Thanks to help from opposing adversaries, Georgia got what at least appeared by the final score to be a 41-13 win against Oklahoma on Saturday.

here are 10 thoughts from an afternoon of handling business.

If there is a legacy game for Roquan Smith at Georgia, it’s the 2018 Rose Bowl. Ironically, Chris Cole’s version may have also been on Saturday against the Sooners.

Speaking of Cole….his scoop and score does not happen if not for the immaculate condition of the Sanford Stadium Turf.

Georgia was better than Oklahoma, but how much? Total yards were mostly even, but Georgia did what good teams do – take full advantage of a short field. The offense may have misfired in the second half, but the second quarter nulled that out.

Between the White Out and Stripe Out, can we please get back to simplifying things? Red or Black? Just wear what you desire.

There was no begging for it this week, but the crowd rattled Oklahoma on offense. See the multiple delay of game penalties and two burned timeouts barely into the second quarter.

There was concern at this time a week ago about how a possible absence of Nate Frazier would impact the offense. The answer? Not much. With what Chauncey Bowen was able to do and Dwight Phillips stepping up, Saturday showed how deep this position is for Georgia.

maybe in retrospect, it was a bad idea to reference Shane Falco in the Sugar Bowl to John Mateer.

The biggest break so far for Georgia? It’ll avoid Mississippi State and Kamario Taylor.

Hopefully, Georgia Tech being bad makes that game in November at 7 pm SEC Network kickoff.

Florida could be the toughest opponent on the schedul…so naturally this could be in a year with the game not in Jacksonville.

Go Dawgs!

.

You know the scene. You’ve seen it a thousand times. A college football coach stands alone on the sidelines, his players and assistants looking to him for answers that he doesn’t have. They’ve lost this football game, and lost it badly.

“Charley Pell’s off-the-books slush fund!” you think, “what must that guy be thinking in this moment?!?!”

As usual we have some ideas. Friends, this is Oklahoma head coach Brent Venables in the waning moments of Saturday’s 41-13 loss to your Georgia Bulldogs:

What was Brent Venables thinking?

A) “‘Defense wins championships’ my butt.”

B) “Thank goodness Lincoln Riley’s stinking it up at USC, that should buy me a little time.”

C) “Let me just set this Google news alert for ‘Dabo Swinney fired.‘ Just in case.“

D) “????There’s Mateer, I need beer, ‘cause to the playoffs we ain’t near…..????

As always, your speculation on what was going on in Coach Venables’ head are welcome in the comments.

Go ‘Dawgs!!!

Good morning, Dawg Nation. We’re a third of the way through college football’s regular season (boo!) and your Georgia Bulldogs remain undefeated (yeah!). The journey continues this Saturday with the Bulldogs taking on the Vanderbilt Commodores.

The Red and Black open as a 24.5 point favorite over the “Dores, roughly the same margin by which they were favored over Arkansas. A weird thing that has occurred this season? The Bulldogs have covered the Vegas thread in each of the first four weeks of the season. I’m not sure the last time that happened, I just know that I haven’t seen it I. Awhile. It’s symptomatic of a Bulldog team that just hasn’t had a misstep all season. That’s a really rare thing in college football.

Vanderbilt will of course be quarterbacked by freshman Jared Curtis, last seen flipping his commitment from Georgia to Vanderbilt the day before Signing Day. Coaches who have faced Curtis have confirmed that he is a special talent.

I suspect an inordinate amount of attention is going to be focused on Curtis’s decision this week, and that if asked about Kirby Smart will call it an non-issue. And perhaps he’s right. But it will be the subplot of this game much to Kirby’s consternation.

Personally, I’m not too broken up about Curtis’s decision. Everyone has a right to make their own life decisions based on their own priorities. Some want to be developed, compete against the best every day, and be in the running for national championships. Others want to be told they could start as a true freshman and get a cameo in a Nate Bargatze movie. Life’s all about priorities, you know?

Dean Legge at SI has a good summation of the good, bad, and ugly from Georgia’s win over Oklahoma. Personally I’d like to focus on the third quarter slumber that the Dawgs fell into, playing probably their worst football of the season. As Kirby said postgame, great teams just don’t have those performance gaps. Because if you let up against another great team you can see the entire momentum of the football game change just like that. Ask Ole Miss during the LSU game or Ohio State after their loss to Texas. College football is truly a four quarter game. Kirby Smart’s challenge with his team remains getting them to play all four quarters against opponents they can beat to a pulp in two. Until later…

Go Dawgs!!!

AP Poll

1. Texas
2. Georgia
3. Notre Dame
4. Miami
5. Ohio State
6. Indiana
7. Alabama
8. Florida
9. Ole Miss
10. BYU
11. LSU
12. Texas Tech
13. Utah
14. Iowa
15. Oregon
16. Mississippi State
17. Tennessee
18. USC
19. Oklahoma State
20. Houston
21. SMU
22. Boise State
23. UCLA
24. Kentucky
25. Missouri

Georgia Update

Georgia welcomed Oklahoma to Athens and immediately took a 28-0 lead before beating the Sooners by a final score of 41-13.

The Bulldogs maintained their #2 ranking in the AP Poll ahead of their clash with Vanderbilt at Sanford Stadium

Newcomers

#19 Oklahoma State, #22 Boise State, #23 UCLA, #24 Kentucky

Dropped Out

#13 Penn State, #16 Louisville, #18 Michigan, #23 Texas A&M

Ranked Matchups

#7 Alabama at #16 Mississippi State

#5 Ohio State at #14 Iowa

#8 Florida at #25 Missouri

Upset Alert

Everything is telling me that Alabama will soundly beat Mississippi State… everything but one. Mississippi State QB Kamario Taylor is maybe the most entertaining and electrifying player in college football. If anyone is going to repeat Johnny Manziel’s performance against the Tide, it will be him. Give me the Bulldogs at home against the Tide as 6.5 point underdogs.

Mateer has led Georgia to a 28-0 halftime lead over the Sooners. Oops. My bad…..forgot where I was for a moment.

Yesterday was a perfect day for football. You may remember that DS (Dear Son) applied to UGA back in the day, and was accepted. Because UGA’s Engineering program was new back then, he opted to go to Death Valley by the lake. When he was there, we attended a couple of days during Parent’s Weekend, but this is the first time since he was in school that we’ve been able to attend any game together. He was supposed to come for the season opener in 2024 (UGA vs. Clemson in Atlanta), but ended up being unable to come. When this year’s schedule was announced, he insisted that he wanted to come for the Oklahoma game, since he’s now living on Tulsa Time.

He arrived Friday while I was still at work, having flown TUL-ATL wearing his Etienne jersey (Clemson, not UGA), since they drew the Pac12 After Dark game Friday night. We all took naps (since none of us are spring chickens anymore), and watched the Clemson game (full disclosure: Mr. Squillian & DS watched the whole game, I had to opt out when the score was tied 10-10). 

We planned to leave by 9:30, but ended up leaving just after 10AM. A quick stop by the local CFA, and a stop for gas, and we were on our way to the Classic City. We arrived at the deck before the busses started running, so we walked to the Dawg Walk. I hadn’t realized DS had never been to the Dawg Walk, so this was a new experience for him (*he had friends who went to UGA so if Clemson was away, he spent the weekend in Athens*). We entered there so I could show him where the UGAs are buried and get pom poms. I was very excited that they had put out black pom poms on the home side (part of the stripe Sanford initiative – there were black poms on the home side, red poms on the visitor side, but the end zones only had white poms in certain seats – they weren’t in our seats (but I had white poms from last week’s whiteout)). So now I have many, many red poms, but now I have black poms AND white poms!

I told DS he could have as much beer as he wanted, and he took full advantage. We got our souvenir cups, our CFA sandwiches from the same place I get them every game, and then I showed him:

This marker is directly across from the tunnel that leads to our seats. Podunkdawg chose these seats in May, before we lost her in August. She didn’t know this marker was there. She couldn’t have known. It was an emotional moment for us both, because the only people that could possibly miss her more than the two of us would be her husband and sons.

However, it is our intention to celebrate Georgia Bulldog Football Wins whenever and wherever they occur. The ugliness or beauty of any particular win is irrelevant for the purposes of the Winning Smart Victory Post. It is therefore my deepest honor and privilege to bring to you this week’s edition of: The Winning Smart Victory Post.

Coach Kirby Smart coached his 142nd game this week for the Red & Black. He currently boasts a 121-21 record and a 0.8521 winning percentage, having carded his one hundred twenty-first win overall in the fourth game of the 2026 season against the Boomer Sooners of Oklahoma.

At the identical juncture in their careers:

Vince Dooley’s 142nd game as head coach resulted in a Georgia Bulldogs win over Cincinnati in the eighth game of the 1976 season, giving Coach Dooley a record of 95-42-5 and a 0.6866 percentage.

Coach Mark Richt was 106-36 (0.7465) after a win over Yech in the final regular season game of the 2011 season.

One hundred and forty two games into his head coaching career Kirby Smart is fifteen games ahead of Coach Mark Richt and ahead of Coach Vince Dooley by 26 games. As of now, he is holding his own versus the two winningest coaches in Georgia Football History.

As always . . .

Go ‘Dawgs !!!!

If the Georgia Bulldogs played a football game last weekend then Nathan and Yara are here this week to review it. That’s just how the world works, Dawgs. Topics covered in this review include:

• Casting our gaze around the SEC: is it possible that Florida is actually good? And how is Ole Miss this bad?

• Nathan goes all “Memento Mori” in regard to Kirby Smart’s tenure at Georgia, and provides perhaps the most impressively specific sandwich order I’ve ever heard.

• Chris Cole, bestriding the narrow football field like a Colossus.

• Statistical truth: Two football teams in Athens got to very similar numbers on the stat sheet in very, very different ways.

• Like you and me, Demelo Jones and the rest of the UGA defense are apparently vulnerable to good Beers.

• Wait, has Yara now been officially converted to the Church of Bobo?

• Ask CBC: White out, black out, stripe out, all good as long as the Dawgs are playing all out.

As always we kindly ask that you like, rate, subscribe, and patreonize the show wherever you get your podcasts.

Until later…

Go ‘Dawgs!!!

Welcome to Wednesday, also known as halfway to the Dawgs getting ready to face a fairly-common Homecoming opponent in Vanderbilt.

That’s not to discount the Commodores…its truthfully how the schedule has fallen. Vandy is not to be taken lightly, even if the late, great Lewis Grizzard did quip that “Spain couldn’t beat Vanderbilt!” When talking about the darkness of the Ray Goff era, it was perhaps at its darkest in that infamous Homecoming loss…but that’s enough of that trauma.

Thanks to the power of social media, ESPN’s SkyCast angle of Chris Cole’s fumble return is making the rounds. Simply put – its a masterpiece. In terms of crowd pops, it might be the biggest since the start of the Arkansas noon kickoff in 2021.

Speaking of the interwebs, here’s the reminder that there is wrong, and then there is Colin Cowherd wrong. Pro tip: Don’t let any of your Georgia Southern friends see the below…

I guess imitation is the most sincere form of flattery? A trademark of Jon Sumrall’s weekly regimen in Gainesville is “Bloody Tuesday.” If that sounds familiar – it is – as its a phrase that Kirby Smart made famous at some point after coming to Athens. Look, coaching is a lot of monkey-see, monkey-do. There are NO secrets. So you really think play designs are all devised on some secret cave? It happens through someone seeing something and saying, ‘hey, we should implement that.“ These coaches text back and forth and are going to know what one another does.

The always dialed in updates of UGA covered from The Red & Black include some NFL Dawgs updates

In terms of defensive players, one of the more famous European Bulldogs is Richard Tardits, aka Le Sack. He held the school’s sack record until David Pollack shattered it. The next one may be defensive lineman JJ Hanne of Germany orginally (Insert a Buford T Justice reference here if you wish). Hanne had to actually beg his mother to let him play football…that has ended up being a win for Georgia.

Go Dawgs!

Welcome to Tuesday, Bulldog Fans! Your Bulldogs are 4-0, and undefeated in conference play. 40+ points in each win, each by 4 touchdowns, ranked #2 in the land, and yet (we know, we know). These are the first world problems UGA fans face in this golden era of Georgia football. A wise man once told me, “in the absence of results, you’d better show effort”. And it seems to applicable to Bulldog football.

In the regular Monday press conference headlined by the UGA Head Football Coach, Kirby Smart stayed the course, giving the assembled personages such insight as how hard a player has worked in the offseason, that several players continue to grow and get better, that he likes tough, physical play, and that “effort counts twice” (See: Humphreys, Landon). Since I’m merely a grey-shirted preferred walk-on scout team member with no hope of scholarship in the world of college football bloggers, I’ll give this my best effort.

And if you want to know if a particular Bulldog is injured, practicing, rehabbing, questionable, or any other possible status ahead of this Saturday’s tilt, I have 3 words for you: check the availability report that comes out Tuesday at 8:10. Okay, that’s more than 3 words, but Kirby Smart will give you nothing else. That seems to be our M.O. going forward – wait until the conference mandated availability report. On brand, to be sure.

Not only did Chris Cole win the coveted and much sought-after defensive MVD award for his play against Oklahoma, he also received the slightly less coveted and minutely less sought-after SEC Defensive Player of the Week. Quite a 48 hours for the Junior Linebacker from Salem, VA.

They’ve finally decided that a 24+ point underdog visiting Athens is commonplace, so this weekend’s Vanderbilt game will be broadcast Saturday at 12:45 pm ET on the SEC Network.

But they also decided that current #2 Georgia visiting current #7 Alabama is worthy of a few more eyeballs. And that yes, Georgia football under the lights is truly electric and merits a night game. But not in Athens anytime soon. Thus we will see our Bulldogs in Tuscaloosa at 7:30 pm on ABC.

The good news is that no less than Pat Forde already has UGA beating the Tide in their house October 10. The bad news is that we lose in the Benz to the resurgent Gators. No matter your feeling of his prognostications, he makes a good point that the November 3rd initial CFP ranking show will be preferred watching to the mid-term election coverage.

We’re Number 1! We’re Number 1! According to the ESPN Football Power Index (FPI) is concerned. Frankly I hadn’t paid this much attention. So as I ponder, do I think UGA is the best college football team? I guess. We have our flaws, and I tend to find them in Athens a little quicker than at other programs. #JustBeatVandy.

No internal handling of player punishment, no conference mandated suspensions, no ACCPD reports (that we know of), no disappointing news to report here. Only positive vibes on this Tuesday of the second third of the Georgia Bulldog football regular season. Have a day friends, and as always…

GO ‘DAWGS!!!

Welcome to the SEC in a sentence, in which we attempt to distill yet another wild and crazy weekend of SEC football into, but a single sentence for each of the leagues 16 combatants. It was another wild one, perhaps wilder that some teams (lookin’ at you, Aggieland) would have preferred. But that’s why we say it just means more, right?

Alabama: Continue to play with their food in the first half, which as a few Kirby Smart teams will confirm is a lot of fun until the food refuses to lay down on the plate after halftime.

Arkansas: Rutgers football fans love hanging out with Arkansas fans because it makes them feel smart and optimistic.

Auburn: Found out that the outer limits of the Alex Golesh rebuild may not extend as far as a win over Baylor would lead one to believe, as we’ve been saying for the past two weeks.

Florida: I don’t mean to alarm anyone, but the winner of Florida/Ole Miss this weekend may have a solid two game cushion in the race for a playoff spot and you better be on your knees praying that isn’t the Gators, because they’ll be insufferable for five weeks until we teach them better.

Georgia: Mike Bobo’s hobbies as he slides gracefully into middle age have become wood working, fishing, and spending an entire game diligently setting up a garbage time play action touchdown pass against a 24 point underdog.

Kentucky: Hey Coach Stein, how was your weekend?

LSU: Lane Kiffin is now the opposite of that old Bum Phillips quote about Bear Bryant: he take take his and lose to yours or take yours and lose to his.

Ole Miss: That win was more satisfying than slipping on a well-worn pair of Martin Donnan bit loafers, which any Ole Miss fan will tell you is just like Heaven.

Oklahoma: I sort of wish the Sooners hadn’t won a rock fight against the New Mexico Lobos because the last thing I want to face is a Brent Venables defense that’s been brushing up on its rock fighting.

Mississippi State: I would appreciate it if one of you would show me where the glass is that I’m supposed to break in case of “playoff contender Mississippi State” because to be honest that’s information I never thought I’d need to use.

Missouri: Took a week off before traveling to Starkville, which alarmingly no longer looks like a week off in its own right.

South Carolina: The Gamecocks haven’t fired Shane Beamer but that doesn’t mean he won’t keep trying.

Tennessee: Built on their 45-24 win over Georgia Tech by polishing off the Jackets’’ larger, more successful Atlanta area rival Kennesaw State, and yes as a matter of fact when I say “successful” I am referring strictly to the field of CBD/Kratom marketing.

Texas: Survived the chance to let Ohio State beat them a week later, but don’t worry, there’s still plenty of time for Arch to do some Arch things against a team with a real pass rush.

Texas A&M: Did precisely the thing they hired Mike Elko to stop them from doing.

Vanderbilt: Got the highest grade in remedial basketball weaving because unlike NC State they remembered to write their names on the paper, even if they did misspell it.

Have your own one sentence summation of an SEC team’s current situation? We’d love to see those in the comments.
Until later…

Go ‘Dawgs!!!

Congrats, Dawg fans. It’s no halfway through Oklahoma game week.

First of all, in case you missed it…plans for a future series between Georgia and Clemson are officially waved off. It’s shameful and disappointing to see the current college football landscape render one of college football’s greatest rivalries as useless, but it’s simply something that fans will have to accept, not matter how much its disliked.

But as to the present…there is the allure of Oklahoma in Athens for the first time this weekend. The Banner-Herald has a video visit with the Bulldogs tight end, touching on a mix of topics.

A common theme for this Georgia team is that it is not really known how good it is. It’s easy to look very good against WKU, Tennessee State, and Arkansas. And Georgia’s offensive line has simply pushed the opposing side around so far. But Oklahoma should test that majorly. The Sooners may be sputtering on offense, but this team rode defense and special teams to the CFP last year, and that’s why as far as the trenches go, Saturday could be a fight in a phone booth.

Without question, this Saturday, in some respects will the closest thing to a challenge for this team to have faced so far. Does the game lose some buzz due to Oklahoma being upset already? Sure. But that does not take away from the fact that the Bulldogs get their first ‘show me’ game of the season.

Clearly, there will be lots of throwbacks to the only other Georgia-Oklahoma matchup, in the 2018 Rose Bowl. One of many is this:

Go Dawgs!

The intrepid Marc Weiszer of the Banner Herald has the news that Georgia and Clemson have scrapped the four game home-and-home football series that had been scheduled for 2029 through 2032.

Weiszer obtained a copy of the agreement which the schools actually signed back in March in which they mutually agreed not to play the series of interconference matchups, which had been rumored later to still be an option in a neutral site format that made one Georgia writer really mad. Turns out he didn’t have anything to worry about, other than whether those games will be replaced with Charleston Southern, the Citadel, or the Monck’s Corner School for Kids Who Don’t Read Good.

This series is just the latest victim of the SEC’s push to nine conference games. Given that Georgia already has an I state ACC rival in Georgia Tech the Dawgs are now guaranteed ten Power 4 games per year. Add in the specter of an ever-expanding playoff, which could force a team to play as many as six playoff games to win a national title, and there’s every reason to treat the regular season as a necessary annoyance rather than the main event.

While that ninth SEC game every year is likely to be a quality football game, it certainly won’t always be against a team with which Georgia has a long and rich history like the Country Gentlemen. I have nothing against the University of Missouri, but the fact is there’s still nothing particularly special about a matchup between the Dawgs and those Tigers, unlike the ones from Lake Hartwell.

Don’t worry through, the tickets you’ll be purchasing for the makeup game against Tennessee Tech will cost you just as much as the Clemson vouchers would have.
Go ‘‘Dawgs!!!

Welcome to Tuesday, Bulldog fans! We’ve entered that limbo period where certain fanbases are still basking in the glow of Saturdays victory, and others are still steaming from a frustrating loss that exposed expectations like telephone poles in winter when the kudzu dies off.

Clemson has had as many lightning delays as rushing touchdowns this season (that’s “3” if you’re tracking it). If Dabo Swinney is looking for divine intervention, he doesn’t have to look very far for signs of what he should do. Unfortunately, the “storming” back and getting a win after last Saturday’s delay might cause the Clemson coach to misconstrue what everyone else plainly sees.

NC State is back doing NC State s***, uh, “stuff” (you only have to read the comments to get the gist). The bad news is that Saturday’s game-ending debacle in Nashville only pumps up the Commodore pluckiness so we’ll have to hear more about them instead of swatting them away like so many mayflies. The good news is that it only helps Georgia’s resume’, since we face Vandy after a 2 year hiatus of the matchup.

Before we turn our attention to a suddenly vulnerable Oklahoma, let’s break down the Arkansas game one more time. The Red & Black graded each position group (It’s Baaaaack!!!) on their performance in Fayetteville, and the grades look pretty fair to me. Then again, if you’re up 38-3 in a road SEC game in the 4th quarter, how can you not pass out good grades?

This week the Bulldogs will welcome the Oklahoma Sooners to Athens for the first time ever. With such a storied matchup against brands, and two CFP participants returning their starting QB, you’d think the stadium would sell out. Of course it did. Yet the secondary market has softened a little for tickets… I wonder why? Maybe this is the reason:

Yikes. It doesn’t appear the Sooner fanbase is satisfied with the early results, especially compared to expectations. Well, I’m sure I can still conjure up a thing or 3 to worry about, but that’s for another day.

Head football coach Kirby Smart held his weekly press conference Monday afternoon. You might be surprised to learn he is impressed with Oklahoma’s defensive intensity, technique, and fundamentals. And that John Mateer is dangerous with his legs, and that SEC conference games are tough. When asked about water, Coach Smart responded postively that it is wet.

On the injury front, Nate Frazier is day to day, but looks promising to be available Saturday. Tyriq Green, Chase Linton, and Isaiah Canion were all categorized as to “be back soon”. And word is that center Drew Bobo will have the elephant q-tip removed from his left hand.

There is a call to “Stripe Sanford” this Saturday. As someone who doesn’t make many games in person, I’m asking if this is a real thing? And do we like it?

Next week’s Georgia/Vandy tilt is now scheduled for 12:00 pm. Or 12:45 pm. Who knows? And nobody knows which network will carry it. It might be SEC Network. Or ESPN. Or ABC again. I’m sure the Mousey executives love having this flexibility, I’m not sure the fanbases do.

I hope that gets your day off to a great start. Let us know in the comments of any nuggets, strips, or dino-shaped chunks of news you hear about, and have yourself a Tuesday. As always…

GO ‘DAWGS!!!

First, here’s why I’m NOT worried about the fightin’ Chuckwagons:

1.    Oklahoma thrived on turnovers last season. They won 1 score games on the road at Tennessee and Alabama in 2025 picking up 3 turnovers in each contest. Without those, does Oklahoma win those close away games? And if they don’t, they don’t make the playoffs. Maybe OU was blessed by Lady Luck more than they were a top 12 team.

So far in 2026, they’ve lost 3 fumbles and thrown 3 interceptions. And they’ve picked off no passes and only recovered 2 fumbles for a -4 turnover margin. Does the law of averages mean Georgia gifts them free possessions? Or more likely does it mean they aren’t quite as good as one would believe?

2.  You can’t say Georgia is one-dimensional. In just a quarter of the season, the Bulldogs have scored via the run, the pass, the defense, and returning a kickoff. There’s also a blocked punt (by a starting wideout, no less). What else is there?

I guess we need to block a field goal, return a punt to the house, and get a safety. Any of those 3 would be nice this weekend to keep the momentum.

3. You have to be able to run the ball to win in the SEC. Not necessarily all the time, but unless you have Dan Marino or Matt Stafford under center, you’d better have a semblance of a ground game to keep the defense honest. Oklahoma really doesn’t.

The Sooners rank 123^rd (of 138) in rushing offense a quarter of the way through the season. They were 112^th in 2025 with a mobile quarterback who likes to scramble. OU OC Ben Arbuckle hasn’t really gotten the rushing attack going, averaging only 118 yards a game thus far. By contrast, the Georgia defense is allowing a paltry 45.7 yards on the ground this season, thanks to opponents having to play catchup after establishing early leads. If we can continue that, I like our chances of seeing if they can beat us through the air.

Now forgive me, as I was weaned at the nipple of Larry Munson’s scratch so here’s what does worry me about hosting a historical powerhouse looking for a bounceback on national televsion:

1.  The Bulldog Offensive Line have got to clean up the blocking assignments, especially in pass protection. Arkansas has some dudes, and the busts and 1v1 wins by the Hogs up front were evident. Six different Razorbacks logged a stat in the UGA backfield last week. And one of the sacks was 3 of them converging on Stockton at the exact same time.  That is troubling.

Oklahoma has some dudes too, and will apply even more pressure and give Stockton even less time to scan the field. Even without standout DT David Stone, they have 10 other players with at least a full TFL, and 6 other guys with a full sack through 3 games. This isn’t one guy you need to doubleteam – it is scheme, fundamentals, and a lot of players on that Sooner defensive front 7 who know how to get off blocks. If the OU secondary does a serviceable job, the big guys up front will have a field day at our expense.

2 .  #10 to #1. Individually they’re not big, but together they can be huge. The 6’1” John Mateer may not have gaudy numbers compared to the Jayden Maiava’s of the world, but he can throw, and he can buy time to find receivers who get separation.

And the 5’10” Isaiah Satenga is him. He’s again leading the Sooner wideouts in both receptions and yards, where he averaged over 5 catches a game last year and a hair shy of 1,000 yards. Most of his career was also spent returning punts, so you can imagine his speed and shiftiness. Satenga can hit the homerun on the post, and break one from a short-medium cross.

After watching Arkansas stud receiver Chris Marshall torch the Bulldog secondary just a few days ago for over 100 yards from an offense that can’t even decide on a quarterback, this has me worried.

3 . Oklahoma has been underwhelming in the early season after a typical beatdown of UTEP, then a loss 17-10 at Michigan, and squeaked by New Mexico 14-6 at home. So will they come into Athens and roll over? HA!!! Hardly.

Not only is head coach Brent Venables a pretty good motivator, but he has a top notch staff and the team is loaded with elite athletes and football players. Then there is the UGA effect: this game has been circled on calendars in Norman for months now, as Sooners and their faithful wish to knock off the 2 time reigning SEC champ. And the added factor that Georgia can bring out the best in any opponent, sometimes to our collective detriment. Our boys better be ready for a battle into the fading light Saturday.  

Call me crazy, just don’t call me late for dinner. Let us know in the comments what you’re feeling about hosting the Oklahoma Sooners for a historic first visit to Sanford Stadium.  And as always…

GO ‘DAWGS!!!

Welcome to another edition of Around the SEC, where everything is made up and the points don’t matter. That’s right, the points are like blue bloods throwing the bag at Mississippi State QB Kamario Taylor. The kid is a baller and from just outside of Starkville. By all accounts, he loves Mississippi State and has a great relationship with head coach Jeff Lebby. In a day where most jump at the brightest, shiniest thing, it seems Taylor wants to stay in Starkville and become a campus legend, which I absolutely love.

Bama OC vs. Fans

Alabama offensive coordinator Ryan Grubb made waves at his press conference this week when he applauded his players for not giving up after getting down early against Florida State; however, this praise came at the expense of Alabama fans, who Grubb said did give up on his team. The fans in Tuscaloosa are known to be chill and practical and won’t take offense to this sort of comment whatsoever. Grubb has since apologized for this remarks.

Lacy a Game Time Decision

It was feared that when Ole Miss star running back Kewan Lacy exited the Rebels’ game against LSU that he would miss a significant amount of time. Luckily, that does not seems to be the case, as head coach Pete Golding said that Lacy’s injury was not long-term and that he is a game time decision for their clash with Florida this weekend.

Revisiting the Music City Miracle II

Ya, this one was so crazy, I want to bring it up even though it isn’t news. Vanderbilt’s last second win against NC State, where the caused a fumble during an attempted intentional safety to run out the clock saw the Commodores go to 3-0 in this generation’s version of the Music City Miracle. This was maybe the wildest, most improbable win since Michigan State took a Michigan punter’s mishandled snap to the house back in 2015.

Welcome to the Morning Five, five numbers you need to know to be ready for this weekend’s matchup between the Georgia Bulldogs and and Oklahoma Sooners. Let’s jump right in:

1. 3,187. That’s how many days have passed since Georgia and Oklahoma played what remains, for my money, the best college football game in history. At least the best one that I have ever seen. The fortunes of the two programs have diverged somewhat since that evening in Pasadena, with Georgia playing for three national titles and winning two, while Oklahoma has remained competitive, even playoff worthy in 2025, but not a serious threat to win a national title in anyone’s estimation. That being said, I still think this is a pretty dangerous team.A Brent Venables defense is generally capable of keeping his team in the game even when the offense isn’t pulling its weight. Which brings us to…
2. 16. That’s Oklahoma’s current SEC rank in total offense. Unfortunately for the Sooners, there are only 16 teams in the league. The Sooners have only topped the 300 yard mark in total offense once, in their opener against UTEP. It’s still early in the year, but three games in is far enough to establish an identity. The Sooners’’ identity on offense this year may be that they don’t have one.
3. 84.4. That’s the percentage of his passes that Gunner Stockton has completed so far this season. It’s the highest percentage among SEC quarterbacks by a pretty significant margin. But the Oklahoma defense, with a wealth of disguised coverages and bait-and-switch blitz packages will be a whole different animal from the units he’s faced so far.
4. 0. That is the number of interceptions Stockton has thrown this season, against 9 touchdowns. It may be the most important of the numbers this week. If there’s a path for Oklahoma to pull the upset in this one it almost certainly involves stealing some possessions and being gifted a short field or two via turnovers. If Georgia takes care of the ball and forces John Mateer to drive the Sooners offense 70+ yards on every possession, it should be a good day for the home team.
5. –4. The flipside to that number above is Oklahoma’s current -4 turnover margin, dead last in the SEC. The Land Thieves have 6 turnovers so far on the season, 3 interceptions and 3 lost fumbles fumbles. If the Bulldogs can get the Sooners to their 2.0 turnover per game average it should be a good day for the home team. Until later…

Go ‘Dawgs!!!

Welcome to the Morning Five, a brief rundown of a few of the numbers that will shape the outcome of Georgia’s upcoming SEC opener against the Arkansas Razorbacks. We’re still at the point in the season at which the sample size is too small to draw any real conclusions. These are less reliable statistics and more discussion points. Nevertheless, there are a few data points that may prove instructive, like…

1. Zero. That’s the number of Razorbacks fans who will be in attendance if some Arkansas folks have their way. Ryan Silverfield was not an overwhelmingly popular hire in Fayetteville, and it appears a closer-than-expected win over North Alabama and a beating at the hands of the Utah Utes haven’t endeared he or athletic director Hunter Yurasek to some Hawgs.
2. 12.70. That’s how many yards per carry Nate Frazier is currently averaging on the ground. Clearly this weekend brings a step up in competition, but this also feels like one of those games where Kirby could build a 24-0 lead on somebody and then just decide to slowly suffocate them by running it left, right, and up the middle 12 plays in a row. I could see an 18 carry, 120 yard day from Nate the Great.
3. 90.0 That’s the number of rushing yards per game given up through two contests by the Hawgs, 40 to North Alabama and 140 to Utah. Again, small sample size, but those are not awful numbers. And the 3.33 yards per carry they’re currently surrendering is grossly respectable, if not necessarily outstanding.
4. 37. That’s the number of points the Bulldogs have scored in each of their last two meetings with the Arkansans, a 37-0 win by the ‘‘Dawgs in Athens in 2021 and. a 37-10 victory over the ‘Hawgs in Fayetteville in 2020. I expect the Bulldogs to score about the same number this time out. My score prediction remains 34-20 Georgia, with the Razorbacks scoring in the 4th quarter to make it look closer than it really will be.
6. 
   
   5. 900. That’s the number of miles per hour Ryan Silverfield quipped last year that a Georgia wide receiver was arrested for driving. He says he’s apologized, Kirby says it’s all forgotten. I tend to think that Kirby doesn’t want to be seen to be publicly sticking up for players pinched for reckless driving. Because reckless driving is dangerous and bad and neither you nor a blue chip football player should ever do it. But privately I’m not certain there won’t be a little extra juice from the Bulldogs, because Kirby also loves mining every available avenue motivation.

Go ‘Dawgs!!!

Comparisons to greatness can be dangerous.

Georgia fans have gotten a degree of ridicule…or a segment have…for comparing multiple unproven highly-rated running back to Herschel Walker. Now, as the Brock Bowers era has passed in Athens, any generational tight end stands to be compared, fair or not, to Bowers.

Enter Jaden Reddell…as in his breaking of six tackles against Tennessee State.

For his part, Reddell seems intent to write his own tale..not that of Bowers. DawgNation takes a closer look.

Meanwhile, how are Razorback fans handling things these days?

Not well…

But as Steve Jobs said…“and one more thing…”

The true test of Saturday’s White Out repeating? How well it resonates with recruits. It’s a known fact – to coach under Kirby Smart, you have to be a relentless recruiter. And if that wardrobe from last weekend generates enough buzz…yes, prep for another White Out.

What excites Kirby Smart about SEC play after two straight walkover wins? The Red & Black takes a deeper dive at what the Top Dawg has had to say this week.

Here’s what recruits thought of it…

Go Dawgs!

Brilliant investor and all-around wise man Warren Buffett once remarked that “Investing is simple , but it isn’t easy.”

it is a sentiment which finds validity in a variety of walks of life. Losing weight is also simple: you just need to burn more calories than you take in. The math is simple, the behavioral adjustment is not easy. One can also build a nice nest egg by simply earning more money than they spend and socking away the difference. Again, simple but not easy.

Bulldog and NFL legend Benjamin Watson today noted a similar phenomenon with relation to football defenses. Many commentators and fans have noted over the past few years that with an increased concentration on player safety and welfare the game has changed and defenses simply aren’t as tight as they once were., with a few notable exceptions.

Watson has the simple reason.

You can’t tackle if you don’t do a lot of tackling. Seems fairly self-explanatory. But again, the solution isn’t easy. Kirby Smart is well-known for his “Bloody Tuesday” full contact practices, and his former players have credited them as a difference maker.

Those Tuesday practices are simple, but they aren’t easy. Coaches worry about player fatigue. They worry about injury. Can you imagine the hew and cry if an All-American defender broke his collarbone in a full pads scrimmage at most schools during a game week?

But ultimately the game of football isn’y about looking good coming off the bus before the game. It’s about performance during the contest. And as the old adage goes, you play like you practice. unshakable faith in the methods he’s built over the past eleven seasons in Athens, and he’sgotten good at identifying and recruiting players who buy into doing the simple things that are nonetheless hard, like Bloody Tuesday. That’s a big deal. So on this Tuesday, be thankful that you’re fan of a college football team whose coach is a super-intense perfectionist who’s willing to make everyone around him more uncomfortable today so that they can celebrate on Saturday.

Go ‘‘Dawgs!!!

Are your Georgia Bulldogs going on the road to open SEC play in the central time zone against a team with its back up against the wall two games into the season? That sounds worrisome, and you could probably use a drink to steady your nerves. I can help with that.

A lot has been made this week of the general malaise that appears to have permeated the Arkansas football program. Yes, the Razorbacks lost last week by four touchdowns to Utah. Yes, Ryan Silverfield is talking about people trying to write his obituary two weeks into the job. And yes, fans are seriously talking about boycotting the game to show their displeasure with the athletic director. It’s as if a black cloud has settled over Fayetteville and looks like it plans to hang around awhile.

But here’s the thing: I seriously doubt that the players in the Razorback locker room care about any of that. That sort of outside noise sometimes can galvanize a locker room.I’m not saying that the criticism and negotiate going to turn this team into the 1985 Chicago Bears. But I wouldn’t be at all surprised to see the Hawgs come out snorting at home. And I’m pretty sure the home crowd will get behind them loudly if there’s a whiff of good news to rally around. To paraphrase Charlie Daniels, the Uneasy Rider himself, the last thing you want is to get in a fight in Fayetteville, Arkansas on a Saturday at lunch.

So what the Bulldogs need is to come out with the same ruthless polish we’ve witnessed against two inferior opponents so far. But then they’re going to need to do that for more than four or five series. To really put the home crowd back in its cage and send them back to throwing overripe fruit at AD Hunter Yurachek’s house. The Red and Black are going to have their hands full next week against a stout Oklahoma team. And I’d rather we not have to watch them claw their way out of Fayetteville with bloody knuckles before hand. Let’s crush those Hawgs and move on.

So what’s the ideal cocktail for ginning up a crushing defeat of the Hawgs and getting the heck out of the Natural State?

A gin and jam.

• 2 oz. of dry gin

• 1 tablespoon of fruit jam, blackberry is my favorite, but raspberry or strawberry work as well. I’ve even used cinnamon pear, which was a pleasant surprise.

• 3/4 oz. fresh lemon juice

• 1/2 oz. simple syrup
• a splash of club soda
• a lemon wheel and mint leaves for garnish if that sort of adornment is your thing.

Place the gin, jam, lemon juice, and simple syrup in a cocktail shaker, along with an handful of ice cubes. Seal and shake vigorously until outside is frosted,(maybe 20 seconds). Fill a glass with crushed ice; strain cocktail into the glass. Top with a splash of club soda. Garnish with mint lea and lemon if desired. Enjoy responsibly, and…

Go ‘Dawgs!!!

There’s college football on all weekend, and we expect you to watch the bejeebers out of it. And we’re once again willing to help you figure out the best of your viewing options. As always, the full (and we mean full, because you might want to find out what time the Pacific Lutheran game kicks off) schedule is below. It first here are the highlights in each viewing window.

Thursday night: Back in my day we watched mid-tier ACC football and dadgummit we LOVED it!

In these modern times college football fans have become a little spoiled in terms of viewing options. Even a midseason Thursday usually brings some choices for how to invest your viewing time. Not this Thursday, buddy. If you’re watching college football while you wait for Grey’s Anatomy to come back from its summer hiatus then you’ll be watching Syracuse at Pitt on ESPN. Thrill to a Fran Brown coached team doing something freaky deaky on special teams to extend a drive then punting from the 45. Enjoy the spectacle of 5,300 fans enjoying the crisp mugginess of Pittsburgh in mid-September (it’s a particular thing, trust me). Yinz are in for a treat.

Friday night: Old rivalry, new juice.

Houston and Texas Tech have played 36 times going back to 1951, with the Cougars holding a slim 18-17-1 margin over the Red Raiders. But this matchup between #22 ranked Houston and #13 Texas Tech is only the third time they’ve met as ranked opponents. The last was in 1989 when the Houstonians were quarterbacked by Andre Ware. For low key hate and offensive hijinx, this game is your best bet. The game kicks at 8:00 Athens time on FOX.

Saturday early: There is, for the third week running, but one correct answer. But query me this: now that we know the Oklahoma game next week is a 3:30 start, is it possible Georgia won’t play a night time kickoff before Georgia Tech in November? I believe it is.

Also, for reasons I don’t fully understand, Arizona State and Kansas will be playing at noon eastern/5:00 pm local time in London, England. Again, I don’t understand. And I don’t know that anyone affiliated with Arizona State football owns any clothing appropriate for a drizzly London fall evening. But I guess we’ll see?

Saturday afternoon: Don’t get cocky, unless you’re Kamario Taylor, then it’s fine.

You could watch Florida State play Alabama at Tuscaloosa on ABC at 3:30, but Mike Norvell probably wishes you wouldn’t. You’ll learn little or nothing from this one other than that Keelon Russell has the potential to be Kalen DeBoer’s savior or his downfall. And that Mike Norvell probably shouldn’t bother making reservations for the New Years brunch at the Tallahassee Country Club.

You could also catch Kentucky traveling to College Station to play Texas A&M, a thing which is apparently possible. Who knew? But again, not sure there’s much to be gleaned from this one. Instead after watching the Dawgs make pulled pork of the Arkansas Razorbacks I’m turning over to SEC Network at 4:15 to catch Mississippi State at South Carolina. Normally this wouldn’t be a compelling matchup. But the Gamecocks are back on the Bulldogs’ schedule and Mississippi State features the SEC’s leading passer (290.0 yards per game, 7 TDs, 0 interceptions) in Kamario Taylor.

Saturday night: Ole Miss fans dream of rearranging Lane’s chakras.

Again, I think there’s only one answer here.

Lane returns to the Grove as #7 LSU visits #8 Ole Miss. I think the Lane hype has gotten a little over its skis in Baton Rouge, but paradoxically I also think this is the high water mark of the Pete Golding era, as the talent Lane found and brought to Oxford (but don’t take with him to Baton Rouge) may be enough to beat the Bayou Bengals.

