Is Nico Iamaleava playing vs. Georgia? The latest on Tennessee QB’s injury

Tennessee Volunteers quarterback Nico Iamaleava is dealing with a concussion. Here are the latest updates ahead of the UGA game

Tennessee Volunteers starting quarterback Nico Iamaleava is questionable to play against the Georgia Bulldogs on Saturday. Iamaleava is a critical piece of Tennessee’s offense.

Iamaleava suffered a concussion and was unable to play in the second half of Tennessee’s 33-14 win over Mississippi State last week. Iamaleava has been in concussion protocol since the Mississippi State game, but he has continued to progress throughout the week. Iamaleava is traveling with Tennessee.

247Sports’ Matt Zenitz reports that that Iamaleava is likely to play against Georgia, but not guaranteed to play. ESPN’s Chris Low reports that Iamaleava will be playing against Georgia.

If Iamaleava can play, then that would be a big boost for the Tennessee offense. Iamaleava has completed 65.2% of his passes for 1,879 yards, 11 touchdowns and four interceptions this season. He also has 64 rushes for 215 yards and one touchdown.

Regardless of Iamaleava’s status, a key thing to watch will be if Tennessee quarterbacks can hit deep plays against the Georgia secondary. The Volunteers had numerous receivers open deep a few weeks against Alabama, but Iamaleava missed them more often than not.

Tennessee’s other quarterback option

Gaston Moore is expected to start for the Tennessee Volunteers if Nico Iamaleava can’t play against Georgia. (Photo by Jacob Kupferman/Getty Images)

Tennessee senior quarterback Gaston Moore is expected to start if Nico Iamaleava is unable to play. Moore has played at Tennessee since 2021, so he has plenty of experience in the Volunteers’ system. However, he has just 42 career passing attempts.

Moore has completed 16 of 25 passes for 201 yards, two touchdowns and two interceptions this season. He completed just five of eight passes for 38 yards against Mississippi State.

Is Trevor Etienne playing today? Injury updates for Georgia RB

Georgia running back Trevor Etienne is dealing with a rib injury. Here are the latest updates.

Georgia Bulldogs running back Trevor Etienne missed the second half of the Florida Gators game due to a painful injury to his ribs. Etienne is Georgia’s leading rusher with 89 carries for 453 yards and seven touchdowns. He is UGA’s top receiving weapon out of the backfield.

Etienne is expected to play on Saturday against the Ole Miss Rebels. However, his status is one to monitor because Etienne’s injury is a pain management issue.

Trevor Etienne injury update

Trevor Etienne is expected to play against Ole Miss with a rib injury. He is not listed on Georgia’s official injury report.

“Etienne, I feel good about,” said Georgia head coach Kirby Smart on Monday. “He felt good yesterday and did some things yesterday with our guys… The big thing is just his ability to sustain and deal with a little bit of pain because he’s going to have some there. But he’s a tough kid, and I think he’ll do well with it.”

Georgia RB depth chart

1. Trevor Etienne

2. Nate Frazier

3. Cash Jones

4. Dwight Phillips

Georgia is already without running backs Branson Robinson and Roderick Robinson for the Ole Miss game. Last week against Florida, Georgia leaned on freshman running back Nate Frazier (19 carries for 82 yards and one touchdown), who was the only Georgia back outside of Etienne to receive a carry (outside of Dwight Phillips’ touchdown rush).

Cash Jones is Georgia’s top receiving back if Etienne can’t play. Jones hauled in three catches for 37 yards and a touchdown against Florida.

Georgia is going to need Cash Jones and Nate Frazier to step up if Etienne is unable to go against Ole Miss, who has one of the top run defenses in the nation. Georgia plays Ole Miss at 3:30 p.m. ET on Saturday, Nov. 9.

Will Tate Ratledge play this week? Injury updates for Georgia OL

Georgia offensive lineman Tate Ratledge is dealing with an ankle injury. Here are the latest updates.

Georgia Bulldogs All-American offensive guard Tate Ratledge has been sidelined for several weeks after suffering an ankle injury in the Kentucky game. Ratledge underwent tightrope surgery on his ankle, but is doing much better now and has a good chance to play against the Florida Gators.

Ratledge was close to being ready to play against the Texas Longhorns and went through pregame warm ups. However, Ratledge was only available as an emergency option against the Longhorns. He had another week to heal on Georgia’s bye week and is trending towards playing against Florida.

Tate Ratledge injury update

Ratledge is listed as probable per the SEC injury report that was released Wednesday night. The talented offensive guard could play less snaps than normal if he is not completely healthy.

