Tag: auburn georgia

Georgia football injury report for Week 2 matchup vs Auburn

Full injury report for the Georgia Bulldogs heading into its Week 2 home opener against the Auburn Tigers.

We’re just hours away from teeing it up in between the hedges for the 125th edition of the Deep South’s Oldest Rivalry.

No. 7 Auburn (1-0, 1-0) will take on No. 4 Georgia (1-0, 1-0) in Athens at 7:30 EDT on ESPN.

Georgia has dominated the rivalry as of late, winning six of the last seven matchups against the Tigers.  Auburn has not won a game in Athens since 2005 and hopefully the Dawgs keep it that way tonight.

Here is the full report of Georgia’s injuries heading into game number two:

PROBABLE: OL BEN CLEVELAND

Cleveland has been a bit banged up during preseason which is why he’s on the list.  He started against Arkansas and is expected to start against Auburn.

PROBABLE: WR KEARIS JACKSON

Jackson has been nursing a minor hip injury for most of the preseason.  He led Georgia in receptions last week at Arkansas with six catches for 62 yards. Jackson also tacked on 34 yards returning punts.  Expect Jackson to make the start against Auburn and be utilized well in the receiving game.

PROBABLE: ILB RIAN DAVIS

Davis has been nursing knee and shoulder injuries since arriving in Athens last year.  UGA has six inside linebackers with defined roles in Monty Rice, Nakobe Dean, Quay Walker, Channing Tindall, Trezmen Marshall (special teams), and Nate McBride (special teams). Davis made the trip to Arkansas last week and is expected to be used heavily on special teams.

QUESTIONABLE: TE RYLAND GOEDE

Goede suffered an ACL tear during his senior year of high school and has battled numerous other injuries since healing. Goede didn’t travel to Arkansas last week but thankfully the Dawgs are deep at the tight end position.  Georgia could get Tre’ McKitty back this week and have John FitzPatrick, Darnell Washington and Brett Seither ready to go.

QUESTIONABLE: WR TOMMY BUSH

Wide receiver Tommy Bush is dealing with an unknown injury that has forced him to miss a good chunk of the preseason.  Bush is a very talented receiver that can’t seem to catch a break with injuries.  He was sidelined for the majority of last season dealing with a sports hernia.  Bush is listed as questionable against Auburn.

QUESTIONABLE: OL CLAY WEBB

Webb did not travel with the team to Arkansas due to an ankle injury. Justin Shaffer and Ben Cleveland got the start last week at the guard positions. Warren Ericson and Trey Hill rotated with them last week but the Dawgs are hoping to get some more reinforcements after losing three offensive linemen to the NFL this offseason.

QUESTIONABLE: QB JT DANIELS

Kirby Smart announced on Monday that USC transfer quarterback J.T. Daniels has been cleared for contact following the recovery of an ACL injury he suffered with the Trojans last year.  Many expect Daniels to make the start while others think it will be Stetson Bennett under center.  Smart has not announced his decision yet but we will find out very soon.

QUESTIONABLE: TE TRE’ MCKITTY

Florida State tight end transfer Tre’ McKitty left the field this preseason with a minor knee injury.  McKitty underwent an arthroscopic knee scoping and is expected to be back very soon.  Redshirt sophomore John FitzPatrick and  freshman Darnell Washington have been filling in on the first-team reps since McKitty’s injury.  McKitty is expected to have a huge year with the Bulldogs and could be seen this week against Auburn.

OUT: WR DOMINICK BLAYLOCK

Wide receiver Dominick Blaylock went down with an ACL tear during preseason camp.  Blaylock injured the same knee he hurt in the 2019 SEC Championship game against LSU. The sophomore was just getting back to full health when he devastatingly injured it again.  This is a huge hit to the Bulldogs pass game for 2020.

OUT: CB KELEE RINGO

The No. 1 cornerback in the 2020 recruiting class Kelee Ringo underwent surgery to repair a torn labrum before preseason camp.  The injury will force him to miss all of 2020, a tough loss for the bulldogs.  Georgia luckily has lots of depth at the position and will be alright defending the pass game without him.

Interview: Aaron Murray says what Georgia should do at quarterback ahead of Auburn

We sat down with former Georgia quarterback Aaron Murray to get his thoughts on Georgia’s unique quarterback situation. Details here

No 4. Georgia is still looking for its starting quarterback ahead of Saturday night’s matchup with No. 7 Auburn.

Redshirt freshman D’Wan Mathis started the game last week versus Arkansas, but was abruptly pulled for junior Stetson Bennett after just five offensive drives.

