UGA Football: Game Preview – Georgia Opens Home Slate Against Tennessee Tech

On Saturday, Sept. 7 at 2 p.m., top-ranked Georgia (1-0) plays host to the Tennessee Tech Golden Eagles (0-1) for its 2024 home opener at Dooley Field at Sanford Stadium. Following the two-phase renovation in 2023-24, capacity has increased slightly to 93,033. Georgia remains ninth among the top 10 largest on-campus stadiums.

One part of the latest renovation is a new Sanford Stadium Press Box now located on levels 4 and 5 at the west end of the Sky Suites on the south side of the stadium. This replaced the Dan Magill Press Box which was built in 1967. There is no change to the field level Frank Lumpkin Media Center, which serves as the photographer work and hospitality area as well as the head coach’s interview room.

The Bulldogs have won 12 straight home openers. Tennessee Tech, under new coach Bobby Wilder, opened its season on the road against Middle Tennessee and nearly spoiled the debut of Blue Raiders head coach Derek Mason. MTSU put together a seven-play, 75-yard TD drive to take the lead with just 16 second left in the contest and added a two-point play for the 32-25 final.

Georgia holds a 2-0 advantage in the series with the Golden Eagles, winning 67-0 in 1943 and 38-0 in 2009, posting both shutouts in Athens.

With its 34-3 demolition of No. 14 Clemson, top-ranked Georgia improved to 101-27-3 in season openers including 9-0 in the Kirby Smart era. The Bulldogs have won 11 straight openers. Also, the win over the Tigers gave the Bulldogs a 10-3 record in ranked matchups to start a season including 4-0 under Smart. The 18th-ranked Bulldogs beat No. 22 North Carolina 33-24 in Atlanta in Smart’s debut in 2016. In 2021, then No. 5 Georgia stifled No. 3 Clemson in Charlotte. In 2022, No. 3 Georgia crushed No. 11 Oregon 49-3 in Atlanta.

The Bulldogs opened the 2024 season ranked No. 1 in the AP and US LBM Coaches poll for the third time in school history (2008, 2023). After dispatching No. 14 Clemson last Saturday, Georgia (1-0) should remain No. 1 this week. The Bulldogs have the longest active streak of being ranked in the AP top 10 (50 straight polls). The Bulldogs will face five teams preseason ranked in the top 15 including three of those on the road in No. 4 Texas, No. 5 Alabama and No. 6 Ole Miss and the fourth at a neutral site (No. 14 Clemson in Atlanta).

Did You Know? Georgia is the only team to have finished in the top seven of the final AP poll in each of the past seven seasons. The last team to start and finish a season at No. 1 was Alabama in 2017.

Did You Know, Part II? Head coach Kirby Smart is unbeaten against all active head coaches over the past five years. Georgia is 63-6 in that span. The coaches no longer active who have wins over Georgia during this stretch: Nick Saban (3) along with Will Muschamp, Ed Orgeron and Dan Mullen.

Did You Know, Part III? The Bulldogs were the only FBS team to finish the 2023 season nationally ranked in the top five in both Scoring Offense (40.1 ppg/5th) and Scoring Defense (15.6 ppg/5th). Also the Bulldogs were the first FBS team since 2020 to not allow a punt return all season. In the Smart era, the Georgia defense has ended the year ranked in the top five nationally in Scoring Defense five times including leading the nation twice (2019 at 12.6 ppg & 2021 at 10.2 ppg). Also, Georgia has been ranked in the final top 10 in Scoring Offense from 2021-23.

Senior Carson Beck improved to 14-1 in his career as the starting quarterback (6-1 against top 20 teams) following the 34-3 season-opening win over No. 14 Clemson. He finished 23-for-33 for 278 yards and two TDs against the Tigers. The Georgia offense is bolstered by four starting linemen returning in LT Earnest Greene III, LG Dylan Fairchild, RG Tate Ratledge and RT Xavier Truss. The skill players share the load as Beck utilizes multiple options in the backfield, at wideout and tight end.

Last season, he directed the Bulldogs to a 13-1 record in his first year as a starter. He ranked third in all of FBS with 3,941 passing yards and had a school record 72.4 Completion Percentage, good for fifth best nationally. Against ranked teams, he posted 73.9 Completion Percentage (125-169) for 1,693 yards, 13 touchdowns and only two interceptions. The 2023 offense set a school record by averaging 7.26 yards per play and led the country with a 3rd Down Conversion of 55.2 percent.