FULL COLLEGE FOOTBALL SCHEDULE
Thursday, Sept. 17

Syracuse at Pitt | 7:30 p.m. | ESPN

Friday, Sept. 18

No. 5 Miami (Fla.) at Wake Forest | 7:30 p.m. | ESPN
No. 22 Houston at No. 13 Texas Tech | 8 p.m. | FOX
Portland State at No. 21 Oregon | 10:30 p.m. | Big Ten Network

Saturday, Sept. 19

Coastal Carolina at Delaware | 11:30 a.m. | CBSSN
No. 2 Georgia at Arkansas | 12 p.m. | ABC
Kent State at No. 6 Ohio State | 12 p.m. | FOX
Buffalo at No. 14 Penn State | 12 p.m. | Big Ten Network
Tulane at Kansas State | 12 p.m. | ESPN2
Bowling Green at Iowa State | 12 p.m. | ESPNU
Arizona State at Kansas | 12 p.m. | FS1
Mercer at Georgia Tech | 12 p.m. | ACC Network
North Carolina at Clemson | 12 p.m. | ESPN/Disney+
Akron at Minnesota | 12 p.m. | Big Ten Network
North Texas at Texas State | 12 p.m. | USA Network
Lafayette at Columbia | 12 p.m. | ESPN+
Dartmouth at Lehigh | 12 p.m. | ESPN+
West Georgia at East Tennessee State | 12 p.m. | ESPN+
Eastern Michigan at Wisconsin | 12:30 p.m. | Peacock
NC State at Vanderbilt | 12:45 p.m. | SEC Network
Wyoming at Central Michigan | 1 p.m. | ESPN+
Chicago State at Butler | 1 p.m. | ESPN+
Cornell at Colgate | 1 p.m. | ESPN+
Valparaiso at Indiana State | 1 p.m. | ESPN+
VMI at Davidson | 1 p.m. | ESPN+
Benedict College at Fort Valley State | 1 p.m. | ESPN+
Adrian at Mount St. Joseph | 1 p.m. | YouTube
Maine at Boston College | 2 p.m. | ACCNX
Southern Illinois at Illinois | 2 p.m. | Peacock
Yale at Holy Cross | 2 p.m. | ESPN+
Rockford at Concordia Chicago | 2 p.m. | YouTube
Lakeland at Wisconsin Lutheran | 2 p.m. | YouTube
Presbyterian at Western Carolina | 2:30 p.m. | ESPN+
Temple at Toledo | 3 p.m. | CBSSN
Eastern Illinois at Illinois State | 3 p.m. | ESPN+
Central Connecticut at Montana State | 3 p.m. | ESPN+
Penn at Bucknell | 3 p.m. | ESPN+
Kentucky at No. 9 Texas A&M | 3:30 p.m. | ESPN
Florida State at No. 10 Alabama | 3:30 p.m. | ABC
No. 12 USC at Rutgers | 3:30 p.m. | CBS
No. 16 SMU at No. 23 Louisville | 3:30 p.m. | ESPN2
Utah State at No. 17 Utah | 3:30 p.m. | FOX
UTEP at No. 19 Michigan | 3:30 p.m. | Big Ten Network
Miami (Ohio) at Cincinnati | 3:30 p.m. | ESPN+
Wagner at Cal | 3:30 p.m. | ACC Network
Duquesne at Washington State | 3:30 p.m. | USA Network
Stonehill at UMass | 3:30 p.m. | ESPN+
Georgetown at Richmond | 3:30 p.m. | ESPN+
Western Kentucky at No. 4 Indiana | 4 p.m. | Peacock
UNI at No. 18 Iowa | 4 p.m. | FS1
Stanford at Duke | 4 p.m. | CW
Ball State at Liberty | 4 p.m. | ESPN+
Louisiana Tech at Baylor | 4 p.m. | ESPNU
Abilene Christian at Idaho | 4 p.m. | ESPN+
Mississippi State at South Carolina | 4:15 p.m. | SEC Network
SE Louisiana at UL Monroe | 4:30 p.m. | ESPN+
East Carolina at Old Dominion | 6 p.m. | ESPN+
Florida International at Florida Atlantic | 6 p.m. | ESPN+
Charlotte at Appalachian State | 6 p.m. | ESPN+
North Carolina Central at Gardner-Webb | 6 p.m. | ESPN+
Fordham at William & Mary | 6 p.m. | ESPN+
Dayton at Eastern Kentucky | 6 p.m. | ESPN+
Point University at Charleston Southern | 6 p.m. | ESPN+
Wofford at Chattanooga | 6 p.m. | ESPN+
Marshall at Missouri State | 6:30 p.m. | CBSSN
Troy at No. 20 Missouri | 7 p.m. | SECN+
Florida at Auburn | 7 p.m. | ESPN
Georgia State at UCF | 7 p.m. | ESPN+
Murray State at Oklahoma State | 7 p.m. | ESPN+
UConn at Southern Miss | 7 p.m. | ESPN+
UT Martin at Memphis | 7 p.m. | ESPN+
Western Michigan at Rice | 7 p.m. | ESPN+
Delaware State at South Florida | 7 p.m. | ESPN+
Nevada at Middle Tennessee | 7 p.m. | ESPN+
Ohio at South Alabama | 7 p.m. | ESPN+
Georgia Southern at Jacksonville State | 7 p.m. | ESPN+
Nicholls at Sam Houston | 7 p.m. | ESPN+
Youngstown State at South Dakota State | 7 p.m. | ESPN+
South Carolina State at Furman | 7 p.m. | ESPN+
Austin Peay at West Florida | 7 p.m. | ESPN+
Central Arkansas at SE Missouri State | 7 p.m. | ESPN+
Alcorn State at North Alabama | 7 p.m. | ESPN+
Morehead State at Western Illinois | 7 p.m. | ESPN+
Merrimack at Tarleton State | 7 p.m. | ESPN+
Houston Christian at UIW | 7 p.m. | ESPN+
North Dakota at Nebraska | 7:15 p.m. | Big Ten Network
Eastern Washington at Washington | 7:15 p.m. | Big Ten Network
Michigan State at No. 3 Notre Dame | 7:30 p.m. | NBC
No. 7 LSU at No. 8 Ole Miss | 7:30 p.m. | ABC
No. 11 BYU at Colorado State | 7:30 p.m. | CBS
New Mexico at No. 24 Oklahoma | 7:30 p.m. | ESPN2
West Virginia vs. No. 25 Virginia (in Charlotte, N.C.) | 7:30 p.m. | ACC Network
Colorado at Northwestern | 7:30 p.m. | FOX
Virginia Tech at Maryland | 7:30 p.m. | FS1
Kennesaw State at No. 15 Tennessee | 7:45 p.m. | SEC Network
UTSA at No. 1 Texas | 8 p.m. | SECN+
Arkansas State at TCU | 8 p.m. | ESPNU
East Texas A&M at Tulsa | 8 p.m. | ESPN+
UAB at Louisiana | 8 p.m. | ESPN+
San Diego at Cal Poly | 8 p.m. | ESPN+
Northern Arizona at Utah Tech | 8 p.m. | ESPN+
Northeastern State at Northern Colorado | 8 p.m. | ESPN+
Northwestern State at Weber State | 8 p.m. | ESPN+
McNeese at UT Rio Grande Valley | 8 p.m. | ESPN+
Pacific Lutheran at Trinity (TX) | 8 p.m. | YouTube
South Dakota at Boise State | 10 p.m. | CBSSN
James Madison at San Diego State | 10 p.m. | CW
Stetson at UC Davis | 10 p.m. | ESPN+
Northern Illinois at Arizona | 10:30 p.m. | TNT
North Dakota State at Sacramento State | 10:30 p.m. | ESPN
Purdue at UCLA | 11 p.m. | Big Ten Network
Montana at Oregon State | 11 p.m. | USA Network
Fresno State at San Jose State | 11 p.m. | FS1

First, here’s why I’m NOT worried about the fightin’ Whoo Piggies:

1.   Arkansas has a rich history of running backs, and is usually potent toting the rock. But Darren McFadden and Felix Jones aren’t suiting up this season. UA has only totaled 209 yards on the ground (including sacks) for a pitiful 2.7 yards a carry.

The Bulldog defense has only allowed 173 yards rushing in 2 games, and that doesn’t include sack yardage.

2.  The Razorbacks are 3^rd in time of possession. Yet they rank 114^th in scoring offense and 111^th in scoring defense. So while they apparently march up and down the field, they’re not putting the ball in the endzone.

And it’s debatable if the true Georgia defensive starters have surrendered a single score this season. Both opponents have avoided the shutout in the first half, but both times UGA was up by at least 4 touchdowns and substitutions were already liberally utilized.

3. Gunner Stockton has thrown twice as many touchdowns as incompletions. He leads the country in most touchdown passes without an interception. The Terrible Tiger is also almost perfect when facing pressure, though I will allow two caveats: 1) some of that pressure is because we don’t chip the end on a rollout, choosing to release the TE or back to get open in the flat and 2) he hasn’t had to go through many progressions, instead able to hit the primary target because the defense can’t cover them. Whatever the nuance or context, our QB1 is playing like the #1 QB in the country.

Now forgive me, as I was weaned at the nipple of Larry Munson’s scratch so here’s what does worry me about playing an SEC game on national television with a UGA squad playing their first Power 4 competition:

1.  60 minutes. The Georgia defensive starters have only played around 60 snaps apiece. And that has been spread over 2 games and 7 days. How will they fare when they will likely have a significant increase? There has been good energy and high effort so far, but how will they respond when they’re sweating and sucking eggs in the 3^rd and 4^th quarter – something they haven’t had to do this season?

Meanwhile, the Razorbacks were holding onto a 2 score lead in the 4^th quarter against North Alabama, and trying to keep the score less embarrassing last week in Utah, so they’re used to playing their 1’s the entire game.  A game at high noon in mid-September in Fayetteville is due to be warm, and conditioning could be a big factor.

2 .  Even getting stymied by the Utes, Arkansas did have 5 different pass catchers average in double digit yards per reception. And 9 different Razorbacks have that same qualification on the season. Only 4 receiving touchdowns (Gunner Stockton guffaws at this), but they are getting some chunk plays from the passing game.

Hog OC Tim Cramsey brings the fast-paced no-huddle tempo from Memphis, and QB KJ Jackson is getting it out of his hands quickly. He hasn’t been overly accurate (55.1% completion), and the offensive line has given up 7 sacks, yet somehow they are moving the ball.

 3 . Arkansas has been dwelling in the bottom of the SEC the last few seasons, sharing a special handshake with Mississippi State and pining as Vanderbilt climbed the stairs to the kitchen. With a head coach in his first season in the Power 4 and in rebuild mode, and not so impressive results the first 2 weeks, you might expect the Hogs to have no chance against the Bulldogs where the exact opposition situation exists.

Oregon probably thought the exact same thing last Saturday when they traveled to Stillwater, Oklahoma. But lo and behold, the underdog coach got his message across, the players trusted the process, the Ducks were lackluster, and proverbial lightning struck. That is the exact scenario Georgia is facing when they get off the bus at Donald W. Reynolds Razorback Stadium. Georgia has a history of providing new coaches and programs a signature victory. Let’s not give them that chance, shall we?

Call me crazy, just don’t call me late for dinner. Let us know in the comments what you’re feeling about opening SEC play on the road and starting a string of 5 straight conference games.  And as always…

GO ‘DAWGS!!!

Welcome to another edition of Around the SEC, where everything is made up and the points don’t matter. That’s right, the points are just like a second half lead when Arthur Smith is your offensive coordinator and you need any sort of offensive momentum to stem the tide of a comeback.

You Just Got Served

In the ongoing legal and pettiness battle between Ole Miss and LSU, Ole Miss has landed the latest punch. Former Rebel and current Tiger DE Princewill Umanmielan was served court papers outside of the LSU practice facility on Wednesday regarding the ongoing lawsuit where Ole Miss alleges that he broke revenue sharing agreements by transferring to LSU. The real battle takes place Saturday night when LSU visits Oxford in must-watch television.

Texas AI Slop

Texas quarterback Arch Manning has issued a public apology for stating that he thought an AI-generated video of Texas coach Steve Sarkisian and ESPN reporter Holly Rowe was funny. The video in question shows Sarkisian slapping Rowe, which is an exaggeration of him spurning her postgame interview. As with everything, Rowe handled it with class, accepting Manning’s apology.

Jared Curtis time in Nashville

Vanderbilt has named true freshman quarterback Jared Curtis their starter for their upcoming game against NC State. Curtis played the entire second half last week against Delaware, taking over for an ineffective Blaze Berlowitz. He’ll have two games to get ready for the Commodores’ trip to Athens.

Georgia went back to the College World Series for the first time in 18 years in 2026, now head coach Wes Johnson has been rewarded for it.

The top Diamond Dawg received a contract extension through 2032. He’ll also get a rise that hasn’t been disclosed yet (he was earning &1.35 million per year previously).

In three seasons in Athens Johnson has turned around a once proud program that was struggling to build momentum. He’s led the Bulldogs to 139 overall wins, three NCAA Tournaments as a national top eight seed, played host to three NCAA Regionals and two NCAA Super Regionals and advanced to the 2026 College World Series.

The 2026 Dawgs secured a school record 53 victories,  made their seventh all-time appearance at the College World Series in Omaha, and had a final national ranking of #3. And for the second time in three seasons Georgia had a player win the Dick Howser Trophy and the Golden Spikes Award, the top awards in college baseball and for an amateur player nationwide. In 2024, third baseman/outfielder Charlie Condon swept these major awards while last year, it was catcher Daniel Jackson.Both would go on to be first round MLB draft picks.

Johnson has also secured one of the top transfer portal hauls in the nation for 2027, as well as several prominent high school recruits. The new deal is a nod to the trajectory of the program, which appears set to compete in the SEC and nationally at an elite level on a yearly basis.

Go ‘Dawgs!!!

It was one of the most satisfying moments of victory Georgia fans had soaked in for quite some time.

But was jubilant as the feeling was, the 2002 SEC Championship win against Arkansas didn’t need any dramatics. That tone was set in the opening minutes by Decory Bryant’s punt, which may have been the loudest the Georgia Dome ever got up until Alec Ogletree’s field-goal block in the 2012 SEC Title Game.

This game didn’t have a nail-biting, blood-pressure spiking finish like Auburn in November of that year, the Hobnail Boot Game or the 1996 win at Auburn, but it was every bit of a coronation, that after sitting and watching the Bulldogs’ rivals raise SEC trophies since the championship game began in 1992, Georgia didn’t just get to Atlanta…but it did so in a large way.

You almost had to pity the Arkansas fans for this one. Remember, this was back when the SEC West winner usually got handled in the SEC Championship game. Arkansas in this era was pretty good…good enough to get to Atlanta but not above the Floridas, Tennessees and in 2002…Georgias of the league.

To say that the demand for tickets for this game was high is an understatement. Obviously, the Georgia allotment didn’t last long. And since this was back pre-Stubhub, myself and a few roommates and friends had the next best plan – call the Arkansas ticket office when they put their tickets on sale. The game may have been a rout, but for Georgia fans who were there, it was definitely a “I was there” game.

The game was basically over as it began. After Bryant’s punt block was recovered at the two-yard line, Musa Smith needed just one play to score, and the next Razorback resulted in a three and out..followed by a 62-yard drive capped by a 17-yard score by Smith. In short, that was the game in a nutshell – Georgia ran right over Arkansas, and Brian VanGorder’s defense shut down anything that the Razorbacks tried to do on offense.

It was a case where Georgia was the superior team, even if it could have been a wider margin of victory, with the Bulldogs added a field-goal on their next three drives to lead 23-0 at halftime before adding a fourth-quarter touchdown from David Greene to Ben Watson.

If you were around the age of UGA students in 2002 and had family who lived through the early 1980s, it was hard not to feel like it was your generation’s moment of glory. You would hear of stories about the 1980-82 era and of Herschel, Erk, the Sugar Bowl and camping out for tickets like I was a story in an old dusty book (some of us had parents with the 1980! book).

On that December night in downtown Atlanta, Bulldog fans felt like they had reached the mountaintop.

Go Dawgs!

It’s game day, ‘Dawgs! Who could possibly sleep when we have the Western Kentucky Hilltoppers coming to town? Here’s some tailgate music to get you grooving:

We next move, in the customary fashion, into this week’s UGA hype video::

Anyone else a little disappointed that there wasn’t a creepy girl crawling out of a well in there anywhere? Yeah, me too.

In other Bulldogs news, the week two injury report is out and is pretty benign. Outside linebacker Chase Linton remains questionable with a leg injury of indeterminate severity, and defensive back Jontae Gilbert apparently has a finger that’s giving him the finger. Drew Bobo remains a go-go with his hand in a club, but his knowledge of his dad’s offense fully intact.

Jeff Sentell and Kaylee Mansell at DawgNation have the lowdown on expected visitors for the game, including Bulldog QB commit Jayden Wade.

That should get you started on your Saturday. We’ll be back shortly with the game thread, and all your other Bulldog coverage as the day in college football unfolds. Until later…

Go ‘Dawgs!!!

There’s no rest for the best, as Yara and Nathan take a stab at previewing Georgia’s upcoming contest against the Western Kentucky Hilltoppers. This one has real statistics baked right in, then lovingly drizzled with a luscious glaze of vibes. Among the topics:

• A few months ago Western Kentucky was giving LSU all they could handle. A few days ago they got boat-raced by the Nevada Wolfpack. How did we get from one outcome to the other?
• Will Kirby Smart-coached football teams cover two gargantuan spreads in two weeks? Are you asking that because you’re new here?
• How excited is appropriately excited about the Georgia Bulldog defense? Will that question become more answerable after this Saturday?
• Will you ever get the image of WKU’s amorphous blob of a mascot lounging on sumptuous carpets while being fed grapes by Roman servants out of your head? No. No you will not.

All that, and so much more. And remember like a Big Ten replay crew to take an extra second to like, rate, recommend, subscribe, and patreonize the show wherever you get your podcasts.

Until later…

Go ‘Dawgs!!!

The Georgia Bulldogs may be done for the day, but the college football action elsewhere is just heating up.

Your full college football schedule can be found here for ready reference. Among your viewing options are Alabama at Kentucky on ABC, Mississippi State at Minnesota on CBS, and Arizona at #15 BYU on Fox.

Tonight’s Prime time matchup between Texas and Ohio State will also be coming up, and this thread will be the hub for discussions and updates on all the action throughout the day.

Go ‘Dawgs!!!

I’m not saying he’s Knownshon Moreno. But Chauncey Bowens hurdling a defender without breaking stride to casually stroll into the endzone at 225 pounds is a thing that doesn’t look like it should be possible.

So far, so good in Athens with the Red and Black (and White) up by three touchdowns halfway through the first quarter.

Go ‘Dawgs!!!

It’s almost time for kickoff in a slightly soggy Athens, Georgia. There’s rain all around Athens, but fans are already in fine form, waiting to see the Bulldogs come out in their new, all-white look, and hopefully look just as dominant as they did last week against Tennessee State.

My guess is that this won’t be quite as dominant a performance, as Western Kentucky is a solid Conference USA opponent, and I expect them to redeem themselves somewhat from a poor loss to Nevada last Saturday.

Go ‘Dawgs!!!

You don’t put up 60+ points in back-to-back games for the first time since 1915 without a total team effort. But even then some Bulldogs are bound to distinguish themselves. Those valiant warriors in Red and Black are your MVDs, the Most Valuable Dawgs from Georgia’s 70-20 victory over Western Kentucky.

Offense: Gunner Stockton. There’s no point in overthinking this one. Gunner finished 13 of 16 for 234 yards passing and 5 touchdowns in a shade under two quarters of work. That’s downright surgical in its efficiency. If he can continue to carve up defenses that way in the SEC schedule, the Bulldog offense is heading for a big year.

Defense:Chris Cole. Like most of the Bulldog starters Cole took limited snaps, but while he was in he was all over the Hilltopper offense. Cole finished with 3 tackles, 2 of them solo stops, and got consistent pass rush pressure both inside and outside. It was a really solid, consistent effort for the physically gifted linebacker.

Special teams: AJ Kruah. Kruah also led the team in tackles, by the way, but his forced fumble on the game’s opening play set the tone for the day. On a day when Kirby Smart specifically called out his second and third teamers for not being prepared to play, Kruah absolutely came ready to work.

Go ‘Dawgs!!!

Tyson Helton’s Western Kentucky Hilltoppers were always going to need to play flawless football if they were going to keep things close this afternoon against the Georgia Bulldogs. The problem is that they played pretty much the opposite of that, and as a result what was always likely to be a Bulldog win turned into an absolute beatdown. Georgia tied a program record with 49 first half points to cruise to a 76 beating in front of a white clad and soaking wet crowd in Sanford Stadium.

Once again Gunner Stockton played an efficient little bit of football and called it a day early. Stockton was 13 of 16 passing for 234 yards and a career high 5 touchdowns. Gunner hit five different Bulldogs for those scores, and while he did have a couple of balls underthrown or tipped, it was an all-around good performance.

Nate Frazier picked up where he left off as well, looking crisp on 6 carries for 55 yards and a touchdown. Interestingly Chauncey Bowens and Dwight Phillips each only had one carry, each for 4 yards. That’s not too concerning, as at this point coaches are pretty confident with what their veteran tailbacks can do.

Second string quarterback Ryan Puglisi was actually the Dawgs’ leading rusher with 72 yards on 2 carries. However 70 of them came on a single touchdown run. But his other run resulted in a fumble that helped the Hilltoppers log their first scoring drive of the day. It was a troubling trend, as the Bulldogs turned the ball over twice and had a handful of other fumbles that they managed to recover. And while the first string defense played lights out, and the Bulldogs ultimately surrendered only 225 yards of total offense, it felt as if the reserves weren’t as dialed in as one would prefer.

As Kirby Smart said on the field after the game “we’ve got a lot of guys who want to play but aren’t ready to play.” Indeed, the gap between the dominance of Georgia’s first stringers and the lapses once those players called it a day is a little concerning if injuries and tougher competition require some of those reserves to be thrust into meaningful action.

Still, it feels a little odd to say that a 70-20 game wasn’t as close as the score indicates. The Bulldogs scored touchdowns on offense, defense, and in the kicking game. And those reserves were in for over a half of football precisely because the first stringers could have scored a hundred if Kirby had wanted them to. They’ll get better with more reps, and the staff got a ton of coaching tape today. That’s not a bad thing, and a lot of those youngsters will be better football players by the end of the season for it.

Now the Dawgs prepare to start the real season, going on the road next week to open SEC play against Ryan Silverfield’s Arkansas Razorbacks. I for one am looking forward to seeing what a full game from this Georgia team looks like. Until later…

Go ‘‘Dawgs!!!

Y’all. I have been with Mr. Squillian since 1984. If your math is a little rusty, that is 42 years and counting. We married in 1987, so we’re still a few months shy of 40 years married, but as we both like to say, it just seems like forever.

If you’ve been married/with someone longer than about 6 months, you know that there are things your significant other (SO) does that are both endearing and infuriating. Mr. Squillian’s view on my Dawg fandom/attending home games is one of those things. Mr. Squillian is a Dawg fan, and has been since before he met me, but he’s quite happy to sit at home on his couch, where he is in air-conditioned/heated comfort, with whatever he desires for food & drink a short walk away. He’s perfectly happy for me to attend games without him, right up to the point where I don’t have a sidekick/partner-in-crime/companion. Every week, he asks who will be accompanying me. This week, when I posted on Facebook asking if there was anyone who wanted to go with me, he reminded me that he is always happy to go with me (which is a bold-faced lie, but whatever).

If you didn’t already know it, marriage is all about compromise. And I use marriage in the definition used by Robert Fulghum: a marriage doesn’t actually begin at the altar, but rather in all the quiet, ordinary moments a couple shares beforehand. That way, it can encompass every marriage, even ones where the couple hasn’t chosen to register it with the local government. My compromise yesterday was that we didn’t leave the house in time to make the Dawg Walk, and I told Mr. Squillian that he was allowed to have as much beer as he wanted (he wanted 2). I packed sunscreen and ponchos. We needed both. We spent a good amount of time putting on and taking off the ponchos. We spent more time happily cheering on the Dawgs in their 70-20 rout of the Western Kentucky University Hilltoppers. (What is a Hilltopper?)

However, it is our intention to celebrate Georgia Bulldog Football Wins whenever and wherever they occur. The ugliness or beauty of any particular win is irrelevant for the purposes of the Winning Smart Victory Post. It is therefore my deepest honor and privilege to bring to you this week’s edition of: The Winning Smart Victory Post.

Coach Kirby Smart coached his 140th game this week for the Red & Black. He currently boasts a 119-21 record and a 0.8500 winning percentage, having carded his one hundred nineteenth win overall in the second game of the 2026 season against the Western Kentucky Hilltoppers.

At the identical juncture in their careers:

Vince Dooley’s 139th game as head coach resulted in a Georgia Bulldogs win over Vandy in the sixth game of the 1976 season, giving Coach Dooley a record of 93-42-5 and a 0.6821 percentage.

Coach Mark Richt was 104-36 (0.7429) after a win over Kentucky in the 10th game of the 2011 season.

One hundred and forty games into his head coaching career Kirby Smart is fifteen games ahead of Coach Mark Richt and ahead of Coach Vince Dooley by 26 games. As of now, he is holding his own versus the two winningest coaches in Georgia Football History.

As always . . .

Go ‘Dawgs !!!!

Another week, another overwhelming win for Georgia. This time, the roadkill was Western Kentucky in a 70-20 win in a day mixed with rain and sunshine Between The Hedges.

Here are 10 thoughts from all that shook out on Saturday in Athens.

1. Even when Georgia has had some very good teams, there have been times where it has slopped around the not started games very crisp, to say the least. If there is one thing that stands out from these first two games against very underwhelming opponents, its that the Bulldogs – at least their first-team level of the depth chart, have been ready to play. The latest? A 14-0 lead Saturday after only four offensive plays. Yes, both Tennessee State and Western Kentucky are putrid. But the way that the focus has been sharp early on the past two games says a lot about the upper-end of the roster.

2. But…lot was also on display about the lower end of the roster. When you give up two second-half touchdowns, even if they are backups, that’s not good. Was Kirby Smart trying to send a message when he said that some players were ‘not ready to play’ after Saturday’s win? Perhaps. But it also says that at some point, these reserves will be needed to step up. Injuries and adversity? Those things happen during a season. It may seem a long way off for these reserves to step in…but that plan goes out the window when injuries happen. To quote Jerry Reed, these young players “have a long way to go, and short time to get there.”

3. All of that said, we still don’t know how well this team can handle the fire of adversity. Arkansas will be toughest game so far next week, and there is a worry of sleepwalking for a midway game in the CST, but the Razorbacks are not very good. Oklahoma? It could not beat a Michigan team that needed creative timekeeping to beat Western Michigan. If you want a true test for this team, it may not be until a trip to Tuscaloosa. 

4. SEC play starts next week, so at some point Georgia will need to loosen up opposing run defenses with the deep ball. After limiting the pass game to short and mid-range last week, it was good to see Mike Bobo go anti-vanilla and stretch the pass game deep early on. 

5. Was the opponent inferior? Yes. But Gunner Stockton setting a career high for touchdowns is a career high. And five touchdowns in one half? That’s a thing of significance. If players in other conferences can get Heisman numbers gassed up by beating up on lesser teams, there is no reason that Stockton cannot. 

6. Oh yes, the uniforms. Even if you are a stubborner to change, even if you dislike the NIL premise of them, the white uniforms looked great. The next step? Break those things out for a night game. 

7. Georgia fans take it for granted, but despite all of Saturday’s rain, you would have hardly known it based on how well the Sanford Stadium turf played. If you believe that Georgia’s team that keeps this playing surface in top shape is among the best of the best, then Saturday proved it. 

8. In the world of ‘where did that come from,” Ryan Puglisi showed off some sneaky speed on his 70-yard touchdown run. It was the first time seeing that Between The Hedges since…Stetson Bennett drained Auburn’s soul in 2022. 

9. Prather Hudson became a cult-like hero a few years ago, because when he lined up a running back, it meant a big walkover Georgia win. Now, that role may belong to Dwight “Peanut” Phillips, Bo Walker, and Nick Peal. All three showed an aggressive style of running Saturday, combining to rush for 59 yards. 

10. After the Orange Bowl and now Saturday, Brock Gleen is liable to be having nightmares about Georgia’s defense for the rest of his living days.

Go Dawgs!

Here we are again, looking to lift the curtain on one man’s madness. To investigate the thoughts of a college football coach brought low by fate, and also a roster crammed to the gills with angry five star recruits who spend their days being yelled at by Kirby Smart. This is Western Kentucky head coach Tyson Helton during the waning moments of Saturday’s 70-20 loss to Georgia.

I ask you, what was Tyson Helton thinking?

a) “There have to be better ways to earn a living. I used to be a pretty fair checkers player. Is there a pro checkers circuit? Could I start one?”

b) “Clay’s going to be beating up on Dabo Swinney and I have to be here getting barbecued like a pork loin.”

c) “I feel like an armadillo on the highway of life. Turns out the light at the end of the tunnel was a set of Buick headlights.”

d) “I thought the SEC was kicking schools out of the league for playing NFL players.“

As always, your suggestions are encouraged in the comments. Until later…

Go ‘Dawgs!!!

Yara and Nathan did a fantastic, thorough job previewing the SEC earlier this week.

So thorough they sort of ran out of time to actually preview one school in particular: the Georgia Bulldogs.

That’s an oversight the dynamic duo remedy with gusto in this episode, turning the Bulldog roster over this way and that, peeking into the cracks and crevices, and generally giving the Mean Machine in Red and Black the type of meticulous attention you expect from the Internet’s premier college football podcast focused on stats and feelings. Highlights include:

• Nathan being willing to wager that Gunner Stockton will come back for 2027, which I’m reasonably certain is verboten under the NCAA’s “five to play five” rule. But who knows? College football is now Thunderdome, redshirts are now called Schlarfuzzles, and are distributed solely by a leprechaun in Soperton named “Skeeter”, and if you find a sympathetic probate court judge in Wyoming you too could be on a college roster next season. Even tomorrow. So now that I think about it, Nathan is actually probably right on this one.
• The Bulldog tight ends are legion. Figuring out how to use them is a job that could only be managed by a crack tactician like….Mike Bobo.
• Is it possible that, just this once, Kirby Manball is actually the answer?
• Even without Xzavier McLeod, the Bulldog defensive line makes Yara’s heart sing.
• Does Georgia have the best secondary in the nation? Maybe. Does asking that question aloud feel a little like tempting the gods in a Greek tragedy? You bet your Homefield hoodie it does.

As always we ask that you like, rate, subscribe, and patreonize the show wherever you get your podcasts.

Until later…

Go ‘Dawgs!!!

There are few things better than watching a little college football after watching the Georgia Bulldogs take care of business. And this evening brings some compelling viewing for your considerations. The marquee matchup is of course Clemson traveling to Baton Rouge to take on Lane Kiffin and the team of guys he was actually able to sneak by the SEC (7:30 eastern, ABC). It takes a lot to make Dabo Swinney a sympathetic underdog character, but by golly the Laner has managed to do it.

The full schedule of television possibilities is here, and in case you son’t want to watch two of the least sympathetic coaches in college football square off, you might be interested in checking out Missouri State at #8 Texas A&M on ESPN. You could also check out the optimistic beginning of the Jon Sumrall era in Gainesville as the Gators host Florida Atlantic (7:45, SEC Network).

Whatever you choose to spend this evening watching, we’re glad you’re spending it phere.

Go ‘Dawgs!!!

It’s finally time to let the big ‘Dawgs eat.

Your Bulldog captains for today’s opener are center Drew Bobo, linebacker Chris Cole, defensive tackle Jordan Hall, and kicker Peyton Woodring.

Bobo is snapping to Gunner Stockton in warmups, but doing so with a club on his hand. So it seems as if he will try to go. Edge rusher Gabe Harris is listed as probable on the final injury report, though like many of the starters I’d expect him to be on a bit of a short leash in terms of snaps today.

Crack open a beverage, crack open your programs, and let’s do this.

Go ‘Dawgs!!!

You do t steamroll the mighty Tennessee State Tigers 63-3 without knitting together a total team effort. Even then, some Bulldogs are bound to distinguish themselves above and beyond the crowd. These dauntless Dawgs are your MVDs, the Most Valuable Dawgs from Georgia’s season-opening win.

Offense: the offensive line.Sure, Gunner Stockton had an almost flawless start to the season. And Nate Frazier scored touchdowns on 3 of the 4 times he touched the dang ball. But the offensive line was the common denominator in both those performances. Did you see the holes Frazier was running through? I don’t want to crown this group the Joe Moore Award front runner. But if they can stay collectively healthy and continue to gel, they could be very, very good.

Defense: PJ Dean. I’m not sure the true freshman outside linebacker was technically the most valuable player on a Bulldog defense which uniformly played well. But his 1.5 sacks were a pretty eye-opening debut. His name had been one of those quietly bandied about as opening a lot of eyes in fall camp (along with freshman defensive tackle Valdin Sone, who also saw a lot of action). I’ll be very curious to see where Dean slots in the rotation going forward.

Special teams: Drew Miller. Sure, the junior punter only had one kick, a booming 65 yarder that rolled harmlessly into the end zone for a touchback. But his major contribution to the day was actually botching a hold on Peyton Woodring’s only field goal attempt of the day, preventing the Bulldogs from coming away with points on their sixth drive. This was a very valuable contribution because it will give Kirby Smart something to rage about on what could have been in otherwise self-congratulatory day. Thanks for taking one for the team, Drew.

Feel free as always to shout out your own MVDs in the comments. And…

Go ‘Dawgs!!!

The Georgia Bulldogs were a physical mismatch for the Tennessee State Tigers, but played the officials to and their own clumsiness surprisingly close this afternoon to take a 63-3 victory.

The Red and Black came out of the gates humming. The Dawgs scored touchdowns on their first five possessions, with Nate Frazier opening the scoring by slicing through the Tennessee State defense for a 45 yard touchdown run on the opening drive. He would add a 14 yard untouched touchdown jaunt, while Gunner Stockton tossed touchdown passes to Talyn Taylor, Elyiss Williams, and Jaden Reddell. Stockton looked midseason polished, completing 15 of 16 passes for 202 yards and those 3 touchdowns before yielding to Ryan Puglisi.

Frazier would end the day with 3 touchdowns and 72 yards on only 4 carries, a tidy 18.0 yards per carry behind a massive Bulldog offensive line that looked every bit as promising as we have hoped they would be. Again, the competition will get tougher from here. But t

The defense likewise came out of the locker room with fire in its eyes. The hapless TSU Tigers didn’t manage a first down until just under the 7:00 minute mark until halftime, and were stuck at 0 total yards until that same juncture. Gabe Harris rocked quarterback Daylin Lee on the first possession, and looked great in his return from toe surgery.

Then things sort of went pear-shaped. Ryan Puglisi came in for Stockton and the offense stalled out. Peyton Woodring stroked a perfect 38 yard field goal but it was called back because the Bulldogs lined up with two players each wearing #51. That sort of thing is frowned upon by the folks wearing zebra striped shirts. After backing up five yards the Red and Black botched the snap and hold and came away empty handed.

The defense, then also beginning to substitute, allowed the Tigers to sustain their first scoring drive of the day. It began with a hands to the face penalty on Joseph Jonah-Ajonye that allowed the first of the Tigers first downs.

It would be only the first of a metric ton of penalties on the Bulldogs, 8 in total for 85 yards, some of them (a hands to the face penalty on Jaden Reddell for an exuberant stiff arm) a little questionable, but most just the result of basic boneheadedness. That’s something that will need to be fixed before the schedule gets real later this month.

That being said we saw the tantalizing whispers of what could be a very good football team. We also saw what could be a very bright future. Freshmen Kaiden Prothro and Jae Lamar scored the first touchdowns of their Bulldog careers, as did receiver Jeremy Bell, who caught a beautiful touchdown from third string QB Ryan Montgomery. To my eye Montgomery looked a little cleaner throwing the ball than Puglisi, but we’ll have to see how that rivalry plays out in the months to come.

What we learned is that Georgia does indeed have a roster deep with freakish athletes, and that the veterans at the vanguard of the lineup are as good as we remembered them being from their 2025 SEC Championship season. Ultimately it’s hard to find fault with a game in which you churn out 661 yards of offense, and surrender only 119. We didn’t learn much about how Georgia stacks up to Alabama, Ole Miss and Texas, but we did see signs that should give Bulldog fans some things to look forward to.

As Nate Frazier said on the field after the game “there’s always room for improvement.” But so far, so good for the 2026 Georgia Bulldogs. Until later…

Go ‘Dawgs!!!

Happy Labor Day, Dawgs. Here’s wishing you and yours a relaxing day on this, the holiday set apart to recognize the contributions of the steadfast American worker. Have yourself a day, you’ve earned it.

Speaking of earning it, Kirby Smart’s team has earned some praise for their 63-3 Thrashing of Tennessee State, with observers noting that the Red and Black may have more NFL tight ends on the roster than some current NFL teams.

Also I agree with the comments in the replies. Four is a low estimate when you consider that Kaiden Prothro is fifth on the depth chart, Colton Heinrich and Brayden Fogle are behind him, and that all of them are former blue chip recruits. I don’t know how Todd Hartley keeps getting away with this, but I’m glad he does.

Dawg Nation offers week one grades on the Bulldogs, which were uniformly good except for the special teams. I agree, it was a pretty underwhelming day from that unit, which is an aberration for the Dawgs under Coach Smart. I like the odds of some of those issues getting cleaned up before we get into SEC play.

But enough about last week. The competition perhaps gets a little tougher this Saturday as the Classic City Canines take on the Western Kentucky Hilltoppers. If you haven’t already take a moment to review Lugnut Dawg’s excellent preseason preview of the Hilltoppers and their unsettling mascot.

In case you missed it, the Hilltoppers out of Conference USA started the season by losing 49-14 on the road at Nevada. It was a pretty inauspicious start, with the Wolfpack churning out 323 rushing yards. I wouldn’t mind watching the Bulldogs do something similar.Until later…

Go ‘Dawgs!!!

The first game of the season……some people want to see it at a neutral site, against a top-tier opponent. Some want to have it at home, whether the opponent is top-tier or FCS. There are pros and cons to both, and personally, it doesn’t make much difference to me. The biggest difference is when the first game is at home, there are more (true) fans in the stands. Neutral sites seem to bring people with more money than fandom, and some of the home game traditions (Dawg walk, band pre-game performance, etc.) are lost for that day.

Chuck Leavell leading Sanford Stadium in the Star Spangled Banner (photo credit:squillian)

This year begins the sixth season since Podunk left us. Sometime in the 2022 season is when the number of games I attended without her surpassed the number of games I attended with her. I’d hand back every one of those without her games for one more with her.

Noon games are hard, because I always want to be on campus super early in order to get a good spot for the Dawg Walk. I don’t know why a 3PM game was hard for me yesterday but I left the house late, and Friday afternoon me didn’t care enough about Saturday me to put gas in the car, so I still had to get gas after picking up yesterday’s sidekick.

We still made it to campus in plenty of time to get to the Dawg Walk before it really began, and we were able to find a spot in the shade, which was essential. In the words of Wendy-lady: Peter, I’m ever so much more than twenty. And in the words of Randy Travis: They say time takes its toll on a body, makes the young girl’s brown hair turn gray. Thanks to my fabulous hairdresser, you’ll seldom see gray in my hair, but trust me, if not for her, you most definitely would. And the heat of early September in Georgia is much more difficult for me to take than it once was. 

Based on the weather forecasts (and my experience at the home opener last year, when I had to sit out the 3rd quarter due to heat issues), my goal was to make it through the game without sunburn or heat-related illness. I am happy to report that the goal was accomplished, but I did have to give up remaining in my seat for the entirety of the game in order to do so. 

Our score was still in the sub-50s when my sidekick and I decided that we needed to retreat to the air-conditioned comfort of the Tate Center. Neither of us wanted to leave campus, but we didn’t want to add to the number of fans making the EMTs and other officials work harder.

If you ever find yourself also needing to retreat to Tate, I highly recommend the theater for the coldest AC and comfy seats. And apparently, unless the game is ‘streaming only’, the game will be shown there on the big screen.

However, it is our intention to celebrate Georgia Bulldog Football Wins whenever and wherever they occur. The ugliness or beauty of any particular win is irrelevant for the purposes of the Winning Smart Victory Post. It is therefore my deepest honor and privilege to bring to you this week’s edition of: The Winning Smart Victory Post.

Coach Kirby Smart coached his 139th game this week for the Red & Black. He currently boasts a 118-21 record and a 0.8489 winning percentage, having carded his one hundred eighteenth win overall in the home season opener of the 2026 season against the Tennessee State Tigers.

At the identical juncture in their careers:

Vince Dooley’s 139th game as head coach resulted in a Georgia Bulldogs loss to Ole Miss in the fifth game of the 1976 season, giving Coach Dooley a record of 92-42-5 and a 0.6825 percentage.

Coach Mark Richt was 103-36 (0.7410) after a win over Auburn in the 9th game of the 2011 season.

One hundred and thirty nine games into his head coaching career Kirby Smart is fifteen games ahead of Coach Mark Richt and ahead of Coach Vince Dooley by 26 games. As of now, he is holding his own versus the two winningest coaches in Georgia Football History.

As always . . .

Go ‘Dawgs !!!!

On paper, Georgia was an overwhelming favorite before Saturday’s opener against Tennessee State. The Bulldogs handled their business like you’d expect, and the Tigers presented themselves like a lower-level FCS program trying to rebuild. It all added up to a rout of a victory for Georgia, 63-3.

Here are ten thoughts, observations and more for a very hot Saturday in Athens.

1. Firstly, it was tremendous to be in Athens. There’s just something about that drive into town on game day that seems to heal all that ails. For those of us from south Georgia and the middle part of the state, there’s some type of emotion that seems to make your mood better when you pull through Madison and see that first Golden Pantry just around Bogart. You feel like you are headed to somewhere special, like a city of gold just over the hill. College football may be a hellscape right now, but in moments like Saturday, all seemed right with the world. 

2. Compared to a week ago, how much more do we substantially know about this Georgia team? Sure, the execution on both sides was very good (mostly), but how different was what we saw Saturday than if there would have been a full-roster scrimmage with fans in the stands on Saturday? There are clearly places on a schedule for non-conference teams of a lesser variety, but the this may have very well been the worst team UGA has faced under Kirby Smart.

3. Let the record show that more than ten minutes remained until halftime when Gunner Stockton was subbed out for Ryan Puglisi and offense was basically Ryan Montgomery’s under center in the fourth…until Hezekiah Millender in the fourth. Yes, four QBs. That speaks to how one-sided this day was, and in an odd way, you hope that it stays a bit closer next week so that Stockton and the refreshed received room can get in-game work ahead of a going to Arkansas.

4. Many may have tuned out in this game’s ‘garbage time,“ when Jae Lamar powered into the end zone for a score with 3:57 to play. But its hard not to have a soft spot for Lamar given the adversity he has overcome – missed his first two years of football in high school due to a gunshot wound in his leg. That’s toughness, and it would not be the first hard-nosed running back Georgia has had from Moultrie…see Daijun Edwards.

5. On the topic of Tennessee State and its Aristocrats of Bands, a shame this game contract was not similar to Southern in that the marching band showed up. The fans could have been at least given than incentive to say until halftime. 

6. And given the heat…could it least be considered to PPV games like Saturday so this thing could have kicked off at 7 pm? Its a challenge across sports and ticketing the get fans to watch in-person vs. at home. Saturday’s weather made staying home easy. 

7. Speaking of fans…anyone who one, showed up in this heat and two, made one half is worthy of DGD status. 

8. Yes, Georgia won big. But it still had plenty of teachable moments on display. The first half alone had 55 penalty yards, mostly on defense. There was also the misadventerous field-goal try in the second quarter and mishandled snap on a fourth-quarter PAT. If Kirby Smart needed points on emphasis on game film, this coaching staff has them.

9. This game may have looked like a 7-on-7 tournament for Georgia on offense, but it was good to see the Bulldogs’ two prime running backs, Nate Frazier and Chauncey Bowens get to thee edge and find very good results. Obviously, consider the opponent, but the ways both had success, by the run and via the screen is a hopeful preview of what’s to come within Mike Bobo’s offense.  

Heaven help us if there’s heavy cloud cover when that pyro is set off from the west end zone in any future games Between The Hedges.

Go Dawgs!

We’ve all seen it. A college football game is coming to its inevitable end. And as is so often the case, there’s going to be a winner, there’s going to be a loser, and everyone watching knows who the latter will be. The cameras pan to the coach of the soon to be losing team. He stares into the middle distance, contemplating decisions made and actions taken, questioning his strategy, his tactics, and his very worth as a coach of football and a leader of young men.

“Lou Holtz’s chartreuse Maserati!” you exclaim. “What must that poor sap be thinking right now?”

As usual, we have a few ideas.

Ladies and gentlemen, this is Tennessee State head coach Reggie Barlow gamely facing the media following his team’s 63-3 loss to Georgia.

I ask you: what was Reggie Barlow thinking?

a) “Look, they were going to beat the ever-loving stew out of somebody in week one. Might as well be us.”

b) “Wait, they really gained 611 yards of offense? I saw that on the stat sheet and just assumed I was hallucinating from the heat.”

c) “Hey, we decided to start the season against a truly elite national program. But only because Clemson was already spoken for.”

d) “I feel bad that I shrieked and jumped under the desk when the guy from the Bogart Biweekly called my name. But he looked a little like Raylen Wilson and I didn’t want to take any chances.”

Feel free to offer your own suggestions in the comments below. And… Feel free to offer your own suggestions in the comments below. And…

Go Dawgs!!!

No, I don’t imagine this post will lead to the breakup of Dawg Sports, and no, it isn’t filled with cover songs, but yes it does take advantage of the best sports fandom in the land (Steve Vai was done dirty by that album IMHO).

So just hold on a second while we reset. /Hand to earbud to hear the producer… I’m being told the second in question has been sequestered by the Big 10 conference and utilized Saturday night to prevent another generational embarrasment by a supposed azul-blood program.

It was hot Saturday in Sanford. It will again be hot this Saturday, as the Red & Black welcome Big Red. Not as hot as the warmest opening game temperature on record, but with kickoff at 12:45 pm, it ain’t gonna get cooler as the game progresses. How to combat warm September afternoon temperatures? Wear white.

Lane Kiffin might continue to make Jim Harbaugh look like an angelic viable option, but at least he left the controversial players off his roster. If you like nuance, there’s a Georgia Bulldog who was part of the same upheld injuction: JaCorey Thomas. The former Bulldog DB filed a lawsuit and was granted an extra year of eligibility, and immediately transferred to West Virginia. He missed the first game, and still has a targeting penalty to sit out. Or does he?

You’ll have to wait another day to get the latest AP Top 25 college football rankings, as the Week 1 schedule encompasses Monday’s Labor Day games, and a ranked SMU team to boot. Will Georgia leapfrog #2 Oregon after the Ducks struggled to stay ahead of a plucky Boise State team? I think you can count on Alabama moving up a slot or two, the a$$-Kiffing of the media for LSU will surely bump the Tigers up a few slots, and that school up north likely falls out of the top 20 (or farther).