Mathis, who was cleared for football activities in May after surgery to remove a brain cyst kept him out in 2019, didn’t get much help from his teammates in the short time he was under center versus the Razorbacks.

Preseason second-team All-SEC center Trey Hill surprised with multiple bad snaps, plus the Bulldogs totaled 11 penalties for 98 yards in the first half.

Former Georgia quarterback, now CBS Sports college football analyst Aaron Murray believes Mathis was fighting from behind even before the first snap.

“To be able to master a playbook, and then to get the timing down with your receivers and running backs and the communication with your offensive line. It takes a lot of time. I don’t think he has had a lot of time to do that. So, I think expectations were high, but obviously it comes with the position here be a starting quarterback and Georgia. People expect a certain level of play. I just think those expectations were unrealistic.”

Georgia was forced to scramble to find a signal-caller just a few weeks before the season after Wake Forest transfer quarterback Jamie Newman, the projected starter and Heisman Trophy hopeful, decided to opt-out of the 2020 football season because of Covid-19 related concerns.

The Bulldogs’ decision then was between Mathis, Bennett and redshirt sophomore, USC transfer J.T. Daniels, the only current Georgia quarterback with Power 5 experience.

Georgia coach Kirby Smart expected Daniels to be cleared by gametime last week, but after traveling with the team to Fayetteville, Daniels was still not cleared for gameplay, throwing Mathis into the starting role at-least for week-one.

“The cards were stacked against him (Mathis). He hasn’t played football in a while, didn’t have spring, wasn’t a starter and really had limited reps in the offense or in fall camp. So to me, hen is someone that I wish they would have given at least the first half, get through the first quarter, you know, make a couple of mistakes, and then see how he rebounds, especially mentally and how he can handle it and then go from there.”

Smart announced on Monday that Daniels is now cleared for gameplay and Murray believes his experience at USC in 2018 can set him apart from Mathis and Bennett moving forward.

“He (Daniels) was an 18 year old kid playing college football at USC, and I thought he did pretty good for being a young pup playing out there. Start the season off strong through the first half of last season in that first game. And then obviously, the ACL injury happened. He is a big kid, he has a good arm, he’s played football.”

Bennett, a former JUCO star at Jones County Junior College in Ellisville, Mississippi, came in for Mathis and showed promise, throwing for 211 yards on 20/29 passing with two touchdowns and a two point conversion run.

“I do think Stetson came in and played really well. I mean, it’s another guy who probably had absolutely no opportunity with the ones at all during fall camp to get the reps and get the timing with those guys. So, the fact that he was able to go 20/29, get a couple touchdowns take care of the football was was really darn impressive to watch. And I think he’s someone that’s going to take care of the football, he’s going to be accurate, he’s played, he just looked like he was more comfortable out there”

The defense’s three interceptions, one for a pick-six, and safety were a large part of the Bulldogs’ resurgence from a abismal first half, but Bennett’s poise helped Georgia find at least some identity in its season opener.

This weeks matchup with No. 7 Auburn will be much more difficult for the Bulldogs. The Tigers come to Athens off of a 29-13 win versus Kentucky where sophomore quarterback Bo Nix threw for 233 yards on 16/27 passing with three touchdowns and led team in rushing with five carries for 34 yards.

Auburn’s defense is as talented as always. The Tigers defensive front is led by defensive end Big Kat Bryant and at linebacker, senior K.J. Britt, who had 11 tackles versus Kentucky and is always around the ball. And in the secondary, the Tigers are lead by junior cornerback Roger McCreary, one of the best lock-down corners in the SEC.

The question remaining is,  how does Georgia come away with a win versus a top-10 Auburn team without a solidified starter at quarterback?

“Just lean on the defense, that’s all I got to say. People just want points, points, points. We want 4,050 points a game. Screw that man, just win. I just think that’s the issue right now – everyone wants these these explosive offenses. Everyone wants to go be entertained with high scoring games, just just be grateful that you’re winning ballgames. Be grateful that we won a road game against an SEC opponent, and we covered the spread.”

Listen to our full interview, including an Auburn preview, with the SEC’s all-time leading passer here:

 

 

ESPN College GameDay crew picks winner of Georgia vs Auburn

ESPN’s College Gameday is in the Classic City today to preview the biggest college football matchup of the week. Who did the crew pick?

It’s a beautiful day in Athens DawgNation!

ESPN’s College Gameday is in the Classic City today to preview the biggest college football matchup of the week – No. 4 Georgia versus No. 7 Auburn.

The crew is joined by special guest picker, actor Omari Hardwick, a former UGA cornerback in 1995, who spent time in the NFL before moving to film.

