UGA Football: Game Notes – Georgia Back On The Road, Faces Kentucky

Game & Broadcast Info

On Saturday, Georgia will make its second appearance of the season on the SEC Network. The Bulldogs traveled to Fayetteville, Ark., and took down Arkansas 37-10 during UGA’s first appearance on the SECN this season. While Georgia did not appear on the SECN at all in 2019, the team played on the network three times in 2018 (Vanderbilt, Massachusetts, Georgia Tech).

Also on SECN this week will be a re-air of the 1980 Georgia vs. South Carolina game as part of a year-long celebration of the 1980 National Championship. This game will air on Tuesday, October 27th beginning at 10:00 p.m. ET. The following week Georgia fans can watch the re-broadcast of the 1980 Georgia vs. Florida game and later in the season the 1980 Georgia vs. Notre Dame National Championship game will be shown. The SECN will be showing our 1980 S Carolina game on Tuesday, October 27 in the 10p-midnight window.

After an open date, the Bulldogs start the second half of the season on the road at Kentucky. The Wildcats (2-3) dropped a 20-10 decision to Missouri in Columbia, Mo., over the weekend. The Bulldogs are 4-1 after a bye week under Kirby Smart. Georgia will begin November against Florida in Jacksonville, Fla., on Nov. 7 and then takes on the Tigers in Columbia on Nov. 14.

Georgia leads the Kentucky series 59-12-2 and is on a 10-game winning streak. This matches the Bulldogs’ longest winning streak in the series (1978-87). Kentucky’s last win in the Georgia series came in 2009 in Athens when it stormed back from a 20-6 halftime deficit for a 34-27 victory. It was Kentucky’s first win in Athens in 32 years. The Wildcats’ last victory over the Bulldogs in Lexington came in 2006 when UK outlasted UGA 24-20.

In the College Football Playoff rankings, it was a top-10 showdown and arguably one of the biggest games ever at Kroger Field in Lexington as the winner claimed the SEC Eastern Division. Sixth-ranked Georgia improved to 8-1 overall and 6-1 in the SEC with a 34-17 victory over No. 9 Kentucky. This was the second straight division title for the Bulldogs. Kentucky featured the nation’s top scoring defense, allowing just 13 points per game, and one of the best rushing defenses. In fact, no team had scored more than 20 points on the Wildcats up to that point in the season. Georgia ran for 331 yards as sophomore D’Andre Swift, now with the Detroit Lions, tallied a career-high 156 rushing yards and a pair of touchdowns while Elijah Holyfield, now with the Philadelphia Eagles, added 117 yards and a score to lead the offense. Georgia freshman Trey Hill played most of the game at center when Lamont Gaillard was injured on the opening drive. Monty Rice led the Bulldogs with eight tackles and a sack.

Wind and rain swirled from Tropical Storm Nestor in Athens last year as the Bulldogs shut out the Wildcats 21-0. On a night where neither team scored in the first half, current Detroit Lion D’Andre Swift, who finished with 21 carries for 179 yards rushing (8.5 avg.), had a 39-yard touchdown run to break the scoreless tie in the third quarter. Later in that quarter, Brian Herrien scampered for an eight-yard run to put Georgia up 14-0. Swift locked down the victory with a three-yard scoring run in the fourth quarter for UGA’s final touchdown.

Current Buffalo Bill Jake Fromm finished 9-for-12 for 35 yards for the Bulldogs. Defensively, J.R. Reed forced a fumble from UK QB Lynn Bowden that Richard LeCounte collected, setting up Herrien’s touchdown. The teams combined for only 52 yards passing in the soggy conditions.

Currently sporting a 50.7 punting average (ranks second nationally), junior punter Jake Camarda is taking aim at not just the Bulldog single season record but a possible SEC and NCAA record. The Bulldogs rank third in the NCAA in Net Punting at 47.9 while the Kentucky stands 10th nationally at 44.3. The NCAA/SEC record (min. of 50 punts) belongs to Braden Mann who averaged 51.0 on 50 punts for Texas A&M in 2018 and won the Ray Guy Award. All-American Drew Butler holds the Georgia record when he led the nation as a sophomore in 2009 with a 48.1 average on 56 punts. He received the Ray Guy Award too.

Kentucky punter Max Duffy is sixth in the NCAA with a 47.5 average. Duffy won the 2019 Ray Guy Award for the Wildcats.

Georgia is the only team in the nation with at least three games vs. teams ranked in the AP Top 25 and that also has a winning record in those contests (Georgia is 2-1). In a three-week span, the Bulldogs defeated No. 7 Auburn (27-6) and No. 14 Tennessee (44-21) at home before losing to No. 2 Alabama (41-24) on the road.

