Classic City Kickoff | 2023

CLASSIC CIT Y KICKOFF

LIGHT UP SANFORD THREE-PEAT?

The three keys to a thirdconsecutive championship

The history of Georgia football’s brightest tradition

Photo by Laney Martin

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Going game by game

A sneak peak at Georgia’s 2023 schedule

Owen Warden

UT Martin - Sept. 2

Georgia’s first game of the season is not as big as it has been in previous years. Nonetheless, it holds the distinction of being Georgia’s first night game since 2021. UT Martin — a FCS school — went 7-4 last season and undefeated in conference play. The team lost to Tennessee, which beat the Skyhawks 65-24. While several players graduated or transferred, the Skyhawks retain their second-leading rusher and receiver. However, with questions at the quarterback position, it is unclear how well UT Martin will match up with Georgia.

Ball State - Sept. 9

Georgia didn’t expect to play Ball State in 2023 this time a year ago, as this game is a replacement for Georgia’s previous matchup against Oklahoma, which was canceled due to the Sooners joining the SEC. The Cardinals went 5-7 last year and 3-5 in the Mid-American

Conference. Like UT Martin, Ball State played and lost to Tennessee 59-10. The Cardinals’ best player, Carson Steele, transferred to UCLA in the offseason, leaving the team with question marks on who will lead the way on offense this season.

South Carolina - Sept. 17

Georgia’s first SEC game kicks off in week three. South Carolina, under former Georgia assistant Shane Beamer, has gotten better each season and could prove a tough matchup. Starting quarterback Spencer Rattler returns, having put up a stat line of 3,026 passing yards, 18 touchdowns and 12 interceptions last season. Leading receiver Antwane Wells Jr. returns alongside five-star freshman wide receiver Nyckoles Harbor. Defensively, the team retained several key pieces and could be even better on that side of the ball.

UAB - Sept. 23

Georgia closes out its non-conference schedule early in the year with a game against UAB for the first time since 2021. Georgia won that game 56-7 due in part to breakout performances from Stetson Bennett and Brock Bowers. UAB played well in 2022, going 7–6 and defeating Miami (OH) 24-20 in the HomeTown Lenders Bahamas Bowl. The Blazers lost leading rusher DeWayne McBride — who ran for 1,713 yards — but retained Jermaine Brown Jr., who nearly went over 1,000 rushing yards himself. Now led by new head coach Trent Dilfer, UAB could be more of a challenge for the Bulldogs this season.

The UGA football team exits the tunnel at the SEC Championship against LSU at Mercedes-Benz Stadium in Atlanta, Georgia, in 2022. JESSICA GRATIGNY/STAFF

Auburn - Sep. 30

Georgia gets its first taste of new Auburn head coach Hugh Freeze and its first road game of the 2023 season all rolled into one. Freeze — who was with Liberty the past few seasons — brought in the third-ranked transfer portal class, which included starting quarterback and Michigan State transfer Payton Thorne. Freeze also brought in wide receiver Caleb Burton from Ohio State, tight end Rivaldo Fairweather from FIU and several defensive players. While time will tell what this team will look like, if the Tigers can quickly gel they could be a tough opponent for Georgia — especially with the game being in Jordan-Hare Stadium.

Kentucky - Oct. 7

Georgia hosts Kentucky a little earlier in the season than in previous years. Head coach Kirby Smart is currently undefeated against Kentucky, and the Bulldogs as a team haven’t lost to the Wildcats since 2009. However, Kentucky held Georgia to only 16 points last season, the lowest amount of points the Bulldogs scored in a game all season. While former starting quarterback Will Levis left for the NFL, the team brought in N.C. State transfer Devin Leary, who, in his last fully healthy season in 2021, threw for 3,433 yards and 35 touchdowns.

Vanderbilt - Oct. 14

Georgia travels to Nashville, Tennessee, for its second road game of the season. Georgia has shut out Vanderbilt for the past two seasons in dominant fashion — beating them 62-0 in 2021 and 55-0 in 2022. While Vanderbilt lost a few key contributors to the transfer portal, including starting quarterback Mike Wright, sophomore quarterback and Georgia native AJ Swann returns for another season. His 1,274 passing yards — paired with his 10 passing touchdowns — ranks him fourth in Vanderbilt history for all freshmen. Vanderbilt head coach Clark Lea has yet to score against Georgia in his previous two seasons and is likely looking to change that.