“We’re hopeful. We think he’s going to be able to give us something,” said Georgia head coach Kirby Smart earlier this week. “He broke some last week, took some reps, did rehab over the weekend. Hopefully, he’s raring to go. I know he wants to play it’s really important to him.”

How long was Ratledge out?

Ratledge suffered his initial injury on Sept. 14. He has missed over six weeks, which is a similar timeline to former Georgia offensive lineman Amarius Mims, who had a similar injury a year ago.

Offensive line depth chart

Georgia started offensive guard Micah Morris more snaps in Ratledge’s absence. Morris will still rotate in for the offensive line and will play full back. Georgia has also moved offensive lineman Xavier Truss from tackle to guard at times with Ratledge out.

Georgia football schedule: Is Georgia playing today? 

Is Georgia playing today? Here’s a look at the schedule and the games to come. 

Will the Georgia be on the field today in Week 9 of the college football schedule?

Following a 30-15 win over the Texas Longhorns, the Georgia Bulldogs are on a bye week and will return to the field on Nov. 2. Georgia is 6-1 overall and 4-1 in SEC play. The Bulldogs are the No. 2 ranked team in the US LBM Coaches Poll.

Georgia plays the Florida Gators in Jacksonville, Florida, at 3:30 p.m. ET next Saturday. The Georgia-Florida game will be televised on ABC. Georgia is significant favorites against Florida, who is 4-3 this season.

Georgia’s bye week comes at a good time for the Bulldogs. Georgia needs to heal up after a big win over Texas. Additionally, Georgia quarterback Carson Beck and his wide receivers need to get on the same page. Beck has thrown eight interceptions over his past four games, but many of them have not been his fault or have involved a mistake from his receivers.

Georgia 2024 schedule

  • Aug. 31: vs. Clemson (W, 34-3)
  • Sept. 7: vs. Tennessee Tech (W, 48-3)
  • Sept. 14: vs. Kentucky (W, 13-12)
  • Sept. 28: at Alabama (L, 41-34)
  • Oct. 5: vs. Auburn (W, 31-13)
  • Oct.12: vs. Miss. State (W, 41-31)
  • Oct. 19: at Texas (W, 30-15)
  • Oct. 26: Bye week
  • Nov. 2: vs. Florida
  • Record: 6-1

Kirk Herbstreit explains why ‘College GameDay’ isn’t at Georgia-Kentucky

Kirk Herbstreit explains why “College GameDay” will not be at the Georgia-Kentucky game

The matchup between the No. 1 Georgia Bulldogs and Kentucky Wildcats was one of the most-hyped games of the week, so much so that ESPN was projected to head to Kroger Field for its “College GameDay” show.

That isn’t happening, and Kirk Herbstreit addressed why in response to someone on X, formerly known as Twitter.

“Because Kentucky spit the bit last week,” Herbstreit said. “CGD (College GameDay) was a lock for UK if Cats had won last week, and we would have called the game as well. But South Carolina dominating that game, we always adjust to the results from the previous week.”

Kentucky suffered an embarrassing 31-6 loss to the Gamecocks last week.

Now, Herbstreit and the rest of “College GameDay” crew will head to Columbia, South Carolina, for the Gamecocks’ game against the LSU Tigers.

“College GameDay” was last in Lexington in 2007. The show was there when Wildcats played the Bulldogs in Athens in 2021. The Bulldogs won 30-13.

Kentucky’s sputtering offense will take on a Bulldogs team that has allowed six total points in their season.

Joel Klatt has three teams at No. 1 in his Week 2 college football rankings

Joel Klatt released his top 10 with three teams ranked no. 1.

Fox Sports college football expert Joel Klatt released his top 10 college football teams, and he put three teams on top of the list.

His top 10 consists of five SEC schools, three Big Ten teams, and one squad each from the ACC and Big 12, It goes to show that the top competition this year is coming from the SEC and the Big Ten, and both teams that win those conferences will have a significant advantage in the playoffs.

With the 2024 season including an expanded College Football Playoff, there’s a likelihood that all of these teams could make the playoffs, even if they don’t win their division.

