Saturday, September 7

Athens, Ga.

4:00 PM

University of Georgia

Murray State

Notes: Dawgs Host Racers in Home Opener

September 02, 2019 | Football

Game Notes

The Georgia Bulldogs vs. The Murray State Racers

Game & Broadcast Info

Kickoff: Saturday, September 7 - 4:00 p.m. ET
Location: Sanford Stadium (92,746) - Athens, Ga.
2019 Records: Georgia 1-0 (1-0 SEC), Murray State 1-0 (0-0 OVC)
2018 Records: Georgia 11-3 (7-1 SEC), Murray State 5-6 (5-3) OVC)
History: Georgia vs. Murray State All-Time Series Results
Rankings: Georgia #3, Murray State NR
TV: ESPN2 - Beth Mowins (PxP), Anthony Becht (analyst), Rocky Boiman (sidelines)
Video Stream: WatchESPN
Radio: WSB AM 750 - Bulldog Network | Affiliates | Scott Howard (PxP), Eric Zeier (Color), Chuck Dowdle (sideline)
Audio Stream: georgiadogs.com | TuneIn
Satellite: SiriusXM 78/191/962
Web Stats: Live Stats
Twitter: #MURRvsUGA
ReBroadcast: SEC Network: TBA

Complete Game Notes

Georgia	2019 Averages	Murray State
30.0	Scoring Offense	59.0
6.0	Scoring Defense	20.0
0	Turnover Margin	+3
481.0	Total Offense	465.0
325.0	Rushing Offense	249.0
156.0	Passing Offense	216.0
15.3	Punt Returns	5.5
20.5	Kickoff Returns	31.0

Saturday's Matchup

The third-ranked Bulldogs begin a three-game homestretch on Saturday versus Murray State at Sanford Stadium. This marks the second time Georgia has hosted the Racers in history. The other time resulted in a 49-0 UGA victory in 1945.

Last weekend, the Bulldogs opened the year away from Athens at an SEC opponent's stadium for the first time in 1994. Georgia downed Vanderbilt 30-6, keeping the Commodores from the end zone and holding them scoreless in the second half. Jr. Jake Fromm finished 15-of-23 for 156 yards and a touchdown while Jr. D'Andre Swift carried the ball 16 times for 149 yards (9.3 avg.)

The Racers blasted Pikeville 59-20 on their home field in Murray, Ky., on Thursday. RSo. QB Preston Rice led Murray State going 20-for-31 for 170 yards and two touchdowns. Eight different Racers caught passes with three of them scoring a touchdown. On the ground, Murray State combined for 249 yards and four scores. The Pacers piled up 465 yards on offense against the Bears while holding their opponents to just 245.

Successful Opening To 2019 Season With New Coordinators

Georgia opened the 2019 season with a new offensive coordinator and a new Fain and Billy Slaughter defensive coordinator and posted a 30-6 road win over Vanderbilt. James Coley, who started as the Bulldogs' wide receivers coach in 2016 and switched to co-offensive coordinator and quarterbacks coach in 2018, became the offensive coordinator/ quarterbacks coach and Dan Lanning, who joined the team as outside linebackers coach in 2018, became the defensive coordinator during the offseason.

The Bulldogs scored touchdowns on their first three possessions to take a 21-0 advantage in the first half. Georgia tallied 481 yards on 63 plays, including 325 rushing yards, and averaged 8.1 yards/carry. The defense held the Commodores to a pair of field goals and just 225 yards on 62 plays and blanked Vanderbilt in the second half.

About Murray State

Murray State competes in NCAA FCS and is a member of the Ohio Valley Conference. Georgia opened the 1945 season against Murray State in Athens, and the Bulldogs posted a 49-0 win. The Bulldogs finished that year 9-2. Current Murray State head coach Mitch Stewart played quarterback at Valdosta State from the 2001-05, and the defensive coordinator at Valdosta State in 2001 was Kirby Smart.

MSU returns its entire coaching staff for 2019. The Racers welcome back eight returning starters on offense, six on defense and every specialist. The Racers swept the conference preseason honors at the specialist spots as kicker Gabriel Vicente, punter Steve Dawson and kick returner Malik Honeycutt all earned OVC accolades. Last year, Murray State fell behind No. 19 Southeast Missouri 31-0 and rallied for a 40-38 win, marking the largest comeback in program history.

