Tag: georgia bulldog football

G-Day will serve as a test for Georgia’s unexperienced secondary

Georgia football spring G-Day game will likely be a test for the Bulldog’s depleted and unexperienced secondary to prove themselves.

Kirby Smart and the Georgia secondary will have to replace five star defensive backs who have declared for the 2021 NFL Draft following the 2020 season.

The Georgia Bulldogs will miss cornerback Eric Stokes the most of all defensive backs who declared for the NFL Draft. Stokes was the Dawgs’ top cornerback in 2019 and 2020. The Covington, GA native is going to be difficult to replace and is expected to be an early NFL Draft selection.

Joining Stokes leaving for the draft is cornerback Tyson Campbell, safety Richard LeCounte, defensive back Mark Webb and defensive back DJ Daniel.  Other than Kelee Ringo who has been recovering from injury, this was basically the entire UGA secondary for the 2020 season.

Georgia’s G-Day spring game this Saturday will have a big spotlight on the Dawgs’ defensive secondary.

Kirby Smart has already begun addressing the situation, hiring Jahmile Addae who spent the past two seasons coaching cornerbacks at West Virginia, which is also where he played from 2001-2005. Addae helped West Virginia become No. 1 in the country in pass defense last season, only allowing 159.6 passing yards per game. That is a massive difference from the Bulldogs 248.7 passing yards allowed per game in 2020.

Along with this coaching addition, Smart has also landed West Virginia defensive back transfer Tykee Smith.  Smith earned third-team All-American honors in 2020 after putting up 61 tackles, 5 pass breakups, 2 interceptions and 8 tackles for loss. He played a big role in the Mountaineers secondary last year and will now reunite with his coach at WVU.

G-Day will be a big test for Smith, as well as the rest of the Georgia secondary to prove they can fill some pretty big shoes that have been left vacant in the offseason.

Second-year cornerback Jalen Kimber has impressed coaches in spring ball and the former top cornerback recruit Kelee Ringo is still coming off of labrum surgery from the fall.  Ameer Speed will likely get time this Saturday as well.

G-Day kickoff is set for 2 p.m. at Sanford Stadium.

How to watch Georgia’s G-Day spring game

Georgia Bulldogs fans can watch the Dawgs play in G-Day spring game at 2 p.m. on TV’s SEC Network+.

G-Day is finally here for Georgia Bulldogs fans! The G-Day spring game will give fans with access to SEC Network+ an opportunity to watch the Dawgs on TV for the first time since the Chick-fil-A Peach Bowl.

Kickoff is set for 2 p.m. at Sanford Stadium. Many Bulldog fans won’t be happy that the contest is on SEC Network+ because it requires additional steps for those who are unfamiliar with the platform.

The G-Day game will be televised on SEC Network+, which can be accessed via the ESPN app, but you will need a TV or cable provider log in to access the game. SEC Network+ is a separate station from the SEC Network. Click here to access the game via Watch ESPN (cable log in required).

The 2019 edition of G-Day lasted about two hours. We’d suggest watching the start of the game, since that’s when the starters like JT Daniels will play the most.

The best course of action for around 20,000 fans is to sit in their seats at Sanford Stadium. Most fans aren’t lucky enough to be attending the game, but would like to get a peep of the Georgia Bulldogs before they open the season against the Clemson Tigers.

Tom Hart, Jordan Rodgers and Cole Cubelic will call the game on SEC Network+. The spring scrimmage will also be carried on much of the Georgia Bulldogs Sports Network from IMG with Scott Howard and Eric Zeier announcing the Dawgs in action.

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Oct 12, 2019; Athens, GA, USA; Georgia Bulldogs fans cheer for their team against the South Carolina Gamecocks during the second half at Sanford Stadium. Dale Zanine-USA TODAY Sports

G-Day information: Georgia football’s spring game

Georgia Bulldogs football returns for the G-Day spring game. Georgia will scrimmage on April 17.

Football is back for Georgia Bulldogs fans! The G-Day spring game provides only a taste of Georgia football action, but at this point in the offseason we’ll take it.

Georgia Bulldogs fans will get to see highly ranked recruits Brock Vandagriff, Lovasea Carroll, Amarius Mims and more for the first time in Sanford Stadium.

