ATLANTA – Head coach Kirby Smart said Malaki Starks' second-half interception reminded him of another Bulldog famous for jaw-dropping interceptions – Hall of Famer Champ Bailey.

“I told Champ before the game that I thought Malaki has a lot of the same traits,” said Smart.

It was an incredible play, one that saw the Jefferson native twist his body in mid-air before coming down with the ball.

Jalon Walker was impressed.

“Let me tell you about that,” Walker said. “I’m on the field and I’m just covering my guy, and then I see Cade (Klubnik) throw the ball and I’m like, ‘OK this is a 50-50 ball. I saw him twist and catch that ball, and I just took off in a spring. That’s probably my fastest GPS time I've ever had all game. That was insane. That was an incredible catch.”

Quarterback Carson Beck was equally amazed.

“Me and Tate (Ratledge) look right at each other, lock eyes, and we were like ‘Oh, my gosh,” Beck said. “It’s crazy what he’s able to do. I’m so proud of him.”

If Saturday’s game is an indication, junior Jalon Walker is in for some kind of year.

His two-sack effort while playing both inside and outside linebacker in Saturday’s 34-3 win over Clemson was just one of the defensive storylines for the Bulldogs, who held the Tigers to just 188 total yards.

“Like Coach Smart was saying, we do have various packages where I’m at inside linebacker and there are packages when I’m at outside linebacker,” Walker said. “I feel like I had a great week doing that, keying on those details of what I really need to do. I felt that paid off today.”

That wasn’t all.

Also in the third quarter, Walker recorded back-to-back tackles for lost yardage to stop another drive by Clemson, which only passed midfield twice in the game.

“We've had to get uncomfortable as coaches to use his skill set, and I think the defensive staff has done a great job of finding ways that he can be successful,” Smart said. “Mykel (Williams) and him both are really good football players, and they both need to be on the field. They don't need to share time.”

Running back Trevor Etienne dressed out but did not play in Saturday’s game while he served a suspension due to his arrest last March.

“You know we don’t talk about those things,” Smart told a reporter. “It’s a good try, though. I’m focused on how our guys played today, and that’s the focus and energy I’m putting it towards. I appreciate your question.”

• Mykel Williams left the game in the third quarter with an ankle injury. Fortunately, Smart said the X-rays were negative.

• Defensive tackle Xzavier McLeod (abdominal strain) did not dress out.

• Defensive tackle Jordan Hall (leg) did not dress out.

• Running back Roderick Robinson (toe) did not dress out.

• Star Joenel Aguero did not play due to what Smart said after the game was a muscle pull.

“It happened on (last) Saturday, and we didn't know. He didn't go Monday. He didn't go Tuesday,” Smart said. “He walked through Wednesday, but we we're all messed up because now we're having to not move one person in his spot, we're having to move Malaki, then Dan (Jackson), then KJ (Bolden) And it's like it was really scary because we didn't have the volume of reps with that make-up.”

• JaCorey Thomas started in Aguero’s place, but Starks played most of the time at the position after that.

• Defensive tackle Warren Brinson suffered an ankle injury in the first half and did not return.

“Warren's was more of a contusion of some kind. I don't want to say high ankle, but it was above the ankle,” Smart said. “It was more calf, in there where he got stepped on he felt like.”

• Dillon Bell had to leave the game for cramping.

During his postgame press conference, Smart was asked about his team’s offseason incidents, followed by a question about the culture in his locker room.

“I think it’s (culture) is awesome. I wish you could talk to our players. I wish you all could live in there and see all our guys day-to-day and see Thomas Settles and Bryant Gant and all the people that stand up in front of our team and talk about connection and share their experiences,” Smart said. “I mean, there's two of them sitting right there. You can ask them. They'll tell you.”

That wasn’t all.

“What you know on the inside is a lot more than what people can paint pictures to be outside,” Smart said. “People use it in negative recruiting, and they throw it out there, and it comes back to bite them, too.”

• Big leg Woodring: Sophomore kicker Peyton Woodring tallied six points, making a 30-yard field goal for a 3-0 edge with 8:49 left in the 1st half. He booted a career-long 55-yarder with 4:16 left in the first half to make it 6-0. Woodring’s previous long was 48 yards. It marked the longest field goal by the Bulldogs since Rodrigo Blankenship hit a 55-yarder versus Oklahoma in the 2018 Rose Bowl win.

• First-time starters: Christen Miller (DL), Julian Humphrey (DB) and JaCorey Thomas (Star), Branson Robinson (RB), Jared Wilson (C), and Lawson Luckie (TE) started for the first time in their respective careers.

• Key freshman play: KJ Bolden made a big third-down stop with a nice open-field tackle to end Clemson’s first offensive possession.

• Rotating at right tackle: Monroe Freeling replaced Xavier Truss at right tackle late in the first quarter before Truss came back in the second.

• Season Openers and Series History: With Saturday’s win over No. 14 Clemson, top-ranked Georgia (1-0) now has won 40 straight regular-season games dating back to the 2020 season. The Bulldogs are 47-2 in their last 49 games.

The 14th-ranked Tigers were limited to just three points, tallying 188 yards of total offense on 52 plays.

• Almost a shutout: Last season, Georgia posted a pair of first half shutouts, and they came in the first two games versus UT Martin and Ball State.

• Leading tackler: Georgia’s leading tackler was Walker who had six tackles and 1.5 sacks with a host of Bulldogs next with four tackles apiece.

• Big-time Beck: Senior quarterback Carson Beck delivered another victory against a ranked opponent, going 23-for-33 for 278 yards and two touchdowns. He is now 14-1 as a starter in his career including 6-1 against ranked opponents. He directed a six-play, 75-yard touchdown drive to open the second half, capped by a seven-yard strike to senior transfer Colbie Young, his first as a Bulldog to put Georgia in front 13-0 following the PAT. Later in the 2nd half, he connected with London Humphreys for a 40-yard touchdown strike and a 27-3 advantage for Humphreys’ first score as a Bulldog

• An array of targets: Nine different Bulldogs had a reception today. Senior Arian Smith picked up an 11-yard reception on the first play from scrimmage and ended the day with a team-best and career-high five catches for 56 yards. Junior Dillon Bell was next with four catches for 32 yards. Sophomore tight end Lawson Luckie (2-for-37 yards) had a career-long 31-yard catch. Humphreys, meanwhile, snagged a 40-yard TD catch to put the Bulldogs up 27-3 as he finished with two receptions for 63 yards.

• Summary of the offense: Bolstered by 28 points in the second half, Georgia posted a 34-3 season-opening win over No. 14 Clemson. The Bulldogs had 447 yards of total offense on 60 plays, gaining 169 on the ground and 278 through the air.

• Running Backs share the load: Georgia finished with 163 rushing yards on 24 attempts (6.8 avg.) and was led by freshman Nate Frazier (11-for-83 yards, 1 TD.) His first career carry covered three yards and resulted in a first down. He had a career-long 24-yard catch in the second half and his first career rushing touchdown, a one-yard to cap a 75-yard drive. Frazier finished with a team-high 107 all-purpose yards (83 rush, 24 rec.).

• Captains, coin toss and starters: Carson Beck (QB), Tate Ratledge (OL), Jalon Walker (LB) and Mykel Williams (DL) served as the game captains while College Football Hall of Fame placekicker Kevin Butler was Georgia’s honorary captain. Clemson won the toss and elected to receive. The Bulldogs had six first-time starters, three each on offense and defense: Christen Miller (DL), Julian Humphrey (DB), and JaCorey Thomas (Star) plus Branson Robinson (RB), Jared Wilson (C) and Luckie (TE).