Honorable Mentions: Missouri Tigers, Michigan Wolverines, Oregon Ducks, Oklahoma State Cowboys and Oklahoma Sooners

Here are Joel Klatt’s top 10 teams:

No. 10: Utah Utes

Rob Gray-Imagn Images

Record: 2-0, plus-60 point differential

Result: Win vs. Baylor 23-12

No. 9: Penn State Nittany Lions

Matthew O’Haren-Imagn Images

Record: 2-0, plus-29 point differential

Result: Win vs. Bowling Green 34-27

Nittany Lions Wire

No. 8: Alabama Crimson Tide
Will McLelland-USA TODAY Sports

Record: 2-0, plus-89 point differential

Result: Win vs. South Florida 42-16

Crimson Tide Wire

No. 7: USC Trojans

Jonathan Hui-Imagn Images

Record: 2-0, plus-55 point differential

Result: Win vs. Utah State 48-0

Trojans Wire

No. 6: Tennessee Volunteers

Saul Young/News Sentinel / USA TODAY NETWORK

Record: 2-0, plus-107 point differential

Result: Win at No. 24 NC State 51-10

Volunteers Wire

No. 5: Miami Hurricanes

Sam Navarro-Imagn Images

Record: 2-0, plus-71 point differential

Result: Win vs. Florida A&M Rattlers 56-9

No. 4: Ole Miss Rebels

The Clarion-Ledger

Record: 2-0, plus-125 point differential

Result: Win vs. Middle Tennessee State 52-3

No. 1C: Texas Longhorns

Junfu Han/Detroit Free Press / USA TODAY NETWORK

Record: 2-0, plus-61 point differential

Result: Win vs. No. 10 Michigan Wolverines 31-12

Longhorns Wire

No. 1B: Ohio State Buckeyes

Barbara J. Perenic/Columbus Dispatch / USA TODAY NETWORK

Record: 2-0, plus-102 point differential

Result: Win vs. Western Michigan 56-0

Buckeyes Wire

No. 1A: Georgia Bulldogs

Brett Davis-USA TODAY Sports

Record: 2-0, plus-76 point differential

Result: Win vs. Tennessee Tech 48-3

SEC football quarterback rankings following Week 1

Where Georgia Bulldogs quarterback Carson Beck ranks among SEC quarterbacks following his Week 1 performance against Clemson

The first week of college football is finished, and we are looking forward to Week 2. UGA Wire already did its own SEC football power rankings. Now, we rank the quarterbacks for those SEC teams.

Week 1 offered several contrasting matchups. Many SEC teams played weak or Football Championship Subdivision teams. Some played ranked teams. Here’s how every quarterback stacks up statistically ahead of Week 2.

Petre Thomas-USA TODAY Sports

1. Jaxson Dart, Ole Miss (418 yards, 5 TDs, 0 INTs, 272.6 Passer Rating vs. Furman)

Dart lived up to his namesake this week, throwing darts all over the field and leading Ole Miss to a 76-0 win. The Rebels have a relatively easy schedule for a while; their first SEC opponent is Kentucky in Week 5.

2. Payton Thorne, Auburn (322 yards, 4 TDs, 0 INTs, 253.6 Passer Rating vs. Alabama A&M)

Not many people expected to see Payton Thorne here, but he balled out on Saturday. Once again, it was against an FCS team, and Auburn doesn’t get an SEC opponent until Week 4 against Arkansas.

3. Nico Iamaleava, Tennessee (314 yards, 3 TDs, 0 INTs, 208.1 Passer Rating vs. Chattanooga)

Same ordeal as the first two. Iamaleava had an excellent performance against an FCS team. However, the Vols play No. 24 NC State next week, so don’t be shocked if Iamaleava sinks a bit.

4. Blake Shapen, Mississippi State (247 yards, 3 TDs, 0 INTs, 228.2 Passer Rating vs. Eastern Kentucky)

I put Iamaleava over Shapen due to having more passing yards, but Shapen was ultraefficient in his 21 attempts.

5.  Jalen Milroe, Alabama (200 yards, 3 TDs, 0 INTs, 374.5 Passer Rating vs. Western Kentucky)

His insanely high passer rating is due to throwing nine times. It feels crazy putting him this high despite the volume, but he also had two touchdowns running, giving him five total on the day.

6. Diego Pavia, Vanderbilt (190 yards, 2 TDs, 0 INTs, 216.0 Passer Rating at Virginia Tech)

Pavia’s passing stat line looks just OK, but combine that with his 104 yards and 2 touchdowns rushing, and you see how Vanderbilt was able to look like an actual SEC team for once.

7. Taylen Green, Arkansas (229 yards, 2 TDs, 0 INTs, 181.9 Passer Rating vs. Arkansas Pine Bluff)

Taylen Green goes above Ewers because of his 88 yards and 2 touchdowns rushing.

8. Quinn Ewers, Texas (260 yards, 3 TDs, 1 INTs, 184.2 Passer Rating vs. Colorado State)

9. Carson Beck, Georgia (278 yards, 2 TDs, 0 INTs, 160.5 Passer Rating vs. No. 14 Clemson)

It speaks to how dominant Georgia was that Carson Beck wasn’t jaw-dropping and still orchestrated an efficient performance in a 31-point blowout.