The more things change the more they stay the same. Seven of 11 starters return from Georgia’s 2023 defense that ranked fifth nationally in Scoring Defense (15.6 ppg) and led the nation in 3rd Down Conversion (25.7%). In the 2024 season opener, the Bulldogs limited 14th-ranked Clemson to three points including a first half shutout. Last year, Georgia opened the season by posting first-half shutouts against UT Martin and in week two against Ball State. This past Saturday, Clemson’s first half totals were 76 yards on 20 play and eventually finished with 188 yards of total offense on 52 plays. CU was 4-for-13 on 3rd down.

Georgia’s leading tackler against the Tigers was junior Jalon Walker with six stops including 1.5 sacks. Five Bulldogs were next with four tackles apiece including sophomore Raylen Wilson who had half a sack too. Junior Malaki Starks registered another incredible interception, the sixth of his career.

Georgia is 47-2 in last 49 games with a school record streak of 40 consecutive regular season victories

Georgia is riding a school record 25-game home winning streak, which leads in FBS

The 2024 Senior Class is 43-2 including 37-0 in the regular season. The 2023 senior class set the school record with a 50-4 mark, two national titles, an SEC crown plus went 6-0 in bowl/CFP games.

Georgia has an SEC and school record streak of 27 consecutive SEC regular season wins

Georgia has a 15-game winning streak in an opponent’s home stadium, which leads in FBS

The nation’s longest active bowl streak at 27 seasons including winning its last seven bowl/CFP games

To start the 2024 season, Georgia has begun a new streak as the No. 1 team in the Associated Press (AP) poll. The Bulldogs had an SEC and school record streak of 24 consecutive weeks at No. 1 in the Associated Press rankings (10/9/22 to 11/26/23), which ranked second all-time in the CFP era.

Fifth-year senior Carson Beck, a 6-4, 220-pound native of Jacksonville, Fla., owns a 14-1 record as Georgia’s starting quarterback.

Beck is on the 2024 watch list for numerous national awards. He was a 2023 Manning Award finalist and a Maxwell Award / Davey O’Brien Award semifinalist after leading Georgia to a 13-1 mark and final AP ranking of No. 4.

Beck is 6-1 versus top-20 opponents with a 73.3 Completion Percentage (148-202) for 1,971 yards, 15 TDs, 2 INTs in those contests.

Beck directed Bulldogs to a 34-3 win over #14 Clemson to open 2024 season

Posted a school record 72.4 Completion% in 2023 (5th nationally).

Beck’s 302 completions in 2023 ranked 2nd in UGA single season history, trailing only Stetson Bennett, who had 310 in 2022 when the Bulldogs went 15-0 and won the national championship.

Beck’s 3,941 passing yards last year ranked 2nd in school history, trailing only Bennett, who had 4,127 in 2022.

Became the first Bulldog QB since 2013 (Aaron Murray) to have three straight games of at least 300 yards passing last year (UAB, @ Auburn, Kentucky).

Along with Beck, Georgia’s quarterback room includes redshirt sophomore Gunner Stockton, freshman Ryan Puglisi and redshirt freshman transfer Jaden Rashada (Arizona State). Stockton saw action in four games last year and completed 63% of his passes (12-for-19) for 148 yards and two TDs.

Passing Yards	389 vs. #20 UK, 2023
Completions	29 @ VU, 2023
Attempts	39 @ VU, 2023
TD Passes	4 vs. #20 UK, 2023
Long Pass Completion	55 yards vs. Florida, 2023
Long Rush	20 vs. USC, 2022

Year	G/GS	Cmp.	Att.	Pct.	Yds.	INT	TD	Eff.	LG
2020	1/0	0	0	—	0	0	0	—	—
2021	4/0	10	23	43.5	176	2	2	119.06	32 UAB
2022	7/0	26	35	74.3	310	0	4	186.40	28 SC
2023	14/14	302	417	72.4	3,941	6	24	167.9	55 UF
2024	1/1	23	33	69.7	278	0	2	160.5	40 CU
Total	27/15	361	508	71.1	4,705	8	32	166.5	55 UF

