Tag: Arkansas football news

UGA Football Live with J.C. Shelton: S1, Ep. 1 – It’s game-week!

Your friends at UGA Football Live and UGA Wire present your one stop shop for all things Georgia Football! Listen here!

Your friends at UGA Football Live and UGA Wire present your one stop shop for all things Georgia Football!

We will be releasing episodes and interviews each week during the 2020 college football season, with a little bit of everything sprinkled in between.

Listen here:

In today’s show I talk about:

Bulldogs’ offense

  • Todd Monken, roster breakdown, depth chart possibilities, players to watch and of course UGA quarterbacks.

Bulldogs’ defense

  • Record-breaking 2019, roster breakdown. Can we be as dominant as last season?

Arkansas

  • A preview of the Razorbacks coaches, roster, players to watch and a guy named Bumper Pool.

Dawgs of the week in the NFL

  • What former Bulldogs stood out during NFL week-two action.

Braves update

  • Atlanta clinches the NL East for the third year in-a-row.

Best names in college football

  • I update my list of the coolest sounding names in college football.

Next week’s show will be out Wednesday. You won’t want to miss who I’m interviewing about the Georgia quarterback battle, so make sure and tune in next week!

What Arkansas media is saying about Georgia football ahead of Saturday’s season opener

See what the Arkansas media is saying about Georgia ahead of Saturday’s matchup. Details and analysis here!

It’s finally here. No. 4 Georgia is set to kickoff its 2020 season at Arkansas on Saturday at 4 p.m. on the SEC Network.

UGA coach Kirby Smart matched up against former offensive line coach Sam Pittman, who left the Bulldogs last year to take the head coach position in Fayetteville.

Georgia has not yet named a starting quarterback and Smart hinted to the possibility of UGA keeping that under wraps anyway, but we know that former Florida quarterback Feleipe Franks will be at signal caller for the Razorbacks.

Here is what the Arkansas football media is saying about the Bulldogs:

“Maybe Smart mentioning Mathis last means he’s going to start. Several Georgia media members have speculated Mathis will start Saturday.”

“Georgia’s expected starter Jamie Newman who transferred in as a grad transfer from Wake Forest was generally considered the most likely quarterback, but he opted out of the season. That left USC transfer JT Daniels and D’Wan Mathis as the likely candidates. A reporter speculated to Pittman that Mathis seemed to be the likely starter.

“Georgia did not rack up a bunch of sacks last season either, finishing 46th nationally with 31 total, nor did the Bulldogs did not make a lot of TFL (60th with 76). Given those numbers, the fact that UGA was second nationally in allowing just 2.6 yards per rush without a lot of those negative yardage plays is even more impressive. They also led the nation with only two rushing touchdowns allowed.

The Razorbacks, off consecutive 2-10 seasons, start last year’s true freshman starting guard at center and first-time starting redshirt freshmen guards. They’ll either start a third-year sophomore (injured last season) or last year’s incumbent at right tackle with the lone senior starter at left tackle.

Arkansas has more than a challenge Saturday. Georgia enters with the best defense in the nation and some serious talent on offense, featuring guys like George Pickens, Zamir White, James Cook, etc.

It will be interesting to see how the Bulldogs treat the quarterback position Saturday. Will we see one guy take over the game, or will we see each player get some reps, and who gets the starting nod and why?

Because of the questions surrounding J.T. Daniels’ knee, I suspect D’Wan Mathis will get the start and a majority of the reps, with Daniels and Stetson Bennett seeing a limited number of snaps. We may even see freshman Carson Beck get reps as well.

SEC Network commentators set for UGA at Arkansas

The Georgia Bulldogs will kickoff the college football season against the Arkansas Razorbacks. SEC Network TV commentators are set.

The Georgia Bulldogs will kickoff the college football season (assuming no COVID related cancellation) against the Arkansas Razorbacks this Saturday at 4:00 pm. Kirby Smart and the University of Georgia are traveling to Donald W. Reynolds Razorback Stadium to face Sam Pittman and Arkansas.

Georgia will look to open the season strong. The Bulldogs are predicted to topple Arkansas, but Georgia should expect more fight from this year’s version of the Razorbacks.

The SEC Network commentators for the game are set. Dave Neal will handle the play by play and former Georgia Bulldog quarterback D.J. Shockley will be an analyst alongside Neal. Tera Talmadge will take care of the game’s sideline reporting in what should be a unique environment.

Georgia fans will be glad to hear a former Dawg and SEC Champion on the call against the Razorbacks.

Nov 26, 2005: Atlanta, GA, USA: Georgia Bulldogs quarterback (3) D.J. Shockley talks to his team in the first half against the Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets at Bobby-Dodd Stadium. Photo By Christopher Gooley-USA TODAY Sports Copyright (c) 2005

Anthony Dasher reported the announcers for the UGA-Arkansas game:

Georgia kicks off against a familiar face this Saturday. Former UGA offensive line coach Sam Pittman will hope to bring the Razorbacks back to respectability after an embarrassing 2-10 campaign in 2019.

