Friday, April 27, 2018

Two More Dawgs Selected In NFL Draft

UGA Sports Communications

Georgia tied its school record with five players selected in the first three rounds of the 2018 NFL Draft after another pair of Dawgs heard their names called on Friday night.

Senior running back Nick Chubb was selected by the Cleveland Browns with the 35th overall pick and third pick of the second round. In the thi​rd round, senior outside linebacker Lorenzo Carter was selected by the New York Giants as the 66th overall pick (second pick of the round).

After three Dawgs were picked in the opening round on Thursday, Georgia has now tied a school record with five selections through the first three rounds. It has happened four other times with the last time coming in 2009 when Matthew Stafford was selected first overall by the Detroit Lions to kick things off.

A native of Cedartown, Chubb becomes the 12th Dawg selected by the Browns since taking Johnny Carson first in 1953. The last player taken by Cleveland was Mohamed Massaquoi in the second round of the 2009 draft.

Carter, a native of Norcross, is the 11th Georgia player selected by the Giants since the organization first took Carl Grate in 1944. New York last selected a Dawg when they took Todd Peterson 25 years ago in the 1993 draft.

On Thursday, Georgia had a school record three first round picks. Junior inside linebacker Roquan Smith was selected by the Chicago Bears with the eighth overall pick, senior offensive lineman Isaiah Wynn was picked by the New England Patriots with the 23rd overall pick and senior running back Sony Michel was also selected by the Patriots with the 31st overall pick.

Wide receiver/returner Isaiah McKenzie was the lone Dawg drafted in the 2017 Draft (Denver Broncos, fifth round, 172nd overall pick), and Georgia has now had at least one player drafted in each of the past 26 years. In 2016, Georgia had five players drafted, highlighted by the Chicago Bears' selection of Leonard Floyd with the ninth overall pick.

Chubb was a part of the most dynamic rushing duos in NCAA history over the last four seasons and finished as the SEC’s second-leading rusher in history. He played in 47 games, starting 40, and gained 4,769 yards and 44 touchdowns on 758 carries (6.3 yards/carry) to complement Michel’s 3,638 yards and 33 scores since 2014. In 2017, Chubb was one of the team’s permanent captains and led the team with 1,345 yards on the ground (6.0 yards/carry) with 15 scores.

Chubb finished his career second on Georgia’s all-time rushing list, trailing only the legendary Herschel Walker (5,259). An SEC Coaches All-SEC First Team and AFCA Second Team All-America selection, he overcame an ACL injury midway through his sophomore season in 2015 and became the only other Dawg other than Walker to have three 1,000-yard rushing seasons. Chubb helped direct the Dawgs to a 13-2 record last year with an SEC title and a Rose Bowl Game victory lining up in the backfield behind true freshman quarterback Jake Fromm.

Starting on a defense that featured six seniors and junior first round draft pick Roquan Smith, Carter ranked third on the Dawgs with 61 stops, including 7.5 tackles for loss and 4.5 sacks, to go along with a team-high three forced fumbles and three fumble recoveries (tied for fourth nationally). He was a Coaches and AP All-SEC Second Team selection and finished his career with 165 total tackles, 14 sacks and 20.5 tackles for loss while starting 26 games and playing in 54.

Carter combined for 16 tackles in this year’s SEC Championship Game versus Auburn and Rose Bowl Game against the Sooners, including 10 in the win over Oklahoma. He was a significant contributor to a defense that helped clinch the Dawgs’ first SEC title since 2005 and its first win at the Rose Bowl since 1943.

Rounds four through seven will be on Saturday starting at 12 p.m.

Record Three Dawgs Go In First Round Of 2018 NFL Draft

UGA Sports Communications

Three Georgia players were selected in the opening round of the 2018 NFL Draft for the first time in history on Thursday night.

Junior inside linebacker Roquan Smith was selected by the Chicago Bears with the eight overall pick, senior offensive lineman Isaiah Wynn was picked by the New England Patriots with the 23rd overall pick and senior running back Sony Michel was also selected by the Patriots with the 31st overall pick. This gives the Dawgs 34 players selected all-time in the first round since Frank Sinkwich was chosen by the Detroit Lions with the first pick of the 1943 draft.

Smith, a native of Montezuma, was the first Georgia player taken in this year’s draft. The Bears have now taken 19 Dawgs since selecting Jim Fordham in 1944. The last Georgia player drafted by Chicago before Smith was the Dawgs’ last first round pick in Leonard Floyd, who was selected ninth overall in 2016.

Smith becomes the highest drafted Dawg since All-Pro receiver A.J. Green was selected fourth by the Cincinnati Bengals in 2011. Smith was the first player from the Southeastern Conference taken in this year’s draft.

Wynn and Michel gave the Dawgs a total of 318 players taken all-time in the NFL Draft. Wynn, a native of St. Petersburg, Florida, and Michel, a native of Plantation, become the 10th and 11th Dawgs selected by the Patriots since Andy Johnson was the first Georgia player picked by New England in 1974. The Patriots last first round pick who was a Dawg was Ben Watson in 2004 and the team’s last overall selection from Georgia was Malcolm Mitchell in 2016.

