Saturday, November 10

Athens, Ga.

7:00 PM

University of Georgia

Auburn

Notes: Georgia Hosts Auburn In Deep South's Oldest Rivalry

November 05, 2018 | Football

Game Notes

The Georgia Bulldogs vs. The Auburn Tigers

Game & Broadcast Info

Georgia Bulldogs vs. Auburn Tigers
Kickoff: Saturday, November 10 - 7:00 p.m. ET
Location: Sanford Stadium (92,746) - Athens, Ga.
2018 Records: Georgia 8-1 (6-1 SEC), Auburn 6-3 (3-3 SEC)
2017 Records: Georgia 13-2 (7-1 SEC), Auburn 10-4 (7-1) SEC)
Rankings: Georgia #5/5/6, Auburn NR
TV: ESPN - Sean McDonough (PxP), Todd Blackledge (analyst), Holly Rowe (sidelines)
Video Stream: WatchESPN.com
Radio: WSB AM 750 - Bulldog Network | Affiliates | Scott Howard (PxP), Eric Zeier (Color), Chuck Dowdle (sideline)
Audio Stream: georgiadogs.com | TuneIn
Satellite: Sirius 98, XM 191
Web Stats: Live Stats
Twitter: #UGAvsUK
ReBroadcast: SEC Network: 11/11 9PM; 11/15 1:30AM

Complete Game Notes (PDF)

Georgia	2018 Averages	Auburn
38.1	Scoring Offense	28.3
*16.4	Scoring Defense	17.3
+5	Turnover Margin	+2
456.2	Total Offense	377.2
233.8	Rushing Offense	155.2
222.4	Passing Offense	222.0
^20.8	Punt Returns	12.3
23.0	Kickoff Returns	22.9

*10th nationally; ^5th nationally

Dogs Back Home

Georgia just concluded a three-game stretch away from Sanford Stadium at 2-1 with wins over No. 9 Florida and No. 9 Kentucky and a loss to No. 13 LSU. Now, the Bulldogs return to Athens to wrap up their regular season with home games versus Auburn, Massachusetts and Georgia Tech.

SEC Eastern Division Champs Face Auburn

Fifth-ranked Georgia (8-1, 6-1 SEC) plays host to Auburn (6-3, 3-3 SEC) Saturday night on ESPN, and the Bulldogs look to finish the SEC regular season with only one blemish. The Bulldogs have already secured their spot in next month's SEC Championship Game where they will face top-ranked Alabama. Georgia closes out the regular season with three straight contests at Sanford Stadium. The Bulldogs recently completed a three-game stretch on the road, going 2-1 against No. 13 LSU in Baton Rouge, No. 9 Florida in Jacksonville and No. 9 Kentucky in Lexington.

Auburn is 2-1 against ranked opponents. The Tigers opened the season with an impressive 21-16 win over then sixth-ranked Washington in the Chick-fil-A Kickoff Classic in Atlanta. On Sept. 15, No. 12 LSU beat the Tigers 22-21 in Auburn. Last Saturday in Auburn, the Tigers rallied from a 10-point deficit with seven minutes left in the fourth quarter to upset No. 25 Texas A&M 28-24. It was the first time in the seven-game SEC series between the clubs that the home team won.

Georgia will make its second straight appearance in the SEC Championship Game. The Bulldogs have either shared or outright won nine Eastern Division titles and have accumulated 13 SEC titles since 1942, the most recent coming in 2017. In the initial College Football Playoff (CFP) rankings last week, Georgia was ranked No. 6. The Bulldogs started at No. 1 in the 2017 CFP rankings and finished at No. 3 to advance to the Rose Bowl Game before making it to the CFP National Championships.

Series History For Deep South's Oldest Rivalry

After Georgia split its games with Auburn last year, the Bulldogs improved their series lead to 58-56-8. The road team has a better record in the series as Georgia is 16- 12-2 on the Plains while Auburn is 18-14 in Athens. In 2017, the No. 2 Bulldogs fell to the No. 10 Tigers 40-17 at Auburn. Then, No. 6 Georgia topped No. 2 Auburn 28-7 in the SEC Championship Game in Atlanta.

