Game Day Morning ‘Dawg Bites

After nearly eight months of waiting the first Georgia football Saturday of the 2018 season is upon us. Georgia and Austin Peay will get things started at 3:30 pm eastern on ESPN. Between now and then you've got backroads to traverse, tailgates to set up, grills to light, beverages to ice, and faces to paint. But first, let’s take a quick tour through what’s making news this morning in Bulldog Nation.

As you've probably already heard, Georgia will kick off the 2024 season in Atlanta against Clemson in the Chick-Fil-A Kickoff Classic. The ‘Dawgs have played the Country Gentlemen 64 times, and the rivalry is a favorite of both fan bases. With the two programs looking like perennial top five teams headed forward, this one sets up as a tough opener that will likely be the marquee game of the opening weekend of college football 2024. So you've got that to look forward to. Which is nice.

Not only are the Red and Black taking on the Tigers, it’s looking more and more like a date with Tom Herman’s resurgent Texas Longhorns may be on the horizon. Add in 2019’s home game against Notre Dame, 2020’s matchup in Atlanta with Virginia, a 2022 scheduled matchup with Oregon, and a home-and-home 2025/2026 series with UCLA, and it’s safe to say the powers that be in Athens have upped their scheduling game considerably.

All this good news can only mean one thing: more Greg McGarity. While Bulldog fans loudly criticized the athletic director for much of his early tenure, he's since presided over a renaissance in football, a national title in track & field, an improving baseball program, monumental facilities, upgrades, and a notable lack of major scandals. That’s about all you can ask of the guy.

Speaking of all that construction around the Classic City, Chip Towers has a nice video tour of the major changes around Sanford Stadium, many of which fans Weill see for the first time today.

If you want to know more about Austin Peay (and you've already read the Dawg Sports guide to the Governors), the Red and Black has an outstanding Q&A with one of their brethren from the Governors’ student paper.

Looking to the future, 2019 wide receiver commit Dominick Blaylock continues to do unreal and even cruel things to opponents. Blaylock is just a baller, and it's going to be a ton of fun watching him in Athens.

That should get your game day started. We’ll be back shortly with the first of several comment threads for the day, as well as other coverage and analysis. Until then.. .

Go ‘Dawgs!!!