Home Opener Facts

Last year, Georgia blanked Austin Peay 45-0 in its home opener. It was the first season-opening shutout since 2003 when the Bulldogs whipped Clemson 30-0. Under Kirby Smart, the Bulldogs are 3-0 in Sanford Stadium openers. Georgia has won seven consecutive home openers.

Bulldog Graduates

Georgia has seven players on this year's roster who have already earned their undergraduate degrees. The graduates include: WR Lawrence Cager (Miami-Business Management), TE Eli Wolf (Tennessee- Business Marketing), DB J.R. Reed (UGA-Communication Studies), QB Jes Sutherland (Samford-Business Management/Marketing), LS Steven Nixon (Mercer-Business Management), DT Michael Barnett (UGA-Communication Studies) and PK Rodrigo Blankenship (UGA-Journalism). All of the SEC players who have achieved an undergraduate degree will be sporting the SEC Graduate patch on their uniforms.

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 Murray State State '03

Coaching Experience
1999 Georgia Admin. Asst.
2000 Valdosta State Defensive Backs
2001 Valdosta State Def. Coord.
2002-03 FSU Grad. Assistant
2004 Murray State 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)

When Georgia looked for a 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 Dogs in 2016, Georgia extended its school record to 20 consecutive bowl appearances and had five fourth-quarter comebacks including wins over No. 8 Auburn and No. 22 UNC.

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.

The 2019 season saw the Bulldogs go 11-3 and earn a second straight trip to the SEC Championship Game and a berth to the Sugar Bowl.

He has also made an immediate impact in recruiting, posting the nation's top-ranked class in 2018, the second-ranked class in 2019 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.

Coach Smart's Record
Year	W	L	Pct.	SEC
2016	8	5	.615	4-4
2017	13	2	.866	7-1
2018	11	3	.786	7-1
2019	1	0	1.000	1-0
Total	33	10	.767	20-10

Did You Know?
Kirby Smart is one of 11 head coaches at schools from Power 5 conferences that are coaching at their alma maters.

The complete list:
Paul Chryst (Wisconsin), Barry Odom (Missouri), Pat Fitzgerald (Northwestern), David Shaw (Stanford), Scott Frost (Nebraska), Kirby Smart (GEORGIA), Mike Gundy (Oklahoma State), Jonathan Smith (Oregon State), Jim Harbaugh (Michigan), Tom Allen (Indiana), Matt Luke (Ole Miss)

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: 4, Jake Fromm vs. GT (11/25/18)
Receiving TDs: 2, Isaiah McKenzie @ Missouri (9/17/16); Terry Godwin vs. Samford (9/16/17); Jeremiah Holloman vs. #9 Florida (10/27/18); Riley Ridley vs. GT (11/2518)
Longest Pass/TD Pass: 80-TD, Fromm to Mecole 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

Clinched the 2018 SEC East title with the team's second straight 6-0 mark in the division.
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.
Advanced to 2017 & 2018 SECCG.
Went 6-0 in the division in 2017 and 2018 for the first time since the SEC 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 AU; Isaiah McKenzie 82-yd PR for TD vs. ULL
2017: J.R. Reed 3-yd fumble recovery for TD vs. Florida
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	@ Murray State	Trailed 27-21	28-27
2016	@ Murray State	Trailed 21-16	27-24
2016	#8 Murray State	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

Fromm Returns

Jake Fromm, a 2018 Manning Award finalist, is 24-5 as a starter, including 8-5 versus Top 25 teams.

He opened his third season last weekend by completing 15- of-23 passes for 156 yards and a touchdown during the road victory over Vanderbilt.

He posted the school's second best single season Completion Percentage at 67.3 in 2018, which also was second in the SEC and 12th nationally.

The Warner Robins, Ga., native finished last year ranked fifth in the country in Passing Efficiency at 171.2, which ranks second in school history.

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 in 2017 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.

Candidates for Fromm's backup are transfer Stetson Bennett, who is in his second stint with the Bulldogs after re-enrolling in UGA in January, and Fr. walk-on Nathan Priestley. Bennett was on the 2017 Bulldog squad that went 13-2 and he was named the Offensive Scout Team Player of the Year. He spent 2018 at Jones County Junior College in Mississippi. The other QB on scholarship is Fr. D'Wan Mathis, a native of Belleville, Mich., who is not fully cleared following offseason surgery.