Likewise, you’ll have to wait another day for Head Bulldog Kirby Smart’s weekly pre-game press conference. Where I’m sure we will learn absolutely nothing other than there were some good performances Saturday, but practice will determine the game reps, and the visiting Hilltoppers are a very good, well-coached team.

It’s always a great day to be a Georgia Bulldog, and conversely not to be a Michigan Wolverine fan having to explain game clock technology in conjuction with media broadcast latency. Enjoy your Tuesday, and as always…

GO ‘DAWGS!!!

There’s no surer sign that college football is back on the menu than Nathan and Yara putting their thoughts on the subject out into the world, now kicking off the tenth season of the show. Time flies when you’re hating Hugh Freeze, friends. And boy do the dynamic duo have some thoughts on this one, including:

• Exactly what would it take for Kalen DeBoer to get fired at Alabama?
• The mess that is college football, and hard things that would have to be done to fix it.
• Yara makes it much further than you would have expected before lighting into Mike Bobo.
• Life updates from your cohosts. Go get your health screenings, young people. It could be important.
• Oklahoma’s defense may not be enough, but it may also be too much for somebody.
• Tennessee is doing dangerous things, and that’s before Yara recommends they go into the rain forest to take psychedelics.

All that and so much more. And remember to like, rate, recommend, subscribe, adulate, and patreonize the show wherever you get your podcasts. If you don’t, we will find you and make you join Ryan Silverfield’s Arkansas staff. Until later…

Go ‘Dawgs!!!

There are many things to look forward to about college football season. And the return of the team at SEC Shorts skewering the conference’s football elite has to be pretty high on the list. This week the team takes a stab at how LSU might help the former NFL rostered players who have decided to come back to campus adjust to college life in Baton Rouge.

As that wise sage Dr. Sheldon Cooper was known to say, “It’s funny because it’s true.”

Go ‘Dawgs!!!

One of the Bulldogs’ most experienced defensive linemen is no longer on the roster and has left the team according to multiple reports.

Georgia senior defensive tackle Xzavier McLeod is no longer with the team. McLeod is no longer listed on the team roster on Georgiadogs.com. According to a report from Jordan Hill at Dawgs247 McLeod posted on social media last week ithat he was “done with football” and “retired.”

McLeod appeared in all 14 games last season for Georgia, making six starts. The Camden, South Carolina native posted 17 tackles, 6 quarterback pressures and 2 pass break-ups. Georgia has a host of promising defenders including sophomore Elijah Griffin, juniors Nasir Johnson and Nnamde Ogboko, and freshman Valdin Sone. Seniors Jordan Hall and Josh Horton are also in line for significant snaps (especially Hall if he can stay healthy).

But McLeod , who’s spent the past two seasons in Athens after playing as a freshman at South Carolina in 2023, playing in 29 games, looked like he was going to be a major piece of the puzzle up front for the ‘Dawgs. At a minimum his departure forces Coach Tray Scott to rely a little more on some younger Bulldogs to grow up a little quicker.

In only five days and seven hours college by God football will be played in Sanford Stadium. I’m excited about it. You’re excited about. There’s just one small problem: between now and then you have to make some effort to be a productive member of society. Sure you have work, school, and family obligations to tend to. And we want you to be a productive member of society (it’s not like you’re a Tennessee fan, though as Judge Smails wisely remarked, the world does need Dutch diggers, too).

So the plan here is to get you caught up and read in on wjat’s truly needed-to-know in Bulldog Nation this a.m. Let’s get it going:

DawgNation has a look at the Red and Black’s offensive depth chart going into Tennessee State. A few things that jump out, though none of them is particularly news if you’ve been following along this spring and summer. First, the wide receiver room is arguably as unproven as it has been during the Kirby Smart era. Isaiah Canion was certainly productive last year at Georgia Tech, and we know what London Humphreys can do.

But past that it’s just waves of potential and optimism. I’m of the opinion that a couple of those youngsters step up as the season goes on. But the degree to which Georgia is able to cultivate playmakers at the receiver position is going to be a major determinant of whether this team is pretty good or truly great.

Olivia Sayor at Dawgs247 breaks down every game on the 2026 regular season schedule It’s a great catchup if you’ve been caddying for Scottie Scheffler or touring with AC/DC this summer rather than bunkered down preparing for the season with Dawg Sports preview coverage.

Obviously some teams have already begun their seasons, in this the final year in which wacky week zero games will be played before the NCAA puts everyone on a uniform schedule. Our friends at Rocky Top Talk have some initial thoughts on the weekend that was, and I don’t think I disagree with any of them.

I do think that we may be giving Virginia a tad too much credit for beating up on an NC State team that just doesn’t look physically imposing. But looking at the Cavaliers’ schedule I’m not sure anyone other than the SMU Mustangs will be more prepared to slow down the UVA rushing attack. The ACC looks a little soft to me this season outside of Miami and Georgia Tech, both of whom the Cavaliers dodge this season. All of which could mean Virginia could be the 10-2 team that either a) misses the playoffs after taking a beating in its conference championship game, or b) backs into a playoff spot and then gets run over, around, and through in the first round.

We’ll be back with more today, and all week, as the Classic City’s pulse quickens and game day approaches. Until later…

Go ‘Dawgs!!!

We’ve made it to Week 1, Dawg Nation. We can now start focusing on the product on the field rather than the courtroom (maybe). Let’s check-in around the SEC ahead of the first slate of games.

LSU and NFL Players

As many of you might be aware, LSU and head coach Lane Kiffin are recruiting players that fell victim to NFL roster cuts to come back to college. This has been met with intense backlash, and many court injunctions and legal mumbo jumbo has occurred since they announced former pros would be returning.

Conflicting reports are out there about what the SEC may do in response. Some reports suggest the other 15 schools may boycott LSU games or even expelling them from the league. Other reports say some of the other SEC schools are looking to bring in former pros.

This is such a mess, and if you have been with an NFL team, you should not be allowed to come back to college. Unless Matthew Stafford wants one more year in Athens once he retires. He can come back.

Tennessee’s Sponsor

Tennessee’s jersey patch sponsorship is confirmed as being First Horizon. The deal is for 10 years and $120 million. It’s only a matter of time before all schools have one.

2026 Bowman Chrome Checklist Announced

For those of you who are avid card collectors, the checklist for this year’s Bowman Chrome has been released. The Georgia players that will be featured are Chauncey Bowens, Dwight Phillips Jr., London Humphreys, Isaiah Canion, and Lawson Luckie.

I cannot wait to discuss what happened on the field and looking ahead to Week 2 rather than discussing the law (which is MaconDawg’s forte, not mine). Go Dawgs!!!

Welcome to the Morning Five, a quick hit of Bulldog facts to get your day started right. This morning we’re looking at five statistically-adjacent nuggets about this weekend’s Bulldog opponent, the Tennessee State Tigers. Let’s dive in.

1. Two. That’s the number of victories the Tennessee State Tigers notched last year. There are good FCS teams. Teams you genuinely need to take seriously or they will make you regret it. I do. It think these Tigers are one of those.
2. One. That is the number of games Tennessee State has already lost this season after dropping their opener last weekend to Jackson State. That said the game was close (26-24), and the Tigers do have the benefit of having laced them up and played a live action game.
3. 265. That’s the number of passing yards Tiger QB Daylin Lee had in a pretty tidy outing in the opener. Lockhart was 23 of 41 passing and didn’t throw a pick. The Winston-Salem State transfer is a sturdy 6’2, 225 and while Coach Reggie Barlow likes a run-pass option heavy attack, Lee only ran for 85 yards last season. I’m not sure he’s a huge threat on the ground.
4. 12. That’s the number of scholarship defensive tackles on the Bulldog roster following the departure of Xzavier McLeod earlier this week. And Tray Scott very well may play every single one of them on Saturday because…
5. 96. That’s the forecast temperature in Athens at kickoff time Saturday. I don’t bet on college football precisely because I watch so much of it. But if you’ve got a degenerate streak you may be interested to know that the line on Saturday’s game is Georgia -47.5, which looks like free money to me precisely because Kirby may just kneel out the 4th quarter if they let him.
   
   
   

Go ‘Dawgs!!!

Yours truly is not usually the one to quickly dispel any type of medical advice.

I’m no doctor, but I did stay at a Holiday Inn Express last night.

With all of that said…Saturday in Athens is going to be…rather hot.

There’s a common saying in you have plans to be outside when it comes to hydration. If you’re wondering if you are hydrated enough ahead of time, you probably aren’t.

Whatever you do to stay hydrated and get fluids – its highly advisable to do so. Liquid IV and Pedialyte will likely be in high consumption all across campus Saturday – and who knows? Maybe we can have another Georgia post-game coverage nugget about pickle juice?

Regardless – it’ll be a hot Saturday in Athens.

Say this about Elyiss Williams. If nothing else, he passes the eye test. But based on what is being trickled out of preseason camp, there may be more where that came from for the gargantuan tight end from down around Georgia’s coastal empire.

With 7 catches for 177 yards and a touchdown last year, there was flashes of what Williams could be, and one of the more intriguing things for Georgia on offense is how Williams is utilized even more.

DawgNation takes a closer look..

As Georgia fans, there is something ingrained within us to greatly dislike and mock anything having to do with Georgia Tech, Auburn, Florida, Tennessee, and Clemson. At the same time, big kudos to the folks over on The Plains for this, something that warms the heart if you have a child with special needs in your life or know of someone that does.

I don’t know if Alex Golesh will be successful at Auburn or not. But while Jon Sumrall is at Florida getting angry about a cell phone ringtone in press conferences, Golesh is winning the ‘being a good human being’ category among the new SEC coaches.

Oh, Penn State…

Serious question – what entails the “Paterno Family Football Experience?” I’ll hang up and listen.

In soccer, the Lady Dawgs now have four shutouts on the season. Clearly, much more about this team will be learned in SEC play, but four shutouts are still four shutouts.

Go Dawgs!

It’s a big day for Dawg Sports. Today, the SB Nation app is live, and it’s the best way to follow the Bulldogs. 

You can download it by searching SB Nation for iOS or Android.

A year ago we made some big changes to our community, including offering fewer ads and the addition of the Feed. Today, we want to give you even more community tools and fewer ads with this app. It will make starting and joining conversations here as simple as posting to your favorite social media platform.

You can check out the video below showing off some of the useful features of the app, and we’ll dig into them below. 

Why should I download the app?

The app will be the easiest way to interact with everybody else in the community: 

• All your favorite teams’ posts in one dedicated feed
• Notifications when someone replies or recs your post
• New game thread section, with an  experience that’s smoother and faster
• Fewer ads
• Easily navigating between your favorite communities with a swipe

It will be the fastest way to read every post from our community.

How do I download the app?

Head over to the Apple store or the Android store to download the app. Today, the app is only available for US users.

Welcome to Tuesday, Bulldog fans! And welcome to September! You know it’s game week, I know it’s game week, and the football team is likely vaguely aware as well. Things will get into a little bit of a routine, as you plan your week around attending or absorbing by Gawd Georgia Bulldog live football in just a few days.

If you’re like me, you don’t need a link to Football Head Coach Kirby Smart’s first game week press conference of the season… you watched it live because your thirst for Georgia Bulldogs football news and updated content has reached almost unquencable levels. In hopefully something that has zero relevance to on-field success, the audio production was pretty awful. Not elite. Not worthy of a CFP ranking.

AV department aside, this was a pretty predictable presser for Coach Smart. He liked the practices and scrimmages, but knows the guys are anxious to hit someone else; he thinks the team is conditioned to this weekend’s heat because they’ve had a hot fall camp, players are getting better and showing leadership, etc. etc.

I noticed he was especially effusive in his praise of tight ends Elyiss Williams and Ethan Barbour. Not really in making spectacular catches or outrunning DBs, but in blocking and toughness. Which is completely on brand for Kirby. And if you’re a fan of 13 personnel, and I know you are, you have to believe we’re going to see plenty of it this season.

There was “news” concerning players returning to college after participating in the NFL ranks. I am honestly tired of the subject, but “reporting” says “sources” are saying 15 of the 16 SEC schools are reviewing options to stop the madness. This is from the school level, not the conference level (think refusing to play an opponent who doesn’t comply with SEC rules). Yet Lane Kiffin doubles down his double-down and let’s everyone know he has the players’ blessing. Ladies & Gentlemen – I implore you.

In other fall sports news, the Georgia Women’s Soccer team got another shutout, this time against Mercer 2-0. They have one more square-off against ranked FSU before starting conference play.

Women’s Volleyball is also off to a good start, snagging 3 victories in the Classic City Clash over Furman, George Washington, and North Florida over the weekend. A big contributor is newly minted SEC Freshmen of the Week Gigi Artiles. They’ll need to continue the high level of play as they face a tough slate against top 30 teams in the SEC/Big 10 Challenge.

I don’t usually praise the Tennessee Volunteer program much, but when I do it’s for good reason. And this is the best of reasons, because she was the best of us.

Have a day, keep us up to date in the comments, and as always…

GO ‘DAWGS!!!

In one of the greatest Christmas cinemas ever produced, Cousin Eddie and Clark W. Griswold touch off an underrated exchange:

“College???”

“Carnival!”

It’s a bit ironic that this exchange comes to mind, because the ongoing ‘can pro players really go back to college?“ silliness belongs in a carnival.

It, like other factors in the current state of this sport, are a clown show.

The SEC, for its part is digging in, but who knows what court order could upend that.

Saturday’s Week 0 cannot come soon enough.

Speaking of bounce-back transfers, don’t look for Kirby Smart to have an interest.

Speaking of Kirby, there was plenty else to be said by Georgia’s head coach during Tuesday’s media session. Among the highlights:

Kirby On The Mic At Practice?

“I start thinking about that [the public can hear him talking on the microphone], but by about period three, I haven’t thought about that anymore. There was no inspiration for it. It came from my voice, and I couldn’t get across what I wanted to say without being hoarse every day or having a headache. It was a better solution to a communication problem that I couldn’t get to the other end of the field with my voice. That thing [microphone] would. Personally, I think it’s overrated because some of the players can’t even hear it. Some players have headphones in, and they listen to the dots. A lot of times it’s for organization purposes when we change drills and things like that.”

How has Quintavius Johnson adjusted?

There was probably an adjustment, but who is there not an adjustment for when you come into this place? You come in and there’s big, fast, strong people who are older than you. It’s an adjustment for everybody. We like the fact that he was a Wildcat quarterback, but probably the most intriguing thing is he played ‘MIKE’ linebacker. He came at seven-on-seven, and he was an inside linebacker that dropped and played coverage in space. Most kids that have the spatial awareness to play off the ball don’t struggle to move on the ball. They might struggle with the physicality, but they don’t struggle with the instincts, knowledge and ability to communicate to make plays and adjustments. That was the case with him. He was able to pick it up really well, and he’s got the size to go with it.”

How has Isaiah Canion meshed in?

“He’s come in and blended really well. I think he was comfortable in the room because of the players on the team and having guys he played high school with and played against all his life. Just the general Georgia consensus of being a Georgia player, he’s been around it. He’s worked really hard. He’s relatively quiet, but he plays physical. He plays hard. He plays tough. He’s not afraid to go down and make hard blocks and dig people out, but he’s also got speed and athleticism to be a weapon on the perimeter. He’s had a really good, quiet camp. I’m very pleased with what he’s brought to our team. Great kid.”

On Nick Chubb:

“He’s just an incredible person and leader. I think it was more respect than it was necessarily growth. I got two years with him. His demeanor and the way he went about things and bought into what we were demanding; it was two very tough years for him. One was a bounce back from a significant injury year where we made things really hard and tough in the program, and he never questioned any of those things. I don’t know that without he and Sony [Michel] that we would get the same buy-in that they had. Just when you talk about human beings and respect for where they come from, family, name on the back of your jersey; he has tremendous respect from this organization for what he stands for and what he’s done for his hometown and this university. He’s been an incredible ambassador. To look at what he’s gone through, with those two injuries, I don’t think you can find many people that come back from those two significant injuries.”

Go Dawgs!

SB Nation wants to know: who do you think will win the SEC in 2026? Vote now at SB Nation Reacts to make your voice heard.

During 2025 Gabe Harris grew from a rotational piece into one of the most trusted players on Georgia’s defense. He started 13 games, finishing with 26 tackles, 11 solo stops, and 6.5 tackles for loss. Even better, Harris’s production built as the season progressed. Georgia’s pass rush struggled through the first eight games, managing just eight sacks as a unit, but Harris became the engine behind a turnaround down the stretch. His signature performance came against Texas, where he recorded a sack for a 9 yard loss, 1.5 tackles for loss, and 4 quarterback hurries in one of the most complete games of his career.

He also added pressure in the SEC Championship Game against Alabama and posted 2 tackles for loss against Georgia Tech. Beyond the box score, Harris earned the respect of his teammates and coaches, serving as a game captain against both Texas and Alabama on one of the greener defenses Georgia has fielded in years. Unfortunately a toe injury and surgery kept Harris out of the Playoff Quarterfinals against Ole Miss, a game in which that young UGA defense could have used him to bottle up Trinidad Chambliss.

A lot of the players on that unit have grown some and are back in 2026. Gabe Harris remains one of the defensive leaders, and may be poised to break onto the national stage.

What makes Harris dangerous is the combination of skills he brings off the edge. He has always relied on an explosive first step, the kind that lets him anticipate snap counts and beat offensive tackles before they set their feet. His length and ankle flexibility allow him to bend the corner and shrink the pocket. He also brings positional versatility, having shown he can drop into coverage on occasion, which keeps offenses honest and gives Georgia’s defensive staff more flexibility in disguising pressure. Just as important is his motor. Harris seemed to find a new gear as the season wore on in 2025, and that relentlessness is part of why his production climbed as the season progressed.

The next step for Harris in 2026, like much of the UGA front seven, is turning pressure into finished plays. He generated hurries and disruption at a high level last year, but converting more of those opportunities into sacks and tackles for loss will separate a good season from a great one. He also needs to keep adding strength at the point of attack, since he has traditionally played with more finesse than power, and SEC tackles will test that against the run. Consistency from the opening kickoff matters too. Georgia’s front was sluggish for much of the first half of last season, and Harris cannot afford another slow start if the Bulldogs want their pass rush humming from the start.

Georgia’s pass-rush picture around Harris looks different heading into 2026. The Bulldogs finished last season with only 20 total sacks, a number the staff wants to see improve significantly. CJ Allen, was a serious pass rush presence from his inside linebacker spot, but was drafted away after an All-American season. Auburn transfer Amaris Williams was expected to add depth off the edge but is now expected to miss the season following a spring knee injury.

While Elijah Griffin looks set to take a big leap forward on the interior after a strong freshman year, it’s just not possible to mount an effective pass rush without consistent pressure off the edge. Quintavius Johnson is an imposing presence and second year players like Chase Linton, Isaiah Gibson and Darren Ikinnagbon will also be a factor. But Harris as the most proven and experienced returning presence in the pass-rush group, and defensive coordinator Glenn Schumann will lean on him to set the tone for a unit that otherwise skews young.

What would a successful 2026 for Harris would look like? Staying healthy would be the first step. All indications from Kirby Smart are that Harris is ready to go after missing spring ball recovering from surgery. Past that, a jump into the 7-9 sack range, paired with double-digit tackles for loss and continued production as a run defender would do the job in my mind. Onhas already been named preseason All-SEC Third Team by both SEC media and Athlon, and building on that with a first or second-team All-SEC selection, along with All-American recognition would reflect the kind of breakout year Georgia needs from him to get its defense back among the nation’s best.

SB Nation wants to know: who do you think will win the SEC in 2026? Vote now at SB Nation Reacts to make your voice heard.

Welcome to Tuesday, Bulldog Fans! You’ve only got 11 more sleeps until it’s Game Day in Athens. And since no one will mind you using your corporate Claude or Copilot license to craft the most inricate and complete grocery and liquor store shopping list, you’ve got plenty of time. So let’s get warmed up with the news out of Athens and college football.

UGA defensemen Ellis Robinson IV, KJ Bolden, and Raylen Wilson have all been named to the 2026 Chuck Bednarik Award watch list.

Four Bulldogs were named to the Preseason Coaches All-Southeastern Conference First Team, and 11 Bulldogs overall – more than any other school. Drew Bobo, Earnest Greene, Robinson, and Bolden got the nod for the first team, while Nate Frazier, Lawson Luckie, Dontrell Glover, Wilson and Elijah Griffin placed on the 2nd team. Gunner Stockton and Gabe Harris rounded out the selections on the 3rd team.

If you thought that was a slight to Gunner Stockton, take solace in that Stockton was also named to the Manning Award Preseason Watch List.

As the season draws near, the remaining starting quarterback competitions are dwindling. On the heels of Alabama trying to placate a 5 star QB and prevent a transfer, the Volunteers have given the reins to 5 star frosh Faizon Brandon. This of course is totally depending on if Josh Heupel can get Hendon Hooker’s name on the latest TRO out of Seveir County.

Arkansas similarly named KJ Jackson as QB1. And Jon Sumrall at Florida now has his signal caller in Aaron Philo. I think it’s a great fit, personally. Philo spent time with new UF OC Buster Faulkner at Georgia Tech, and he has the mustache of a Florida Gator. There’s a special something about him… he looks like the kinda guy who would score a TD, then spike the ball into his own plums before getting blown up by a LB.

Speaking of TROs and favorable district court rulings, word out of Argyle Nation is that Chapel Bill Belichick is sniffing around the ranks of the NFL camps for possible new enrollments. Well, most camps except the NE Patriots. With his general manager Michael Lombardi on administrative leave, and the team likely leaving for their Week 0 game in Dublin, Ireland, we’re not sure who might be doing the sniffing.

While you’ve got a bad taste in your mouth, news comes out that the folks at Ole Miss don’t trust Lane Kiffin very much. Huh.

After setting a national record for attendance at a collegiate women’s soccer game, the Bulldogs continue their winning ways with a victory over Milwaukee. The Bulldogs notched their 3rd win, are ranked (#25), and celebrated Senior Day. There might be something to this “early in the season Senior Day” thing – I think we all can appreciate giving the seniors their due and spotlight, and maybe even a little more playing time.

I hope that gets your day going. Let us know what you’re hearing in the comments, or what you’ve got planned for the first college football in 270+ days. Yet as always…

GO ‘DAWGS!!!

It’s college football’s week 0, and while we’ve still got some time before the Bulldogs kick off, the news from elsewhere is flowing free and fast. Let’s take a quick spin around and see what’s up.

Alabama has named sophomore Keelon Russell its starting quarterback over senior Austin Mack. It isn’t a surprising outcome, as the former five star would eventually take over. But Bama fans are super stoked nonetheless.

Tennessee coach Josh Heupel on the other hand hasn’t named a starter, but appears to be leaning toward freshman Faizon Brandon.Heupel has been saying all the right things publicly about going with the QB who brings the right mix of maturity and leadership to the role. But deep down I think there’s something else at play: in the NIL era you can’t bring in a multi-million dollar blue chipper like Brandon and afford to sit them on the bench. It’s one reason I think Kirby Smart’s emphasis on rewarding proven upperclassmen may be the smartest strategy in the NIL era.

Lane Kiffin on the other hand isn’t so stoked about his tight end rotation, which is why he’s apparently beating the bushes of the NFL for players who are on pro rosters but could come back to college now that a judge in Colorado has decided players in the 2022 class should have a fifth year of eligibility.

Though the buried lede in this story has to be that Kiffin apparently called Todd Monken to talk about whether he could have Monken’s rookie tight end, and Monken didn’t return his call. That goes on the long list of reasons I like Todd Monken.

Go ‘Dawgs!!!

Ladies and gentledawgs, actual college football will be played tonight. It’s not particularly compelling football, but football nonetheless. The good news is that the offerings get better as the weekend progresses. The full (and I mean FULL) college football schedule for week zero is below. But here are each day’s high points, including as usual any SEC games of interest.

Thursday’s best matchup: You vs. Your remaining offseason honey-do list.

Truly, there is nothing of interest for most college football fans on Thursday night. The matchups are so niche that none of them are even on broadcast television , just streaming on ESPN+. But if you’re a college football degenerate like me, who stays up to watch games late into the night on ESPN+, then you probably already know which of these obscure Big South/Big Sky Conference games to watch and would sniff at my suggestions. But for real, Montana State Utah Tech might actually be, in the words of Jupiter Coyote describing Macon’s Rose Hill Cemetery, a beautiful thing in a strange way.

Friday’s best bet: Idaho vs. Cal Poly (10:00 eastern, ESPN)

“Best” may not be the appropriate word for your Friday night options. There aren’t many games, so a battle of teams that went 4-8 and finished near the bottom of the Big Sky last season is the best thing on offer. It is college football, however, and beggars can’t be choosers.

Saturday’s best bet: TCU vs North Carolina from Dublin, Ireland (noon eastern, ESPN)

The Horned Frogs are experienced on both sides of the ball and a 7.5 point favorite over Bill Belichick’s North Carolina team picked to finish near the bottom of the ACC. But the Tar Heel offense is now under the control of Bobby ““Hog Wild” Petrino, who generally does a good job of getting his offenses up and running early in the season. Add in the usual weirdness and unpredictably of an international game, and this one might actually be sort of fun. Like watching someone get bonked unexpectedly over the head with a shillelagh.

Honorable mention goes to North Carolina State versus Virginia, a matchup of teams both pegged to finish in the top third of the sprawling ACC, and both of which could actually be in the playoff discussion at midseason if the schedule breaks right. Tune in for this one and you’ll know just how overhyped that team is in five weeks.

In the evening slot you could watch Hawaii at Stanford on ACC Network if you’re a slave to convention. But trust me, you’ll have way more fun watching East Texas A&M at Mercer on ESPN. It’s the FCS spotlight kickoff game, and features a Mercer team that has made the FCS playoff two years running while doing what Mercer athletics has done reliably for two decades: periodically putting the fear of the Almighty in SEC and ACC fanbases. Looking at you, USC and Duke basketball. You as well, Auburn, Georgia, and Florida baseball.And you, Georgia Tech football.

Go ‘Dawgs!!!

Thursday, Aug. 27

Mercyhurst at Youngstown State | 6 p.m. | ESPN+
Ohio Dominican at Morehead State | 6 p.m. | ESPN+
Eastern Illinois at Murray State | 7 p.m. | ESPN+
Lafayette at Georgetown | 7 p.m. | ESPN+
Gardner-Webb at Austin Peay | 7 p.m. | ESPN+
Charleston Southern at Lindenwood | 7 p.m. | ESPN+
Northwestern (IA) at Western Illinois | 7 p.m. | ESPN+
Chattanooga at West Georgia | 7 p.m. | ESPN+
UVA Wise at Presbyterian | 7 p.m. | ESPN+
Houston Christian at SE Louisiana | 7 p.m. | ESPN+
Anderson (SC) at Furman | 7 p.m. | ESPN+
Mississippi Valley State at Nicholls | 7 p.m. | ESPN+
Southern Illinois at West Florida | 7 p.m. | ESPN+
Concord at Davidson | 7 p.m. | ESPN+
Central Arkansas at UT Martin | 7:30 p.m. | ESPN+
South Dakota Mines at Drake | 7:30 p.m. | ESPN+
LIU at North Dakota | 8 p.m. | ESPN+
Louisiana Christian at Northwestern State | 8 p.m. | ESPN+

Friday, Aug. 28

Rhode Island at Merrimack | 6 pm. | ESPN+
Colgate at Fordham | 6 p.m. | ESPN+
William & Mary at Villanova | 6 p.m. | ESPN+
Idaho at Cal Poly | 10 p.m. | ESPN

Saturday, Aug. 29

TCU vs. North Carolina (Aviva Stadium in Dublin, Ireland) | 12 p.m. | ESPN
Robert Morris at Wagner | 12 p.m. | ESPN+
Fairmont State at Dayton | 12 p.m. | YouTube
Georgetown (KY) at Butler | 1 p.m. | ESPN+
Central Connecticut at South Dakota | 2 p.m. | ESPN+
Lawrence Tech at Valparaiso | 2 p.m. | ESPN+
San Jose State at No. 14 USC | 3 p.m. | NBC
Alabama State vs. Southern (Legion Field in Birmingham, Ala.) | 3 p.m. | ESPNU
UC Davis at Portland State | 3 p.m. | ESPN+
NC State at Virginia | 3:30 p.m. | ESPN
Lehigh at Holy Cross | 3:30 p.m. | ESPN+
Eastern Washington at Northern Arizona | 5 p.m. | ESPN+
Jacksonville State at North Dakota State | 5:30 p.m. | CBSSN
Campbell at East Tennessee State | 5:30 p.m. | ESPN+
Southeast Missouri State at Indiana State | 6 p.m. | ESPN+
Savannah State at South Carolina State | 6 p.m. | ESPN+
Bucknell at Richmond | 6 p.m. | ESPN+
VMI at Idaho State | 6 p.m. | ESPN+
The Citadel at Wofford | 6 p.m. | ESPN+
Sacramento State at Eastern Michigan | 6:30 p.m. | ESPN+
Hawai’i at Stanford | 7 p.m. | ACC Network
New Mexico State at Florida State | 7 p.m. | The CW Network
East Texas A&M at Mercer | 7 p.m. | ESPN
Monmouth at Tennessee Tech | 7 p.m. | ESPN+
Abilene Christian at Lamar | 7 p.m. | ESPN+
Eastern Kentucky at Western Carolina | 7 p.m. | ESPN+
Samford at North Alabama | 7 p.m. | ESPN+
Stephen F. Austin at McNeese | 7 p.m. | ESPN+
East Texas A&M at Mercer | 7 p.m. | ESPN
St. Francis (IL) at Illinois State | 7 p.m. | ESPN+
Howard vs. Alabama A&M (Center Parc Stadium in Atlanta) | 7:30 p.m. | ABC
UT Permian Basin at UT Rio Grande Valley | 8 p.m. | ESPN+
Jackson State at Tennessee State | 8:30 p.m. | ESPN+
Prairie View A&M at Tarleton State | 9 p.m. | ESPN2
Southern Utah at Montana | 9 p.m. | ESPN+
Memphis at UNLV | 10 p.m. | FOX
Montana State at Utah Tech | 10 p.m. | ESPN+

Missouri tailback Ahmad Hardy had one of the best rushing seasons in Mizzou history in 2025, setting a program single-season rushing record with 1,649 yards and 16 touchdowns while recording seven 100-yard rushing games and a healthy 6.44 yards per carry. In the process he became just the sixth player in SEC history to rush for 300 yards in a single game in an 49-27 victory over Mississippi State.

Hardy also led the nation in yards after contact, and perhaps most jaw-dropping averaged 7.10 yards per carry in the second half of games, perennially getting stronger as the game wore on. His breakout season earned him consensus All-America honors, including First Team recognition from the AP, Walter Camp Foundation, AFCA, and Sporting News,. And he was a finalist for the Doak Walker Award.

Preseason expectations remain sky-high for the 5’10, 206 pound junior. Hardy was voted to the 2026 Preseason All-SEC First Team, cementing his status as the top running back in the conference, and probably the nation

In a perfect world Ahmad Hardy would probably be the top player on this list. Unfortunately we do not live in a perfect world. Hardy is recovering from an offseason gunshot wound sustained while attending a concert in his hometown, but the official line from Columbia remains that Hardy will be ready to suit up for Missouri in 2026. Tiger coach Eliah Drinkwitz conceded recently however that Hardy won’t be available for Mizzou’s opener, and he’s not 100% certain when this season Hardy will return.

I expect he will be back by the time Missouri comes to Sanford Stadium on November 14th. But will he be 100%? I’m not entirely certain. Even if he isn’t, Hardy is a big, tough back who sheds tacklers and keeps the Tiger offense out of bad situations by being hard to take down in the backfield. Without him the Black and Gold aren’t quite the same team. But if he’s back and rested up when the team comes to Athens Hardy may be one of the two best tailbacks Georgia faces all season.

Go ‘Dawgs!!!

Are you in favor of sustained touchdown drives that break the will of defenses and run clock like a late night filibuster?

Are you in favor of strict limits on the number of Florida Gators who can be imported north of Valdosta, and by “strict limits” do you mean “absolutely zero”?

And can Kirby Smart count on you to take part in any roll call votes on third down in Sanford Stadium this fall? Then have we got a midterm election ticket for you:

Our good friends at BreakingT’s have just come out with a new line of game day shirts showcasing the one political ticket that can count on all our votes.

Like all BreakingTs products this Stockton/Frazier shirt is officially licensed by Georgia’s NIL Player program, something not every teeshirt company out there on Ray Goff’s internet can say.

Your Georgia Bulldogs BreakingTs product is also designed and printed in the USA, and comes with free returns and exchanges. You can’t go wrong.

Go ‘Dawgs!!!

In a way, Georgia is playing up this whole “White Out” concept perfectly.

In encouraging fans to wear white against Western Kentucky, the Bulldogs may be in line to use the Western Kentucky game as a perfect tune up for the Oklahoma game.

But while Kirby and company focus on that, Georgia fans will be trying to defeat one of the longest odds of the tailgate scene across the American South.

BBQ vs. Clothing.

After all, Tim McGraw was not exaggerating it when he sang the line about ‘a BBQ stain on my white t-shirt.“

It’s almost a fact of life – if you have a light-colored shirt on during your tailgate, odds are very good that you may as well be wearing a magnet attracting anything with sauce on it to make its way to tarnish your game day attire. It’s a scientific fact. I can’t prove that, but just take our word for it.

Then again, when you are a purveyor of BBQ like many of us are, you just accept the loss of a handful of pulled pork as part of the experience…as long as your favorite game day shirt is not ruined.

It could be worse. Georgia could be dealing with another type of white out…

So, if you have hard Georgia baseball broadcasts, you have an idea of what Georgia’s football broadcasts will be with Jeff Dantzler on the call. And if you have heard his post-game call-in alongside Kevin Butler, you have an even better idea.

And though the GameDay broadcast likely won’t have an impromptu call-in by “Macho Man,” there is a tease of what to expect on Saturdays…

In this NIL era, Georgia’s approach still looks to be spending what it needs to do what it wants, and not gashing open Scrooge McDuck’s vault for the sake of doing so.

It’s obviously a thin line. At some point, a breaking line will arrive. And once fans are tapped out enough, it’s hard to get them to come back. And they don’t forget the reasons that they chose to leave – see NASCAR.

For now, UGA’s mindset appears to be spending what it needs and not doing so for the sake of outspending just to say it did it. That works well for now, but if another year or two comes and goes minus a CFP win for this program, the NIL well may be tapped again…as long as there’s enough kicked in time after time of asking.

Go Dawgs!

Welcome to Tuesday, Bulldog fans! We’re not in mid-season form yet, but we are in full pads and live hitting. There’s a few new wrinkles in the playbook we haven’t installed, but the vanilla packages are getting nailed down and ready for game action.

You’ve seen the Coaches Preseason poll, which is like when the El Sombrero waitstaff drop off chips and salsa at your table. Now you’ve got the AP Preseason poll, akin to the same waitstaff bringing out the queso: much better, but everyone is dipping into it and you won’t get enough. We have some months until the CFP rankings – sizzling fajitas alongside the 2nd pitcher of margs sauntering through the throngs of drooling cheapskates who ordered ACP.

Tex-Mex aside, there aren’t glaring differences between these canapés. The Bulldogs come in at #3 behind the loaded rosters at an Ohio State and Oregon. Notre Dame, Texas, Indiana, and Miami round out the top 7. So while UGA is the highest ranked SEC team, they and the Horns Downs are the only SEC teams ranked that high, and also the only two of those seven NOT to receive any first place votes. Even the Beckless Hurricanes received a vote for #1. Is that SEC fatigue? The blatant ESPN-led Big 10 bias? I don’t know, better ask Mr. Owl.

Who else might feel disrespected? The #6 Hoosiers, who (probably) have never been ranked this high before the autumnal equinox. Did they complete a perfect championship season a scant 7 months ago? Sure. Did they land a good high school recruiting class, and bring in transfers to replace key losses? Absolutely. So not being ranked in the top 3, much less #1 slot is anothe sign of disrespect, eh? Their angst, their perceived slight, their social media frustration for this meaningless ranking is misplaced. Remember that every team above them has a returning starter at quarterback, and they brought in a gunslinger who throws more picks than Carson Beck at a big away SEC game. And in terms of votes, Indiana is closer to the #2 ranking than current #2 Oregon is to #1. So just relax, will ya?

And if they’re still mad, maybe complain to the Athletic Department in Bloomington. Because all these other schools, plus a few more are spending over $40 million on their roster. The Bulldogs, according to #sources, were just under that mark.

Some of that money is Athens is no doubt directed to sophomore DB Ellis Robinson IV and senior signal caller Gunner Stockton. Both valuable returners to Kirby Smart’s 2026 squad, and now both on the Walter Camp Player of the Year Watchlist.

That should get your Tuesday going. Thanks for staying with us, or tuning back in, or picking us up for the first time. We’re glad you’re here and will enjoy the season alongside you. Enjoy your day, and as always…

GO ‘DAWGS!!!

We’re less than three weeks from kickoff, and thoughts are turning to football more and more frequently. Last year, I tried to get ahead of some of the narratives we could expect to follow the team throughout the season. Here now is another batch of stories that we’re likely to hear a lot of this fall. 

Offense Intended? 

Thanksgiving is my favorite holiday. It’s nice to get a half week off in what would otherwise be a dreary time of year, football is reaching its peak, and you get to eat a 4,000 calorie meal in the middle of the day and nobody even politely clears their throat to suggest you shouldn’t be going back for seconds. 

The highlight of the holiday for me is cooking the turkey. A few years ago, I was gifted a Thanksgiving cooking class, at which I learned about spatchcocking. If you’ve never done this before, I can’t recommend it enough; you get a bird with perfectly crispy skin without drying out the meat. After I spatchcock the bird, I cover it in a mayo and spice rub to crisp up the outside and flavor it. Each year, I tinker with the spices a bit.

The point here, other than I wanted to say spatchcock, is that this is remarkably similar to another fall tradition: complaining about the Georgia offense. The specific flavor is different, but the overall idea is the same. Perhaps the issue will be Mike Bobo or Carson Beck, but the thrust is that Georgia’s offense isn’t working properly.

The 2024 team felt extremely inert on offense. That’s likely because the team had regressed more than a full touchdown from the previous year, dropping from 40.1 points per game to 32.6. I felt like last year’s offense was much better, so imagine my surprise when I was investigating the stats for this article. The 2025 team was a little worse in points per game (32.1) and passing yardage (Gunner Stockton had 2,894 to Beck’s 3,485). Perhaps I’m alone in feeling this way, but I thought last year’s offense was much more dynamic. I was even shocked to see Zachariah Branch ended the year with fewer yards than Arian Smith the year before.

So the good news is there’s definite room for improvement on what already feels like a solid base. The Dawgs have continuity at both quarterback and OC, and I will not worry about the run game until there’s a reason I have to. But it’s time once again to wonder who’s going to be catching the passes. I don’t think a Smart-led Georgia is ever going to employ a heavy vertical passing attack, but you do need that club in your bag, especially if you plan to win anything of note. Sometimes you have to stretch the field (see the 2023 Peach Bowl for evidence). 

Last year, Branch was Stockton’s favorite target, but he’s in Atlanta now. Who’s going to replace him? London Humphreys is the leading returning receiver. Talyn Taylor was a four-star and has a year of experience under his belt now. Transfer Isiah Canion has a ton of potential as well. But I’m most excited to see Elyiss Williams and Kaiden Prothro at tight end. If ever there were a tight-end pairing to rival Darnell Washington and Brock Bowers, this is it. With Stockton’s mobility, I expect to see a fair amount of 12 personnel. Throw Lawson Luckie in there for 13, and the red zone offense looks awfully hard to stop.

Beyond the receivers, the other big question mark is the offensive line. Phil Rauscher is taking over for Stacey Searels. Rauscher brings experience coaching o-line in the NFL (assuming you count Minnesota and Jacksonville), so he shouldn’t have to get up to speed. But between the new coach and new personnel, there’s bound to be an adjustment period. The schedule is favorable here, with two warmup games before a weaker SEC opponent to ease into things, but you’d hope to see the line gelling early.

All that is to say, I am not that worried about the offense. And I plan to use blackening spices this year. 

Cry Havoc, and Let Slip the Dawgs of War

It would be unfair to say the defense was bad last year. The 2025 edition of the Georgia Bulldogs gave up just a shade over 17.5 points per game. Only three teams managed to score three or more touchdowns against the Dawgs, and one of those (Mississippi State) did so in garbage time. The others were Tennessee and both Ole Miss games.

Despite the overall successes on defense, there was one notable weak point on that side of the ball: the pass rush. Last year’s defense ended the season with just 20 sacks for the year, the lowest total ever for a Kirby Smart-led Georgia team. (The next lowest was 2018 with 24.) It was one of just three times (along with ’18 and 2016) in which the defense failed to tally at least 30 sacks.

Nowhere was this deficiency more pronounced than in the Sugar Bowl. No matter how many guys got into the backfield, they couldn’t get Trinidad Chambliss on the ground. Georgia didn’t sack him once that night and only ended the game with three tackles for loss overall. Against an explosive offense, you absolutely have to generate negative plays to disrupt their momentum.

There aren’t that many quarterbacks at Chambliss’s level. But beating playoff-caliber teams is going to require a much more aggressive pass rush than we saw last year. The upside here is that I absolutely trust Smart to solve this problem, and I’m willing to bet the down year was a statistical aberration. But I’d love to see evidence of that early this season, even if it’s against lesser competition.

Postseason Homesick Blues

Speaking of the playoffs, are you aware that Georgia has won the SEC two years in a row, only to get bounced in its first playoff game? If you somehow aren’t, you’re about to be because that’s going to come up with blood-boiling frequency this year. The implication is that the Georgia dynasty is over, and the aura of invincibility has faded.

The back half of Mark Richt’s tenure — a run of success that most teams would love to have — was overshadowed by accusations of his inability to “win the big one.” Only the most deranged anti-Georgia partisan could possibly argue that Kirby Smart has a similar problem. Speaking personally, the worst of my football-induced agita permanently fled when Kelee Ringo broke the plane in Lucas Oil. But there is an easy narrative to reach for here, and sports shouters have a lot of hours to fill. 

Under Kirby Smart, Georgia is experiencing the best run of football in the school’s history. Imagine telling yourself in 2006 about this period. But that success is a double-edged sword. Especially in the big playoff era, just making the field isn’t going to be enough. And while I’m old enough to still care about the SEC Championship, even that doesn’t hold the luster it once did. 

For the record, I believe Smart has at least one more championship season in him. And I hope it’s this one.

Fall may not be in the air in Georgia, but I swear on Steve Spurrier’s five iron that college football is right around the corner. And that means there’s some genuine football news out on the wires. Let’s take a quick stroll through the high points before you hit the door to do lesser non-football things.

Kirby Smart talked yesterday about a wide variety of subjects including Saturday’s scrimmage (some good, some meh), Drew Bobo’s health (fantastic), the chances of Cole Speer returning for a fifth season to bolster a young receiving corps (potentially maybe?), Juan Gaston (trying to improve every day), Cortez Smith (trying to improve every day), and the nice lady who makes the pastries in the cafeteria (she’s trying to improve every day).

Actually I made that last one up, but I’m pretty sure Kirby was thinking it. The danishes are good, but not yet great.But I also think the thing Kirby isn’t saying but may be thinking is that this Bulldog defense could be very, very good. That may explain some of the offense

In preseason award news, the Red and Black placed eleven players on the Coaches’ Preseason All-SEC list, including four on the first team, and three offensive linemen overall. That and a dollar will get you a quarter of a cup of coffee (inflation, amirite?) but still, it’s a reminder that this squad is loaded with proven talent.

Finally, a hearty congratulations to legendary Bulldog Loran Smith, who’s being inducted into the Georgia Radio Hall of Fame. It’s a long overdue honor for one of Wrightsville’s best and one of the most passionate Dawgs out there. I just hope that Charles Grant is able to make the induction ceremony and brings the peanuts. Now go attack the day.