Saturday will mark the 122nd meeting between Georgia and Auburn, making it the fourth most played active series in the NCAA FBS (also tied with Oregon-Oregon State). The Bulldogs and Tigers first squared off in 1892 in Atlanta's Piedmont Park. The only event that interrupted the series was a World War as the teams did not play in 1917, 1918 and 1943.

Also of note in the series, the all-time point total differential is 110 with Georgia leading 1,998 to 1,888. The 2012-13 seasons saw the Bulldogs head to Auburn for consecutive years, marking the first time the game had been played at the same site for two years in a row since 1958. The game was played in Columbus during a stretch from 1930-58. The first 10 games were played in Atlanta starting in 1892.

2017 SEC Championship Flashback: Georgia 28, Auburn 7

Georgia claimed its 13th SEC title in school history with a 28-7 win over No. 2 Auburn in the second year of the Kirby Smart era. The 13 SEC titles ranks tied for second most in league history as Alabama has 26 and UT also has 13. Georgia made its sixth appearance in the SEC Championship Game, its first since 2012, and the Bulldogs evened their record in these contests at 3-3.

This was the fifth time that Georgia and Auburn had squared off when both teams were ranked in the top 10 and this was Georgia's first win. In the regular season meeting won by Auburn, Georgia was held to 230 yards of total offense including 46 rushing yards, all season-lows. In the SEC Championship Game, the Bulldogs tallied 421 yards of total offense.

Head Coach Kirby Smart

Personal
Full Name: Kirby Paul Smart
Birthdate: December 23, 1975
Birthplace: Montgomery, Alabama
Family: Wife: Mary Beth; Children: twins Weston and Julia (Feb. 8, 2008), and Andrew (May 25, 2012)
High School: Bainbridge (Ga.)
College: BBA Georgia '98; MS Auburn State '03

Coaching Experience
1999 Georgia Admin. Asst.
2000 Valdosta State Defensive Backs
2001 Valdosta State Def. Coord.
2002-03 FSU Grad. Assistant
2004 Auburn Defensive Backs
2005 Georgia Running Backs
2006 Miami Dolphins Safeties
2007 Alabama Asst. HC/DBs
2008-13, '15 Alabama Def. Coord./ILBs
2014 Alabama Asst. HC/Safeties
2016-current Georgia Head Coach

Playing Experience
Georgia (1995-98): Four-year letterman as defensive back. First team All-SEC in '98; 13 career interceptions; four-time member of SEC Academic Honor Roll.
Bainbridge H.S. (1991-93): Three-year letterman in football, basketball, and baseball; first team Class AAAA All-State as a senior; 16 career interceptions.
High School Coach: Sonny Smart (father)

Coach Smart's Record
Year	W	L	Pct.	SEC
2016	8	5	.615	4-4
2017	13	2	.866	7-1
2018	8	1	.889	6-1
Total	29	8	.784	18-7

When Georgia looked for a new head coach after the 2015 season, the arrows pointed to Kirby Smart, longtime Alabama defensive coordinator and former UGA player and assistant. The 2017 Associated Press SEC Coach of the Year has not disappointed.

In his first year leading the Bulldogs in 2016, Georgia extended its school record to 20 consecutive bowl appearances and posted five fourth-quarter comebacks including wins over No. 8 Auburn and No. 22 North Carolina. He led UGA to an 8-5 final record, which included a victory over TCU in the Liberty Bowl.

In 2017, Smart directed UGA to a 13-2 record, an SEC title, a win at The Rose Bowl Game during the CFP semifinal and a spot in the National Championship. He was named the Maxwell Football Club's George Munger National Coach of the Year. Before 2017, the Bulldogs last SEC title was 2005.