Wide receiver/returner Isaiah McKenzie was the lone Dawg drafted in the 2017 Draft (Denver Broncos, fifth round, 172nd overall pick), and Georgia has now had at least one player drafted in each of the past 26 years.

Smith completed his three-year career with the Dawgs as one of the most dominant defensive forces in school history. A consensus All-American, Smith became the first Georgia player to win the Butkus Award as the nation’s most outstanding linebacker and was honored as the SEC Defensive Player of the Year. Led by his strength in the middle of the field, the Dawgs completed their 2017 slate 13-2 with an SEC title and a Rose Bowl Game victory. Smith topped his teammates for the second consecutive year as he tallied 137 tackles, including 14.0 tackles for loss and 6.5 sacks, to go along with one forced fumble and two fumble recoveries.

Smith saved perhaps his most impressive performances for the Dawgs’ most meaningful showdowns in 2018. Smith was the SEC Championship Game MVP with a 13-tackle outing before bringing back Rose Bowl Game Defensive MVP honors after piling up 11 stops in the College Football Playoff Semifinal. To conclude his career, he finished with 13 tackles, including a sack and 2.5 tackles for loss, versus Alabama in the CFP National Championship Game. He was named one of the team’s permanent captains following the season.

Wynn is scheduled to graduate this summer and was named an Associated Press and AFCA Second Team All-American as well as to the Coaches and AP All-SEC First Team after starting all 15 games for the Dawgs at left tackle last season. Named one of the team’s permanent captains, Wynn completed his career with 41 total starts at guard or tackle. He anchored an offensive line in 2017 that featured three new starters and finished with the nation’s fourth best and SEC’s top Red Zone Offense (96 percent) and the country’s ninth-ranked Rushing Offense (258.4 yards/game).

Wynn protected true freshman quarterback Jake Fromm as he completed 62 percent of his passes for 2,615 yards and 24 touchdowns. The Dawgs ranked 11th nationally in Pass Efficiency following the squad’s 15-game slate. Wynn also helped allow running backs Nick Chubb and Sony Michel to record a combined 2,572 yards on the ground to go with 31 rushing touchdowns as Georgia finished undefeated at home and against the SEC East competition.

Michel finished his Dawg career as a part of the most dynamic rushing duos in NCAA history. He played in 47 games since 2014 and gained 3,638 yards and 33 touchdowns on 591 carries (6.2 yards/carry) to complement Chubb’s 4,769 yards and 44 scores. In 2017, Michel was one of the team’s permanent captains and gained 1,227 yards on the ground (7.9 yards/carry) with 16 scores to go along with 96 receiving yards and one receiving touchdown.

Michel finished his career third on Georgia’s all-time rushing list behind the legendary Herschel Walker and Chubb. During the double overtime win over No. 2 Oklahoma in the College Football Playoff Semifinal at the Rose Bowl Game, Michel went for a career-high 181 yards on 11 carries (16.5 yards/carry) and finished with four total touchdowns (three rushing, one receiving).

The Draft’s second and third rounds will be on Friday beginning at 7 p.m. Rounds four through seven will be on Saturday starting at 12 p.m.

Saturday, April 21, 2018

Post Game Quotes

UGA Sports Communications

Head Coach Kirby Smart

Opening statement …

“That was an incredible atmosphere. I tell you, the new pathway that we had to go through, our walk was really neat. It was in a lot more shaded area. We thought there were tons of people there lining it and I know our players really enjoyed it. I really just want to thank our fans for being out there that early. It's probably a little warmer than I anticipated but I thought they were awesome. Great crowd. To see Nick walk out, to see the seniors, honors, for the season they had, I thought that was really cool and neat. As far as the game, thought there were parts of it that were sloppy. Some of that game was by design. I know y'all will never leave it. Everybody will be asking me about rushing yards or do we have a rushing problem, but if you didn't watch that game closely, you will realize there was not an intent to rush the ball a bunch, in which we think we have the capabilities of doing that; that's not the purpose of our spring game. It's to throw the ball, catch the ball and gain confidence in the passing game.

Defense did a really good job of creating turnovers. Two of them were gifts but we got more turnovers today than we got really all spring. Some of the Red guys, I thought Monty played good and did some good things defensively. But I'm really proud of the way the guys competed all spring. They came out in a great atmosphere today. We had some young guys busted up left and right and I'm almost so glad they did because now we're getting to teach from it, and when we go back, and we have to do it for real the next time, they will have a little less butterflies. Suited up and played in front of a crowd like that -- there are butterflies involved in that. Let's get those butterflies out of the way. I thought they did a good job with that. 

Stetson came in and had some productive drives. We think Stetson is a competitive kid, brings a little different mobility in there and get out of the pocket and moves around and hit some good throws.”

On why the crowds for G-Day are so much bigger now…

“I just think that people like Georgia Football. I mean, why, when you have an opportunity, on this nice spring day to come to Athens, I know I would be dying to come if I lived anywhere in the state or in a five-hour radius. Get out of the house, get the kids out of the house, come see who the new faces are. 