Go ‘Dawgs!!!

A sweltering week in Memphis didn’t shake up the PGA Tour playoff race much, but a few things did stand out.

Scottie Scheffler has a $100 million dollar swing. It looks like he’s drunk, but it is hard to think of someone in the last 60 years who produces more consistent results. And if he’s putting well, like he did last week, he’s pretty much untouchable.

TPC Southwind is a great track. Once it got firm and bouncy into the weekend, it was confounding the best players in the world. Almost no one figured out a good strategy off the tee, and the rough was truly penal.

Only a single player moved into the top 50 and advanced to this week. The bigger points available were supposed to provide volatility – not at the crazy levels of the first FedEx playoffs, but it really failed to provide much drama. The little drama was unfortunately by former UGA golfer Keith Mitchell. Speaking of which, here’s how the 5 Classic City Canines fared:

Brian Harman began the week in the 65 spot meaning he needed a top 5 finish to move up at least 15 spots in the playoffs. He was making noise with a Friday 64, yet his putter wouldn’t cooperate, he couldn’t convert when he game himself chances, and a Sunday 75 means he’s heading back home to SEGA.

Harris English was on the outside of the bubble and was doomed by a 75 Friday. His Sunday 67 was one of the better rounds of the day, but he was several shots short of slipping inside the top 50. So his season is over, but with a chance to improve his position during the Fall events.

Keith Mitchell started at 49th, and hung on the line all week. He needed birdie on the 72nd hole to secure his playoff berth, but his drive ran through the fairway and on the lip of the water. A shoeless, rolled up pants attempt to save his season was doomed when his approach came up short and the slope took it into the water. He’s in the same boat as English.

Sepp Straka was another former Bulldog who slipped a couple of places in the FedEx rankings, but since he started in 37th place, his T34 in Memphis means he’s still 39th in the playoffs and will tee it up this week. But he likely needs a top 10, or very close to it, in order to get inside the top 30 and continue his season next week.

Russell Henley was well positioned at 15th in the playoffs so he knew he was safe. Hopefully he used Memphis to work on a few things, stay hydrated, and crafting a strategy for East Lake. He is in 14th place this week – a virtual lock to advance to the Tour Championship next week. But there is still many millions to play for this week so we might as well preview it:

Tournament: BMW Championship, August 20-23, 2026

Course: Bellerive Country Club, par 70, 7,448 yards. On the western outskirts of St. Louis, MO.

Purse: $20 million in total for 50 players, with 3.6 million to the winner and $68k for finishing DFL.

Defending Champ: Scottie Scheffler. It was more of a close-run thing, but he birdied the 71st hole to give himself a cushion and grabbed his 5th title of the year.

TV Times: Only 50 players, but this gets more coverage than Brent Musberger on AJ McCarron’s special someone. Thursday and Friday 10 am – 12 pm ET on ESPN, then 3-6 pm ET on Golf Channel. GC will pick up the early broadcast Saturday and Sunday from 12 – 2 pm ET, then CBS carries you home both days.

‘Dawgs in the Field: Just two – Russell Henley (14) and Sepp Straka (39).

Enjoy, and as always…

GO ‘DAWGS!!!

This evening I a heartfelt social media posting former Bulldog great Nick Chubb announced his retirement after eight NFL seasons.

The Ground Hound from Cedartown was of course one of the defining players of the Kirby Smart era at Georgia, helping lead the Bulldogs to their first national title game appearance in over 30 years in 2017. And his NFL career showed real promise, with four consecutive Pro Bowl appearances between 2019 and 2022.

But injuries from both his college and NFL careers eventually caught up with him. Truth be told eight seasons is actually a long career for an NFL tailback, and St. Nick was seriously productive when he was on the field as a pro, much as he had been in college. Chubb finishes his career with 7349 rushing yards and 54 touchdowns on the ground, numbers that are each third all-time in Browns history behind Cleveland greats Leroy Kelly and Jim Brown.Chubb’s rushing yardage total also places him 67th all-time on the NFL rushing yards list, not a bad achievement by any stretch.

Now at 30 Chubb moves on to life after football, which I expect him to excel at with the same mix of toughness and talent he exhibited so often between the chalk lines. Our sincere congratulations on a great career, and whatever comes next, for a Damn Good ‘Dawg.

When you think for a few moments, historic moments in the history of Sanford Stadium quickly come to mind.

The Herschel vs. George Rogers Show in 1980, Kevin Butler’s kick to beat Clemson, the goalposts coming down after Tennessee, the 2007 Blackout Game, the Notre Dame game…the Tech instant classic.

Those are all iconic, no doubt. But after Thursday night, the Georgia football program has company by way of UGA’s women’s soccer program.

Not only did soccer return to Sanford Stadium on Thursday with a 6-0 win against James Madison, but the number of people that saw it set a massive record. An NCAA record 25,433 fans that included 500 UGA student-athletes were on hand for the memorable night.

That last part is important. Games likes this don’t happen on accident. The fact that this had been talked up around Athens for a few months made it clear that this was a huge deal…and even in the weeks approaching, that energy was boosted by UGA President Jere Morehead and head football coach Kirby Smart.

It’s simple, folks. When Kirby talks, people around Athens listen. And the number of fans part of Thursday night showed many of them did indeed listen.

“This doesn’t happen simply because we had the idea. It happens because everybody involved jumps on two feet and makes it go. This was a major win for the University of Georgia, it was a major win for our program, it was a major win for collegiate soccer, and we had an opportunity to celebrate one of the best moments in women’s soccer ever that I think is the catalyst for us being here right now. So, I have to show gratitude to all of those people, including those women, that kind of set this thing rolling.” – Georgia head coach Keidane McAlpine

Clearly, this was a huge night for the soccer program, too. Odds are good many fans here, including UGA students were at their first Georgia soccer match. There’s an adage among sports marketing that if you get a fan to a sport in person once, they can become a life-long fan. For the Lady Dawgs’ sake, the hope is clearly that Thursday is a long-term win for this team ranked 25th in the country.

The next question of course, is what’s next at Sanford? Some “banana ball” enthusiasts would likely ask for that traveling circus, but how does that raise the profile of UGA student-athletes?

But why not moving the Tech-Georgia baseball series to Sanford Stadium? Can you imagine baseball on a chamber of commerce day Between The Hedges?

Go Dawgs!

Auburn underwent a coaching change, and as is usually the case these days lost a wave of talent to the transfer portal this offseason as a result. One Plainsman who chose to stay was Xavier Atkins, who announced his return before spring practice even began. His 2025 season was one of the best individual defensive performances in the SEC, finishing with 84 total tackles (good for fourth in the SEC) and leading the league in tackles for loss with 17. He also added 9 sacks, 2 forced fumbles, and an interception, the pick coming in the fourth quarter of a loss at Texas A&M.

Atkins enters 2026 as a First Team Preseason All-SEC selection from Athlon Sports and has been recognized as a Second Team All-America honoree, a Chuck Bednarik Award Semifinalist, and a Walter Camp Award watch list selection. He was also honored as a national defensive player of the week for his performance against Arkansas last season, a testament to how disruptive he can be even against physical offensive lines.

For Georgia, Atkins represents perhaps the single biggest problem on an otherwise rebuilding Auburn roster. A linebacker who led the SEC in tackles for loss has the ability to play in the opponent’s backfield, and Atkins also showcases the range to make plays sideline to sideline. His ability to both blitz off the edge and drop into coverage makes him difficult to scheme around. Georgia’s running backs and offensive line will need to identify him pre-snap on every play, because he has proven capable of blowing up a run before it starts or getting home on a delayed rush the protection didn’t account for.

When Kirby Smart was asked after the G-Day game how a true freshman had earned a starting spot on the offensive line, his answer was simple: Zykie Helton earned it over 14 spring practices. That kind of praise from a head coach known for making players prove themselves speaks volumes about what Zykie Helton means to the Bulldogs heading into the 2026 season.

Helton arrives in Athens with a story that goes well beyond football. He entered foster care at age nine before finding a permanent home with his fourth-grade teacher, Kimberly Perry, and her family. He would become a standout at powerhouse Carrollton High, growing into a four-year starter on both sides of the ball. Ahe also managed Crohn’s disease, and Crohn’s disease, and overcame two knee injuries as a junior before becoming one of the most sought after offensive line prospects in the nation.That he has since built himself into a 6-foot-3, 300-pound interior lineman says as much about his determination as it does about his talent.

His recruiting journey was just as winding. Helton originally committed to Alabama, only to back off that pledge after Nick Saban’s retirement. Georgia, led by offensive line coach Stacy Searels, never stopped recruiting him, and that persistence paid off when Helton signed with the Bulldogs over Florida State and Georgia Tech. He has spoken about the bond he built with Smart and Searels throughout the process. In this era of college football, a player focused on relationships is a throwback.

Now that relationship is translating directly to the field. Helton enrolled early and immediately turned heads in spring practice. Senior linebacker Raylen Wilson singled him out before the pads even went on, and once contact drills began, junior outside linebacker Quintavius Johnson compared Helton’s physicality to that of Dontrell Glover, the sophomore who started as a true freshman in 2025.

That comparison matters, because it points to exactly why Helton is so important this season.

Georgia has made a habit lately of trusting true freshmen up front, and last year’s gamble on Glover and Juan Gaston paid off in a big way. The Bulldogs ran for 182.1 yards per game and scored 32.1 points per contest with those two in the lineup. Smart and new offensive line coach Phil Rauscher are now betting that Helton, penciled in at right guard after spring practice, can provide a similar spark. Given the trust the coaching staff has already shown him, that bet looks like a reasonable one.

What makes Helton particularly valuable is his versatility. His high school tape showcases a player who can pull and lead on screens, fire off down blocks to open running lanes, and anchor in pass protection against edge pressure. That combination of athleticism and power is exactly what Georgia’s scheme demands from its interior linemen.

For a Georgia team that brings back a lot of talent and experience in the trenches and looks to keep its rushing attack humming, Helton represents continuity of a winning formula. He is looks like the next in a series of freshman linemen to step in and start immediately. If he plays anywhere close to the level his teammates are already praising, Helton will not just be a rotational piece. He will be a foundational part of an offensive line that Georgia is counting on to control the line of scrimmage in 2026 and beyond.

Go ‘Dawgs!!!

The 2026 PGA Tour regular season is now over and done, and the short post-season now begins. Let’s take a quick peek at how the former Bulldogs playing professional golf fared in Greensboro last week.

Sepp Straka started in 37th place in the FedEx Cup points race, missed the cut at the Wyndham, and starts the 70 man playoff field still in 37th.

Harris English started Wyndham in 49th place, also missed the cut, and fell to 51st… still eligible for the first playoff event.

Brian Harman was 63rd, missed the cut, and fell dangerously to 65th.

Chris Kirk started 127th, was well positioned going into the weekend, but closed 71-71 to T72, which means he actually fell to 128th in points and his season is over (until the Fall events).

Keith Mitchell began the Wyndham in the 47 spot, made the cut on the number, shot 4 under on the weekend, got a T38, but still fell to 51st in FedEx.

And Davis Thompson, the ‘Dawg most likely to jump into the top 70 and the playoffs, played according to plan. An opening 64 followed by a Friday 68 put him in prime position. Saturday’s 65 left him first page of the leaderboard and a projected 68-69 in points, but his closing 71 dropped him into a tie for 14th. Which equates to 77th in FedEx, and only about 6 strokes out of getting into the playoffs. But onward and upward for the Classic City boys who did qualify.

Tournament: FedEx St. Jude Championship, August 13-11, 2026

Course: TPC Southwind, par 70, 7,288 yards. On the southeastern outskirts of Memphis, just past Germantown.

Purse: $20 million in total for 70 players, with 3.6 million to the winner and $41k for finishing DFL.

Defending Champ: Justin Rose. The Englishman with the most prototypical English face ever matched JJ Spaun after 72 holes, and defeated Spaun on the 3rd playoff hole.

TV Times: Golf Channel has 2-6 pm ET Thursday and Friday, and 1-3 pm ET on the weekend. CBS is still broadcasting golf, and takes over Saturday and Sunday at 3 pm ET. And if you stream, the ESPN app has live coverage all day from 7:45 am – 6 pm ET each day during the playoffs.

“Dawgs in the Field: 5.

The goal is to survive and advance. Players are seeded based on their points ranking during the regular season. The points are juiced in the playoff events in order to create volatility. So while this week starts with the top 70, only the top 50 after this week get to play the BMW Championship next week. From there, only the top 30 move on to the Tour Championship at East Lake in Atlanta.

Brian Harman – 65th: The wee lefty likely needs at least a tie for 8th this week in order to move inside the top 50.

Harris English- 51st: While there are thousands upon thousands of scenarios, Harry probably needs top 30 to move up a couple of spots to advance.

Keith Mitchell – 49th: mathematically only has to get 68th in Memphis to keep his spot, but I would be looking for better.

Sepp Straka – 37th: already inside the top 30, but it is possible for the 13 guys behind him, and a dozen more, to jump him this week. So a top 50 or better to be safe.

Russelll Henley – 15th: again, he looks to be safe all the way to Atlanta. But with the increased points available, and a jammed up board between 15th and 30th, you best play good and scare a top 10 to ensure making it to the finals. Yet he is almost guaranteed to play next week even if he doesn’t finish this week.

So we’ve got some drama and intrigue on the course, even if you need to be a golf nerd to feel it. It’s real enough for these guys, as the ramifications for your status next year could be entry to majors, signature events, and a couple million dollars in your pocket. Enjoy the golf, and as always…

GO ‘DAWGS!!!

Head-to-head, Gunner Stockton got the best of Arch Manning and Trinidad Chambliss last year in the regular season.

But you’d hardly know it from a lot of the preseason chatter. Thing is…that may suit Georgia just fine.

Granted, we’re in the final part of the offseason where you need stuff to talk about, such as the concept of how much should it even matter how NFL-ready a college quarterback is before the current season even begins.

That’s were this vignette via Dawgnation about Stockton comes into play from an anomymous SEC defensive coordinator to ESPN’s Adam Rittenberg.

“He’s tough, so he can get some bull yards and take some big hits and all that stuff. I really like him, he’s a really good player. I don’t know if he’s an NFL specimen, but he’s a great college player.”

Here’s a quick newsflash: How good of an NFL prospect someone is – that’s nice to “go on the ‘gram” as the kids say, but it pales in terms of helping you win football games. Georgia has played a handful of quarterbacks the last few years in Will Levis, Anthony Richardson and Mitch Trubisky, all of whom did little to impress…but NFL GMs disagreed, and that’s just fine. Do you think Gator fans care that Tim Tebow didn’t translate well to the NFL? The likely answer is no.

Gunner Stockton may be polarizing…his play toward the end of last year indeed draws concern…but his exactly perfect for that this Georgia team needs, on and off the field.

Not sure I saw it coming with Florida doing a callback to Bill Stanfill wrecking its hopes and dreams in 1966, but it is appreciated, for sure.

Go Dawgs!

As we gear up for another year of SEC football, let’s take a look around the conference and see what the field looks like. Below, I’ve broken all sixteen teams into four power tiers based on their returning production and likelihood of contending for a playoff spot. 

Tier 1: Playoff Contenders

Depending on the breaks, you can anticipate the SEC getting four or five teams into the playoff. The four teams in the top tier are the likeliest to compete for the league championship and make the playoff field. 

Georgia

The Dawgs emerged from SEC media days as the favorite to win the SEC. Even if you’re not a fan, the voters’ bullishness makes sense: Georgia is defending back-to-back conference titles, returns an experienced quarterback, and is one of only four teams in the NCAA whose coach has won a national championship. Few teams are as safe a bet for playoff contention as UGA. To wit, Georgia has lost 10 conference games in the last nine seasons. 

Still, there will be some questions at receiver and offensive line, and you’d hope to see more havoc on defense. The schedule is tough, with trips to Tuscaloosa and Oxford both looking risky. But the expectation in Athens is to be playing meaningful football in January, and anything less will be a letdown.

Texas

Year Two of the Arch Manning experience will get underway with expectations still sky-high despite a disappointing 2025 campaign. Is Arch massively overhyped, or did he suffer last year from a weak offensive line, unimpressive receivers, and a nonexistent running game? Prize transfer Cam Coleman is here in part to answer that question.

Of the teams in the top tier, Texas might have the widest range of possible outcomes. If Manning pops, he’s a Heisman contender and Texas should compete for the national championship. If he flops, it’s a bowl-season trip to Shreveport and Steve Sarkisian is probably getting a pink slip. Maybe the biggest reason for pessimism amongst Longhorn fans is the brutal. Regular season games against Ohio State, Oklahoma, and Ole Miss, plus road tests in Knoxville, Baton Rouge, and College Station are all loseable. If Sark wants another season in Austin, he’s going to have to find a way to win most of those. 

Ole Miss

Somehow Ole Miss got good? I’m as surprised as you are! But they’re bringing back one of the best quarterbacks in the SEC in Trinidad Chambliss, alongside All-SEC running back Kewan Lacy. The personnel should ease the team’s transition to a defensive-minded head coach and new offensive coordinator.

Speaking of that head coach, we’ll have to see if Pete Golding’s playoff run was a fluke or a sign that Ole Miss can sustain this level of success under the new administration. The Rebs’ trip to play LSU in week three is preseason appointment viewing for narrative reasons alone, and it’s also one of four possible losses, along with games against Texas, Oklahoma, and UGA. If Oxford is really turning into a hot spot, Golding will need to split those four at a minimum.

Texas A&M

A&M’s playoff run last year suggests they finally made the right hire in Mike Elko. Then again, their late-season swoon makes me wonder if there’s something innate to the A&M ecosystem that refuses to allow the team’s fans joy. Curse or not, they’ve got explosive QB-WR combo Marcel Reed and Mario Craver coming back, and Elko’s teams always field a reliably stout defense. I’d say they’re primed for regression, but a slightly more favorable schedule (the road game against Bama will be tough, but they get the Horns at home) means they have a pretty good shot to get back to the playoffs. 

Tier 2: Tossups 

The teams in this tier have some questions to answer, but at least one of them will probably make the playoff field. 

Oklahoma

Oklahoma rode a fierce defense and a good-enough offense to a surprise playoff appearance last season, the highlight of which was winning in Tuscaloosa. It seems like things are getting early late for Brent Venables’ tenure in Norman, so he better pull another rabbit out of his hat this year. On the plus side, quarterback John Mateer is back for another run. On the other hand, he might not really be all that good. They have to play Michigan in Ann Arbor and us in Athens, and I doubt they’ll be favored in Red River. Still, of the teams in this tier, I’d bet on Oklahoma over the others thanks to fewer personnel questions.

Alabama

The old saying about death, taxes, and the Tide is looking less true by the day, but you should still keep paying your accountant. Kalen DeBoer, who’s always making a face like he’s just been informed the casino can’t extend his credit line further, is not endearing himself to the locals after two disappointing-by-Bama-standards seasons. Will this be the year he sorts it out? Well, the Tide lost Ty Simpson to the draft, and they still haven’t settled on a new starting quarterback yet. Austin Mack was supposed to be the next man up, but redshirt freshman Keelon Russell has been pushing for the starter spot. Perhaps of greater concern is wideout Ryan Coleman-Williams, whose sophomore campaign was a major disappointment for the Tide. But I’ve been nervous about going back to Tuscaloosa since I saw the schedule, so the mystique isn’t all gone.

LSU

LSU entered last season with national championship hype and ended up firing Brian Kelly before Thanksgiving. Fortunately, they replaced that dour, pouty, unlikeable blowhard with…uh…a dour, pouty, unlikeable blowhard who does yoga. They also added quarterback Sam Leavitt from Arizona State, who should theoretically benefit from Kiffin’s tutelage. I’m sure LSU fans are thrilled to see the Kiffin era begin, but let’s remember that he’s never coached in a playoff game and he generally leaves his jobs fleeing an angry mob with torches and pitchforks. After the spectacle he made of himself last winter, nobody’s going to be inclined to take it easy on him here either. 

Tennessee 

Josh Heupel has stabilized what had become a toxic and dysfunctional Tennessee program, but he hasn’t been able to get all the way over the hump yet. He hasn’t managed a conference title or a playoff win, though the Vols did make the 2024 field. As of now, the Heupel Vols are high floor, low ceiling absent a highly effective quarterback like Hendon Hooker. With a true freshman likely to start under center, the Vols probably aren’t going back to the playoffs this year. 

Tier 3: Disaster Avoiders

The third tier of teams should mostly focus on bowl eligibility. It’s not impossible that one of these four could catch lightning in a bottle and make a surprise playoff run, but they all have serious questions pre-season. Mostly, they’re aiming for six wins and a bowl berth.

South Carolina

The 2024 edition of the Gamecocks overachieved thanks to a surprising breakout season from quarterback LaNorris Sellers, but last year’s squad collapsed and went 4-8. Sellers struggled some with injuries, and would-be stud Nyck Harbor still hasn’t delivered on his potential. Their losses last year ranged from humiliating (getting shellacked 31-7 by Vanderbilt at home) to gut-wrenching (blowing a 27-point lead against A&M) and dried up the reservoir of goodwill Shane Beamer had earned. He enters this season with the hottest seat in the SEC, and he’s going to need a great season, and maybe even a playoff appearance, to be safe. How likely is that? Well, when Sellers is good, he looks like the number one overall draft pick. But it’s hard to see him carrying this team past seven or eight wins. 

Missouri

Eli Drinkwitz has spent most of his time as Missouri’s head coach trying to get any other job he can. He (or his agent) gets floated for every opening, up to and including the assistant manager job at your local Costco. But he’s two seasons removed from his last legitimately good team, and it’s hard to imagine this edition will be the one that gets him back to the top of anyone’s list. Beau Pribula took his talents to Virginia, so the Tigers brought in Austin Simmons from Ole Miss at quarterback. Simmons is a dynamic athlete, but he lost his job last year to a D-II transfer, which might raise an eyebrow or two. The Tigers’ most potent offensive threat is running back Ahmad Hardy, who shouldn’t miss too much time after he was shot this offseason. But with games against Texas, A&M, Georgia, and Oklahoma, the schedule is a gauntlet. Simmons would have to flourish for Mizzou to get more than seven or eight wins.  

Florida

Since Urban Meyer slinked out of Gainesville to go back to his first love of terrorizing Whoville, the Gators have cycled through four coaches. They’re breaking in a new coach again, having replaced Billy Napier with Jon Sumrall, a guy whose resume is…a lot like Billy Napier. Florida is getting a little bit of dark horse playoff buzz, but that seems wildly unlikely in year one of a new administration. Complicating things more for Sumrall, he’ll be breaking in a new quarterback, most likely Georgia Tech transfer Aaron Philo. And outside of another former Engineer, receiver Eric Singleton, Jr., there’s not a lot to write home about on this roster. Games against UGA, Texas, Oklahoma, and Ole Miss all augur poorly, and the Gators should be satisfied with a bowl spot.  

Auburn

Auburn is one of six SEC teams breaking in a new coach this year. New chief Alex Golesh earned a reputation as an offensive wunderkind as the OC at Tennessee, and he scored a major upset when his USF Bulls knocked off Florida in the Swamp last year. On his way out of Tampa, Golesh took everything that wasn’t nailed down, including explosive quarterback Byrum Brown. It remains to be seen if Brown can consistently deliver against stouter competition, but Auburn’s offense was so dreadful last year that it would be hard to not see some improvement. After a half-decade of nothing much, Auburn should be happy to achieve even modest watchability this year. 

Tier 4: The Basement

Bringing up the rear, these four teams in the participation trophy tier. 

Vanderbilt

Diego Pavia delivered the Commodores the best season in school history last year before squandering every bit of national goodwill that earned him en route to getting cut by the Ravens as a UDFA. Still, the vibes were good in Nashville last year with double-digit wins and poaching quarterback Jared Curtis from Georgia. Curtis will compete with Blaze Berlowitz (and I guess Whit Muschamp?) for the starting job, but head coach Clark Lea will almost certainly have to play Curtis to keep another team from luring him away after the season. The Dores still have a couple of explosive threats in wide receiver Junior Sherrill and running back Sedrick Alexander, and they’re easily the most dangerous of the bottom-tier teams. But there’s no way they’re getting back to 10 wins, and even bowling will be a stretch. Keeping Curtis and making a bowl game would be an unqualified success. 

Mississippi State

Jeff Lebby has quietly accomplished basically nothing as Mississippi State’s head coach, and it’s unlikely this year will change that trajectory. Former Vanderbilt quarterback AJ Swann and the well-traveled Jaden Rashada are here to compete for the starting job, and True Dawg fans will remember wideout Anthony Evans from his time in Athens as well. MS State also has a good running back in the delightfully named Fluff Bothwell, but this roster is unlikely to be seriously competitive. If they miss a bowl game, Lebby’s time may be up here.

Kentucky

One of the league’s perennial doormats, the Wildcats finally sent Mark Stoops packing after a 5-7 season that produced zero lasting memories. Stoops was Kentucky’s winningest coach, finishing his time in Lexington with a balanced 82-80 win-loss record. Firing your best coach ever is generally unwise, and former Oregon OC Will Stein will have his work cut out for him since this roster is almost all chaff. Unless, of course, you believe Kenny Minchey lost the Notre Dame QB battle and transferred out because he was too good. Anything can happen, but it feels like winning two SEC games would be a huge accomplishment for this year’s Kentucky. 

Arkansas

Sam Pittman, who remains a hero to me, got the gate last year after six seasons in which he took Arkansas from a disastrous laughingstock to a forgettable afterthought in the SEC race. In Fayetteville, that’s actually good progress. The Hawgs briefly thought they were luring Alex Golesh away from Tampa before he took a detour to Auburn, so they settled for Memphis’s Ryan Silverfield as a consolation prize. Silverfield was fine to fine-plus at Memphis, but this two-deep is a shambles. Bowl eligibility is probably a pipe dream, and even winning a league game would count as a huge success. 

Happy Friday morning, Dawg Nation! We are only three weeks away from the season opener against Tennessee State. To whet your appetite, lets take a trip down memory lane that is especially relevant this week.

Former LSU quarterback Jayden Daniels has sent a cease and desist letter to the university, saying it can no longer use his name, image, and likeness. This comes in the wake of new coach Lane Kiffin giving the number 5 that Daniels wore to cornerback D.J. Pickett, marking the first time the number 5 will have been worn since Daniels.

Clearly, Jayden Daniels wanted his jersey in the proverbial rafters, but he forgets that it has once been lifted there already. With a hat tip to X/Twitter user @chxnluh, Jalen Carter accomplished this feat on behalf of Daniels in the 2022 SEC Championship Game.

For those who may not remember or, let’s be honest, just enjoy reliving it, Jalen Carter sacked Daniels so emphatically during the Dawgs’ 50-30 win in the SEC Championship game that he picked up the former LSU QB with one arm while holding the number one in the air using his other. This is still one of the best and most fun things I’ve ever seen on a football field. If a defensive lineman lifts you to the rafters for a sack, your jersey cannot permanently go there. Thems the rules.

Also, this is such a weak look from Daniels whining about someone else wearing his jersey number. He didn’t spend his whole college career at the school. He didn’t have a transcendent championship season. And his dad isn’t the head coach. There really shouldn’t be a gripe about not having your jersey retired.

On the other hand, DGD David Pollock took to X/Twitter to commend the play of Dan Jackson, who wore number 47 just as Pollock did, on the final block during Ringo’s ‘Ship Six play.

I hope D.J. Pickett balls out for LSU in the number 5 jersey, and I thank Jayden Daniels for providing a reason to remember the insane Jalen Carter sack during the undefeated, national championship winning 2022 season.

Have a great Friday, and Go Dawgs!

If there’s a question when it comes to Georgia’s offense entering 2026, there’s one position group that comes to mind in a hurry.

Receivers.

We’ve seen it repeatedly under the Kirby Smart regime – that turnover at this position has turned the state of the Bulldogs’ ability to run the offense through the air on its ear. Could Gunner Stockton suffer the same step back as we saw with Jake Fromm after his first season starter?

This season will determine that.

Needless to say, the Dawgs are depleted in the receiving room coming away from a season ago. Zachariah Branch and his gamebreaking ability on the perimeter? Gone. Ditto for Colbie Young, Dillon Bell and Noah Thomas.

Branch and Thomas alone combined for more than 1,200 yards and 10 touchdowns last year. For Georgia, its simple that the job at hand is: replace that offensive impact.

As far as snaps go, London Humphreys will have to lead the way. He’s the only receiver with multiple scores in 2025. As shown in the Tennessee game, he can make plays deep, and the flashes of that will need to continue for this team, which frankly has no WR1. The familiarity between Stockton and Humphreys clearly does not hurt, and that could also add up to Humphreys being a safety-valve type target for the UGA offense.

If this offense is to suceed, having someone develop as a go-to receiver is not a want…its a need.

Could that come from the transfer portal by way of Georgia’s in-state rival? That’s where Isaiah Canion comes in. He comes over from Georgia Tech, where his physical versatility made him a big asset in the Yellow Jacket’s short-to-mid range passing game. And if you saw him play as a high schooler at Warner Robins or caught highlight clips, he’s a guy that can turn chunk plays into bigger ones. Georgia will be counting on him to do just that.

Humphreys and Canion are proven. But there will others relied on from a group that has been highly touted, but is unproven…for now. Redshirt freshman Talyn Taylor could develop into an electric threat on the perimeter, especially combined with Stockton’s innate ability to extend plays. Sacovie White-Helton and Landon Roldan are others in a similar boat, players who arrived in Athens with much expected of them.

Much like the entire position group, the onus will be on them to step up. As Georgia’s receivers go this fall, so goes the offense.

Go Dawgs!

Good morning, Bulldog fans! It’s Monday morning, which means your to-do list for the week is currently as long as it’s going to be all week. But before you attack the day, let’s take a quick tour through what’s making news in Bulldog Nation.

The biggest headline of the weekend was the Red and Black’s first scrimmage of the fall on Saturday. By all accounts it was a big day for the defense. That’s pretty standard early in camp, as the defense is perennially ahead of the offense. But it also makes sense given that the Dawgs return a ton of talent from a solid 2025 defense, and are breaking in some new faces at key spots on offense.

While the defense may have gotten the better of things, that doesn’t mean they were perfect, or that Kirby Smart didn’t make his displeasure with some defensive miscues known in his usual shy and retiring fashion.

Remember, every time Kirby dog cusses someone for failing to execute to perfection, an angel gets its wings and Lane Kiffin finds another wrinkle. In other words, everyone wins.

Elsewhere in college football long time friend of the blog and ESPN analytics pro Bill Connelly notes that college football teams are scoring fewer points than a decade ago. The reasons are both complex and wholly predictable.

Finally, RIP to Tommy John, the former MLB pitcher who underwent an experimental surgery ina bid to save his career, and ended up not only making it back to the majors but winning 288 games over 26 seasons. Whatever you do today, it’s unlikely that you’ll have a complex orthopedic procedure named after you. That’s okay, you’re still going to do great things.

Go ‘Dawgs!!!

Ryan Silverfield is taking over a daunting rebuilding job as he begins his first season at the helm of the Arkansas Razorbacks. But the roster he inherited isn’t totally bereft of talent.

There may be no sturdier building block on the team than Edge rusher Quincy Rhodes. Rhodes broke out as a junior in 2025, finishing with 44 total tackles and a team-leading 15.5 tackles for loss in addition to 8 sacks, 6 quarterback hurries, and a forced fumble. That TFL total was the most by an Arkansas defender since Trey Flowers had 15.5 in 2015, and he also became the first ’Hawg to register double digit tackles for loss in a season since Landon Jackson in 2023. Nationally, he ranked 13th in tackles for loss per game and 23rd in sacks per game during the regular season.

Heading into 2026 Rhodes earned second team All-SEC honors from both league coaches and the Associated Press and was also tabbed with second team recognition from Athlon Sports and third team from Phil Steele. He stands out as one of the few proven players remaining in Fayetteville after a mass roster exodus following the coaching change, meaning the entire Arkansas defensive identity in 2026 will likely run through him.

For Georgia, Rhodes presents a real problem up front. At 6-foot-6 and 275 pounds, he has the length to disrupt passing lanes and the first step to win one-on-one against tackles who aren’t ready for his quickness. A player who forces 15+ tackles for loss in a season has a demonstrated ability to blow up run designs before they develop, and Georgia’s offensive line will need a plan specifically built around neutralizing him rather than treating him as a standard edge rusher. Early season road trips can be unpredictable, and Rhodes gives Arkansas a legitimate chance to affect the September 19th matchup with the Bulldogs from the opening series.

Go ‘Dawgs!!!

If there is an official sign that “talking season” is closing out and that we won’t have to rely on the financial-flexibility-obsessed Atlanta Braves to help pass time much longer, it arrived with Wednesday’s opening of preseason practice in Athens.

Before then, of course, Kirby Smart offered his thoughts with gathered media on a wide-range of topics.

On the phases of the off-season

“We talk about the phases of our football program. We have an off-season phase, a summer phase, and a mini-camp phase. The mini-camp phase was probably more productive this year than it’s ever been, in terms of onboarding new players and trying to get guys understanding how to practice. Then, we kick off what we call training camp. What is the purpose of training camp? To subtract some things from your life, so that you can add some things. Everybody’s heard of addition by subtraction. I’m asking each player to have some addition by subtraction. What are you going to do for the next 12 to 14 days that you’re technically in camp? Camp is really longer than that for us, but those are the number of days that you’re not in your normal bed. You’re away, you’re locked in, you’re focused, and school starts. We’re still in camp mode, but you get ready for what you do. We’ve shown a lot of examples of pro players, what they do for camp. Pro teams, what they do for camp. Our history of camp here, and how you can improve your team by gaining depth on your roster, is what we’re going to do.”

What goes into schedule-building?

“Everybody has their philosophy with what they go with. Historically, I’ve been a part of some really good SEC championships and national championships. I’m not just talking about Georgia, I’m talking about everywhere I’ve coached. I’ve been really fortunate to coach at really good programs: LSU, Florida State, Alabama, Georgia. The common denominator of those programs is you play really good teams year in and year out, whether it’s in conference or out of conference. The thing is are you trying to appease the fans? You want to have a really exciting schedule. They enjoy the excitement of playing those schedules, versus the balance of risk of injury and wear and tear and the line probably lies somewhere in the middle. I do think the consumer matters. The consumer is the people that are coming to the games. They want to see exciting, competitive games. The sooner we get to a format where either more teams are in the playoff or more teams are rewarded for a challenging schedule. I think that’ll take care of itself. I think you’ll get people playing more competitive schedules and more competitive environments.”

What’s the point of emphasis for the running game?

“You cannot get away from that point of emphasis. That’s not going to change ever in our program. I would say we are coming off a year that we were subpar at that, when we really tried to drive that home. We’re not going to ever get away from that. We have to be able to run the football. Show me a good team that wins championships that can’t run the football. I mean, it just doesn’t happen. You look at the national champions the last five, six years. They’re effective at running the football and stopping the run. It’s one of the leading statistics over the last 10 to 15 years in national championship teams. They’ve all had really good run defenses, so you better be able to run the ball and stop the run. There’s not one particular thing we’re harping on. We got to generate more turnovers and generate more havoc. We got to be more explosive on offense. I could sit here till we’re blue in the face, but it’s not one thing that we can say.” 

On KJ Bolden and how he holds other players to a high standard

“We’re having walk-throughs, and you’ve got some young safeties out there with Blake [Stewart], the points, all the young guys out there, even the guys that transfer in. He [KJ Bolden] understands and knows that he can help the with the finer points. He’s not afraid to confront and demand excellence from them. He’s not afraid to say, ‘Jog all the way off the field. Run to the ball,’ or to hold them accountable. When he’s doing it himself, it’s a lot easier for him to hold them accountable. There’s not one instance. He does it every day.”

Expectations for the tight end room?

“It’s awesome. They’ve got a tremendous talent in the room. But a few short, explosive plays, those are always the tight end room. We’ve got great tight ends, but they’re not guys that are hitting 22 or 23 miles an hour. They’re guys that they can do all kinds of grunt work. They can catch balls in the flats, they can block people, they can play on special teams. They can be explosive if we can run the ball, and explosive passes for tight ends usually come off of play actions. Play actions only work if you have the ability to run the ball. So our ability to run the ball allows us to utilize what may be one of our stronger rooms. But at the end of the day, there has to be buy-in from those rooms, and there has to be a culture and belief that if I’m 230 pounds, my advantage is I can bully people on the perimeter. And if they use that wisely, it makes our skill players, receivers, and running backs even better. But it is a talented room, and it’s an extremely competitive room.”

On Kyron Jones…

“We’re he’s been kind of on a pitch count, so we’re starting him in fall camp in the same mode. He’s been ramping up after of a resting period, and he’s been increasing as the summer goes. It’s not that he’s not 100% healthy, but he’s not taking 100% of a normal practice day’s reps. We’re trying to build him up more conditioning-wise and see how he feels. It’s a very sensitive injury, so it’s tough to monitor. He’s done a lot of rehab, so it’s been frustrating for him because when the team does a lot of conditioning, he can’t do it. He’s a very conditioned player and has to do non-impact cardio while the team is doing impact cardio, and I think that frustrates him. He has been a really good special teams player. He came in and started some games last year, and we wanted to give him a chance to compete for those spots and positions that our safeties play.”

What’s being looked for from the safeties?

“I’m looking at three critical factors: can they play man-to-man, can they tackle and can they play the ball in the deep part of the field. It doesn’t change from year-to-year. Can he play man-to-man? He can’t go on the field if he can’t. Can he tackle? He can’t go on the field if he can’t. Does he play the ball well in the deep part of the field, which could be a fatal flaw if you can’t. If you misjudge it, they’re going to score touchdowns. If you can do those three things, we can teach you what to do.”

How has KJ Bolden handled expectations?

“I think that every player that comes to Georgia, thanks to you guys, you hype them up really good. They have huge expectations on them, including KJ [Bolden]. KJ has probably managed those better than many players because he grew up and played in competitive environments in youth football, extremely competitive environments in middle school, and all the way up to Buford High School. He’s played some of the highest level football he’s been around, so it was never too much for him. How has he handled those expectations? Well, he started and played, and it was very effective as a freshman, so I think he’s handled that well. I think the greater side that he’s grown in is the maturity to understand what leadership looks like. He had the blessing of playing with Malachi [Starks] and Dan [Jackson]. He learned what it was to be a good teammate, and he has been an extraordinary teammate since being here. He helped so many guys in the secondary. I always hate coaching back behind me, being positive with guys, and being a leader. Those are the expectations I have for him, to be the best version of himself, not live up to everybody else’s expectations.”

What’s being looked for from the running backs?

“Dante [Dowdell]’s doing better. He is not with us. We don’t have a timeline for him, and that’s going to happen. The most important thing for Dante is himself, and that he can do functions and do daily, in and out things, not really worried about football right now. Dwight [Phillips Jr.]has worked his tail off. He’s one of the most explosive players we have on our offense. We’re going to be more explosive if we have to get guys that, when they touch the ball, big plays happen. Whether that’s a form of touches may change, but he’s got to touch the ball, because he’s been one of our most explosive guys, probably more so in practice than what you’ve seen in games. He’s had a great offseason. He works really hard. That room has a lot of a beat in it.

They really care about each other. The success of each other is more important than the success of one person and I appreciate the mentality in that room.”

The 5/5 Ruling and what it could impact…

“I look at it as a huge advantage because I don’t have to worry about redshirting players anymore. In the past, you got to game three or four, do I play him, do I not play him? He says he’s not going to play. He may be leaving. You got all these issues. That’s why the rule was put in place. It was put in place to make it where the pressure’s not on the coach to decide if he plays or not because you have five years to play five. You can play every game your freshman year, and you still got four more. You can play no game your freshman year; you got four more.”

How does he invest his offseason time?

“It’s definitely a balancing act on what you put your time and energy into. For us, we have had staff retention across the board, so it allows me to be over the top and decide where I want to invest my time. In relationships, motivation, and other areas that I am evolving in. We teach football here at a high level, and we want our players to focus on having incredible football intelligence.” 

Expectations for Chris Cole

“I am excited about what Chris Cole will do this season. There is not a player of higher character on our team than him. He is the hardest worker, has the highest speeds, and has the most enthusiasm. He always lays everything on the line and embodies what we want in terms of effort and toughness. He has had an amazing off season, and I am excited for him to go out and see how he plays for our team.”

Mascot: Your guess is as good as mine. Tigers, Eagles, or Plainsmen, oh my!

2025 Record: 5-7, 1-7 SEC

Conference: SEC

Series History: Georgia leads 66-56-8

Head Coach: Alex Golesh

Famous Alumni: Octavia Spencer, Charles Barkley, Apple CEO Tim Cook, Frank Thomas, Josh Donaldson, Tim Hudson, Tecmo Bowl legend Bo Jackson, Suni Lee, Toni Tennille, (of the Captain and fame), Jimmy Buffet (didn’t graduate), and probably the Devil himself.

Fun Fact: New head coach Alex Golesh was born in the USSR and came to the United States at the age of seven. He started coaching as an undergraduate at Ohio State and never played above the high school level. Golesh is replacing Hugh Freeze, who likewise never played college football.

YellaFella’s Odyssey

Since it’s been a Hot Odyssey Summer, let’s recall a famous moment from the epic poem. After Odysseus tricks the cyclops and blinds him, he can’t resist taunting the monster. He yells from what he believes to be the safety of his ship to tell Polyphemus his real name. The furious cyclops then asks his father, Poseidon, the god of the sea, to take revenge on the Greek hero. Odysseus’s subsequent journey home takes nearly a decade. What does that have to do with Georgia football? 

November 11, 2017, Georgia’s undefeated season ran aground on the rocks of Jordan-Hare. After the game, Gus Malzahn couldn’t resist crowing about “whipping the dog crap” out of Georgia. He said they won “handily” with the smugness of a man telling you about how he got rich in a slip and fall lawsuit. 

And that was the last time Auburn fans felt joy. 

Gus would turn in three more meh to meh-plus seasons before getting the gate after 2020, setting a record for a coach buyout. His replacement was, inexplicably, Bryan Harsin, a man whose legacy will be serving as the answer to a niche trivia question. Barners immediately hated Harsin, and he only got a second season in the gig because he pulled a Costanza and left the country to avoid firing. I guess they took away his passport when he got back because they canned him after year two.

They then sacrificed the last scraps of their dignity to bring in Hugh Freeze, a man who could make an unlicensed mortician’s skin crawl. Whatever je ne sais quoi (French for BARF) his old time offenses had, he managed to do diddly squat on the Plains. His only memorable accomplishment was losing the 2023 Iron Bowl when they had Bama at 4th and 31 and gave up a touchdown. Remember that? Apparently someone holding the purse strings at Auburn finally did because they gave him a pink slip late last season so he could watch The Blind Side from his hospital bed.

Since firing Gus, Auburn has gone 6-7, 5-7, 6-7, 5-7, and 5-7. That’s an admirable level of futility. 

Overseeing things now is Alex Golesh, a coveted up-and-comer most recently at South Florida who almost made the horrible career mistake of taking a job with Arkansas before getting on this sinking ship instead. Golesh is pretty interesting as a person (Alex is short for Aleksey), and he does have SEC bona fides; it’s increasingly looking like he was the brains behind the uptempo offenses Tennessee fielded under Josh Heupel. And his South Florida Bulls went 9-3 last year with a marquee win over Florida. Of course, that’s after going 6-6 in his first two seasons. So he should fit in here nicely. 

Last year’s edition of the Deep South’s Oldest Rivalry was a tooth-grinding nightmare that ended 20-10 for the good guys. Auburn fans would like you to believe that’s because the refs have it in for them, but have you all considered that you’ve angered the gods? I suggest you barbecue an eagle to atone. I’m sure you know where to find one.

Offense

Auburn’s coaching instability has been accompanied by similar quarterbacking difficulties. After Bo Nix decamped to Eugene, Auburn has fielded a bunch of replacement-level guys with the career longevity of a World War I fighter pilot. Remember Robby Ashford? Payton Thorne? Jackson Arnold? Ashton Daniels? Me neither.