Game	Cmp.	Att.	Pct.	Yds.	INT	TD	SK	EFF	LG
2020
MZ	0	0	—	0	0	0	0	—	—
2021
UAB	4	10	40.0	88	1	1	0	126.9	32
@VU	1	3	33.3	11	0	0	0	64.1	11
CS	5	10	50.0	77	1	1	0	127.7	30
@GT	0	0	—	0	0	0	0	—	—
2022
#11 ORE	5	6	83.3	71	0	1	0	237.7	23
SAM	5	7	71.4	52	0	0	0	133.8	16
@SC	5	6	83.3	55	0	1	0	215.3	28
AU	0	0	—	0	0	0	0	—	—
VU	8	11	72.7	98	0	2	0	207.6	24
GT	1	2	50.0	3	0	0	0	62.6	3
#3 TCU	2	3	66.7	31	0	0	0	153.5	20
2023
UTM(W)	21	31	67.7	294	0	1	0	158.1	54
BSU (W)	23	30	76.7	283	1	2	0	171.2	41
USC (W)	27	35	77.1	269	0	0	2	141.7	36
UAB (W)	22	32	68.8	338	0	3	1	188.4	50
@ AU (W)	23	33	69.7	313	1	1	0	153.3	40
#20 UK (W)	28	35	80.0	389	1	4	0	205.4	49
@ VU (W)	29	39	73.4	261	1	1	2	133.9	31
vs. UF (W)	19	28	67.9	315	0	2	0	185.9	55
#12 MIZ (W)	21	32	65.6	254	0	2	3	152.93	34
#9 OM (W)	18	25	72.0	306	1	2	0	193.2	44
@ #18 UT (W)	24	30	80.0	298	0	2	0	196.4	34
@ GT (W)	13	20	65.0	175	1	1	0	145.0	29
SECCG: #8 UA (L)	21	29	72.4	243	0	0	2	142.8	51
%#5 FSU (W)	13	18	72.2	203	0	2	1	203.6	35
2024
#14CU (W)	23	33	69.7	278	0	2	1	160.5	40
Career Total	361	508	71.1	4,705	8	32	12	166.5	55

• Averaging 34.0 points/game (TBA: nationally)
• Outscored opponents 34-3 (6-0 in the 1st Half & 28-3 in the 2nd Half)
• 4-for-4 (100 percent) in the Red Zone with 3TDs, 1 FG
• Currently 36% (4-for-11) on 3rd Down Conversions

Game	Georgia	Opp.	Final
vs. #14 CU	10 (4R, 6P)	3 (0R, 3P)	#1 Georgia, 34-3

Longest Rush by Georgia: 40-yd by Nate Frazier (vs. #14 CU)
Longest Rush by Opp.: 9-yd by Phil Mafah (vs. #14 CU)
Longest Completion by Georgia: 40-yd TD vs. #14 CU (Beck to Humphreys)
Longest Completion by Opp.: 36 yd by #14 CU (C. Klubnik to A. Williams)

The Bulldogs return four starters on the line in Earnest Greene III, Dylan Fairchild, Tate Ratledge and Xavier Truss, along with Micah Morris, Jared Wilson, and Monroe Freeling. Ratledge and Truss have 29 career starts while Wilson made his first in the 2024 season opener.

Georgia is averaging 7.5 yards per play and 447 yards per game in 2024.

The 2023 Georgia offense set a school record averaging 7.26 yards per play while the 496.5 yards per game average ranked second all-time.

The unit was a Joe Moore Award finalist for the third season in a row in 2023.

Tackle Amarius Mims was selected 18th overall in the NFL Draft by Cincinnati while center Sedrick Van Pran was picked in the fifth round by Buffalo.

Georgia’s running back room features Florida transfer Trevor Etienne, Roderick Robinson II, Branson Robinson, who was sidelined in 2023 due to an ACL injury, Cash Jones plus a host of freshmen in Chauncey Bowens, Nate Frazier and Dwight Phillips Jr.

Robinson made his first career start in the season-opening win over #14 Clemson. He was one of seven Bulldogs who combined for 169 yards and two touchdowns. Frazier led the attack with 83 yards on 11 carries including a 40-yard scamper and his first TD. Jones’ lone carry was a 15-yard TD that featured an impressive stiff arm followed by a pylon plunge.

Etienne, who did not play in the season opener, will be vying for a spot in the rotation after rushing for 249 times for 1,472 yards and 14 touchdowns in his two seasons with the Gators. Also in his UF career, he tallied 30 receptions for 238 yards and one touchdown plus returned 28 kicks for 671 yards.

Robinson II is recovering from toe surgery and yet to make his 2024 debut. He had 24 carries for 196 yards (8.2 avg.) and two scores in just five games to be the third-leading rusher last season.

Twenty-two Bulldogs had a reception last year and the top returnees include Dominic Lovett, Arian Smith and Dillon Bell.

Nine Bulldogs registered a reception in the win over #14 Clemson including a career-high five by senior Arian Smith for 56 yards. Smith, along with junior Dillon Bell, are options to run the ball too. Bell tallied four catches for 32 yards against the Tigers. Last year, Bell had 25 carries for 157 yards and two touchdowns and threw an 18-yard touchdown in the 38-10 road win over No. 18 Tennessee.

