Tag: Georgia Football

Beloved Georgia football player accepts Senior Bowl invitation

Highly-respect Georgia football kicker Rodrigo Blankenship accepts Senior Bowl invitation

The Reese’s Senior Bowl, one of the most prestigious post-season scouting games for NFL Draft prospects, has extended an invitation to Georgia kicker Rodrigo Blankenship.

‘Hot Rod’ accepted the offer Tuesday, becoming the first Bulldog kicker in over 10 years to represent Georgia in the event.

Blankenship is currently a perfect 198/198 on extra points for the Dawgs and 78/95 on field goal attempts. Though his numbers may have slightly dipped from his outstanding sophomore season, the beloved place kicker is still one of, if not the best in the nation right now.

No matter what happens in the Sugar Bowl against Baylor, everyone can agree Georgia will certainly miss this Damn Good Dawg.

Could Georgia football be in the market for a transfer quarterback?

Could the Georgia Bulldogs be in the market for a transfer quarterback?

The Georgia Bulldogs are off to the Allstate Sugar Bowl, after finishing the season 11-2, with an SEC Championship Game loss to LSU.

Though junior quarterback Jake Fromm could very well return for his senior year in Athens, there’s always the possibility he leaves for the NFL and does not come back.

What would that mean for the Bulldogs? Well, Georgia currently has 2020 four-star quarterback Carson Beck committed to join the program, with 2019 four-star dual-threat Dwan Mathis sliding under the radar after surgery to remove a brain cyst this offseason. In addition, the Dawgs gained another transfer in Nevada freshman Austin Kirksey, who will walk on next year in Athens.

That’s three talented quarterbacks with little college football experience and still a lot of question marks. Say Fromm leaves and that is the quarterback room you are walking into. The Dawgs would essentially have to land a transfer off the market, which is what we’ll now discuss.

Joey Gatewood is already off the board and bound for Kentucky, so here are Georgia’s top options as of now.

  • Utah State – Jordan Love
  • Houston – D’Eriq King
  • Ole Miss- John Rhys Plumlee* (Not currently in the portal)

While Plumlee has yet to enter the portal, Georgia bringing in former Ole Miss coach Matt Luke will certainly strengthen the depth of rumors on Plumlee to Athens.

Man, would that be nice.

As of right now, Fromm has yet to declare for the NFL Draft or announce his intentions of staying in Athens, but he is being graded as a second-night draft pick by multiple highly respected analysts.

Would that be good enough for the three-time SEC East Champion, who has led the Dawgs to three-straight New Year’s Six Bowls? Time will tell.

The rumor mill will keep on going and the message boards rumbling, but Fromm is still the Bulldogs’ quarterback. Of course, things could all change as soon as tomorrow, but for now, this is where Georgia stands.

To add more traction to the possibility of gaining a transfer quarterback, Sports Illustrated’s Brooks Austin is reporting that King and Love recently followed Georgia offensive coordinator James Coley on Twitter.

Remember, nothing is confirmed at the moment, but there’s a pretty good chance the Dawgs land one of the three guys listed above if Fromm were to leave for the draft.

Make sure to follow along with UGA Wire throughout the week as we update you on the latest in everything Georgia football.

Former Georgia football players express support for potential Sam Pittman replacement

Former Georgia football players express support for Sam Pittman replacement candidate Matt Luke

Georgia football had a particularly rough weekend, after losing the SEC Championship Game to LSU in Atlanta Saturday and offensive line coach Sam Pittman to Arkansas Sunday.

With Pittman’s departure from the Peach State, comes a need for a new offensive-minded coach on the Bulldogs’ staff.

The name being tossed around lately is former Ole Miss Rebels head coach Matt Luke. Though he’s already the favorite to replace Pittman in Athens, having the support of two well-respected former players certainly can’t hurt.

We’ve heard Luke is the candidate current and former players have been lobbying for and this only adds to the buzz.

While nothing is official at the moment, it’s looking like Matt Luke very well could be the next offensive line coach in Athens. Stay tuned to UGA Wire as we update you throughout the week on everything changing.

 

Everything Georgia football fans need to know about Baylor

Georgia won each prior meeting, but the game in New Orleans will be the first in which they’ve faced each other outside Sanford Stadium.

With conference championship week having come to a close, bowl season is upon us. The Georgia Bulldogs are headed to the Sugar Bowl to square off with the Baylor Bears, with whom they’ve competed four times across the programs’ histories.

Georgia won each prior meeting, but the contest in New Orleans will be the first in which the Dawgs have faced the Bears outside Sanford Stadium. It will be the first time the teams have played since 1989.

Baylor and Georgia enter the game with identical records (11-2), both having lost one regular season game and their respective conference title games.