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, Azeez Ojulari vs. #7 AU (10/3/20); 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
2020: Safety @ ARK; Eric Stokes 30-yd INT return @ ARK; Monty Rice 20-yd fumble recovery vs. #14 UT

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

Junior QB Stetson Bennett has helped Georgia to a 3-1 start, including a 2-1 mark versus Top-15 teams as a starter.

Georgia led #2 Alabama 24-20 at the half as Bennett was 12-for-25 for 117 yards, two touchdowns and one interception. However, the Crimson Tide rallied for 21 unanswered points in the second half for the win as Bennett finished 18-for-40 for 269 yards, two scores and three interceptions.

Against #14 Tennessee, Bennett directed the Bulldogs to 431 total yards on 77 plays. He finished 16-for-27 for 238 yards and three touchdowns and was the Manning Award Quarterback of the Week. Bennett passed for two scores and ran for the other. He has been most accurate on third downs this season at 72 percent (26-for-38 for 322 yards, four touchdowns and two interceptions).

In his first career start at Georgia, Bennett helped lead the Bulldogs to a 27-6 win over #7 Auburn in Athens. In the first half on third down, Bennett was 5-for-7 for 81 yards and a touchdown. The score was a 21-yard strike to sophomore George Pickens when it was 3rd-and-9. The play gave the Bulldogs a 17-0 lead.

Bennett came in to help spark the Bulldogs to a 37-10 road win over Arkansas in the opener after redshirt freshman D’Wan Mathis got the start. In addition to his passing performance, Bennett also ran for a two-point conversion.

Bennett played in five games for the Bulldogs last year. He was on the scout team for 2017 Bulldog squad that advanced to the College Football Playoff National Championship Game and went 13-2. Bennett spent 2018 at Jones College in Mississippi. He led the Bobcats to a 10-2 season, going 144-for-258 for 1,820 yards with 16 touchdowns and 14 interceptions. Bennett added 69 carries for 148 yards and four scores.

Bennett on 3rd Down Rushing: 5 for minus-1 yard, 0 TD, LG10, 2 First Downs

Mathis made his Bulldog starting debut in the opener against Arkansas. He finished 8-for-17 for 55 yards and an interception. He enrolled early in January 2019 and competed during spring practice. Mathis 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 during the spring of 2020.

Georgia also has redshirt sophomore transfer JT Daniels and early enrollee Carson Beck competing for playing time.

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

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

Georgia’s starting offensive line features junior Jamaree Salyer (LT), junior Justin Shaffer (LG), junior Trey Hill (C) and senior Ben Cleveland (RG).

Redshirt sophomore Owen Condon (RT) got his first start at Arkansas while redshirt freshman Warren McClendon (RT) has gotten the nod the last three games. McClendon has made three tackles this season following Bulldog turnovers.

Cleveland was named the SEC OL of the Week for the second time in his career following the win over #7 Auburn.

Georgia was most effective running the ball against #7 Auburn. Georgia churned out 202 yards on 45 attempts (4.5 avg.). The Tigers’ lone sack came on an intentional grounding call in the fourth quarter.

Against #2 Alabama, Georgia had 145 rushing yards on 30 carries (4.8 avg.), including a 10-yard touchdown by Zamir White.

Through four games, the Dogs have allowed just five sacks.

Redshirt sophomore Zamir White headlines the running game with a team-high 64 carries for 266 yards and five touchdowns, including a career-high two scores against #7 Auburn.

White is a key member of the special teams unit, including collecting his first career blocked punt. This led to a touchdown, which gave the Bulldogs a 20-10 edge at Arkansas. White became the first Bulldog running back since 2005 to block a punt (Tyson Browning vs. Vanderbilt).

After missing the UT game with a shoulder injury, junior James Cook returned at #2 Alabama. He is also a target out of the backfield, catching four balls versus the Crimson Tide for a career-high 102 yards, including an 82-yard scoring catch. His score is the longest TD reception by a Bulldog since 2013. Cook has 17 carries for 83 yards this year.

Sophomore Kenny McIntosh, who has 19 carries for 92 yards, has made a significant impact on special teams. He has six kick returns for 218 yards (36.3 ypg, third nationally), including a career-long 48 yarder at Arkansas.

Currently, true freshman Kendall Milton is the No. 2 rusher for the Bulldogs with 21 carries for 134 yards for a 6.4 avg. He is currently ranked second among SEC freshman running backs.

Redshirt sophomore Kearis Jackson (21 rec., 323 yds., 1 TD) has emerged as a favorite target for Bennett. After posting career highs in catches and yards against Arkansas, he set new career highs in the win over #7 Auburn. Jackson collected nine catches for 147 yards. Against #14 Tennessee, he had a team-high four receptions for 91 yards, including his first career score that covered 21 yards.