To stop the bleeding under center, Golesh is bringing along Byrum Brown from South Florida. Brown is absolutely the best athlete the Barners have had at QB since Jarrett Stidham, if not since Cam Newton. He had a breakout year in 2023, passing for 3,292 yards and rushing for 809 more on the ground. His 2024 season was cut short with a leg injury, but last year, he became only the second NCAA quarterback (after Jayden Daniels) to pass for more than 3,000 yards while running for more than 1,000. He also totaled 28 touchdowns through the air and 14 more on the ground. Even adjusted for the talent level of the (brb, Googling) American Athletic Conference, that’s incredibly impressive. 

The team’s top five receivers from last year (most notably Cam Coleman) are all playing elsewhere in 2026. But Golesh is also bringing four of his top five receivers from USF, so the PlainsTiglesMen passing attack won’t have to worry too much about getting up to speed. Also, two of the new Auburn wideouts have the incredible names of Chas Nimrod and Christian Neptune.  

That familiarity is a good thing, too, because Golesh’s teams employ a veer-and-shoot offense that requires sharp timing and good decision-making skills on the part of the receivers. The scheme evolved out of the similarly named run-and-shoot and borrows elements of the air raid, although it came into its own when RGIII ran it all the way to the Heisman in 2011. You might consider it somewhat gimmicky, but it’s been successful enough in the SEC on Rocky Top that Tennessee fans now watch their games without paper bags over their heads. 

Schematically, it’s based on spreading the field, employing trickery to confuse the defense, and ideally going as fast as possible. Receivers generally split way, way out wide to stretch the defense, and they have optional route trees they can run based on their reads of the defenders. Golesh is particularly fond of the trickier elements, often stacking receivers to make the trees even more disorienting. Run by a skilled quarterback like Brown, the veer-and-shoot can make for a long afternoon at the office. 

Golesh’s offenses are pass-first, but they rely on a ground attack for balance, especially given how much they rely on playaction. They get a decent RB back in Jeremiah Cobb, but Brown led USF in rushing by about 400 yards over the next closest player. So you can expect to see a lot of uptempo shenanigans that have the potential to make you smoke an entire pack of cigarettes during the game. You know, basically the most annoying type of offensive scheme to defend.

Fortunately, Kirby Smart has tangled with Golesh a couple of times with no small amount of success. The 2022 Tennessee game is probably the best defensive performance I’ve ever seen on a college football field, so I’m more sanguine about this game than I might otherwise be. Especially since it’s in Athens.

Defense

You might be concerned that Auburn will be less hateable now that Freeze is gone, but worry not! Rather than fumigating the Freeze stench all the way out of the athletic offices, they let DJ Durkin hang around to junk the place up. I really don’t understand why you’d keep him around, but I guess the defense was the stronger side of the ball last year? Maybe? Or maybe nobody else knew the Wifi password and how to work the coffee maker, and they’re going to fire him once they get all the logistics squared away.

Regardless, Durkin’s defenses operate out of a 3-3-5 base. Their best pass rusher, Xavier Atkins, is back this year as well, so there’s some continuity. But the 3-3-5 is better suited to stopping a pass-oriented offense. And hey, look at that, Georgia is a team that wants to punish opponents with a brutal ground attack! How about that!

Prediction

Alex Golesh is the first post-Gus hire that hasn’t made me react like this. I think he’s a good coach, and it’s possible he finally gets things in order on the Plains. But Auburn hasn’t won in Athens in more than two decades. The last time they beat the Dawgs in Georgia, “Gold Digger” was #1 on the Billboard Hot 100 and you still needed a .edu email address to create a Facebook account. Next year, when we go to Jordan-Hare, I’ll be a lot more nervous, but I don’t think Auburn can break the streak this year. Auburn might play tough for a half, but I think Georgia salts it away coming home. Georgia 31-Auburn 17.

Every good drama needs an antagonist. Sitcoms need a rival, your favorite Netflix drama needs a schemer, and college football, the closest thing American sports has to a soap opera, needs villains who make the heroes worth rooting for. The 2026 season has no shortage of candidates. Here are the four programs and figures most likely to play the bad guy this fall.

Lane Kiffin and LSU

No storyline captures villainy quite like a betrayal, and Kiffin delivered one for the ages this offseason. He left Ole Miss for LSU in the middle of the Rebels’ first ever College Football Playoff appearance, taking a chunk of his staff with him on the way out the door. In true Lane Kiffin fashion, he made certain that he was the main character of the whole drama. Ole Miss fans were left to finish the playoff run without the coach who built it, and now they get to watch him walk into Vaught-Hemingway Stadium on September 19th wearing purple and gold.

That is the kind of plot twist writers rooms dream up, and it is real. LSU enters the year with (perhaps unreasonable) championship expectations to match the drama. That means Kiffin cannot simply be a villain, he has to be a successful one. If the Tigers stumble (say, out of the gate against Clemson) , every doubt about his timing and his motives will follow him into Baton Rouge hot yoga studios for years. If they win, Ole Miss fans will have to live with the fact that the man who left them mid-heartbreak got the last laugh. Either way, that rivalry game is now the most personal grudge match on the schedule.

Arch Manning and Texas

Texas enters 2026 loaded with talent around Arch Manning, yet still chasing the redemption story after a 9-3 season that fell short of the playoff. A roster that talented, surrounded by that much hype, and still hungry for revenge against Ohio State has all the makings of a team that plays with a chip on its shoulder. That’s great if you win. But as we discussed a few weeks ago, if you’re Steve Sarkisian at some point you have to turn being a gridiron genius into an actual championship, or the knives come out.

Arch Manning is going to need to win three Heisman Trophies this season to get back on track with the expectations when he arrived in Austin. You can literally feel the urgency oozing off the digital page this summer as college football writers who hailed him as the golden boy are pushing the Arch redemption arc coming into 2026. This is really his year guys! Why aren’t the rest of you cheering him on?!?!?

Curt Cignetti and Indiana

Indiana, meanwhile, is the reigning champion trying to prove last year was not a fluke. Nothing turns a feel good underdog story into a villain faster than success. The Hoosiers spent years as an afterthought, and now they are the team everyone else is gunning for. If Indiana keeps winning, they stop being college football’s Cinderella and start becoming the program everyone quietly hopes gets knocked down a peg.

Cignetti hasn’t endeared himself to opposing fans with his brash offseason comments about the SEC and other programs. Cignetti is currently the charming oddball of college football coaches. But you only get to be the oddball main character for so long on this show (see Miles, Les). Cignetti’s “Google me” schtick could easily go stale this season.

Notre Dame

The Fighting Irish could probably fill one of these slots every season. They’re the team everyone in college football loves to hate, for reasons universal and uniquely personal.

They didn’t help their popularity outside South Bend by taking their little ball and going home last year, bowing out of bowl season because they weren’t selected for the playoff. With a Charmin-soft 2026 schedule the Fighting Irish will almost certainly be back in the hunt for the playoff this season. But fans across America would cheer if they managed to Notre Dame this thing up again.

The calendar has turned to August and the shoulder pads are once again popping in Athens. That can only mean one thing: the return of ‘‘Dawg Bites, your daily run down of what’a going on in Bulldog Nation. Let’s get to it.

Brad Crawford at CBS Sports has released its list of the ten teams who could emerge undefeated from college football’s regular season, and as you might expect the Red and Black are on the list. As Brad notes the Athenians do not have one of the easier routes to the land of the unblemished, with five contests against teams that finished 2025 ranked in the top 25.

I agree that the October 10th trip to Tuscaloosa is probably the biggest stumbling block. But games against Oklahoma, Ole Miss, Florida, and Georgia Tech all provide unique opportunities to stumble. If the Bulldogs survive the gauntlet and make it to the SEC Championship Game as an undefeated team it will have been a fantastic job of coaching by Kirby Smart and his staff.

On a related note, if you’re traveling to Tuscaloosa for the game our friends at Roll Bama Roll have a nice guide to how to experience Tuscaloosa on game day.

Elsewhere in fascinating lists ESPN has a list of the ten SEC freshmen who could make an immediate impact. Vanderbilt quarterback and Nate Bargatze sidekick Jared Curtis is the top pick, but a pair of Bulldog freshmen also made the list. Zykie Helton earned a mention at guard, and tight end Kaiden Prothro also earned a shoutout.

How the offensive coaches use Prothro in an already loaded tight end room is really one of the most interesting story lines on this team. Lawson Luckie and Elyiss Williams are each early All-SEC candidates, but Prothro is just too good to keep off the field. It’ll be fascinating to see how many snaps he can earn, and how much the staff trusts him in high pressure situations.

Also in that tight end room will be Jaden Reddell, who Connor Riley of DawgNation notes is among the spring standouts who could keep turning heads this fall.

I’m personally really curious to see what freshman Tyriq Green can do in the cornerback rotation. Green was a one man wrecking crew for the Buford Wolves last season. If he picks up the scheme and avoids hitting the freshman wall, he could have a great season behind likely starters Ellis Robinson IV and Demelo Jones. Green may also see time at safety behind fellow Buford alum KJ Bolden. I just think the guy is too good for the coaches to not find some spots to get him on the field. We’ll be back later today with more Bulldog goodness. Until then…

Go Dawgs!!!

Bulldog basketball got some great news today, opening its 2027 class with a commitment from a national top 50 recruit from right down the road. North Oconee shooting guard  Justin Wise announced on his Instagram account that he has committed to the Bulldogs over Miami, Tennessee, Texas, Vanderbilt, and an host of other elite programs.

The four star Wise is ranked as the #5 shooting guard and #63 overall prospect in the 2027 class according to 247Sports. He’a also the first commitment in the 2027 cycle for Mike White, who’s coming off his team’s second consecutive March Madness appearance (and first round exit).

Wise’s pledge is a welcome sign for Dawg fans. White has done a lot to return the Red and Black to consistent respectability. But one issue that has persisted under his tenure is the Bulldogs’ inability to scoop up a solid share of the wealth of basketball talent the state of Georgia produces every year. Perennially the Peach State produces several top national recruits. For example, six of the current 247Sports top 50 for 2027 are Georgians. But the Athenians have had a tough time getting those blue choppers to stay and play for the state’s flagship school. In fact no player ranked #1 in the state in 247’s high school rankings has stayed home to play for the Dawgs since Anthony Edwards chose the Red and Black in 2019.

I’m not sure Wise is headed toward being the top overall pick in the NBA Draft, but he is a solid addition to a Bulldog roster that continues to trend in the right direction talent-wise.

Go ‘Dawgs!!!

The 2026 Georgia defense returns a solid base of starters and key contributors from 2025’s SEC Championship squad. That may be nowhere more apparent than at safety and STAR, where a potent mix of returning all-conference honorees and immediate impact transfers combine to create potentially the strongest unit on the defense.

Georgia’s 2025 safety room was anchored by sophomore KJ Bolden, who took over as the full-time starter after Malaki Starks departed for the NFL. Bolden picked up where he’d left off as a freshman, earning Second Team All-SEC honors. Kyron Jones broke through as a first year starter before a foot injury ended his season in October.

Former five star recruit Joenel Aguero appeared in 12 games, starting all of them, and tallied 39 tackles (22 solo) and 0.5 tackles for loss for two yards. Aguero actually yielded some snaps as the season went on to freshman Rasean Dinkins, who saw action in 13 games as a true freshman.

Southern Cal transfer Zion Branch emerged as a key contributor, seeing anction in 11 games and tallying 27 tackles, 5 of them in the Sugar Bowl against Ole Miss. UAB transfer Adrian Maddox rotated in behind them, while senior JaCorey Thomas stepped up significantly once Jones went down. Though the secondary as a whole was exposed at times, most notably in the Sugar Bowl loss to Ole Miss, there was enough there to expect big things moving forward.

Maddox is now at Kansas State, Aguero transferred to Ole Miss, and Thomas decamped for the NFL. But what remains on the roster in Athens is a ton of experience and a ton of talent.

Bolden is back for his junior season as the unquestioned leader of the room. In 2025 he started all 14 games and finished second on the team with 76 tackles, adding two interceptions, 5 pass breakups, a fumble recovery, and a blocked punt. His combination of physicality and range makes him a preseason All-SEC candidate again, and a likely first day NFL Draft selection next April.

Kyron Jones returns after his breakout redshirt-sophomore campaign was cut short. He started Georgia’s first six games in 2025, racking up 24 tackles and a key fumble recovery in a win over Auburn, before that foot injury sidelined him for the rest of the year. A full offseason of recovery puts him right back in the mix for a starting job.

Branch is back for another season after playing a complementary role in 2025. He appeared in 11 games, making 27 tackles (19 solo) with two pass breakups, and saw his workload increase late in the year as injuries to Jones and others took a toll on the depth chart. He should pick up right where he left off.

Dinkins likewise returns, having started the SEC Championship Game in place of Aguero, whose nagging injuries during his three seasons in Athens appear to have helped the freshman from Warner Robins pass him on the depth chart. Dinkins will likely play a versatile role in the 2026 rotation, though it’s unclear whether he’ll earn a starting nod over Jones.

Valdosta native Todd Robinson didn’t record any stats in 2025, but will likely be in the rotation for snaps and contribute on special teams. Fellow redshirt freshman Jaylan Morgan likewise didn’t make waves last season in his first year on campus, but returns with a chance to earn snaps in a reserve role.

Georgia also added two experienced transfers to fortify the position. Khalil Barnes arrives from Clemson, where a lingering hamstring injury limited him to 40 tackles and two pass breakups over 9 starts in 2025. However for his career at Auburn with a Lake Barnes was wildly productive, posting 139 tackles, 7 interceptions, and 3 forced fumbles across three seasons. He’s expected to compete immediately for a starting spot, likely at STAR.

Ja’Marley Riddle joins from East Carolina, where he earned First Team All-AAC recognition in 2025 after totaling 70 tackles, 4 tackles for loss, 3 interceptions, 6 pass breakups, and a fumble recovery. Across two seasons with the Pirates he piled up 134 tackles and six interceptions, and he brings two years of remaining eligibility to Athens. While the SEC is certainly a step up in competition, Riddle’s production at ECU can’t be ignored. Like Barnes, even though he may be new to Bulldog fans he’s a player who’s excelled against solid competition and is already accustomed to the speed of the college game.

As if there weren’t enough guys vying for snaps, Georgia’s 2026 signing class also brought in a wave of safety talent. Jordan Smith, a four star prospect out of Houston County High in Warner Robins, was ranked among the top ten safeties nationally and gives the Bulldogs another premium in-state building block. Zech Fort, a four star signee from Bradenton, Florida, adds size, range, and ball skills to the room.

Tyriq Green and Blake Stewart, both four star in-state signees from the Atlanta area, round out a group of four true freshmen safeties, part of a six man defensive back haul that also included two cornerbacks.

None of the four newcomers are expected to start right away given the presence of veterans like Bolden, Jones, Dinkins, and Branch, along with proven transfers in Barnes and Riddle. But Green in particular showed in the spring that he’s going to earn some chances to prove himself. Kirby Smart expects his players to compete every day in practice, and we’ll likely see the four freshmen get early tryouts against Tennessee State, Western Kentucky, and Arkansas in the first three weeks of the season.

With so many new and returning pieces competing for reps throughout fall camp, Georgia’s safety room looks deeper and more experienced on paper than it did a year ago, even if the exact starting lineup will not be settled until closer to the season opener.

Go ‘Dawgs!!!

Admittedly there is a lot of cynicism surrounding college football, and college athletics generally, these days. And that’s definitely justified.The television people and the agents and the private equity stuffed Patagonia vests are mostly in charge, and the rest of us who actually give a dang about the sport often feel either ignored or taken for granted. It’s tempting to look back on a far-off halcyon yesteryear, when things were simpler and better, and to wonder how long the sport will survive.

I find however that those sentiments tend to be most prominent during the long offseason, when the business side of college football is on full, hideous display. Once the games actually kick off we’re reminded that college football is still a whole lot of fun. It retains the power to excite, to captivate, and even to inspire like no other show on turf.

Just consider Senior Day at Sanford Stadium on November 20, 2021. That team would of course go on to break a four decade long drought by winning a national title only a few weeks later, but we didn’t know that at the time. We just knew there were a lot of special footballs players on that team. And few were more special than Jordan Davis.

The big guy began his Senior Day celebration in the first quarter by going over the goal line on a one yard run for the first touchdown of his collegiate career. Then after the Dawgs finished off Charleston Southern 56-7, Davis received an honor few expected.

A lot of people did not know that Davis had friends in the Redcoats Band, and in addition to being a fantastic singer, has a penchant for conducting. It was one of those moments that is really only possible in college football. So on this morning, with only a scant handful of Saturday mornings between you and college football, rest assured that there will be magical moments in 2026, and know that we can’t wait to share them with you in these digital pages. Until later…

Go ‘Dawgs!!!

The SEC generally, and Georgia’s schedule specifically is absolutely full of elite players. Along with the other preview series we’re running here at Dawg Sports as fall practice looms, I thought it would be instructive to look at the ten best players the Red and Black will see this season. We begin with a Vandy defensive back who’s going to have a lot on his shoulders this year.

Martel Hight, CB, Vanderbilt (vs. Vanderbilt, Oct. 3)

With Diego Pavia gone to the NFL, Vanderbilt’s defense becomes the more proven side of the ball, and Hight is its anchor. In 2025 he led the SEC in interceptions among defensive players, finishing with four picks and 35 tackles despite Vanderbilt not placing any defenders on the All-SEC teams.

Hight has been a steady piece of the Vanderbilt secondary since his true freshman year, when he played in all 12 games and accounted for 38 tackles and an interception. As a sophomore he added 33 tackles, two interceptions, four passes defended, and a forced fumble, while also handling return duties. He was chosen to represent the program at SEC Media Days entering his senior season, a sign of the trust the staff has in his leadership as the Commodores transition to a new quarterback.

In 2025 the Commodore staff gave Hight a look at receiver, where he’d been a standout in high school. The move made sense with Diego Pavia at QB but question marks surrounding Vandy’s receiving corps. Getting Hight, among the best athletes on the roster, more snaps to be explosiive made sense on paper.

On the field it was less of a winner. Hight was targeted just 11 times out of 55 offensive snaps, catching just 7 balls and accounting for just 64 yards and no touchdowns. Hight played more than 10 offensive snaps in three of Vanderbilt’s first four games, then never got that level of usage again. Just one throw went Hight’s way after week four, as the staff seems to have realized his highest and best use is at corner.

For Georgia, Hight is the kind of corner who can turn a broken coverage into a turnover. His ball skills and instincts for finding the football make him dangerous on any pass that isn’t placed well. Gunner Stockton will need to know where Hight lines up on every snap and avoid feeding him opportunities in obvious passing situations, since he has shown a knack for cashing in on mistakes against the SEC’s best offenses.

Go ‘‘Dawgs!!!

Is there anything in this world better than watching Florida Gator fans being miserable. I submit that there is not.

And if you enjoy miserable Florida fans, the 2021 World’s Largest Outdoor Cocktail Party was a banner affair for you.It began promisingly enough. The #1 ranked Bulldogs missed a field goal on their opening drive, giving the Gators a sliver of hope. In fact the Gators held the Dawgs to a 0-0 tie through the first quarter.

The Bulldogs did manage to connect on a field goal early in the second, but the Sunshine State Saurians were still in this one.

Right up until they weren’t.

It started innocuously enough with an Anthony Richardson fumble. James Cook then scored on the next play. Then when Florida got the ball back and Richardson threw a pick. Stetson Bennett made him pay for it by completing a 36 yard touchdown to Kearis Jackson on the ensuing play. Suddenly it was 17-3 Georgia. It couldn’t get worse, right? Wrong.

Richardson’s second interception in less than a minute of game time resulted in a Nakobe Dean touchdown that everyone , including Gary Danielson, saw coming from a mile away.

Two offensive snaps. 21 points. Total Gator humiliation. It doesn’t get any better than that.

Vanderbilt is coming off one of the most successful seasons in program history, going 10-3 overall and 6-2 in the SEC while being in the playoff conversation the whole year. Head coach Clark Lea has built up the Vandy program into something extremely respectful, if not borderline borderline playoff contending – will need a couple more years of sustained success to go that far.

Offense

In 2025, the Commodores finished 8th in the nation in points per game at 38.5 thanks in large part to quarterback Diego Pavia. Pavia was the engine of the Vandy offense and finished as the Heisman runner-up. 2026, though, will see a new signal caller under center. Most believe that true freshman and former UGA commit Jared Curtis will be the starter in Week 1. A former five-star recruit and Nashville native, Curtis flipped to Vanderbilt just prior to putting pen to paper for his signing. Curtis is by far the biggest recruit in the history of Vanderbilt football, who had never had even a top 50 commit prior to Curtis signing. Having already drawn comparisons from his head coach Lea, it seems that Curtis will indeed be the starter. Other quarterbacks pushing Curtis for the starting spot are third year quarterback Blaze Berlowitz and and Whit Muschamp, son of Will Muschamp.

Though the quarterback will be new, the main player they will hand the ball off to is not. Sedrick Alexander returns for another year as the starting running back after averaging 5.4 yard per carry and accumulating 15 total touchdowns last season. Alexander will likely be tasked with carrying a bigger workload in 2026 to ease the pressure off the true-freshman Curtis.

The Commodores did lose All-American tight end Eli Stowers who will now be catching passes from Jalen Hurts for the Philadelphia Eagles. Despite the loss of their leading pass catcher in terms of receptions, Vanderbilt does return their top wide receiver in Junior Sherrill who led the team with 800 yards through the air.

Even with Alexander, Sherrill, and more returning, the offense will only go as far as Curtis can take them. While an elite talent, it remains to be seen how well his game translates from Tennessee Class A football to the SEC

Defense

While Vanderbilt’s offense was putting up video game numbers, their defense was merely trying to do their part in securing each win, giving up 22.8 points per game which was 48th in the country.

The Dores return cornerback and Rome High School grad Martel Hight who led the team in interceptions in 2025 (he also added seven catches on offense, too). Additionally, Vanderbilt returns both of their leading tacklers in CJ Heard (safety) and Bryan Longwell (linebacker). Furthermore, their leading edge rusher Miles Capers also returns to add to his sack total from 2025.

All of this is to say, while Vanderbilt’s defense was not one of the conference’s elite in 2025, they do return a good amount of their talent. Clark Lea made his name coordinating one great defense after another, and he will have that side of the ball prepared to complement their offense in 2026.

Prediction

As is the case often times when Vanderbilt comes to Athens, it will be Homecoming week of the Dawgs. As someone who holds degrees from both institutions, the game is uniquely exciting for me; however, make no mistake, I want Georgia to win by 50 every time out.

While I don’t think Georgia wins by quite that amount, I find it difficult to see Vanderbilt not just pulling off the upset but keeping it relatively close. The Dawgs are formidable in Sanford, and no one in the stadium, from the players to the fans, will make Curtis’ life any easier after spurning Georgia late in the recruiting cycle.

Georgia 34 Vanderbilt 17

Alabamas safety Keon Sabb was one of the most productive defensive backs in the SEC in 2025, leading the Tide with 4 interceptions while earning first-team All-SEC and third-team All-American honors as a junior. He was a projected top-five safety in the 2026 NFL Draft before deciding to return to Tuscaloosa for one more season, a decision that gives Alabama a proven veteran leader on the back end of its defense.

Preseason accolades have followed him into 2026. Sabb earned a spot on Athlon Sports’ preseason All-America second team at safety and has continued to be recognized as one of the premier defensive backs in the conference. His ability to read quarterbacks and close on the ball has made him a focal point of Alabama’s defensive game plan, and he’s regarded as one of the best returning safeties anywhere in the country entering the season.

For Georgia, Sabb is the type of player who can single-handedly change the math on a passing down. A safety who knows how to bait quarterbacks into thinking a window is open when it isn’t, and has shown he can finish those plays rather than just batting the ball away. When the Dawgs and Tide face off on October 10th in Tuscaloosa Georgia’s passing game will need to account for where Sabb is playing on any given snap, particularly on deep shots or intermediate crossers, since a mistake in his direction could easily end a possession.

The 6’1, 208 pound New Jersey native is also big and physical enough to make plays against the run and to create pressure at the line of scrimmage. I’s expect the Michigan transfer entering his third season at Alabama to be moved around more, making him harder to account for and taking advantage of his instincts and football IQ.

Here at DOT HQ the last several weeks, we’ve been watching the bubble for which former Bulldogs will qualify for the FedEx Cup Playoffs – the PGA Tour’s postseason. Last week in Detroit was fairly kind to some of our boys on the wrong side of the 70th position, so let’s take a look at who did what.

Brendon Todd started the week in 217th place, and only a win would’ve given him hope. Since he missed the cut, he is mathematically eliminated. Harris English was already top 50 and used the Rocket Classic to work on his game. It looked decent for the first two rounds and he made the weekend, but over par on Saturday and Sunday gave him a 71st place finish and he dropped to #49 on the playoff points list. No need to worry – he’s assured of a playoff berth. Russell Henley was likewise a lock for extended play at #14. He still shot all four rounds under par and tied for 20th. But that actually dropped him 1 spot to #15 in FedEx Cup points – still a lock.

Chris Kirk began last week at #147 and really needed a win to get close to the magic 70th position. His Saturday 66 gave him a realistic shot, and he spent a good chunk of Sunday within 1 or 2 shots of the lead. But a honest-to-God shank early on his final 9 holes really shook him, and his final round 70 meant a tie for 8th and he only moved up to 127th place in the playoff race.

Similarly Davis Thompson began in 93rd spot, and to leapfrog the logjam in front of him required a top 3 finish. He was 2nd page leaderboard material until a Sunday 66 jumped him into a tie with Kirk for 8th, which means he only moved up to 81st. But still within shouting distance and a realistic chance to advance if he gets top 3 or better this week. He finished 11th at Wyndham last year, and Kirk finished 5th, so there’s a chance.

After 34-odd weeks, the PGA Tour’s final regular season event is upon us. 4 majors, 8 signature events, the Players Championship, 20 other regular tournaments and a smattering of opposite-field events are in the books and it all comes down to this week. Sorta (there’s a Fall season that is only kinda official, but can be used to better your status going into 2027).

Tournament: Wyndham Championship, August 6-9, 2026

Course: Sedgefield Country Club par 70, 7,131 yards. It will likely play closer to 6,800 or 6,900 yards each day as they move tee boxes up and back. After a brutal June, the hot and wet July means the small undulating greens are protected by pretty thick rough, so be prepared to find fairways.

Purse: $8.5 million in total, and $1,530,000 to the winner.

Defending Champ: Cameron Young. The Wake Forest Demon Deacon famous for runner-up finishes finally broke through for his first Tour win. And it wasn’t particularly close – he lapped the field and was up 6 or more shots pretty much the entire final round.

Fun Fact: It’s an old-school Donald Ross design in Greensboro, NC which is famous for shuttered textile mills and birthplace of the Atlantic Coast Conference. Literally the ACC was formally brought into existence at the Sedgefield clubhouse. Do you think the ACC founding fathers envisioned Cal as a future member, and having Belichick and Dabo as the flag bearers?

TV Times: Just like last week, Golf Channel has broadcast coverage 3-6 pm ET Thursday and Friday and 1-3 pm ET Saturday and Sunday. CBS will have its last golf broadcast of the year Saturday and Sunday starting at 3 pm ET.

‘Dawgs in the Field: 6. In addition to Thompson, English, and Kirk mentioned above, Keith Mitchell (#47 in FedEx), Brian Harman (#63), and Sepp Straka (#37) are teeing it up this week in Greensboro.

So there’s who to watch and root for. When the only football is NFL preseason, this might be a good alternative. Check out the pressure as millionaires and hundred-thousandaires fight to keep their cushy jobs for next year. And as always…

GO ‘DAWGS!!!

Georgia fans and people at a squat rack have one main thing in common; they want to see a tight end.

Luckily for all, Georgia boasts a solid TE room mixed with veterans and newcomers ready to make an impact when the 2026 season begins in just a few weeks.

The most notable and positive name in the group is Lawson Luckie, who returns for his senior year after posting 15 catches for 158 yards and 4 TDs last season. Mike Bobo is certainly Luckie to have a reliable veteran in the fold, especially one who has shown the ability to make big plays when he’s needed. Luckie posted 3/4 of his TDs last season in the Ole Miss V1.0 game in Athens, each of which were needed to help secure the Dawgs’ one-possession win.

The big Senior out of Norcross, GA, coming in at 6’4” 240 lbs, is not a player you want to mess with nor cross, as he has the size and strength to certainly hold his own. This size helps in the running game, as Luckie is often tasked with blocking Defensive Ends and Outside Linebackers. Last season, he spent a considerable number of plays as the lead blocker on WR screens, of which Georgia fans are undoubtedly all too familiar.

This commitment to WR screens was frustrating to some, but opened up the “fake WR screen TE wheel route” play that seemed to work for at least one big gain every game. With the Screen Menace Branch now in the NFL, it will be interesting to see if this type of play is as potent as before.

If not, Mike Bobo et al. will have to come up with more creative ways to get Luckie the ball. His combination of size and speed makes him a mismatch, and like we said, any Offensive Coordinator would be Luckie to have him on their team.

With that being said, Luckie has career totals of 41 catches for 515 yards over three season, not necessarily numbers that jump out at you. But as one of only two returning players who had multiple TD receptions last season, he should have plenty of opportunity to improve upon those significantly.

The other big name to know in the TE room is Elyiss Williams. Not unlike real estate, the three most important words when talking about Elyiss Williams are “potential, potential, potential.” The towering 6’7” Sophomore returns after showing flashes in an overall quiet Freshman season. But in an offense that loves featuring 2-tight end sets, and with Oscar Delp now in the NFL, Williams should see the field much more often in 2026.

This aforementioned potential was on full display early in the Mississippi State game last season. On one first-quarter drive, he made an acrobatic, leaping catch on third down, then shoved a defender 5 yards back to pave the way for a Chauncey Bowens TD run.

Mike Bobo, like a young artist seeking inspiration, should look no further than the 2022 UGA offense to find ways to properly use Williams. That national title winning squad used fellow giant TE Darnell Washington perfectly, taking advantage of his agility and strength as a lead blocker on the perimeter, while using his frame and catch radius in the passing game.

Defenders hated seeing Big 0 rumbling full speed at them, and his consistent presence as a lead blocker wore teams down over the course of games, opening up lanes all over.

We saw the natural abilities and uncoachable size of Williams last season, but he needs to improve his blocking ability if he wants to be the offensive staple Georgia fans hope to see. He has the potential to completely open up the playbook in a way that’s been missing since Washington crossed the Allegheny into the NFL, and here’s to hoping that potential is realized.

Lastly but not leastly, and excuse my French, nous avons Kaiden Prothro. The electric young Freshman moves more like a WR but could be listed as a TE given he’s 6’6” and 210 lbs. Though it is hard to project ahead, the highlight reel and high school accolades hint at a promising collegiate career. Prothro enters college this year as the great state of Georgia’s all-time leading TD catcher, which not many others can say (none, to be specific).

Prothro certainly has a chance to make an impact from day 1, but Kirby has always been adamant that if you can’t block, you can’t play. Adjusting to the physical nature of SEC ball will be the biggest challenge for him in year 1, especially early, but if he is able to hold his own in the running game, then we could see some electric plays from the start.

The offensive coaching staff has a lot of interesting and complimentary pieces to play with this season when it comes to the TE position. While this room may not have a Brock Bowers, becuase no room ever will, there are players who are capable of impacting the game at multiple levels.

How the coaching staff chooses to use these chess pieces will be very interesting, and luckily, we are only a few weeks away from finding out.

The SEC enters 2026 with six new head coaches after last year’s carousel turned into a Game of Thrones episode, sending Auburn, Florida, Arkansas, Ole Miss, Kentucky, and LSU to the Indeed portal to make new hires. That churn means most of the pressure this season falls on a smaller group of holdovers who’ve already had time to prove, or fail perhaps fail to prove, that they’re the man for the job. Let’s take a look at the coaches feeling the heat, what needs to go right for them, and the games that could decide their futures.

Five alarm fires (coaches under the most pressure)

Shane Beamer, South Carolina. Nobody in the league enters 2026 with a toastier back side than Beamer, who followed his best season in the lesser of the Columbias (9-4 in 2024) with a 4-8 shambles of a 2025 that included blowing a 30-3 halftime lead to Texas A&M and a five game losing streak. He fired his offensive coordinator and brought in Kendal Briles, which given Briles’ baggage shows a palpable sense of desperation. I also means that there’s no one left to blame if the ‘Cocks can’t score points. For Beamer to survive, South Carolina probably needs at least a couple of statement wins. Knocking off Alabama in Tuscaloosa, Florida in the Swamp, or Oklahoma in Norman would fit the bill. A win over Clemson in the season finale might also salvage things if the SEC slate doesn’t go according to plan, but only if there are no more “statement losses” like last year’s A&M debacle. Anything resembling last year’s finish likely ends his tenure.

Jeff Lebby, Mississippi State. Lebby’s improvement from 2-10 to 5-8 in 2025 was real, but a 1-15 SEC mark over two years won’t buy much more patience in Starkville. One advantage Lebby had that Beamer doesn’t is that the path to survival runs through Davis-Wade Stadium: a home upset of Alabama or Oklahoma would change the entire narrative, and there are winnable conference games against Missouri, Vanderbilt, and Auburn. Win those three and upset somebody else and he probably has another year to really hit pay dirt, as a finish on the good side of .500 is likely the bar for a fourth season.

Fire contained (For Now)

Josh Heupel, Tennessee. Heupel’s tenure on Rocky Top has been a study in inconsistency. There was an 11-2, Orange Bowl-winning 2022 sandwiched around 4-4 SEC finishes in three other seasons. The 2026 schedule offers a lifeline, though: Texas, Alabama, and LSU all visit Neyland Stadium. Going 2-1 in those games, on top of handling the teams Tennessee is supposed to beat, likely keeps Heupel in Knoxville. A 1-2 showing at home against that trio would turn up the temperature considerably.

Kalen DeBoer, Alabama. I don’t really think DeBoer is in danger of being fired in 2026, but Alabama’s standard is unlike just about anywhere else in the sport. And when that type of fire kicks up it usually does so in a hurry. Following a living legend like Nick Saban means the grading curve doesn’t bend. In Tuscaloosa a Playoff berth and quarterfinal run that would thrill every other fan base in the country would barely register as “good enough.” DeBoer needs to contend for the SEC title and make a real January run to fully quiet the noise.

No smoke, but conditions are right.

Steve Sarkisian, Texas. Sark’s seat is far cooler than the others on this list, but the bar has been raised by his own roster. With Arch Manning entering his second year as a starter and a loaded team that will open the year ranked in the top three, a favorable home slate against Ohio State and Ole Miss means the Longhorns are expected to make the College Football Playoff. Missing it two years running would start real conversations in Austin about whether he’s the man for the job.

Brent Venables, Oklahoma. Norman, like Austin, is not a place known for patient and forgiving football fans. But a 10-3 record and a College Football Playoff appearance in 2025 should buy him another year unless the Sooners absolutely self-immolate this season. With John Mateer back and healthy and plenty of talent around him, I just don’t expect a blaze to kick up under Venables’ nether regions this season.

What buys everyone else safety

Kirby Smart remains the standard-bearer for stability in the league, and new hires at Florida (Jon Sumrall), Auburn (Alex Golesh), Kentucky (Will Stein), and Arkansas (Ryan Silverfield) all get the traditional grace period afforded to first-year coaches, whatever their win totals look like. Barring an odious scandal or actual criminal wrongdoing I don’t see any of those guys getting the hook.

LSU’s Lane Kiffin arrives with enormous expectations after his Ole Miss departure, but a first season at a new job typically buys patience even at a program with LSU’s resources. That said, Lane’s a different kind of guy, and LSU’s got alumni crazier than a bag full of nutria rats beneath a full bayou moon. So who knows?

Texas A&M’s Mike Elko and Missouri’s Eli Drinkwitz have both built real momentum, and Vanderbilt’s Clark Lea has turned a longtime SEC punching bag into a genuinely competitive program. None of the three faces meaningful pressure. If anything, their administrators and donors probably need to be thinking about how to keep them in town if 2026 goes really well and other programs come calling.

Ranking all 16 SEC coaches from safest to most in jeopardy

1. Kirby Smart, Georgia
2. Mike Elko, Texas A&M
3. Lane Kiffin, LSU
4. Clark Lea, Vanderbilt
5. Eli Drinkwitz, Missouri
6. Jon Sumrall, Florida
7. Alex Golesh, Auburn
8. Ryan Silverfield, Arkansas
9. Will Stein, Kentucky
10. Pete Golding, Ole Miss
11. Brent Venables, Oklahoma
12. Steve Sarkisian, Texas
13. Kalen DeBoer, Alabama
14. Josh Heupel, Tennessee
15. Jeff Lebby, Mississippi State
16. Shane Beamer, South Carolina

Barring an unexpected implosion, the SEC probably won’t see the six-coach turnover it experienced heading into 2026. But athletic directors and boosters across the league are rarely content with the status quo, and for at least a couple of names near the bottom of this list one more disappointing fall could mean a very different sideline in 2027.

Go ‘Dawgs!!!

SEC Media Days 2026 was, as usual, a lot of sizzle and very little steak. But one announcement was significant enough that it merits further consideration.

The league announced that beginning in 2026 a player’s first targeting ejection of the season will no longer carry an automatic suspension into the next game. The player is still disqualified for the remainder of the current game, but may play the following week regardless of whether the foul occurred in the first or second half. A second targeting ejection in the same season results in missing the first half of the next game, while a third results in a full game suspension. Conferences may also use an appeals process after a second offense. This all aligns the SEC with the NCAA’s new one year trial rule. 

The change could reduce the impact of borderline targeting calls on future games, especially when star players are ejected late in a contest. Supporters of the changes argue the new rule preserves player safety while making the punishment more proportional since a first offense no longer creates an automatic carryover suspension. Critics may worry that removing the immediate next game consequence could slightly weaken deterrence, though players still face ejection and escalating penalties for repeat violations. At a minimum, there’s a strong argument that this rule penalizes repeat offenders and actual “head hunters” while not penalizing players as harshly for an isolated incident.

According the SEC coordinator of officials John McDaid, six FBS players were given two targeting fouls during the 2025 season. Seven players were given two targeting flags in both 2021 and 2022. Five were flagged twice in 2023 and four were given two in 2024. No FBS players were given three or more targeting fouls in a season over the last five years. McDaid highlighted the data as evidence showing the targeting rule is effective to shape player behavior. Personally, I think some of it is also a shift in coaching practices now that the targeting rule has been generally in its current form for a decade. Nobody teaches tackling the way Greg Blue did it anymore, whether for good or ill.

Other conferences are likely to monitor the rule’s effects closely. Because the NCAA approved the policy as a one year experiment across  the Football Bowl Subdivision, many leagues are expected to gather data on player behavior, officiating consistency, and injury trends before advocating permanent adoption or further revisions. If the trial appears to be  maintaining safety while reducing controversy broader support across college football seems all but assured. Conversely, if repeat offenses increase or enforcement becomes more contentious, conferences could still push for stricter penalties or modifications before making the rule permanent.

It remains to be seen how these changes will actually affect the game. I think the best outcome would be that they really don’t, and we don’t notice the change. I’m all for player safety, but there’s long been a school of thought that the current rule is overly penal, especially on bang/bang plays where there’s clearly no intent to injure. Not taking players off the field for extended periods in that situation strikes me as, on balance, a more sensible way of administering the rule.

Go ‘Dawgs!!!

The Twin Cities injected some excitement into the late season last week, and there was good news for former Bulldogs to boot. First, Tour rookie (I mean like 24 days since turning pro) Jackson Koivun won the 3M Open in his 3rd start as a professional and 7th time playing a Tour event (he played several as an amateur and based on his NCAA Championship). He beat everyone not named Scottie Scheffler by 5 shots, and held off the world #1 in the process. His incredible collegiate career at Auburn was not a fluke, unlike their academic credentials.

For the boys in red & black: Keith Mitchell finished in a tie for 44th, so his position in the FedEx Cup points did not change. Chris Kirk got to 12 under par, and the T31 finish bumped him up 3 spots to 143rd in the FedEx. But he’ll need a VERY high finish the next two weeks to get into the post-season. David Thompson got a much-needed top 10 (T7) and that moved him up to 93rd position – still outside the top 70 but do now he has an outside chance to advance.

And Brian Harman played the final day alongside Scottie Scheffler and for the most part kept up with him. Harman shot a Sunday 65 and got a T3 – and those points bumped him from the dangerous 74th spot to a more comfortable 62nd spot. So let’s see what’s on tap this week.

Tournament: Rocket Classic, July 30-August 2, 2026.

Course: Detroit Golf Club, par 70, 7,328 yards. 

Purse: $10 million total, with $1.8 million to the winner.

Defending Champ: Aldrich Potgeiter. The youngster (only 20 at the time) came out blazing and had a 2 stroke lead entering the final round. He shot a 1 under 69 Sunday, but that was enough for Georgia’s own Chris Kirk to catch him with a 67. Duke Blue Devel Max Greyserman matched Kirk and got into the playoff too, but that’s the side story. The main story is that Kirk felt sorry for the South African rookie and let him win after a few holes.

TV Times: Similar to last week, and much like a “regular” Tour event, Golf Channel has coverage Thursday and Friday from 3-6 pm ET, and Saturday and Sunday 1-3 pm. CBS will take over the late weekend coverage Saturday and Sunday at 3 pm ET.

‘Dawgs in the Field: Russell Henley, Chris Kirk, Brendon Todd, Davis Thomson, Harris English.

If you’ve been following along, and Mom I know you have, you realize both Henley and English are in good shape for the FedEx Cup Playoffs at 14th and 48th respectively. You know Davis Thompson needs some high finishes the next two weeks to jump from now 93rd place into the top 70. Chris Kirk is at 143 and needs a miracle. And Brendon Todd would need a win this week (and only a win), plus make the cut next week at Wyndham and I’m not sure he can enter next week. Straka, Harman, and Mitchell are in pretty good shape, but some may play next week to tune up for the fast-approaching post-season.

Enjoy this during the dog days, before the ‘Dawg Days truly begin, and hopefully a ‘Dawg will have his Day in the winners circle in Rock City. And as always…

GO ‘DAWGS!!!

There have been other Bulldogs tailbacks who ran for more yards than Knowshon Moreno. There are Bulldog tailbacks with more SEC and national title rings than Knowshon Moreno. But pound for pound and carry for carry, has there ever been a more electric Bulldog tailbacks who ran than Knowshon Moreno? I submit that the answer is ““no.” Just ask the Central Michigan Chippewas.

CMU came to Athens for the second game of the 2008 season and met a Bulldog squad with a chip on its shoulder. Georgia, led by future #1 draft pick and likely NFL Hall of Famer Matt Stafford had begun the season ranked #1 in the nation for the first time in decades. But the Red and Black actually dropped to #2 after a sleepy home opener win against Georgia Southern. They took their frustrations out on the Chips, scoring on four straight possessions coming out of halftime to cruise to a 56-17 victory.

There were plenty of highlights in this one, but the iconic moment remains Knowshon’s twisting, leaping run for a drive extending first down.

Few tailbacks have ever been as shifty in traffic and as smooth in the open field as noted quiet hours back flipper Knowshon Rockwell Moreno. Knowshon would finish his day with 168 yards rushing and 3 touchdowns. But it was this leap that ended up on teeshirts and message board avatars.

Go ‘‘Dawgs!!!

Quintavius Johnson took a major step forward in his first year as a full-time starter at outside linebacker for the Red and Black in 2025. The redshirt sophomore played and started all 14 games, finishing with 35 total tackles (21 solo), 6.0 tackles for loss, 2.0 sacks, a forced fumble, and 3 pass breakups.