He has also made an immediate impact in recruiting, posting the nation's top-ranked class in 2018 and the third-ranked class in 2017. In addition to coaching, Smart oversees the Kirby Smart Family Foundation, which is focused on being champions in the community by supporting and giving back to needy children and families.

Smart officially came home to Georgia on Dec. 6, 2015. But he still had unfinished business at Alabama, which was chasing a national title. He juggled two jobs for a month until January 11, 2016, when the Tide won its fourth national championship in a seven-year span. Twelve hours later, he was at work in Athens.

Did You Know?
Kirby Smart is one of nine head coaches at schools from Power 5 conferences that are coaching at their alma maters.

The complete list:
Paul Chryst (Wisconsin)
Pat Fitzgerald (Northwestern)
Mike Gundy (Oklahoma State)
Jim Harbaugh (Michigan)
Cliff Kingsbury (Texas Tech)
Barry Odom (Auburn)
Mark Richt (Miami)
David Shaw (Stanford)
Kirby Smart (GEORGIA)

Top Ind. Single-Game Performances Under Smart
Rushing Yards: 222, Nick Chubb vs. #22 UNC (9/3/16)
Rushing TDs: 3, Sony Michel vs. UK (11/18/17); vs. #2 Oklahoma (1/1/18)
Longest Rush: 83-TD, D'Andre Swift @ #9 UK (11/3/18)
Passing Yards: 346, Jacob Eason vs. VU (10/15/16)
Passing TDs: 3, Eason @ Missouri (9/17/16); Fromm vs. Samford (9/16/17), vs. MTSU (9/15/18), @ Missouri (9/22/18), vs. Vanderbilt (10/6/18), vs. #9 Florida (10/27/18)
Receiving TDs: 2, Isaiah McKenzie @ Auburn (9/17/16); Terry Godwin vs. Samford (9/16/17); Jeremiah Holloman vs. #9 Florida (10/27/18)
Longest TD Pass: 80-TD, Fromm to Mecole Hardman vs. BAMA (1/8/18)
Longest Pass: 80-TD, Fromm to Hardman vs. BAMA (1/8/18)
Tackles: 13, Roquan Smith vs. GT (11/26/16); SECCG (12/2/17); CFPNC (1/1/18)
Sacks: 3, Trenton Thompson vs. TCU (12/30/16)
TFL: 3, Thompson vs. Nicholls (9/10/16)

Quick Facts

2017 Georgia Munger National Coach of the Year finalist, leading UGA to a 13-2 record, a Rose Bowl Game victory and an appearance the CFP National Championship Game.
The Bulldogs' No. 2 AP ranking in 2017 was the team's top AP ranking since week three of the 2008 season when Georgia was No. 2.
Bulldogs captured the SEC Eastern Division by going 7-1 in 2017, including a perfect 6-0 in the division for the first time since the league split into divisions in 1992.
Seven fourth-quarter comebacks, including wins over #8 AU (2016), #22 UNC in Atlanta (2016), @ #24 Notre Dame (2017), vs. #2 Oklahoma in 2018 Rose Bowl Game.
Led UGA to its first win over a ranked team in a season opener away from Sanford Stadium in school history, posting a 33-24 win over #22 UNC during the 2016 Chick-Fil-A Kickoff Classic.

10 Defense/Special Teams Scores
2016: Safety vs. #22 UNC; Lorenzo Carter 24-yd fumble recovery for TD vs. Nicholls; Terry Godwin 43-yd KOR for TD @ SC; Maurice Smith 34-yd INT return for TD vs. #8 Auburn; Isaiah McKenzie 82-yd PR for TD
2017: J.R. Reed 3-yd fumble recover for TD vs. Auburn
2018: Juwan Taylor 1-yd INT return for TD @ USC; Mecole Hardman 70-yd PR for TD vs. MTSU; Tyson Campbell 64-yd fumble recovery for TD & Eric Stokes 8-yd blocked punt for TD @ Missouri

