UGA Football: Game Notes – Georgia Faces Michigan in CFP Semifinal

Game & Broadcast Info
  • CFP Semifinal Game Capital One Orange Bowl
  • Kickoff: Friday, December 31 – 7:30 p.m. ET
  • Location: Hard Rock Stadium (64,767) | Miami Gardens, Fla.
  • 2021 Records: Georgia 12-1 (8-0 SEC), Michigan 12-1 (7-1 B10)
  • History: Georgia vs. Michigan All-Time Series Results: Tied 1-1
  • Rankings: Georgia #3, Michigan #2
  • TV: ESPN – Chris Fowler (PxP), Kirk Herbstreit (analyst), Holly Rowe (sideline)
  • 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/Internet: Georgia 84/84/84, National 80/80/80
  • Web Stats: ESPN
  • Twitter: #CapitalOneOrangeBowl
  • ReBroadcast: SEC Network: TBA

 

Georgia 2021 Averages Michigan
39.2 Scoring Offense 37.7
9.5 Scoring Defense 16.1
0 Turnover Margin +5
442.8 Total Offense 451.9
194.9 Rushing Offense 223.8
247.9 Passing Offense 228.1
9.06 Punt Returns 10.52
19.07 Kickoff Returns 21.92

Georgia Returns To The SEC Championship Game

Bulldogs Extend The Nation’s Longest Active Bowl Streak to 25 Games Third-ranked Georgia will face second-ranked Michigan in the College Football Playoff Semifinal at the 2021 Capital One Orange Bowl in Miami Gardens, Fla., on Dec. 31 at 7:30 p.m. on ESPN. The Bulldogs (12-1) will represent the SEC in their second CFP appearance while the Wolverines (12-1) hail from the Big Ten and will be making their first appearance in a CFP contest. The winner of this contest will then advance to the CFP National Championship in Indianapolis on Jan. 10. The Bulldogs rank second nationally with 57 bowl appearances. They have made a school record 24 consecutive appearances, the nation’s longest active bowl streak. Georgia owns an alltime 33-21-3 record in bowl games. Last season, No. 9 Georgia won the Chick-fil-A Peach Bowl in Atlanta, beating an undefeated No. 8 Cincinnati squad 24-21. Orange Bowl History For The Bulldogs This will mark Georgia’s fourth trip to the Orange Bowl and first since 1960. The Bulldogs own a 2-1 record, topping TCU 40-26 in UGA’s first bowl game on Jan. 1, 1942, falling to Texas 41-28 on Jan. 1, 1949, and blanking No. 18 Missouri 14-0 on Jan. 1, 1960. Georgia-Michigan Series History Georgia and Michigan have squared off only twice and both of the matchups have come in Ann Arbor. The Bulldogs lost the first contest and won the second showdown. In the third game of the 1957 season, the Bulldogs traveled to Michigan and fell to the 10th-ranked Wolverines 26-0. Eight years later, College Football Hall of Famer and then second-year head coach Vince Dooley took his 10th-ranked team to Michigan’s campus and upset the seventh-ranked Wolverines 15-7 in what was also the third game on Georgia’s slate that season. Salute To The Seniors The 2021 Bulldog seniors will be playing their 14th game of this season in the CFP Semifinal. They enter the matchup with a 43-8 record. The most wins by a Georgia class is 44, and that’s been done three times including by the past two teams: 44-9 (2005), 44-12 (2019) and 44-9 (2020). This group of Bulldogs has won three SEC Eastern Division crowns, including the 2021 division title, and won the 2020 Allstate Sugar Bowl and 2021 Chick-fil-A Peach Bowl. Georgia’s most decorated senior class came in 1983 as it went 43-4-1, winning the 1980 National Championship and three SEC titles (1980-82). Last year’s senior class concluded its career with a 44-9 record, including a CFP Semifinal victory over No. 2 Oklahoma in the Rose Bowl Game and a trip to the National Championship. Aiming for Thirteen This season marked the first time since 1980 that the Bulldogs went 12-0 during the regular season. Georgia became only the fourth team in school history to finish a regular season undefeated and untied with double-digit victories (1946, 1980, 1982). Prior to this season, Vince Dooley’s 1980 consensus national champion was the last Georgia squad to go 12-0 after defeating Notre Dame in the Sugar Bowl. The school record for wins in a season is 13, and that’s been done twice (2002 under Mark Richt and 2017 under Kirby Smart). * Mark Richt’s 2002 squad went 13-1, winning the SEC title over Arkansas and the Sugar Bowl over Florida State. It finished ranked No. 3. * Smart’s 2017 team finshed at 13-2, defeated Auburn for the league title and Oklahoma in the Rose Bowl Game/CFP Semifinal, before losing in overtime to Alabama in the CFP National Championship. It had a final ranking of No. 2. Bulldogs Reap Rewards from Historic Season With some post-season awards yet to be announced, Georgia has already claimed a substantial share of the bounty. On Dec. 9, senior tackle Jordan Davis won the Outland Trophy — which goes annually to the nation’s top interior lineman, offense or defense — and the Bednarik Award, which goes to the top defensive player. Earlier, junior OLB Nakobe Dean won the Butkus Award, which goes each year to the nation’s top linebacker. Both Davis and Dean were also named to the Walter Camp All-America First Team, and OL Jamaree Salyer earned second-team All-America honors. A total of 10 Bulldogs won All-SEC honors, as voted by the league’s 14 head coaches. Head Coach Kirby Smart was named 2021 SEC Coach of the Year, while tight end Brock Bowers was named SEC Freshman of the Year. Did You Know? Georgia, Alabama and Mississippi State are among four teams in the nation with three wins vs. teams ranked in the final CFP Top 25. The Bulldogs are 4-1 versus ranked teams, including a pair of top-10 wins. 
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UGA Football: Game Notes – Georgia Faces Michigan in CFP Semifinal