Here’s some important information to know for G-Day per Georgia football’s official website:

University of Georgia football fans will get their first glimpse of the 2021 Bulldogs on Saturday, April 17, when the Red team faces the Black team at the annual G-Day intrasquad game, presented by Atlanta BMW and Piedmont Healthcare on Dooley Field at Sanford Stadium. Kickoff is set for 2 p.m.

All tickets to the G-Day game have been sold. Like last season, attendance at G-Day will be limited to approximately 20-25 percent of full capacity at Sanford Stadium. Attendance at Georgia’s three home games in the 2020 season was listed at 20,524. Seating will be reserved and in groups intended to maximize social distancing.

Stadium gates will open at 12 p.m. and the Dawg Walk will commence in the Tate Center parking lot at 12:55 p.m.

Last season the UGA Athletic Association enacted a number of game-day policies in response to the COVID-19 pandemic. Many of these policies will remain in place for the G-Day game.

Before the game, fans are not allowed to tailgate on campus for G-Day. Fans can tailgate nearby in their cars. Fans are encouraged to social distance from people who they will not be sitting with.

The G-Day game will be televised on SEC Network+, which can be accessed via the ESPN app, but you will need a TV or cable provider log in to access the game. SEC Network+ is a separate station from the SEC Network.

Tom Hart, Jordan Rodgers and Cole Cubelic will announce the game on SEC Network+. The spring scrimmage will also be carried on much of the Georgia Bulldogs Sports Network from IMG with Scott Howard and Eric Zeier calling the action.

It is great to see Georgia return to hosting a traditional G-Day. The game is an excellent opportunity for student athletes to compete and gain valuable experience.

It was sad, but necessary that last year’s G-Day was cancelled. Hopefully the 2021 G-Day can begin a new long streak of consecutive spring football games for the University of Georgia. Georgia fans will get to see if the offense is ahead of the defense at this point in the offseason.

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April 11, 2009; Athens, GA, USA; Georgia Bulldogs guard Clint Boling (60) in the third quarter of the G-Day Spring Football Game at Sanford Stadium.  Brett Davis-USA TODAY Sports

Former UGA WR Isaiah McKenzie re-signs with Buffalo Bills

Former Georgia football WR Isaiah McKenzie has officially agreed to terms to re-sign with the Buffalo Bills.

The Buffalo Bills and former Georgia wide receiver Isaiah McKenzie have agreed to terms on a one-year deal for McKenzie to return to Buffalo.

McKenzie has played the past three seasons with the Bills after spending his first two in Denver.  During those three years McKenzie has reeled in 75 receptions for 715 yards and 6 touchdowns.

Last season McKenzie’s numbers improved, going for 30 catches for 282 yards, including five of his six career touchdowns.  He even had an electric 84-yard punt returned for a touchdown in Week 17 against the Miami Dolphins.

Dolphins waive troubled OL Isaiah Wilson

The Miami Dolphins have waived former Tennessee Titans and Georgia Bulldogs offensive lineman Isaiah Wilson.

The Miami Dolphins have waived former Georgia Bulldogs offensive lineman Isaiah Wilson. Wilson had several off-field incidents during his rookie season with the Tennessee Titans. The trend showed signs of continuing into his time with the Dolphins.

The Titans were fed up with Isaiah Wilson’s inability to act like a professional and traded Wilson to the Miami Dolphins for an exchange of seventh-round picks.

In his brief stint with Miami, Isaiah Wilson showed up late to his physical, arrived late for orientation and missed voluntary workouts Wilson promised he would attend.

We hope Wilson can get some help in the coming months.

NFL Network’s Tom Pelissero detailed Wilson’s disappointing tenure with Miami:

The Tennessee Titans drafted the former Georgia football star No. 29 overall  in last year’s NFL draft, but Wilson played three snaps last season.

Wilson almost jumped off a two-story balcony to avoid police at a party in Aug. 2020. Next, Wilson was placed on the Reserve/COVID-19 list for a second time. He then crashed his car into a wall, receiving a DUI in the process.