The Bears’ two losses both came against playoff-bound Oklahoma by a combined ten points.

Led by third-year head coach Matt Rhule, Baylor will make its second consecutive bowl game following an incredible turnaround: the Bears finished with just one regular season win in Rhule’s first season, six in his second, and eleven in 2019.

Georgia’s second-longest active bowl streak continues with a second consecutive trip to the Allstate Sugar Bowl. It will be Baylor’s first Sugar Bowl appearance since 1957, when the Bears shocked a second-ranked and previously undefeated Tennessee Volunteers squad by a score of thirteen to seven.

Baylor possesses a balanced, powerful offense that averages 257 yards passing and 175 yards rushing per game.

However, The Bears’ powerful offense may arrive to the Mercedes-Benz Superdome shorthanded; starting quarterback Charlie Brewer was knocked out early in the second quarter of this weekend’s Big XII Championship and stayed sidelined for the remainder of the game.

Backup quarterback Gerry Bohanon, who was also recruited by UGA, was later replaced by third-string QB Jacob Zeno against Oklahoma. Zeno led a comeback that took his team to overtime before coming up short. Prior to his team’s most recent game against the Sooners, Bohanon had attempted just 21 passes wearing green and gold. Zeno has attempted nine passes all year.

Baylor has a run-first offense, attempting 82 more rushes than passes in 2019 (476 to 394).

If Brewer, who’s posted a solid 20:6 touchdown-to-interception ratio with a 65% completion rate, remains out, expect an even heavier rushing attack procured by the Bears’ massive offensive linemen (three of whom have played together for over three years). Behind them, shifty tailbacks JaMycal Hasty and John Lovett have combined for 1251 yards and 12 touchdowns this season.

On Defense, Baylor hasn’t allowed north of 30 points all year to anyone who doesn’t attend school in Norman, Oklahoma. This group of players amounts to one of the most physical defenses the team has produced in years, nearly half-full of seniors (Henry Black, Jameson Houston, James Lockhart, Chris Miller and Blake Lynch) all playing the best statistical season of each of their college careers.

They give up just 19.3 points per game facing an injury-plagued Georgia team that has failed to score over 27 points in all but one game (against Georgia Tech) since their first loss of the season to South Carolina two months ago.

Baylor presents a cohesive defensive unit against a rattled Silver Britches offense. Whether their signal caller is missing or not, the Bears are not to be underestimated.

Georgia opens as favorite in Sugar Bowl vs Baylor

The Georgia Bulldogs and the Baylor Bears will meet on January 1st for the 2020 Sugar Bowl. See the opening spread for the Dawgs here.

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The Georgia Bulldogs lost a tough one this past Saturday, falling to LSU in the SEC Championship by a score of 37-10.  The Dawgs have lost SEC Championships two years in a row, and have dropped from #4 in the CFP rankings to #5 yet again.  Oklahoma jumped to the #4 spot after their Big 12 Championship win over Baylor.

The Dawgs will play in the Sugar Bowl for a 2nd straight year and open as 7.5 point favorites over the Baylor Bears.

Odds via BetMGM. Access USA TODAY Sports’ betting odds for a full list. Lines last updated Monday at 1:45 p.m.

Want to get in on the action? Place your bet now at BetMGM.

Most teams in the college football world would kill for a chance to play in the Sugar Bowl, but for Dawgs fans it feels like more of a consolation game than anything.  Last year hit a little bit harder due to dropping after an incredible game against Alabama in the SEC Championship.

Georgia opened the Sugar Bowl last year to Texas as two touchdown favorites, but we all know how that went.

Georgia will be without some key contributors, including Dominick Blaylock, Lawrence Cager and possibly a few starters who are headed to the pros  Hopefully Kirby Smart and the Dawgs can pull out an impressive victory and go into next season with a chip on their shoulder and smile on their faces.

The Sugar Bowl kicks off at 8:45 p.m. on New Years Day in the Mercedes-Benz Superdome in New Orleans, and will be airing on ESPN.

Gannett may earn revenue from audience referrals to betting services. Newsrooms are independent of this relationship and there is no influence on news coverage.

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.

Four-star tight end Theo Johnson makes commitment

Theo Johnson is a four-star TE, & is the top rated player in Canada. He played for Holy Names High School and is from Windsor, Ontario.

Theo Johnson has committed to play college football at Penn State University. Johnson is a four-star tight end, and is the top rated player in Canada. Johnson played for Holy Names High School and is from Windsor, Ontario. He’s in the class of 2020.

The four-star announced his commitment today:

 

Johnson’s top four schools were: Michigan, Iowa, Penn State and Georgia. Penn State was favored to land the Canadian, but Georgia was considered his second most likely destination. Georgia needs to land a talented tight end in the class of 2020.

