The big Georgia news over the weekend involved a couple of Bulldogs players getting arrested after what was alleged to have been shoplifting. We’ll have some thoughts later this morning on DawgNation Daily on that topic, but would it be okay if I wrote about something different here?
I’m guessing you’ll say yes.
I’ve been proud to see another year in which UGA players are bringing home national awards. A few days ago Brett Thorson won the Ray Guy Award as the nation’s top punter, and this weekend, Beau Gardner won the Patrick Mannelly Award, which is given to the top long snapper.
These awards demonstrate a true commitment to something Kirby Smart often speaks about -- a desire to field a dominant special teams unit. However, there’s more to this story than just that.
Georgia’s success since Smart became coach can be quantified in a lot of ways. One of those ways that perhaps doesn’t always get enough attention is how many award winners the program produces.
UGA players say repeatedly that they’re not interested in individual accolades, but to be recognized as the best at your position is a big deal, and it should be treated as such.
Those honors have become commonplace during this era for Georgia, which probably helps explain why they’ve won so much.
Check out the rest of our coverage below.
Trivia time
Which Georgia football player was named the SEC Freshman of the Year in 1998?
Answer is at the bottom of the newsletter.
Earnest Greene III’s inspiring family story
When Earnest Greene III walked off the field against Texas, he didn’t head to the victorious Georgia locker room. He veered to his left and touched grass. Greene hit his knees at a special spot.
Greene said a prayer of hope for his father and family. The Greenes are in need of all the prayers right now that a passionate Georgia football fan base can muster up.
His parents have been fixtures in Sanford Stadium the last four years. Earnest Greene Jr. is a mountain of a man. The former NFL offensive lineman is quick to flash a hearty smile and freely share a mountain-sized personality, too.
“Big Earnest” was rushed to an Athens-area hospital on the Friday before the Texas games. He suffered what was believed at the time to be a stroke.
That meant the Greenes weren’t in their normal gameday spot for the Texas game. They are hard to miss. It was like somebody moved UGA’s doghouse that day.
Their son prayed after that Texas win right below where his parents always sit in that far West End Zone.
It was the first time Greene played in Sanford without his parents to cheer him on.
Heisman balloting results
1) Fernando Mendoza, Indiana quarterback: 2,362 votes (634 1st place)
2) Diego Pavia, Vanderbilt quarterback: 1,435 (189)
3) Jeremiyah Love, Notre Dame running back: 719 (46)
4) Julian Sayin, Ohio State quarterback: 432 (8)
5) Jacob Rodriguez, Texas Tech linebacker: 295 (17)
6) Jeremiah Smith, Ohio State wide receiver: 84 (4)
7) Gunner Stockton, Georgia quarterback: 43 (3)
8) Trinidad Chambliss, Ole Miss quarterback: 23 (2)
9) Caleb Downs, Ohio State safety: 22 (2)
10) Haynes King, Georgia Tech quarterback: 18 (2)
Thorson wins Ray Guy Award as nation’s best punter
Thorson has been a major weapon during his time in Athens.
The senior punter was awarded the Ray Guy Award, which goes to the nation’s top punter.
Thorson becomes Georgia’s second Ray Guy Award winner, joining Drew Butler. He won the award back in 2009.
Troy’s Evan Crenshaw and Baylor’s Palmer Williams were the other finalists for the award.
Thorson averaged 45.2 yards per punt this season on 42 attempts. His longest traveled 62 yards, with 22 being fair caught and 21 landing inside the 20-yard line. Just four of Thorson’s punts this season have been returned, leading to just 15 total return yards.
Thorson had a standout showing in the SEC championship win over Alabama, where five of his seven punts were downed inside the 20-yard line. His longest punt in the 28-7 win went for 59 yards.
Thorson did all of that this season after missing the first game of the season. He was still recovering from knee surgery following an injury in the 2024 SEC Championship Game. Thorson statistically had an even better 2024 season, when he averaged 47.6 yards per punt.
Photo of the day
Quote of the day
Benjamin Watson on DawgNation’s “On the Beat” podcast about Georgia:
“The biggest thing, I think, is that this team is starting to peak, it seems, at the right time, minus the Georgia Tech game … although it wasn’t all bad in that game either … . but the preparation that the coaches have designed for them will continue over the next couple of weeks.”
Gardner wins national award
Gardner is doing his best work when no one takes notice of his long-snapping performances, but on Saturday he received the right kind of attention.
Gardner won the Patrick Mannelly Award, which goes to the best long-snapper in the FBS collegiate football ranks.
The SEC coaches voted Gardner as one of only two first-team selections from the Bulldogs, who won their second-consecutive SEC championship last weekend, beating Alabama 28-7.
Garder, a UCLA graduate transfer, snapped on 65 of UGA’s 66 field goal/PAT attempts this season, along with all of the Bulldogs’ 48 punts.
Thorson won the Ray Guy Award as the nation’s best punter, while kicker Peyton Woodring made 15 of 16 field goal attempts — including all three he attempts from beyond 50 yards — and went 50 for 50 on PAT attempts.
Trivia answer
Quincy Carter