Game & Broadcast Info
  • CFP Semifinal Game Capital One Orange Bowl
  • Kickoff: Friday, December 31 – 7:30 p.m. ET
  • Location: Hard Rock Stadium (64,767) | Miami Gardens, Fla.
  • 2021 Records: Georgia 12-1 (8-0 SEC), Michigan 12-1 (7-1 B10)
  • History: Georgia vs. Michigan All-Time Series Results: Tied 1-1
  • Rankings: Georgia #3, Michigan #2
  • TV: ESPN – Chris Fowler (PxP), Kirk Herbstreit (analyst), Holly Rowe (sideline)
  • 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/Internet: Georgia 84/84/84, National 80/80/80
  • Web Stats: ESPN
  • Twitter: #CapitalOneOrangeBowl
  • ReBroadcast: SEC Network: TBA

 

Georgia 2021 Averages Michigan
39.2 Scoring Offense 37.7
9.5 Scoring Defense 16.1
0 Turnover Margin +5
442.8 Total Offense 451.9
194.9 Rushing Offense 223.8
247.9 Passing Offense 228.1
9.06 Punt Returns 10.52
19.07 Kickoff Returns 21.92

Georgia Returns To The SEC Championship Game

Bulldogs Extend The Nation’s Longest Active Bowl Streak to 25 Games Third-ranked Georgia will face second-ranked Michigan in the College Football Playoff Semifinal at the 2021 Capital One Orange Bowl in Miami Gardens, Fla., on Dec. 31 at 7:30 p.m. on ESPN. The Bulldogs (12-1) will represent the SEC in their second CFP appearance while the Wolverines (12-1) hail from the Big Ten and will be making their first appearance in a CFP contest. The winner of this contest will then advance to the CFP National Championship in Indianapolis on Jan. 10. The Bulldogs rank second nationally with 57 bowl appearances. They have made a school record 24 consecutive appearances, the nation’s longest active bowl streak. Georgia owns an alltime 33-21-3 record in bowl games. Last season, No. 9 Georgia won the Chick-fil-A Peach Bowl in Atlanta, beating an undefeated No. 8 Cincinnati squad 24-21. Orange Bowl History For The Bulldogs This will mark Georgia’s fourth trip to the Orange Bowl and first since 1960. The Bulldogs own a 2-1 record, topping TCU 40-26 in UGA’s first bowl game on Jan. 1, 1942, falling to Texas 41-28 on Jan. 1, 1949, and blanking No. 18 Missouri 14-0 on Jan. 1, 1960. Georgia-Michigan Series History Georgia and Michigan have squared off only twice and both of the matchups have come in Ann Arbor. The Bulldogs lost the first contest and won the second showdown. In the third game of the 1957 season, the Bulldogs traveled to Michigan and fell to the 10th-ranked Wolverines 26-0. Eight years later, College Football Hall of Famer and then second-year head coach Vince Dooley took his 10th-ranked team to Michigan’s campus and upset the seventh-ranked Wolverines 15-7 in what was also the third game on Georgia’s slate that season. Salute To The Seniors The 2021 Bulldog seniors will be playing their 14th game of this season in the CFP Semifinal. They enter the matchup with a 43-8 record. The most wins by a Georgia class is 44, and that’s been done three times including by the past two teams: 44-9 (2005), 44-12 (2019) and 44-9 (2020). This group of Bulldogs has won three SEC Eastern Division crowns, including the 2021 division title, and won the 2020 Allstate Sugar Bowl and 2021 Chick-fil-A Peach Bowl. Georgia’s most decorated senior class came in 1983 as it went 43-4-1, winning the 1980 National Championship and three SEC titles (1980-82). Last year’s senior class concluded its career with a 44-9 record, including a CFP Semifinal victory over No. 2 Oklahoma in the Rose Bowl Game and a trip to the National Championship. Aiming for Thirteen This season marked the first time since 1980 that the Bulldogs went 12-0 during the regular season. Georgia became only the fourth team in school history to finish a regular season undefeated and untied with double-digit victories (1946, 1980, 