Georgia can use another tight end with the departures of senior Charlie Woerner and graduate transfer Eli Wolf. Georgia will have John FitzPatrick, a former four-star, next season, but he’s seldom played this season. The Dawgs could still use more depth and play-making at the position.

Johnson has incredible size at 6’6″, 240 pounds and impressive athleticism. He has great vertical leap skills. He’ll be playing in the 2020 Under Armor All-American before he heads to Penn State.

Best of luck to Johnson in school at Penn State. He’ll be much closer to home. Georgia will look to add a five-star tight end out of Nevada, who has been compared to Zion Williamson.

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Sam Pittman’s departure a big blow for Georgia football

Sam Pittman leaving Georgia for Arkansas is a big blow for Kirby Smart and UGA football.

Georgia offensive line coach Sam Pittman accepted the position of head coach at Arkansas over the weekend, piling on to what was already a sad few days for Bulldog fans.

For Pittman, it’s a heck of an upgrade, though. To go from offensive line coach to head coach at another SEC school is not something that you see often.

There’s no arguing that losing Pittman won’t hurt the Bulldogs. People may say that we’ll be fine, which we will, but the loss of Pittman will be noticeable. The guy is a recruiting mastermind and did something never seen before in Rivals’ recruiting history, according to Nikki Chavanelle, who covers Arkansas for Rivals.

You don’t just replace that kind of recruiting.

While at Georgia, Pittman put an emphasis on size.

Georgia’s entire line this season weighs in heavier than the average NFL offensive lineman (314.8 lbs) and allowed just 12 sacks all season.

Whoever replaces Pittman will be fortunate to inherit arguably the best returning offensive line in college football next season, but it’s hard to imagine there is anybody out there who reel in the big-hitters that Pittman did on a consistent basis each year.

For 2020, Pittman is the No. 3 ranked recruiter in all of college football, according to 247Sports’ recruiter rankings.

The other thing Pittman emphasized was depth. And this season at Georgia, the Dawgs had a group of second-stringers who could start just about anywhere in the country. And thank God we did.

Injuries happen on the line. A high volume of 300+ men in a congested space. Yeah, injuries will happen.

But Pittman prepared for that, and that’s why we were so deep at offensive line. Whoever we hire next as offensive line coach, if there’s one thing I hope he focuses on its depth.

In Pittman, Arkansas gets more than a great recruiter and teacher. They also get some of the greatest videos to ever hit social media.

I’ll miss a lot about Pittman, but none more than these classics.

Paul Finebaum on Georgia football, Kirby Smart: ‘It’s not working’

Paul Finebaum discussed Georgia football, Kirby Smart and how ‘it’s not working.’

Paul Finebaum calls it like he sees it when it comes to college football and things that certain fans may not want to hear.

And on Monday, following Georgia’s embarrassing performance against LSU in the SEC Championship, Finebaum harshly discussed Georgia, Kirby Smart and how his style of football is not working anymore.

“Listen Kirby Smart is trying to run Alabama 2.0 and it’s not working,” Finebaum said while WJOX 94.5 FM out of Birmingham. “I say it’s not working because they’re not winning and competing seriously for national championships… You can’t end the season like that and you know I hear Georgia fans saying, ‘Well we didn’t have Cager, we didn’t have -‘. Hey, when you recruit at the level that Alabama and Georgia recruit, you don’t have excuses, because nobody else is in that league other than maybe Ohio State or Clemson and now LSU.

And listen, I think everyone talking right now is a fan of Kirby Smart but he’s going to catch a lot of heat, and you know it started with the bowl game (the Sugar Bowl loss against Texas) which everyone wrote off as they didn’t care and this season has been a roller coaster. And the one thing this season didn’t have until Saturday was that predictable one-off Kirby Smart blowout. Got that now!”

Well, Finebaum has a point. Smart does need to adapt to the times of college football. But I would not say it isn’t working. Three 11-1 finishes in a row. That’s not easy.

Your complete college football bowl game, playoff schedule

A complete list of the college football bowl game schedule for this year.

From Nassau, Bahamas to Hawaii, the 2019  college football bowl schedule features some intriguing matchups, a few newcomers and some teams in unexpected territory.

LSU, Ohio State, Clemson and Oklahoma round out the College Football Playoff. LSU makes its first appearance in the playoff while Clemson is in its fifth straight playoff. Ohio State, in the playoff for the third time, is hoping for a better performance after its beat down by Clemson in 2016. Oklahoma is in the field for its fourth playoff and third straight.

The state of Florida has the most teams in bowl games with six, followed by Michigan and Ohio with five teams each. California, Texas, Lousiana and North Carolina each have four representatives.

