Tag: Georgia Bulldogs

UGA vs Tech: Has the hate died out? Tavarres King doesn’t think so

Georgia football great Tavarres King does not think Clean, Old-Fashioned Hate between UGA and Georgia Tech has died out.

Georgia has beaten Georgia Tech 15 out of the last 18 seasons, furthering its dominance in the rivalry game known as Clean, Old-Fashioned Hate. And by the way, Tech’s three wins over that stretch came by a combined 10 points.

This will be the 113th meeting between the two in-state programs and it’s looking like another Georgia win is on its way. The Jackets are 3-8, but for some reason incredibly confident right now after beating a 4-7 NC State team by two points.

Despite the history and the strong hatred between the rivals that still exists today, there are Georgia who would like to see the Bulldogs drop the Yellow Jackets from their schedule in exchange for a more challenging opponent.

Tavarres King, Georgia’s fourth all-time leading receiver with 2,602 yards, never had any trouble waking up for the Yellow Jackets during his time (2008-2012) with the Bulldogs and thinks this game means too much to be overlooked.

King, A Georgia boy from Mount Airy, played in four games versus Tech. For two of those games it would have been easy to overlook the rival due to the fact that the Dawgs had a date with the SEC Championship to look forward to the following weekend.

But he said that was never the case.

“No, we wanted to win them all,” King texted when asked if it was hard to wake up for the regular season finale vs Tech, especially in 2011 and 2012 when the Dawgs knew they had an SECCG to prepare for.

“Our goal was to ‘keep the main thing the main thing’ in the words of Mike Bobo. And that was winning ball games.”

This game may have no conference standing implications, but a Georgia loss would eliminate the Dawgs from the national title race not just this year, but probably every year. Additionally, understanding how big football in the state of Georgia is, the importance of holding bragging rights over your in-state rival is immeasurable.

That’s why King thinks the game has not lost its allure.

“Every game is BIG because we are playing, but this game is special because it’s for state bragging rights.”

Georgia has run the state for years, and that does not seem to be coming to an end any time soon. Coach Kirby Smart, a Georgia boy who played college ball at UGA, is one who understands the importance of this game as well. He recently told a story about how Tech beat his Bulldog team on Smart’s senior day and he wanted to make sure that none of his players ever feel the way he did.

King’s another one of those guys who grew up in the Peach State and is proud to have played for the red and black. Helping to keep Georgia as the top football school in the state was one of the reasons this game meant so much to him.

“It was big to me because of tradition,” King said. ”It’s a fight for who represents the Georgia name. When you hear ‘Georgia’ do you think Bulldawgs or Yellow Jackets?!”

King, who was taken in the fifth round of the 2013 NFL Draft by the Denver Broncos, has played for a number of teams as a pro – most recently the Minnesota Vikings. He was in Athens last weekend signing autographs with his friend and former Georgia running back Knowshon Moreno ahead of the Texas A&M game.

This weekend, King is thinking the Dawgs leave Atlanta with another win over Tech by a score 27-10.

“THE only real team in Georgia!”

Georgia vs Georgia Tech will kickoff at noon and air on ABC.

Report: Georgia football WR Lawrence Cager suffers injury in practice

Georgia WR Lawrence Cager suffered a lower-body injury in practice on Wednesday according to a report from Dean Legge of DawgPost.

Georgia wide receiver Lawrence Cager suffered a lower-body injury in practice on Wednesday, according to a report from Dean Legge of DawgPost.

Cager is no stranger to injuries this season, having appeared sporadically in recent contests due to lingering shoulder injuries.

Per Legge, the graduate transfer out of The University of Miami is doubtful for the 2019 edition of “Clean, Old-Fashioned Hate” held in Atlanta. Head coach Kirby Smart isn’t due for a media appearance until after the game at Georgia Tech and UGA officials have yet to confirm whether Cager was hurt.

The Bulldogs and Yellow Jackets are set to kick off at noon.

