Category: UGA Football

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.

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.”

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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ATHENS, Ga. — The Georgia football team has added another batch of 2021 All-America honors as the College Football Playoff season approaches.
 
Senior defensive lineman Jordan Davis and junior linebacker Nakobe Dean already had been named to the Football Writers Association of America (FWAA) All-America First Team and senior offensive lineman Jamaree Salyer was named to the group’s Second Team.  In addition, Davis and Dean were named to the Walter Camp All-America First Team and Salyer was a Second Team selection.
 
Now, Georgia has piled up another series of All-America accolades, including junior safety Lewis Cine and freshman tight end Brock Bowers earning First-Team honors:
 
American Football Coaches Association (AFCA): Jordan Davis, Nakobe Dean (First Team); Jamaree Salyer, Quay Walker, Jalen Carter (Second Team)
 
Sporting News: Jordan Davis, Nakobe Dean, Lewis Cine (First Team)
 
USA Today: Jordan Davis, Nakobe Dean, Brock Bowers (First Team)
 
AP: Jordan Davis, Nakobe Dean (First Team); Brock Bowers, Devonte Wyatt (Second Team); Lewis Cine (Third Team)
 
ESPN: Brock Bowers, Jordan Davis, Nakobe Dean (First Team)
 
The Athletic: Jordan Davis, Nakobe Dean, Brock Bowers (First Team)
 
Bleacher Report: Jordan Davis, Nakobe Dean, Lewis Cine (First Team)
 
CBS: Jordan Davis, Nakobe Dean (First Team); Brock Bowers, Devonte Wyatt (Second Team); Lewis Cine (Third Team)
 
Phil Steele: Jordan Davis, Nakobe Dean (First Team); Jamaree Salyer, Brock Bowers (Second Team)
 
Senior Bowl: Jordan Davis (First Team)
 
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.

The Georgia Bulldog Club (TGBC) cumulative priority point requirements for the 2021 Capital One Orange Bowl have been determined.

The Capital One Orange Bowl awards 13,000 tickets to each participating institution. UGA’s ticket allotment is distributed amongst several groups, including TGBC donors, UGA faculty/staff, UGA students, and other institutional needs. TGBC donors were provided access to approximately 9,000 tickets.

Georgia Bulldog Club Donor Tickets – Orange Bowl seat allocations were determined based on cumulative TGBC priority point totals, whereas the number of tickets that donors were eligible to request was based on 2021 Hartman Fund annual giving level and/or one’s Magill Society commitment level. Donors who requested tickets were prioritized and tickets were allocated until our inventory was exhausted. Based on limited ticket supply and high donor demand, Orange Bowl tickets were allocated to donors who requested tickets and had 60,100 cumulative TGBC priority points or higher.

UGA received 160 club seats for donor distribution, which were located in the end zone (sections 207 & 208).  With that in mind, the allocation path started near mid-field, worked around the lower level, and club seats were assigned accordingly once lower-level sideline inventory was exhausted.

Ticket Limits

• 6 tickets: 2021 Bulldog Club members who contributed $10,000 or more to the Hartman Fund AND/OR Magill Society members with a commitment of $100,000 or above with a cumulative TGBC priority point total of 60,100 and higher were able to secure up to 6 tickets.
• 4 tickets: 2021 Bulldog Club members who contributed $5,000 or more to the Hartman Fund AND/OR Magill Society members with a commitment of $50,000-$99,999 with a cumulative TGBC priority point total of 60,100 and higher were able to secure up to 4 tickets.
• 2 tickets:  2021 Bulldog Club members who contributed $100 or more to the Hartman Fund AND/OR Magill Society members with a commitment of $25,000-$49,999 with a cumulative TGBC priority point total of 60,100 and higher were able to secure up to 2 tickets.

All Orange Bowl game tickets will be sent via “Mobile Delivery” no later than Tuesday, December 21^st.

UGA Faculty/Staff Tickets

• UGA Faculty/Staff cutoffs were identified on priority level.

• All Faculty/Staff, who submitted a ticket request, with a priority level between 1A and 34D will receive tickets.
• All Orange Bowl game tickets will be sent via “Mobile Delivery” by Tuesday, December 21^st.

BRISTOL, Conn. — Georgia senior defensive lineman Jordan Davis on Thursday was chosen as the 2021 winner of the Outland Trophy and the Chuck Bednarik Award. Additionally, Davis and junior linebacker Nakobe Dean earned First-Team Walter Camp All-America honors and senior offensive lineman Jamaree Salyer was named to the Second Team.

The Outland Trophy is presented annually to the nation’s most outstanding interior lineman, while the Bednarik Award goes to the top defensive player as judged by the Maxwell Football Club. Davis, Nebraska’s Ndamukong Suh (2009) and Pitt’s Aaron Donald (2013) are the only players to win the Outland Trophy and the Bednarik Award in the same season.

Davis joined Bill Stanfill (1968) as Georgia’s winners of the Outland Trophy. Davis and David Pollack (2004) are the Bulldogs who have claimed the Bednarik Award.

The Walter Camp Football Foundation presented its 132nd All-America teams on Thursday.

The award announcements came Thursday during the 31st annual Home Depot College Football Awards Show on ESPN.

Davis and Dean have helped Georgia (12-1, 8-0 SEC) lead the nation in scoring defense (9.5 points per game) and rank second in total defense (254.3 yards per game) and third nationally in rushing defense (81.7 yards per game). 

Davis, a native of Charlotte, N.C., anchors the interior line with 28 tackles, 3.5 tackles for loss and two sacks. Dean, from Horn Lake, Miss., is tied for the team lead with 61 stops, including a team-leading 8.5 tackles for loss and five sacks, and he has two interceptions and a forced fumble. Dean earlier this week secured the 2021 Butkus Award as the nation’s best linebacker and was picked as captain of the Allstate AFCA Good Works Team. Salyer, who hails from Atlanta, helped pave the way for 40.7 points and 441.9 yards per game this season. He has seen action at both left tackle, including nine starts, and right guard. 

The No. 3 Bulldogs will face second-ranked Michigan in a College Football Playoff 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.

ATHENS, Ga. — Four Bulldogs were named to the Freshman All-SEC Team, according to a recent announcement following the votes of the league coaches.

Georgia TE Brock Bowers, OL Broderick Jones, WR Ladd McConkey and DB Kelee Ringo were tabbed to the Freshman All-SEC team.

In addition, the Bulldogs had a combined total of 10 players named to the All-SEC First Team and Second Team, including five First Team selections.  Bowers, senior DL Jordan Davis, senior DL Devonte Wyatt, junior ILB Nakobe Dean and senior P Jake Camarda were all named to the First Team.

Senior OT Jamaree Salyer, senior OG Justin Shaffer, sophomore DL Jalen Carter, senior DB Derion Kendrick and junior S Lewis Cine were included on the Second Team.

No. 3 Georgia will face No. 2 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.