UGA Football: Kirby Smart Monday Press Conference Tennessee Tech Week

.@GeorgiaFootball QB Carson Beck is a powerful example of patience and perseverance.
Beck displayed again Saturday that he is among the best quarterbacks in the country.
But as he detailed to me last week, it wasn’t long ago that he considered quitting the game altogether. pic.twitter.com/zjYcNvk7Xz
— Marty Smith (@MartySmithESPN) September 1, 2024
🏈 SEC Offensive Player of the Week: WK 1
🐶 Carson Beck@GeorgiaFootball x #SECFB pic.twitter.com/Iic0byPk2i
— Southeastern Conference (@SEC) September 2, 2024
𝗦𝗘𝗖 𝗢𝗳𝗳𝗲𝗻𝘀𝗶𝘃𝗲 𝗣𝗹𝗮𝘆𝗲𝗿 𝗼𝗳 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗪𝗲𝗲𝗸
Carson Beck @carsonbeck01 #GoDawgs pic.twitter.com/avXwe1g5x1
— Georgia Football (@GeorgiaFootball) September 2, 2024
ATLANTA, Ga. — Led by a stifling performance from its defense, the top-ranked Georgia football team opened its 2024 season Saturday with a dominant 34-3 win over No. 14 Clemson in the Aflac Kickoff Game at a sold-out Mercedes-Benz Stadium.
The Bulldogs (1-0) were leading 20-3 in the fourth quarter when quarterback Carson Beck hit sophomore wide receiver London Humphreys for a 40-yard touchdown to lift much of the crowd of 78,827 to its feet and blow the game open with 9:57 remaining. Beck finished 23 of 33 passing for 278 yards and two touchdowns, the Georgia offense racked up 447 yards, and the Bulldog defense, which got an interception from safety Malaki Starks in the fourth quarter, held the Tigers (0-1) to just 188 yards.
Season Openers and Series History:
For the 13th time in school history, Georgia opens a season with a top 25 matchup. Top-ranked Georgia faces No. 14 Clemson on Aug. 31 in the Aflac Kickoff Game at Mercedes-Benz Stadium in Atlanta. Georgia great and College Football Hall of Fame kicker Kevin Butler will serve as an honorary captain for the game.
The Bulldogs are 9-3 in ranked matchups to start a campaign including winning their past four (2014, ’16, ’21 & ’22). This span includes a 10-3 win over No. 3 Clemson in Charlotte in 2021 when Georgia was No. 5. The last defeat came in 2013 when No. 8 Clemson upset No. 5 Georgia 38-35 in Clemson. The Bulldogs are 3-1 against the Tigers in these matchups.
Georgia is 100-27-3 in season openers including 8-0 in the Kirby Smart era. The Bulldogs have won 10 straight openers, the last defeat coming in the aformentioned road game with Clemson in 2013.
The Bulldogs open the season ranked No. 1 in the AP and US LBM Coaches poll for the third time in school history (2008, 2023). Georgia has the longest active streak of being ranked in the AP top 10 (50 straight polls). 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 begin and finish a season at No. 1 in the AP poll was Alabama in 2017.
𝑪𝒂𝒑𝒕𝒂𝒊𝒏𝒔 vs. Clemson 🫡@MykelWilliams_ @carsonbeck01 @tateratledge22 @JalonWlaker #GoDawgs pic.twitter.com/Q1pkY6EQGs
— Georgia Football (@GeorgiaFootball) August 31, 2024