London Humphreys (Vanderbilt), Michael Jackson III (USC) and Colbie Young (Miami) transferred to UGA in January. Young and Humphreys scored touchdowns in their Bulldg debut, both coming on their second catch against #14 Clemson. Young’s 7-yard catch was Georgia’s first TD of the season while Humphrey’s covered 40 yards. Humphrey’s first catch as a Bulldog was “clutch,” according to coach Kirby Smart as it came on a 3rd-and-10 at the UGA 49 and went for 23 yards.

Sophomore Anthony Evans III will be in the rotation while freshman Sacovie White and Nitro Tuggle will vie for playing time too. Junior Cole Speer, who has contributed on special teams, could see more action too.

The tight end room features veterans Oscar Delp, sophomore Lawson Luckie and Stanford grad transfer Ben Yurosek plus a pair of freshmen in Jaden Reddell and Colton Heinrich. All five saw action versus #14 Clemson.

Three of the top four receivers from 2023 are now in the NFL in Brock Bowers (1st Round, Las Vegas, No. 13 overall), Ladd McConkey (2nd Round, by L.A. Chargers) and Marcus Rosemy-Jacksaint (Philadelphia).

Georgia has had 42 players drafted over the past four seasons, including 23 on defense and eight of those defenders have gone in the first round.

The 2024 unit ranks among the national leaders in Scoring Defense (3.0 ppg).

The 2023 unit ranked fifth nationally in Scoring Defense (15.6 ppg).

Allowed only 93 points in the second half in 2023 for a 6.6 average and allowed a touchdown or less in the second half in eight of 14 contests.

5-1 versus ranked opponents and allowed just 15.2 ppg in those contests.

Seven of 11 starters return from Georgia’s 2023 defense including second- leading tackler Smael Mondon, Jr. who had 68 stops.

The defensive backfield returns All-America safety Malaki Starks and Daylen Everette, who each started all 14 games last year. Starks’ first career interception (vs. #11 Oregon – Bo Nix in 2022) and most recent interception (vs. #14 Clemson – Cade Klubnik in 2024), both in Mercedes-Benz Stadium in Atlanta, are two worth checking out.

Starks has six career interception. When asked about Starks’ latest pick against the Tigers, head coach Kirby Smart said, “I do think the play I saw him make today may be one of the best defensive football plays I’ve ever seen live in person.” Starks is on the watch list for several national awards. In 2023, he was a Bronko Nagurski Trophy and Jim Thorpe Award finalist and a Chuck Bednarik Award semifinalist.

Three starters from the 2023 secondary now are in the NFL in Javon Bullard (Green Bay), Kamari Lassiter (Houston) and Tykee Smith (Tampa Bay). Meet Me At The Ball

Mykel Williams, Nazir Stackhouse, Warren Brinson, Christen Miller, and Tyrion Ingram-Dawkins anchor the front while several freshmen saw action in the season opener.

The veterans in the linebacker room include Smael Mondon, Jalon Walker, CJ Allen, Raylen Wilson and Chaz Chambliss. Mondon has 25 career starts.

Walker, a 6-2, 245-pounder is a self-described “hybrid linebacker” for his ability to play on the edge and in the box. He led the team with five sacks last year including a pair in the SEC Championship Game. Walker enjoyed a solid showing in the 2024 season opener, leading the Bulldogs with six tackles and 1.5 sacks in a 34-3 win over #14 Clemson.

A few freshmen expected to contribute early include Ellis Robinson IV, KJ Bolden and Demello Jones in the secondary, Justin Williams and Chris Cole at linebacker, Joseph Jonah-Ajonye and Jordan Thomas on the line.

Home: 1-2; Away: 4-2; Neutral: 3-3 {Bowl Game/CFP: 3-2}
(*SEC games: 3-4; *Includes CFP National Championship)

The Bulldogs are 1-2 in overtime games under Kirby Smart.
Jan. 1, 2018: #3 Georgia beat #2 Oklahoma 54-48 (2OT) in Pasadena, Calif. (CFP Semifinal: Rose Bowl Game)
Jan. 8. 2018: #4 Alabama beat #3 Georgia 26-23 in Atlanta, Ga. (CFP National Championship, Mercedes-Benz Stadium)
Oct. 12, 2019: South Carolina beat #3 Georgia 20-17 (2OT) in Athens, Ga.

Georgia welcomes back a two-year starter in P Brett Thorson and sophomore PK Peyton Woodring after both shined in 2023.