Florida - Oct. 28

Georgia and Florida return to Jacksonville, Florida, for their annual in-season matchup. With the departure of Florida quarterback Anthony Richardson to the NFL, in steps Wisconsin transfer Graham Mertz, who was disappointing with the Badgers and will have the opportunity to turn that around with the Gators. Florida underwent a lot of changes this offseason, and the team looks to bounce back from a disappointing first year under head coach Billy Napier and to defeat Georgia for the first time since 2020.

Missouri - Nov. 4

Georgia returns to Athens in preparation for its annual homecoming game. Missouri was Georgia’s most competitive regular season matchup last season, as the Tigers held a 10-point lead over Georgia at one point during the fourth quarter. While Missouri didn’t win that game, that perfor-

mance gave them some confidence coming into this season. While leading receiver Dominic Lovett is now with Georgia, former five-star wide receiver Luther Burden and last season’s starting quarterback Brady Cook both return, although Cook — who sufferend a torn labrum last season — will have to re-earn his job amid a position battle. Head coach Eliah Drinkwitz came close to beating Georgia before but will have to try and do so in front of the Bulldog crowd this year.

Ole Miss - Nov. 11

Georgia faces Ole Miss for the first time since 2016, and Smart faces Lane Kiffin for the first time since Kiffin became Ole Miss’ head coach. Notably, this is also Georgia’s final home game, likely signaling that it’ll be senior day. Ole Miss had a hot start last season but wound up losing four of its last five games. Kiffin retains his key offensive threat, freshman phenom running back Quinshon Judkins, who ran for nearly 1,600 yards and 16 touchdowns. Last year’s starting quarterback Jaxon Dart also returns but faces competition this year from LSU transfer Walker Howard and Oklahoma State transfer Spencer Sanders. While it’s unclear what the quarterback situation is going to be by week 10, the Rebels’ running game should be dominant once again.

Tennessee - Nov. 18

The Georgia-Tennessee rivalry takes its talents to Knoxville, Tennessee this season. One of the biggest matchups from last season — although the results weren’t as close as many thought — should be another top-level matchup. Both teams are predicted to finish top two in the SEC East. While quarterback Hendon Hooker departed for the NFL, Joe Milton III takes over as the full-time starter. Milton played in the last three games of the season after Hooker tore his ACL. During the season, he threw for 971 passing yards, 10 touchdowns and had a tremendous quarterback rating of 204.3. Milton’s abilities and progression this season are critical for the Volunteers season and to beat Georgia for the first time since 2016.

Georgia Tech - Nov. 25

Clean, Old-Fashioned Hate rears its head once again after 130 years. Georgia and Georgia Tech have played each other almost annually since 1893 and will meet again this year. The Yellow Jackets lost starting quarterback Jeff Sims to Nebraska and top defensive player Keion White to the NFL. However, with the additions of former Texas A&M quarterback Haynes King and former Bulldogs Dominick Blaylock and Brett Seither, Georgia Tech’s head coach Brent Key could see success in his first full season in the role.

Georgia football players during the University of Tennessee at Sanford Stadium in Athens, Georgia, in 2022. JESSICA GRATIGNY/STAFF

Back-to-Back Recapping Georgia Football’s 2022 Season

Bo Underwood

Before Georgia football returns to action on Sept. 2 against UT Martin, here’s a lookback at the team’s undefeated 15-0 campaign that resulted in its second-consecutive national title.

Blowout on a big stage

Georgia opened 2022 in Atlanta’s Mercedes-Benz Stadium against the No. 11 Oregon Ducks. Georgia came into the game as 16.5 point favorites, but the final score wasn’t even close.