7 Victories When Tied Or Trailing Late
Year	Opponent	Start of 4th Qtr.	Final
2016	%#22 UNC	Trailed 24-23	33-24
2016	@ Auburn	Trailed 27-21	28-27
2016	@ Auburn	Trailed 21-16	27-24
2016	#8 Auburn	Tied 7-7	13-7
2016	^TCU	Trailed 23-21	31-23
2017	#24 Notre Dame	17-16, trailed 19-17 with 10:21 left	20-19
2018	$ #2 Oklahoma 31-31	trailed 45-38 with 0:55 left	54-48 2ot

%Chick-fil-A Kickoff Classic; ^Liberty Bowl; $Rose Bowl Game

High Octane Offense

Georgia is on pace to set a record for scoring average in a season. The Bulldogs have scored 40+ points in five games this year and are averaging 38.1, which is third in the SEC. The 2012 team owns the school record at 37.8. Georgia scored 34 in its latest win over #9 Kentucky and the Wildcats had the nation's top Scoring Defense. UK was allowing just 13 points per game and was the only FBS team that had not allowed 20 points in a game this year.

The Bulldog offense has scored 39 touchdowns in 2018 while the defense and special teams have each chipped in two scores.

Georgia did not trail in a game until Vanderbilt took a 3-0 lead in game six this year. The Bulldogs responded 15 seconds later with a touchdown pass from sophomore QB Jake Fromm to senior WR Terry Godwin with 10:15 left in the opening period. Georgia trailed the entire game at #11 LSU in Baton Rouge.

In Jacksonville, #9 Florida took a 14-13 lead early in the second half and Georgia responded with a seven-play, 72-yard TD drive to reclaim the lead for good en route to a 36-17 win. The Bulldogs led the entire game at UK to clinch the SEC East.

Efficient Signal Callers

Jake Fromm is hovering around the school record for Completion Percentage in 2018. He is ranked second in the SEC at 67.7 percent. Georgia's school record is 67.9 by Hutson Mason in 2014. The SEC record is 72.3 percent held by Tim Couch (UK, 1998).

Fromm is 20-3 as a starter, including 7-3 versus Top 25 teams.

The Warner Robins, Ga., native is ranked fifth nationally on the active list in Passing Efficiency at 164.0.

His three TD passes versus #9 Florida all came on third downs covering 12, 16 and 24 yards. He was named SEC Offensive Player of the Week after going 17-for-24 for 240 yards and three TDs.

Georgia also has freshman QB Justin Fields, who was one of the nation's top recruits. After enrolling in January, he has seen action in eight of nine games and is 18-for-25 with 200 yards and two scores and three rushing TDs. Fields also has 162 yards on 24 carries and three touchdowns and is averaging 6.8 yards a carry.

Fields scampered for a career-high 45 yards on five carries during the win over the Vols and finished with two scoring runs.

In his career, Fromm has led his team to two comebacks when trailing at the half. One of Georgia's signature wins came with his 2018 Rose Bowl Game performance after the Bulldogs trailed #2 Oklahoma 31-17 at the half and rallied to a 54-48 win in double overtime. Georgia trailed 45-38 with 3:22 remaining in the game before Fromm directed a game-tying drive.

Fromm's first career start came last year at #24 Notre Dame. Trailing 19-17 with 6:47 left in the contest, Fromm directed a nine play, 63-yard drive to set up the go-ahead field goal. He was 3-for-4 for 45 yards during the drive.