The states of Florida and Texas have the most bowl games, with seven each. Including the National Championship game, Louisiana is hosting four bowl games.

Ten ACC teams made a bowl this season. The SEC has nine teams going bowling, including three (Georgia, Florida and LSU) in New Year’s and CFP bowls.

Dec. 20 — Bahamas Bowl: Charlotte vs. Buffalo, ESPN, 2 p.m.

Dec. 20 — Frisco Bowl: Kent State vs. Utah State, ESPN2, 7:30 p.m.

Dec. 21 — New Mexico Bowl: Central Michigan vs. San Diego State, ESPN, 2 p.m.

Dec. 21 — Cure Bowl: Liberty vs. Georgia Southern, CBSSN, 2:30 p.m.

Dec. 21 — Boca Raton Bowl: Florida Atlantic vs. SMU, ABC, 3:30 p.m.

Dec. 21 — Camellia Bowl: Florida International vs. Arkansas State, ESPN, 5:30 p.m.

Dec. 21 — Las Vegas Bowl: Boise State vs. Washington, ABC, 7:30 p.m.

Dec. 21 — New Orleans Bowl: Alabama-Birmingham vs. Appalachian State, ESPN, 9 p.m.

Dec. 23 — Gasparilla Bowl: Marshall vs. Central Florida, ESPN, 2:30 p.m.

Dec. 24 — Hawaii Bowl: BYU vs. Hawaii, ESPN, 8 p.m.

Dec. 26 — Independence Bowl: Miami (Fla.) vs. Louisiana Tech, ESPN, 4 p.m

Dec. 26 — Quick Lane Bowl: Eastern Michigan vs. Pittsburgh, ESPN, 8 p.m.

Dec. 27 — Military Bowl: North Carolina vs. Temple, ESPN, noon

Dec. 27 — Pinstripe Bowl: Wake Forest vs. Michigan State, ESPN, 3:20 p.m.

Dec. 27 — Texas Bowl: Oklahoma State vs. Texas A&M, ESPN, 6:45 p.m.

Dec. 27 — Holiday Bowl: Iowa vs. Southern California, FS1, 8 p.m.

Dec. 27 — Cheez-It Bowl: Air Force vs. Washington State, ESPN, 10:15 p.m.

Dec. 28 — Camping World Bowl: Notre Dame vs. Iowa State, ABC, noon

Dec. 28 — Cotton Bowl: Penn State vs. Memphis, ESPN, noon

Dec. 28 — Peach Bowl: LSU vs. Oklahoma, ESPN, 4 p.m.

Dec. 28 — Fiesta Bowl: Ohio State vs. Clemson, ESPN, 8 p.m.

Dec. 30 — First Responder Bowl: Western Michigan vs. Western Kentucky, ESPN, 12:30 p.m.

Dec. 30 — Redbox Bowl: Illinois vs. California, Fox, 4 p.m.

Dec. 30 — Music City Bowl: Louisville vs. Mississippi State, ESPN, 4 p.m.

Dec. 30 — Orange Bowl: Virginia vs. Florida, ESPN, 8 p.m.

Dec. 31 — Belk Bowl: Virginia Tech vs. Kentucky, ESPN, noon

Dec. 31 — Sun Bowl: Florida State vs. Arizona State, CBS, 2 p.m.

Dec. 31 — Liberty Bowl: Kansas State vs. Navy, ESPN, 3:45 p.m.

Dec. 31 — Arizona Bowl: Wyoming vs. Georgia State, CBSSN, 4:30 p.m.

Dec. 31 — Alamo Bowl: Utah vs. Texas, ESPN, 7:30 p.m.

Jan. 1 — Citrus Bowl: Alabama vs. Michigan, ABC, 1 p.m.

Jan. 1 — Outback Bowl: Minnesota vs. Auburn, ESPN, 1 p.m.

Jan. 1 — Rose Bowl: Wisconsin vs. Oregon, ESPN, 5 p.m.

Jan. 1 — Sugar Bowl: Baylor vs. Georgia, ESPN, 8:45 p.m.

Jan. 2 — Birmingham Bowl: Boston College vs. Cincinnati, ESPN, 3 p.m.

Jan. 2 — Gator Bowl: Indiana vs. Tennessee, ESPN, 7 p.m.

Jan. 3 — Idaho Potato Bowl: Ohio vs. Nevada, ESPN, 3:30 p.m.

Jan. 4 — Armed Forces Bowl: Southern Mississippi vs. Tulane, ESPN, 11:30 a.m.

Jan. 6 — Mobile Bowl: Miami (Ohio) vs. Louisiana-Lafayette, ESPN, 7:30 p.m.

Jan. 13 — College Football Playoff title game: Semifinal winners, ESPN, 8 p.m.