The Bulldogs humiliated the Ducks and won 49-3 thanks to an unstoppable offensive performance. The unit converted nine out of 10 third downs, while the defense picked off Oregon quarterback Bo Nix twice and shut the Ducks out of the end zone, only allowing one field goal. The highlights of the day were a gravity-defying interception by freshman Malaki Starks in the first quarter and a miraculous Stetson Bennett scramble at the end of the first half that turned into a touchdown pass to Ladd McConkey.

Living up to last year

The win over Oregon was just a glimpse of how dominant Georgia would be in the regular season. The Bulldogs scored over 40 points per game and allowed just a little over 14. They outscored their opponents by a total of 402 points on their way to their second-straight 12-0 regular season.

Although the defense lost some key players from the previous year’s historic “NoName Defense,” the unit didn’t skip a beat amid the return of stars like Jalen Carter and Nolan Smith, as well as the emergence of younger players like linebackers Jamon Dumas-Johnson and Smael Mondon Jr. and pass rusher Mykel Williams.

Even after Smith was lost for the year in October, Georgia’s defense finished with

the fewest points and yards allowed per game in the SEC. The only regular season game that gave Georgia any trouble was a week five matchup against Missouri. The Bulldogs found themselves down by 10 points in the fourth quarter, but rallied in time for an 26-22 victory. Suddenly, there was doubt as to whether the 2022 team could live up to the previous year. Georgia now had a lot to prove.

Returning to championship form

Georgia’s biggest test in the regular season came in a November showdown against No. 1 ranked Tennessee. In front of a soldout Sanford Stadium crowd, Georgia kicked Tennessee in the teeth.

The Bulldogs stifled the Volunteers’ high flying offense and sacked quarterback Hendon Hooker six times in a 27-13 victory that was nowhere near as close as the score made it seem. Georgia then cruised through the rest of its SEC schedule and blew out Georgia Tech before its bout with LSU in the SEC championship. Although the Tigers put 30 points on the board, there was no stopping the Bulldogs’ offense. Bennett threw four touchdowns while the team ran for 255 yards and two touchdowns on the ground as Georgia captured its first SEC championship since 2017. The only thing left in Georgia’s way was the College Football Playoff.

Finishing the job

Georgia returned to Mercedes-Benz Stadium to play No. 4 Ohio State in the Peach Bowl. What ensued on the night of New Years Eve is now considered by many to be one of the greatest games in college football history. The Bulldogs fell behind early to the Buckeyes and trailed 21-7 in the second quarter with no answer for star wideout Marvin Harrison Jr., who scored two of Ohio State’s first three touchdowns. Harri-

son later left the game due to injury after a controversial hit by Georgia defensive back Javon Bullard, but the Buckeyes continued to roll.

The Buckeyes led 38-24 entering the fourth quarter, but Georgia responded with a field goal and a 76-yard bomb to wideout Arian Smith that made it 38-35. An Ohio State field goal made it a six point game with just under three minutes to play.

With the season on the line, the Bulldogs marched down the field, and Bennett connected with Adonai “AD” Mitchell in the end zone to take a 42-41 lead with 54 seconds left. A late scramble from quarterback C.J. Stroud put the Buckeyes in field goal range, but the kick sailed wide

left. The ball hit the ground right when the clock struck midnight, and Georgia punched its ticket to the national championship.

Georgia then headed to Los Angeles to play TCU in a game that was over almost as soon as it began. The Bulldogs took a 31-point lead into halftime and eventually beat the Horned Frogs 65-7. The 58-point win became the largest margin of victory in national championship and bowl game history. Bennett accounted for six touchdowns and the defense only surrendered 188 total yards. As anticlimactic as it was, Georgia completed the first 15-0 season in school history and brought back another national title to Athens.

Stetson Bennett celebrates after defeating Ohio State University in the Peach Bowl at the Mercedes-Benz Stadium in Atlanta, Georgia, on Jan. 1, 2023. JESSICA GRATIGNY/STAFF

‘COVID babies’

The difficult path Georgia’s key players took to Athens

Owen Warden

The entirety of the COVID-19 pandemic was a bizarre time for so many people, with college football being no exception.

While the 2020 recruiting class — which features recently drafted NFL players like Jalen Carter and Kelee Ringo — came to college during the pandemic, the 2021 recruiting class was recruited during that time. As such, these players couldn’t take visits to schools or work out in front of coaches, with some not even playing their final seasons of high school football. In turn, they lost out on crucial development and film to send to teams.