Jake Fromm (UGA Career)
2017	Att	Cmp	TD	Int	Yds	Sk	Eff.
ASU (W)	15	10	1	0	143	0	168.7
@ #24 ND (W)	29	16	1	1	141	2	100.5
SU (W)	13	8	3	0	165	0	244.3
#17 MSU (W)	12	9	2	0	201	0	270.7
@ UT (W)	15	7	1	1	84	2	102.4
@ VU (W)	11	7	2	0	102	1	201.5
MU (W)	26	18	2	1	326	1	192.2
vs. UF (W)	4	7	1	1	101	0	196.9
USC (W)	22	16	2	0	196	1	177.6
@ #10 Auburn (L)	28	13	1	0	184	4	113.4
UK (W)	14	9	1	1	123	1	147.4
@ GT (W)	16	12	2	0	224	0	233.8
SECCG -#2 AU (W)	22	16	2	0	183	2	172.6
ROSE - #2 OU (W)	29	20	2	0	210	2	152.6
CFP NC - #4 UA (L)	32	16	1	2	232	4	108.7
2017 TOTAL	291	181	24	7	2,615	20	160.1
2018	Att	Cmp	TD	Int	Yds	Sk	Eff.
APSU (W)	16	12	2	0	157	0	198.7
@ #24 USC (W)	18	15	1	1	194	2	181.1
MTSU (W)	12	10	3	0	128	2	255.4
@ MISSOURI (W)	23	13	3	1	260	0	185.8
TENNESSEE (W)	22	16	0	0	185	3	143.3
VU (W)	23	17	3	0	276	0	217.8
@ #13 LSU (L)	34	16	1	2	209	3	96.6
vs. #9 ^UF (W)	24	17	3	0	240	1	196.1
vs. #9 UK (W)	20	14	1	0	113	0	134.0
2018 TOTAL	192	130	17	4	1,762	11	169.8
CAREER TOTAL	483	311	41	11	4,377	31	163.97

Sharing The Load

This year, Georgia is primarily utilizing a pair of backs to share the work load between junior Elijah Holyfield and sophomore D'Andre Swift. In the SEC East clinching road win over #9 Kentucky, they each went over 100 yards as the Bulldogs tallied 331 yards on the ground with three touchdowns on 50 attempts.

Swift went for a career-high 156 and two scores while Holyfield registered a career-high 115 and one touchdown versus the Wildcats.

Name	Atts.	Yds.	Avg.	TDs
Elijah Holyfield	103	674	6.5	5
D'Andre Swift	99	622	6.3	7
TOTAL	202	1,296	6.4	12

Next Man Up On The Line

Georgia leads the league in Rushing Offense at 233.8 yards/ game and also leads in SEC only games at 222.7.

Georgia has started three different alignments on the OL.

Georgia's starting line has featured sophomore Andrew Thomas/freshman Cade Mays (LT), redshirt sophomore Solomon Kindley (LG), senior Lamont Gaillard (C), redshirt sophomore Ben Cleveland/Mays (RG) and redshirt freshman Isaiah Wilson (RT). Wilson is the only lineman from the aforementioned who has not missed a snap due to injury.

The Bulldogs have rotated a number of players on the line due to injuries. Mays has started at a pair of spots and played at three different spots, most recently filling in for Cleveland who has missed the last five games with a leg injury. Senior Kendall Baker and freshman Trey Hill have also played significant reserve roles for Georgia during its 8-1 start.

Thomas was a 2017 Freshman All-American and 2018 Sporting News Midseason All-American.

Spreading The Wealth

Georgia's quarterbacks have done a good job of spreading the ball around to receivers. Junior Riley Ridley leads the group with 30 catches for 411 yards and five touchdowns. Junior Mecole Hardman checks in with 26 receptions for 368 yards and four scores.

Hardman had a career day at #24 South Carolina, hauling in six catches for 103 yards, including a 34-yard touchdown. This was Georgia's first 100-yard receiver since the 2016 Liberty Bowl versus TCU (Isaiah McKenzie, 4-103). He had a 70-yard PR for a TD versus MTSU and a 54-yard touchdown catch at Missouri.

Senior Terry Godwin came up with a career-long 75-yard touchdown catch in the win over Vanderbilt and a 24-yard scoring reception to ice the 36-17 win over #9 Florida.