1982). Prior to this season, Vince Dooley’s 1980 consensus national champion was the last Georgia squad to go 12-0 after defeating Notre Dame in the Sugar Bowl. The school record for wins in a season is 13, and that’s been done twice (2002 under Mark Richt and 2017 under Kirby Smart). * Mark Richt’s 2002 squad went 13-1, winning the SEC title over Arkansas and the Sugar Bowl over Florida State. It finished ranked No. 3. * Smart’s 2017 team finshed at 13-2, defeated Auburn for the league title and Oklahoma in the Rose Bowl Game/CFP Semifinal, before losing in overtime to Alabama in the CFP National Championship. It had a final ranking of No. 2. Bulldogs Reap Rewards from Historic Season With some post-season awards yet to be announced, Georgia has already claimed a substantial share of the bounty. On Dec. 9, senior tackle Jordan Davis won the Outland Trophy — which goes annually to the nation’s top interior lineman, offense or defense — and the Bednarik Award, which goes to the top defensive player. Earlier, junior OLB Nakobe Dean won the Butkus Award, which goes each year to the nation’s top linebacker. Both Davis and Dean were also named to the Walter Camp All-America First Team, and OL Jamaree Salyer earned second-team All-America honors. A total of 10 Bulldogs won All-SEC honors, as voted by the league’s 14 head coaches. Head Coach Kirby Smart was named 2021 SEC Coach of the Year, while tight end Brock Bowers was named SEC Freshman of the Year. Did You Know? Georgia, Alabama and Mississippi State are among four teams in the nation with three wins vs. teams ranked in the final CFP Top 25. The Bulldogs are 4-1 versus ranked teams, including a pair of top-10 wins. 
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UGA Football: Bowers Named Finalist For Shaun Alexander Freshman Of The Year Award

ATHENS, Ga. — Bulldog true freshman tight end Brock Bowers has been named one of five finalists for the fourth annual Shaun Alexander Freshman of the Year Award, according to an announcement from the Maxwell Football Club.

Bowers, a native of Napa, Calif., is the only 2021 finalist from the Southeastern Conference.

The winner of the Shaun Alexander Freshman of the Year  award will be unveiled Jan. 10, 2022. The formal presentations of these awards will be made at the Maxwell Football Club Awards Gala hosted by Harrah’s Hotel & Casino Atlantic City on March 18, 2022.

Bowers was a USA Today, ESPN and The Athletic First Team All-American and was the SEC Freshman of the Year in his first year with the Bulldogs.  He has a team-best 47 catches for 791 yards and 12 touchdowns (11 receiving, one rushing). The Mackey Award semifinalist has tied the UGA record for receiving touchdowns in a season (Terrence Edwards, 2002).

The No. 3 Bulldogs will face second-ranked Michigan in a CFP Semifinal in the Capital One Orange Bowl on Dec. 31.  Kickoff at Hard Rock Stadium in Miami Gardens, Fla., will be at 7:30 p.m. on ESPN.

UGA Football: Bulldogs Continue College Football Playoff Prep

ATHENS, Ga. – Bulldog student-athletes Travon Walker and Nolan Smith previewed the College Football Playoff/Orange Bowl matchup against Michigan on New Year’s Eve. The Bulldogs and Wolverines kick-off at 7:30 p.m. ET in Miami Gardens, Florida.

#44 | Travon Walker | Jr. | DL
On if he has noticed any changes in practices since the announcement of the new defensive coordinators…
“I mean it is all the same because the guys and the coaches we are all still bought in. We are still on the same mission that we were on at the beginning of the year which is to win a National Championship. Now we have Michigan in our way so there is no change, everything is still the same really, just got to keep moving forward.”