Here are the picks:

Desmond Howard – Auburn

David Pollack – Georgia

Omari Hardwick – Georgia

Lee Corso – Georgia

 

Need a quick preview of today’s game? Listen to our podcast here – featuring former Georgia quarterback Aaron Murray and an Auburn preview.

UGA announces team captains for matchup with Auburn

The Deep South’s Oldest Rivalry is here, No. 4 Georgia versus No. 7 Auburn Between the Hedges. Here are the captains for today’s game.

The Deep South’s Oldest Rivalry is here, No. 4 Georgia versus No. 7 Auburn Between the Hedges at 7:30 p.m.

Georgia’s team captains for today’s game are sophomore running back Zamir White, senior linebacker Monte Rice and junior cornerback Tyson Campbell.

The Bulldogs won their season opener last week at Arkansas 37-10. The heralded defense played lights-out, racking up three interceptions, including a pick six and safety, but the offense struggled mightily.

Georgia once again hasn’t named a starting quarterback ahead of kickoff, so we will have to wait to see if junior Stetson Bennett ‘the mailman’ gets another chance after a solid performance last week, or if USC transfer J.T. Daniels gets the nod after being cleared on Monday from a knee injury suffered in 2019. We could even see redshirt freshman D’Wan Mathis get some snaps as well.

Regardless of who starts at signal caller, the Bulldogs will be facing a tough Auburn team lead by sophomore quarterback Bo Nix, who against Kentucky last week, threw for 233 yards on 16/27 passing with 3 touchdowns and led team in rushing with five carries for 34 yards.

 

 

 

The Deep South’s Oldest Rivalry: Mascot Edition

We all survived week 1 of SEC Football which means its time for a brand new mascot showdown. This weekend we get a top-ten matchup against a team everyone loves to hate, the Georgia Bulldogs. Any Auburn fan will tell you that they came out of the …

We all survived week 1 of SEC Football which means its time for a brand new mascot showdown. This weekend we get a top-ten matchup against a team everyone loves to hate, the Georgia Bulldogs. 

Any Auburn fan will tell you that they came out of the womb hating Georgia, its true. That’s what happened to me when I was born and now me and my dad are on our own football island isolated from the rest of our family. (Ok, so I didn’t fully hate Georgia until I was barked at in 2013 when the Dawgs came to Auburn. I was shocked. Sir, this is a Dominos Pizza).

The bulldog is actually a pretty legit mascot and we’ll get into those details soon, but its nowhere nearly as cool as a tiger. 

The “costumed” mascots: 

Aubie the Tiger (Auburn): I upset a few people last week when I broke the news that Aubie isn’t a real tiger, but an overly caffeinated college student instead. It’s true, but at least the man behind the mask doesn’t bark at people in a crowded Dominos. 

“The Hairy Dawg”: I’m not even kidding, that’s what the costumed bulldog for Georgia is called. When I first made this discovery I thought of my go-to “Hair of the Dog” drink filled with dog fur. This mascot is also a college-aged human whose diet probably consists of Marlboros and White Claw. When unsuited, this mascot probably also barks at innocent individuals. 

Let’s break down what’s behind those masks.

Humans: 

Weight: 136 lbs

Height: 5.2-5.6 ft

Habitat: neighborhood bars, Applebee’s, Coachella, downtown Nashville (on a party bus), Wal Mart, sometimes the library

Life expectancy: 79 years

Speed: 0-6 mph

Bite force PSI (I mean if you’re into that): 162 PSI

Predators: the coronavirus, Florida man, the newest TIk Tok challenge, murder hornets, modern technology, and last but certainly not least-themselves

Fun Facts: Humans are the only species that have thumbs and those thumbs have put us on the moon

The ACTUAL mascots:

Tigers (Auburn):

Weight: 140-370 lbs (female) 200-680 lbs (male)

Height: 2.3-4 feet

Habitat: rain forests, grasslands, savannas, mangrove swamps

Life expectancy: 10-15 years

Speed: 30-40 mph

Bite force PSI: 1,050 PSI

Predators: none

Fun Facts: they’re extremely scary and should be respected at all times, also remember that their pee smells like buttered popcorn so if you go to the jungle and smell popcorn you better leave

Bulldogs (Georgia):

Weight: 40-51 lbs (female) 51-55 lbs (male)

Height: 12-16 in

Habitat: anywhere there are humans, including Applebee’s because it is a family establishment

Life expectancy: 8-10 years

Speed: 15 mph

Bite force PSI: 305 PSI

Predators: Bevo (University of Texas mascot), Robert Baker (former Auburn wide receiver), PETA (seriously leave Uga alone he is very much loved you posers), inbreeding, water (they struggle to swim)

Fun Facts: they are good dogs, they are the 5th most popular dog breed, they were bred to fight bulls, and they can skateboard 

As much as I love dogs, I still hate Georgia. May the best mascot win on Saturday and may Uga stay safe from longhorns. 

