest Rivalry outside of the month of November. The Bulldogs play host to the Tigers on Oct. 3 for the home opener. Georgia has won eight of the past 10 meetings and leads the “Deep South’s Oldest Rivalry” 60-56-8.

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 Arkansas State State ’03Coaching Experience
1999 Georgia Admin. Asst.
2000 Valdosta State Defensive Backs
2001 Valdosta State Def. Coord.
2002-03 FSU Grad. Assistant
2004 Arkansas State 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)

When Georgia looked for a head coach after the 2015 season, the arrows pointed to Kirby Smart, longtime Alabama defensive coordinator and former UGA player and assistant. The 2017 Associated Press SEC Coach of the Year has not disappointed.

In his first year leading the Dogs in 2016, Georgia extended its school record to 20 consecutive bowl appearances and had wins over No. 8 Auburn and No. 22 UNC.

In 2017, Smart directed UGA to a 13-2 record, an SEC title, a win at The Rose Bowl Game during the CFP semifinal and a spot in the National Championship. He was named the Maxwell Football Club’s George Munger National Coach of the Year. Before 2017, the Bulldogs last SEC title was 2005.

The 2018 and 2019 seasons saw the Bulldogs advance to the SEC Championship Game, secure an invite to the Sugar Bowl and combine for a 23-5 record. Most recently, Georgia completed a 12-2 campaign with a 26-14 victory over #7 Baylor in New Orleans.

He has also made an immediate impact in recruiting, posting the nation’s top-ranked class in 2018, the second-ranked class in 2019 and the third-ranked class in 2017.

In addition to coaching, 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. In September of 2020, Smart and his wife Mary Beth pledged $1 million to support social justice and student-athletes impacted by COVID-19.

Smart officially came home to Georgia on Dec. 6, 2015. He juggled two jobs for a month until January 11, 2016, when the Tide won its fourth national championship in a seven-year span.

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), Pat Fitzgerald (Northwestern), David Shaw (Stanford), Scott Frost (Nebraska), Kirby Smart (GEORGIA), Mike Gundy (Oklahoma State), Jonathan Smith (Oregon State), Jim Harbaugh (Michigan), Tom Allen (Indiana)

Top Ind. Single-Game Performances Under Smart
Rushing Yards: 222, Nick Chubb vs. #22 UNC (9/3/16)
Rushing TDs: 3, Sony Michel vs. UK (11/18/17); vs. #2 Oklahoma (1/1/18)
Longest Rush: 83-TD, D’Andre Swift @ #9 UK (11/3/18)
Passing Yards: 346, Jacob Eason vs. VU (10/15/16)
Passing TDs: 4, Jake Fromm vs. GT x2 (11/25/18, 11/30/19)
Receiving Yards: 175 (12 rec.), George Pickens vs. #7 BU (1/1/20)
Receiving TDs: 2, Isaiah McKenzie @ Missouri (9/17/16); Terry Godwin vs. Samford (9/16/17); Jeremiah Holloman vs. #9 Florida (10/27/18); Riley Ridley vs. GT (11/2518); George Pickens vs. Missouri (11/9/19)
Longest Pass/TD Pass: 80-TD, Fromm to Mecole Hardman vs. BAMA (1/8/18)
Tackles: 13, Roquan Smith vs. GT (11/26/16); SECCG (12/2/17); CFPNC (1/1/18)
Sacks: 3, Trenton Thompson vs. TCU (12/30/16)
TFL: 3, Thompson vs. Nicholls (9/10/16)

Quick Facts

• Advanced to 2017-19 SECCGs, making Georgia the first from the East to win at least three straight since 1996.
• Went 6-0 in the division in 2017-18 for the first time since the SEC split into divisions in 1992. Has gone 17-1 in the SEC East during the last three years.
• 2017 Georgia Munger National Coach of the Year finalist, leading UGA to a 13-2 record, a Rose Bowl Game victory and an appearance the CFP National Championship Game.
• The Bulldogs’ No. 2 AP ranking in 2017 was the team’s top AP ranking since week three of the 2008 season when Georgia was No. 2.
• Seven fourth-quarter comebacks, including wins over #8 AU (’16), #22 UNC in Atlanta (’16), @ #24 Notre Dame (’17), vs. #2 Oklahoma in 2018 Rose Bowl Game.
• Led UGA to its first win over a ranked team in a season opener away from Sanford Stadium in school history.

