Dawgs strike first! Pick six puts UGA up 7-0

With the offense struggling and unable to make things happen, it was up to the defense to get it done. 

Boom!

With the offense struggling and unable to make things happen, it was up to the defense to get it done.

And get it done they did.

On 3rd and 4, with Clemson rolling and at the UGA 30 yard line, Georgia junior defensive back stepped in between the ball and the receiver and picked off Clemson freshman quarterback DJ Uiagalelei and took the interception 74 yards to the house.

Dawgs lead it 7-0.

Kirby Smart releases Georgia depth chart for Clemson game

Kirby Smart releases Georgia depth chart for Clemson game

Shortly ahead of Georgia’s top-five battle against Clemson on Saturday night, UGA head coach Kirby Smart released the first official depth chart of the 2021 season.

Let’s take a look:

Georgia fans prepare for Clemson game in Charlotte

Georgia fans prepare for Clemson game in Charlotte

Charlotte, North Carolina is buzzing today with Georgia fans ahead of the Bulldogs’ top five matchup against the Clemson Tigers.

The Dawgs and Tigers are set for kickoff at 7:30 p.m. on ABC. Until then, though, fans enjoyed their first tailgate of the season.

Here’s a quick look at the scene taking place in Charlotte.

 

Clemson WR to miss Georgia game with lingering COVID complications

Clemson redshirt sophomore WR Brannon Spector posted to Twitter that he will not be playing in Saturday’s night game against Georgia. He’s still facing lingering respiratory issues after contracting COVID in the spring.

Clemson’s redshirt sophomore receiver Brannon Spector posted to Twitter Thursday night that he will not be playing in Saturday’s night game against Georgia.

He mentioned he is still facing respiratory challenges after contracting CoVID-19 in the spring.

“After getting COVID in the spring, I’ve been facing some respiratory challenges that have kept me from being where I want to be athletically,” he wrote. “Though I hate that I can’t be out there with my teammates this Saturday, I’m working the trainers and doctors to do everything I can to return later this season.”

From Georgia’s Calhoun High School, Spector has caught 19 passes for 152 yards during his short Clemson career.

Spector’s father, Robbie Spector is a former Clemson wide receiver from the late 1980s. Brannon is also the brother of senior linebacker Baylon.

Prayers to Spector as he continues his recovery from COVID.

UGA, Clemson uniform combinations for Duke’s Mayo Classic

The No. 5 Georgia Bulldogs and No. 3 Clemson Tigers face each other in the Duke’s Mayo Classic, which is set to kick off at 7:30 p.m. UGA will wear white.

The No. 5 Georgia Bulldogs and No. 3 Clemson Tigers face each other in the Duke’s Mayo Classic, which is set to kick off at 7:30 p.m.

The Georgia Bulldogs will wear white jerseys, silver britches and their usual red helmets.

Clemson will don its orange jerseys, white pants and orange helmets. That’s a little too much orange for our taste, but at least the Tigers aren’t wearing orange pants.

The team’s jersey combinations will resemble the same versions both teams wore in the 2013 game at Clemson. The Tigers won 38-35. Clemson is considered the home team for the Duke’s Mayo Classic, which will be played in Charlotte, North Carolina, at Bank of America Stadium.

The Georgia Bulldogs will wear white against the Tigers like running back Todd Gurley did in 2013 at Clemson. Joshua S. Kelly-USA TODAY Sports

Georgia’s rivalry with Clemson will be renewed Sept. 4. The game ranks as college football’s most important nonconference game of 2021. Georgia returns home and is expected wear its red jerseys next week against undefeated UAB.

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ESPN College GameDay crew picks winner of Georgia vs Clemson

GameDay crew picks winner of Georgia vs Clemson

With ESPN’s College GameDay posted up in Charlotte, North Carolina for the Georgia vs Clemson matchup, the crew ended their show with their weekly predictions for the weekend’s biggest games.

Celebrity guest picker Kane Brown joined the show to make his picks as well.

Here’s who the crew picked for the game.

Desmond Howard:

“This is a heavyweight matchup….I gotta go with the Clemson Tigers”

Kane Brown:

In response to Desmond: “I used to like you (Desmond). Let’s gooo Dawgs”

Lee Corso:

“Clemson has won six straight ACC games. Clemson has won four of them in Charlotte. Clemson has made six straight playoffs. Having said all these things, my pick is easy. Clemson.