In Oct. 2020, Wilson totaled his car in another car accident. On Dec. 2020, he was suspended by the Titans for violating team rules and was placed on the Reserve/Non-Football Illness list. Wilson was caught partying on a boat on New Year’s Eve leading up to a key Week 17 game with NFL postseason implications.

The Tennessee Titans look at Wilson as a first-round bust. The good news was Wilson had a chance to learn from his mistakes with the Miami Dolphins, but he immediately squandered that opportunity.

The Dolphins gave Wilson a shot and his behavior did not improve. Miami Dolphins head coach Brian Flores, who attended Wilson’s high school, was unable to fix Wilson’s issues.

What’s next for Wilson goes far beyond football and we wish him luck.

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Georgia football RB Lovasea Carroll makes positional switch to CB

Georgia football freshman RB Lovasea Carroll has made an ‘experimental’ positional switch to cornerback says Dawgs head coach Kirby Smart.

News has come out of Athens that freshman Georgia Bulldogs running back Lovasea Carroll has been making a position switch to play cornerback, per Chip Towers of The Atlanta Journal-Constitution.

Carroll is a 4-star recruit out of IMG Academy in Florida.  He stands at 6-foot-1, 195 pounds and committed to UGA as the 247Sports Composite No. 6 running back recruit in the 2021 class.

“It’s experimental,” said Georgia head coach Kirby Smart after the team’s second full spring practice this Thursday. “We recruited him as a running back. We’re really deep at the running-back position. He’s probably going to be a factor on special teams because he’s really fast.”

The Bulldogs might need to make some of these experimental moves after getting blindsided and losing almost its entire defensive backfield.  Tyson Campbell, DJ Daniel and Eric Stokes all decided to enter the 2021 NFL Draft as juniors.  Safety Richard LeCounte is entering as a senior and former Georgia defensive back Tyrique Stevenson transferred to Miami this offseason.  Needless to say there is a big void to fill on the Georgia defense that Carroll could impact positively.

“I’ve had running backs I’ve recruited at other places I was who said, ‘Man, I wish I’d played corner because of how much those guys were getting paid and how many of them were getting paid in the NFL,” Smart said. “The shelf-life of a corner is much longer than a (running) back, and there are a lot more corners in the NFL than there are (running) backs. So, you look at the case of those three guys that worked out yesterday, LC comes in with a lot of the same length and speed parameters. He has a lot of the same qualities that those guys have. What he doesn’t have is experience.”

Hopefully this spring will be enough experience for Carroll, as his athleticism and talent aren’t what are at question here.  Carroll essentially has no experience playing as a defensive back but the Georgia recruiting staff saw something in his athleticism that could potentially end up paying dividends for the Dawgs’ secondary this season.

“I would not say that it’s permanent,” Smart said, making this very clear. “I would say it’s a spring experiment, and we’ll go from there.”

It will be interesting to see how this situation with Carroll and the whole Georgia secondary plays out as the 2021 season gets closer.

Anthony Edwards becomes third youngest with 40+ points in NBA history

Former Georgia basketball G Anthony Edwards joins elite company, becoming third youngest in NBA history to score 40+ points.

Former Georgia basketball guard Anthony Edwards continued his incredible rookie season in the NBA last night with a cold-blooded 42 point career-high performance.

Edwards finished his night on 15/31 shooting and added another 7 rebounds, 3 assists and 2 steals in the Timberwolves 123 – 119 win over the Phoenix Suns.

Complimenting Edwards’ big night was Minnesota’s center Karl-Anthony Towns, who had 41 points, 10 rebounds and 8 assists himself.

Edwards is now the third youngest player in NBA history to score 40+ points in a game.  The only younger players to reach the mark? Kevin Durant and Lebron James.

I’d say Edwards looks quite comfortable in the league, keeping himself in the company of some all-time greats.

The T-Wolves are now 10-31 and sit in last place in the Western Conference.  Edwards currently leads all rookies in points-per-game with 16.8.

Anthony Edwards scores career-high 34 points, has message for doubters

Former Georgia basketball star Anthony Edwards put on a career-high performance, scoring 34 points in a Minnesota Timberwolves victory.