Thorson, a native of Melbourne, Australia, had a 43.8 average on 32 punts in 2023 including 21 that resulted in fair catches and just two touchbacks. Thorson is known for his comedic slant on social media about his lack of playing time as the Bulldogs punted a record low 32 times in 2023 (14 games) after just 36 punts in 2022 (15 games), the two lowest totals dating back to at least 1948.

Thorson managed to punt four times against #14 Clemson for a 48.0 average with three placed inside the 20, two for 50+ yards and none were returned.

Thanks in part to Thorson’s punts and to the entire punt coverage team including gunners Arian Smith and Dominic Lovett, Georgia was the only team in the FBS that did not allow a punt return in 2023, the first school to do that since 2020 when COVID limited the amount of games teams played.

Peyton Woodring, who hails from Lafayette, La., was a Lou Groza Award semifinalist as a freshman. He began his sophomore season by scoring 10 points against #14 Clemson including the first six points of the season on field goals of 30 yards and a career-long 55-yarder — the longest by a Bulldog since the 2018 Rose Bowl (Rodrigo Blankenship vs. Oklahoma). The 55-yard field goal was the longest in the SEC in week one.

Woodring handled all seven kickoffs in the 2024 opener, recording six touchbacks.

In 2023, Woodring scored a team-high 134 points, going 21-for-25 on field goals and 71-for-71 on PATs. He ranked sixth nationally in Scoring and third among kickers, and his 134 points ranked third best in school history for a kicker and most for a Bulldog freshman kicker.

The snapping duties in the 2024 season opener were handled by Beau Gardner, a graduate transfer from UCLA who is from San Francisco.

Graduate transfer Charlie Ham, a native of Atlanta, Ga., is back in the Peach State to provide depth. He had a successful undergraduate career at Duke (2019- 23). He appeared in 46 games, going 36-for-50 on field goals (LG-50), 91-for- 93 on PATs and tallied 193 kickoffs with a 61.2 average and 98 touchbacks.

Drew Miller, a native of Mediapolis, Iowa, was the nation’s top-ranked prep punter, and he has been on campus since June.

Sophomore Anthony Evans III handled the punt returns against #14 Clemson.

In the kickoff return game, Evans along with Dillon Bell and Travis Etienne are options. Georgia did not have a kick return against the Tigers in week one. Bell had six returns for 160 yards (26.7 avg.) including a 39-yarder at Ga. Tech last year. In two seasons at Florida, Etienne tallied 26 kickoff returns for 645 yards (24.8 avg.).

Currently, four Bulldogs have blocked a kick or punt in their career: DB Joenel Aguero blocked a Florida punt in 2023 that resulted in a safety. In 2022, DL Nazir Stackhouse blocked a field goal that was returned 96 yards for a touchdown by teammate Chris Smith in the opening quarter of the SEC Championship Game versus No. 14 LSU. OLB Jalon Walker blocked a punt that resulted in a safety versus Kent State in 2022. S Dan Jackson blocked a punt against No. 8 Arkansas in 2021.

Career Placekicking For Peyton Woodring
Year	PAT	Pct.	FG	Pct.	LG	Pts
2023	71-71	1.000	21-25	.840	48	134
2024	0-0	0-0	1-1	0-0	1-1	55
Total	0-0	3-5	15-15	4-5	1-2	55
Field Goal History For Peyton Woodring
Year	I20	20-29	30-39	40-49	50-99	LG
2023	0-0	3-5	14-14	4-5	0-1	48
2024	4-4	1.000	2-2	1.000	55	10
Total	75-75	1.000	23-27	.852	55	144

Career Highs For Woodring
Points: 15 (UK23)
PATs: 9 (FSU23)
FGA: 3 (USC23, UK23, @VU23, MIZ23)
FGM: 3 (UK23, @VU23), MIZ23)
LG: LG: 55 (vs. CU24)

Career Punting For Brett Thorson
Year	Punts	Yards	Avg.	I20	50+	60+	FC	BL	LG
2022	36	1620	45.0	19	9	1	18	0	75 UT
2023	32	1,403	43.8	14	6	1	21	0	60UA
2024	4	192	48.0	3	2	0	2	0	57CU
Total	72	3,215	44.7	36	17	2	41	0	75 UT

Career Highs For Thorson
Punts: 5 (UTM23, AU22)
*Avg.: 50.2 on four punts (UT22), UA23)
Long: 75 (UT22)
*at least two punts