Former UGA football WR Mecole Hardman tweets thoughts on CFP rankings

Former Georgia football wide receiver Mecole Hardman gave his thoughts on the newest CFP rankings and added an interesting twist.

Former Georgia wide receiver Mecole Hardman, now having a sensational rookie season with the Kansas City Chiefs, gave his thoughts on the most recent College Football Playoff rankings Tuesday.

After beating Penn State, the Buckeyes jumped LSU and claimed the No. 1 spot in the rankings. College football fans are split on the committee’s decision, and Hardman is one who disagrees with the order.

Yeah, the OSU win was nice, but LSU has been doing that all season.

Here are Hardman’s thoughts on the rankings.

UGA Wire’s Jackson Fryburger predicts the College Football Playoff Rankings for 11/26/19

Jackson Fryburger of the UGA Wire breaks down how he thinks the selection committee will rank the Top 25 on Tuesday night

Guess who’s back, back again. Jax is back, tell a friend.

It’s rivalry-week folks and boy, do we have a treat for you. Due to the Georgia basketball game going on in Maui earlier today, we weren’t able to put together a full playoff rankings preview like last week, but we’ll go ahead and give you our expected Top 25 list before the committee reveals theirs.

Remember, just like last week, this method of ranking is based on how we think the committee will evaluate teams and not just our own personal opinion on the nation’s best.

For record’s sake, we’ll try to be as objective as possible, but this is how we see the committee ranking the Top 25 in just under an hour.

You ready? Here we go.

Pages: Page 1, Page 2

Georgia basketball’s comeback bid vs. Michigan State comes up short, but not without a fight

Georgia basketball’s comeback bid vs. Michigan State comes up short, but not without a late fight in Maui

The Georgia basketball team fell 93-85 to Michigan State in Maui Tuesday, but defeat wasn’t even the biggest storyline.

Sure, the Dawgs got blown out of the gym on Monday by an experienced Dayton squad 80-61, but what happened on Tuesday was far different.

Georgia entered the half trailing 52-31 against the Spartans and looked to be well on its way to another dud in paradise. However, highly talented freshman shooting guard Anthony Edwards put on a show out of the locker room, going for 33 points in the second half alone against Michigan State.

 

In the end, the Bulldogs were unable to grab a victory over the highly respected Spartans, but they did cut what was once a 28-point deficit down to 2 points, before bowing out in the waining moments.

It was an incredible fight, from what seemed like a lifeless team through a game and a half of basketball in Maui, that gave fans extensive hope for the future of the program. Sure, Georgia may not be able to earn any hardware on the islands, but it can return home to the Peach State at 4-2, after a nice win over Chaminade on Wednesday.

Chaminade plays UCLA Tuesday, with the loser set to face Georgia Wednesday, but we’ll go ahead and project the D2 host team matches up with the Dawgs.

So, that leaves Georgia with an easy formula to get to conference play feeling good. You already have a win over your in-state rival and a couple of feel-good momentum building victories at home, to go along with a strong second half against Michigan State. The Bulldogs outscored the Spartans 54-41 in the second period, after getting tossed around like a high school squad 52-31 before the break. Now, it’s time to put away Chaminade and take care of NC Central, SMU and others at home in the Steg.

Do that and you’re in great position to create postseason conversation going into January.

This was a disappointing game for about 30 minutes, but quickly turned into a glance at what the future could be at Georgia. Edwards will make this team a contender in games all season and his counterparts are only going to get better as well.

Sahvir Wheeler creates shots for the Dawgs like no other and Rayshaun Hammonds has proven to be a lethal scoring threat at times when managing foul trouble. The box scores may not be what you want them to be in this tournament, but this team is just getting started. I encourage everyone to keep the faith and have patience with Georgia, as they have shown to us they are still a work in progress.

With that being said, have you ever seen as exciting a half of Bulldogs basketball as you saw today? My goodness, that was fun.

Hang in there, this season is just getting started, folks.

If you’re interested in buying tickets to a game, check out GeorgiaDogs.com here.