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 Murray State (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
#24 AU (W)	20	13	2	1	193	0	169.1
UMASS (W)	5	5	1	0	106	0	344.1
GT (W)	16	13	4	0	175	0	255.6
SECCG #1 BAMA (L)	39	25	3	0	01	2	154.3
SUGAR - #15 Texas (L)	34	20	3	1	212	2	134.4
2018 TOTAL	306	206	30	6	2,749	15	171.2
2019	Att	Cmp	TD	Int	Yds	Sk	Eff.
@VU (W)	23	15	1	0	156	0	136.5
2019 TOTAL	23	15	1	0	156	0	136.5
CAREER TOTAL	620	402	55	13	5,520	35	164.7

Balanced Backfield

Georgia is the only FBS team to have four different players go over 1,000 yards rushing the past two seasons. One of those from 2018 returns in Jr. D'Andre Swift, who led the team with 1,049 and 10 touchdowns in 14 games last year with five starts.

Swift jump-started his third season by carrying the ball 16 times for 149 yards (9.3 avg.) during the win over Vanderbilt.

Along with Swift, the Bulldogs have Sr. Brian Herrien, So. James Cook along with RFr. Zamir White and Fr. Kenny Mc- Intosh looking to carry the load.

Herrien got his first career start at VU and had 12 carries for 65 yards and a touchdown. White, who missed the 2018 season with an ACL injury and recovery, made his debut with five carries for 51 yards (10.2 avg.) with Bulldog fans chanting his nickname "Zeus" from the stadium seats in Nashville.

A Look At The Line

The Bulldogs return four of five starters on the offensive line, including All-American LT Andrew Thomas and Freshman All-American RT Isaiah Wilson and Cade Mays, who lined up at guard and tackle last season. The aforementioned trio is also joined by junior Solomon Kindley, junior Ben Cleveland and sophomore Trey Hill, who all had starts in 2018. Hill started his first game at C at Vanderbilt.

The Bulldog offense churned out 325 yards on the ground and finished with 481 total yards against the Commodores. The unit also allowed no sacks of Jake Fromm in the opener.

This unit was a finalist for the 2018 Joe Moore Award given to the nation's most outstanding offensive line.

Georgia became the No. 2 scoring team in school history, averaging 37.9 points/game in 2018. The Bulldogs ranked No. 1 in the SEC (16th nationally) in Rushing Offense at 238.8 yards/ game.

New Faces At WR, TE

With Georgia's most experienced receivers from last season now pursuing a career in the NFL (Mecole Hardman - Kansas City Chiefs, Riley Ridley - Chicago Bears, Terry Godwin - free agent), the top returner among the wideouts is senior Tyler Simmons. Simmons finished with nine catches for 138 yards in 13 games, including six starts, last year.

Simmons, along with RFr. Kearis Jackson, were the starters in the season opener versus Vanderbilt. The versatile Simmons had two rushes for 10 yards, did not have a catch and had three punt returns for 55 yards. Jackson had his first two career catches for 31 yards. He left the game after getting hit following a 32-yard catch.

Jake Fromm completed passes to eight different Bulldogs with the leading receiver being Jr. Demetris Robertson, who had three catches for 23 yards. His first catch as a Bulldog against the Commodores was a 3-yard touchdown to give Georgia an early 7-0 advantage. Robertson also had two rushes for 29 yards.

RSo. Matt Landers had the first two receptions of his career, tallying 26 yards. Graduate transfer Lawrence Cager had the longest reception by a Bulldog in the win over VU (a 38 yarder) and he finished the night with two catches for 41 yards.

Senior Charlie Woerner has appeared in 40 games at TE, starting six, and has 25 catches for 278 yards in his career. Graduate transfer Eli Wolf, who had eight starts and played in 27 games for the Tennessee with nine catches for 86 yards and one touchdown, finished with a catch for 11 yards in his UGA debut.

Leading The SEC East

Georgia has been the Eastern Division's representative in the SEC Championship Game the last two years. The Bulldogs have won 14 straight games in the East. The streak began at Kentucky during the 2016 season.

A Glance At The 2019 Defense

For the first time since 1995, Georgia opened a season versus an SEC opponent and the Bulldogs posted a 30-6 road win over Vanderbilt. The Commodores managed a pair of field goals in the first half and were blanked in the final two periods.

Vanderbilt gained just 225 yards on 62 plays.

The Bulldogs return seven defensive starters, including the top three tacklers in Jr. DB Richard LeCounte, graduate DB J.R. Reed and Jr. ILB Monty Rice. Against the Commodores, Rice and Jr. Mark Webb led all tacklers with seven apiece.

Georgia ranked 15th nationally in Scoring Defense at 19.2 points/game in 2018.