I think some of it's recruiting but I think people enjoy football in Georgia and want to come watch it. I'm glad they do because the impact it has on recruiting, I can't tell you how many recruits are out there going, oh my gosh, I can't believe it, I can't get over it. It's the norm here. It's the way it should be. We have a great fan base and they turn out for it and we try to put a good product out there for them to make it a good, entertaining game. Sometimes it is and sometimes it isn't.”

On his quarterbacks and receivers today …

“Sloppy at times, drops. I thought both quarterbacks, their receivers had some drops but we're trying to gain confidence. We are trying to get those guys to get through those drops, push through those. It was big for Jayson Stanley to get some confidence catching the ball. He caught some and dropped some. Obviously Elijah had some. Several guys had a few of those. But that's good for our DBs, getting the ball thrown over them. It's really competitive out there and I enjoyed watching those guys compete.

I thought both quarterbacks managed the huddle, that's what I look or is what are they calling, are they calling the right signal, are they fixing guys that are broke, are they saying the right thing in the huddle and are they being positive when something bad happens. Elijah drops the ball, I'm mad at him, frustrated with him, but Jake -- get the next one. It takes that to get a young player to go where you want him to go, I thought he and Justin did a good job of that.”

On the receivers who are entering their second year …

“What I saw most of spring ball. Every time I talk to y'all, I talk about the receivers being a little ahead and that showed really from the standpoint of those developing guys. I think Tyler Simmons this spring has managed a lot of strides and I think it comes from confidence in special teams. JJ has taken strides. It's like those two guys, Matt Landers is a little bit -- and I'll throw Jayson in that. Jayson is not youthful like them but he gained confidence through special teams. So those wide outs gained confidence all spring and that was very typical of what happened in practice a lot of times. They are hungry. They want to play, so they go to get in front of me, Terry and Riley, what do I got to do. I got to go compete and catch the ball. I thought the guys did a good job of being competitive and doing that and they are probably a little bit ahead -- our DBs are a little more drained.”

On replacing leadership …

“Yeah, you never stop with leadership. I mean, we lost a huge void, but it will never -- even if we didn't lose a huge void, we would be trying to replace leadership. Any time you have, you can lose leadership. These kids have embraced it. We are not where we need to be from a leadership standpoint. If you said, are we there? We are not even close. We have to develop that in May, summer, conditioning. We have to push the envelope with how are we going to get guys to confront and demand other guys. We are not where we need to be and you know what, we have to learn from some examples that other guys set because those other guys are remarkable when it comes to leadership. It made our job as coaches easier.”

On what the team’s goals were coming into the spring …

“We are targeting special teams, and getting special teams to not be complacent. We thought we were really good last year. We developed some more receivers that can play on teams for us. Next thing, defense, we wanted to make more negative plays and give more tackles for loss and we put some things in that we worked on in other practices, not today. Offensively we want to be more efficient with our RPOs. We want to have a little bit more package of plays than we showed today. We felt like we accomplished that, not necessarily today, but throughout spring, we were able to do that. The biggest thing that we didn't do this spring is find out who we are and who are our leaders and I'm not sure we know exactly who those leaders are yet. We know who they are supposed to be, but are they willing to assume the role, because it's going to be forced on them.”

On the performance by quarterback Justin Fields …

“He's gotten better. He's more comfortable with the offense. To be honest I never felt like he was like behind with the offense from day one. I mean, he's done such a good job coming in and learning. It's not like it's been a growth process. He's gotten more confident. He's able to move around the pocket and create some things when things break down.

I think that you all were sitting here last year; said a lot of same things we're saying right now, because the other guy was throwing against the 2 defense and he was throwing it pretty good. And Jake was in there throwing against the 1 defense, which at that time was really good. So it's a lot of similarities between those two situations. I thought, like I said, both quarterbacks managed things really well and I learned a lot more about them being able to handle things on the field, with a crowd present and with a shot clock, coaching other players today, which I liked.”

On some leaders who have stepped up …

“I'll say that there are guys -- Ledbetter is really pushing, Terry is trying to be vocal when he gets an opportunity. We need more guys to step up and they are just not comfortable in that role and we have to manufacture. Lamont is trying to do some things. Andrew Thomas, a lot more guys on offense, that are close to what we want, than we do on defense.

Sophomore QB Jake Fromm

On the difference between this year’s team and last year’s team...

"A lot of guys are still big, physical and running around making plays everywhere. I think guys are stepping up doing a good job, it's very similar to last year’s team."

On going against the first string defense all spring …

"The secondary played really well today and kind of kept us on our toes. They took away a lot of the deep stuff that we normally do, but I thought they played well and got after us a little bit. In practice we've gashed them and got some big plays on them during practice and today they definitely played a lot better and didn't allow us to do that. So we tip our hat off to the defense."

Junior WR Mecole Hardman

On the competition this spring...

"Competition is key and we thrive off competition as players, and definitely other guys are trying to play and get some playing time this season."

On the experience of the receivers...

"We have a lot of experience coming back. We have a lot of work to do and we are going to get better as it goes on and that's our goal, to continue to get better."

Senior C Lamont Gaillard

On evaluating performance in the run game...

“We just wanted to come out and be physical and protect the quarterback. We’re going to move on to prepare and do better.”

