Monday ‘Dawg Bites

It’s the beginning of Georgia football’s annual off week, which means you probably have a variety of things to do that you’ve been putting off while concerned with more important subjects (JT Daniels’ rib cage, Auburn’s offensive line....). So let’s run quickly through what’s making headlines in Bulldog Nation.

This weekend featured not only a solid win over a top 15 SEC East opponent, but also a ton of big time recruits soaking up the atmosphere in Sanford Stadium. Among them was the top recruit in the state of Georgia and arguably the nation, Collins Hill’s Travis Hunter.

Hunter remains committed to the Florida State Seminoles, and has been since March of 2020. But seeing him in Athens for the second time in three weeks (he was also in town for the Arkansas game) seems noteworthy.

If Hunter were to join the Bulldogs’ 2022 class he’d do so alongside Gunner Stockton, whose Rabun County Wildcats shellacked Banks County 63-0 in their region opener with Kirby Smart in attendance.

I have to admit, I was deeply concerned when Stockton committed early to South Carolina because I’d seen him once as a junior and did not like the prospect of facing him every year down the road. He’s as polished a freshman passer as Georgia has recruited in some time, and he’s also extremely dangerous on the ground. Stockton in many ways combines the best of what JT Daniels and Stetson Bennett bring to the field, and I’m really looking forward to seeing him in Athens.

Jake Rowe at Dawgs247 has one of the most interesting stats you’ll see about last Saturday in his report card on the Dawgs’ 30-13 win. Jake notes that Georgia tallied 9 plays of 20+ yards offensively (6 through the air and 3 more on the ground). That’s solid explosiveness. But it takes on added significance when you realize that Kentucky had only given up 12 20+ yard plays in its prior 6 games. If you believe that the Wildcats have a pretty darn good defense (which I do) and that they may be the best team outside of Georgia in the conference in limiting big plays (which they very well may be) you have to be impressed by that. The question now is whether Georgia can finally get healthy enough on offense, especially in the receiving corps, to continue doing that.

Elsewhere, you’ve probably heard Da Coach O appears to have run out of time in Baton Rouge, getting sacked less than two years after leading the program to an undefeated national title.It’s a bit early to know who might replace him, but given that so many of the candidates the Bayou Bengals are expected to focus on (Jimbo Fisher, Billy Napier, Mel Tucker) have ties to Nick Saban, and by extension Kirby Smart, it’s worth asking whether this move might affect the Bulldogs’ staff. Inside linebackers coach and co-defensive coordinator Glenn Schumann was a candidate to be LSU’s defensive coordinator back in January before Orgeron ultimately went with Daronte Jones.

We’ll be back with more Bulldog coverage later, but for now, go attack the day. And...

Go ‘Dawgs!!!