13 Defense/Special Teams Scores
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 AU; Isaiah McKenzie 82-yd PR for TD vs. ULL
2017: J.R. Reed 3-yd fumble recovery for TD vs. Florida
2018: Juwan Taylor 1-yd INT return for TD @ USC; Mecole Hardman 70-yd PR for TD vs. MTSU; Tyson Campbell 64-yd fumble recovery for TD & Eric Stokes 8-yd blocked punt for TD @ Missouri
2019: J.R. Reed 14-yd PR for TD vs. Murray St.; Tae Crowder 60-yd fumble recovery for TD @ Tennessee; Tyson Campbell 0-yd fumble recovery for TD @ GT

%Chick-fil-A Kickoff Classic; ^Liberty Bowl; $Rose Bowl Game

Early enrollee Carson Beck has joined junior Stetson Bennett, redshirt freshman D’Wan Mathis and USC transfer and redshirt sophomore JT Daniels as four Georgia quarterbacks vying to replace three-year starter Jake Fromm. Fromm started an FBS best 42 consecutive games (35-7 record) for the Bulldogs from 2017-19. He was drafted in the NFL Draft’s fifth round and is on the Buffalo Bills’ active roster.

Beck completed 136 passes for 1,843 yards and 20 touchdowns last season for Mandarin HS (Fla.) while also rushing for six scores.

Bennett played in five games for the Bulldogs last year and was 20-for-27 for 260 yards and two touchdowns. He was on the 2017 Bulldog squad that went 13-2 and he was named the Offensive Scout Team Player of the Year. Bennett spent 2018 at Jones County Junior College in Mississippi.

Mathis enrolled early in January 2019 and competed during spring practice. He was then forced to redshirt the 2019 season after undergoing surgery to remove a brain cyst. The native of Belleville, Mich., got his share of snaps this preseason after gaining his medical clearance before spring practice.

Daniels started all 11 games as a true freshman in 2018 before a knee injury in the 2019 USC opener shortened his sophomore season. He made 12 start for the Trojans during the 2018-19 and has completed 241-of-397 (60.7 percent) for 2,887 yards with 15 touchdowns and 11 interceptions in his career.

The Bulldogs return junior center Trey Hill, who started all 14 games for the Bulldogs last season and was an Associated Press All-Southeastern Conference Second Team selection, along with senior Ben Cleveland, who had seven starts in 2019, and junior Jamaree Salyer, who got the nod in a pair of games including at right tackle in the Sugar Bowl win over #7 Baylor.

In his first career start, redshirt sophomore Warren Ericson played every offensive snap in the 2020 Sugar Bowl victory.

*Also returning will be junior Justin Shaffer, who was sidelined with a neck injury after six games last season. He started a pair of games at left guard before his injury.

Not only are the Bulldogs replacing four key players from the offensive line, they’re also breaking in a new position coach there. Matt Luke, the head coach at Ole Miss from 2017-19, replaced Sam Pittman, who departed in December to become head coach at Arkansas. Luke arrived in time to coach in the Sugar Bowl.

Luke will need to replace NFL draftees Andrew Thomas, Isaiah Wilson and Solomon Kindley. In addition, Cade Mays, who started 10 games last year, transferred during the offseason to play with his brother at Tennessee.

Despite losing their top two rushers from 2019, the Bulldogs have a number of options at running back.

