Georgia Football News and Notes for Monday

Kicker Jack Podlesny readily admits he didn't follow a lot of college football growing up on St. Simons Island. Soccer was more his game.

He certainly didn't understand much about the history of the Georgia and Georgia Tech rivalry.

“I didn’t watch a lot of football growing up,” Podlesny said. “I always knew there was that ‘clean fashioned old hate,’ whatever the saying is for it.”

Don’t get Podlesny wrong. A little slip does not indicate a lack of knowledge of what Saturday’s noon kickoff between the two longtime rivals means.

Nevertheless, in this era of modern football, with old rivalries like the one between the Bulldogs and Yellow Jackets, sometimes players need a little reminder of why these games are such a big deal.

“Our kids don't know that history. They don't know the history of this rivalry and what goes into it. It was a big rivalry, what it was like during Paul's (Johnson) years here, because of the triple option and playing something different and the physicality of the game, you know,” head coach Kirby Smart said. “I think educating our players on that is important, so they understand it, because it means a lot to our players in terms of what they want to achieve, and they’ve got to win this game to achieve those things.”

Georgia leads the series with Georgia Tech 69-35-5, including victories in the past four games

“Making sure they understand (the rivalry significance), that is really important,” Smart said. “Teaching the history of that is important, because it'll mean something to the Georgia Tech players and the Georgia players 20-30 years from now.”

…Right guard Tate Ratledge did not play Saturday due to a shoulder subluxation that he suffered in practice last week. “He probably could have gone in the game. It's one of those things he checked out before the game last week and we weren't comfortable putting him in and wanted to give Devin (Willock) a chance to play,” Smart said.

Smart had the following to say about Willock: “He did a good job. He took a lot of reps during the week over there on the right side,” Smart said. “He shows a lot of toughness, a lot of size, things he can do better, things he could have done better in the game that he'll continue to work on.”

…Another week, another AD Mitchell question. This was Smart’s answer Monday about the status of the wide receiver.

“AD was similar last week to the previous weeks. I mean, he did run. He had a few higher speeds (reps). He did some individual drills,” Smart said. “But he didn't do teamwork, like, 11-on-11 teamwork. And that's the goal. You know, that's the goal each week, to get him out there to do 11-on-11 and take some reps.”

…Smart put the kibosh on any notion that Nolan Smith (pectoral muscle surgery) might be able to return before Georgia’s season is complete. “No, Nolan's surgery was a repair,” Smart said. “He'll be out. Hopefully, he will make it back to his workouts and his combine stuff.”

Losing Nolan Smith for the year to a pectoral injury was certainly a big loss to Georgia’s defense.

So, how have his replacements performed thus far?

“Okay. Up and down. I mean, we've had some good performances, poor performances, some good plays, some bad plays,” Smart said.

Robert Beal Jr. and Chaz Chambliss are the players seeing most of the reps in Smith’s absence.

“Some guys are playing more snaps than they've ever played, so fatigue sets in. You’ve got to have more stamina. Because as you play more snaps, you find guys make more mistakes,” Smart said. “The mentality of cardio and exercise can cause fatigue and make cowards of us all. So, when you make mistakes because you're fatigued, you’ve got to get in better shape. The snaps have gone up, really, on that whole group.”

Smart was asked by a reporter if the fact Jalen Carter’s recent spike in snaps had anything to do with a renewed sense of “buy-in” from the junior defensive tackle.

“Yeah, I don't know. The assumption you make is that generational wealth [high-end NFL money] is on the line. I look at it as if he's earning it,” said Smart. "Generational wealth, it's not given, right? He hasn't had an opportunity to play all year and show his skill set and really show his stamina.”

Carter has taken over 40 reps in Georgia’s past three games.

“In all his years playing here, he never got to play that many snaps, so he's creating value for himself with the way he's playing,” Smart said. “You look at the top end of the draft, it's one of those things where it's a huge difference between pick 3 and pick 10 and pick 14. It's much different than it is down there toward the end.”

However, Smart made it clear. Future earnings are not the main reason Carter’s on the field.

“It’s not about that for him. It's about, you know, being with his teammates, wanting to do something special. He was really close brotherhood with those guys last year,” Smart said. ‘They're gone now, and he's trying to do something they didn't do. You know, and he's given us all he's got.”

Linebacker Jamon Dumas-Johnson on what his favorite Thanksgiving dish is: “I don’t know. I don’t know what Smael (Mondon) is having.”

Dumas-Johnson is having Thanksgiving dinner with Mondon’s family in Paulding County.

… Podlesny was asked whether this would indeed be his final year as a Bulldog, considering he’s got an extra year of eligibly due to Covid. “That’s yet to be decided,” he said.

… Todd Monken was named one of 15 semifinalists for the Broyles Award, which goes annually to the top assistant coach in college football.

… Podlesny was named the SEC Co-Special Teams Player of the Week while Nazir Stackhouse was tabbed the SEC Defensive Lineman of the Week by the league office in Birmingham.

… Tight end Brock Bowers was named one of 15 semifinalists for the Biletnikoff Award, which goes annually to the best receiver in college football.

… Announcers for Saturday’s game on ESPN are Bob Wischusen, Dan Orlovsky, and Kris Budden.

… Georgia, Ohio State, Michigan, and Alabama are the only schools that rank in the Top 11 nationally in scoring offense and scoring defense. The Bulldogs are 11th in scoring offense (38.4 ppg) and first in scoring defense (11.1 ppg). Ohio State is second in offense and 10th in defense. Michigan is ninth in offense and second on defense. Alabama is fifth on offense and 11th in defense.