Former Georgia basketball superstar Anthony Edwards set another career-high in points this Sunday night, dropping his new best of 34 in a Minnesota Timberwolves 114 – 112 win over the Portland Trailblazers.

The game stayed close for its entirety, the biggest lead for either team in the first three quarters being just six points.  In the fourth quarter Edwards had a collision with Trailblazers center Enes Kanter which caused him to miss some time.  He then checked in and went off, going for 13 points in the fourth including an explosive dunk to give Minnesota a 10-point lead.

Watch:

Edwards has now scored at least 19 points in his last seven games, beginning to silence the doubters who believe the T-wolves should’ve taken LaMelo Ball with the first pick.

“To talk about who they should have took No. 1, they took me. It’s over. It’s nothing to talk about. On to the next. We’re trying to win basketball games at this point. Whoever is still talking about that, they can just kick rocks, I guess.”

This is what last year’s No. 1 overall pick in the NBA Draft had to say when talking to reporters about the comparisons to him and Ball.

The Timberwolves are now 2-6 under new coach Chris Finch and have won two of their past three games.  The grass is starting to turn greener in Minnesota, and it all starts with the spark that is Anthony Edwards.

Isaiah Wilson is taking his talents to South Beach

Former Georgia football OL Isaiah Wilson has been traded by the Tennessee Titans to the Miami Dolphins after just one season in Nashville.

Former Georgia offensive lineman Isaiah Wilson had his fair share of off-field incidents occur during his rookie season in the NFL. The once Georgia football star was drafted 29th overall by the Tennessee Titans in last year’s NFL Draft, but only played three snaps during his time in Nashville.

Wilson, along with a 2022 seventh-round pick, has been traded to the Miami Dolphins for a 2021 seventh-round pick, per Ian Rapoport.

Wilson nearly jumped off of a two-story balcony to avoid police at a Tennessee State University party this past August. A few weeks after, Wilson was placed on the Reserve/COVID-19 list for his second time and crashed his car into a concrete wall just days later, receiving a DUI in the process.

In late October, Wilson was involved in another car accident, totaling his vehicle in the wreck. On December 5th he was suspended by the Titans for violating team rules and was then placed on the Reserve/Non-Football Illness list.  He was caught partying on a boat on New Years Eve leading up to a big Week 17 matchup against the Texans.  Wilson then posted a drug disclaimer on his Instagram account and later Tweeted: “Im done with football as a Titan… No further comments.”

Wilson’s Tweet became a reality as Titans fans will forever look at Wilson as a bust of a first-round pick. The good news is Wilson is still young and has time to learn from his mistakes and get his act together in Miami for new head coach Brian Flores, who happened to attend Wilson’s alma mater of Brooklyn Poly Prep Country Day School.

REPORT: Kirby Smart hires new special teams analyst

REPORT: Georgia football head coach Kirby Smart hires new special teams analyst heading into spring football season.

Georgia football head coach Kirby Smart has made yet another hire to his coaching roster. This time Smart adds former Louisiana Lafayette special teams coordinator Robby Discher as a special teams analyst for the Dawgs, per Chris Vannini of The Athletic.

Discher received national attention when he won the FootballScoop Special Teams Coordinator of the Year while at Oklahoma State in 2014. He spent one year with the Ragin Cajuns before getting the call from Smart. Prior to his time in Louisiana, Discher coached at Toledo for four years and OSU for one as a graduate assistant.

“Glenn Schumann, Dan Lanning, Todd Hartley, Cortez, Dell, Chartlon, have all had special teams duties in their career, so this is not like Scott Cochran is the only special teams guy on our staff,” Smart said about Discher. “We have an immense amount of knowledge and experience on special teams. They’ll draw on that. Scott will be the special teams coordinator.”

“But we’ll use the entire staff to help with that. We’ve got quality control guys who do a great job of coaching in our coaches. And then I’m involved in our special teams, and always have been and always will be, because I think it’s a really important part.”

Discher’s OSU squad was tied for the national lead with six punts or kicks blocked in 2014. He was the first ever graduate assistant to win the FootballScoop Special Teams Coordinator of the Year.

The Kansas City, Missouri native now takes his career a step higher, joining the ranks of the SEC. He will assist Scott Cochran with special teams duties in 2021.