On the defensive pressure the Black team applied...

“It’s disappointing, but it’s the thing with practice. Everybody’s coming out on their first day of really playing on the field, so you just have to come and get your nerves out of the way. Come next game, we’ll be alright.”

Senior OLB D’Andre Walker

On the defensive pressure against the Red team offense…

“I feel like we as a whole did rush pretty well. We stayed in front of the quarterback a lot, and then towards the end it did kind of get sloppy. We’ve just got to go back to it and work on it in the offseason.”

On the defensive line...

“I feel like every day in practice, we’ve just got to keep bringing more energy and effort. We’ve got to get more depth at the d-line position as well, but like [coach Kirby Smart] said, it is a lot of improvement all around on the defense.”

Fields Leads Black Team to G-Day Victory

UGA Sports Communications

Freshman quarterback Justin Fields led the Black offense to a pair of touchdown drives and a 21-13 victory over the Red team in the annual G-Day intrasquad spring football game.

Today’s game was played before a crowd of 82,184 fans, the second-largest ever to witness a Georgia spring football game. ‘’First of all, what an awesome atmosphere,’’ said head coach Kirby Smart. ‘’I think we say that every year, but I certainly think that was an incredible atmosphere. I really just want to thank our fans for being out there that early. It was probably a little warmer than I anticipated, but I thought they were awesome. To see Sony Michel and Nick Chubb walk out before and to see the seniors honored for the season they had – I thought that was really cool and neat.’’

Fields, an early enrollee this spring, finished the day with 207 passing yards on 18 completions and 33 attempts. His lone scoring pass came on a 15-yarder to redshirt freshman Matt Landers late in the third quarter, giving the Red squad a commanding 21-6 lead.

The Black squad opened scoring with a defensive tally, when senior Deandre Baker tipped a Jake Fromm pass, intercepted and returned it 32 yards for a first-quarter touchdown. Rodrigo Blankenship kicked two second-quarter field goals, from 41 and 35 yards, for the only Red scores in the first half.

Fields led the Black offense 70 yards in seven plays for a touchdown, a 2-yard plunge by Prather Hudson, to open the second half. The big play in the drive came when Fields connected with J.J. Holloman for 36 yards, converting a third-and-seven and putting the ball on the Red 2-yard line.

Fromm, who finished the game with 200 yards on 19-of-38 passing yards, completed scoring on the day with a 57-yard bomb to Riley Ridley with 1:42 left in the fourth quarter.

Defensively, sophomore linebacker Monty Rice led all tacklers with 14 total stops for the Red squad. Baker, Richard LeCounte, William Poole and KJ Smith all had interceptions.

‘’As far as the game, I thought there were parts of it that were sloppy,’’ Smart said. ‘’Some of that was by design. Everybody will ask me about the rushing yards and if we have a rushing problem. If you watched that game closely, you realize there was not an intent to rush the ball a bunch. We think we have the capabilities of doing that, but that is not the purpose of our Spring Game. It’s to throw the ball, catch the ball, gain confidence in our passing game. We will run it some. Our defense did a really good job of creating turnovers. Two of them were gifts, but we got more turnovers today than we had gotten really all spring. Some of the red guys started to bow their necks. I thought Monty Rice played good and did some good things defensively.’’

G-Day represents the Dawgs’ 15th and final session of the spring practice period. They’ll open the 2018 season on September 1st at home against Austin Peay.​

Thursday, April 19, 2018

Joe Scott Joins Dribble Dawgs’ Coaching Staff

UGA Sports Communications

Joe Scott, who sports 16 seasons of head coaching experience at three Division I schools, has joined the Georgia Basketball staff as an assistant coach, head coach Tom Crean announced on Thursday.

“I’m excited to welcome Joe, Leah, Ben and Jack to our Georgia Basketball family and the entire UGA community,” Crean said. “Joe is known nationally as someone who excels at coaching, teaching and competing. He has tremendous respect of his peers who have gone against him and those who have worked along side him. He will bring many different elements to our program, but overall and he will help our young men get better every day.”

“My family and I are extremely excited to be joining the Georgia family,” Scott said. “The University of Georgia is a special place. This is a tremendous opportunity to help Coach Crean implement his vision and make Georgia Basketball special. I cannot wait to get started coaching our players to develop and get better every day.”

Scott, who in 2013 was tabbed one of the nation’s top-20 “Xs & Os” coaches in a survey of his peers by ESPN’s Jeff Goodman, was head coach at Air Force for four seasons, Princeton for three campaigns and Denver for nine seasons. He also has served as an assistant coach at Monmouth, Princeton and Holy Cross. All told, Scott sports 27 years of collegiate coaching experience.

Before breaking into the head coaching ranks, Scott was an assistant coach at Monmouth during the 1991-92 season and at Princeton from 1992-2000. While at Princeton, Scott helped the Tigers to five consecutive postseason appearances, with trips to the 1996, 1997 and 1998 NCAA Tournaments and the 1999 and 2000 NITs. The Tigers won three Ivy League titles from 1996-98, including perfect 14-0 records in the final two seasons. Princeton upset defending national champion UCLA in the 1996 NCAA Tournament and ranked as high as No. 7 nationally in 1998 en route to earning a No. 5 seed in the NCAA Tournament, the highest ever for an Ivy League team.