Redshirt sophomore Zamir White was third on the squad last year with 408 yards and three touchdowns on just 78 carries (5.2 avg.). White posted a career-high 92 yards and a score during the win over #7 Baylor in the Sugar Bowl.

Junior James Cook and sophomore Kenny McIntosh were also regular contributors for the Bulldogs in the backfield last year.

While Cook had 31 carries for 195 yards (6.1 avg.) and two touchdowns on the ground, he was also a threat in the passing game. He caught 16 passes for 132 yards. McIntosh gained 179 yards on 26 carries, with a pair of scores.

Early enrollee Kendall Milton will provide depth for the Bulldogs at running back. Milton arrived as an All-American from Clovis, Calif. He was considered a top-five running back prospect by multiple outlets during the recruiting process.

The Bulldogs welcome back half of their top 10 receivers from 2019, including leading receiver and Freshman All-SEC selection George Pickens. He earned Most Outstanding Player honors at the Sugar Bowl with 12 catches for 175 yards (both career highs) and a score.

Senior Demetris Robertson (30 rec., 333 yards, 3 TDs) and sophomore Dominick Blaylock (18 rec., 310 yards, 5 TDs) both returned in 2020 and started preseason practice with the Bulldogs. However, Blaylock, who tore his ACL during last year’s SEC Championship Game, injured the same knee during practice this year and will miss the 2020 season.

In addition, junior Matt Landers is back after having the best game of his career in the Sugar Bowl with three catches for 25 yards and his first score.

Both of Georgia’s regular contributors at tight ends from 2019 – Charlie Woerner and Eli Wolf – have graduated. Woerner was picked by and made the San Francisco 49ers while Wolf signed as a free agent with the Baltimore Ravens.

With their departure, graduate transfer Tre’ McKitty (FSU), redshirt sophomore John FitzPatrick along with signee Darnell Washington and redshirt freshmen Ryland Goede and Brett Seither will be vying for playing time.

Georgia has three new on the field coaches for the upcoming campaign. The first hire was Associate Head Coach/Offensive Line Coach Matt Luke, who joined the Bulldogs after serving as the Ole Miss head coach for three seasons. Luke began in December and was part of the coaching staff during Georgia’s victory over #7 Baylor in the Sugar Bowl.

Offensive Coordinator Todd Monken was the next addition to Smart’s staff in January. Monken arrived in Athens after spending a year as the Cleveland Browns’ offensive coordinator (OC). He also was the OC for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers for three years prior to his stop in Cleveland and had three years as the Southern Mississippi head coach earlier in his career.

Then in February, Special Teams Coordinator Scott Cochran joined the Bulldog coaching staff. Cochran, who worked with Smart nine seasons at Alabama, had served as the head strength and conditioning coach for the Tide since 2007.

Another first arrived during the 2020 spring with the NFL Draft being a virtual one due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Seven Georgia players were selected, which matched the total from 2019 for the Bulldogs and equaled the second-best total in school history.

OT Andrew Thomas (1st Rd.-No. 4, New York Giants), RB D’Andre Swfit (2nd Rd.-No. 35, Detroit), OT Isaiah Wilson (1st Rd.-No. 29, Tennessee), OG Solomon Kindley (4th Rd.-No. 111, Miami), QB Jake Fromm (5th Rd.-No. 167, Buffalo), TE Charlie Woerner (6th Rd.-No. 190, San Francisco) and ILB Tae Crowder (7th Rd.-No. 255, N.Y. Giants) were all picked by NFL teams.

Selected as the draft’s final pick, Crowder became Georgia’s second “Mr. Irrelevant” after Bulldog Donald Chumley was taken with the last pick in the 1985 draft. Crowder is on the Giants active roster. Also, eight Bulldogs signed as free agents.

Georgia has 50 players on NFL rosters, including 10 that were part of the Bulldogs’ offense last year.