Sophomore George Pickens ranks second on the squad with 13 catches for 140 yards and two touchdowns.

True freshman Jermaine Burton was a popular target for Stetson Bennett against #2 Alabama for four catches for 58 yards and his first career touchdown. His scoring reception was a 5-yard grab on 3rd-and-goal to give Georgia a 24-17 edge in the second quarter.

Georgia utilizes the tight ends as well with redshirt sophomore TE John FitzPatrick, graduate transfer Tre’ McKitty (FSU) and freshman Darnell Washington combining for nine catches for 129 yards and one score. McKitty made his Bulldog debut against the Vols after missing the first two games with an injury.

The Bulldogs have one of the nation’s top defenses again in 2020. Georgia opened up with a 37-10 road win over Arkansas, held #7 Auburn out of the end zone in a 27-6 home victory, shutout #14 Tennessee in the second half in a 44-21 win and faced the nation’s top scoring offense (51.0 ppg) in #2 Alabama, falling 41-24.

Georgia ranks 19th nationally in Scoring Defense (19.5 ppg) and fourth in Rushing Defense (65.5 ypg). The Bulldogs surrendered 41 points and 564 yards to the Crimson Tide after giving up a combined 37 points and 710 total yards on offense. Alabama had a pair of quick-strike touchdowns of 40 and 90 yards, respectfully.

Georgia held Arkansas to 77 yards rushing on 28 attempts while Auburn had just 39 yards on 22 tries. Thanks in part to five sacks, #14 Tennessee finished with minus-1 rushing yards on 27 attempts. The defense has allowed only one rushing TD in 2020.

Senior S Richard LeCounte has three picks this year and eight in his career. He is currently tied for first nationally.

Junior Eric Stokes also posted his first career INT against the Razorbacks and took it back 30 yards for a score. This marked the second touchdown of his career after he blocked a punt versus Missouri and scored in 2018. Versus the Vols, Stokes had his second career pick.

Junior Tyson Campbell and sophomores Lewis Cine and Tyrique Stevenson round out the starters in the secondary.

Georgia is deep at LB with Monty Rice leading the way. He has a team-high 24 stops this year. Rice was named the Bednarik Award Player of the Week following his performance in the win over #14 Tennessee.

Against the Vols, Rice had strip-sack, recovered the fumble and ran it in 20 yards for his first career touchdown.

Redshirt sophomore Azeez Ojulari has a team-high six tackles for loss and ranks among the national leaders with three forced fumbles so far this season.

Ojulari, who led the Bulldogs with 5.5 sacks in 2019, added his first versus #7 Auburn this year. Against the Vols, he exploded for five tackles, including two sacks for a loss of 20 yards, two forced fumbles and one fumble recovery. Ojulari was named SEC Defensive Lineman of the Week after his performance.

Sophomore Nakobe Dean complements Rice in the middle. He was the leading tackler at Arkansas with seven stops and has 20 tackles on the year.

Sophomore Nolan Smith, junior Quay Walker, senior Jermaine Johnson and sophomore and 2019 Freshman All-SEC selection Travon Walker have given this position additional depth in 2020. Johnson started 2020 with a strong performance, collecting six tackles and 1.5 sacks at Arkansas. Against # Alabama, Walker posted a career-high seven tackles.

Georgia’s defense up front starts with preseason All-SEC selection Jordan Davis and a trio of seniors in Devonte Wyatt, Malik Herring and Julian Rochester. Rochester had five tackles against #2 Alabama in his first start since 2018 while Herring had four stops, including a sack.

Davis (6-6, 320), along with freshman Jalen Carter (6-3, 305), are part of a “jumbo” package that includes freshman TE Darnell Washington (6-7, 260) or TE Tre’ McKitty (6-5, 245) on offense.

Carter lined up in the backfield versus #14 Tennessee and caught a 1-yard touchdown reception from QB Stetson Bennett.

Redshirt sophomore Jack Podlesny made his debut in the 2020 season opener and handled the place kicking and kickoff duties. He made a pair of 38-yard field goals, went 3-for-3 on PATs and five of his six kickoffs resulted in touchbacks.

In the victory over #14 Tennessee, Podlesny had a solid game going 3-for-3 on field goals, including a career-long 51 yarder that gave the Bulldogs the lead for good at 23-21 in the third quarter.

Most recently at #2 Alabama, Podlesny hit his second FG from 50 or more yards and added three PATs.

Georgia set the NCAA record this season for consecutive PATs made. The streak stands at 306 dating back to 2014. The streak involves six kickers (Marshall Morgan, Patrick Beless, William Ham, David Marvin, Blankenship and Podlesny).