Scott was head coach at Air Force from 2000-04 and led the Falcons to unprecedented success. He took over a program that had not produced a winning record in 22 years and four years later led the Falcons to a 22-7 finish, the Mountain West Conference regular-season title and their first NCAA Tournament appearance in 42 years. That same season, he was named MWC Coach of the Year, the National Association of Basketball Coaches (NABC) District 13 Coach of the Year and finished fourth in balloting for Associated Press National Coach of the Year.

Scott returned to Princeton, his alma mater, and served as head coach of the Tigers from 2004-07. Princeton finished first in the nation in scoring defense in 2006-07 after finishing second in Scott’s first two seasons.

Scott was head coach at Denver from 2007-16. He took over a program that ranked 335th (of 336 teams) in the NCAA RPI prior to his arrival and went on to produce a school-record Division I 22 victories in back-to-back campaigns in 2012 and 2013. In 2012, Scott was a finalist for the Hugh Durham Award as the top mid-major head coach in the nation. In 2013, Denver shared the Western Athletic Conference regular-season title, earned an NIT bid and secured the first postseason victory in school history.

Scott spent the past two seasons as an assistant coach at Holy Cross on the staff Bill Carmody. Carmody was an assistant coach for the Tigers when Scott was a four-year letterwinner from 1983-87. Scott also served as an assistant coach along with Carmody under the legendary Pete Carril and under Carmody after he succeeded Carril in 1996.

Scott was a three-year starter and two-time All-Ivy selection at point guard at Princeton. He secured second-team All-Ivy status in 1987 after being an honorable mention choice in 1986. As a freshman, Scott helped the Tigers win the Ivy League title and reach the round of 32 of the NCAA Tournament. He led Princeton in steals as a sophomore, junior and senior and still ranks No. 7 among the Tigers’ career leaders with 144. Scott connected on what was then a school-record 59 3-pointers as a senior. He scored 809 points in 99 career outings, an average of 8.2 ppg.

Scott earned his bachelor’s degree in history from Princeton in 1987 and then secured his law degree from University of Notre Dame in 1990. He worked for the Morristown, N.J., law firm of Ribis, Graham & Curtin before beginning his coaching career at Monmouth.

A native of Pelican Island, N.J., Scott was a three-sport star at Toms River High School East. He earned third-team all-state honors in basketball, first-team all-shore accolades in football and first-team all-county recognition in baseball.

Scott is married to the former Leah Spraragen, a 1992 Princeton graduate who was a four-year starter at point guard for the Tigers and was an assistant coach at Princeton, Dartmouth and Arizona State. The Scotts have two sons, Ben and Jack.

Dawgs Put Finishing Touches on G-Day Preparations

UGA Sports Communictions


The Dawgs wrapped up final preparations for Saturday’s G-Day Game under clear skies Thursday afternoon on the Georgia campus.

Thursday’s workout was the final practice before the upcoming G-Day Game, which is scheduled to start at 4 p.m. ET at Sanford Stadium. According to head coach Kirby Smart, it was a good way to end the month-long spring practice period.

“I thought the guys had good focus,” Smart said. “We were able to go over a couple of different opponents we have coming in next year to generate some interest. They like doing that. It kind of brings a spark to their eyes when you get to work on another opponent and not just each other. Then, we divided up the teams and had a good practice.”

Saturday’s game presents an opportunity for the Dawgs to play in front of a large crowd for the first time since last season or for the first time in their careers for some newcomers. Smart echoed the importance of having a full stadium to give the players a glimpse of a real game environment.

“I want to evaluate the players.” Smart added. “ I want them to play in a big time atmosphere. I think the more butterflies they have (on Saturday) the less they have the next time. We have a lot of guys who will be playing — not for the first time — but they will be playing significant roles for the first time, so the more experience they get that’s my focus and intent. I want it to be enjoyable. I want it to be entertaining. I want the fans to come back, but I want to put a good product at there.”

Gates will open at 1 p.m. on Saturday and admission to G-Day is free. The UGA Athletic Association will be implementing it's "clear bag" policy for the game.

The day's activities will begin with a flag football game among alumni lettermen from 1:15-2:15.

With expected high demand and temporarily reduced seating due to the construction on the new West End Zone complex, the UGA Athletic Association will be implementing a pass system. Upon entrance, each fan will receive a commemorative pass with a seating section. The UGAAA asks that each fan sits in this section to help manage what is expected to be a near-capacity crowd. Gates 2-9 will be open as usual. However, Gate 10 (gate under the bridge next to the Tate Center) will be closed due to construction. To help reduce congestion and further improve ingress flow, please enter on the side of the stadium where each fan's preferred seating location would be. Additional pass/entry questions can be directed to facilitysupport@sports.uga.edu.

Tuesday, April 17, 2018

Dawgs Closing In On G-Day

UGA Sports Communications

The Dawgs practiced in full pads for roughly two and a half hours on Tuesday afternoon with a smattering of guests on hand.