The Bulldogs have averaged 32.3 points a game in the CKS era. The 2020 season marks the first year at Georgia for offensive coordinator Todd Monken. Jim Chaney (now at Tennessee) served as Georgia’s OC from 2016-18 while James Coley (now at Texas A&M) was the OC last year.

The Bulldogs are expected to have one of the nation’s top defenses again in 2020. In 2019, Georgia led the country in Scoring Defense (12.6 points/game) and Rushing Defense (74.6 yards/game).

The Bulldogs allowed only two rushing touchdowns last season (both by quarterbacks) to lead the nation and set a school record with the lowest total in the SEC since 1970 (LSU).

Eight of Georgia’s top tacklers from 2019 return, including the team leader in senior Monty Rice (89 tackles), the squad’s sack leader in redshirt sophomore Azeez Ojulari (5.5) and senior Richard LeCounte, who was UGA’s leader in interceptions (three), fumble recoveries (three) and forced fumbles (two, tied with senior Mark Webb) return.

In 2019, Georgia held 13 of its 14 opponents under 20 points. Before the 2019 SEC Championship Game, Georgia and Clemson were the only two teams in the FBS not to allow more than 20 points in a game. In the SEC Championship Game, top-ranked LSU registered a 37-10 win over the Bulldogs as the Tigers came in ranked second nationally in Scoring Offense (48.7 ppg). In the CFP semifinal, Clemson beat #2 Ohio State 29-23. In the CFP National Championship Game, LSU beat Clemson 42-25.

For the second time since 1937 when the NCAA began recognizing statistical champions, the Bulldogs led the nation in Scoring Defense. In 1968, Georgia had the nation’s top Scoring Defense, allowing just 9.8 points per game (ppg). In 2019, Georgia claimed the top spot again, surrendering only 12.6 ppg. The Bulldogs posted three shutouts, two against SEC opponents, and two other games in which the opposing offense managed only single-digit scoring totals.

While the Bulldogs’ second-leading tackler from last year in Tae Crowder has graduated and made the New York Giants, Georgia has a deep corps at ILB and OLB.

Senior Monty Rice, who was a 2019 AP All-SEC Second Team selection, registered a team-leading 89 stops in 2019 and started all 14 games at ILB. Sophomore Nakobe Dean, who tallied 25 tackles and forced a fumble in his first season, is a leading candidate to complement Rice in the middle.

Redshirt sophomore and 2019 FWAA Freshman All-American/National Freshman of the Year semifinalist Azeez Ojulari had a team-leading 5.5 sacks to go along with 36 stops and a forced fumble in his first season. Sophomore Nolan Smith (18 tackles, 2.5 sacks), junior Quay Walker (23 tackles, 3.5 tackles for loss), senior Jermaine Johnson (20 tackles, 3.0 tackles for loss) and sophomore and 2019 Freshman All-SEC selection Travon Walker (15 tackles, 3.5 tackles for loss) are poised to strengthen this group even more in 2020.

Additional support is expected from senior Walter Grant, junior Robert Beal, junior Channing Tindal, junior Adam Anderson and sophomore Trezmen Marshall at LB in the fall.

For the first time since 2015, Georgia will be looking for a new placekicker after All-American and 2019 Lou Groza Award winner Rodrigo Blankenship graduated and won the starting job with the Indianapolis Colts after signing as a free agent.

Blankenship finished his Bulldog career with a school-record 440 career points (2nd all-time in the SEC). He connected on all 200 of his career PATs.

Georgia leads the nation with a streak of 291 straight PATs dating back to 2014. The streak involves five kickers (Marshall Morgan, Patrick Beless, William Ham, David Marvin and Blankenship).

Freshman Jared Zirkel and redshirt sophomore Jack Podlesny are the leading candidates for kickoffs as well as field goals and extra points.

Georgia does return one of its snappers from a year ago in redshirt sophomore Payne Walker.

The Bulldogs return junior Jake Camarda at punter. Camarda had one of the finest seasons ever by a Bulldog punter as he averaged 46.8 yards/punt, which ranked second in school history.