Auburn fans recall their earliest disdain for Georgia

There’s not a lot of love between Auburn and Georgia fans.

There’s no love lost between Auburn and Georgia in the Deep South’s Oldest Rivalry. For 128 years the two fan bases have absolutely hated each other and with the birth of social media, that hate fire isn’t going out any time soon.

For some the hatred began at birth, while others didn’t discover their true feelings until much later. Personally, my hatred began on November 15, 2013 on the eve of The Miracle in Jordan Hare. It was late Friday night in Auburn and I was at the Domino’s on Magnolia trying to enjoy my pizza in peace when I was barked at by a rabid Uga out of nowhere.

I could no longer enjoy my pizza. It was at that moment I knew, tolerance was no longer the answer.

Here’s what other people had to say about their first Georgia-hatred epiphany, and it’s not just Auburn fans here. Other fan bases had to chime in as well:

1. In the womb, don’t matter, still hating Georgia:

2. At conception:

3. As soon as they entered the world:

4. Alabama fan shares their thoughts

5. Tennessee fans also chime in

6. Speaking of Mark Richt 🙁

7. And Vince Dooley too 🙁

8. That “UGAly” behavior

This list of disdain is truly eternal. In summary, everyone hates Georgia. If you have been personally victimized by a Georgia fan, feel free to respond to the original thread. If you are a Georgia fan, why are you even here?

War Eagle.

Georgia vs Auburn: Previewing The Deep South’s Oldest Rivalry

Georgia football has a big game this weekend: UGA vs Auburn. Here’s a preview of the 2020 edition of The Deep South’s Oldest Rivalry.

The Deep South’s Oldest Rivalry, Georgia versus Auburn, comes early this year with the SEC’s conference-only schedule.

And it’s a matchup of two top-10 programs – Georgia comes in ranked No. 4 after a 37-10 win versus Arkansas in Fayetteville and Auburn sits at No. 7 after a 29-13 win versus Kentucky.

The biggest question once again for the Bulldogs is who will start at quarterback?

USC transfer J.T. Daniels was cleared Monday after missing 2019 with an ACL tear, so we may finally get to see what Daniels can do under center for Georgia on Saturday.

If Daniels doesn’t get the start, we will either see junior Stetson Bennett or redshirt freshman D’Wan Mathis.

Mathis started the game at Arkansas but was quickly relieved of duties just five drives. Bennett, who went 20/29 for 211 yards and two touchdowns, replaced him and led Georgia back from a 5-point deficit.

Hear what former Georgia quarterback, CBS Sports analyst Aaron Murray thinks about the Bulldogs’ quarterbacks here:

Regardless of who winds up at quarterback, Georgia will have its hands full with a loaded Auburn team.

The Tigers are led by sophomore quarterback Bo Nix, who was responsible for most of Auburn’s offense versus Kentucky.

He threw for 233 yards on 16/27 passing with 3 touchdowns and led team in rushing with five carries for 34 yards.

Nix didn’t get much help from the Tigers’ backfield, but he did establish a connection with junior receiver Seth Williams, who went off with six receptions for 112 yards and 2 touchdowns.

They will face a Georgia secondary coming off of a three interception performance versus the Razorbacks, returning one for a touchdown and adding a couple of passes defended.

Preseason All-American safety Richard LeCounte had two of those picks and looks like the unquestioned leader of the 2020 Bulldogs defense, who’s depth and talent across the board is among the best in the nation.

The Bulldogs have big junior tackle Jordan Davis in the middle of its defensive front and senior defensive end Malik Herring setting the edge with star linebackers Nolan Smith and Azeez Ojulari cleaning up. And don’t forget about senior linebacker Monte Rice at the mike linebacker spot.

With the current quarterback mess, Georgia will have to lean on these talented guys on the Bulldog defense to get a win versus a tough Auburn team, but Auburn coach Gus Malzahn always seems to have issues scoring versus Georgia coach Kirby Smart’s defenses, so look for a low scoring punt-fest this Saturday.

What Auburn football media is saying about Georgia ahead of Saturday’s matchup

No. 4 Georgia takes on No. 7 Auburn Saturday at 7:30 p.m., see what Auburn media is saying about the Bulldogs here.

The Deep South’s Oldest Rivalry is here a bit early.

