Georgia took care of business last week against No. 7 Auburn, winning 27 to 6. The Bulldogs are now 8-4 in top 10 matchups under Kirby Smart. Smart is also 5-1 all-time against the Tigers.
Georgia also has a winning record against Tennessee, 24-23-2. After last season’s win in Knoxville, the Bulldogs took the series lead for the first time since 1981. Here's even more statistical info on last week’s win against Auburn and the upcoming game against Tennessee.
-- Last week was Stetson Bennett’s first career start for UGA, and he looked solid. He threw for a career-high 240 yards and still hasn’t thrown an interception this season. Bennett has the most attempts (57) this season by an SEC quarterback without throwing one. The player who is second in the conference without throwing a pick this season is Saturday’s opponent, Jarrett Guarantano, with 54. Here's a breakdown of Bennett’s career for the Dawgs each season, by quarter.
-- This was also the third time in five seasons under Smart that the game one starting quarterback was different than the game two starting quarterback (2016, 2017, 2020).
-- The five main running backs for the Dawgs all got into the action last week. All five produced, as each ran for more than 25 yards versus the Tigers. Here's a deeper look at the five and how they have run this season.
-- Also, a big congrats to former Dawg Todd Gurley, whose two touchdown rushes on Sunday gave him 62, making him the career leader in touchdown rushes by a Bulldog in the NFL, passing Herschel Walker (61) and Terrell Davis (60).
-- Seven Georgia players caught at least one catch against Auburn. Twelve have caught at least one this season. George Pickens caught his second touchdown of the season and it was also his sixth straight game catching one, but the top receiver against Auburn was Kearis Jackson. For the second straight week, Jackson had a career-high in receptions and receiving yards. He also had his first career 100-yard receiving game. Check out where last Saturday’s performance ranked in receptions and yards in the Kirby Smart era.
-- Ben Cleveland was awarded the SEC Offensive Lineman of the Week. Also, when defensive linemen Jordan Davis and Jalen Carter were added to the goal-line package, the offense took on an additional 630 pounds. That's half the weight of an average grizzly bear or four times the weight of a half-barrel beer keg. (Once again, info you don’t get anywhere else.)
-- Turning to defense, Georgia has been a force once again, and the rankings prove it. Here's how the Bulldogs stand under Smart, and I added the two seasons prior as well.
-- One of the strengths of the defense is how Georgia has stopped the run. The Dawgs' defense allowed 77 yards on the ground to the Razorbacks, and 39 yards to the Tigers, in the first two games. They have allowed just 2.3 yards per attempt this season. Check out how UGA has fared against Tennessee recently.
Azeez Ojulari had five tackles last week against Auburn, and three of those were for loss—including notching his first sack of the season. Seven Bulldogs have at least one half of a tackle for loss this season through two games. Last season, 31 different Dawgs had at least one half of a tackle for loss. Here's the list so far this season.
-- Adam Anderson had two sacks for the entire 2019 season. Last week alone, he added two.
-- After Mark Webb’s first career interception on Bo Nix (Nix’s first pick in 251 attempts), the Georgia total grew to four on the season, tying the Bulldogs for first in the SEC with Arkansas and LSU. Last season, the Bulldogs were tied for tenth in the SEC with only eight.
-- It was another booming performance by Jake Camarda against Auburn. For the second straight game, Camarda recorded a 63-yard punt. He currently leads the nation, averaging 50.2 yards per punt. If he keeps it up, he would become just the fourth Bulldog to lead the nation in punt average.
Butler’s 48.1 average is a Georgia record for a season.
(Cover photo courtesy of Georgia Sports Communications)