Jan 18, 2020; Fayetteville, Arkansas, USA; Arkansas Razorbacks introduce new head football coach Sam Pittman during a timeout in the game against the Kentucky Wildcats at Bud Walton Arena. Nelson Chenault-USA TODAY Sports

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UGA set to rock new 1980 National Championship throwback jerseys in season opener at Arkansas

Georgia football has announced that the Bulldogs will wear the new 1980 National Championship throwback uniforms on Sept. 26 at Arkansas.

Yesterday, Georgia unveiled two new uniform combinations for the upcoming season.

One was a twist on the familiar favorite ‘blackout’ jerseys seen below, and the other is a great take on the Bulldogs’s 1980 National Championship uniforms, featuring red pants with white stripes and black numbering up top.

This year marks the 40th anniversary of Georgia’s second title.

The question is now, what games will we get so see the Bulldog’s wear the new threads in?

The 40th anniversary championship uniforms will be worn week-one versus Arkansas, per the Georgia football Twitter account.

With UGA wearing their new threads when they visit Arkansas on Sept. 26, it makes up for the fact that we won’t get to see the Bulldogs in a season opener in Athens for the second year in a row.

I really like Georgia’ new take on this combination. The pants are absolutely gorgeous.

If there was any way I could buy some, you could catch me in the press box on gameday proudly wearing them.

What do you think of the new look?

SEC releases opening week schedule

The SEC has released the 2020 opening week schedule for the upcoming college football season.

The SEC has released the 2020 opening week schedule for the upcoming college football season. The Georgia Bulldogs will open the season against the Arkansas Razorbacks.

The Dawgs’ season opener will be a match up against former Georgia offensive line coach Sam Pittman. Pittman is in his first year as head coach at Arkansas. UGA will travel to Arkansas.

Other interesting week one games include: Kentucky at Auburn, Mississippi State at LSU, and Tennessee at South Carolina.

Opening against Arkansas is an ideal game for Georgia. UGA’s first SEC game of 2020 was initially supposed to be against the Alabama Crimson Tide. Fortunately, UGA dodges a bullet and will open with an Arkansas team who struggled mightily last year.

College Football News ranks SEC head coaches: Where’s Kirby Smart?

College Football News ranked the top SEC head coaches. Where is Georgia football’s Kirby Smart?

Pete Fiutak of College Football News recently released a list ranking the SEC head coaches heading into the 2020 season.

Checking in at No. 3 on the list is Georgia’s Kirby Smart, who trails only Nick Saban (1) and Ed Orgeron (2).

At No. 4 is Dan Mullen and at No. 5 is Gus Malzahn.

As much as I’d love for Smart to be in that No. 2 spot, I do not disagree with Fiutak here.

Smart’s time will come, and within the next five years he may very well occupy that No. 1 spot.

For now, he’s sitting at No. 3 on Fiutak’s list, likely right on the verge of taking over that No. 2 ranking. As long as he keeps winning the SEC East, beating rivals and putting his team in striking distance for the College Football Playoff…he’ll be considered a top-five coach in America.

Orgeron or Smart at No. 2 was likely a somewhat difficult decision. Fiutak went with Coach O since he accomplished something Kirby hasn’t yet, a national championship.

I’ve heard it all – “Anyone could win with that roster.”

Sure, Smart probably would have won it with that roster LSU had last year. But, at the end of the day, he didn’t have that roster. No other way around it.

Also, how can you not love Coach O?

As for Saban, there’s no arguing that one.

Ranking SEC head coaches heading into 2020 CFB season

We ranked all the SEC head coaches, from Georgia football’s Kirby Smart, to Arkansas’ Sam Pittman, to Florida’s Dan Mullen.

The SEC is loaded with head coaching talent as we head into the 2020 college football season.

You have your usuals – Nick Saban, Kirby Smart, Gus Malzahn, Ed Orgeron, etc.

But then you have your familiar, or in some cases not-so-familiar, yet new faces: Lane Kiffin, Mike Leach, Sam Pittman, Eli Drinkwitz.

Ranking the SEC head coaches heading into the 2020 season is as hard as it’s ever been, and that’s because of all these new hirings. But it’s also because Jeremy Pruitt waited until October to start winning games in Tennessee last year. It’s because Ed Orgeron took a loaded roster and won a national title. Because Gus Malzahn and Auburn always have the talent but can’t seem to win the big ones. Or because, despite a 4-8 season, Will Muschamp was able to knock off Kirby Smart and Georgia.

Related: 2020 Georgia schedule with game-by-game score predictions

With all of this taken into consideration, here’s our SEC head coaching power rankings for the 2020 college football season:

14. Sam Pittman, Arkansas

I would have loved to get Pittman into a higher spot on this list, but what is there to go off of? His last head coaching job came in 1992 and 1993 when he led Hutchinson Community College to an 11–9–1 record over two seasons.