PETA: ‘Georgia Athletics must retire Uga immediately’

PETA called for Georgia football to retire its live mascot Uga.

Controversial ‘animal rights’ organization PETA recently caused a stir within the UGA community when it called on the school to retire its long-tenured live mascot: Uga the dog.

The current instillment of the beloved canine, Uga X, was featured prominently throughout CBS’ broadcast of the Dawgs’ win over Texas A&M, evading the rain from the comfort of his quite luxurious doghouse.

However, this didn’t stop the activist group from calling out the team on Twitter.

Needless to say, PETA’s claims did not sit well with Dawg Nation.

Hopefully, PETA learns its lesson and understands that Uga is actually treated quite well.

Georgia football injury report ahead of UGA vs Tech game

Take a look at Georgia footballs injury status prior to UGA’s final game of their regular season before LSU at Georgia Tech.

Georgia defeated the Texas A&M Aggies this Saturday in a cold and rainy matchup by a final score of 19-13.  A win is a win, but man wouldn’t it be nice to close some teams out strong?

The Dawgs didn’t look bad in the first half, nearly covering the 13-point spread they were given prior to the game. It was the 2nd half that made Bulldog fans scratch their heads.

The Aggies outscored Georgia 10-6 in the 2nd half.  That is a pretty bad look for a No. 4 team, but give credit to a hard-fought, Jimbo Fisher coached team.

Now the Dawgs have just one more opponent left before facing LSU in the SEC Championship game, and that is Georgia Tech.

With LSU looming, the Dawgs will look to be as healthy as possible for that game.

Here is a look at the injured Bulldogs heading into week 14 at Tech.

Full injury report:

Probable: DB Eric Stokes

Stokes left the Texas A&M game just before halftime after he got a little dinged up on a hit.  Kirby Smart did not seem concerned about the matter.  Expect Stokes to be ready to go.

Probable: DB Tyson Campbell

Campbell has been playing through a toe injury for the past couple of weeks but is cleared to play against Tech.

Probable: OL Cade Mays

Mays has been nursing an ankle injury since the Missouri game.  He dressed against A&M but was very limited, as is expected next week in order to save him for LSU.

Questionable: WR Trey Blount

Blount is listed as questionable with an undisclosed injury.

Questionable: WR Lawrence Cager

Cager has been battling a left shoulder injury nearly the entire season.  Even missing a number of games, Cager is still the Dawgs leader in receptions and receiving yards.  Expect Cager to get minimal time if any to rest him up for the SEC Championship game vs LSU.

OUT: WR Tommy Bush

Bush has been recovering from a sports hernia and will likely be out for the year.

OUT: DT Tramel Walthour

Walthour is battling a lower-body injury and has no timetable for his return.

OUT: OL Owen Condon

Condon has been battling a lower-body injury all year and Saturday was seen in a sling.  Should likely be out for season.

OUT: OL Justin Shaffer

Shaffer was in a neck brace for the A&M game and has no timetable for his return.

OUT: QB D’Wan Mathis

Freshman quarterback D’wan Mathis is out indefinitely after undergoing surgery to remove a cyst from his brain this offseason.  There is no current timetable for Mathis’ return.

Kirk Herbstreit predicts playoff teams if Georgia beats LSU

ESPN college football analyst Kirk Herbstreit released his top-six earlier today and also predicted who’s in the 2019 College Football Playoff if Georgia defeats LSU in the SEC Championship. He assumes all the favorites win out in this situation: …

ESPN college football analyst Kirk Herbstreit released his top-six earlier today and also predicted who’s in the 2019 College Football Playoff if Georgia defeats LSU in the SEC Championship. He assumes all the favorites win out in this situation:

I would have to agree with Herbstreit here. Even if UGA wins big over LSU, then the Tigers should make the playoff over Alabama. LSU’s head to head victory should all-but eliminate the Crimson Tide in this situation.