Sophomore Jeremiah Holloman has emerged into another target for the Bulldogs. He has 19 catches for 321 yards and four scores, including a pair that came in the win over the Gators.

The Bulldog tight ends have shown the ability to block and be options in the passing game. Junior Isaac Nauta had a career-high five catches for 73 yards against #9 Florida. He followed that up with a four-yard touchdown catch at #9 Kentucky.

Bulldogs Setting The Tone On Defense

Georgia is fourth in the SEC and 10th nationally in Scoring Defense, allowing just 16.4 points/game.

With the SEC East title on the line, the Bulldogs built a 14-3 halftime lead over #9 Kentucky as Georgia forced a pair of punts, a fumble and a field goal on the Wildcats' first four possessions. The Bulldogs held the SEC's leading rusher, Benny Snell, to just 73 yards and a touchdown on 20 attempts.

Georgia kept #9 Florida to a season-low 275 total yards in their 36-17 victory over the Gators in Jacksonville. UGA forced UF into turnovers on its first two possessions.

In the first half of the win at Missouri, the Tigers ran 38 plays for 159 yards and were held to a touchdown. Missouri entered the contest averaging 43.7 pts. In the second half, the Tigers tallied 22 points and finished with 393 total yards on 85 plays.

In the Bulldogs' 41-13 win over Vanderbilt, the Commodores were held to a pair of field goals until they scored their first touchdown with :02 left.

Walker Making An Impact

Senior OLB D'Andre Walker has emerged as the leader on the outside. At #13 LSU, Walker had his team-leading fifth sack. He recorded four tackles, including two sacks, and forced two fumbles in the win at Missouri.

Walker also has a team-leading three forced fumbles to go along with 28 total tackles and 6.5 of those are TFLs.

Georgia has senior Juwan Taylor, sophomore Monty Rice, junior Tae Crowder and senior Natrez Patrick splitting time at ILB. Rice is second on the team with 51 stops in only eight games while Taylor is sixth with 32.

Rice posted a team-high eight tackles, including his first career sack, during the win at #9 Kentucky. In fact, UGA had a season-high four sacks against the Wildcats. Freshmen Channing Tindall (ILB) and Brenton Cox (OLB) also recorded their first sacks.

In the victory over #9 Florida, Rice established a career high 11 stops and forced a fumble while Crowder recovered a fumble on the Gator 1-yard line.

Taylor recovered his second fumble versus Tennessee, which is tied for the team lead.

Crowder highlighted the Missouri game with a 43-yard interception return, marking the first pick of his career.

Taylor was credited with a TD after DB Deandre Baker dropped the ball at the 1 yard line following a 55-yard INT return.

Starting Up Front

Veterans Jonathan Ledbetter and Tyler Clark anchor the defensive line. Ledbetter is fifth on the team with 34 tackles, three tackle for loss and a sack, while Clark has 20 stops, including 3.0 TFL and a sack. Against #9 Kentucky, Ledbetter forced a fumble that Clark recovered. Ledbetter posted a career-high 10 stops at #13 LSU.

True freshman Jordan Davis has started the last two games versus #9 Florida and at #9 Kentucky. In the contest at #13 LSU, Davis recorded seven tackles.

In addition to Clark and Ledbetter, junior Julian Rochester, Georgia is rotating in junior Michael Barnett and sophomore Devonte Wyatt.

Georgia held Missouri QB Drew Lock to no TD passes in their trip to Columbia. Lock has 19 TD passes in nine games in 2018.

Baker, Reed Leading Defensive Backfield

Senior DB Deandre Baker, a midseason All-American and semifinalist for the Bednarik and Thorpe awards, has 29 tackles on the year and a team-best two picks and eight pass break-ups. Baker is tied for second in the SEC in passes defended with 10.

He had six stops, two pass breakups and the team's first interception in 2018 (along with a 55-yard return) at #24 South Carolina. Baker was named the Athlon National Defensive Player of the Week following the contest. He followed that performance up with another pick and a fumble recovery in the win over MTSU.

