Morning, y’all!
How do we only have four games left in the regular season?
And the next one up is a doozy.
As good as the Bulldogs have been under Kirby Smart, lately, they’ve stumbled against Ole Miss (I probably don’t have to remind anyone on this mailing list of that).
Let’s talk about Georgia’s upcoming road trip as they head into a hostile environment:
Quintavius Johnson remembers Georgia’s past two losses to Ole Miss, and he has the emotional scars to prove it.
“Just that feeling knowing we fell short after all the work that we put in,” Johnson said of the post-game locker room after the Rebels ended the Bulldogs’ season last year in the College Football Playoff Sugar Bowl quarterfinal. “Even going back to my freshman year, playing in Mississippi, getting the field stormed, it gives us a chip (on our shoulder) as younger guys and people coming up in this program — it gives us a chip.”
The No. 2-ranked Bulldogs have a chance to avenge the Sugar Bowl loss and score what would be Smart’s first head coaching victory in Vaught-Hemingway Stadium at 7:30 p.m. ET on Saturday.
Johnson, who triggered the most pivotal play in Georgia’s 27-8 win over Florida with a strip-sack hit that led to Chris Cole’s 66-yard fumble return for a touchdown, said the defense must once again play as one.
“It’s knowing this defense is a one, 11-man job,” Johnson said. “It’s trusting my teammates to do their job while I do mine.”
Johnson said the fact UGA ranks seventh in the nation with 3.25 sacks per game (26 through eight games) after totaling 20 in 14 games last season reflects assignment football.
“It’s just all rushing as a unit and knowing that we’ve got a job in this rush,” said Johnson, tied for third on the team with three sacks.
Read Mike Griffith’s full story here.
We have so many fantastic photos of that fumble sequence, so I had to share a handful:
Two Georgia defenders earn SEC weekly honors for play vs. Florida
This past Saturday’s rout against Florida was one of Georgia’s finest defensive performances this season.
Georgia forced four turnovers, sacked Florida’s quarterbacks four times, recorded 11 tackles for a loss and held a potent rushing offense to 54 yards on the ground.
On Monday, the SEC released its weekly game honors, recognizing Cole and edge Gabe Harris Jr. for their efforts against the Gators.
Harris earned SEC Defensive Lineman of the Week honors after joining Georgia’s sack party in the fourth quarter. His sack of quarterback Tramell Jones Jr. resulted in a fumble that Florida recovered for a 10-yard loss.
Read Hunter DeLauder’s full story here.
Trivia time
In five meetings, can you guess Georgia’s record against Ole Miss in the Smart era?
BONUS: What’s Georgia record in Oxford in the Smart era?
Y’all know the drill at this point!
Our next DawgNation Invasion will be this Saturday in Oxford, Mississippi, at The Lyric Oxford.
Get your tickets in advance for what’s sure to be another amazing gathering with fellow Bulldogs fans. I know our team is so excited to see y’all there.
Rewatch: highlights and issues that stood out in win vs. Florida
Miller does his job
Much has been made of the Georgia special teams play of late. But while kicker Peyton Woodring and return man Sacovie White-Helton continue to struggle, punter Drew Miller did show improvement in Georgia’s win over Florida.
Most saw Miller draw a critical roughing the punter penalty that led to Georgia’s first touchdown drive. It was a brutal and obvious penalty by Florida.
But while some may have been celebrating the penalty, you may have missed how the play originally ended.
Miller’s punt bounced at the Florida five-yard line and bounced right to London Humphreys. He batted the ball down and pinned it on the one-yard line.
It was the highlight of the game for Miller and Georgia’s punt unit, even if it doesn’t technically show up on the stat sheet. The third-year punter’s other three attempts traveled a combined 149 yards. He did have a 62-yard punt, but it was returned 22 yards.
Field position had been a major issue for the Bulldogs of late. Miller and the Georgia punt unit held up their end of the bargain.
Walker and the backup OLs
Much was made of how running back Bo Walker didn’t log a carry against Auburn. He played only two snaps in the loss against the Tigers.
Smart also reiterated during the team’s bye week that he wanted more depth on the offensive line. Georgia played the same five offensive linemen for every snap against Alabama and Auburn.
So with Georgia leading Florida 10-0 just before halftime, the Bulldogs knocked off two birds with one stone.
On a third-and-goal from the one-yard line, Georgia brought Jah Jackson and Ekene Ogboko into the game. Jackson lined up at right tackle and Ogboko played right guard. Juan Gaston moved to left guard, with Dontrell Glover and Zykie Helton lining up in the backfield as fullbacks.
With the ball snapped, Glover and Helton both went left to try and clear a path for Walker. The second-year Georgia running back was initially stuffed as Glover missed his man, but a second effort from both the Georgia offensive lineman and running back led to a Bulldogs touchdown and a 17-0 lead.
Walker finished the game with 27 yards on eight carries. It wasn’t as explosive of a showing as in Georgia’s win against Alabama, but the Bulldogs didn’t need as much with Nate Frazier looking more like himself.
If Chauncey Bowens is able to return for the Bulldogs, Walker could have a reduced role down the stretch. But he has proven to be a trustworthy option as the Alabama and Florida games have now shown.
Read Connor’s full story here.
Trivia answer
In the Smart era, Georgia is 2-3 against Ole Miss overall and is 0-2 in Oxford