Four days from now, the Dawgs will conduct a similar workout during their annual G-Day game at Sanford Stadium, and they hope to do so before more than 75,000 fans.

Two years ago, Georgia’s supporters packed Sanford Stadium for “93K Day” at the annual spring game. While a construction project in the West End Zone this spring will keep that portion of the facility empty on Saturday, the Dawgs are still eager to see the rest of the stadium filled.

Juniors defensive end David Marshall and sophomore offensive tackle Andrew Thomas both were at the 2016 G-Day game before joining the Dawgs. Marshall had signed with Georgia earlier in the year, while Thomas was making his first trip to Sanford Stadium as a junior at Pace Academy.

“Mostly, I remember it felt like a real game,” Marshall said. “Seeing all the fans in the stands, it gave me chills. It proves that everybody at Georgia is like a family and our fans support us so much. I’m really excited to be able to get out there Saturday and play this time.”

“It was crazy experience,” Thomas said. “I had never been to a Georgia game before so it was my first experience in Sanford Stadium. So many people were there, and then I heard they even had to deny some people coming in because there were so many. It was a crazy atmosphere, and it did help sway my decision early on. That’s what started getting me to like the place more.”

Gates will open at 1:00 p.m. on Saturday and admission to G-Day is free. The UGA Athletic Association will be implementing it’s “clear bag” policy for the G-Day Game.

The day’s activities will begin with a flag football game among alumni lettermen from 1:15-2:15.

With expected high demand and temporarily reduced seating due to the construction on the new West End Zone complex, the UGA Athletic Association will be implementing a pass system. Upon entrance, each fan will receive a commemorative pass with a seating section. The UGAAA asks that each fan sits in this section to help manage what is expected to be a near-capacity crowd. Gates 2-9 will be open as usual. However, Gate 10 (gate under the bridge next to the Tate Center) will be closed due to construction. To help reduce congestion and further improve ingress flow, please enter on the side of the stadium where each fan's preferred seating location would be. Additional pass/entry questions can be directed to facilitysupport@sports.uga.edu.

The Dawgs will begin their 2018 campaign with a home matchup against Austin Peay on Saturday, Sept. 1. Georgia will travel to Columbia, S.C., to open its Southeastern Conference schedule against South Carolina on Sept. 8.

Saturday, April 14, 2018

Post Scrimmage Press Conference

UGA Sports Communications
The Dawgs held a two-and-a-half-hour scrimmage in Sanford Stadium on Saturday afternoon in preparation for the annual G-Day intrasquad scrimmage on Saturday, April 21. This marked Georgia’s 12th of 15 practices this spring with the next one scheduled on Tuesday.

The following are excerpts from head coach Kirby Smart’s post-practice press briefing:

Opening Statement:

We are a week away from G-Day and we are certainly excited for what forecasters are suggesting will be a great weather day and we are challenging our fans to come out. There is no greater ability to challenge our team and younger players than to put whatever the maximum number of fans the stadium will seat right now in there. Our fans have been incredible this season and they’ll have the chance to come out and see our players, our early enrollees come out and compete. As far as today, it was a good spirited scrimmage. We didn’t have anyone injured, which is good since we have had some guys who have been down. We tried to test the defense by running the ball more and I thought the defense had one of their better defenses are far as stopping the run. The offense kind of dominated the third down situations. So it was kind of a seesaw effect and it made it a competitive scrimmage.

Did D’Andre Swift play in the scrimmage?

He went in the warmups and in some of the 7-on-7 play but didn’t get to go in the scrimmage. He’s been practicing every day doing pass protection, some routes and as much as he can do. But he has not been doing full live tackle. We are not sure if he will play (in G-Day).

Did the quarterbacks and the offense have a good day in the scrimmage?

I don’t know what you call a good day. Third down was good, we probably weren’t as efficient in the quick game. But we had some big explosive plays and overall I thought we were very balanced. The quarterbacks did some good things. Some of the wideouts continue to grow and develop. I think the biggest thing we see with the wideouts is their development in the special teams. Special teams were foreign (Jeremiah) Holloman last year, I don’t think he had ever played it. This year, he’s playing fast with confidence and he’s really helping us in a special teams role.

Are y’all changing anything up in regards to the new kickoff rule (fair catches anywhere inside the 25-yard line resulting in touchbacks and the football being placed at the 25-yard line)?

We are not changing anything. We are going to prepare for it. Higher, shorter kicks will be fair caught. All the kicks we don’t think we will get to the 25, we will fair catch. So it’ll depend on what type kicker we are facing.

How has Matt Landers progressed?

He’s actually got a hand injury he’s dealing with. He has a hard cast on a thumb sprain right now but he made a couple big plays today. He’s developing well, just has to continue to work on his toughness. He’s a big guy who is a hard matchup for the defense. He made an explosive play today, he just has to be more consistent in his play and in his leadership. I do think Matt is progressing and has gotten better.

What is the status on Jarvis Wilson?

He’s dinged up right now. He has a foot sprain from the last scrimmage and we don’t know how long he will be out.

How do you feel like the nine early enrollees have done this spring and does anyone stand out?