I am 100% rooting for Pittman to succeed in his first season as head coach of the Arkansas Razorbacks. It won’t be easy, and this is a team that will likely finish with at least five losses for the first few years, but that’s not necessarily a terrible thing as long as they play hard.

Arkansas may not field the most talented teams in the SEC, but if there’s one thing I’m certain of it’s that the former UGA O-Line coach will make sure his guys fight harder than anybody.

13. Eli Drinkwitz, Missouri

Drinkwitz gets the No. 13 spot because of what he was able to do at App State last year. In his first season as a head coach, he led the Mountaineers to a 12-1 record and a Sun Belt championship.

But that’s not the SEC. It’s going to be a rocky road ahead for Drinkwitz, as Mizzou will definitely not be one of the more talented teams in the league for a few years.

12. Derek Mason, Vanderbilt

I often find myself rooting for Vanderbilt and Mason.

He took over at Vandy when James Franklin left for Penn State, and though it’s been tough at times, you get the feeling that Commodore fans actually look forward to their seasons.

11. Will Muschamp, South Carolina

If Muschamp had not beaten Georgia last year, he maybe would not even be on this list at all.

But he won and that probably saved his job. He coaches up a good defense, but South Carolina will need to crank up its recruiting efforts if it wants to start contending in the SEC East. Another season with no bowl game may put an end to Muschamp’s head coaching career with the Gamecocks.

10. Lane Kiffin, Ole Miss

Kiffin is a good football coach, there’s no denying that. No. 10 is pretty low for an offensive genius like him. But this conference is simply loaded.

Kiffin did a great job at Florida Atlantic, but I still need to see him win consistently at a Power 5 school.

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Georgia football staff loses another key member

The Georgia Bulldogs have lost another staff member to the Arkansas Razorbacks. This time, it’s one of Georgia’s own.

Following the departure of beloved offensive line coach Sam Pittman, now head coach at Arkansas, the Georgia Bulldogs have lost another staff member to the Razorbacks.

This time, it’s one of Georgia’s own.

Fernando Velasco, who played on the Dawgs’ offensive line from 2003 to 2006 and in the NFL from 2008 to 2016, joined his alama mater’s staff in 2016 as player relations coordinator. He was quickly promoted to director of player development, a position he held for the past three years.

He is the fourth staffer to follow Pittman to Fayetteville, joining special teams coordinator Scott Fountain along with strength and conditioning coaches Jamil Walker and Ed Ellis.

According to his twitter, he will maintain his position of director of player development for the Hogs.

Fernando Velasco is a verified Damn Good Dawg and we wish him the best of luck in the future. That is, until he’s recruiting away from his home.

It’s official: Georgia announces hiring of former Ole Miss coach Matt Luke

Georgia football announces hiring of former Ole Miss HC Matt Luke

Well, the rumors are no longer rumors.

Former Ole Miss coach Matt Luke will replace Sam Pittman as Georgia’s offensive line coach, after the former accepted the head coaching job at Arkansas on Sunday.

Coach Kirby Smart and the Bulldogs wasted no time filling the spot Pittman left open and are already back on the trail, hoping to retain all the recruits gained by the Razorbacks’ main man.

This morning, the rumors on Luke to Athens quickly turned into reports, before the Bulldogs officially announced the signing just after 12:00 pm.

Luke will also serve as Georgia’s associate head coach. He coached Ole Miss’ offensive line from 2012 until 2016 and was named interim head coach after the firing of Hugh Freeze. Luke, who played center at Ole Miss in the 90’s, became his alma mater’s permanent head coach after the 2016 season.

Now, Georgia will turn its focus to the Early Signing Day, which is only 8 days away, as well as re-tooling the offensive staff.

Make sure to follow along with UGA Wire for the latest updates on the ongoing changes in Athens.

Details: Sam Pittman’s new Arkansas contract

Former Georgia football OL coach Sam Pittman signs new head coach deal with the Arkansas Razorbacks. See the details of the signing here.

Georgia lost a good one yesterday as offensive line coach Sam Pittman signed a deal with Arkansas to become the Razorbacks’ new head coach.

Pittman, who has played a critical role in beefing up the Georgia offensive line through recruiting and coaching, is getting paid well by the Hogs.

Related: Sam Pittman’s departure is a huge blow for Georgia

Pittman contract is a five-year deal that starts at $3 million annually, per Steve Berkowitz of USA TODAY Sports.

At Georgia, Pittman was valued incredibly high by Kirby Smart, earning $900,000 per year as a position coach.

Berkowitz provided all the info necessary on Pittman’s new contract.

 

 

This is a huge loss for the Bulldogs but is understandable looking at the business perspective of the deal.

We wish coach Pittman and his family nothing but the best as he embarks for Fayetteville next season.

Once a Dawg…always a Dawg.