10. Brock Vandagriff, Kentucky (169 yards, 3 TDs, 1 INTs, 189.4 Passer Rating vs. Southern Miss)

If not for the game being cut short due to lightning, Vandagriff would be higher on this list. He was on pace to pass for 225 yards and four TDs.

11. Jackson Arnold, Oklahoma (141 yards, 4 TDs, 0 INTs, 168.2 Passer Rating vs. Temple)

Arnold had four touchdowns but only throwing for 141 yards on 25 attempts dings him a bit. He had a ton of short fields to work with as his defense forced six turnovers.

12. Garrett Nussmeier, LSU (304 yards, 2 TDs, 1 INT, 155.6 Passer Rating vs. No. 23 USC)

Nussmeier’s debut as LSU’s signal-caller was mixed. He didn’t do enough to lose the game, but certainly not enough to win either. It was evident as they lost to USC on a last-second rushing score.

13. Brady Cook, Missouri (218 yards, 1 TD, 0 INT, 135.4 Passer Rating vs. Murray State)

Brady Cook had a mediocre day against Murray State, but he isn’t the biggest reason Missouri is No. 11.

14. LaNorris Sellers, South Carolina (114 yards, 0 TDs, 0 INTs, 85.1 Passer Rating vs. Ole Dominion)

Now we get to quarterbacks who were actively bad. It’s rare a team barely wins against an FCS team, but South Carolina did just that against Old Dominion, and it was mostly thanks to Sellers playing terribly.

15. Graham Mertz, Florida (91 yards, 0 TDs, 1 INT, 83.2 Passer Rating vs. No. 19 Miami)

Mertz had an awful day. He had this stat line and he even suffered a concussion. Florida’s season is on life support, especially if he misses time or keeps playing terribly.

16. Conner Weigman, Texas A&M (100 yards, 0 TDs, 2 INTs, 54.7 Passer Rating vs. No. 7 Notre Dame)

Weigman’s stat line seems almost unfathomable, but what might be more unbelievable is that despite his awfulness, Texas A&M still had a chance to win late against Notre Dame. A truly terrible performance, and if he can’t rebound, Texas A&M is in trouble.

Clemson vs. Georgia: Statistical Breakdown

Breaking down Georgia’s statistical dominance against Clemson

The No. 1 Georgia Bulldogs lived up to the ranking against the No. 14 Clemson Tigers, bludgeoning them 34-3 in Mercedes-Benz Stadium in Atlanta, Georgia. The over/under was at 49 points and Georgia was favored by at least 11 according to the spread, and they accomplished that goal today. Here’s a look at the statistics from each team.

Statistical Breakdown

Total Yards:

Clemson: 188 yards (402.7 YPG last year, 77th in FCS)

Georgia: 447 yards (496.5 YPG last year, 6th in FCS)

Simply put, Clemson simply couldn’t move the ball against Georgia’s defense today. Their longest drive of the whole game was only 66 yards, which was Clemson’s only scoring drive. That was also helped by a 15-yard roughing the passer call. Even though the game was within one score for the entire first half, Clemson mustered just 71 yards of offense. The only drives that went beyond 50 yards were the field-goal drive and a drive that ended with a turnover on downs late in the fourth quarter.

Meanwhile, Georgia’s offense looked better than the scoresheet says at the first half. They racked up 133 yards, but only got six points at the half because they had to punt twice on Clemson’s side of the field. In the second half, the points and yards aligned more, as Georgia gained over 50 yards and scored a touchdown on every single drive except for one punt.

Rushing Statistics:

Clemson: 23 attempts, 46 yards, 0 touchdowns, 2.0 YPC

Georgia: 27 attempts, 169 yards, 2 touchdowns, 6.3 YPC

If you wanted to look at one offensive statistic to see how dominant Georgia was, look no further than rushing yardage. Clemson running backs were only held to 2.0 yards per carry. This is only their third time in the last three seasons where their ever had 2.0 or less yards per carry. It’s made even more baffling that their leading rusher, Phil Mafah, rushed for 59 yards on 16 carries. This is because quarterback Cade Klubnik ran for -17 yards on four carries, which says more about Georgia’s pass rush than their run defense.

Georgia’s rushing offense, on the other hand, was arguably the catalyst of their offense. It didn’t start off well, with Georgia running backs only mustering up 3 yards before the last drive of the first half. But it really took off in the second half behind true freshman Nate Frazier, which helped Georgia keep possession for long stretches of time and forced Clemson to pass more often later in the game.