Even better, his production was spread across the schedule rather than concentrated in a couple of standout games. Johnson showed out against Tennessee, Alabama, Auburn, and Mississippi State, where he notched a sack, a forced fumble, and a tackle for loss in the same outing. It was a steady, productive season that established him as a reliable piece of Georgia’s defense. Johnson justified the rave reviews coaches bestowed on him in fall camp, showing real growth in his ability to set the edge, shed blocks, and get after the quarterback. Just ask poor Ty Simpson.

Entering 2026, Johnson should retain a featured role in Georgia’s outside linebacker rotation. With the ‘Dawgs losing key front seven pieces to the NFL, including linebacker CJ Allen, the door is open for Johnson to become not just a primary edge rusher and every-down defender, but also a vocal veteran leader of the defense. He’ll be working alongside returning veterans like Raylen Wilson and Chris Cole, and is one of Georgia’s third-year players whose draft stock could take a significant jump this season.

At 6’4 and 255 pounds, he has the frame to hold up against the run while still offering the athleticism to win as a pass rusher, and Kirby Smart’s staff will likely lean on him to be more disruptive in obvious passing situations. If he can build on last year’s 6.0 tackles for loss and turn that into double-digit disruptive plays, he could emerge as one of the anchors of Glenn Schumann’s defense.

Johnson is not yet a household name in NFL Draft circles, but his combination of size, athletic testing history (he was clocked below 4.70 in the 40-yard dash coming out of high school and looks even quicker now) and increasing production puts him firmly on the radar for the 2027 NFL Draft cycle. He projects ann a true edge defender with room to add strength and refine his pass rush counters. A strong, featured 2026 season, particularly one with a jump in sacks and pressures, would likely push him into early-round conversations. For now, he profiles as a developmental but high-upside prospect whose stock hinges heavily on how much he can produce as a full-time featured rusher in Georgia’s 2026 defense. If he picks up where he left off in 2025, it would be a huge boost for an already loaded Bulldog defense.

Go ‘Dawgs!!!

There are many ways in which Georgia is fortunate to have Kirby Smart as its head football coach. One of them is seen currently at six other SEC schools.

As this season begins, LSU, Kentucky, Ole Miss, Auburn, Florida and Arkansas have new head football coaches. For Auburn, Florida and Arkansas, they get a handful of a the cruelest of measuring sticks since each of them draw Georgia on their schedule.

Did any of these teams get these hires right? Clearly time will tell. But that’s not the utmost concern for Georgia fans. That worry, on the other hand, should be which new coaching staff should cause fans from the Classic City point of view the most concern.

Which should worry Dawg fans the most? Here’s a ranking, at least for the current time before the season.

Ole Miss: Pete Golding

Look, this team came within a break or two of playing for a national title, and Georgia fans saw first-hand what kind of group that the Rebels have. There’s no adjusting as a program to a new regime since Pete Golding took over as interim last year…and having a Trinidad Chambliss and Kewan Lacy in an offense does not hurt…neither those a defense with a core group that’s a year more experienced.

LSU: Lane Kiffin

It’s hard to discredit Lane Kiffin. Toss aside of thoughts about how he flung himself at the feet of multiple suitors in front of the world not just last year, but in his entire coaching career. He’s coveted for a good reason. If his offensive mind alongside OC Charlie Weis, Jr. and embarrasing load of transfers can accelerate an adjustment curb, the Tigers could quickly slingshot back near the top of the SEC. Having all key contests aside from Ole Miss at home does not hurt, either.

Auburn: Alex Golesh

Auburn University is to be commended for ensuring the program is stuck in ditch with the recent head-coaching hires of Bryan Harsin and Hugh Freeze.

At some point, the Tigers will get back to a point of respectability. Is Alex Golesh the one to do that? There’s an obvious desire to see if what he was able to do as South Florida can be replicated. He took a Bulls team from a three-year, 4-49 mark to three winning seasons in a row, so it’s not a shock that of Auburn’s 60 new players, 13 are from USF. That’s all well and good…but at some point, you have to consider that these players were at an American Athletic Conference school for a reason. Golesh may very well get results that the YellaWood Mafia desires..but it may not happen this year, not with an October From Hell with games at Tennessee, Georgia and Ole Miss with LSU at home.

Florida: Jon Sumrall

If there’s one thing Georgia fans have an easy way of doing, it’s making fun of the University of Florida. Look, when you consider Jorts as high-quality fashion and count Corrine Brown as an alumna, it’s kind of low-hanging fruit. New Gator boss Jon Sumrall made it easy with his recent personal-care habits being revealed. To quote Lewis Grizzard, “Damn, Brother. I don’t believe I’d of that.”

One thing that is no laughing matter is that Sumrall looks to be counting on Buster Faulkner to replicate what he was able to do with Haynes King at Georgia Tech at Florida…with Tech transfer Aaron Philo under center. The Gators may have been shaky last year in a four-win season, but their upset of Texas likely kept the Longhorns out of the postseason, and they gave both Georgia and Ole Miss a handful in late-season losses. If this new coaching staff can sew up some weak spots on both sides of the ball, this is easily a top-25 team.

Arkansas: Ryan Silverfield

Congrats, Ryan Silverfield. You get to feel like General Custer at Little Big Horn.

Coming over from Memphis, he’ll take on one of the nation’s toughest schedules. Before the schedule gets deep into October, the Hawgs draw Utah, Texas A&M and Georgia, and the season wraps up against Texas and LSU. That Utah game is on the road the week before hosting Georgia, for those who missed those offseason airings of grievances.

While there should be solace in being just -11 in turnover margin last year amid an 0-8 SEC mark, they’re one of the conferences least experienced. As this year goes on, it may be more obvious that Sam Pittman got more out of this team than he had any business doing.

Kentucky: Will Stein

After Mark Stoops publicly tried to leave town, it was a matter of time for the Wildcats to make a move at head coach. Enter Will Stein, whose roster and coaching staff are full of energy. With just five starters back from last year, this new staff was done few favors. Facing Alabama and Texas A&M in September may very well have fans asking when basketball practice is earlier than usual.

January 1, 2021 could be looked back upon as the catalyst for the Dawgs’ back to back national championships. If you don’t want to go THAT far, then surely we can all agree that this day provided some serious good vibes heading into the 2021 offseason that led to Georgia’s first title in 41 years (and don’t call me Shirley).

On that day, in the midst of the world still dealing with the Covid pandemic, the Georgia Bulldogs faced the Cincinnati Bearcats in the Peach Bowl. It was a tough fought game, with Cincy up 11 heading into the fourth quarter. Georgia, in what has now become a theme for the program, did not quit and fought back to 21-19 with seven seconds left.

Up steps up kicker Jack Podlesny to attempt a game-winning 54-yard field goal, in the black jerseys nonetheless.

We all know what happens next. Hot Pod drills a curling right-to-left kick that sails through the uprights, giving the Dawgs a 22-21 win. Podlesny would go on to be the starting kicker for both of Georgia’s national championships, playing a key role on both teams.

So raise your morning cup of Joe to Hot Pod, a DGD.

Arkansas football enters 2026 looking almost nothing like the team that stumbled through a disastrous 2025 season that saw them go 2-10 overall and 0-for-the-SEC. After Sam Pittman was fired in late September and Bobby Petrino finished out the year as interim coach, the Razorbacks turned to Memphis’ Ryan Silverfield to lead yet another full scale rebuild of the program. With a new staff, a roster overhauled through the transfer portal, but one of the toughest schedules in the country waiting, expectations in Northwest Arkansas are cautious but hopeful.

Silverfield arrives after six seasons at Memphis, where he went a solid 50-25 and built a reputation for explosive offenses. Memphis has always been a place at which it was tough to succeed. Despite a ton of local talent, the university’s commitment level (or lack thereof) and competition on the recruiting trail from SEC schools frequently combined to keep the Tigers from reaching their potential.

Silverfield won more than ten games twice, but 2025 saw the Tigers drop to 8-4, and Silverfield leave prior to them taking a 31-7 beating from NC State in the Gasparilla Bowl. In short, he was not the most highly sought after coach on the carousel, and probably had a hit of a sell by date in Memphis. But Arkansas isn’t exactly a plum assignment in the SEC. So in some ways it felt like program and coach found each other at the right time.

Silverfield wasted little time assembling his first Arkansas staff. Tim Cramsey, his offensive coordinator at Memphis for four seasons, follows him to Fayetteville after helping the Tigers average 36 points per game and rank among the top 25 offenses nationally. On defense, Silverfield hired Ron Roberts, who spent the last two years running Florida’s defense and previously called plays at Auburn, Baylor and Louisiana, including on Baylor’s Sugar Bowl winning 2022 staff. Chad Lunsford, a former Georgia Southern head coach, takes over special teams duties after a strong 2025 at Auburn. The staff also brought in several assistants from Memphis and around the country, including veteran offensive line coaches Jeff Myers and Marcus Johnson, signaling a clear intent to rebuild a line that struggled last season.

Those new coaches are going to need name tags to keep up with all their new players. Few programs churned their roster harder than Arkansas this offseason. With dozens of scholarship spots to fill, the Razorbacks needed a portal class that ranked among the largest in the country, and they landed roughly 29 commitments that placed them near the top of the SEC and top 15 nationally in industry transfer rankings.

The quarterback room was essentially rebuilt from scratch. Longtime starter Taylen Green departed for the NFL Draft, and both Trever Jackson and Grayson Wilson left for Coastal Carolina and Boston College. In their place, Arkansas brought in Memphis transfer (and cousin of former Georgia offensive lineman Trey Hill) AJ Hill, a former top 100 recruit out of Houston County who nearly won the Memphis job before Silverfield left. He’ll be joined by Clemson’s Cade Trotter and Division II standout Braeden Fuller from Angelo State. Returning sophomore KJ Jackson remains in the mix as well.
Hill and Jackson appear to be the top options at the position, but the battle for the starting spot may extend well into fall camp.

Whoever takes the snaps will likely be handing off to bruising junior tailback Braylen Russell or shiftier senior Sutton Smith. Russell tallied 286 rushing yards on 55 carries in 2025, earning one start. Smith comes with the new staff from Memphis, where he put up 778 yards of offense (662 on the ground) and 7 touchdowns. Smith will likely be the every down versatility back in Silverfield’s system, while Russell at 227 pounds is likely going to be the short yardage go-to.

At receiver junior CJ Brown returns off a solid 2025 season in which he hauled in 28 catches for 319 yards and 3 touchdowns. Redshirt junior Ismael Cisse is looking to contribute after catching 26 passes for 241 yards at Stanford in 2024 but missing last year with an injury. Boise State transfer Chris Marshall gives the Razorbacks another big, experienced outside receiver.

Arkansas always seems to have a weapon at tight end, and this season should be no different. Big (6’5, 255 pound) Jaden Platt is back as the leading tight end, coming off a 2025 season in which he had 21 catches for 296 yards and 2 touchdowns.

Cramsey’s offense should look familiar to anyone who watched Memphis in recent years: up-tempo, balanced, and built to create explosive plays. The quarterback battle between AJ Hill and KJ Jackson will be one of the more closely watched position competitions in the SEC this preseason. While it didn’t show up in the win column, Arkansas actually finished last season ranked among the nation’s top 15 offenses in total yards and averaged nearly 33 points per game under Bobby Petrino, so there is a foundation to build on even with the staff and personnel turnover.

The receiving corps returns several contributors and adds portal pieces like Marshall, who should stretch the field after averaging significant yards per catch production in his career. The offensive line is the biggest question mark, given the wholesale coaching and personnel changes up front. But but the addition of experienced linemen through the portal gives the staff options as they piece together protection for a new quarterback.

Defense on the other hand was the story of Arkansas’ collapse in 2025, when the Razorbacks allowed 33.8 points per game, among the worst marks in the country. Ron Roberts inherits a unit that returns limited production and had to be almost entirely restocked through the portal, with new defensive linemen, linebackers and defensive backs arriving from programs across the country.

Up front, senior defensive end Quincy Rhodes Jr. could be the unit’s key player and is a legitimate all-conference candidate. At linebacker, Bradley Shaw has shown flashes as one of the SEC’s more underrated linebackers, recording 62 tackles, 7.5 tackles for loss, three sacks and a forced fumble over his career, and he’s expected to anchor the position as a full-time starter.

Roberts’ track record suggests improved structure and discipline, but expecting an immediate turnaround against SEC competition may be unrealistic. If Arkansas can simply avoid being the conference’s worst defense, that alone would represent progress.

The Bottom Line

The schedule does the new staff no favors, and it’s possible the Hawgs could be better on the field but not much better in the win column. Arkansas opens with North Alabama and a tough road trip to Utah before diving into a nine game SEC slate that includes the Red and Black, Texas A&M, Tennessee, Auburn, Texas and LSU.

With that lineup five wins feels like a stretch goal, though better coaching and depth on defense could make games more competitive even without a leap in the standings. Arkansas has not had a winning SEC season since 2015, and this year is less about a bowl game and more about establishing a culture and picking up the program’s first conference win in nearly two seasons. Silverfield will get patience early if he can demonstrate proof of concept, but Razorback fans will be watching closely for signs that the rebuild is heading in the right direction.

When the Razorbacks come to Athens on September 19th the Athenians will be fresh off hosting Tennessee State and Western Kentucky in Athens. Arkansas on the other hand plays at Utah on September 12th (in a game set to start at 10:15 eastern/9:15 central). It will likely be a tired and physically beaten up Razorback squad taking the field in Sanford Stadium, but they will have had some time to build cohesion, and I think will be surprisingly tough. But in the end I expect this one to be a microcosm of a tough rebuilding year. A better Arkansas team is still not good enough to hang with the SEC’s big boys. Arkansas scores a late touchdown to make this one look respectable in the box score, if not on the field.

Score prediction: Georgia 34, Arkansas 20

Go ‘Dawgs!!!

So after two SEC title game appearances in three years, how did Georgia spend the 2005 college football offseason?

As a trendy prediction to lose to an upstart.

With mega-stars like David Greene, David Pollack and Fred Gibson having just graduated, holes had to be filled in a hurry – and that will had to be proven against an upstart from out West in Boise State.

With Georgia’s perceived rebuild and the Broncos coming off a third WAC title and high-scoring Liberty loss to Louisville, throes of conventional wisdom called for a coming out party for Boise.

But the new breed of Bulldogs turned out to be just fine in this top-20 matchup. It wasn’t even close as the Dawgs won 48-13 Between The Hedges. Chief among them? DJ Shockley. After previously spitting time under center with Greene, his first start saw him break a school record with six total touchdown passes – five through the air.

Boise’s much-touted quarterback Jared Zabransky – he did his best Shane Falco in the Sugar Bowl impression. He was picked off on the game’s first offensive play by Tony Taylor and again on the next drive by Dannell Ellerbe, helping to a 14-0 Georgia lead as the Broncos didn’t even scratch the scoreboard until the third quarter. After having five interceptions in all of 2004, Georgia had four against Boise alone.

The romp of Boise set the tone for the rest of the year for the Dawgs, who’d go on to topple LSU for the SEC title in December. The Broncos’ 2005 showed that they were a team not yet ready for prime time. They went 9-4, losing three times to ranked opponents. But as we know, Boise would eventually get their arrival a few years later against Oklahoma, who Georgia also has fond memories of playing against.

Go Dawgs!

Mascot: Sooners, named for the *ahem* overly enthusiastic folks who rushed into the territory to claim land prior to the starter’s pistol that officially announced the race had begun. 

2025 Record: 10-3, 6-2 SEC

Conference: Big 12 SEC. Still feels weird.

Series History: Georgia leads 1-0 (won 54-48-in the greatest Rose Bowl ever played).

Head Coach: Brent Venables, aka Great Valu Kirby Smart.

Famous Alumni: Ed Harris, Olivia Munn, Dari Nowkhah, Atlanta Braves broadcaster Joe Simpson, a whole buncha NFL talent, including Kyler Murray, Adrian Peterson, and DeMarco Murray, former Atlanta Hawk Trae Young.

Fun Fact: The university was founded in 1890, 17 years before Oklahoma itself became a state.

2025 Recap

Venables seems to live his life perpetually on the hot seat. The 2025 edition of the Sooners may have bought him some goodwill with a surprise playoff appearance and marquee victories over Michigan at home and Alabama on the road. They were sometimes fun to watch, thanks to quarterback John Mateer’s swashbucking style of play and the fact that their biggest margin of victory over a Power Four team was beating a floundering South Carolina by 19. 

Of course, they also lost the game they care about the most, dropping the Red River Shootout 23-6 after trying to rush Mateer back from a hand injury, leading to a three-interception performance that set offensive football back a decade or two. And despite a thrilling regular-season win in Tuscaloosa, the Sooners promptly bowed out of the playoff at the hands of those same Elephants in a 34-24 loss.

Tl;dr: They overperformed last year, and they’re a likely candidate for regression.

On Offense

The Oklahoma teams of yesteryear wed high-powered offenses to Swiss cheese defenses, turning every game into a wild shootout. Under Venables, they’ve reversed that formula to play a grueling style of defense-first football that only a fan could enjoy. To try to goose the offense a bit, last year’s team brought in rising star OC Ben Arbuckle and Mateer from Wazzu. Early results were promising, with Mateer getting Heisman buzz after the Michigan win. But he never got quite back on track after his injury. Was that the nagging effects of the injury, or was Mateer just bumping up against his ceiling after beating an overrated Michigan team with a host of problems of its own? He’s back this year, so we’ll find out!

Beyond Mateer, the team returns its best offensive weapon in wide receiver Isaiah Sategna, III. He’s not CeeDee Lamb, but he’s fast and elusive. Whatever he lacks in size (he’s listed at 5’10, so he’s small for a wideout), he makes up for in speed and YAC ability. To help out some, the team also added receiver Parker Livingstone from Texas. 

Arbuckle’s offense has elements of the air raid, and Mateer is well-suited to running it because he gets the ball out fast and is dangerous in the short- and mid-range passing game. But the Sooners were at their best last year when taking advantage of his abilities as a runner. If you’re looking for a reason to be nervous about this one, let me draw your attention to the frustrations a dual-threat QB has traditionally caused Kirby Smart’s defenses. 

On the other hand, Mateer’s biggest weaknesses are his long-range accuracy and a susceptibility to pre-snap confusion. Stopping the Sooners will be a matter of jamming the middle with a lot of bodies, employing ample pre-snap twists and stunts, and forcing them to throw deep where Ellis Robinson will be waiting. 

On Defense

Venables’ teams have made their hay on the defensive side of the ball, and there’s no reason to suspect the 2026 edition will be any different. Although they lost fearsome pass rusher R. Mason Thomas to the NFL, last year’s team sack leader Taylor Wein is back, as is Kip Lewis. If there’s a defensive weakness, the Sooners aren’t quite as ball hawky as you might expect a Venables defense to be. But that doesn’t mean they’re going to be a pushover by any stretch.

Unless Arkansas is much, much better than anyone expects, this game will be the first real test for new o-line coach Phil Rauscher’s group. You can be fairly certain their gameplan is going to be to stuff the line and jam the run, hassle Gunner Stockton and try to make him win it through the air. So basically the exact same thing we’re going to do to them. 

Prediction

Because it’s early in the season, I’d be a little more worried if this were in Norman. And if the offensive line is still a work in progress in late September, this one could turn into a hammer fight in a phone booth. Oklahoma plays a similar style to Georgia but without quite as much panache or the same quality players, which should favor the Dawgs, as will playing in Athens. Points will come at a premium, but I think UGA pulls away late to win, 28-17.

Day two of SEC Media Days is about to get underway with Kirby Smart first up on the schedule. The Bulldog Skipper is notoriously tightlipped about his football team at these type of events, but occasionally offers some interesting remarks about the league more generally or the state of college football writ large. I expect this year will be no different.

As with yesterday, you can catch coverage of the event live on SEC Network , and check in here with any breaking news.

Go ‘Dawgs!!!

In a casual sense, the instant reaction to hearing about Buck Belue is one of two things:

“Belue To Scott”

Or executing the well-planned offensive strategy of one of two run plays in 1980 and 1981 – “Herschel left or Herschel right.”

But if you want to talk about Buck Belue in the full sense of of a Georgia Bulldog, possibly his greatest moment came outside both of those instances.

Rather, it was in December of 1978 when Belue was subbed into the game against Georgia Tech, leading a comeback win from trailing 20-0 in the second quarter. The win was thrilling, no doubt. But given the 1978 season for a team appropriately named the “Wonderdogs,” a riveting rally in Clean Old-Fashioned Hate should honestly be expected.

After all, this scrappy bunch of Dogs beat a Clemson team that would not lose again in 1978 and rallied for road wins at LSU and Kentucky as well as holding off Florida in Jacksonville.

But could this team, one that had in the late weeks of the season seen SEC title hopes dry up thanks in part to a tie against Auburn, pull together another comeback?

Down 20-0 to the Yellow Jackets, it seemed doubtful. But Vince Dooley went looking for an offensive spark and found it as he swapped out quarterbacks, subbing in Belue in place of Jeff Pyburn.

The change paid off quickly with Belue engineering one scoring drive to get UGA on the board, and a Scott Woerner interception set up a short scoring drive. Just like that, Georgia was down 20-14, and the Dawgs went up front in the third on a ground-shaking punt return by Woerner.

The drama was not done on both sides, however. Georgia’s 21-20 lead was short-lived as Tech’s Drew Hill ran back the kickoff 101 yards for a 28-21 Georgia Tech lead. Down by the same margin with about five minutes left, the Bulldogs began a drive that stalled at the Yellow Jackets 42-yard line.

Larry Munson may have summed it all up.

“Fourth down…what a year!”

Dropping back on that fourth down, Belue scrambled, finding an open Amp Arnold for a 42-yard score. But an extra point would only tie the score. Georgia went for a the win, a call that nearly blew up in disaster on an incomplete pass before a penalty gave the Dogs one more shot. UGA took advantage as Arnold took a reverse pitch in for a two-pointer, sealing the win along with a Dave Archer interception.

No, this frigid day didn’t win a national title. But wins over your in-state rival are sweet, especially when it involves a big comeback.

Go Dawgs!

2026 Majors are in the books. The boys in Red & Black had some good showings, but it is time to put that behind you, as the end of the season and the big payout in the FedEx Cup playoffs looms.

Tournament: 3M Open, July 23-26, 2026.

Course: TPC Twin Cities, par 71, 7,431 yards. On the outskirts of Minneapolis.

Purse: $8.8 million total, $1,584,000 to the winner.

Defending Champ: Kurt Kitayama. The UNLV Rebel got his 2nd Tour victory here in 2025, after getting into contention on Saturday and then a blistering opening stretch on Sunday put him way out in front.

Fun Fact: The course is technically in Blaine, MN. They say it’s in the Twin Cities, but that is not Blaine. But the Tour was in the “Quad Cities” a couple of weeks ago for the John Deere, and the Quad Cities is made up of 5 cities. Seems UNC Chapel Hill isn’t the only place where they can’t math.

TV Times: Back to regularly scheduled programming. Thursday and Friday on Golf Channel from 4-7 pm ET. Saturday and Sunday on Golf Channel 1-3 pm, then CBS from 3-6 pm ET.

‘Dawgs in the Field: 4. Brian Harman, Chris Kirk, Keith Mitchell, Davis Thompson.

Most of the other Classic City alums are both weary from a compressed 2026 golf season and sitting pretty in the FedEx Cup points race. Remember that only the top 70 players make the opening playoff event, and some of our boys are lucky enough to take time off due to their position.

The same can’t be said of Chris Kirk. He’s currently 146th in points, and would need at least a 2nd place finish in the next 3 weeks, or 3 top 5s. Otherwise his season will end in early August.

Davis Thompson is a little better off in 100th place. But he will still probably need a top 10 finish in the next couple of events to qualify.

Brian Harman is officially on the bubble in the 74th spot. At a minimum, some top 25 finishes would help move him up a few spots into that coveted top 20. A top 10 or top 15 would go a long way too.

Keith Mitchell is 46th. And with the way players are logjammed between 20-60, he’s pretty much assured of getting to the post season.

Other former Bulldogs not playing this week and their spot in the points race:

Russell Henley – 14th

Sepp Straka – 36th

Harris English – 48th

Brendon Todd – 217th (so basically only a win would help, and Todd has a conditional status currently so it doesn’t look good. He might not even be trying.)

The Tour season winds down just as college football talking season. Either way, Fall Is Coming.

As always…

GO ‘DAWGS!!!

Looking ahead to this fall in Athens, the atmosphere leading up to kickoff stands to be tamer against Tennessee State and Western Kentucky compared to that of later in September when Oklahoma comes to town.

Sure, those early-season tailgates will have lots of elements of reuniting with old game-day friends. But as far as intensity of SEC games? It won’t be at that level.

That is of course if someone brings up two words – “Mike Bobo.”

Yes, that Mike Bobo. The former Georgia quarterback who is a lightning rod for disagreement. The same one that won the Frank Broyles Award and has directed one of the country’s top-performing offenses under two Georgia head coaches and was a finalists for that award last year, too. That’s not an award handed out as a courtesy.

But there’s the rub, as well. Yes, for the most part Mike Bobo’s offenses have been high-performing and good enough to get the job done.

Trouble is, the key reason for Georgia going about things like gangbusters in its back-to-back title run was what Todd Monken was able to do – having a generational player like Brock Bowers helped, obviously.

But almost ever since Bobo came aboard Georgia’s staff under Kirby Smart, you could hear the grumbling from a segment of Georgia’s fans that had anxiety of Bobo even being allowed in the football offices, let along a later elevation of offensive coordinator.

The play of Georgia’s offense in losses to last two years to Notre Dame and Alabama and being good enough but no great in other big moments has not helped that anxiety for one group of the fan base, with the other being of the mind that ‘if it’s ok by Kirby, it’s ok by me.‘

But if Georgia head coach Kirby Smart was looking to overwhelmingly reassure Georgia’s fans of how confident they should be in Bobo’s offense, Tuesday at SEC Media Days in Tampa was not a slam dunk when asked directly about Bobo by reporters at SEC Media Days.

“I look at things through facts and I look at things I see with my own two eyes. I was blessed to work for the greatest college football coach in the history of all of college football, and I don’t even think it’s arguable. I don’t think you can even debate it, but I learned from him that you evaluate things from inside out. And I do think that football intuition is one of my strengths. Knowing that, I know that we’ve got the right offensive coordinator. What you guys want to write and talk about is completely up to you. I look at the production he’s had, the success he’s had, the team success where he doesn’t worry about stats. He worries about winning football games, and the way he coaches our players day-to-day is unmatched in this country.”

Look, it’s fine and well to say that ‘we have the right offensive coordinator,’ and talk about production and success, but at the end of the day, the expectation in Athens is simple – not just win a lot of games, but win the ones that matter the most.

Last season, you saw Georgia slowly cut Alabama apart and take its will in the SEC Championship Game, but it was hardly flashy. Against Georgia Tech, moving the ball was a problem. The Sugar Bowl saw the Bulldogs unable to keep as torrid of a pace as Ole Miss.

Is Mike Bobo saddled with replacing an incredible OC in Monken? Yes. But at the end of the day, Georgia’s offense needs to be more than good enough, and time will tell if that’s enough to meet the standard in Athens, or if this offense will be just good enough.

Go Dawgs!

There may be no figure associated with University of Georgia football less respected proportionally to their program contribution than Ray Goff. Before Goff was the Bulldogs’ head coach he was the Bulldogs’ starting quarterback, and he was a danged good one. In fact, Goff was the SEC player of the year in 1976, when he led the Bulldogs to an SEC title and a 10-2 record.

Goff then moved into the coaching ranks, coaching tight ends and tailbacks for the Bulldogs, as well as serving as recruiting coordinator for Vince Dooley. In that capacity he recruited and coached Bulldog legends like Tim Worley, Lars Tate, and Rodney Hampton. Then when Dooley retired Goff stepped in to try to be the guy who replaces The Guy. That’s never an easy or enviable position.

But good deeds are seldom rewarded and not every story gets an Hollywood soft And so it was that after some early success the Ray Goff era in Athens ended with less of a bang and more of a whimper. Goff was terminated prior to the 1995 Georgia Texh game after having already dropped games to Tennessee, Ole Miss, Alabama, Florida, and Auburn. If you were around in those days, you probably remember that things were over long before athletic director Dooley called Goff in to deliver the news.

And yet the Bulldogs soldiered on. And the team found itself with nothing to lose as the Red and Black took on hated rival Georgia Tech on Thanksgiving afternoon 1995. A loss would be the final indignity of the “Ray Goof” era. But a win could, improbably, propel the Athenians to a bowl game as Goff’s final sendoff.

However things didn’t start out well. The Bulldogs fell behind the Jackets 14-0. But then the staff put the ball in the hands of their best player, do-everything standout Hines Ward.

Ward’s 3870 yards of total offense placed him second only to Herschel Walker in Bulldog history, and on this day he earned a big chunk of those yards by bringing the Bulldogs back for a chance to win. On the Bulldogs’ final drive Ward, who’d been forced to move from wide receiver to tailback and then to quarterback due to injuries, completed three separate third down passes to move the chains. Kanon Parkman then hit a knuckling 34 yard field goal to deliver an 18-17 victory for the beleaguered Goff.

Georgia would then end the season by losing to Virginia in the Oahu Bowl, a miserable experience for another day. For now, let’s instead focus on the fact that Hines Ward remains one of the most gifted athletes to ever don a bock G helmet.

Go ‘Dawgs!!!

At SEC Media Days this morning Kirby Smart provided an injury updates on a number of players. While most of those were pretty pedestrian, the update on transfer tailback Dante Dowdell is more serious.

Smart confirmed reports that Dowdell did indeed suffer a significant injury. The Top Dawg didn’t specify a timeline for a possible return, and also didn’t downplay the seriousness of the injury. 

“The Dante Dowdell situation is tough,” Smart conceded . “I don’t know when he’ll be back. He had an off-campus accident back home during our break, and we’re praying for him and his family. We expect a full recovery, but the outlook right now is we’re waiting to see.” 

Reports from several other outlets indicated that Dowdell’s injury while riding an ATV, and that he is treating at the Shepherd Center in Atlanta, a world-renowned facility for head and spinal cord injury, an ominous sign. Coach Smart provided some details, saying “I don’t know the specifics of it, to be honest with you. It was a recreational vehicle, and he had some serious injuries.” Smart added that Dowdell is “out of the really tough range, but as far as his complete health and coming all the way back, I don’t know what that looks like in terms of this year.”

Dowdell transferred in from Kentucky this offseason after rushing for 560 yards and 3 touchdowns for the Wildcats last in 2025. Dowdell spent the 2024 season with Nebraska and the 2023 season with Oregon and was looking to polish his NFL resume in Athens while splitting carries with Nate Frazier, Chauncey Bowens and others. It sounds like that goal may be on hold for now, if not permanently.

When Georgia landed Khalil Barnes out of the transfer portal in January it marked a full-circle moment for the Bogart, native. Barnes grew up minutes from Athens, starred at North Oconee High School, but chose Clemson over the hometown Bulldogs coming out of high school. But three seasons and 30 starts later, he is finally putting on the red and black, arriving with one year of eligibility remaining and skills that should make him an immediate factor in Kirby Smart’s defense.

Barnes’ body of work at Clemson is substantial. Over three seasons, he racked up 139 total tackles, 7 interceptions, 11 pass breakups, 6.5 tackles for loss, 3 forced fumbles, and a sack. He burst onto the scene as a true freshman in 2022, becoming the first player of the Dabo Swinney era to record multiple interceptions and multiple forced fumbles in his debut season, earning Freshman All-America recognition.

Barnes’ best all-around year with the Country Gentlemen came in 2024, when he posted 61 tackles and 4 interceptions, third highest in the ACC, while helping Clemson reach the College Football Playoff. His 2025 season was more quiet. Nagging injuries limited him to 10 games and 9 starts, and he finished with 40 tackles, 5 quarterback hurries, 2 pass breakups, and one tackle for loss, and without an interception for the first time in his career.

Barnes brings Power 4 experience, football IQ, and versatility to a secondary that lost five players in the transfer portal this offseason. Coach Smart praised him as intelligent, well-coached, and comfortable having played multiple positions and defensive schemes at a high level. Barnes’ 2022 and 2024 tape shows a player with natural ball skills and the instincts to be around the football, evidenced by his takeaway numbers early in his career. At 6’0 and 200 pounds he also brings physicality against the run, reflected in his tackle for loss production.

The questions surrounding Barnes are tied mostly to his 2025 season. The lack of turnovers and reduced role, driven largely by injury, leave some uncertainty about whether his playmaking ability will translate immediately to the SEC.

Barnes appears ticketed to start at the STAR position where Georgia has had success plugging in transfer standouts in the past. Tykee Smith for example earned All-SEC honors in 2023 after transferring in from West Virginia and taking over that slot. With former five star prospect Joenel Aguero transferring out, Barnes and sophomore Rasean Dinkins will likely be the competitors for the STAR spot in fall camp. But Barnes, with his experience and physical tools, could be a key component if the Bulldog secondary is to live up to its substantial potential.

In this age of college football coaches don’t take transfers, especially transfers like Barnes with one year of eligibility, unless they expect that guy to make an immediate impact. A successful season for Khalil Barnes would involve a return to his 2024 form, with solid production and an injury-free season. It will also be interesting to see how much of a leadership Barnes can assume as a “brand new veteran” on a defense that returns experienced starters at every level.

Go ‘‘Dawgs!!!

Here’s a terrifying thought for you: one day in the distant future college football fans may forget just how amazing Brock Bowers was during his Georgia Bulldogs career.

I know, it’s difficult to imagine. Bowers played three seasons of college football and was named All-SEC and All-American in each of them. He won the Mackey Award as the nation’s top tight end two years running. Over 50 catches every season, 2538 receiving yards, and 26 receiving touchdowns. Every honor and number is truly impressive.

But a picture is worth a thousand words. Just ask the South Carolina Gamecocks.

In 2022 Bowers could have beaten Shane Beamer’s squad all by himself, scoring three touchdowns, one on the ground and two through the air, including a 78 yarder in which he made the Gamecock defense look like it was stuck in concrete.

Unfortunately for the Garnet and Black Bowers had teammates, on both sides of the ball. The Gamecocks ran only 34 plays on offense in a first half that saw them shut out while the Bulldogs cruised out to a 24-0 halftime lead. Somehow it got even worse in the second half, with Georgia veritably tap dancing to a three more touchdowns in the third quarter to take a 45-0 lead into the fourth quarter. The Dawgs would tack on one more field goal before the ‘Cocks got on the board late to avoid a shutout, losing “only” 48-7.

Bowers led all Bulldog receivers with 121 yards on 5 catches, to go with his rushing touchdowns. It was a bravura performance from one of the greatest to ever play his position, and one of the greatest to ever play in Athens.

Go ‘Dawgs!!!

Fool me once, shame on you. Fool me twice? Shame on me. Win the SEC twice in a row over the teams that league media had thought would take home the trophy? Well then people decide they won’t be fooled again.

The assembled voters at SEC Media Days have tabbed the Red and Black to be back in Atlanta this December. Georgia is projected to finish first in the SEC, according to the predicted order of finish poll conducted at Media Days. The Bulldogs comfortably beat out the Texas Longhorns for the top spot ahead of the 2026 season.

The ’Dawgs received 88 votes to be crowned SEC Champions on December 5 in Atlanta at Mercedes-Benz Stadium, with Texas being picked to be the Bulldogs’ opponent. The ‘‘Horns picked up 57 votes to win the title under the leadership of reputed genius Steve Sarkisian and golden child Arch Manning, who has one more year to win one of the three Heisman Trophies Longhorn fans assured me he’d pick up before leaving Austin.

Before you get too excited, bear in mind that only 10 times since the league began playing a championship game in 1992 has the predicted preseason champion at SEC Media Days gone on to win the SEC Championship Game. But there’s no doubt that a Bulldog team bringing back loads of talent and experience on both sides of the ball will be a contender once again.

Go ‘Dawgs!!!

This is Free Form Friday, the virtual community pool around which we lounge while waiting for the blessed return of college football. Remember, one poster at a time in the diving board, and yes, all minors must be accompanied by an adult who’s consumed fewer Coors Lites than they have fingers. Other than that, it’s just like Heaven.

As usual, I’ll throw out a topic about which you’re free to give your opinion, or to ignore in favor of other more interesting topics. Maestro, the music:

As we noted recently, the return of talkin’ season heralds the coming of college football as surely as day follows dawn. And you’re going to be watching some of it, regardless of how frustrating you may find the current landscape of collegiate athletics. What we want to know is, how do you plan to do that?

I’ve determined that YouTube TV is a viable option for getting the SEC football that I need to watch. It also carries the CBS and FOX major matchups that I could pick up on terrestrial television.

Our family also happens to have a subscription to Disney+, which members of our household demand in order to watch Bluey and Dance Moms (okay, you caught me, it’s me). And that service is a sneaky good add-on for a football degenerate like me who occasionally likes to unwind by watching North Dakota State, Colorado School of Mines, or some other streaming-only level FCS program do freaky things on offense that won’t show up in the SEC until next year.

How about you? Am I missing a better streaming option for the money? Has anyone made a purchasing mistake they’re willing to own up to so the rest if us can avoid it? We’d love to hear from you.

Go ‘Dawgs!!!

2017 may not have ended with the raising of a championship trophy for the Georgia Bulldogs, but it will never not be special.

It harkened the arrival of what the current level of the Georgia football program is today. For sure, it had plenty of moments that still stand out, and you can probably start some good back and forth conversations at tailgates this fall about which was the favorite.

Yes, there was the dawg-stomping of Tennessee, Florida, and Georgia Tech. You had the South Bend Takeover and the riveting Rose Bowl win.

Yes, those wins were great and memorable in their own way. But each special season has a moment when you knew something really special was in the works. And that came in another slice of time in the Classic City – that was on Sept. 23 when Georgia absolutely demolished Mississippi State, who entered the game unbeaten.

So many trendy picks coming into this game were leaning on an upset of Georgia. In multiple ways, that logic had some legs, albeit shaky. Georgia did not yet have a reputation of staying on a high level after an emotional win like they had the week before at Notre Dame. Sure, Jake Fromm and Co. had beaten Notre Dame that week before, but could it be enough week-to-week. And then you had Dan Mullen, having elevated Mississippi State and gained notoriety for doing as well as one could at a second-tier program, one that could take down conference heavyweights.

It took only a few seconds to show that this time…things will be different.

How long? Try less than three minutes, when Jake Fromm’s flea flicker way downfield to Terry Godwin was good for 59 yards, and the route was on as the Dawgs led 14-3 at halftime. If MSU was going to key on the run, it already had second thoughts thanks to that offensive trickery.

On both sides of the ball, the Bizzaro Dogs had no answer for Georgia, which rolled up 404 yards of offense in a 31-3 win with Nick Chubb’s two rushing touchdowns pacing to a 21-3 third-quarter lead, one added to by a 41-yard pass from Fromm to Isaac Nauta in the second half.

With the win, that night in Sanford Stadium showed that just one signature win would not define Georgia in a football season. It also was the start of showing that MSU had reached a ceiling under Mullen, a team that had progressed but could not get over the hump. 2017 saw State lose four games, three to Georgia, Alabama, and Auburn. Mullen would not escape being tormented by Kirby Smart, however, as he departed Stark Vegas for Florida at season’s end.

Go Dawgs!

The day has arrived. It’s time for us to start previewing the Georgia Bulldogs’ 2026 opponents, starting with the Tennessee State Tigers.

We make it a policy here at Dawg Sports not to lie to our readers, and we’re not going to start now. So here goes: the Tigers aren’t an exceptional football team. I do not expect the Bulldogs to find themselves in a close football game when they visit Sanford Stadium next month. But that won’t stop us from bringing you an inordinate amount of information about them. Let’s dive in.

2025 Review: It’s Gotta Get Better, Right?

Tennessee State’s first season under head coach Reggie Barlow was a rough one. Barlow arrived from the DC Defenders of the UFL to replace Eddie George, who left for Bowling Green after leading the Tigers to a share of the OVC-Big South title in 2024.

The transition wasn’t particularly smooth, with dozens of players leaving the program through the transfer portal before Barlow’s staff could even hold spring practice. The result on the field was a 2-10 record, including an 0-8 mark in OVC-Big South play. The Tigers opened the year with a win over North Carolina A&T in the John Merritt Classic, but that turned out to be the season’s high point. They were blown out by top ranked North Dakota State, dropped a tight one to Alabama A&M, and lost lopsided games to Tennessee Tech and Eastern Illinois down the stretch. With the previous three year starting quarterback gone to graduation, the offense had to be rebuilt almost entirely through the portal, and it showed in the win column. By year’s end, quarterback Rodney Tisdale Jr. had emerged as the primary option under center, giving the staff at least one building block heading into year two. Hooray progress!

Offense: Maybe Better, Definitely Different

The biggest change on offense is at the top, where Barlow brought in Matt Leone as offensive coordinator to replace Shannon Harris and install a new system this offseason. That shift alone reshapes how the Tigers will attack defenses in 2026. At quarterback, the spring competition was expected to come down to Tisdale and Florida State transfer Brock Glenn, but an injury to Glenn during spring camp opened the door for Tisdale to take firm hold of the starting job. The staff also added depth at the position by bringing in South Florida transfer Marcelis Tate as another arm in the room.

Up front, Tennessee State restocked the offensive line with additions like Conner Speller from Erskine College and Lookman Balogun, a Southern Utah and Iowa Central transfer, both expected to compete for guard spots. At tight end, Francisco Pratts III joined a group that Leone’s new scheme may make more use of, a departure from how the position was deployed under the previous staff. Overall, the offensive identity is still being defined, but continuity at quarterback paired with a fresh coordinator gives the Tigers a chance to be more stable than the patchwork unit that struggled in 2025.

Defense: Continuity, For A Change.

Unlike the offense, the defensive staff returns largely intact, with Gregg Williams back for his second season as coordinator. That continuity should help after a first year in which the group had to be pieced together on short notice following the coaching change and mass roster turnover. Williams brings decades of coaching experience at the NFL and college level, and having a full offseason to install his scheme and evaluate personnel is a meaningful upgrade over the compressed timeline the staff faced a year ago.

The 2026 signing class leaned more toward offensive and depth pieces, so the defensive roster is expected to rely heavily on players who were already on campus in 2025 growing into bigger roles, along with a handful of transfer additions still being folded into the two deep. The unit gave up a lot of points last season, including in blowout losses to North Dakota State and Tennessee Tech, so tightening things up against the run and creating more turnovers will be a central focus this fall. That being said, Georgia is still going to have a pretty decided advantage when looking across the line of scrimmage.

Special Teams

Special teams was not a major storyline in Tennessee State’s offseason moves, with most of the attention going to the quarterback competition and offensive line overhaul. In the words of the great Charlie Munger, “I have nothing more to add.”

The Bottom Line

Tennessee State was just picked to finish last in the conference by league media, and that wasn’t an accident. This remains a team clawing its way back up toward respectability after requiring a total program rebuild. Sadly that kind of thing is happening a lot in college football’s lower echelons,.

I don’t expect the Tigers to be particularly competitive in Athens. The combination of a Georgia team returning a lot of key components and a TSU squad that would be outmanned at best could get ugly. Score prediction: Georgia 56, Tennessee State 7.

Mascot: Hilltoppers

2025 Record: 9-4, 6-2

Conference: Conference USA

Series History: Georgia leads 1-0 (won 48-12 in 2006).

Head Coach: Tyson Helton

Famous Alumni: John Carpenter, director of Halloween and Escape From New York

Fun Fact: Its mascot is a literal blob

Tyson Helton is liable to get a few side-eyes in the Peach State due to Georgia Southern fans being uneasy with the tenure of his brother, GSU head coach Clay Helton as the Eagles head coach. That’s not so much the case for Tyson Helton at WKU, where he’s grown a knack for developing a revolving door of talent season-to-season to make a team better – no easy task with teams in the Conference USA being akin to a AAA baseball team in the current college football landscape. Case in point, this year’s team lost six in the offseason via the transfer portal to FBS schools and has 66 new players on its roster, give or take. Also, take last year when WKU overcame returning two defensive starters to have a shot at playing for a conference title near the end of the season.