Up Front

In Georgia's SEC opener, the Commodores gained just 116 yards on the ground on 30 attempts and held All-SEC runner Ke'Shawn Vaughn to 74 yards on 15 carries.

The personnel up front in the opener included primarily Jordan Davis, Michael Barnett, Tyler Clark and Devonte Wyatt. Wyatt had three tackles and forced a fumble that eventually led to a field goal. Davis had a pair of stops, including a tackle for loss, and got a hand on a field goal that ultimately still went through the uprights.

Reed Leading Defensive Backfield

Georgia's starting secondary in the season opener included graduate J.R. Reed and Jr. Richard LeCounte at the safety spots along with So. Tyson Campbell, RSo. Eric Stokes and Jr. Mark Webb. The unit allowed Vanderbilt just 16 completions for 109 yards on 32 attempts to start the year.

The Bulldogs also had RFr. Divaad Wilson, Fr. Tyrique Stevenson, RSo. Ameer Speed, Jr. DJ Daniel and Sr. Tyrique Mc- Ghee earn a number of snaps during the victory in Nashville.

Wilson only played in the 2019 Sugar Bowl after recovering from a knee injury while Stevenson and Daniel were early enrollees who started with the program in January.

Linebacker Leaders

Led by veteran linebackers Tae Crowder, Monty Rice and Walter Grant, the Bulldogs have welcomed in a younger contingent of So. Channing Tindall, JUCO transfer Jermaine Johnson and Fr. Nolan Smith and Nakobe Dean along with So. Quay Walker.

Rice and RFr. Azeez Ojulari were among the leading tacklers for the Bulldogs in their season-opening win over Vanderbilt. Rice tied for the team lead with seven stops while Ojulari added six tackles during his first career start. Ojulari played in three games in 2018, including the 2019 Sugar Bowl.

Walker had four tackles during extensive action in the season opener after contributing sparingly for the Bulldogs in all 14 contests last year.

Defensive Staff Reshuffled

With OLB coach Dan Lanning assuming the Fain and Billy Slaughter defensive coordinator position during the offseason, the Bulldogs made another pair of staff adjustments since the 2018 season.

Secondary coach Charlton Warren is guiding the defensive backs after Mel Tucker took the head coaching position at Colorado. Warren is a Georgia native and former Air Force standout who has coached at Nebraska, North Carolina, Tennessee and most recently at Florida. ILB coach Glenn Schumann is now the co-defensive coordinator in his fourth year with the Bulldogs.

Blankenship One Of The Best

All-American candidate PK Rodrigo Blankenship finished 2018 with the SEC's third-highest point total for a PK at 122 points on the year (19 FGs, 65 PATs). He was a Lou Groza Award semifinalist for the second straight year.

Notched 12 points in the season-opening road win at Vanderbilt, including three field goals (50, 37, 31 yards) and a trio of extra points.

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

Has connected on a school record 157 consecutive PATs. His 157 ranks third in SEC history for consecutive PATs. The SEC record is 198 (Daniel Carlson, Auburn, 2014-17) while Tennessee's John Becksvoort (1991-94) is second at 161.

Second in NCAA with 82 touchbacks out of 96 KOs in 2018. This topped his own school record of 67 from 2017. Blankenship started the season with five touchbacks out of seven kickoffs in the opener.

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: 9 (UMASS18)
FG Att: 5 (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	65x65	19-23	53	122
2019	3x3	3-3	50	12
Total	157x157	56-67	55	325

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	2-2	7-7	2-4	7-8	1-1
2019	0-0	0-0	2-2	0-0	1-1
Total	2-2	22-22	13-16	15-22	4-5

Special Teams

In the 2019 opener, sophomore Jake Camarda had two punts and averaged 54 yards, including a 64 yarder and one that was downed within the 20-yard line.

The Bulldogs used two snappers against Vanderbilt. Graduate transfer Steven Nixon and RFr. Payne Walker shared duties against the Commodores in their debut as a Bulldog.

First-Time Starters In 2019

The Bulldogs had four first-time starters in their 2019 season opener at VU. Twelve Georgia players recorded their first snaps with the Bulldogs against the Commodores.

VU: 4 (Azeez Ojulari, Kearis Jackson, John FitzPatrick, Brian Herrien)

The True Freshman Experience

During the opener, six true freshmen played for the Bulldogs. Bulldog Captains In 2019

@ VU: Solomon Kindley, Jake Fromm, J.R. Reed