‘Projected G-Day Game:’ Pretend script of what might have happened

ATHENS — The “Projected G-Day” Game kicked off soon after the “Virtual G-Day” Game finished on Saturday, but this one was not predetermined or real in any form or fashion.

No one could have ever guessed what would happen in a game that was never played at Sanford Stadium with no fans in attendance.

One would imagine (and in fact, did imagine) a game like this would be filled with big plays, broken assignments, and unpredictable moments.

The coronavirus pandemic has limited us to replays or sports fiction, and this is an attempt at the latter.

Kirby Smart didn’t coach either team, and one can only guess what his comments would have been, so that’s what we did.

Matt Luke was coaching the Red Team from the sideline with Todd Monken up in the box in this fictitious matchup. Dan Lanning was coaching the Black Team with Glenn Schumann’s watchful eye above.

First Quarter

The Black Team, made up of the first team defense and second team offense, got on the scoreboard first in this imaginary contest.

Safety Richard LeCounte gave QB Jamie Newman a rude introduction to Sanford Stadium by intercepting Newman’s fourth pass of the game and returning it 66 yards for a touchdown.

Newman and the Red Team had opened the game with a pair of first downs that would have many ready to crown new OC Todd Monken king.

Matt Landers reeled in a 12-yard pass on third-and-8 after a pair of Zamir White runs netted just 2 yards on first and second down.

Jordan Davis wrapped White up for no gain on the first play of the scrimmage, and Malik Herring made the tackle on White’s second carry after 2 yards.

Newman found George Pickens to convert the opening first down of the game, but it came at a cost.

Pickens skied high to make a one-handed catch at the Black Team 48-yard line but paid a price. Cornerback D.J. Daniel hit Pickens high and Lewis Cine went low, knocking UGA’s No. 1 receiver out of the game.

The Georgia Radio Network would have reported Pickens had the wind knocked out of him and could have returned, but he was held out for precautionary reasons.

The Black Team offense didn’t have much more success in the opening quarter.

D’Wan Mathis was also picked off on his first series when Zion Logue tipped a pass at the line of scrimmage that Mathis’ former roommate, Tyrique Stevenson, came down with over Trey Blount.

Demetris Robertson turned in the most explosive play of the quarter on the ensuing series for the Red Team, taking a jet sweep 37 yards.

Robertson, his hamstring no longer an issue, put a move on Nolan Smith in the backfield and raced Eric Stokes down the sideline before the cornerback finally bumped him out of bounds.

That drive stalled at the Black Team’s 33-yard line when Monty Rice put a fumble-inducing hit on John Fitzpatrick after the lanky tight end caught a short pass from Newman over the middle. Mark Webb was tackled after returning the fumble 8 yards, a frustrated Newman putting a helmet-to-helmet hit on him.

Second Quarter

The Black Team extended it’s lead to 14-0 on Carson Beck’s 37-yard touchdown pass to Tommy Bush.

Beck made the throw off play-action, stepping back and lofting a fade over Bush’s right shoulder. Bush, a 6-foot-5 redshirt sophomore coming off sports hernia surgery last season,  had gotten a step on Ameer Speed.

Quarterback Stetson Bennett saw his first action for the Red Team on the ensuing drive.

Bennett’s 24-yard pass to a leaping Landers kept the drive alive after an Azeez Ojulari sack made it third-and-16.

Landers, 6-foot-5 and 210 pounds, out-leaped Stokes on what looked more like a jump ball than a forward pass. Bennett was under pressure from Jermaine Johnson when he lofted the pass up.

Bennett connected on his next two passes  more impressively, delivering a 12-yard strike to Kearis Jackson on a slant route, and then finding James Cook in the flats.  Cook turned that catch into a 21-yard gain down to the Black Team’s 12-yard line, slipping the tackle attempt of Nakobe Dean before Travon Walker chased him down in pursuit.

White carried for 7 yards down to the 5-yard line on first down, following the lead block of Jamaree Salyer.