Junior safety J.R. Reed ranks third on the team with 41 tackles. He has been the leading tackler three times. Reed's lone pick on the year came in the end zone at South Carolina.

Sophomore Richard LeCounte has started every game this year and leads the squad with 52 tackles. He has been the leading tackler twice this year, including six stops and a forced fumble versus Vanderbilt. LeCounte had seven tackles and a 32-yard fumble return in the win over #9 Florida.

Freshman Tyson Campbell posted a career-high 11 tackles in the loss at #13 LSU, including eight solo stops.

Campbell and redshirt freshman Eric Stokes had career highlights in the win at Missouri. Campbell started the game by forcing a fumble, recovering it and scampering 64 yards for a touchdown. Stokes blocked a punt and returned it eight yards for another of the Dogs' scores.

Blankenship One Of The Best

All-American candidate PK Rodrigo Blankenship enters the game with 75 points on the year (13 FGs, 36 PATs). He is a Lou Groza Award semifinalist for the second straight year and was named the SEC Special Teams Player of the Week following the 41-17 rout at #24 USC.

Ranks second in scoring in the SEC for kickers (9.4 ppg).

Honored as one of 11 players nationwide named to the 2018 Allstate AFCA Good Works Team.

Has connected on a school record 129 consecutive PATs, topping Blair Walsh's record of 119 (2008-11). His 129 ranks sixth in SEC history for consecutive PATs.

Second in NCAA with 53 touchbacks out of 59 KOs in 2018.

Last year, 67 of his kickoffs were touchbacks, which was a new school record. The old mark was by Kevin Butler (51 in 1981).

Set a Rose Bowl Game record by drilling a career-long 55-yard field goal during the 2OT win over #2 Oklahoma. His performance included a 38-yard FG in overtime.

Career Highs For Blankenship
Points: 17 (MU17; 4FG, 5PAT)
PATs: 7 (MT18)
FG Att: 6 (MU18)
FG Made: 4 (UK16, MU17)
FG Long: 55 (OU18)
KO: 10 (MU17)
KO Yards: 635 (MU17)

Blankenship Kicking Stats

Year	PAT	FG	LG	TP
2016	26x26	14-18	49	68
2017	63x63	20-23	55	123
2018	40x40	15-17	53	85
Total	129x129	49-58	55	276

Field Goal Breakdown

Year	1-19	20-29	30-39	40-49	50-99
2016	0-0	7-7	3-4	4-6	0-1
2017	0-0	8-8	6-6	4-7	2-2
2018	1-1	5-5	2-3	6-7	1-1
Total	1-1	20-20	11-13	14-20	3-4

True freshman Jake Camarda started his career versus APSU with three punts for a 55 yard average (fifth best in UGA history), including a long of 63. He is averaging 42.5 this year.

SEC's Leading Punt Returner Back

Junior returner/receiver Mecole Hardman is leading the SEC in Punt Return average at 26.7. He is back in the lineup after having 23 punt returns for 271 yards and an 11.8 average in 2017 (all of those led the SEC). Also, Hardman is averaging 25.7 on seven kickoff returns this year.

He has had a 70-yard PR for a touchdown versus MTSU and a 65 yarder set up Georgia's first score at #9 UK. True freshman Jake Camarda started his career versus APSU with three punts for a 55 yard average (fifth best in UGA history), including a long of 63. He is averaging 42.5 this year.

SEC's Leading Punt Returner Back

Junior returner/receiver Mecole Hardman is leading the SEC in Punt Return average at 26.7. He is back in the lineup after having 23 punt returns for 271 yards and an 11.8 average in 2017 (all of those led the SEC). Also, Hardman is averaging 25.7 on seven kickoff returns this year.

He has had a 70-yard PR for a touchdown versus MTSU and a 65 yarder set up Georgia's first score at #9 UK.

