Here's the Dec. 14 edition of The Daily Recap presented by JFQ Lending.

Dynamic duo

In three games, it’s clear how much quarterback JT Daniels loves to throw the ball to receiver George Pickens. Since Daniels became Georgia’s starter against Mississippi State, Pickens has repeatedly lit up the stat sheet.

During Saturday’s 49-14 win over Missouri, Pickens accounted for five catches, 126 receiving yards, and two touchdowns. And since Daniels took over the starting job, Pickens has caught 16 passes for 238 yards and three scores.

Before that, Pickens only caught 13 passes for 110 yards and two touchdowns in four games.

“I’ll never overthrow George. All I’ve got to do is throw it up,” Daniels said. “A 50-50 ball to George is really an 80-20 ball. Probably the most important thing he does, and we talk about it at least once a week—I told him I’ll throw it to him every single time, as long as he promises it won’t get picked.”

Pickens had a 36-yard deep touchdown to put Georgia up 21-14 late in the second quarter. In the third quarter, Pickens took a slant to the end zone on third down for 31 yards.

“George—every time you don’t think he can catch it, he catches it. He finds a way to get the ball and catch it,” head coach Kirby Smart said. “He hasn’t reached his full potential. I think people just see him and think, man, he's a phenomenal wideout. He can work on his releases and win one-on-one even more often. He’s so good at adjusting the ball to his body and catching it.”

Daniels provides spark

Speaking of Daniels, his presence at quarterback paid off in a major way at the end of the second quarter. His ability to make any throw on the field, his trust in his play-making receiver, and his decision-making were on full display when the game was close.

Daniels deflected praise to his teammates after the win. But there’s no doubt that if not for his heroics late in the first half, it’s quite possible that this is a much closer game.

“That two-minute drive was huge,” Daniels said. “That was an absolute game-changer. We went from having none of the momentum on the road to all of the momentum in our favor. That started the whole second half for us.”

What if?

Mike Farrell and Adam Gorney wondered whether Georgia would be undefeated or not if Daniels was healthy for the entire season.

“I don’t think the Bulldogs would have beaten Alabama and Florida, but they would have given them much better games and might have beaten one,” Farrell said. “JT Daniels has been a difference maker in the offense, and it’s hard to tell how much the lack of downfield passing game hurt all aspects of Georgia's game. Next season, this will be a dangerous offense, and the Bulldogs may be back on top of the SEC East.”

“If JT Daniels had played all nine of Georgia’s games and kept pace with how he performed in the three he actually played in, the former five-star quarterback would have as many touchdown passes as Alabama’s Mac Jones and North Carolina’s Sam Howell so far this season, and he’d have more passing yards than Clemson’s Trevor Lawrence,” Gorney said. “I still don’t think Georgia would have beaten Alabama, but I’d take the Bulldogs over Florida in that case, and that means UGA would be playing for a conference championship next weekend.”

Edwards shines late

Georgia running back Daijun Edwards got a lot of work late in the game and turned 11 carries into 103 yards and a touchdown. Edwards had a long run of 47 yards and scored a 6-yard touchdown in the fourth quarter.

"Daijun Edwards, man—all he does is take advantage of opportunities. I thought he had some runs today that were just incredible. And people are like, 'Well it's mop-up duty.' They had the same players in. They had the starters in, and we had our second line in, and he made people miss. He's powerful. He runs the ball hard. I love the kid. He never complains, plays hard on special teams. We have to continue to find roles for him, good football player. He comes from Colquitt County, where they know how to play football down there, and he does a really good job."

Future is bright

With Georgia able to run away with a blowout victory, Brent Rollins believes the Bulldogs’ potential is great in the near future.

“This is what Georgia's offense can be at its best: explosive in both the running and passing game, especially with JT Daniels now at the helm,” Rollins wrote. “The yardage numbers speak for themselves. In fact, the Bulldogs have averaged 496 yards and 41.7 points per game with Daniels as the starter. Yes, I understand that's not against the SEC's best, but it's progress, especially compared to where they were earlier in the season.

“Their yards per play with Daniels under center is better than any previous games and improved in each game with him as the starter. George Pickens had another monster day on the outside, showing why he's always a big-play threat, and the Bulldogs got an explosive pass play (15-plus yards) from five different players and explosive run (10-plus yards) from each of the four primary ball carriers.”

Insider recruiting note

Jake Reuse has an interesting report on two of the top uncommitted players in the class of 2021. Since it’s an insider report, you must be a UGASports.com subscriber to see it.

Reaction show

Rollins, Dayne Young and Radi Nabulsi broke down the Georgia-Missouri game after its completion.

Savage pads

Cookin’

Third and Daniels

Outside the Vent

Five realistic candidates for the head coaching vacancy at Illinois.

Arizona commits react to head coach Kevin Sumlin’s dismissal.

Florida’s epic bungle altered the College Football Playoff picture.

With a win over UCLA, USC remains unbeaten.

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