Shaun Alexander Freshman Player of the Year:KJ Bolden, DB, Ellis Robinson IV, DB
Chuck Bednarik Award: Smael Mondon, LB; Malaki Starks, DB, Mykel Williams, DE
Dick Butkus Award: Smael Mondon, LB
Walter Camp Award:Carson Beck, RB; Malaki Starks, DB
Earl Campbell Tyler Rose Award:Dillon Bell, WR
Comeback Player of the Year:Branson Robinson, RB
Lou Groza Award:Peyton Woodring, PK
Ray Guy Award:Brett Thorson, P
Paul Hornung Award:Trevor Etienne, RB
Lott IMPACT Trophy: Malki Starks, DB, Jalon Walker, LB
John Mackey Award:Oscar Delp, TE; Ben Yurosek, TE
Patrick Mannelly Award:Beau Gardner, SN
Manning Award:Carson Beck, QB
Maxwell Award:Carson Beck, QB; Trevor Etienne, RB
Bronko Nagurski Trophy: Smael Mondon, LB; Malaki Starks, DB; Mykel Williams, DL
Davey O’Brien Award:Carson Beck, QB
Outland Trophy:Dylan Fairchild, OL; Tate Ratledge, OL; Nazir Stackhouse, DL; Xavier Truss, OL
Rimington Trophy:Jared Wilson, OL
Jim Thorpe Award:Malaki Starks, DB; Daylen Everette, DB
Johnny Unitas Golden Arm Award:Carson Beck, QB
Doak Walker Award:Trevor Etienne, RB
Allstate Wuerffel Trophy/Good Works Team Nominee:Malaki Starks, DB

The Bulldogs welcome back James Coley (wide receivers), who is in his second stint at UGA (first was 2016-19) during the Kirby Smart era. Also, Josh Crawford (run game coordinator/running backs), Travaris Johnson (co-defensive coordinator, safeties) and Donte Williams (defensive backs) are fresh additions.

Also, Kirk Benedict has been promoted from special teams quality control to special teams coordinator. Meanwhile, former co-defensive coordinator Will Muschamp has transitioned into an off-field analyst to spend more time with family. Muschamp’s youngest son, Whit, is a freshman quarterback at Vanderbilt while his oldest son, Jackson, was a quarterback at Georgia, finishing in 2023.

Georgia enters the 2024 campaign on an SEC and school record streak of 27 consecutive regular season wins in league play. The Bulldogs first SEC game will be in week three at Kentucky with a 7:30 p.m. kickoff on ABC.

In the all-SEC 2020 schedule due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the Bulldogs won their final three SEC regular season games and have since run the table.

In 2021, Georgia posted its first perfect 8-0 mark in league play in school history. The SEC went to eight games when it split into divisions in 1992.

The 2022 Bulldogs followed it up with another 8-0 SEC mark, and the average margin of victory in those games was 25.5.

The 2023 Bulldogs made it three straight 8-0 league seasons (the only SEC school ever to accomplish that feat).

In school history, Georgia has gone undefeated in league play 10 times.

The 2024 SEC slate for the Bulldogs features roadtrips to Kentucky, No. 5 Alabama, No. 4 Texas and No. 6 Ole Miss plus the neutral site game with Florida. Georgia’s SEC home games will be with Auburn, Miss. State and No. 15 Tennessee.

Georgia hits the road to open SEC play at Kentucky on Sept. 14 with kickoff at 7:30 p.m. (ABC). The Bulldogs lead the all-time series 63-12-2 and have a 14-game winning streak that began in 2010.

Last year in Athens, top-ranked Georgia built a 34-7 lead by halftime and eventually won 51-13 over No. 20 Kentucky in a battle of unbeatens. Quarterback Carson Beck set career highs with 389 passing yards and four touchdowns. Georgia tallied 608 yards of total offense on 73 plays while Kentucky was held to 183 yards on 50 plays. A week earlier, Kentucky had beaten Florida 33-14 when it ran for 329 yards. However, they managed just 55 yards on 24 attempts against the Bulldog defense.

Following the retirement of Uga X, 10-month old puppy Boom assumed the vaunted role of Georgia’s on-field mascot in 2023. Currently, he is 14-1.

During a pregame ceremony at the annual “G Day” game, University of Georgia president Jere W. Morehead joined J. Reid Parker Director of Athletics Josh Brooks and his son, Davis, in the ceremonial collaring of Boom. Boom is the 11th solid white English Bulldog to serve as Georgia’s mascot since the line began in 1956 courtesy of the Seiler family of Savannah. In his first season, Boom saw the Bulldogs post their third-consecutive undefeated regular season, followed by a record-breaking 63-3 victory over Florida State in the Orange Bowl. In the offseason, Boom resides with his family in Savannah.

