Here is the Dec. 29 edition of The Daily Recap presented by JFQ Lending.
LeCounte’s status remains unclear
Georgia head coach Kirby Smart said there has been no decision reached on whether safety Richard LeCounte will be able to play in the Peach Bowl. LeCounte hasn’t played since the Kentucky game after suffering a concussion and injuring his ribs in a traffic accident the night after.
Smart said LeCounte is hoping to be ready for the Peach Bowl showdown against Cincinnati.
“I can't put odds on it. It all boils down to the health and safety of that young man,” Smart said. “If he is capable of playing winning football, he'll go out there and play. He's never been shy about it; he wants to play. He's a football player.”
Safety Christopher Smith said it would be a welcome sight for LeCounte to be back on the field if he’s able to play.
“We miss his energy. His leadership is second to none. Definitely his play-making,” Smith said. “He always finds a way to stay around the ball, make plays, things like that. That's definitely something we've been missing and will need back.”
Davis explains decision to play in bowl game
Defensive tackle Jordan Davis said it was an easy decision to make when it came to playing the Peach Bowl.
“First of all, I love balling with my brothers,” Davis said. “That’s a big reason, probably the only reason because I love my team too much, I love my dogs too much.”
Davis is still deliberating whether to enter the NFL draft or not.
“I’m not even thinking about it until after the season,” Davis said. “That is where my focus is. I am focused on this team and this game. I don’t have a decision right now.”
‘Adapt and change’
Georgia defensive coordinator Dan Lanning noted that it has been tough to keep up with some of the dynamic offenses college football has produced in recent years.
“I think the offensive game, it's changed a lot. I think every season we go through, and we say, ‘What can we do better? What can we do differently?’” Lanning said. “This off-season, I don't see that being any different. We are going to reassess, evaluate. You have to adapt and change as the offenses adapt and change.”
Georgia will face a tough quarterback to defend in Cincinnati’s Desmond Ridder in the Peach Bowl. Lanning broke down Ridder’s strengths and what his defense should expect in the game.
“Desmond is a player. What makes Desmond unique, I do not think he gets enough credit for, is his ability to run. I think he is the second winningest quarterback in Cincinnati's history. Has a really strong arm, is up for basically every award for the quarterback. I would put him in the top three quarterbacks we have played this season in my mind as far as execution, understanding of an offense. They ask him to do a lot. You can tell, he makes a lot of checks at the line. He is obviously a really savvy player from an intelligence standpoint. He can make all the throws, is a dynamic runner as well.”
Don’t be like Oklahoma, Alabama or Auburn
Georgia began this season with national title aspirations much like Oklahoma did back in 2006. Two mid-season losses later and those teams were dashed for both teams.
Somewhat similarly, back in 2009, Alabama lost the SEC Championship to Florida and did was not get selected for the BCS Championship as a result. In 2017, Auburn lost to Georgia in the SEC Championship and was left out of the College Football Playoff. All hoped to play for a national title. None, in their respective seasons, got the opportunity.
The three teams other than Georgia then lost their bowl games to teams in mid-major conferences—Oklahoma to Boise State (then in the WAC), Alabama to Utah (then in the Mountain West) and Auburn to Central Florida (American Athletic Conference).
Therefore, you can bet Smart is doing his best to stress the importance of the Georgia players not overlooking what he believes to be a good Cincinnati team out of the AAC.
“I’ve talked repeatedly about the fact they’re one of the winningest teams in all of college football over the last three years,” Smart said. “They’re a complete team.”
UGA offers 2024 recruit
Georgia became the first school to extend a scholarship offer to freshman defensive end T.A. Cunningham (Providence Christian Academy/Lilburn).
"It all started when me and my parents received a text from my current high school coach, saying he was on the phone with coach Tray Scott from UGA," Cunningham said. "He gave us his number after he finished, and told us to give (Scott) a call. When we called, I received the offer verbally from Coach Scott. Basically, when one offer comes in, the floodgates of recruitment open, and he wanted UGA to be first."
However, if Alabama comes through with an offer, which it hasn’t yet, there could be stiff competition for Georgia.
"To be honest, in my household, we've always rolled with the Tide, but I'd tune in if I was scrolling through and saw the Dawgs were playing," Cunningham said. "I think I'd explode if I received an offer from Alabama. My dad would be very proud."
Dawgs For Pups update
Dropping a hint?
Making it official
The future
Outside the Vent
Would Will Muschamp fit in as the defensive coordinator at Michigan?
A list of the best available defensive linemen in the transfer portal.
Two starting receivers won’t play for Florida in the Cotton Bowl.
Dabo Swinney stands by his decision to rank Ohio State 11th.
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