Through two seasons, Camarda is averaging 45.1 yards/punt, which would place him in the top three in school history. Camarda’s 42.1 net punting average in 2019 ranked second in UGA history and helped Georgia jump from 70th nationally in 2018 to eighth last season.

With Dominick Blaylock out for the year with a knee injury, the Bulldogs’ lone returner with experience in punt returns from last year is redshirt sophomore Kearis Jackson. Junior James Cook, redshirt sophomore Zamir White and senior Demetris Robertson are the only Georgia players with kickoff return experience from 2019.

The Bulldogs have added Scott Cochran as the team’s special teams coordinator. Cochran replaced Scott Fountain, who assumed a similar role with Arkansas during the offseason.

Georgia ranked second in the league with 10 representatives on the Preseason Coaches All-SEC Team. First Team Defense selections junior DL Jordan Davis and senior S Richard LeCounte highlighted the group of Bulldogs.

Junior C Trey Hill, sophomore WR George Pickens, senior DL Malik Herring, senior LB Monty Rice, sophomore LB Nakobe Dean, junior DB Eric Stokes and junior P Jake Camarda were included on the Second Team. In addition, sophomore LB Nolan Smith was named to the Third Team.

The Bulldogs have maintained their spot in the AP Top 25 now for 51 consecutive weeks, which ranks fourth nationally, dating back to the start of the 2017 season. Georgia ranks in the top three for active streaks in the top three and top five.

Since the arrival of Kirby Smart in 2016, the Bulldogs have featured talented defenses, surrendering just 17.9 points a game. From 2016-2018, Mel Tucker served as the defensive coordinator before leaving to take the head coaching job at Colorado State (and now at Michigan State). Dan Lanning is the current Fain and Billy Slaughter Defensive Coordinator.

Head football coach Kirby Smart and his wife, Mary Beth, will donate $1 million to their alma mater to support the UGA Athletic Association’s new social justice program, create scholarships for senior student-athletes whose final seasons were impacted by COVID-19, and contribute to the expansion of the UGA football program.

“Mary Beth and I are where we are because of the University of Georgia, so we feel a duty to give back to the university that opened so many doors for us, brought us together and brought us home,” said Smart. “The current moment presents unique challenges for all of us, whether that’s dealing with the ramifications of this pandemic or acknowledging and addressing racial inequality. We hope this gift can fuel positive change in both areas.”

The Smarts joined Detroit Lions quarterback and former UGA standout Matthew Stafford and his wife, Kelly, to endow UGA Athletics’ new social justice program. The goal of the program is to continue developing an environment to effect meaningful change in the areas of diversity, inclusion, equity and social justice for all of the Association’s members, including student-athletes, coaches and staff.

Many student-athletes saw their seasons canceled or postponed this year as part of public health precautions to protect against COVID-19. As a result, the NCAA granted an extra year of eligibility and lifted team financial aid limits so that senior student-athletes could return and complete their final seasons of eligibility at UGA. But with a pandemic-related financial shortfall impacting the Athletic Association’s budgets, UGA Athletics faced a challenge: finding new funding avenues to support those returning student-athletes.

This is where the Smarts stepped in, dedicating a portion of their gift to defraying the costs associated with returning seniors whose spring and fall activities were impacted by COVID-19.

The final portion of the Smarts’ gift will support the Butts-Mehre Expansion Project, which will expand and renovate all aspects of football operations at UGA. The project will, among other improvements, expand the weight room and add a locker room, meeting rooms, coaches’ offices and a sports medicine facility to Butts-Mehre Heritage Hall.

The Georgia football team kicked off its initiative called “Dawgs For Pups” in early September by pledging to raise money for WiFi hotspots for Clarke County students.

