WHAT: G-Day
WHERE: Sanford Stadium
WHEN: Saturday, 2 p.m.
TV/RADIO: SECNetwork+ (ESPN3); Georgia Bulldog Radio Network (Pre-game broadcast begins at 1:30.
NOTE: For those with tickets, gates open at Noon
Considering Saturday’s G-Day game is really a team scrimmage, fans may find it hard to translate what they see on Saturday into a preview of what they will watch when the season opens versus Clemson.
That doesn't mean players don't want to show what they can do. According to offensive lineman Warren Ericson, that's exactly what Georgia’s offense has in mind.
“I just think if we can be explosive in the passing game and in the run game, that would be huge,” Ericson said. “As an offensive line, if we can take what we messed up on early in the spring, the critiques that we’ve taken, and go out in G-Day and make the corrections, that would be a positive G-Day.”
Obviously, expectations surrounding the potential of Georgia’s offense have been a hot topic of conversation.
Saturday, the fans will get to see starter JT Daniels. But they'll also look for a heavy dose of Carson Beck and Stetson Bennett, along with early enrollee Brock Vandagriff, who will see his first action in front of his new fans.
Although much has also been made about the fact that George Pickens is out with a torn ACL, Ericson said that hasn't kept the offense from doing its best to be as efficient as possible.
“What I’ve seen is an offense that’s getting better and better and better. That’s what spring’s about, really,” Ericson said. “We want to be explosive in the pass game, and we want to be explosive in the run game.”
With recent injuries providing even more opportunities for some of the Bulldogs’ younger receivers, head coach Kirby Smart has liked what he’s seen.
“It’s really a valuable time for the younger guys to get an opportunity. Kearis (Jackson) has been very consistent. Justin (Robinson) has made some plays. He continues to grow and get better. Adonai Mitchell has made some plays; Jaylen Johnson has made some plays; Ladd McConkey made some plays,” Smart said. “Those guys continue to grow, get better, and compete. Demetris Robertson had some good plays. I’m fired up. I wish I had all of them, because I think that competition would be good to see who the top guys and the starters are, but a lot of the young guys are catching up to the old guys really fast with the work that they’ve been doing.”
It's also going to be a big day for the offensive line.
Thus far, Smart and position coach Matt Luke have done a lot of mixing, matching, and cross-training, trying to find that perfect combination.
Some consistency on Saturday would be welcomed.
“We’ve had some pressure inside," admitted Smart. "I don’t know if it was guys getting beat, or guys making mistakes. I don’t know which one it was. We had a couple of times where there was a tough call, whether it was a sack [or whatever.] The depth, I hope, is there. We’ve had, traditionally, really good depth in the offensive line. I can’t say if it’s any better or worse. We’ve got who we’ve got. I think we’ve got one more man coming in terms of the offensive line. But the beauty is, we’ve got guys out there who are getting better and competing each day, so we’ll see where we are. But we certainly haven't arrived, or gotten to where we need to be.”
There will be plenty to watch on the defensive side.
Smart has mentioned freely that the offense has been ahead of the defense for much of the spring, so it will be interesting to see what’s in store.
Saturday will provide fans in attendance with their first look at the Bulldogs’ young secondary. They will not be the only ones.
“The DB’s are coming along. We have a long way to go, but we’re getting there. I haven’t seen any regress. That’s the good thing, but if we’re on a one-mile journey, we've just hit the first quarter. We have a way to go. We have to figure out who it is,” Smart said. “We have guys in that position who have been beat up and haven’t been able to practice. We’re already thin and already young. If you miss practice time, that’s hard. We’re trying to grow those guys up. We’re in constant search of our best lineup.”
Fortunately, it appears the young group is eager to learn and for Smart, that's a very big deal.
“Every one of them wants to get better, and every one of them is trying to get better. We have flashes of some good plays. Consistently, we have to improve. We have to improve the consistency in the secondary,” Smart said. “That starts with tackling. That starts with eye control. It’s not just the corners—it’s the safeties as well. It’s communication. All those things are critical. We’re not where we need to be, but I didn’t expect them to be. We have a way to go.”
Linebacker Nakobe Dean will not play in Saturday’s game after undergoing Labrum surgery, but don't be surprised to see him playing a key role.
Although just a junior, Dean has essentially been working with his teammates as a “player coach” for the rest of the middle linebackers, while going through plays in his mind
“For the most part, I’ve just been out there coaching. I’ve been getting my mental reps and basically just seeing myself out there, making sure everybody is upholding the standard,” Dean said. “I feel like, on this team more than ever, the players should be the leader on this team upholding the standard. We shouldn’t have to depend on the coaches for that.
"So, for that, I’ve been yelling. I get my conditioning in at the beginning of practice, and then after that, I’m kind of like a coach out there, just getting everybody right, making sure everybody knows what they're doing, but also learning at the same time.”