It’s hard to say. I’m proud of each one of them because I think it’s one of the hardest things to do. It’s different when you come in with 20 guys in the fall and you can go and commiserate with each other back at the dorm. These guys have been embraced by the rest of our team, but they are by themselves and going against big-league people and none of them look out of place. Everyone but Divaad Wilson and Zamir White are out there competing like they have been here the whole time. The three offensive linemen are in there working with the second team, Brenton Cox is in there with the first team on pass rush. I think it was really important for us to get those guys in early.

Thursday, April 12, 2018

Mackenzie Engram Selected by Atlanta Dream in WNBA Draft

UGA Sports Communications

Mackenzie Engram, who just completed her senior season on the Georgia Lady Dawgs basketball team, was selected by the Atlanta Dream in the third round of the 2018 WNBA Draft Thursday evening.

Taken 27th overall, the Powder Springs, Georgia native and 2018 All-SEC performer becomes the 22nd Lady Dawg — and the first since Shacobia Barbee in 2016 — to be selected in the WNBA Draft.

“It is a special feeling to hear your name called on draft night, and I could not be more excited for Mackenzie and her entire family,” head coach Joni Taylor said. “With Mackenzie, you get the whole package. First of all, she’s a very skilled player who brings so much to the court from a basketball standpoint. Off the court, she’s someone you hope your daughter becomes one day. She’s smart, thoughtful, caring and the perfect teammate. I’m thrilled for Mackenzie but also excited for the Atlanta Dream because they are getting a very special player.”

Engram was a star during her four years in Athens. After placing on the SEC All-Freshman Team in 2015, she developed into an all-conference player during her senior campaign. Engram paced the Lady Dawgs in scoring as she led the team to 26 wins — the most for Georgia since the 2006-07 season.

The 6-foot-2 forward averaged 12.9 points and 7.0 rebounds per game and finished the season with nine double figure scoring games over the last 11 contests. The Lady Dawgs earned a No. 4 seed and hosted the first and second rounds of the NCAA tournament.

Engram’s efforts did not stop on the court. She was widely known as a leader when it came to community service efforts and placed on the SEC Community Service Team in each of the past two seasons.

In 2017, her brother Evan was drafted in the first round of the NFL Draft by the New York Giants.

Engram joins a long line of former Georgia Lady Dawgs who played in the WNBA. In all, Georgia’s total of 22 draft picks ranks fourth nationally among all collegiate women’s basketball programs.

Tuesday, April 10, 2018

Post Practice Interviews

UGA Sports Communications

The Dawgs practiced in full pads for just over two hours on Tuesday afternoon under idyllic conditions in Athens. The workout was the team’s 10th of 15 sessions during Spring practices, which will culminate with the traditional intrasquad G-Day game a week from Saturday.

Post-practice interviews included a pair of juniors, tight end Isaac Nauta and defensive back J.R. Reed.

Nauta started nine of 15 games a year ago and is adjusting to his new position coach, offensive coordinator Jim Chaney. After working with quarterbacks during his first two seasons at Georgia, Chaney has shifted to tight ends this spring, a position he also coached with the St. Louis Rams.

“He’s definitely put a big emphasis on blocking and route running,” Nauta said. “He coached tight ends in the league so he’s got a lot of different techniques that have already really helped us. It’s been kind of eye opening for me, really. It’s been good. I feel like I’ve grown as a blocker in just the couple of weeks that he’s been coaching us. It’s good for us to learn that stuff and to learn it from a coach who’s been at the highest level and taught it there. It’s been positive. It hasn’t been easy. He’s been pushing us. We’ve had a lot of reps, but it’s only going to benefit us in the long run.”

Reed was fighting for a spot last spring and went on to become a second-team All-SEC performer last season after finishing second on the team with 79 tackles.

“I’m approaching this spring more as a leadership role because we have a lot of guys who are in the position I was in last year,” Reed said. “Mainly, I’m trying to lead the younger guys because there is a lot of competition in the secondary. How I take it is trying to be a captain and be a leader and help the young guys learn the playbook and learn what they have to do on the field.”

The Dawgs’ G-Day game at Sanford Stadium is slated for April 21 at 4 p.m. and will be televised live on ESPN. Prior to the G-Day matchup, lettermen from the program's past will square off in a flag football game beginning at 1:15 p.m. At halftime of G-Day, the Dawgs’ incoming class of 2018 signees will be introduced to fans.

Admission to G-Day is free. With expected high demand and temporarily reduced seating due to the construction on the new West End Zone complex, the UGA Athletic Association will be implementing a pass system. Upon entrance, each fan will receive a commemorative pass with a seating section. The UGAAA asks that each fan sits in this section to help manage what is expected to be a near-capacity crowd. Gates 2-9 will be open as usual. However, Gate 10 (gate under the bridge next to the Tate Center) will be closed due to construction. To help reduce congestion and further improve ingress flow, please enter on the side of the stadium where each fan's preferred seating location would be. Additional pass/entry questions can be directed to facilitysupport@sports.uga.edu.

The Dawgs will begin their 2018 campaign with a home match-up against Austin Peay on Saturday, Sept. 1. Georgia will travel to Columbia, S.C., to open its Southeastern Conference schedule against South Carolina on Sept. 8.