After the idea arose from a recent team meeting, the Bulldogs are participating in a number of “Dawgs For Pups” activities in the Athens area and beyond to help students and others affected by the recent COVID-19 pandemic. The first activity has been to supply families who have kindergarten to eighth grade students with WiFi hotspots. This access to an internet connection will help students stay connected with their virtual classroom.

So far, the Bulldogs and donors have given $73,000 to the project as the community tries to secure internet connectivity for area students through the semester.

“Helping out the youth in this area is so important because they are our future,” said senior defensive back Eric Stokes. “I have a platform (at the University of Georgia) and I am trying to use that platform and make it as big as it can go. And I want to try and use that platform to help out younger kids where they can get to the place where I am or pass where I am now.”

“During our team meeting, I talked about breaking the cycle in our community and I have realized that being in Athens and being at the University of Georgia, we kind of lead this community without knowing it,” said freshman defensive lineman Warren Brinson. “Youth in our community need to have something to look forward to, something they can be great at. Education is one of the most important things in your life. These kids in kindergarten through eighth grade are in their developmental years where they are growing the most so not having Wi-Fi for them during this period would mean losing all of that time.”

“This was a player-driven initiative that our guys came up with during a team meeting,” said Bulldog head coach Kirby Smart. “I’m proud of all of the ideas and look forward to seeing the positive changes that come from this and other projects. I want to challenge the Bulldog Nation to donate and help us bring these Clarke County students the wireless service they need during these challenging times.”

The donations will help support the more than 1,000 families in Clarke County who do not have the Internet access needed for online learning. For only $20, donors can sponsor a family’s unlimited high-speed date plan for a month. For $60, donors can sponsor a family’s WiFi for the fall semester.

All donations received will be solely for the purpose of hotspots for CCSD. The link to donate to “Bridging The Digital Divide” is here: http://gado.gs/53q

The Bulldogs have officially started their second project of the “Dawgs For Pups” initiative called the Food2Kids Snack Drive.

The Food2Kids Snack Drive comes at a pivotal time for the area community. The temporary COVID-19 unemployment benefits have ended and many parents are unable to go to work with their children receiving a virtual education and not attending school. The Food Bank of Northeast Georgia has reported an 80 percent increase in demand over its 2019 numbers and with September being Hunger Action Month, food bank representatives are stressing that the need for any help in this arena remains high.

So far, the Bulldogs and donors have given more than 30,000 pounds of food to the Food Bank.

Healthy and transportable snacks are the ones targeted for the Food2Kids Snack Drive. Granola bars, snack-size trail mix, nuts and pretzel bags, 100 percent fruit treat snacks and other various snacks that are not easily crushed under the weight of canned goods are requested for the drive.

“The food drive is very important for kids who are not fortunate to have daily snacks and who have hunger, and I think us as athletes and the staff at (the University of Georgia Athletic Association) have a duty to help our community become a better place and become united,” said senior receiver Demetris Robertson. “To do something for a cause that is greater than myself is always awesome. I believe that once those kids grow up to be our age, they will want to give back too.”

“I’ve been giving back to my community as far as I can remember,” said sophomore linebacker Nakobe Dean. “Doing projects like this makes me feel like I am kind of continuing that tradition that we did with my mom growing up. It’s important to help the youth at all times, not just right now in times of despair but all the time since they are the future of our country.”

“We as a team are excited to begin this second ‘Dawgs For Pups’ project after the first initiative go off to such a great start,” said Bulldog head coach Kirby Smart. “Just as providing internet to the students in our area is important, providing snacks is also essential at this time. The demand at the local food bank is higher than ever and I believe this is another opportunity for our players and the Bulldog Nation to answer the community’s call.”

Donations for the Food2Kids Snack Drive can be dropped on the main floor (third floor) of the UGA Athletic Association’s Butts-Mehre Building (1 Selig Circle, Athens, GA 30602).

The Food Bank of Northeast Georgia will also accept donations for this program. The food bank’s hours for drop-off are 8 a.m. – 3 p.m. on Monday through Friday.