Georgia's offense had a decidedly younger flair to it on Saturday afternoon against Vanderbilt.
Two players in their first year as contributors—true freshman tight end Brock Bowers and redshirt freshman receiver Ladd McConkey—combined for five touchdowns on the afternoon. Their efforts sparked a furious early start en route to a 62-0 victory over the Commodores.
"They’re just real tough, hard workers that believe in the process of working really hard," head coach Kirby Smart said after the game.
Entering the day as Georgia's leading receiver, Bowers contributed four receptions for 69 yards and two touchdowns. McConkey also reeled in four catches, tallying 62 yards and finding the end zone for the first time in his career.
"It really just comes with practice reps and just building my confidence and preparation," McConkey said. "Going against the defense every day, the way we practice really sets us all up for success."
Bowers got the scoring started in a somewhat unconventional way on Georgia's first possession. He took a handoff from quarterback JT Daniels and scampered 12 yards into the end zone to put the Bulldogs on top 7-0.
That's just the latest in a string of Bowers highlights in 2021. He's shown a little bit of everything, from speed to power to strong hands.
That ability has been present dating back to fall camp. Outside linebacker Nolan Smith, who calls Bowers his "son" as part of a good-natured rivalry with the tight ends, recalled competing with Bowers during punt reps at practice.
"I said, ‘All right son, this is where we make our money,'" Smith said. "He stayed with me every rep. I tend to work hard, try to push the envelope. He stayed with me."
Receiving touchdowns of 25 and 29 yards rounded out Bowers' day.
His running mate McConkey had his first big game in red and black. He entered Saturday's tilt with four catches for 56 yards, just surpassing those totals against the Commodores.
McConkey came on late in the recruiting process. He didn't jump off the screen with a high ranking or lots of stars, but Smart and the staff liked him enough to offer him a scholarship.
"I said, ‘This guy’s fast, he’s smart, he’s athletic. He competes, he’s tough,'" Smart said. "To me, that’s a little bit what’s missing in football. Don’t tell me how good you are, show me. He’s done a really good job doing that."
Speed is the part of McConkey's game that has generated plenty of buzz. However, he showed off the other aspects of his play against the Commodores.
In the second quarter, he skied over a Vanderbilt defender to haul in a 12-yard touchdown pass. McConkey later took an end-around and weaved through the defense for a 24-yard scoring run.
McConkey redshirted last season, spending the year with the scout team. He credited that experience for getting him to where he is now.
"I feel like I made a good jump just going against the defense," McConkey said. "If you can’t get better going against them, then something’s wrong. I know if I can do it against them, then I can do it against anybody. That’s really where it’s come from, just them making me better, and everything like that."
With all the injuries Georgia has dealt with among its receiving corps, Bowers and McConkey have stepped up in a major way. They've proven themselves as players who can continue to contribute as the season wears on and the Bulldogs get healthier on offense.