Despite this, some of Georgia’s most iconic and influential players — including No. 1 cornerback Kamari Lassiter and starting tight end Brock Bowers — both came from that class.

“I’ll say this about both [Lassiter] and Brock Bowers, they are what we call COVID babies,” head coach Kirby Smart said. “They came in during the COVID class. It’s very unique to our place. We signed 20 high school players the COVID year. Seventeen of those 20 are still in our program. That’s hard to find anywhere in the country.”

Other key players from that class include defensive back Javon Bullard, linebackers Jamon Dumas-Johnson and Smael Mondon, defensive lineman Tyrion Ingram-Dawkins and offensive lineman Amarius Mims. Each one of these players, alongside Lassiter and Bowers, were voted by the media to either the first or second preseason All-SEC team.

Others — including Nyland Green, Xavian Sorey and Chaz Chambliss — will likely be key contributors this upcoming season as well, among several others.

“We’ve retained those guys because we’ve invested in them as freshmen. We’ve invested in them as sophomores,” Smart said. “They’ve seen a lot of evidence of the success, but they’ve also seen the buy-in of

the leadership.”

Lassiter still recalls the bizarre way his recruitment progressed. Because players couldn’t take official visits or work out in front of teams, several had to send in videos of them working out to even be noticed. Lassiter had to do this to get his dream offer.

“Me being from Georgia, I was like ‘What’s up with these guys?’ I have almost all the offers that I want except for Georgia,” Lassiter said. “So I was like ‘You know what? I’m gonna do whatever I can to get this offer.’ So I’m sending them me working out, running 40 [yard dashes], doing all these drills. I remember whenever I sent them my video clip, they offered me in like, the next hour. It was pretty surreal.”

Bowers sent in similar videos to the Bulldogs during the process, although his reasoning for doing so was a bit different.

“I didn’t really think it was weird at the time, kind of going with the flow,” Bowers said. “I guess I just wanted to make sure I wasn’t getting fat and lazy over the COVID break.”

Not every player from the 2021 class has gotten to start or shine. Several players that did break out, like wide receiver Adonai “AD” Mitchell, transferred out. However, for those that have stayed, several are already on the path to being highly drafted to the NFL, could be on their way to starting for Georgia in the near future or could be on the cusp of making college football history with a third-straight national title.

While this class may still need another two years before its impact can be truly realized, its resiliency to battle through such a difficult time to get where they are can certainly be commended.

“You know what we evaluated that class on? Love of the game and being selfless,” Smart said “That’s not hard. It’s hard to find, but it’s not hard to evaluate.”

Big time Bulldogs

Six players to watch in 2023

Bo Underwood

Brock Bowers, tight end

Our list begins with Georgia’s most prominent returning player on offense. Bowers has set the college football world on fire throughout his first two years as a Bulldog, catching 119 passes for 1,824 yards and 20 touchdowns thus far in his career. Many offensive staples — including quarterback Stetson Bennett, offensive coordinator Todd Monken and talented No. 2 tight end Darnell Washington — are gone. Time will tell if Bowers can replicate his historic levels of production in the wake of these departures and continue to be Georgia’s go-to guy.

Smael Mondon Jr., inside linebacker

Georgia’s outside linebackers got a lot younger during the offseason, but the return of Smael Mondon Jr. on the inside should help smooth over a lot of wrinkles. Mondon led Georgia in tackles last year with 76 and recorded one sack and one interception. An explosive athlete with outstanding coverage instincts, Georgia needs Mondon to be one of the biggest leaders for a linebacking corps that is green outside of him and returning starter Jamon Dumas-Johnson.

Dominic Lovett, wide receiver

Dominic Lovett arrives as a transfer from Missouri where he led the team in receiving in 2022. Georgia’s receiver room suffered turnover after AD Mitchell transferred to Texas and veterans Kearis Jackson and Dominick Blaylock left the team. Lovett is

a talented athlete who offers big-play potential both in and out of the slot. With the opportunity to become a security blanket over the middle for the Bulldogs’ future starting quarterback, Lovett could be the most impactful addition to Georgia’s roster in 2023.