Despite the current dynamics of college football, WKU still finds success. The Hilltoppers’ eight bowl wins in 12 years are the most nationally behind Georgia and Minnesota. Under Helton, he has led Western Kentucky to a winning season in each year. The black mark? No conference title and just one C-USA title game appearance. It goes without saying that there’s a desire in Bowling Green to see a next step taken.

Anytime, anywhere…

Say this about Western Kentucky – it does not duck hard challenges. This year, it begins not just with a three-game road trip, but one that cuts few corners. The Hilltoppers face Georgia after a road opener at Nevada followed by going to defending national champion Indiana.

On Offense…

WKU uses what’s best called “pro raid,” a hybrid between a pro-style and air raid on a unit that is the stronger of the two sides of the ball thanks to seven returning starters.

One of those is quarterback Rodney Tisdale, who established himself the final six games last year and can impact the game as a dual threat. There’s not a lot of returning muscle on the offensive line with Karsten Upchurch being the only returner, but there seems to be a feeling that thanks to heavy lifting in the portal, this could be one of the team’s positions of strength.

There are a good number of playmakers as well in KD Hutchinson at receiver and Ajay Allen at running back, which mesh well (no pun intended for you fans of the air raid) with Tisdale’s mobility.

On Defense…

This is where there could be growing pains, which could be tough for OJT against Georgia. The defensive line is entirely new, and no transfers have any FBS experience. The flip side is in the defensive secondary with Jaylen Lewis and Jaylen Webster expected to set the tone.

Prediction

Look for WKU to put a few solid chunk plays up ahead of Georgia’s first SEC game, but the Bulldogs to have a big offensive day in a 51-10 win.

It’s the dog (or Dawg) days of summer. And while it may not be, in the words of a classic country song, ““too hot to fish, too hot for golf, and too cold at home”, it certainly is a good time to catch up on some of the programming you won’t catch while watching Hawaii kick off at midnight eastern against some bleary eyed visitors from the mainland.

But there are so many options out there. If you subscribe to more than a single streaming service you have access to more entertainment options at any given moment than 99.999% of humans who have ever lived had during their entire lives. It’s borderline overwhelming.

So Dawg Sports wants to know: what are you watching these days? For my part I’ve recently been working on the Hulu series Tucci in Italy, in which actor Stanley Tucci explores Italy through the lens of its eclectic regional culinary traditions. The scenery is evocative, and Tucci is in an ongoing contest with Michael Stipe to be the coolest bald man in America. I highly recommend it.

I also recently finished The Boroughs, the new series from Stranger Things creators the Duffer Brothers. The Boroughs could be cheekily described as “Stranger Things, but set in a retirement community.” That however would be shortchanging its meditations on life, loss, and how to enjoy the former while coming to terms with the latter. It’s worth your time if you’re a fan of supernatural spine tinglers.

What about you? What is occupying your viewing hours in the temporary absence of college football?

With only six games remaining in the 2026 World Cup, I wanted to get out this crossover post before the tournament wraps up. While Georgia football is my favorite team across all sports, my favorite sport is actually soccer. So, what better way to blend the two than to assign each SEC school as a World Cup nation.

Disclaimer: I know there are probably several other iterations of this same idea, whether it’s also just for SEC teams or college football at large. I have not seen any of these, so any comparisons below have not been taken from a different article.

If you either like a comparison or think I’m completely off base, let me know in the comments or just yell directly at me on X/Twitter @joeyhnath.

Here are the SEC teams if they were World Cup Nations:

Georgia: Argentina

The kings, the champs, the best. Everyone is looking to knock them off the mountain top. Both teams won it all in 2022 after not having won it all since the 80s (though this was year 2 of the back-to-back titles for Georgia).

Ole Miss: Morocco

Both Ole Miss and Morocco are in the midst of their greatest run of success in their history, and both are doing it off the backs of bringing in transfers. We know Ole Miss loves the transfer portal, but Morocco also loves an international soccer “transfer”. Against Brazil, Morocco field a starting XI where all eleven players were born outside of Morocco, a first in World Cup history. They have done a great job of getting the Moroccan diaspora to declare for Morocco instead of other potential national teams.

Florida: Italy

Both teams won it all in 2006 but are currently no where to be seen, though both had a random year of success in 2020.

Tennessee: Netherlands

Maybe best known for their orange uniforms, both Tennessee and Netherlands field competitive teams that you know aren’t going to win it all. In reality, their best sports are not football (check out Netherlands speed skating – they’re awesome).

Alabama: Brazil

Both teams have won the most titles, though many of them came over 50 years ago. While they have both won titles six season/tournaments ago (2020 for Bama, 2002 for Brazil), their respective fan bases believe that has been too long and are anxious for another trophy.

Mississippi State: South Africa

Neither team is much of a threat, and they are both maybe best known for their fans’ noise makers in the stadium (Mississippi State’s cowbells, South Africa’s vuvuzelas)

Missouri: New Zealand

Both are really just happy to be included. Missouri received their SEC invite in 2013 somewhat surprisingly, and thanks to the expanded World Cup to 48 teams, the Oceania Football Confederation is now able to send at least on nation to the World Cup through automatic qualification, which will almost assuredly be New Zealand every time.

Oklahoma: Mexico

Both Oklahoma and Mexico are known as a football school/country, yet they struggle in elimination rounds. Oklahoma is 0-5 in the College Football Playoff, and Mexico has lost eight straight Round of 16 matches.

LSU: Scotland

This has nothing to do with the on-field product, as LSU has a great history while Scotland not so much. It is about the fans. Both fan bases will come to your city/country and drink every ounce of booze that is there. Boston won’t forget the Scottish invasion anytime soon.

Kentucky: Japan

Neither Kentucky nor Japan are bad at football, but they neither are great. Honestly, they just can’t wait for basketball (Kentucky) and baseball (Japan) season.

South Carolina: USA

Both South Carolina and the U.S. are fine at football and experienced a bit more success than they’re used to in the early 2010’s. But really, both are more known for their dominant women’s team.

Vanderbilt: Switzerland

Honestly, what country screams elite private school more than Switzerland? Both have a small enrollment/population that have found recent success. Additionally, both of their best players in recent times are short kings (Diego Pavia for Vanderbilt, Xherdan Shaqiri for Switzerland).

Auburn: Spain

Auburn and Spain both experienced their best moments in their history in 2010, winning it all. However, there isn’t much to talk about for either outside of 2010 except for a couple conference/continent titles.

Texas: England

I’m positive that this comparison has been made before because it’s too perfect. Both fan bases clutch onto one crowning achievement (Texas title in 2005, England World Cup in in 1966), and both fan bases declare every single year that they are back (Texas) or that it’s coming home (England), and yet it never does.

Texas A&M: Qatar

Oil money. Copious amounts of oil money. Whether its the latest five-star recruit or the hosting rights to the 2022 World Cup, there isn’t anything oil money can’t buy (except for actually winning games). As the cherry on top, both A&M and Qatar’s primary color is maroon.

Arkansas: Uruguay

Sometimes you forget about them due to their large, successful neighbors, but both Arkansas and Uruguay are pesky and won a title a looooong time ago (Arkansas in 1966, Uruguay in 1930 and 1950).

With the 37th pick in today’s MLB Draft the Colorado Rockies made Daniel Jackson the first Bulldog off the board. Colorado is getting one of the most productive players college baseball has seen in years, along with a genuine personality who made himself a fan favorite in Athens.

A Record-Setting Season

Jackson’s numbers from his 2026 season in Athens are staggering. In 67 games, he slashed .379/.473/.803 with 32 home runs, 87 RBI, 88 runs scored, and 26 stolen bases in 28 attempts. He led the nation in total bases and runs scored, finished second in hits, home runs, and RBI, and became just the third player in Southeastern Conference history to win the batting triple crown.

Perhaps most remarkable, Jackson became the first catcher, and just the sixth player in Division I history, to record a 25 home run, 25 stolen base season while playing the sport’s most physically taxing position. He posted a .997 fielding percentage behind the plate with only two errors in 593 total chances, throwing out roughly a third of opposing base runners. production earned Jackson a full sweep of college baseball’s top individual honors: the Golden Spikes Award, the Dick Howser Trophy, the Buster Posey Award as the nation’s top catcher, the Bobby Bragan Collegiate Slugger Award, SEC Player of the Year, and consensus first team All-America recognition. And of course he led Georgia to its first College World Series appearance since 2008.

Strengths and Weaknesses

Jackson’s calling card is a blend of power and speed that’s rare for a catcher. He flashes raw power to all fields, and his athleticism behind the plate and on the bases sets him apart from nearly every other catching prospect in this draft class. His arm strength should also allow him to handle a corner outfield spot if a team wants to move him out from behind the plate down the road.

The concern scouts raise most often seem to cite with Jackson is consistency making contact. Jackson has shown real swing and miss throughout his college career, striking out 64 times in 319 plate appearances during his otherwise stellar junior year. His path has also been unusual. He started at Wofford, where he won Southern Conference Freshman of the Year, then struggled through a difficult sophomore transition after transferring to Georgia before breaking out as a junior. That inconsistency gives some evaluators pause about how his bat will translate against professional pitching, even though his improved strikeout rate this past season suggests real growth.

Why The Rhino?

Jackson’s teammates and coaches will tell you his personality is as memorable as his statistics. A self-described nature documentary enthusiast, Jackson has taken to narrating batting practice in his best Nat Geo voice and handing out animal nicknames to teammates, calling “the Orca” for Kolby Branch because of his tendency to play with his food at the plate, and “Talons” for pitcher Paul Farley. When he tried to nickname a teammate the Rhino, the name boomeranged right back at him, and it stuck. Given that rhinos are big and powerful, but surprisingly fast, and tough as a three dollar steak, the name fits Jackson to a tee.

Head coach Wes Johnson has been direct about what Jackson meant to the program’s turnaround season, saying unequivocally that the Bulldogs would not have reached Omaha without him.

For the Rockies, Jackson represents a high ceiling bet at a premium position. If the hit tool continues to develop the way it did in 2026, his new organization could be getting a middle of the order bat who also happens to catch.

Go ‘Dawgs!!!

If there is a pain point from Georgia’s defense a season ago, it’s a lack of something that Bulldog fans have gotten used to since Kirby Smart was hired as head coach – a relentless pass rush.

Georgia’s defense was good enough for the most part last year, but it was not elite. It was not overwhelmingly special. Sure, it was enough to get the job done, but not by the standards in place in Athens.

This is not to say that there is an expectation of talents like Nolan Smith, Nakobe Dean or Jalen Carter reincarnated, but there should be a presence of relentless effort to get after the opposing quarterback.

The bottom line is this – that ranking last in sacks cannot happen again for Georgia. And this year’s group of edge rushers will make or break that effort.

It’ll be a group that’s high on potential, but not yet proven. Nobody sums all of that up much more than Quintavius Johnson. He’s flashed some promise previously, and now he’s expected to step up as the primary pass-rush threat. In baseball terms, he’s a promising prospect who you expect to get better with more at-bats. For Johnson, that time to step up is now.

It’s a similar story when it comes to Gabe Harris, a starter a season ago after spot duty before that. Could he be one of those guys that develops over time thanks to this staff’s ability to make guys better? It would not be a shock if that happens.

But perhaps the most intriguing storyline to follow is that Chase Linton. When you hear of someone who was flipped from a school like Rutgers as Linton was, that does not move the needle – but that is not always the full story – Ladd McConkey, anyone? Linton’s rangy frame could be an x-factor matchup-wise when it comes to the pass rush, and that has been backed up with buzz around Linton coming away from spring practice.

For sure, you can expect inside linebackers such as Justin Williams and Chris Cole to play a part in the pass rush this fall. But if Georgia is to get back to what its used to on defense, it’ll fail or succeed with its edge rushers.

Go Dawgs!

Tournament: 154th Open Championship, July 16-19, 2025

Course: Royal Birkdale Golf Club, par 70, 7,223 yards. On the west coast of England, but up north between Blackpool and Liverpool.

Purse: $17 million in total, with $3.1 million to the winner.

Defending Champ: Scottie Scheffler. The UT-Austin golfer got some lucky bounces and nipped Georgia Bulldog Harris English by a slim 4 shot margin. Speaking of lucky bounces and favorable rulings, another UT-Austin golfer won at Birkdale the last time it was held here in 2017.

Fun Fact: If your idea of a 150 year old golf course and clubhouse look something like St. Andrews, you’ll enjoy the change Birkdale offers. The course is what you’d expect from an Open Championship venue – dunes, on the ocean, pot bunkers, but the clubhouse is completely different. It was built in 1935 in an art deco style, and honestly looks completely out of place.

TV Times: Do you enjoy breakfast at Wimbledon? Then you’ll love this week. The time zone and latitude combine to provide us Yankees Americans early morning watching. Local tee times start around 6:30 am and continue until after 4 pm. So if you’re stateside, you can catch live golf starting at 1:30 am ET on Peacock, which switches over to USA at 4:00 am ET. That will continue Thursday and Friday until 3:30 pm ET.

After the field is cut, they let players sleep in for the weekend so Saturday coverage starts on USA at 5:00 am ET, with NBC picking it up at 7 until 3 pm. Sunday is much the same except for a start time of 4:00 am ET. Adjust your phone alarms accordingly.

‘Dawgs in the Field:6. Brian Harman, Harris English, Russell Henley, Sepp Straka, Keith Mitchell, and upcoming enrollee Mason Howell.

The British Open has given us some of the most memorable moments and victories in the history of golf. Bobby Jones completing the Grand Slam, Ben Hogan playing the British only once but winning, the Duel in the Sun with Nicklaus and Watson, Seve doing Seve things, Constantina Rocca’s dramatics to force the playoff with John Daly, the list goes on. But in this writer’s opinion, the greatest Open of all time is the 2024 championship at Royal Liverpool.

The fact that Brian Harman, in the face of inclement weather and anti-American fans, kept his cool when others around him were losing theirs, and that Harman matriculated in the Classic City and is a Damn Good ‘Dawg, has absolutely nothing to do with it.

Thursday, Round 1 tee times:

Harris English, 9:14 am local, 4:14 am ET

Russell Henley, 9:36 am local, 4:36 am ET

Brian Harman, 10:20 am local, 5:20 am ET

Keith Mitchell, 12:14 pm local, 7:14 am ET

Sepp Straka, 12:25 pm local, 7:25 am ET

Mason Howell, 1:31 pm local, 8:31 am ET

So that should help you get started. I wish you only the best viewing experience, and here’s hoping someone can bring the Claret Jug back to South Georgia where it belongs. And as always…

GO ‘DAWGS!!!

It’s rare that life gives you a second chance. But when it does, you have to take advantage of that opportunity.

During the 2002 Georgia/Clemson game the Tigers gave Fred Gibson a second chance. And boy, did he make them regret it.

The #8 ranked Bulldogs were opening the season against the Country Gentlemen, and took a 7-0 lead. However Clemson came back and scored to tie it up early in the second quarter. With a little momentum the Tigers kicked off and looked set to continue their hot streak, stopping Gibson for a short gain out to the 24 yard line. However the officials called the Clemson kickoff team for offsides and forced them to rekick it.

And that, as they say, is when it all fell apart.

Just like on the first kickoff Gibson fielded the Clemson re-kick at the Bulldog 9 yard line. He started up the middle, broke a couple of arm tackles around the 25 before cutting upfield flying by a series of hapless potential tacklers. Around his own 40 Gibson broke into the clear and wouldn’t be touched on his way to the end zone.

No Bulldog ever ran like he was being chased quite like Fred Gibson, a man who admitted as a freshman that one reason he ran so hard was that he was scared of being tackled. Perhaps no play in his Bulldog career exemplified that phobia better than this one, on which Fred ran like his hair was on fire and his derrière was smoldering.

Gibson’s 91 yard touchdown marked the first time a UGA player had returned a kickoff for a touchdown since Andre Hastings had pulled it off in 1990 against Kentucky. It was also the first time in a dozen seasons that Clemson had allowed a kickoff return for a touchdown.

Also in the program history department, it’s worth noting that redshirt freshman and former five star recruit DJ Shockley had trotted out onto the field after the first kick for what would have been his first snaps as a Bulldog. The touchdown on the re-kick delayed that by just a bit. Until later…

Go ‘Dawgs!!!

Chauncey Bowens quietly turned into one of the better stories on the Bulldog offense during the 2025 season, and the sophomore now looks poised to take another step forward for the Bulldogs in 2026. Bowens, a former four star recruit out of Palm Beach Gardens, Florida, barely saw the field as a true freshman in 2024, managing just 16 carries for 58 yards while he redshirted.

That patience paid off big time for Bowens last season as he carried the ball 103 times for 526 yards and six touchdowns, good for a strong 5.1 yards per carry average. He also caught 14 passes for 82 yards, showing he can contribute as a receiver out of the backfield, not just as a between the tackles runner.

Significantly, Bowens’ role grew as the season progressed. He actually took over as Georgia’s leading rusher for a stretch when Nate Frazier battled ball security issues, and he scored the first two touchdowns of his career against Austin Peay before adding a highlight reel 36 yard, go ahead score late in Georgia’s win over Florida. That performance in particular showed the physical running style scouts praised coming out of high school, where he was known as a powerful, downhill runner with sneaky track speed to finish off long runs.

Heading into 2026, Georgia’s running back room looks deep and experienced, but Bowens has clearly established himself as the 1B to Frazier’s 1A. Frazier remains the headline name after deciding to return to Athens, and he has piled up 1,618 career yards and 14 touchdowns. Still, Bowens proved last season he can be trusted with real carries, including in high leverage moments, and he carried that momentum into the spring, running for 42 yards on nine carries in the G-Day spring game.

Given his size at 5’11 and 225 pounds, his physical running style, and the trust he built with the coaching staff last season, Bowens looks like a strong bet to see his workload increase again in 2026. A season in the range of 130 to 150 carries, somewhere between 650 and 800 yards, and seven or eight touchdowns feels realistic if he stays healthy and continues splitting carries evenly with Frazier (and if newcomer Dante Dowdell doesn’t cannibalize the short yardage carries).

If Frazier were to miss time, Bowens has already shown he can handle a true featured back workload without much drop off. And it’s likely that at some point this season, whether due to injury or ball security issues, Georgia is going to need to lean on Bowens again.

The Georgia offense will again lean on its ground game behind an experienced front five. Bowens looks like one of the more important complementary pieces if the Red and Black are going to be consistent and explosive running the ball.

Go ‘Dawgs!!!

So, when it comes to the 1980 National Championship season, what really set the tone?

Was it a bond of unity formed by five players ‘borrowing” a pig from the agriculture research farm?

A pretty solid hard-nosed defense core?

The signing of some kid named Herschel?

All of those played significant parts, for sure.

But none of them pegged things in the prime direction than what was written this week in 1980 than none other than defensive coordinator Erk Russell.

With preseason camp and a season ahead, the revered defensive mind wrote a letter to his defensive charges.

By the end of the season, it’d be a piece of Bulldog lore.

Here’s a look back at a piece of Bulldog lore.

Gentlemen: (and Linemen)

It starts off with gusto – making it clear that if you played in the trenches, you were a different breed.

The football season of 80′ will be my seventeenth as a Georgia Bulldog. During this time there have been many thrilling Saturdays of competition, each with it’s individual memories, because each game has it’s own personality.

There are two Saturday traditions and experiences which have remained basically the same throughout the years for me and I would like to share them with you.

This is key – it sets the table for not just the fact that someone is a Georgia Bulldog, but what putting on the red & black represents.

The first one concerns THE RAILROAD TRACK CROWD. These are my people because they love the Dogs almost as much as I do. Oh, I know they do some crazy things- like turn over our opponents’s busses sometimes and now and then they throw one another down the bank and into the street below. But they stamp out Kudzu and they pull for us to win and that ain’t bad.

Changing of times sadly mandated the end of the special time and place that was the railroad track crowd. Were things there basically Talladega Boulevard on a NASCAR weekend? Probably. Did this group inspire the Dawgs? Also, true.

If you can get off the bus to cheers of THE RAILROAD TRACK CROWD and walk down those steps to the dressing room and not be inspired to play football as best you possibly can, something important is missing beneath the Georgia jersey you wear. It is impossible not to be inspired. They choke me up!

To quote the late Larry Munson: “There is no tradition more worth of envy, no institution worthy of such loyalty, as the University of Georgia.“

The season of 1980 will be the last for THE RAILROAD TRACK CROWD A great Georgia tradition will have passed with the new addition to our stadium. The view from the tracks will be no more.

Your team will be the last Georgia Team to be greeted and cheered by THE RAILROAD TRACK CROWD. Wouldn’t it be fitting if their last team was also the best Georgia Team ever. Think about it!

It was indeed fitting. This 1980 team was not flashy, it was hard-nosed and found a way, somehow to win every game, a fitting tribute to the Railroad Track Crowd.

Another Saturday tradition which has meant so much to me over the years can be stated very simply.
“THERE AIN’T NOTHING LIKE BEING A BULLDOG ON SATURDAY NIGHT AFTER WINNING A FOOTBALL GAME.”
I mean like whipping Tennessee’s ass to start with, then ten more and then another one.

This is the game plan. We have no alternate plan.

Sincerely,
Coach Russell

Go Dawgs…hope you all have a drywall repairman nearby…

Maetsro, the music:

This is Free Form Friday, the closest we can come to a weekend tailgate thread in the absence of any college sporting events whatsoever. It’s the place to talk about anything or nothing at all, though as usual I have a little conversation starter to get you going if you choose. And it’s this: who is the greatest Georgia Bulldog quarterback of the 21st century?

It’s actually a mind-bogglingly difficult question depending on your criteria. Stetson Bennett is the only signal caller in program history to win two national titles. David Greene long held the college football record for victories as a starter. Aaron Murray remains the SEC’s most prolific passer. Matt Stafford was a top overall draft pick and is a surefire Pro Football Hall of Famer. Heck, Jake Fromm played for a national title as a true freshman, played in the NFL, and would be the best QB in history at many programs, and he’s probably no higher than 4th on his own alma mater’s list in the last 25 years.

Feel free to make the case for your Bulldog of choice. I’ll chime in with my own answer shortly.

Go ‘Dawgs!!!

College football season will be here before you know it. And once again this season we’re counting down the Georgia Bulldogs whose performance will make the biggest impact on the season’s success. Only this time I couldn’t pick twelve, so we’re examining eighteen key contributorsWe start with a veteran wide receiver who’s no stranger to clutch performances.

London Humphreys comes into 2026 as the most experienced returning wide receiver for a Georgia program that lost the bulk of its pass-catching production from a season ago. After transferring in from Vanderbilt, the Nashville native has spent two seasons building a resume defined more by timely plays than bulk production. But 2026 looks like the year he is finally handed a full-time role.

The statistical case for a breakout starts with what came before. In 2024, Humphreys caught 15 passes for 244 yards and 2 touchdowns, averaging 27.1 receiving yards per game, flashing big play ability even in a limited role behind established veterans. In 2025, his numbers weren’t much more impressive, with 18 receptions for 276 yards and three touchdowns on just 14 games played, making only one start. Humphreys’ per catch average sat at 15.3 yards, and his usage stayed inconsistent throughout the year, with stretches of just one or two catches a game mixed in with occasional explosive plays, like that 59 yard connection against Tennessee that set up a game tying score in overtime, and a touchdown grab against Texas. 

What changes the equation for 2026 is roster attrition, not . Georgia’s receiver corps was gutted this offseason. Zachariah Branch, who set a program record with an SEC leading 81 receptions, declared for the NFL Draft, and Georgia also lost key contributors Noah Thomas, Colbie Young and Dillon Bell to eligibility exhaustion. That exodus means Humphreys is the only returning player from last year’s receiving corps with more than 8 receptions to his credit. Georgia Tech transfer Isaiah Camino is certainly a big edition, but make no mistake, Humphreys will likely be leaned on pretty hard to produce.

By my count Georgia returns just one wide receiver who saw more than 100 snaps on offense last year in Humphreys, and he should step up as an every snap starter thanks to his run blocking and underrated speed. As a guy who can both stretch the field vertically and make contested catches underneath, he should have opportunities to shine.

That combination of opportunity and trust from the coaching staff suggests a real chance at a career year. Quarterback Gunner Stockton returns for his second full season as starter, and the two seem to have grown more comfortable with each other, something Humphreys himself pointed to this spring when discussing Georgia’s push for more explosive plays downfield. If that chemistry translates to game reps, a receiver who has shown flashes of big play production, a 40 yard touchdown as a Georgia debut, a game tying score against Tennessee, a long touchdown against Texas, could see those flashes become a weekly expectation rather than an occasional spark.

What would a successful year look like for Humphreys? I think a realistic projection lands somewhere in the range of 30 to 40 catches, 430 to 600 yards, and five to seven touchdowns, a substantial jump from his 2025 total but not an unreasonable one given the sheer volume of targets now available with Branch, Thomas, Young and Bell gone.

The competition around him, including Talyn Taylor, Sacovie White-Helton, Landon Roldan and Canion, means the target share is not guaranteed to funnel his way. But among that group, Humphreys carries the most game experience and the most trust built with his quarterback, which historically matters in Kirby Smart’s offense. Barring injury, 2026 could well be the first season where London Humphreys is Georgia’s primary outside threat rather than a complementary piece.

Go ‘Dawgs!!!

We continue our tour through the eighteen Georgia Bulldogs whose efforts will define the 2026 season with a linebacking Dawg who is no longer a pup.

Chris Cole enters his third season in Athens carrying more responsibility than ever before. The 6’3, 235-pound linebacker from Salem, Virginia arrived as a five star recruit, and now the Bulldogs need him to translate that pedigree into a breakout year.

Cole’s numbers tell a story of steady growth. As a true freshman he notched 16 tackles and two fumble recoveries, earning a spot on the SEC All-Freshman Team. Last season he took a real step forward, playing in all 14 games and finishing with 59 tackles, 7.0 tackles for loss, and a team-leading 4.5 sacks. That sack total actually led a Georgia defense that managed just 20 sacks all year, a number that tied for 107th nationally and ranked dead last in the SEC. It’s a stat that says as much about the unit’s needs as it does about Cole’s individual promise.

With CJ Allen off to the NFL Cole steps into a larger leadership role at linebacker, working alongside fellow returning veterans Raylen Wilson and Justin Williams. Kirby Smart has praised his growth this spring, noting how much Cole has improved as a pass rusher, even while conceding that improving the pass rush will require a group effort rather than a one man job.

It’s been obvious since he stepped on campus that Cole possesses a rare blend of length, speed, and coverage instincts, traits that trace back to his days as a high school safety. He shows real range in space, closes on ball carriers with excellent speed, and reads plays quickly and instinctively. Those instincts let him step into extended run when Georgia needed a coverage linebacker in 2024, and that versatility remains his calling card.

Cole still needs to add strength and functional mass to consistently shed blocks against physical SEC run games. His tackles for loss and sack totals, while promising, need to climb significantly if he’s going to match the ceiling scouts once projected. Consistency, translating those athletic flashes into weekly production, is the real question mark entering fall camp.

Off the field, Cole faced scrutiny after a February reckless driving arrest, though Smart has stood by his character. On the field, the path forward is simple. Georgia needs its pass rush fixed, and Cole is square in the middle of that equation. For a program with national championship aspirations, his development from promising contributor to proven difference maker may decide how far the defense can carry them.

Go ‘Dawgs!!!

We’ve all been there. You feel like you’re sitting on top of the world. Everything’s going your way. Then, all of a sudden the skies go from clear to dark and foreboding and the whole world begins kicking you in the shins. Or, you know, somewhere else painful.

Such was the experience of the Clemson Tigers on August 30, 2014. The Country Gentlemen were on the road opening the season against Georgia and had staked themselves to a 21-14 lead in the second quarter. Then, they kicked it to Todd Gurley. It was a bad idea. A very, very bad idea.

The only thing more terrifying than trying to tackle #3 in the hole was trying to corral him in open space, and letting him take a running start at your kickofff team was second only to getting involved in a land war in Asia among classic blunders.

Gurley crossed the goal line to score the first six of thirty-one unanswered points that day, as #12 Georgia cruised to a 45-21 victory over #16 Clemson. Gurley added 198 yards and three touchdowns rushing to install himself as the early leader for the 2014 Heisman Trophy, which he would have won in a just world. Not that we’re still bitter. Because in fact we’re still volcanically, permanently bitter.

But we’ll always have Clemson’s kickoff team looking like a peewee team trying to tackle a fully grown wildebeest. And that’s a great way to start the week. Until later…

Go ‘Dawgs!!!

It’s July 4th, the day we celebrate one of history’s earliest and most impactful conference realignments. The decision by our founding fathers that the British Empire’s revenue sharing model just wasn’t for them, and became the Notre Dame of the Western Hemisphere, geopolitically speaking.

Their fateful decision saved us from a number of indignities, such as taxation without representation, and having to pretend to care about cricket. It also secured your right to bark at Georgia Tech fans in your own home, and the freedom to point out that Tennessee hasn’t won anything in football since before any of their current players were born, or in some cases before their current players’ parents had graduated from junior high.

And while it may be true that King Charles attends University of Georgia games on those rare occasions when he attends college football games, you’re allowed to be a fan of a different college football team. Because in this country we protect the freedom to be a blooming idiot, or even a Florida Gator fan.
So today, enjoy a burger and a brew, knowing that we at Dawg Sports are thankful for the freedom of the (digital) press, and that we’re glad you exercise your right to congregate peacefully in this space.

Go ‘Dawgs!!!

Punters get almost no respect. They don’t score any points. They’re not even on the field when things are going really well. And if they do much as miss by a millimeter and shank a punt they become enemy #1 of every drunken fan in the fifty-third row.

It takes a special person to undertake that job and do it at the highest level. Brett Thorson, I’m sure I don’t need to remind you, is a pretty special guy in that way. The Thunder from Down Under had many big, beautiful kicks during his time in the Classic City. But perhaps none rivaled his punt against Tennessee during the 2022 #1 vs. #2 matchup in Athens.

As the late, great Larry Munson would have said, ““get the picture.” Tennessee came to town undefeated and with more swagger than they’d had in years. Hendon Hooker was a Heisman candidate at the helm of Josh Heupel’s high-powered offense. This, the Creamsicle Contingent thought, would be the year they finally taught Georgia a lesson.

And in the early going things looked promising. The Bulldogs fumbled away the first possession of the game, but the defense held the Vols to a field goal. Then the Bulldogs slowly began to assert themselves. Georgia took a 7-3 lead, but was forced to punt from deep in its own territory. Giving the Big Urnge a short field could put them behind the eight ball. In stepped Thorson. Then Thorson stepped into it.

His 75 yard punt decisively flipped the field, and was in many ways the turning point of the game. Tennessee would go three-and-out and be forced to punt from their own endzone.

In contrast to Thorson’s heroic boot, Tennessee’s Paxton Brooks managed to only dribble the ball out to the Vol 36 yard line, where Ladd McConkey fair caught it to give the ‘‘Dawgs excellent field position. Madd Ladd then blew through the Tennessee secondary on the Red and Black’s first offensive snap, taking a Stetson Bennett pass to the house and staking Georgia to a 14-3 lead it would not relinquish.

Never, ever let anyone tell you the kicking game doesn’t matter. Like vegemite and listening to Men At Work, it’s good for what ails you.

Go ‘Dawgs!!!

This is one of those needlessly confusing magical weeks in professional golf where there are two PGA Tour events occuring concurrently. You have options for your golf viewing pleasure, and while the events are fairly disparate, they’re contested in areas famous for good spirits.

After the PGA Tour bailed out the (European) DP World Tour with a cash infusion, they also propped it up by cross-pollinating some of the Tours and players in a few select instances. This is one of those instances.

The Scottish Open has long been a staple of European Tour golf, and normally a tune-up for the British Open. It offers similar weather, similar time zones, and somewhat similar golf courses. The PGA Tour used its purse power to squeeze onto the Scottish Open dias, co-sanctioned the event by upping the prize money and offering FedEx Cup points, and leveraged that to bring some of the big US stars over to Europe for a couple of weeks. All this bolsters ratings and the somewhat scant bank accounts of the DP World Tour.

The Scottish has decidedly found a home at the Rennaissance Club – even if they haven’t decided how to pronounce it. It is both linksy and parkland in nature – it has 3 holes along the Scottish coast but was orignally carved out of a pine forest. After a spring and summer of big golf events jammed too close to each other causing some big names to skip a week here and there, all the big names will be on property this week. And because it is technically a DP World Tour event, some LIV golfers are able to play like Jon Rahm.

Back in the States, the PGA Tour is holding an “alternate field event” in Louisville, KY at the Hurstbourne Country Club. The field of the ISCO Championship is less familiar that the Scottish field, unless you’re a week-in week-out golf junkie like myself. You have your Luke Lists, your Christiaan Bezuidenhouts, Tom Hoges and Denny McCarthys, and you have your Jackson Koivuns and J.B. Holmes to boot.

Dawgs in the Genesis Scottish Open field: Chris Kirk, Harris English, Brian Harman, Sepp Straka

‘Dawgs in the ISCO Championship field: Davis Thompson, Brendon Todd.

The purses will probably tell you most of the story. In Scotland, they’re handing out $9 million in total and $1.575 million to the winner. In Louisville, its cut to $4 million in total and a paltry $720,000 to the victor.

Because of the time zones, the Scottish will be on Golf Channel Thursday and Friday from 11am-2pm ET, Golf Channel Friday and Saturday 10am-noon and then noon-3pm on CBS. The ISCO will be exclusively on Golf Channel 4-7 pm all four days.

So different tournaments, different continents, different time zones, different fields, and different distilling. But they both have former Bulldogs. Enjoy your break from soccer, and as always…

GO ‘DAWGS!!!

‘

Ted Scott likes Connecticut. As the caddie for former Bulldog Bubba Watson, Scott saw his golfer capture 3 Travelers Championships at TPC River Highlands in Cromwell, CT. But the last was in 2018, as Watson’s mercurial nature bled into his golf game producing inconsistent play and falling farther down leaderboards.

After discussions with Watson, and apparently an interview process that Ted insisted upon with a prospective player, Scott left for a up and comer out of Texas. Fast forward a couple of years, and Ted Scott is on the bag for the most dominant player in golf since Tiger Woods.

With the PGA Tour back in the northeast this week, we find Ted Scott in a familiar place, with his player Scottie Schefler at the top of the leaderboard. The bad news is that Scheffler had company at the top, with Viktor Hovland tying him at 21 under par. And a rain delay forced a playoff until Monday morning, where Hovland dispatched Scottie after 1 hole in sudden death.

That’s all well and good, but let’s take a look at where former Bulldogs finished up:

Sepp Straka seemed uninspired, and shot every round over par en route to a last place finish for the 72 man, no cut field. He still cashes a check though.

Harris English never shot over par, but you have to go low when everyone around you is making birdies in bunches. He finishes T38 at 10 under par.

Brian Harman was in the same boat as English, but a Saturday 63 jumped him around 30 places, and he eventually settles at 12 under par and T25.

Keith Mitchell did the same thing, shot 63 in the 3rd round and eventually got to 13 under par, good for T22.

Stop me if you’ve heard this before: Russell Henley plugs along early, but has a great weekend to backdoor a high finish. At only 4 under par, a 65-64 weekend pushes Russell all the way to T12.

The Tour now heads to Illinois for the John Deere Classic – a tournament won by a couple of former ‘Dawgs listed above. Enjoy your week, and as always…

GO ‘DAWGS!!!

Doing something once can be framed by your detractors as a flash. But when it happens multiple times in a short span? It becomes a standard of expectation.

That standard was stomped into the ground at Neyland Stadium early in the 2003 Georgia football season when Georgia made it three wins in a row against Tennessee in what ended up being a 41-14 walkover win.

That win was the Bulldogs’ fourth in a row against the Vols, a realization of what was asked upon Mark Richt when he was hired as Georgia’s head coach in December, 2000.

The mandate for the Richt regime was simple – regularly beat Georgia’s rivals – something that cost his predecessor, Jim Donnan his job.

Of course, the ‘blowing the roof off the lid’ moment for Richt came in 2001 with the “Hobnail Boot” game. But believe it or not, there was a time when as Georgia you wondered if UGA could ever beat Tennessee regularly. Before the 2000 field-storming win, one in which UTK’s quarterback situation was in flux, Georgia had lost nine in a row in this series.

But in October 2003, Georgia showed without a doubt that it had ownership of the rivalry against Tennessee. Going into that game itself, you knew this Bulldogs team could be good, but not quite how good. Sure, there was a shutout on the road against Clemson and a physical manhandling of Alabama, but there was also a road loss to LSU to left a sour taste in many minds of the Bulldog nation. Tennessee was also I na similar boat, a 4-1 record after a win against Florida but loss to Auburn.

Oh, and there was plenty of fodder thanks to Casey Clausen, the Tennessee quarterback who lamented the year before that the win by UGA in Athens was impacted by quarterback injuries.

So yes, this rivalry had plenty of juice when it kicked off on Saturday night in prime time.

By the time this game ended, it Georgia had won 41-14, handing Tennessee its worst home loss since 1994 against Florida.

The result may have been one-sided, but not before a close game was absolutely turned on its lid just before halftime. The Bulldogs crept out to 10-o lead, but a 90-yard scoring strike trimmed that advantage to 10-7. And the Vols were on the doorstep of going up 14-10 until….

It wasn’t Larry Munson’s greatest call of all time, but it’s for sure a top ten. For fans who lamented Jamal Lewis heading to Tennessee and taking a “Peach Bowl” cheap shot at Georgia, its still satisifying to hear Munson exclaim, “Jabari fumbled!”

Plus, you know its a great Munson call when he implores someone to, “Run!!”

Without question, Sean Jones’ return, which according to one press-box observer caused loud shouts of frustration from the Tennessee coaches box, snatched the soul out of Neyland Stadium. Tennessee was demoralized, and it showed by how the Dawgs rolled on to a lopsided win. The Neyland crowd? It was also a non-factor – shown by how listless the reaction was when Rocky Top was played to end halftime.

It’s rare that a single play can change a game’s dynamic into blowout. Sean Jones’ scoop and score was one of them.

Go Dawgs!

The Georgia Bulldogs enter 2026 with a defensive line that is at once experienced and still coming into its own. But the potential is certainly there for the trench ‘Dawgs to become an anchor for the defense. The unit lost All-SEC performer Christen Miller to the 2026 NFL Draft, where he was taken in the second round by the New Orleans Saints, but the group that remains is deep with blue chippers and bursting with developmental upside.

Senior Jordan Hall is the most experienced veteran in the group. Hall played and started in eight games in 2025, finishing the season with 12 tackles, three solo, and 2.0 tackles for loss. The Jacksonville native however spent much of his first two seasons dealing with leg injuries that limited his development, and missed spring practice with another injury suffered against the Florida Gators.

But a healthy Hall could be a first day NFL selection, ticking all the boxes scouts look for. At 6’4 and 320 pounds, Hall has an ideal frame and has taken on a leadership role on the team. With Miller gone, Hall enters 2026 as the most experienced returning presence on the interior and the anchor the unit needs. The question surrounding him is not talent but durability, and if he can stay on the field for a full season this unit’s floor goes up considerably.

Sophomore Elijah Griffin played in all 14 games during the 2025 season, earning spots on the On3 Freshman All-America Team, the Athletic Freshman All-America First Team, PFF All-Freshman Team, and the Freshman All-SEC Team. He recorded 22 tackles, 14 solo stops, 2.5 tackles for loss, a sack for seven yards, and one pass breakup.

Griffin arrived at Georgia as the consensus top defensive line prospect in the 2025 recruiting cycle and justified the hype immediately. And after a serious offseason of conditioning he could be even better. Griffin was noticeably bigger and more muscular at G Day, which should allow him to take even more snaps on the interior.

He has already established himself as one of the stronger players on the roster physically, and Georgia ranked 4th nationally in run defense in 2025 with Griffin playing a key role. His pass-rush production was modest as a freshman, but my expectation entering 2026 is that Griffin takes a significant leap as a disruptive force. He may well be the most talented player on Georgia’s entire defense, and I can’t wait to see the havoc he can create.

Senior Xzavier McLeod also played in all 14 games in 2025 and made six starts, finishing with 17 tackles (8 solo), six quarterback pressures, and two pass breakups. The Charlotte product transferred to Georgia from South Carolina and has steadily worked his way into meaningful snaps. At 6’4 and 315 pounds, McLeod has the size to handle interior work and the experience in this system and in the SEC game to mentor younger players. I see him as a steady presence who gives reliable snaps whether starting or rotating in, adding real value to the rotation. His six starts in 2025 suggest he is in the mix for a larger role in 2026, likely his final season in Athens.

Stop me if you’ve heard this one, but Joseph Jonah-Ajonye also played in all 14 games in 2025 and made one start, finishing with 9 tackles, 5 solo, and 11 quarterback hurries. That pressure number stands out. Sure , some of that came as a late game sub once Miller and Hall were out of the rotation and teams were forced to throw a little more. Eleven quarterback hurries however in a rotational role is a strong indicator of a player who can affect the game without always showing up in the box score.

The former five star recruit out of Oak Ridge High School in Texas dealt with a foot injury early in his Georgia career but has progressively grown in the program. At 6’ 4 and 275 pounds, he plays with a lighter frame than Georgia’s primary interior tackles, giving the defense a quicker, more movement-oriented option off the bench. In 2026 his value could come from his ability to move and chase plays rather than simply take on blocks, making him a complementary piece who changes what the defense can do on passing downs.

Redshirt sophomore Nnamdi Ogboko appeared in 12 games last season as a reserve defensive lineman, recording 10 tackles, 5 solo stops, 1 tackle for loss, and a sack. At 6’4 and and 340 pounds, Ogboko is one of the heaviest players on the roster and brings a physical presence that is difficult to replicate. You can’t coach size, and most Kirby Smart defenses have been at their best with a huge, two-gap space eater in the middle. Could Ogboko be that guy in 2026?

I’m not saying he’s Jordan Davis just yet, but there’s potential there. The North Carolina product is still learning the game at this level, but the raw tools on display. His sack against Kentucky was a glimpse of what he can do when he wins his initial battle. Georgia’s two-gap defensive scheme benefits enormously from players Ogboko’s size, and he will be expected to eat blocks and free up space for the linebackers behind him.

Sophomore JJ Hanne remains an intriguing player as well. Hanne appeared in all 14 games during 2025 as a reserve, recording one tackle against Austin Peay and another against Florida in Jacksonville. His story is one of the more unique in college football. Originally from Berlin, Germany, Hanne only began playing American football in high school and arrived at Georgia still learning the fundamentals of the game. At 6-foot-4 and 290 pounds, his physical upside is considerable, and coaches have praised both his motor and his development throughout his time in the program. With a full year of seasoning now behind him, 2026 represents an important step in determining whether Hanne can grow into a reliable rotation piece.

The Bottom Line

The 2026 Georgia defensive line will look different from recent years, lacking the veteran continuity that came with someone like Miller anchoring the middle through multiple seasons. But the depth is there, and the level of experience is almost sneakily high. With major returning contributors and frequent starters like McLeod, Hall, and Griffin giving Tray Scott a solid base to work with. The unit also welcomes new additions in freshmen Preston Carey, Carter Luckie, AJ Lonon Jr., and Valdin Sone to provide additional bodies and competition. At least a couple of those freshmen could also work into the rotation by season’s end. If Hall stays healthy and Griffin takes the leap everyone expects, this group can still rank among the SEC’s better front fours. The ceiling is high; the floor is secure.

Go ‘Dawgs!!!

Admittedly in this space we’ve been pretty harsh about the creeping commercialism of college football.

We get it, somebody has to pay those NIL deals, and the palatial stadiums don’t build themselves. But still it often feels like conference and school officials have uniformly undergone a very precise lobotomy that removed the part of their brains that says “I like money and all, but that just seems a little crass even to me.”

However, in the interest of equal time and fairness, I want to recognize a major college athletic department for doing something right. Ladies and gentlemen, I bring you Wisconsin Badger football, sponsored by Culver’s delicious creamy custards.

