Morning, y’all!
It’s officially October, and just like I do every year, I am falling hook, line and sinker for “fake fall.” You know, those couple weeks in early fall where the weather gets a little chilly and we all go “Yesss, no more blazing heat!” … And then a week later, it’s 90 degrees again.
So this year I’m trying to keep myself in check (and failing).
One thing’s for sure, though, I’m hoping we can avoid the rain for this Saturday’s homecoming game against Vanderbilt.
Another thing on my mind this week is the outpouring of praise for linebacker Chris Cole and the stellar plays he made in Georgia’s win against Oklahoma. It’s all 100% justified.
We already knew Cole is an excellent player for Georgia’s defense, but performances like that make you wonder what heights he could reach this season:
College football media blown away by viral Cole plays
Texas defensive end Colin Simmons had an all-time game this past weekend against Tennessee.
He finished the game with 5.5 sacks as he powered the Longhorns to a 20-17 road win over the Volunteers.
Yet it wasn’t enough to take home the conference’s defensive player of the week honors. Simmons did have a mind-boggling penalty that extended a Tennessee drive that likely played a part in him not taking home the award.
But that shouldn’t discount what Cole did this past weekend. Because as great as Simmons was for Texas, Cole drew rave reviews for his play from all over the college football media space.
His most noteworthy highlight came when he scooped up a John Mateer fumble and ran it back 85 yards for a touchdown.
Cole was reportedly clocked at going over 22 mph on the score. With his long strides, it’s easy to see why he wasn’t getting caught.
Yet the scoop-and-score isn’t the lone viral play the Georgia linebacker had Saturday. Another clip from the second half of the 41-13 win has gone viral, with Cole coming all the way across the field to take down the Oklahoma quarterback.
Read Connor Riley’s full story here.
Blazing TD run wasn’t only big play RB Phillips made vs. OU
Dwight “Peanut” Phillips Jr. is known as the fastest player on Georgia’s roster. Oklahoma learned that the hard way Saturday.
The third-year running back put the exclamation point on Georgia’s win with a 54-yard touchdown run in the fourth quarter.
Phillips breezed past a trio of Oklahoma defenders for what was the longest run of his Georgia career.
“It felt crazy. My teammates blocked it up very good, and it was just time for me to make a play,” Phillips said. “I’ve never been caught from behind before, so I was just running.”
As good a play that was, it was not his favorite of the day. Phillips actually preferred his fourth-quarter tackle on special teams more. A former youth football linebacker, Phillips relished the opportunity to dole out some punishment — instead of taking it.
“It felt good. As a gunner, I’ve been wanting to tackle, too. Just ran down there, Landon (Roldan) took a shot, and I was ready to just wrap him up and get him to the ground,” Phillips said. “When I was little, in youth football, I used to play linebacker. I used to be real physical, so that tackle meant a lot to me.”
Georgia coach Kirby Smart also favored the tackle and said there were similar times when Phillips was not making those kinds of plays. He took that to heart and improved his overall skills as a special teams player.
“He got opportunities in the past on special teams that he wasn’t maybe ready for, or he didn’t capitalize on it. It bothered him, and he worked really hard,” Smart said Monday. “He’s taken thousands of reps to get that one rep that he covers down there and makes a tackle on the best punt returner probably in the country, or maybe in the conference, and he makes a big play.”
Phillips finished with a team-high eight carries for 84 yards, a touchdown and one confidence-boosting tackle.
Read Hunter DeLauder’s full story here.
Trivia time
What is Georgia quarterback Gunner Stockton’s record as a starter?
AJC Varsity Crown: The Next Level
Join AJC Varsity on Oct. 13 at StillFire Brewery in Smyrna for coaching, toasting and celebrating the official kickoff of the inaugural year of AJC Varsity Crown.
Hear from industry experts (including DawgNation’s Brandon Adams, Jeff Sentell and Kaylee Mansell) during an engaging and timely discussion on college recruiting and the evolving path to the next level. Whether you’re a parent, coach, athletic director, student-athlete or passionate sports fan, you’ll gain valuable insights into the opportunities, trends, and challenges shaping high school athletics today.
Clark Lea: ‘Spotlight’ on Jared Curtis, Vanderbilt focused on beating Georgia
Vanderbilt coach Clark Lea knows where much of the attention will be when his team comes into Sanford Stadium to play Georgia.
Jared Curtis is the Commodores’ quarterback, and every defensive game plan starts with stopping the player at that position.
But when Vanderbilt and the No. 2-ranked Bulldogs kick off at 12:45 p.m. Saturday, there are some who will have personal feelings attached after Curtis turned his back on his commitment to be Georgia’s quarterback of the future the day before the 2026 signing day.
Lea, who has beaten out Smart for SEC Coach of the Year each of the past two years the Bulldogs have won the SEC championship game, understands the circumstance.
“Anytime you’re talking about relationships in addition to just what is a normal SEC Saturday, I mean, emotions run high in general,” Lea said at his Tuesday news conference. “I don’t know that Jared’s focus is anywhere other than just on his own progress.”
Curtis is 63-of-98 passing (64.3%) for 746 yards with four touchdowns and three interceptions, and he’s second among Vanderbilt in rushing with 41 carries for 133 yards, even though yardage from his seven sacks has been subtracted from his rushing total.
Lea said the Commodores understand how Georgia will come after Curtis, comparing it to the Auburn defense they just faced on the road in a 21-15 loss on Saturday.
“What Jared has shown is if you can separate the (pass) rush he’s going to find an escape lane, and he can run the ball, and he can make the tough runs in the moment when we need the tough runs,” Lea said. “All of that will be set in motion by our performance up front … they strengthened as the game went on Saturday (at Auburn).
“Georgia poses a similar challenge in terms of the way they collapse the pocket and the way they get after the quarterback and the way they pressure, so my hope is we take the experience and growth we had in the Auburn game and apply it in Athens.”
Read Mike Griffith’s full story here.
Trivia answer
16-3