Mykel Williams, edge rusher

Don’t be surprised if Mykel Williams is the best pass rusher in the SEC this year. The talented edge missed most of spring practice with a foot injury but is expected to be ready for fall camp. As a true freshman, Williams made six-and-a-half tackles for a loss, including a team-leading four and a half sacks. He burst onto the national scene late in the year with two sacks in the College Football Playoff. Williams is a gifted athlete with an ability to attack from essentially every stance on the edge. If healthy, he could evolve into a one-man wrecking crew.

Javon Bullard, safety

Javon Bullard excelled from the STAR position — a hybrid between defensive back and outside linebacker — down the stretch last year. He also recorded two interceptions and a fumble recovery in the national championship on his way to being crowned the game’s defensive MVP. However, this year he is expected to move to the strong safety spot, as senior Tykee Smith slides over to STAR while sophomore Malaki Starks mans the free safety spot. While Bullard has the athleticism to fit anywhere in the defensive backfield and has some experience at safety, changing positions in the middle of your college career is never an easy ask for a defensive back. If Georgia’s experiment pays off, Bullard could become a huge asset in his new role.

Sedrick Van Pran, center

Sedrick Van Pran is as solid of a player as they come. After passing on the NFL draft this past offseason, the center is going into his third season as a starter and has a shot at winning three-straight national titles. Last year, Van Pran helped lead the offensive line unit to a second-place finish for the Joe Moore Award, which is given to the best offensive line in college football. Despite Georgia needing to replace both starting offensive tackles, Van Pran’s ability and leadership — along with the return of guards Tate Ratledge and Xavier Truss — should make for a dominant offensive line in 2023.

Georgia tight end Brock Bowers runs the ball against Kent State University at Sanford Stadium in Athens, Georgia, in 2022. JESSICA GRATIGNY/STAFF

Georgia defensive back Javon Bullard warms up against the University of South Carolina at William-Brice Stadium in Columbia, South Carolina, in 2022. SIDNEY CHANSAMONE/STAFF

Searching for a signal-caller

Georgia football’s quest for a quarterback

John James

The Georgia football team is entering the 2023 season with a chance to accomplish something that hasn’t been done in over 80 years. The Bulldogs are on the precipice of something historic, though there is one large hurdle remaining in their path.

Former starting quarterback Stetson Bennett is departing for the NFL after leading Georgia to back-to-back national titles. Bennett, the team’s first Heisman nominee since 1992, helped the program ascend to new heights. Without him, the Bulldogs are faced with the task of finding a successor for one of the most accomplished athletes in school history.

Bennett himself expressed confidence in the team’s ability to produce a suitable replacement.

“The way that the [Georgia football] program is, by the time that football comes

around, whoever is supposed to be the starter is gonna be the starter,” Bennett said. “And they’ll be well-battled and ready to go.”

The obvious candidate for the role is Carson Beck. Beck, a four-star prospect out of Jacksonville, Florida, has the most experience out of any quarterback on the roster. Beck enrolled at Georgia in January 2020 and has thrown for six touchdowns and nearly 500 yards over 12 games in his career.

Redshirt sophomore Brock Vandagriff is another quarterback with a chance to seize the starting role. A self-described “pocket passer,” Vandagriff led Prince Avenue Christian to a state title in his senior year of high school, propelled by the coaching of his father, Greg Vandagriff.

Despite his high school success, Vandagriff is aware that he doesn’t have the same level of experience as Beck. To make

up for that, Vandagriff said that he treats his preparation like a game — including the practices and scrimmages that are spread throughout spring training.

“Just the game flow and the game speed has probably been the biggest transition,” Vandagriff said. “And it helps being able to go against one of the best defenses in the country every day in practice.”

Both players said that maintaining a consistent, calm attitude was also a focal point throughout the spring. Georgia head coach Kirby Smart has been very clear about what he and his staff are looking for in a starting quarterback, and grace under pressure is high on the list of priorities.