On if playing few four-quarter games affected their performance…
“I can say that some of the time that some of the guys probably did get a little winded and that did play a small part in the loss. But overall I think it is just things that we have to fix on our own.”

On making a statement against Michigan…
“We just have to go out there and play our ball, our type ball. That is just being the most physical team on the field and not wanting anybody to run all over us or do whatever they do. We just want to go out there and play our ball.”

#4 | Nolan Smith | Jr. |OLB
On the sentiment of the team going into the Orange Bowl…
“New life. I will say that, new life. Coach Smart has even said it, ‘it is a one game season.’ What we did before, congratulations and what we did before it is not that bad we can always learn from our mistakes. But it is new life, it is one game and you have to win to advance. I think a lot of guys are ready to work and we are happy that we have this opportunity. A lot of people watch Georgia football for a long time and a lot of people didn’t get this opportunity that we have had and now that we have it we have to seize it. I tell the guys every day, ‘let’s just come work. Just keep putting one foot in front of the other one.'”

On building back up after the SEC Championship…
“I mean it was the next day for me. To be honest I couldn’t sleep at night so stayed up watching film and watched the game as many times as I could. Just trying to see what we could do better, things that we did wrong, places that we could have been better. I mean third down, everyone knows that third down is ‘Money Down’ in the SEC kind of like the NFL and we did not do really well on third down. We did not rush the passer well and that is on me. It is just a lot of things that we could have done better.”

On watching Georgia in the Rose Bowl being able to play in the College Football Playoff…
“I mean yeah, when Lorenzo (Carter) blocked that field goal and we went into overtime and Tae (Crowder) did that thing at half-time, I watched the whole game. I watched the whole game and a lot of people counted us out but we came back. But, I am really excited and I am happy to be on this stage and part the Georgia team that made it to the College Football Playoffs. I will be able to tell this to my kids forever let alone.  but hopefully we can win it.”

UGA Football: Dawgs in the NFL

How the Bulldogs in the NFL fared in Week 15:

    Packers 31, Ravens 30
    Eric Stokes, DB: Stokes had seven tackles and broke up a pass to help the Packers clinch the NFC North title and become the first NFL team to claim a playoff berth. He stands first among rookies and eighth overall in the NFL with 13 passes defended.
    Ben Cleveland, OL: Cleveland earned his first career start at guard and helped the Ravens gain 354 total yards as he logged all 70 plays.
    Justin Houston, LB: Houston posted four tackles, including half a sack, for the Ravens. On Monday, he was added to Baltimore’s COVID-19 reserve list.
    Nick Moore, LS: Moore snapped on three extra points, one field goal, and one punt for Baltimore.

    Rams 20, Seahawks 10
    Leonard Floyd, OLB: Floyd had two tackles, including a sack, and defended a pass for the Rams.
    Sony Michel, RB: Michel rushed for 92 yards on 18 carries and caught two passes for 23 yards for Los Angeles.
    Matthew Stafford, QB: Stafford went 21-for-29 for 244 yards and two touchdowns for the Rams. He became the fastest man in NFL history to pass for 50,000 yards in combined regular-season and playoff games as he reached 50,159 yards in 182 contests. Stafford ranks second and third in the NFL with 35 touchdowns and 4,142 passing yards, respectively, this season.

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UGA Football: Coach Smart and Players Gear Up for College Football Playoff in Miami

ATHENS, Ga. — University of Georgia head football coach Kirby Smart, along with a tandem of offensive players previewed the College Football Playoff/Orange Bowl matchup against Michigan. The Bulldogs and Wolverines kick off at 7:30 p.m. ET on New Year’s Eve in Miami Gardens, Florida.

On Monday, Coach Smart, and senior John FitzPatrick and Redshirt Sophomore Warren McClendon offered the following comments.

Head Coach Kirby Smart
On the quarterbacks…
Yeah we don’t disclose that information, we just talk about the guys that are doing their job. All four of those guys have done a tremendous job working. Brock (Vandergriff) has been giving us a great picture down on the scout team end. JT (Daniels) and Stetson (Bennett) are both doing a really good job simulating the offense that Coach Monken wants to do. Like I talk about all the team, we are going to play the guy that gives us the best chance to win. I am really proud of the way both of those guys have practiced. We have done four or five camp-type practices and two that were really focused on Michigan. Both guys Stetson and JT have been really good in terms of being locked-in and really focused on what we need to focus on.”

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