Looking back at 2021: Biggest plays from each game - UAB
When you wipe out an opponent 56-7 the way Georgia did against UAB in Week 2 of the 2021 season, one can bet there were plenty of explosive offensive plays.
Considering the competition, finding one that stands out over the rest is not necessarily easy to do.
But as UGASports continues its series where we take a closer look at the top plays from each of Georgia’s 15 games, there was one that truly opened the eyes of the 95,000-plus fans in attendance.
When Brock Bowers took a short pass from Stetson Bennett and outran the Blazer secondary 89 yards for a score, it let Georgia fans know just how special the freshman tight end was going to be.
Let’s take a look:
Bennett and the Bulldogs were off to a record-setting first quarter after his 73-yard touchdown pass to Jermaine Burton and 12-yard toss to Kenny McIntosh put Georgia up 14-0 five minutes into the game.
Georgia’s third possession resulted in Bowers showing the rest of the college football world how special he could be.
Bowers was already receiving tons of hype from teammates during the spring after enrolling in school as an early enrollee. Upon taking a pass from Bennett, Bowers was off, outracing a safety who appeared to have an angle on the young tight end to make a play.
The native of Napa, California, was never touched. His touchdown was the ninth-longest scoring play in Georgia history.
“We hadn’t really seen deep shots out of it,” UAB coach Bill Clark said of Georgia when the Bulldogs had lined up in a “bunch” offensive set. “(Georgia) knew we were going to try to go in there and stop the run because that’s what they did last week (in the bunch set). Give them credit. They ran by us a couple of times.”
For good measure, Bowers scored a second touchdown on a nine-yard pass from Bennett to give Georgia a 35-0 halftime lead in the game.
He finished with three catches for 107 yards, and the two scores after catching six passes for 43 yards in the opener against Clemson.
Teammates gushed about Bowers after the game.
“He’s a great athlete. He’s young, he’s smart, he’s strong, and he knows how to win the routes by using his body,” wide receiver Marcus Rosemy-Jacksaint said after the game. “He knows how to use his leverage. He’s just a great player. I’m excited to see what he’s got in store for the future.”
The best was yet to come.
Before the public witnessed Bowers in action against opposing teams, Georgia’s defense received an up-close view at the kind of talent he possesses. Cornerback Kelee Ringo said Bowers had proven to be a tough matchup in practice.
“I’ve actually been able to guard him a few times, and for me, it’s the way he's able to use his body. It doesn’t matter if it’s DBs, linebackers or safeties—he’s able to get open,” Ringo said that day. “He’s agile, he’s fast, but the thing is, he’s got very strong hands and a wide catch radius. That’s something we’re going to be able to use to our advantage.”
Ringo’s words proved prophetic.
Bowers went on to set a Georgia record for tight ends, catching 56 passes for 882 yards and 13 touchdowns, the most for any Bulldog receiver.
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