Saturday, April 7, 2018

Post Scrimmage Press Conference

UGA Sports Communications

The Dawgs held a 2 1/2-hour scrimmage on Saturday afternoon. The following are excerpts from Georgia head coach Kirby Smart’s post-practice press briefing:

On the P.O. Network:

“We had a tremendous Georgia Way event this morning in the indoor facility in honor of Paul Oliver. It was great for the players and the former players who came back to network. We had over 100 companies here and it was tremendous for the players.”

On the scrimmage:

“Due to the weather, we went inside with the scrimmage. The outside fields were too slick. We still had an upbeat scrimmage. I regret not getting the elements – hot, cold, humidity – for the scrimmage, so that made it a little easier. It was upbeat with good competition. We have a long way to go to be the football team we need to be, but the kids are buying in and competing. Both offenses moved the ball well and the defense played hard. Guys are buying in and playing hard.”

On tackling:

“We don’t tackle day to day, but we tackle in the scrimmages. The whistle doesn’t blow early in the scrimmage, so it’s good to see plays like that. That’s the goal, to have good competition.”

On Justin Young:

“Justin Young has a mild knee sprain, but we think he’ll be back before spring is over. He should be fine.”

On quarterbacks Jake Fromm and Justin Fields:
“Both guys handled the offense well and did a good job of communicating. They handled situations well. I thought they competed hard and did some good things.”

On Mark Webb:

“Mark Webb is one of the toughest kids I’ve coached. He won’t take himself out. He continues to grow and develop. He’s physical and tough, and I like that about him.”

On the secondary:

“We’ve got a long way to go in the secondary. We had a unique unit of DBs that played a long time. With them gone, we’re trying to get some guys in here to fill that void. We’re not where we need to be, we don’t have the depth we need and we’re not playing at the level we need to play at. They’re going against some good quarterbacks and receivers at practice everyday.”

On the special teams part of the scrimmage:

“It was well organized and the best scrimmage we’ve ever had. We were efficient with the GA’s getting players on and off the field. The only difference was with punting. I threw the ball instead of us punting it and we didn’t waste any reps. It was very efficient.”

On the secondary:

‘With the defensive front and the secondary, we don’t have the depth we need. We’ve got good frontline players, but if a guy goes down, what’s the answer? That’s coaching. We’re looking at personnel and packages.”​

Tuesday, April 3, 2018

Dawgs Complete Seventh Practice

UGA Sports Communications
The Dawgs inched closer to the midway point of their spring regimen on Tuesday afternoon by conducting the seventh of 15 practices. The team worked out in shoulder pads and shorts for approximately two and a half hours.

Following the session, a pair of seniors – defensive tackle DaQuan Hawkins-Muckle and linebacker Juwan Taylor – discussed their hopes for more significant roles during the upcoming season.

Taylor saw action in all 15 games last season, including a start a Vanderbilt. He notched 13 tackles, with a TFL for -3 yards against the Commodores.

“I can earn a role right now in the Spring by how I practice and how I compete,” Taylor said. “For me, this Spring is like do or die. That’s how I’m taking every practice because this is my last year. This is my opportunity to showcase my talent. Previously, I didn’t have as much playing time. Mentally, it was tough. One thing about me; I’m a competitor. I tried not to let things phase me.”

Hawkins-Muckle started five of seven games played in 2016 before suffering a season-ending injury against Florida. He played in six games last season, headlined by a blocked field goal against Auburn in the SEC Championship game.

“I just feel like I need to push myself when there’s no one else to push me,” Hawkins-Muckle said. “It’s been a long ride, a long four years. I’ve enjoyed every moment of it. I’m just enjoying it for this last go around. I’m attacking things different than when I was a freshman. Having a coach like Kirby Smart here by my side, helping motivate me, I feel very confident going into the season.”

The Dawgs are slated to practice again on Thursday as they prepare for their G-Day game at Sanford Stadium on April 21 at 4 p.m. ESPN will televise the contest live. The Red team will face off versus the Black team and admission is free to the annual showdown. Prior to the G-Day matchup, lettermen from the program's past will square off in a flag football game beginning at 1:15 p.m. At halftime of G-Day, the Dawgs’ incoming class of 2018 signees will be introduced to fans.

With expected high demand and temporarily reduced seating due to the construction on the new West End Zone complex, the UGA Athletic Association will be implementing a pass system. Upon entrance, each fan will receive a commemorative pass with a seating section. The UGAAA asks that each fan sits in this section to help manage what is expected to be a near-capacity crowd. Gates 2-9 will be open as usual. However, Gate 10 (gate under the bridge next to the Tate Center) will be closed due to construction. To help reduce congestion and further improve ingress flow, please enter on the side of the stadium where each fan's preferred seating location would be. Additional pass/entry questions can be directed to facilitysupport@sports.uga.edu.

The Dawgs will begin their 2018 campaign with a home matchup against Austin Peay on Saturday, Sept. 1. Georgia will travel to Columbia, S.C., to open its Southeastern Conference schedule against South Carolina on Sept. 8.