Not so fast my friend. Year of the Dawg!!”

Kirk Herbstreit:

Did not pick because he’s calling the game.

Georgia HC Kirby Smart on College GameDay ahead of UGA vs Clemson

Watch: Kirby Smart on College GameDay

Georgia head coach Kirby Smart joined ESPN’s College GameDay in Charlotte on Saturday morning ahead of the UGA vs Clemson game.

He discussed the stakes of the top-five, season-opening matchup with the crew.

“Well it’s a top-5 matchup, the stakes are high,” Smart said.

Smart is no stranger to big games. He may not have won as many as he’d like, but he still has a pretty solid resume, including an SEC Championship and a Rose Bowl win.

Smart will have his Dawgs ready.

ESPN ranks CFB’s most exciting teams to watch in 2021: Where’s Georgia?

ESPN ranks CFB’s most exciting teams to watch in 2021: Where’s Georgia?

ESPN recently ranked the top-10 most exciting college football teams to watch for the 2021 season.

For the first time a long time, Georgia should actually display an exciting-to-watch football team.

With an elite quarterback, an opened up playbook and a ton of studs at the skill positions, ESPN ranked the Dawgs awfully high on the list.

No. 2, to be exact.

ESPN says the only team in the nation that’s more exciting to watch than Georgia is the Alabama Crimson Tide.

Here’s what ESPN had to say about ranking Georgia as the No. 2 most exciting team to watch in America this season.

There’s nothing that Georgia can’t do, or at least it appears so on paper.

The Bulldogs were a frustrating watch in 2020 because they had skilled players on both sides of the football. Defensively, the work and effort showed up. Offensively, the players with ability were there, but at the quarterback position, things never clicked.

When JT Daniels was cleared to play, he showed what Georgia was capable of all along. In four games, he completed 68% of his passes for more than 1,200 yards, 10 touchdowns and two interceptions. College football wizard Bill Connelly named him the next Mac Jones, which is high praise considering how Jones performed in 2020.

Along with Daniels, Zamir White and Kendall Milton are likely going to prove themselves to be the best running back duo in the nation. If the Bulldogs can put it all together, they might just be the best team in the sport.

JT Daniels was more than impressive in the second half of the 2020 college football season, giving UGA fans hope that the Bulldogs’ offense can move the ball through the air rather than solely relying on the run game.

With Daniels under center, Georgia’s offense was actually exciting to watch – something Bulldogs’ fans have not really been able to say since Aaron Murray was in Athens.

Daniels looks ready to lead the Bulldogs in 2021 and he should be one of the nation’s top quarterbacks at the end of the season.

He had a phenomenal first year with Georgia, throwing for 1,231 yards, 10 touchdowns and two interceptions in four games.

Everything seemed to click when Daniels lined up under center, and years of built-up frustration with the Georgia offense began to slip away.

Now it’s time for Daniels to carry that momentum into the 2021 season. And it all starts with Clemson.

Carolina Panthers HC Matt Rhule makes Georgia vs Clemson pick

Carolina Panthers HC Matt Rhule made his Georgia vs Clemson pick on ESPN’s College GameDay.

With the Georgia vs Clemson game being played in Charlotte, ESPN’s College GameDay is posted up in uptown Charlotte outside of Bank of America Stadium to get the nation ready for the top-five, season-opening showdown.

With this all taking place in Charlotte, home of the Carolina Panthers, College GameDay had Panthers head coach Matt Rhule on set to make his prediction for the game.

The former Baylor head coach credited the fact that the Panthers are the home-state team of both North and South Carolina, so he went with the politically correct answer and chose the Tigers.

“I had a chance to coach against Kirby Smart, I think he’s one of the best coaches in football and JT Daniels; they’re going to be a national title contender. JT Daniels is a tremendous quarterback.

But I’m the head coach of the Carolina Panthers – not the Charlotte Panthers, but North Carolina, South Carolina. I’m going to go ahead and represent Clemson today.”

I think he’s still salty about the beatdown the Dawgs gave his Baylor Bears in the Sugar Bowl.

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