Georgia begins the 2023 season as the two-time defending national champions, and if the Bulldogs win it all again, they will accomplish something that hasn't been done since Minnesota won three straight from 1934 to 1936. Georgia credits itself with four national championships, although some sources don't claim the 1942 title (they were No. 1 in six different polls, but not the Associated Press).
The Bulldogs have also been recognized as national champions on a few occasions that you're unlikely to see claimed. Here is a list of Georgia's National Championships, as well as how they did the next time they took the field.
One thing that Georgia fans will notice is that the Dawgs will open up the season with four straight games at home. Such a schedule has only happened three times in the past.
This is Kirby Smart's eighth season opener. It's the third time his team has done that at home (2017, 2018, 2023). He's coached openers at three neutral sites (2016, 2021, 2022) and two on the road (2019, 2020).
He has a perfect 7-0 record when kicking off a new campaign. His seven wins are tied for sixth for the most by a Bulldog head coach. Another win will move him into a tie for fourth.
Some of those score differentials above can be pretty lopsided depending on who's playing. For example, the average score for W.A. Cunningham's squads was 61 to 0, as he put up over 100 twice in season openers. Wally Butts started his career 15-1 in season openers, but started facing Darrell Royal and Paul Bryant later on and was 1-5 in his last six. He did get a win over the Bear and Alabama in an opener as Georgia defeated Alabama 17-3 in 1959 to begin an SEC Championship season.
Georgia's current coach has had a good mixture of skill level in season openers. One thing for sure is that Smart's defense isn't concerned with the opponent, as it has allowed 32 points in its last six openers combined (5.3 average) with a high of ten allowed.
Kirby Smart announced a few weeks ago that Carson Beck will be the Bulldogs' starting signal caller.
Beck has done a fine job as a sub, appearing in seven games last season and 12 in his career. His career highs are all against Vanderbilt last season, as he was 8-for-11 for 98 yards. He does have six career touchdown passes and two picks. His longest completion came against UAB in 2021 for 32 yards. Here's another breakdown of the quarterback from Jacksonville's career.
Georgia has had a different starting quarterback after the season opener in four of Smart's first seven seasons as head coach, due to injury or performance.
Georgia also is missing last season's rushing leader in Kenny McIntosh. Other backs have suffered various injuries, including Branson Robinson, who will miss all season with a ruptured patella tendon. Two Bulldog backs have had many carries in their time at Georgia (how much they play on Saturday is yet to be determined). Here is a look at these two running backs' best games for the Dawgs.
Andrew Paul and Roderick Robinson have not had a rush attempt for Georgia. Walk-ons Cash Jones and Sevaughn Clark have carried the ball for the Bulldogs, and Jones has even scored a touchdown.
Georgia wide receivers and tight ends have also toted the rock from time-to-time in recent seasons.
Speaking of wide receivers, one of Georgia's strengths recently has been the quantity of reliable players. The Bulldogs believe they added even more depth when they got Missouri's Dominic Lovett and Mississippi State's Rara Thomas. Lovett finished last season in the top ten in the SEC in both receptions and yards receiving. In fact, his 56 catches last season would have been tied for ninth all-time in terms of Georgia numbers. He also had four 100-yard receiving games (which was even more than Brock Bowers).
Thomas is no slouch himself. He finished tied for sixth in the conference last season with seven touchdown receptions. Here are career highs for both of these players.
The reigning Mackey Award winner is also back. Brock Bowers means so much to the Bulldogs' offense, and statistically he is climbing Georgia's record books quite rapidly. Here is an article on where he ranks all-time in Georgia history.
One catagory he can certainly climb is touchdown receptions. After two seasons, he ranks tied for fourth all-time. Can he climb even higher on Saturday?
Bowers does not have a touchdown reception in either of his two career season-openers. He has a combined eight receptions for 81 yards in the two games.
Ladd McConkey had a touchdown rush and a touchdown reception in the season-opener vs. Oregon last season.
Georgia's offense isn't the only part of the team that scores points. The defense and special teams have scored in season openers as well. These are the non-offensive touchdowns and safties under Smart in season openers.
As stated above, Georgia has held its opponents to ten points or fewer in each of its last six season-openers. And through the season, that's nothing new for the Bulldogs.
The Dawgs defense is second in the nation and first in the SEC in holding opponents to ten points or fewer since 2017.
Another newcomer will make its regular season debut on Saturday. As "Boom," also known as "Uga XI," will be on the sideline. Sadly, the owner of all the Ugas throughout history (since 1956), Sonny Seiler passed away on Monday. For more information on his remarkable life, you can read about him here.