Georgia is +1 in turnover margin.

The Bulldogs have 7 points (includes the PAT) off one turnovers.

Opponents have not forced any turnovers.

#14 CU: UGA 6 pts. off 1 TO; UGA had no TOs
TT:

Georgia ranks third in NCAA history for consecutive games scoring and third among schools with active streaks:

Team – Games
Florida 449 (1988-present)
TCU 392 (1991-present)
Georgia 374 (1995-present)

Georgia has five plays of 25 yards or more this season while its opponents have one.

GAME 1 (Longest):
#1 UGA: 5 (40-yd TD pass, Beck to Humphreys; 40-yd rush Frazier)
#14 CU: 1 (36-yd pass, Klubnik to Williams)
GAME 2 (Longest):
#1 UGA:
TT:

The Bulldogs had six first-time starters in their season-opening win over #14

Clemson:Lawson Luckie (TE), Brandon Robinson (RB), Jared Wilson (C), Julian Humphrey (DB), Christen Miller (DL) and JaCorey Thomas (Star).

The Bulldogs had 12 true freshmen make their debut in the 2024 season-opening win over #14 Clemson in Atlanta: KJ Bolden (S), Nate Frazier (RB), Ellis Robinson IV (CB), Joseph Jonah-Ajonye (DE), Jordan Thomas (DL), Justin Williams (LB), Chris Cole (LB), Daniel Calhoun (OL), Jahzare Jackson (OT), Jaden Redell (TE), Colton Heinrich (TE) and Chauncey Bowens (RB).

vs. #14 CU: C. Beck, T. Ratledge, J. Walker & M. Williams
TT:
@UK:
@UA:
AU:
MSU:
@Texas:
vs. UF:
@OM:
UT:
UMASS:
GT:

• Ninth season as Georgia coach • 95-16 Career Record • 2021 & 2022 NATIONAL CHAMPIONS
• 2017 CFP national runner-up
• Unbeaten against all active coaches over the past five years and one of just two active coaches with multiple national titles (Dabo Swinney-Clemson, ’16 & ’18)
• Best record & winning percentage (85-15, .850) after his first 100 games of any coach in SEC history
• 2017, 2022 SEC Champions • SEC Eastern Division Champs 2017-19 & 21-23
• Georgia defense has been ranked in the top five nationally in Scoring Defense five ties including leading the nation in 2019 & 2021; Been ranked in the top 10 in Scoring Offense the past three seasons (2021-23)
• 2017 George Munger award (National Coach of the Year by Maxwell Club)
• Three-Time SEC Coach of the Year, 2017, 2021-22
• Bulldogs have won two Butkus Awards and two Mackey Awards, One Outland Trophy, Bednarik Award, Thorpe Award, Groza Award, Manning Award & Burlsworth Trophy; Two NFF Scholar-Athlete Awards, One Heisman Trophy finalist
• 20 1st-team All-Americans
• 17 First Round NFL Draft picks
• 63 NFL Draft Picks
• 242 players on SEC Academic Honor Rolls, including a high of 43 on the 2023 team

Year	W	L	Pct.	SEC	Bowl	AP Rank
2016	8	5	.615	4-4	Liberty	NR
2017	13	2	.867	8-2#	CFP Rose/NCG	2nd
2018	11	3	.786	7-2#	Sugar	T7th
2019	12	2	.857	7-2#	Sugar	4th
2020	8	2	.800	7-2	Chick-fil-A	7th
2021	14	1	.933	9-1#	CFP Orange/NCG	1st
2022	15	0	1.000	9-0#	CFP Peach/NCG	1st
2023	13	1	.929	8-0	Orange	4th
2024	1	0	1.000	0-0	1st
Total	95	16	.856	*59-14

#3-5 (includes 2017-19, ’21, ’22, ’23 SECCGs, 2018 & 2022 CFPNC)

SEASON	OPPONENT	START OF 4TH QUARTER OR DEFICIT	FINAL
2016	% #22 UNC	Trailed 24-23	33-24
2016	@ Missouri	Trailed 27-21	28-27
2016	@ Kentucky	Trailed 21-16	27-24
2016	#8 Auburn	Tied 7-7	13-7
2016	^TCU	Trailed Trailed 23-21	31-23
2017	@ #24 Notre Dame	Trailed 17-16, trailed 19-17 with 10:21 left	20-19
2017	$ #2 Oklahoma	Tied 31-31, trailed 45-38 with 0:55 left	54-48 2ot
2020	~ #8 Cincinnati	Trailed 21-10, trailed 21-19 with :03 left	24-21
2022	! #1 Alabama	Trailed 18-13 with 10:14 left	33-18
2022	@ Missouri	Trailed 19-12, trailed 22-12 with 14:09 left	26-22
2022	~ #4 Ohio State (CFP Semi)	Trailed 38-24, trailed 41-35 with 2:43 left	42-41
2023	@ Auburn	Tied 17-17, tied 20-20 with 6:21 left	27-20