Because of the SEC-only schedule this season amid the Covid-19 pandemic, No. 4 Georgia and No. 7 Auburn matchup in just their second games of the season.

Once again we are in the dark about who will start at quarterback for the Bulldogs.

Georgia coach Kirby Smart and staff elected to start redshirt freshman D’Wan Mathis against Arkansas, and then abruptly pulled him after only five drives for junior Stetson Bennett.

Bennett played well, using his championship run experience at Jones County Junior College in 2018 to lead the Bulldogs back from a 5-point deficit to beat Arkansas 37-10.

There was a chance we would see USC transfer J.T. Daniels if he was cleared from an ACL tear from 2019, but he wasn’t cleared before kickoff like Smart hoped.

Then, on Monday, Smart announced that Daniels had been cleared for gameplay and now the Bulldogs once again must make a decision on who will start at signal caller.

Here is what the Auburn media is saying about Georgia and its quarterback situation:

“A defense that led the nation in points allowed last year (12.6 per game) and rushing defense (75 yards per game), the Georgia Bulldogs bring back plenty of talent from that 2019 group led by a deep and talented front seven along with a secondary that has one of the best college football players in the country in senior safety Richard LeCounte.”

“We recruit the state; I think a third of our team is from the state of Georgia,” Malzahn said. “You can look at it since I’ve been at Auburn, it’s always been very, very important and the winner’s usually gone on to do really well. It’s a big one.”

“Smart has had to worry about his own quarterback situation this week after redshirt freshman D’Wan Mathis started but struggled against the Razorbacks and junior Stetson Bennett entered the game in relief. The availability of Daniels, a former five-star recruit, has muddied the picture going into Saturday’s game, and Smart has been hesitant to tip his hand one way or the other.”

“No. 7 Auburn at No. 4 Georgia (-6.5): The wrong team is favored here. I don’t buy that JT Daniels is 100% following his knee injury last season or that he has the same ceiling as he did prior to it. Whether it’s Daniels or Stetson Bennett IV, Auburn’s defense won’t be threatened by an offense that struggled to find its sea legs. Auburn has its work cut out for it on offense, though. Quarterback Bo Nix looked better after some halftime adjustments last week, and there’s no doubt that coach Gus Malzahn and offensive coordinator Chad Morris held back much of the offense against Kentucky. Take those points, but you won’t need them. Auburn will win this game outright. Pick: Auburn (+6.5)”

 

 

BAMA BEAT: College football picks for Week 2 (Ep. 354)

Cecil Hurt, Clint Lamb, Hunter Johnson and Brett Hudson all reveal their picks for Week 2 of the SEC football season.

Clint Lamb and Hunter Johnson make their picks for Week 2 of the SEC football season. The two also share the picks for Cecil Hurt and Brett Hudson, who were both unable to join in on the episode.

Some of the games include: Alabama-Texas A&M, Auburn-Georgia, Kentucky-Ole Miss, Oklahoma-Iowa State and more!

 

Stay tuned for more episodes of The Bama Beat podcast, brought to you by Wickles Pickles through The Tuscaloosa News and TideSports.com!

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Georgia football at Auburn: Expert picks and predictions

The UGA Wire staff gives their score, stat and game predictions ahead of the Georgia football home opener against the Auburn Tigers.

The No. 7 Auburn Tigers travel to Athens this Saturday to face the No. 4 Georgia Bulldogs between the hedges.

This top-10 matchup will be the host to ESPN’s “College GameDay” crew and is expected to be a shootout.

The Tigers beat Kentucky last week, 29-13, while the Bulldogs beat Arkansas, 37-10. The Deep South’s Oldest Rivalry is scheduled to kick off this Saturday at 7:30 EDT on ESPN.

With that said, the UGA Wire staff has put together a number of score, stat and game predictions ahead of Saturday’s matchup.

Here are the picks:

The moneymakers:

No. 4 Georgia (-6.5) vs. No. 7 Auburn

(Odds courtesy of BetMGM)

UGA WIRE Game Picks:

Joe Vitale: Georgia 

James Morgan: Georgia

Henry Sillen: Georgia

J.C. Shelton: Georgia

Spread Pick (Georgia -6.5/Auburn +6.5):

JV: Georgia -6.5

JM: Auburn +6.5

HS: Georgia -6.5

JC: Auburn + 6.5

Over/Under (44.5):

JV: Under

JM: Under

HS: Over

JC: Over

Score prediction:

JV: Georgia 27, Auburn 13

JM: Georgia 20, Auburn 17

HS: Georgia 30, Auburn 23 (Correct score prediction last week of 37-10)

JC: Georgia 26, Auburn 22

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