Of all the things a college football team can do to raise some cash, a tasteful (tasty?) uniform patch seems like the least of all available evils. Plus Culver’s, with their famous fried cheese curds and butter burgers are about as Wisconsin as you can get. If you’re going to sell out, sell out to your own home folks. If the Georgia Bulldogs came out sporting patches advertising Pepsi cola, I might riot. I wouldn’t start the riot, but I would almost certainly take an enthusiastic part in it.

Conversely, if the Red and Black were to take some green in exchange for a small patch advertising Coca Cola Classic, a Peach State institution on par with Ty Cobb, boiled peanuts, and the Yatesville Chitlin Hoedown, I would say not word in protest. Bulldog football and Coca Cola are perhaps my two favorite things on earth that I haven’t bought a diamond ring for. Combining them often and in liberal doses is fine by me.

So good on you, Badger Nation. You’ve managed to sell out in the best way possible, and I salute you for it. Now if you need me I’ll be down the street ordering onion rings and a Butterfinger custard.

Go ‘Dawgs!!!

Not to overstate things, but June 29, 2026 may end up being the most consequential day when it comes to the current state of the Georgia baseball program.

If you just took Monday night’s news that Dan Jackson won the Golden Spikes Award, the honor given to the top player in college baseball, that would have been monumental on its own. In Jackson, the Diamond Dawgs have now had a player take that prize in two of the past three seasons. That stretch, of course, coincides with Wes Johnson being the Bulldogs’ head coach.

The message is clear. If you want to be college baseball’s best, the confines of Foley Field are a pretty good place to spend your time.

Certainly, it would have been nice for Jackson to get a send-off last week as a national champion in Omaha, but Georgia was one of the last four teams standing in college baseball’s mecca.

Jackson’s Monday coronation proves what this program has been able to do.

Earlier in the day, however, hammered home what Georgia plans to do – seeing to it that this year was not a one-and-done trip to the College World Series.

Or to call back to Kirby Smart’s famous post-game quote after the 2018 National Title Game – “we’re not going anywhere.”

Dislike the transfer portal or embrace it, the reality is that those who utilize it well help themselves the most. Those who don’t in the current landscape…well, just check in on Dabo Swinney when you get a chance.

Guys like Kolby Branch and Dan Jackson are not easy to replace, that’s for sure. But the Diamond Dawgs being able to cook with gas in the transfer portal on Monday helps, without a doubt.

Among the incoming transfers will be Oregon DH Naulivou Lauaki Jr., having hit .321 with 14 dingers last year.

More offensive firepower will be on the way through Utah outfielder Jet Gilliam, who hit .362 last year as well as Indiana first baseman Jake Hanley, who hit .338 this past spring and ripped 14 homers the last two years.

The arrival of infielder Casey McCoy from Louisiana Tech and previous add of FSU catcher Hunter Carnes should bolster things even more.

And yes, pitching help is also incoming via Matthew Cuccias from Wichita State, who in 15 starts had a 3.53 ERA with 76 strikeouts.

For Georgia, the message on Monday was clear – that it does not want its current window to close anytime soon.

Go Dawgs!

You ever think it just might not be your day? You and South Carolina quarterback Corey Jenkins have that in common, or at least you would as you pointlessly asked the back judge what happened after David Pollack ruined your afternoon.

Georgia and South Carolina were locked in a sloppy, low scoring early season matchup in 2002, with the Bulldogs defense pitching a 3-0 shutout. Backed up on their own goal line the Gamecock offense managed to give up one more touchdown than the Garnet and Black defense would give up all day.

Pollack’s 0 yard interception return staked the Bulldogs to a 10-0 lead, and was the only touchdown the Bulldogs would score all day. But that and a pair of Billy Bennett field goals were enough to deliver a 13-7 victory. That Bulldog team would go on to win Georgia’s first SEC title in twenty years. Pollack’s improbable play was perhaps the first hint that the 2002 Bulldogs just wouldn’t be denied. Until later…

Go ‘Dawgs!!!

The first of these touchdowns was Week 2 against the Steve Spurrier South Carolina Gamecocks. Up 34-30 in the fourth, Aaron Murray connected with a streaking JSW down the sidelines for an 85-yard touchdown, sealing the victory.

The other came a few weeks later against LSU which was the game of the season in 2013. Trailing with under 2:00 to play, Aaron Murray again finds a streaking JSW, this time down the right sideline for a 25-yard game-winning touchdown.

Though injuries derailed his career, JSW will never be forgotten for those two epic touchdowns in 2013. JSW: DGD forever.

Welcome to the Morning Memory, in which we look back fondly on a treasured moment from the Bulldog past.

This morning’s installment comes to you all the way from September 22, 2007. That’s when Mark Richt and #22 Georgia went to Tuscaloosa to take on #16 Alabama and second year head coach Nick Saban. The Red and Black, keyed by Knowshon Moreno, Thomas Brown, and a high octane rushing attack jumped out to a 10-0 lead and led the Tide 20-10 with 12:15 to go in the fourth quarter.

Then things got unnecessarily and inconveniently interesting for fans of the Classic City Canines. The Crimson Tide drove down for a field goal to pull within a touchdown, and the Red and Black responded by going three and out and punting back to the Sabanites (they’re in the Bible between the Ammonites and the Hittites, look it up). The Tide then took the air out of the ball on a grinding drive that ended with quarterback John Sarah Jessica Parker Wilson of all people running it in from 6 yards out. An extra point tied it up, and a Brandon Coutu missed 47 yard field goal as time expired sent the game to overtime, and the Tuscaloosa crowd into a frenzy.

Georgia won the toss and gave Bama the ball first in the extra stanza with the Red Elephants settling for a field goal.

The Tide led 23-20. The entire crowd into Tuscaloosa and a prime time television audience of millions sat perched on the edge of their seats.The tension was thick enough to cut with a knife. What would ESPN analysts Mike Patrick and Todd Blackledge have to say in this electric moment? Patrick obviously asked the question on everyone’s mind.

Poor Todd Blackledge, not the most elusive guy during his quarterbacking days, was perhaps even less so in the booth as a broadcaster. Fortunately, Matt Stafford and Mikey Henderson bailed him out before he had to provide Patrick with a definitive answer:

The Dawgs walked off the Tide 26-23. It was a singular moment in a season that contained a lot of highlights. That Georgia team would go on to dance in the endzone on the way to victory I. Jacksonville, to black out Auburn in Sanford Stadium, and to beat Hawaii so senseless in a lopsided Sugar Bowl that Thom Brenamen would worry aloud that they were hitting the Rainbow Warriors too hard.

I maintain that the 2007 Georgia Bulldogs would have won a national title if only they’d gotten the chance to play for one. No team finished the year hotter than Mark Richt’s. That would be Richt’s last victory over Saban in his tenure in Athens. But oh what a sweet one it was. Until later…

Go ‘Dawgs!!!

To say that it has been a transformational time in Athens since the hiring of Kirby Smart in December of 2015 is one of the biggest understatements that can be made.

The standard of what can be has come to Georgia football, and the Bulldogs have become college football’s standard bearer through being relentless, unyielding and aggressive. That result, of course, peaked with two back-to-back titles in a row.

That energy has, of course followed the manta of a team’s mentality been set, of course, by Kirby Smart. And part of that has come through Smart’s sound bites. Some have been public, others ‘leaked,’ from the inner sanctum. Many of them, of course, are not safe for work or a small Bulldog child’s ears.

Here’s a rating of the top ten Kirby Sound Bites. Is one of your favorites missing or ranked too low? Comment below!

The Florida Speech

Did this audio jar the conscience when it found its way online? Yes. Did it also make Bulldog fans want to run through a wall and also reinforce that Kirby Smart dislikes Georgia’s rivals as much as its fans? Also yes. And while it can never be confirmed, its hard not to consider that this speech…just before embarrassing Florida…helped encourage UF to ask Dan Mullen to seek employment elsewhere.

How Bout Them F’ing Dawgs?!

Did Kirby Smart likely have some ‘splaining to do for this press conference remark? Yes. Did it instill how much the Auburn game matters to him as a former player? Absolutely.

Post-TCU Audio

While its never been confirmed which game this came from during 2022, the audio that found its way online after the TCU domination reinforced who Georgia football was, and how driven Kirby Smart was – and the reason why the Bulldogs had just gone back-to-back as national champs.

South Carolina in 2022

This game’s first half was highly frustrating, but this halftime speech was every bit of a called shot. It summed up how confident Kirby Smart is in his team, and how that belief drives Georgia’s players.

All I Wanna Do Is Eat!

In case you wondered why Kirby Smart was successful early at Georgia, this showed why. It’s also a fun Thanksgiving reference when food is not quite ready yet.

Calling Out The Detractors After Texas Win

Georgia was counted out and had to overcome bad officiating to beat Texas two years ago. Smart tapped into that sentiment in a big way. There was no PC comment here, there was no fear to go after the TV or SEC partners. It was very much a ‘we’re not taking this’ moment.

Mizzou Hot Mic

A hard lesson this day to SEC officials – don’t stand too close to Kirby Smart with a microphone on.

National Title Post Game

In short, this ripped the cover off when it came to what a national title meant. To quote Lewis Grizzard, “it meant that much.”

Overheard…

If you have afternoon classes near South campus, odds are good you may hear some high-quality gems..

“I believe in you.”

Nothing quite says being driven like “I believe in you” before a second-half domination

Go Dawgs!

It was an Okie St. Cowboy-turned-Oregon Duck that hoisted the trophy Sunday evening, but we still had Bulldog representation sprinkled across the Long Island leaderboard.

Yes, Wyndham Clark held onto the lead and held off LSU Tiger Sam Burns to claim the third major of 2026. It was really an opening 64 in blustery conditions that won him the title, but it was validated by great recovery shots, sick scrambling, and a pretty hot putter to complete the wire-to-wire win.

In tough but fair conditions, only 6 players finished at even par or better. Many big names didn’t make the cut including Bryson Dechambeau, Viktor Hovland, Adam Scott, Brooks Koepka, and defending champ JJ Spaun. Unfortunately that claimed the weekends of former Bulldogs. With the cut line of +4 (144), Harris English missed it by one; Sepp Straka by 3; Chris Kirk by 5, and Davis Thompson by 6. It also quenched young dreams of amateurs and future Bulldogs Mason Howell (+8) and Hamilton Coleman (+11).

Somehow I missed Coleman’s Open qualification, but he won the 2025 US Junior Amateur last summer which gained him an invitation. Coleman is an Augusta native, playing for Lakeside-Evans and capturing the State 6A title in 2024 as a sophomore. His golf game and Sigma Nu pledge class worthy name will serve him well in Athens.

Now for the former ‘Dawgs who were in the top 72 and did play the weekend at the 126th US Open at Shinnecock.

Russell Henley was top 20 after an opening even par 70, and started the weekend at +3 with a chance to make a move. A third round 80 derailed that, and a closing 71 gave him a T65 finish.

Brian Harman was first page of the leaderboard Friday morning and borderline Friday night. But weekend rounds of 73-73 never let him gain ground and he ties for 32nd.

But Keith Mitchell gave us a Cashmere Keith Experience for the ages.

That was Mitchell’s Thursday opening round. Even par 70? That’s not the interesting part. He doubled his first hole of the tournament en route to a 41 for 9 holes. +6 after 9 probably shoots you out of contention. But Keith is a ‘Dawg, so he comes back and shoots 29 for his inward nine and a total of 70 that makes you look meme-worthy. He is the first player in US Open history to shoot a 9 hole score in the 40’s and a 9 hole score in the 20’s in a single round. History made.

It was obvious he didn’t have his “A” game, but it was also obvious he could golf his ball around and get it in the hole. The final 3 rounds he proceeds to shoot 70-70-70 for a total of 280. Even par for the tournament, and even par in every single round. Also the first player to accomplish that in a US Open. It was good for a tie for 4th place, $920,882 dollars, and invite to the 2027 Masters and US Open.

It might not go down as one of the most exciting US Opens, but it was played in a truly great venue, it constantly humbled the best players in the world, and we had plenty of Red and Black to keep an eye on. I hope you had as good of a Father’s Day as I did, and as always…

GO ‘DAWGS!!!

I’m a simple man. I like to start my day with a good cup of coffee. Maybe a nice stack of pancakes. And a video of the Florida Gators getting beaten like a set of bongos.

1997 came squarely in the middle of a long stretch of utter torment for Bulldog fans in Jacksonville.It’s difficult to explain if you weren’t there for it, but the best summation I can give is that the Georgia/Florida game was the most important contest of the season for a fanbase that had no illusions of their chances of playing for a national title. A

And we lost it every year. Sometimes by a little, often by a lot. But when the Bulldogs arrived in Jacksonville on November 1, 1997 they had dropped seven in a row to the Gators. The Gators had won 52-14, 52-17 and 47-7 in the previous three meetings. While the Dawgs entered ranked #14 in the country under second year head coach Jim Donnan, there was little reason to expect they’d offer much resistance to the defending national champion Gators.

But that’s why they actually play the games:

Robert Edwards ground out 124 yards on the ground and tied a school record with four rushing touchdowns. Junior safety Kirby Smart picked off two passes as the Florida offense looked out of sorts most of the day. Steve Spurrier, always quick with the hook for his quarterbacks, tried three of them on the afternoon. But neither starter Doug Johnson nor backups Noah Brindise or Jessie Palmer could do much of anything to crack the Red and Black D.

The result was a 37-17 victory that would go down as arguably the high point of the Donnan era in Athens. It was also Steve Spurrier’s only loss to the Athenians during his twelve seasons as the coach at his alma mater. I wish the ‘Dawgs could have beaten that smug so-and-so a few more times. But I do take some joy from remembering how sad he was on that day in 1997. Again, it’s the simple things in life.

Go ‘Dawgs!!!

Maestro, the music:

Welcome to Free Form Friday, a laissez faire lounge for your college football-free weekends from here to the start of the season. It’s the place for you to talk with your fellow readers about anything or nothing at all, though I usually try to offer at least one potential topic. Sometimes it’s college sports related. Sometimes it’s not. Today’s isn’t even college sports adjacent.

My question for you is this: tell us about your first car. Mine was a 1982 Chevy pickup I inherited from my grandfather. It was painted a very demure metal fleck silver, and had an eight foot bed suitable for hauling camping gear, lumber, and eventually helping friends move in exchange for pizza and beer. It had a top speed of about 58 miles per hour, at which point the front end and the back end would lose communication entirely like two old spinsters who had a falling out over a spice cake recipe and haven’t spoken to each other since the Carter administration.

Its two moments of crowning glory were:

• The time a brahma bull charged it, lifting the driver side wheels off the ground but otherwise leaving the occupants unhurt.
• The time an Atlantan in a hurry to pick up his fiancé from the airport rearended it outside Macon. Again, no one inside the Chevy was injured, but the boyfriend’s Honda Accord, deployed airbags and all, was borderline unrecognizable. When last I saw its owner he was on the way to the I-16 Huddle House in Bleckley County with the tow truck driver, hoping to salvage his relationship if not his car. This earned the truck the nickname “The Tank.”

We’d love to hear about your first set of wheels, whether super cool or grossly unreliable (or both). Or feel free to talk amongst yourselves about any other subject that tunes your Stratocaster. Until later…

Go ‘Dawgs!!!

We begin our rundown of every position group on the 2026 Georgia Bulldogs roster with a group that returns both a ton of production and yet a few questions as well.

There are plenty of position groups to get excited about for the Georgia Bulldogs heading into the 2026 college football season.  Offensively, one of the rooms most loaded with talent is the running backs room.  Featuring a nice blend of veterans, transfers, and young newcomers, the running game will once again be heavily relied upon on offense.

Let’s take a look at the cast of RBs that will be performing for Georgia on Saturdays this fall.

Nate Frazier

The alpha of the running backs room, Nate Frazier returns to Athens having flirted with the transfer portal this offseason.  During his time at Georgia, Frazier has amassed 1618 yards and 14 touchdowns on the ground.  Most notably, having dealt with fumbling issues as a freshman and the beginning of the 2025 season, Frazier looks to have moved past those issues, carrying the football more securely and taking a leap in the second half of the 2025 season.

An ankle injury limited Frazier to just one carry on G-Day, though he should be ready to start for the Dawgs in the opening game.

Chauncey Bowens

Having played sparingly as a freshman, Chauncey Bowens showed that he is a very capable 1B to Frazier’s 1A.  Bowens ran for 526 yards on 103 carries in 2025, starting some games over Frazier when Frazier was dealing with his ball security issues.

Bowens looked sharp at G-Day, running for 42 yards on 9 carries as he carves out a substantial role in the running game for the Dawgs in 2026.

Dwight Phillips Jr.

Phillips Jr. is a burner on the ground, and he adds a nice change of pace to the RB room and can easily take an end around to the house.

Phillips will look to build off of his 210 yard season from 2025, and he should also be a threat catching the ball out of the backfield.

Bo Walker

Walker burst onto the scene late during his freshman season, highlighted by his three touchdown day against Charlotte.

The powerful back will look to carve out an even bigger role in 2026, albeit likely still in a reserve role.

Jae Lamar

Lamar arrives to Athens as a four star prospect and the #16 RB recruit in the 2026 class.  He got his first action in the G-Day game, carrying the ball six times for 26 yards.

Kirby Smart is not afraid to give playing time to talented freshmen, and it’ll be fascinating to see what Lamar’s playing time looks like in 2026.

Dante Dowdell

Georgia is the fourth stop for Dowdell during his college football career, having previously attended Kentucky, Nebraska, and Oregon.

Dowdell ran for 560 yards at Kentucky as a junior and 614 as a sophomore at Nebraska.  The senior provides needed experience and depth to the RB, filling the void the departing Josh McCray left.

The special and amazing ride ended for the Diamond Dawgs in the College World Series on Wednesday night in Omaha, Neb., as Georgia’s fortunes ran out of gas in an 11-4 loss to Oklahoma. The Sooners now advance to face North Carolina in the CWS Championship Series.

Thus ends a magical season for Georgia, one in which records were set for wins and homers as Foley Field became an even more special place that it is by default given that it exists within Athens, Ga. during the springtime.

For the first time since 2008, Georgia found itself in college baseball’s holy land. In perhaps a cruel twist of irony, the Bulldogs, who had a 53-win season, were done in on Wednesday by the very thing that helped define them this season. Georgia may have won the SEC regular-season and tournament title. But the Sooners, who lost multiple SEC weekend series and lasted one game in the SEC Tournament, kept up a postseason hot streak at Georgia’s expense, smacking five homers against Georgia pitching on Wednesday.

Such is the cruel mistress of the College World Series. Sometimes, the team that steamrolls in comes up short to a team that catches fire at the right time – a truth Georgia knows well on both sides from its CWS history.

Speaking of homers – the long ball, something that powered Georgia all season long, apparently got lost somewhere over the flyover states on the way to Omaha, as the Dawgs had to scrape and scrounge for runs in Omaha, something that makes the fact of getting two wins there over Texas impressive. A load of credit, obviously goes to Georgia’s pitchers.

That trend continued on Wednesday as UGA didn’t get on the board until a fifth-inning Ryan Black RBI single, the first frame in which Georgia had more than one runner aboard.

By then, the Bulldogs were playing catch up, down 4-1 after starting pitcher Paul Farley went 3.1 innings before giving way to Matt Scott. Farley gave up four runs and six hits before Scott’s four runs saw him yield four runs and five hits in four innings.

The Bulldogs got back in it in the fifth, taking advantage of a pair of bases-loaded walks to trail 5-3. But a single Sooner run in the seventh and two homers in the eighth by OU helped the Sooners put the night away, ending hopes of the program’s second national title.

But as much of a letdown as the loss was, there was a bit more of Diamond Dawg magic. Yes, the game was wrapped up in the ninth, but Kolby Branch’s final at-bat was one to remember, as he blasted a ninth-inning homer.

The outcome on Wednesday was disappointing for the Bulldogs and fans watching from near and far, but Branch’s blast was a reminder – that this team was special and will be one of Georgia baseball’s most revered.

Go Dawgs!

Happy Saturday morning ‘Dawg fans. I don’t know how you plan to spend your weekend. I hope you make smart decisions. But whatever decisions you make, it’s unlikely that they’ll be better than the decision to give the ball to freshman Nick Chubb on a toss sweep against a Clemson defense that’s already been tenderized by a heavy dose of Todd Gurley:

That was Nick Chubb’s first college touchdown, during the game in which the Georgia Bulldog offense pounded Dabo Swinney’s Clemson defense to the point that they just didn’t want to play football anymore. The Ground Hound from Cedartown would score 44 rushing touchdowns over the course of his career in the Classic City. And in retrospect that outcome seems like a foregone conclusion after watching that first one. Freshmen aren’t supposed to do that against elite competition.

In that 2014 season opener Todd Gurley set a UGA single game record for total yards with 293. 100 of those came on a kickoff return to which I am certain we will return ere the summer, and this series with it, ends.

Go ‘Dawgs!!!

The app formerly known as Twitter isn’t nearly as fun or as useful as it once was. If you’re like me, you occasionally saddle over there, get a costed by a series of bots and spammers, and then log right back off. But occasionally, it still comes in sort of handy. For example, while scrolling this weekend, I came across the below handy graphic, showcasing, the University of Florida’s current state of gridiron futility.

I think it is worth noting that the University of Florida currently has a losing record against every SEC school which they would rightfully consider a rival and coeval except the University of Tennessee. That is of course, because the Hillbillies have been in even worse straits for even longer than the lizard people.

but I think the thing that truly puts a spring in my step and a song in my heart is the fact that Florida has a winning record against a mere six out of sixteen SEC schools. In historical terms, the McElwain/Mullen/Napier era has seen the Sunshine State Saurians slowly sink from the upper echelons of the Southeastern Conference to no higher than the sunburned, probably pierced midriff of the league.

Remember, the Spurrier and Meyer eras were the aberration, not the rule. And while it may still be said that nothing sucks like a big orange, it can also be noted that nothing crawls lower than a gator.

Go ‘Dawgs!!!

Maestro, the music if you will:

The Diamond ‘Dawgs have bowed out of the postseason. Collegiate track, softball and golf have closed up shop for the year. Friends, it is officially the offest part of the offseason.

That’s not my problem. It’s not your problem. It’s our problem. And collective problems call for collective solutions. In that spirit we present Free Form Friday, an open-ended community exploration of, well, all kinds of stuff. It’s sort of like the in-season Friday Tailgate, only without the structure a forthcoming opponent provides. Think of it as the gateway to your weekend.

This Friday I pose to you, fellow Dawg Sporters, a simple question: what letter grade would you assign to Georgia’s 2025-2026 sports season? I don’t mean just in the recently concluded baseball season or the football season that draws so much of our attention. I mean as a collective athletic endeavor, across all sports.

My grade? A solid A. Not an A+, but also not an A-. Here’s how I arrived at that mark:

I don’t think any college football season that ends in an SEC-By God football championship is a bad one, even if it involves an earlier than hoped postseason exit. Basketball likewise made the men’s and women’s tournaments, which is sort of the expectation In Athens from where I sit.

Womens track took home a national title and the men were national runners (pun intended) up. You can’t get much better than that. Gymnastics returned to national prominence with a top six national finish. Golf and tennis were both national title contenders, and obviously baseball had its best outing in over a decade.

Football remains the straw that stirs the drink for this fanbase, and there was certainly some disappointment to bow out of the CFP at the earliest available opportunity for a second season in a row. I don’t think that’s the result Bulldog fans (or Kirby Smart and his staff) would consider their annual goal. And if the ‘Dawgs had made a deeper run or once again hoisted the Dr. Pepper Championship Trophy I would have bumped up that grade. Had the Hoop Hounds made an improbable Sweet Sixteen run I perhaps might also have given the year the highest mark possible.

But for an athletic program whose bogey for many years has been excellence, true national title contention in every sport, you have to say this was a season that met that goal. Unlike in some past seasons I can’t name a high profile UGA sporting team that was just bad this year.

In an era of budget cuts for non-revenue sports and even some SEC schools outright cutting teams, Georgia’s athletic performance this year was dangerously near unparalleled. I don’t always agree with how Josh Brooks and his team have handled the shifting tides of college sports. But they and the Bulldog coaches, staff, and athletes across all sports deserve a hearty pat on the back for this season. It remains great to be a Georgia Bulldog.

Go ‘Dawgs!!!

Few Georgia football players have ever been so legendary and at the same time so lost to the sands of history as Andre “Pulpwood” Smith. The bruising fullback out of Coffee County emerged in the post-Herschel days when Georgia was definitively “Running Back University.” Smith ran with a combination of bruising power and blazing speed that made him seem like the next great UGA backfield star.

That may have never been more evident than when Georgia took on Vanderbilt in 1984.

That electrifying touchdown run was vintage Pulpwood, and it keyed one of the most explosive offensive efforts of the Vince Dooley era in Athens. Dooley’s offenses were never known as point-a-minute affairs.

But on this afternoon in Sanford Stadium they couldn’t stop finding the endzone. Vanderbilt began the 1984 season on a tear, going 4-0 to start the season, including beating Alabama in Tuscaloosa and rising into the AP poll for the first time since 1958. But on an October afternoon they ran into an absolute buzzsaw in Red and Black.

The Athenians would run over, around and through the Commodores, piling up 562 yards of total offense and lighting up the scoreboard to the tune of 62 points, the most they would ever score in Dooley’s 26 seasons as the top ‘Dawg.Interestingly the game was actually tied 21-21 with three minutes to go until halftime. But Georgia put three touchdowns on the board before intermission, then two more in the third quarter, including that Pulpwood jaunt, to put the game out of reach. Unfortunately Pulpwood’s Bulldog career would come to an end just when it looked like it was about to take off.After leading the team in rushing in 1984 with 655 yards (an impressive 6.0 yards per carry) Smith was dismissed from the team for academic reasons. How great he could have been remains one of the biggest unanswered questions in UGA history. Until later…

Go ‘Dawgs!!!

Welcome to the Morning Memory, in which we take a brief stroll down Bulldog memory lane to look back at a special moment from UGA football history.

I think I could make a compelling argument that the 2018 Rose Bowl against Oklahoma was no lower than the third most memorable Georgia football game of the Kirby Smart era, perhaps even the twenty-first century. It was just an evening when all the elements aligned to create pure magic. The scenery was spectacular. The stakes were high. The opponent was formidable. The outcome? Absolutely one for the ages.

And there were certainly a ton of memorable moments in the game. Baker Mayfield’s “It’s over!” exclamation that turned out to be far from the truth. A clutch Rodrigo Blankenship field goal. Nick Chubb and Sony Michel running like Clydesdales. Lorenzo Carter soaring for a critical blocked field goal. And of course Sony rocketing around right end to put the game away in overtime. Again, an instant classic.

But one aspect of that game that bears remembering but seems to have been a bit lost with time? Roquan Smith’s trail of Sooner carnage.

Fresh off winning the Butkus Award as the nation’s top defender the Montezuma Missile bullied Oklahoma ball carriers all night, finishing with a team-leading 11 tackles, including 4 solo stops. It’s no stretch to say that a couple of those arrested Oklahoma’s momentum at times when failing to do so may have been the end for the Bulldogs. The Smart era has produced some of the best linebackers in recent college football history. But there will only ever be one Roquan.

Go ‘Dawgs!!!

My standing rule is that you cannot, under any circumstances, own too many items of Georgia Bulldogs clothing. Especially when that clothing commemorates a special moment in Bulldog history. I believe qualifying for a trip to Omaha for the College World Series is just such a special moment.

Luckily our friends at Breaking T’s have just released a commemorative teeshirt for Georgia’s 2026 College World Series run.

Like all Breaking T’s designs this stylish shirt (or sweatshirt if you’re a winter wear fan) is officially licensed by the University of Georgia and the NCAA. All Breaking T’s clothing is soft, durable and designed and printed in the USA. Plus all items come with free returns and exchanges, allowing you to buy with confidence.

You can pick yours up here at the Breaking T’s site. You can also peruse other Bulldog designs while you’re there.

Until later…

Go ‘Dawgs!!!

This morning we look back at the time Georgia broke Auburn’s cheatin’ little hearts. Again.

The 1994 season will not go down as one of the highlights in the pantheon of Georgia Bulldog football. In many ways it was the epitome of the pre-Mark Richt era at Georgia. The Bulldogs began the season by beating South Carolina and getting waxed by Tennessee. Ray Goff’s Dawgs beat Ole Miss, but then lost a one point game on the road at #11 Alabama.

And that, as they say, is when the ship hit the sand. After beating Clemson the Red and Black found a way to lose at home by two touchdowns to Vanderbilt. Then they went down to Gainesville and. in their only post-WWII appearance in Ben Hill Griffin Stadium, took an absolute shellacking at the hands of the Florida Gators, 52-14.

And so it was a battered, bruised, and rightfully unranked Bulldog team that limped into Jordan-Hare Stadium on November 12, 1994 to take on Terry Bowden’s undefeated and #3 ranked Auburn Tigers.

True to expectation the Tigers jumped out to a 23-9 lead and appeared set to cruise to victory before heading into a top five Iron Bowl showdown with Alabama. Then the strangest thing happened: the Athenians decided to wake up and play ball. Cornerback (and future tailback) Robert Edwards picked off Plainsmen QB Patrick Nix to stall the Tiger offense. Then this happened:

Eric Zeier hit Juan Daniels across the middle for an 80 yard touchdown to pull the Dawgs within a score. Zeier would lead another drive to tie it up 23-23. Auburn still had a chance to pull out the win, but a last ditch field goal attempt fell wide of the uprights with 8 seconds remaining.

So shocking was the result that the Atlanta Journal-Constitution the next day declared “Georgia wins 23-23.” The Bulldogs would end the year by trouncing Georgia Tech 48-10, finishing 6-4-1 on the season and buying the foundering Goff a one year reprieve. Auburn, still on probation from one of their many and varied cheating scandals, was banned from the postseason and ended their ‘94 season with a 21-14 loss in the Iron Bowl.

Go ‘Dawgs!!!

The Diamond Dawgs are set to take on Oklahoma at 7 PM Eastern tonight from Omaha, Nebraska in their second appearance of the 2026 College World Series.

Oklahoma was last seen shutting out the Alabama Crimson Tide behind a tour de force performance from freshman pitcher Cord Rager. Georgia also reached this stage thanks to some masterful pitching from ace Joey Volchko. It will be interesting to see if both teams can similarly hold the other’s powerful lineup free of offensive fireworks. I sort of suspect that we’ll see some runs in this one.

Television coverage and streaming will once again be live on the ESPN family of channels and apps. We will be here through the evening to keep an eye on the game, talk about what’s happening, and wrap it all up when the action is done.

Go ‘Dawgs!!!

The eyes of the college sports world may have been on Omaha this weekend, but the Bulldog track team was busy making history elsewhere.

Powered by record-setting performances from redshirt freshman Adaejah Hodge and senior Dejanea Oakley, the Lady Bulldogs captured their second consecutive NCAA Outdoor Track and Field Championship on Saturday in Eugene, Ore. Georgia’s 50 point total placed the Dawgs well in front of second place finisher Florida (43) and third place Arkansas (38).

The victory gives Georgia back-to-back outdoor national championships after also winning in 2025. The win also off capped off a memorable season that also included the 2026 NCAA indoor championship back in March.

Hodge delivered one of the meet’s most electrifying moments, turning in a 200 meter time of 21.68 seconds to set a new collegiate record. Earlier in the evening, Hodge also finished runner-up in the 100 meters with a time of 10.93 after establishing the collegiate record during the semifinal round.

Oakley won the 400 meters in dominating fashion, turning in a 48.79 lap of the University of Oregon track. That set not only a personal best for the Texas transfer, but also new UGA, NCAA, and NCAA championship records.

On the men’s side, the Bulldogs finished runner-up to Arkansas. Graduate student Kimani Jack won the high jump, and the 4×400 relay team also took home top honors in the 400 meters Dawgs Jonathan Simms and Sidi Njie finished second and third respectively to key a strong showing for the men.

With the victory Director of Track & Field Caryl Smith-Gilbert joins Texas’ Bev Kearney (1998-99) as the only female coaches to win two consecutive women’s outdoor titles. Smith-Gilbert also becomes the first female head coach to win four NCAA outdoor women’s championships (two in Athens, two at Southern Cal).

Even for a program which has produced some dominant performances over the years both individually and in the team ranking, 2026 has to go down as among the most impressive seasons in school history.

Go ‘Dawgs!!!

Your Georgia Bulldogs return to action tonight in Omaha in a loser goes home rematch with the Texas Longhorns.

The Bulldogs couldn’t recover from a sloppy, three run first inning last night and a late rally fizzled as they fell 4–3 to the blazing hot Oklahoma Sooners. Now, West Johnson’s squad looks to put that behind them in a must win losers bracket contest with the ‘Horns.

If you’d told me that two games into the Series the Dawgs would have yet to use a reliever and had given up five total runs I’d have never thought they were in the losers’ side of the ledger. But on the bright side, the Red and Black have a fresh bullpen to deploy. Also, hopefully they won’t repeat last night’s, well, whatever adjective is the opposite of “clutch” performance at the plate. When you go 0 for 12 with runners on base and 0-3 with runners in scoring position you can’t really complain about a loss.

Texas got here by destroying Alabama, 14-2, in Monday’s elimination game, exploding for the most runs by a Texas team in a College World Series game since 1992. The star of the game for the Burnt Orange was Adrian Rodriguez, who hit for the cycle, making him just the third player to do so in CWS history.

The Longhorns scored in only four innings, but each time they plated at least three runs: three in the 1st, four in the 2nd and 6th and three in the 8th.

Georgia has to avoid giving up that kind of offensive explosion if they want to have a shot in this one. First pitch is scheduled for 8 PM Eastern, with television coverage again live on ESPN.

Go ‘Dawgs!!!

Summer is the time for travel, and Bulldogs of all kinds are hitting the roads.

The UGA Women’s Track & Field team was in Eugene, OR the last few days, just wrapping up consecutive Outdoor National Championships (and completing the sweep after taking the Indoors Natty earlier). The Men’s squad finished a respectable 2nd place to champ and powerhouse Arkansas.

You’ve seen the Diamond Dawgs hit up Omaha, and beat down Texas University-Burnt Orange Campus.

Now the pro golfing ’Dawgs are driving the Long Island Expressway on their way to swanky Southampton. Because nestled just inland is a hunk of real estate known as Shinnecock Hills. And if the best golfers in the world are descending on Shinnecock, that means the USGA is ramping up to deliver some carnage.

That carnage is more commonly known as the United States Open, the toughest test in golf. The United States Golf Association who puts on the tournament is infamous for selecting tough courses, then over the span of months setting up the track to be as tough as possible. Tighten fairway landing areas, shave false fronts, lengthen and thicken the rough, and eventually cut the greens slicker than Lane Kiffin at a 5:30 am small town hot yoga class.

And Shinnecock Hills is already a tough test, often ranked as one of the most difficult courses in America (and the world) on a daily basis. Usually called a “links style” course, the land is actually quite arable. Links courses are of course the “link” between fertile, arable land and the beach/salt water. It can’t be farmed, it can’t be fished, so it links the two valuable geographic features and is only good for 18 holes. Shinnecock has more undulation than a links course, and is surrounded by farmland, vineyards, and 8-9 figure real estate parcels. It is wide open, windswept, tons of tall, wide fescue, plenty of bunkering, and looks like a links course. But it is more accurately a B****-slap to anyone who can’t control their golf ball.

And the USGA drools over their appropriation of Shinnecock Hills every few years. The land and daily conditions contribute a perfect canvas that they can tweak, distort, and pervert to their heart’s content. If you doubt, just check out YouTube highlights from the last 3 US Opens held here in 1995, 2004, and 2018. Or you can check out how fan favorite and multiple major winner Phil Mickelson handled a poorly struck putt in such challenging conditions. Phil not accepting responsibility and looking for a short-cut against the rules when things don’t go his way? Perish the thought. Or perish the insider trading. Or the soul sold. Or the unwanted attention given to club staff. Sorry Phil – I know today’s your birthday. And it’s best to sit this out for a while.

World #1 Scottie Scheffler comes to Long Island with his first attempt at the career grand slam, having already captured a couple of green jackets, a Wannamaker, and the 2025 Claret Jug. Brooks Koepka returns to friendly confines for him, but he’s got an upper extremity issue. Rory McIlroy has been mostly quiet since his consecutive Masters, but would love a 7th major.

And there’s a host of former Georgia Bulldogs ready to take this test. Russell Henley, already a winner on Tour this year, comes in with good form. Harris English is not far behind, and was 2nd at the British last year. Brian Harman, Sepp Straka, Chris Kirk, Keith Mitchell, Davis Thompson, and even incoming ‘Dawg Mason Howell will be on site and ready with sharpened #2 pencils.

We’ll be back with tee times and some other stats to get you ready. For now, gird thy loins, and as always…

GO ‘DAWGS!!!

If Georgia wants to last longer in Omaha, it’ll have to now do the job with its backs against the wall.

Despite Caden Aoki being strong over the game’s final eight innings on Monday night in the College World Series, Oklahoma starting pitcher Xander Mercurius was a bit better. The result: A 4-3 win for the Sooners, who took full advantage of a three-run first inning. Georgia, having lost for the first time in nearly a month, now faces Texas on Tuesday night in a loser’s bracket matchup where the winner will have to knock off Oklahoma twice to advance to the best-of-three College World Series Championship Series.

Much like Saturday’s CWS opener against Texas, the first inning saw multiple runs pushed across the plate. This time, however, it was Georgia that was unable to recover after an RBI groundout followed by a two-run homer off of Aoki gave the Sooners a 3-0 lead.

Georgia never got the big inning that it has seemingly become used to in recent weeks thanks to the pitching of Mercurius, who held Georgia to one hit through the first three innings.

The Diamond Dawgs would break through in the fourth on a two-out homer by Kenny Ishikawa.

That was one of three dingers ripped out of Charles Schwab Field by the Bulldogs on Monday night, but if Georgia was sunk by what happened around those homers, as each of them, also by Brannan Hudson in the fifth and Dan Jackson in the eighth came with no runners aboard. That, combined with Oklahoma’s Brendan Brock hitting a solo shot in the fourth, ended up being the difference. The Dawgs were not only 0-12 with runners on base, but 0-for-3 with runners in scoring position.

Georgia tried its best to stage some late-inning magic in the eighth, when Jackson’s homer cut the Sooners lead to 4-3, chasing Mercurius from the game. But after Rylan Lujo singled, the Bulldogs could draw no closer as pinch hitter Jack Acramone popped up before Ishikawa walked and Ryan Wynn flew out to deep right field, ending the threat.

Aoki settled in after the first inning, holding Oklahoma to just one run. Georgia has now used just two pitchers through to games in Omaha. That ability to save the bullpen so far could prove vital if the Diamond Dawgs extend their stay with a few more wins.

Starting Tuesday night, they get that chance.

Go Dawgs!

Your Georgia Bulldogs are once again taking on the Oklahoma Sooners in the College World Series, this time with even more at stake.

The Bulldogs dispatched the Texas Longhorns last night and now need two straight victories over the red hot Sooners to avoid elimination. If they can pull that off, they’ll book a trip to the finals and secure a shot at the school’s first baseball national title in 36 years.

First pitch is at 7:00 p.m. eastern. As has been the case all week the game will be carried live on ESPN, and we’ll be here for all your in-game commenting needs.

Tournament: The 126th United States Open Championship, June 18-21, 2026

Course: Shinnecock Hills Golf Club, par 70, 7,440 yards. In Southampton, Long Island NY.

Purse: $21.5 million in total, $4.3 million to the winner.

Defending Champ: JJ Spaun. The Aztec from SDSU had shown positive signs earlier in the year when he took Rory McIlroy to a playoff at the Players. Solid ball striking, good putting, and staying away from the big number at Oakmont kept Spaun near the lead every day, and even after a 40 on his first 9 holes Sunday. But steady as she goes and watch your fellow competitors wilt, which they did. Spaun was the only player to finish under par for the tourney.

Fun Fact: Shinnecock was one of the 5 founding clubs of the USGA in the 1890’s. It held the second US Open in 1896 at a grand total of 4,432 yards… for 12 total holes. Of course the players were wearing vests and tweed jackets, and hitting leather balls stuffed with feathers.

TV Times: NBC has the rights for USGA events, so get ready for some Dan Hicks. The plus side is we get a lot of Kevin Kisner. Another downside is swapping channels, apps, feeds, etc. because… NBC.
Thursday is 6:30 a.m.-5 p.m. (USA); 5-8 p.m. (NBC Sports Network, Peacock).
Friday is slightly different: 6:30 a.m.-1:30 p.m. (NBC Sports Network, Peacock); 1:30-7:30 p.m. (NBC); 7:30-8:30 p.m. (NBC Sports Network, Peacock).
The weekend is thankfully a little more straightforward and available on common cable channels.
Saturday: 10 a.m.-noon (USA); noon-8 p.m. (NBC), and similarly…
Sunday 9 a.m.-noon (USA); noon-7 p.m. (NBC) **All times Eastern**

‘Dawgs in the Field and Thursday Tee Times (also displayed in Eastern Daylight Time):

Keith Mitchell #10 tee, 7:19 am EDT

Harris English #1 tee, 8:03 am

Sepp Straka #10 tee, 8:03 am

Mason Howell (a) #1 tee, 8:14 am (with Scottie Scheffler and defending champ JJ Spaun)

Brian Harman #10 tee, 8:14 am

Chris Kirk #1 tee, 12:52 pm

Davis Thompson #1 tee, 1:14 pm

Russell Henley #1 tee, 1:36 pm

So now you know when to watch, how to watch, who to root for, and where they’re playing, and what they’re playing for. It’s a very strong field with no overwhelming favourite. Yet storylines abound and I’m sure there will be new ones popping up every day that no one saw coming. Enjoy watching the best players in the world humbled and struggle to shoot even par. And as always…

GO ‘DAWGS

Thanks to what’s become a tried and true formula, the Diamond Dawgs are still alive in the College World Series.

For the third time in as many games in Omaha, Georgia received strong starting pitching. The end result? A gritty 2-0 win in Tuesday’s night’s elimination game against Texas to move on to the bracket final against Oklahoma, where the Dawgs need to beat the Sooners twice in order to advance to the best-of-three championship series.

For the first time in this College World Series, Georgia had to look to its bullpen. That dip into the depth of the pitching staff stood tall, as well. After Dylan Vigue’s four innings of work in which he gave up two Longhorn hits and struck out eight, Justin Byrd entered. To say that there was no dropoff would be an understatement, as he allowed just two hits, fanning four UT batters.

And with a low-scoring game, an anomaly in this era of big offensive numbers, there was little margin for error. Byrd delivered, getting out of a two-aboard jam in the eighth before setting the side down in the ninth to clinch the win.

Offense has not come easy for Georgia the past two games in Omaha, and Tuesday night continued that. Part of that at Charles Schwab Field had to do with Texas starter Luke Harrison, who Georgia’s skipper rightly compared on the TV broadcast to Sandy Koufax. Through the first three innings, Georgia hitters struck out eight times. But the Diamond Dawgs finally broke through in the fifth, when Tre Phelps broke out of his Omaha doldrums to double in Brennan Hudson, who drew a leadoff walk. Georgia would later add a shred of insurance off of Texas reliever Sam Cozart, who had been unflappable all year long. He was at first on Tuesday, entering the game with two outs and the bases loaded in the sixth, striking out Kolby Branch. But Georgia would break through an inning later, getting a single run as Ryan Black barely beat the tag at the plate from a Rylan Lujo sacrifice fly. That score was inexplicably challenged twice, both from the play at the plate and to also review whether or not Black left third early. Both were upheld, as the gutsy call to send the runner home paid largely with an extra run.

Its bullpen mostly untouched, Georgia now has to win twice against Oklahoma. It’s a definite upside that key reliever Matt Scott is yet to be used, and Saturday’s starter Joey Volchko also stands to be a likely option in the next two games, where the goal is to go 2-0.

Go Dawgs!