%Chick-fil-A Kickoff Classic; ^Liberty Bowl; $Rose Bowl Game; ~Chick-fil-A Peach Bowl; !CFP National Championship

Rushing Yards: 222, Nick Chubb vs. #22 UNC (9/3/16);
Rushing TDs: 3, Sony Michel UK (11/18/17); vs. #2 Oklahoma (1/1/18); Daijun Edwards AU (10/8/22);
Longest Rush: 83-TD, D’Andre Swift @ #9 UK (11/3/18);
Passing Yards: 401, JT Daniels MSU (11/21/20);
Passing TDs: 5, Stetson Bennett UAB (9/11/21);
Receiving Yards: 197 (8 rec.), Jermaine Burton MSU (11/21/20)
Receiving TDs: 2, by 9 different Bulldogs multiple times;
Longest Pass/TD Pass: 89-TD, S. Bennett to Brock Bowers UAB (9/11/21);
Tackles: 15, Nakobe Dean vs. #8 UF (11/7/20);
Sacks: 3, Trenton Thompson vs. TCU (12/30/16); Azeez Ojulari vs. #8 UC (1/1/21); Channing Tindall @ UT (11/13/21);
TFL: 3, Azeez Ojulari #7 AU (10/3/20); Thompson vs. Nicholls (9/10/16); Azeez Ojulari vs. #8 UC (1/1/21); Channing Tindall @ UT (11/13/21)

• The Bulldogs are 27-1 (loss came versus #8 UF in 2020) when they register a non-offensive score under Smart.
• In 2023, freshman DB Kyron Jones returned an INT versus UT Martin 26 yards for a score; redshirt sophomore Mekhi Mews took a punt return 69 yards for a touchdown against Ball State; and Joenel Aguero blocked a punt for a safety versus Florida.
• In 2022, the Bulldogs had a safety on a blocked punt versus Kent State and Chris Smith ran a blocked field goal back 96 yards for a touchdown versus No. 14 LSU.
• In 2021, Georgia had six of these scores: Smith’s 74-yd INT return (#3 CU); Jamon Dumas-Johnson’s 20-yd INT return (UAB); Safety (SC); Zamir White 0-yd return of blocked punt (#8 ARK); Nakobe Dean’s 5

{108 Points on 16 TDs, 6 Safeties}

2016: 14 points in 3 different games (Pick-Six, Fumble Ret., Safety);
2017: 6 points in one game (Fumble Ret.);
2018: 12 points in 2 different games (Pick-Six, Fumble Ret.);
2019: 18 points in 3 different games (2 Fumble Ret., 1 Fumble Rec.);
2020: 22 points in 4 different games (2 Pick-Sixes 1 Fumble Ret., 2 Safeties);
2021: 28 points in 6 different games (4 Pick-Sixes, 2 Safeties);
2022: none
2023: 8 points in two games (Pick-Six, Safety)

2016: 12 points in 2 games (KOR, PR);
2017: none;
2018: 12 points in 2 games (PR, Blocked Punt Ret.);
2019: none;
2020: none;
2021: 8 points in 2 games (Blocked Punt Ret.; Safety/Blocked Punt);
2022: 8 points in 2 games (Safety/Blocked Punt; Blocked FG Ret.).
2023: 8 points in 2 games (PR, Safety)

“Kirby Smart All Access Presented by Piedmont Healthcare” – This half-hour program will air Monday at 7 p.m. during football season and offer viewers a behind-the-scenes look through the preparation ahead of each game, from exclusive interviews with coaches and players, to features showcasing what it takes to build and maintain a championship program.

“Bulldogs Final” – This short wrap-up program will air on Saturday nights of UGA football games, with a repeat Sunday mornings, and will include highlights, analysis, and exclusive content from that week’s game.

“Bulldogs Now Presented by Hoffman Financial” – This weekly, half-hour program on Saturdays at 8 a.m. will deliver exclusive access and the latest updates on the Georgia Bulldogs all year round. Outside of football season, the show will feature the latest news, in-depth features and updates on all 21 UGA sports programs.