There are still several chaos scenarios possible including: Minnesota, Michigan, or Wisconsin defeating Ohio State. The Buckeyes may be banged up after facing a stretch of Penn State-Michigan-Minnesota/Wisconsin.

Georgia fans would love the scenario mentioned above. As long as the Dawgs win versus LSU, then Georgia fans will be happy. With rivalry week coming, there’s a considerable chance of another upset this week. Auburn will have a decent chance to beat Alabama, Texas A&M should put up a fight against LSU, and South Carolina has already pulled off one of the biggest upsets of the season.

Who do you think would make the playoff in this scenario? What about a one-loss PAC-12 Champion in Utah? The Utes played a soft non-conference schedule, but have played nine conference games.

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Kirby Smart: “What Rodrigo has overcome is a story for the ages”

Georgia football HC Kirby Smart discusses how amazing UGA K Rodrigo Blankenship’s Bulldog career has been.

In Kirby Smart’s post-game presser tailing Saturday’s home win over Texas A&M, the coach used his opening remarks to congratulate Georgia’s newest career leader in points, Rodrigo Blankenship.

Blankenship, who also has the highest career field goal percentage of any Bulldog past or present, was flawless against the Aggies and scored 13 of the Dawgs’ 19 points on senior night.

It’s strange to think that the most automatic placekicker in school history didn’t start out on scholarship.

“What Rodrigo has done and overcome is a story for the ages,” Smart said.

Blankenship arrived in Athens as a preferred walk-on, meaning he had a semi-promised scholarship that would be awarded by the end of one season should he progress as the coaches hope.

He did his job, a scholarship still wasn’t awarded, and his dad wrote an open letter addressing the coaching staff that Georgia fans still remember.

The kicker responded by keeping his head down, persisting, and consequently earning his scholarship.

Smart continued:

 “To be a walk-on, to not getting a scholarship, to continue to work, to get a scholarship, and to continue to grind and be as consistent as he has been in some of the toughest conditions you can ask a kicker to kick…he’s just been tremendous.”

The senior out of Sprayberry High School has long been a fan favorite for the obvious football-related rationale. He is, as Smart later remarked, a “weapon.”

His habits of donning rec specs and lacing up the same Nike Mercurial cleats he’s worn since his high school soccer days have earned him fans nationwide for more frivolous reasons.

Blankenship’s tenacity, positive attitude, and grit should earn him even more.

Georgia football HC Kirby Smart on why Lawrence Cager did not play Saturday

georgia football HC Kirby Smart discussed why wide receiver Lawrence Cager did not play vs the Texas A&M Aggies.

Georgia football wide receiver Lawrence Cager dressed out for Saturday’s game vs Texas A&M but did not see the field.

He has been in pain all season after separating his shoulder against Tennessee.

Multiple times, he has re-aggravated that shoulder throughout the season, including early on in last week’s win at Auburn.

With a big game on the horizon vs LSU in the SEC Championship, Kirby Smart and the Bulldogs need a healthy Cager, who has been Jake Fromm’s go-to receiver when healthy.

Smart discussed Cager’s injury and why he was held out of the game on Saturday.

“We thought he’d be able to go. He practiced during the week. He was obviously not 100 percent during the week, and we wanted to see him go in warm-ups and cut it loose. We didn’t feel that he could,” Smart said. “It’s one of those deals where you say, ‘Why don’t you just shut him down?’

Well, shutting him down doesn’t necessarily get him healthy either. He doesn’t take the hits and pounding during the week. So he’s helping to take a little mileage off the other guys, and also staying fresh in the offense. Sometimes when you step away you get away. It’s not his legs that are tired; it’s his injury. He just didn’t feel comfortable that he could go, and it was tough conditions. We knew it would be tough conditions. Having a healthy guy out there helps.”

This season, Cager is Georgia’s leading receiver despite missing significant time with his injury.

He currently has 33 catches for 476 yards and four touchdowns.

True freshman George Pickens is closing in on Cager. Pickens has 32 catches for 457 yards and five touchdowns.