Georgia learned Wednesday that its home game vs. Alabama on Sept. 27 will kick off at 7:30 p.m.
The night game will undoubtedly be well-received by UGA fans and it shouldn’t be taken for granted.
There has been a minor controversy in the Big Ten lately involving some of its marquee teams’ frustration with many of their biggest games getting relegated to daytime TV slots — including a few weeks ago when Ohio State complained about hosting Texas in a game that will start at noon.
The nighttime setting at Sanford Stadium for UGA-Alabama should help cultivate an incredible environment — maybe even one that rivals what happened for the Tennessee game in 2022 or Notre Dame in 2019.
After all, it’s Alabama’s first visit to UGA during the Kirby Smart era.
It’s exciting to consider and it’ll be here before you know it!
For the rest of the news, check out our coverage below.
Trivia time
When was the last time Georgia played a night game at Auburn?
Happy guessing! Answer at the bottom of the newsletter.
Georgia picks up another brick in the great wall of Georgia
Another day, another commitment for the Georgia football program.
The Bulldogs added a commitment from 3-star offensive lineman Zykie Helton. He is another local product, this time coming from Carrolton.
Helton is the 14th commitment in the class and the third offensive lineman. He is also the second commitment from Carrolton High School, joining 4-star wide receiver Ryan Mosley.
All three of Georgia’s offensive line commitments in this class play for instate power programs. Graham Houston plays for Buford and Zachary Lewis suits up for North Gwinnett.
Those three programs have all sent plenty of players to the next level. As the House settlement changes the way recruiting is done, it’s clear Georgia wants to lean on local talent to build up its recruiting class. Nine of the 14 commitments are from the state of Georgia.
And many of Georgia’s top recruits, including 5-star inside linebacker Tyler Atkinson, have yet to make their decision.
For more on Helton, check out Jeff Sentell’s take on the newest Bulldog.
Mark your calendars for a night game in Sanford Stadium
We learned four more game times for the 2025 schedule on Wednesday.
Georgia’s home finale against Charlotte is set for a 12:45 p.m. ET start on the SEC Network. Georgia’s road game against Mississippi State will start at noon.
The Bulldogs will have a home game against Kentucky that starts at noon. It’ll be interesting to see what the fan turnout for that game ends up being.
Because the week before that game, Georgia will host Alabama at 7:30 p.m. ET. Georgia fans will get a night kickoff in Sanford Stadium against a team that has so often been a thorn in their side.
This will be Alabama’s first trip to Sanford Stadium since 2015, a game Georgia lost 38-10. Smart was on the opposing sideline that day, as he was Alabama’s defensive coordinator.
Georgia and Alabama have met seven times since that whopping. The Crimson Tide are 6-1 in those games, including a 41-34 win last season in Tuscaloosa, Alabama.
After the game, Smart remarked that playing Alabama at home should give Georgia a better chance against the Crimson Tide.
The Sept. 27 game will put that to the test. Even with Texas on the schedule later in the season — a game time for that contest was not announced — the game against Alabama will be the most important on Georgia’s 2025 schedule.
DawgNation’s Connor Riley has more on the updated game times.
Kirby Smart already getting questions about his QB decision
We haven’t yet seen who will be Georgia’s starting quarterback this season. Yet Smart is already coming under scrutiny for how he handled the position.
In an article for ESPN, Adam Rittenberg raised questions about Georgia not taking a quarterback via the transfer portal.
“Georgia’s decision not to add a transfer quarterback will be scrutinized if (Gunner) Stockton struggles, but the team brought in talent at other offensive skill spots, including wide receivers Zachariah Branch (USC) and Noah Thomas (Texas A&M), and running back Josh McCray, who led 10-win Illinois in rushing last fall,” Rittenberg wrote. “The team added to its depth on defense and retained most of its best players other than (Carson) Beck, a surprise portal entry.”
Georgia was loosely linked to Cal transfer Fernando Mendoza, but he ended up at Indiana.
The Bulldogs have elected to ride with Gunner Stockton and Ryan Puglisi at the position. Stockton has waited his turn in the Georgia system and he does have limited starting experience.
It’s hard to draw too much from Stockton’s start against Notre Dame given it was his first career start against a team that would play for a national championship. He had limited first-team reps going into that game.
Either way, Rittenberg’s comments show just how much pressure is on Georgia’s starting quarterback, whether it’s Stockton or Puglisi.
Smart, for what it’s worth, knows that his quarterback situation has been doubted plenty this offseason.
For more on the Georgia quarterback situation entering the 2025 season, check out Riley’s article below.
Photo of the Day
Quote of the Day
Three-star OL Zykie Helton on why he committed to Georgia …
“They’ve been real consistent. They’ve believed in me and they’ve shown me exactly how I fit into their system and their vision.”
Georgia’s game against Auburn got even tougher
Georgia’s game against Auburn was already one of the trickier games on the schedule. The Bulldogs will make the trip to The Plains after back-to-back SEC games against Alabama and Kentucky.
Auburn conversely has the week off before it welcomes Georgia to Jordan-Hare Stadium. Auburn will also get the benefit of playing a night game in front of its home crowd.
While we do not yet know an official game time or TV network for the game, ESPN did announce that the Oct. 11 game will fall somewhere between 6 and 8 p.m. ET.
Georgia has won its last three trips to Auburn in 2019, 2021 and 2023. That last game in Auburn was far from an easy win for the Bulldogs, as they needed every bit of Brock Bowers magic that day.
When Georgia went to Auburn back in 2017, the Bulldogs were thumped by Auburn 40-17.
Winning on the road in the SEC is never easy. Smart will tell you that. Doing so at Auburn at night, one of the best environments in the SEC when things are right, will make that monumental road game all the tougher.
Trivia answer
2012 (Georgia won 38-0)