Passing Statistics:

Cade Klubnik: 18-29, 142 yards, 0 touchdowns, 1 interception, 96.3 passer rating (college) 4.9 YPA

Carson Beck: 23-33, 278 yards, 2 touchdowns, 0 interceptions, 160.7 passer rating, 8.4 YPA

Klubnik once again disappointed in a season opener. His yards per completion was just 7.89 in a game where most quarterbacks have over 10 yards per completion. Some of that had to do with the play calling, but 4.9 yards per attempt is unimpressive and that’s with padding his stats in garbage time, as 50 of his yards were when Clemson was down by at least three scores. By the end, he essentially had to will his team to the end zone (since his running game didn’t help him) and he couldn’t do it. Outside of two impressive throws, he was a non-factor in this game.

Carson Beck, on the other hand, was solid. He had 8.4 yards per attempt, was above average, but still lower than last year’s YPA of 9.95. His passer rating of 160.7 is 17% over the league average too, but somehow lower than his passer rating was last year, at 167.9. Regardless, he played within the system all game and didn’t make any turnovers.

Penalties

Clemson: 3 penalties, 15 yards

Georgia: 7 penalties, 70 yards

One negative note for Georgia is they had way too many penalties in this one. They only averaged about 4 penalties a game last year, but this game was a little undisciplined for them. This number is bloated by two 15-yard penalties. One was an offensive pass-interference that essentially ended their drive before the first half ended, and another that was a roughing the passer penalty that helped set up Clemson to score their only points of the day.

It doesn’t scream a lack of discipline just yet, but it was something to monitor in this game. Georgia will need to make sure they decrease their penalties against better opponents like Alabama in close games. Then again, with the showing they displayed on both sides of the ball, they may not be in many close games this season.

Nike releases Georgia Air Zoom Pegasus 41 sneakers, how to buy the new shoes

The new 2024 Nike Air Pegasus NCAA Collection has dropped. Get your UGA shoes before they sell out.

College football is back in Athens.

Georgia is ranked No. 1 to start the fall and kicks off its season this weekend against Clemson.

To celebrate the start of the college football season, Nike has released their Air Zoom Pegasus 41 NCAA Collection, and the shoes are everything we want and more.

Nike Georgia Bulldogs Air Zoom Pegasus 41 sneakers
Nike 2024 Georgia Air Zoom Pegasus 41 (Fanatics)

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These Nike Air Pegasus sneakers are unisex and you can see a size chart for both men and women here. Most importantly, they are officially on sale now, and they can be yours for just $149.99.

Nike Georgia Bulldogs Air Zoom Pegasus 41 sneakers
Nike 2024 Georgia Air Zoom Pegasus 41 (Fanatics)

Gear up for the 2024 college football season with the new Georgia 2024 Nike Air Pegasus sneakers.

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We occasionally recommend interesting products and services. If you make a purchase by clicking one of the links, we may earn an affiliate fee. UGA Wire operates independently, though, and this doesn’t influence our coverage.

Former Georgia Bulldog George Pickens predicted to make Pro Bowl

NFL expert predicts that former Georgia Bulldogs star receiver could lead the NFL in targets

Former Georgia Bulldog George Pickens has been one of the most electric players since being drafted to the Pittsburgh Steelers in 2022. However, he has yet to make a Pro Bowl. Steelers and UGA fans are looking for him to achieve that this year, and NFL analyst Kevin Patra thinks he can break through to make his first one in 2024.

“Last season, Pickens collected 1,140 yards alongside Dionte Johnson. With Johnson in Carolina, Pickens is now the clear-cut No. 1 option in Pittsburgh.”

“There are also huge questions behind him in the pecking order, meaning Pickens should see a plethora of targets that will allow him to stockpile stats. The 23-year-old boasts the talent on the outside to win one-on-ones.”

“While used mostly as a boundary field-stretcher, Pickens can feast on all three levels, and I expect new offensive coordinator Arthur Smith to use Pickens more liberally all over the field than the previous staff did. Barring an addition to the WR corps, Pickens is in a position to potentially lead the NFL in targets in 2024.”

That’s not to mention that Pickens also led the league in yards per reception with 18.1. He also got 1,140 yards on 63 receptions with the Steelers ranking in the bottom five in passing attempts and bottom ten in passing yards. With two new quarterbacks, a new offensive coordinator, and (as mentioned) not as much competition, Pickens could break out into a truly elite receiver.

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He could be getting some competition soon, however, with the Steelers linked to former Pro Bowl wide receiver Brandon Aiyuk from the 49ers. Regardless of the Aiyuk situation, Steelers fans and Georgia fans should be excited to see him make highlight catches again this season.