For the first time since 2015, Georgia needed to replace its placekicker after All-American and 2019 Lou Groza Award winner Rodrigo Blankenship graduated. He 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). Currently, Blankenship is third in the NFL with 16 made field goals for the Colts.

Georgia’s snappers this year include redshirt sophomore Payne Walker and redshirt freshman William Mote. Walker, who was one of the snappers last year as well, snaps on field goals and PATs while Mote handles the snaps for punts.

Junior punter Jake Camarda’s 50.7 average is second nationally and the Bulldogs 47.9 average in Net Punting is third nationally.

He was named SEC Special Teams Player of the Week for the second time in his career after the Arkansas game and was included as one of “Ray’s 4” as being on the Ray Guy Award’s top weekend performers. He was also one of the “Ray’s 4” following the Alabama game.

Camarda looked to be in midseason form in the opener by averaging 50.7 yards on 15 punts, placing seven of those at the 11-yard line or better. He has boomed seven punts that were 50-plus yards, including a 63 yarder.

Against #7 Auburn, Camarda only punted twice in the first half and averaged 51.5 yards. During the win over #14 Tennessee, he also only had a pair of punts for an average of 56.5, including a 64 yarder.

Camarda had one of the finest seasons ever by a Bulldog punter in 2019 as he averaged 46.8 yards/punt, which ranked second in school history.

Now in his third season, Camarda is averaging 45.8 yards/punt, which is on pace for a school record. Drew Butler, the 2009 Ray Guy Award winner, owns the Bulldog record with a 45.4 career punting average.

In the KOR game, sophomore Kenny McIntosh has six returns for 218 yards (36.3 average, second nationally; team is fourth nationally at 33.2). His longest of the year is a 48 yarder at Arkansas. McIntosh also had a 42 yarder versus #14 Tennessee.

With WR/PR Dominick Blaylock out for the year with a knee injury, Georgia turned to redshirt sophomore Kearis Jackson.

The Bulldogs have maintained their spot in the AP Top 25 now for 57 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 five and top 10.

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, 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 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 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.

The Bulldogs and donors gave $100,000 to the project.

“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.”

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’ second project of the “Dawgs For Pups” initiative was called the Food2Kids Snack Drive.

The Food2Kids Snack Drive came 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.

The Bulldog football team, as well as other UGA teams, and donors gave nearly 27,000 pounds of food to the Food Bank. Healthy and transportable snacks were 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 were requested for the drive.

“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.”

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

The Georgia football team has officially started its third project of the “Dawgs For Pups” initiative in the form of a coat drive for area children.

The latest initiative is a coat drive for children in the Athens-Clarke County area. With winter approaching and colder temperatures coming, the Bulldog football team and the rest of the UGA Athletic Association will be working with the local Boys & Girls Club to generate donations of new or gently used coats for children in kindergarten through eighth grade. Donations for the coat drive can be dropped on the main floor (third floor) of the UGAAA’s Butts-Mehre Building (1 Selig Circle, Athens, GA 30602) between 8 a.m. – 5 p.m. Monday through Friday.

The Bulldogs will be offering 2020 football schedule posters signed by head coach Kirby Smart to anyone who donates a new or gently used coat.

“It’s going to start getting pretty cold out there and a lot of kids don’t have the gear they need to stay warm,” said Bulldog receivers coach Cortez Hankton. “We want to be sure we provide them with coats and support. We want to be sure our Dawgs take care of the ‘Pups’ in our community and that we give what we can.”

Georgia has a pair of player on this year’s roster who have already earned their undergraduate degrees. The graduates include: DB Prather Hudson (Georgia – Finance) and TE Tre’ McKitty (FSU – Criminology). All of the SEC players who have achieved an undergraduate degree are sporting the SEC Graduate patch on their uniforms.

The seven Georgia players in 2020 matched the total from 2019 and equaled the second-best total in school history.

OT Andrew Thomas (1st Rd.-No. 4, Giants), RB D’Andre Swift (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 had 11 first-time starters in 2020, including seven in the opener.

@ ARK: 7 (Darnell Washington, William Mote, Jake Podlesny, Nakobe Dean, Jermaine Burton, D’Wan Mathis, Owen Condon)
#7 AU: 2 (Stetson Bennett, Warren McClendon)
#14 UT: 2 (Tre’ McKitty, Nolan Smith)
@ #2 BAMA: none

During the 2020 season opener, 10 true freshmen played for the Bulldogs. This season, 14 true freshmen have taken the field for Georgia.

@ ARK: Malik Herring, Richard LeCounte, Jamaree Salyer
#7 AU: Tyson Campbell, Monty Rice, Zamir White
#14 UT: Mark Webb, Kearis Jackson, Jordan Davis
#2 BAMA: Azeez Ojulari, Rice, Salyer