Here is a look at all of the Bulldogs who have been named to the Good Works Team:

Alec Millen - 1992	Quentin Moses - 2006
Travis Jones - 1993	Kelin Johnson - 2007
Brian Smith - 1993	Jeff Owens - 2009
Matt Stinchcomb - 1997	Aaron White - 2011
Matt Stinchcomb - 1998	Aaron Murray - 2012
Brett Millican - 2000	Chris Conley - 2014
Jon Stinchcomb - 2001	Malcolm Mitchell - 2015
David Greene - 2003	Jeb Blazevich - 2016
D.J. Shockley - 2005	Aaron Davis - 2017

Youth Movement

The Bulldogs returned 51 lettermen from their 2018 squad, including 13 starters. However, Georgia is still the SEC's youngest team and the nation's 15th youngest team with 68.2 percent being either freshmen or sophomores.

Total	Fr. (True/RS)	Soph.	Team	Size	Pct.
Georgia	88	58 (39/20)	30	129	68.2

Record Watch

The Bulldogs are now nine games into their 2018 slate and junior PK Rodrigo Blankenship has set one all-time school career record and has another on the horizon.

He now has 129 consecutive PATs, which topped Blair Walsh's 119 from 2008-10. The next record to keep an eye on is career touchbacks. The record is held by Kevin Butler (1981-94) who had 169 during his career. Currently, Blankenship has 147. Last year, Blankenship set the season touchback record with 67 breaking the mark held by Butler who had 51. Incidentally, Blankenship already has the nation's second-most touchbacks with 59 this year. Bulldog Graduates

Georgia has three players on this year's roster who have already earned their undergraduate degrees.

The players who received their undergraduate degrees include: DL Jay Hayes (Notre Dame-Film, Television, Theater), P Landon Stratton (Murray State-Occupational and Health Safety) and OL Sean Fogarty (UGAHistory). Hayes is pursuing a Master's degree in Financial Planning while Stratton is enrolled in the Master's program for Learning, Leadership and Organizational Development. Fogarty is taking a full load of undergraduate courses.

All of the SEC players who have achieved an undergraduate degree will be sporting the SEC Graduate patch on their uniforms. UGA 13th In US News & World Report rankings

UGA jumped three spots to No. 13 in the U.S. News & World Report 2019 ranking of best public national universities, the highest ranking in UGA's history. This is the third consecutive year the university has risen in the U.S. News ranking.

2019 Schedule

Aug. 31 at ^Vanderbilt
Sept. 7 MURRAY STATE
Sept. 14 ARKANSAS STATE
Sept. 21 NOTRE DAME
Sept. 28 Open Date
Oct. 5 at ^Tennessee
Oct. 12 ^SOUTH CAROLINA
Oct. 19 ^Auburn
Oct. 26 Open Date
Nov. 2 vs. ^Auburn (Jacksonville)
Nov. 9 ^MISSOURI
Nov. 16 at ^Auburn
Nov. 23 ^TEXAS A&M
Nov. 30 at Georgia Tech
^SEC game

First-Time Starters In 2018

The Bulldogs had seven first-time starters in their 2018 season opener versus APSU.
APSU: Isaiah Wilson (RT), Tyler Simmons (WR), Ahkil Crumpton(WR), D'Andre Walker (LB), Tyson Campbell (DB), Walter Grant (LB), Jake Camarda (P).
MTSU: Cade Mays (LT), Mark Webb (DB), William Poole (DB)
UF: Jordan Davis (DL), Jeremiah Holloman (WR)
UK: Tae Crowder (ILB)

The True Freshman Experience

During the opener, 18 true freshmen played for the Bulldogs while 36 newcomers made their debut. Tyson Campbell started the season opener at DB in his first collegiate contest. In 2017, 16 true freshmen played. Andrew Thomas started at RT, becoming the first true freshman OL to start a season opener since John Theus in 2012.

Bulldog Captains In 2018