Here is the Oct. 13 edition of The Daily Recap presented by JFQ Lending.
Offensive linemen avoid injuries
Georgia head coach Kirby Smart said that offensive linemen Ben Cleveland and Warren McClendon were not seriously injured during Saturday’s win over Tennessee. Both linemen left the game, although Smart stopped any potential alarms on the subject.
“Warren and Ben will be fine,” Smart said. “A lot of theirs was fatigue. It was humid, and they wore down a little bit. We tried to sub in for them there, but there were no injuries.”
However, offensive linemen Owen Condon (knee) and Clay Webb (ankle) are still dealing with injuries of their own. Outside linebacker Jermaine Johnson (undisclosed) could potentially return against Alabama.
Georgia should see running back James Cook (shoulder) return against the Crimson Tide.
“We expect to have him back. To be honest, we thought he could have gone emergency Saturday,” Smart said. “We felt good about him being able to go, should we have needed him Saturday. We have good depth there right now, so we’re hoping he’ll be 100 percent healthy and ready to go.”
Wideout hit by car
Receiver Tommy Bush was struck by a car while crossing the street Saturday night.
"Tommy was in a minor accident and thankfully is healthy, is safe," Smart said. "He has a little bit of a concussion. He's injured. He has some injuries but we are thankful Tommy is okay because it was a dangerous situation."
Sources told Anthony Dasher that Bush was walking with teammates when he was hit by the car and suffered facial lacerations and bruises.
"I am not sure of the exact details, but yeah, something similar to that," Smart said when asked about Bush being hit by a car.
‘It’s going to be fun’
Does Georgia have the best defense in the nation?
While I think Georgia has shown it has the best defense through three games, Rivals’ Adam Gorney and Mike Farrell tackled the topic and actually agree.
And the answer they came up with is the same as mine. Yes, they believe UGA’s defense is the best at this early point of the year.
Farrell: “Now we haven’t seen any team in the Pac-12 or Big Ten but the only team I see out there that can be close to this Georgia defense is Ohio State but that’s doubtful. This UGA defensive is aggressive and nasty and harasses the passer like no other. This could be a playoff team if the offensive line continues to play well and the quarterback doesn’t make mistakes. Because the defense will keep UGA in any game.”
Gorney: “Georgia’s defense is playing like Alabama used to play and that’s a credit to Kirby Smart because he used to run the Crimson Tide defense. This Bulldogs come after you every second of every game until the final whistle. It’s great to watch and no team’s defense is playing like Georgia right now. Alabama got exposed by Ole Miss time and again, Florida hasn’t been great on defense and LSU is a complete mess. Notre Dame could have been in the conversation until Florida State exposed its D this past weekend. For the teams playing, Georgia is definitely No. 1.”
Saban thinks so too
Add Alabama head coach Nick Saban to the mix of those who thinks Georgia’s defense is the best in the nation at the present time.
OK, he would probably say that about Idaho State, too.
But here’s what he had to say about Georgia’s defense.
“Maybe the best defensive team in the country—all the way around from stopping the run, having good pass defense, getting off the field on third down,” Saban said. “Currently, Georgia ranks in the top 10 in the FBS for the following major defensive categories: No. 1 in rushing defense; No. 2 in total defense; No. 3 in passing efficiency defense; No. 5 in scoring defense; No. 10 in third-down conversion rate.”
McKitty looks back at decision
Tight end Tre’ McKitty, who caught two passes for 57 yards against Tennessee, revisited his decision to commit to Georgia as a graduate transfer. McKitty decided to attend Georgia after spending his undergraduate days at Florida State.
“I always liked Georgia growing up [and] took an official here coming out of high school. It just wasn’t the time then, but everything happens for a reason,” he said. “I came into the portal at the beginning of this year and had some great conversations with Coach Smart and Coach (Todd) Hartley, and I knew Coach (Todd) Monken was coming in with the NFL-style offense, and it was something I wanted to be a part of."
Film don’t lie
Dayne Young and Brent Rollins broke down the film from Georgia’s game against Tennessee, with one takeaway being that the halftime score wasn’t indicative of how much the Bulldogs were controlling the game.
“The score and halftime deficit are not indicative of how much Georgia dominated Tennessee in this football game,” Young wrote. “Sans five or so plays, Georgia wins this game by 35-plus points. It all starts with Georgia's front seven on defense smothering the rushing attack and causing quarterback discomfort.”
Rollins broke down outside linebacker Azeez Ojulari’s sack that also resulted in a fumble recovery.
“If not for Rice's scoop and score above, Ojulari's would have been the defensive play of the day,” Rollins wrote. “Tennessee picks up Nakobe Dean's blitz and has everyone accounted for; Ojulari just beats his man and gives relentless effort. On the season, Ojulari now has an 88.5 overall grade and 84.4 pass rush grade. His overall grade is good for the fourth best grade among FBS edge defenders. His 13 total quarterback pressures lead the team.
Numbers don’t lie
Game time
Ojulari named SEC defensive lineman of the week
Threads to check
@15 North wrote a long update about what the local radio folks in Jacksonville were saying about Florida’s loss to Texas A&M.
@Baldwin_Florida_Dawg asked subscribers to put down their all-time college fantasy football team.
Outside the Vent
Dan Mullen wants to fill Ben Hill Griffin Stadium with 90,000 people.
Vanderbilt-Missouri becomes the first SEC game to be postponed due to Covid-19.
Is LSU the worst defending champion in the modern era?
Baylor’s football team has 28 active Covid-19 cases.
About JFQ Lending
JFQ Lending, INC is a residential mortgage company licensed in nearly 40 states across the United States. They already have nearly 3,000 five-star reviews in less than three years, including nearly 1800 on the Better Business Bureau (where they carry an A+ rating, see here: BBB LINK).
Right now, interest rates on a 30 year fixed are under 3%, with 15 year fixed rates in the 1’s. As an exclusive offer, JFQ will cover any appraisal costs AND add an additional $500 credit for all Rivals members.
Here’s how you can reach them:
Website: JFQlending.com
Contact Info: Mcaldwell@jfqlending.com
Phone number: 480-447-6852