“Demeanor and communication,” Smart said. “I can get the stats, but a true quarterback is a decision-maker in our system because some systems take all the pressure off the quarterback, and they just go really fast — we don’t do that. We’re a quarterback-driven offense.”

Gunner Stockton, a redshirt freshman, is the final option for Georgia’s next signal-caller. Beck described Stockton as “the young gun in the quarterback room.” He

said that Stockton has been intentional about trying to learn from the other quarterbacks, asking questions and working on improving himself as a player.

Quarterback is the most important position in football. Bad quarterback performances anchor the team, rooting them to the ground and preventing any forward momentum whatsoever. Similarly, good quarterback performances can propel a team above all realistic expectations, emphasizing the talents of every other player on the field.

Smart and the Bulldogs would be wise not to rush into any rash judgments with such a pivotal decision. This isn’t the first time Georgia has dealt with a quarterback controversy, and it won’t be the last. To ensure success in the 2023 season and beyond, Smart knows that he’ll need his best available option making the calls under center.

“You come to UGA for competition,” Vandagriff said. “I knew that coming in. Coach Smart is gonna put the best guy out there. The best guy that gives Georgia the best chance to win — he’s gonna be out there.”

Back-to-back-toback?

Three keys to a three-peat

John James

The college football season is long, filled with bumps and bruises, laden with unexpected twists and turns that no one expects when the year begins. Some teams come out of nowhere to challenge for a championship, while other teams fall from grace and barely qualify for a bowl game by year’s end.

Georgia’s 2023 schedule is no different. However, if the Bulldogs can navigate the season, they could have a significant reward waiting for them at the end of the road — college football’s first three-peat in nearly 90 years.

Before they get there, the Bulldogs have to overcome obstacles along their journey. Here are three keys to Georgia securing its third-consecutive national championship.

Determining the depth chart

The first step along Georgia’s path to a three-peat is a simple one: figure out who will be on the field. Positional battles took place during the offseason, and head coach Kirby Smart has gotten a good look at nearly every member of his roster. Now, he just needs to decide who will receive the most playing time when Saturday arrives.

Quarterback is the biggest question entering the season. Junior signal-caller Carson Beck leads the way, but both Brock Vandagriff and Gunner Stockton are challenging him for the starting job. With the most important position in football up for grabs, it’s important that Smart and his coaching staff make the right call with the decision at quarterback.

The secondary is also on uncertain ground as the 2023 season approaches. After losing key contributors such as Christopher Smith and Kelee Ringo, there are several open positions and a number of players vying for the vacancies.

Georgia has a number of talented freshmen who could rise to the challenge — which sophomore safety Malaki Starks did in 2022 — not to mention the swath of returning players who are also looking to earn their spot in the starting lineup.

Staying on the field

Even if the Bulldogs get their depth chart ironed out and finalized, the biggest challenge to their three-peat hopes could be out of their control: health.

Injuries happen in football. It’s an inherently dangerous game, and there’s not much that can stop the wear and tear that occurs throughout the course of a season. Both junior linebacker Smael Mondon Jr. and sophomore running back Branson Robinson have already missed large

parts of the offseason and could even miss the early weeks of the season.

Last year, Georgia’s list of injuries was long. Pass rusher Nolan Smith tore his pectoral muscle and missed the last half of the season, including the playoffs. Wide receiver Adonai “AD” Mitchell sprained his ankle early in the year and didn’t return until the SEC championship.

Jalen Carter, Darnell Washington and Kenny McIntosh all got dinged up at one point or another, which forced Georgia to make tough decisions with regard to their playing time. Some played through their injury status — others did not.

The Bulldogs know that health concerns are going topop up throughout the 2023 season, as they already have this offseason. But when those issues arise, the team’s ability to

FAST FACTS

react and adapt as a result will help determine whether a third-consecutive national title is possible or not.

Taking care of business

Many media organizations noted the Bulldogs face a relatively weak slate of opponents in 2023 — ESPN, Sports Illustrated, CBS and the Athletic have all made similar claims.

Those claims aren’t entirely unfounded. After the end of the 2022 football season, only two of Georgia’s 2023 opponents were ranked in the Associated Press’ Top-25 poll: No. 6 Tennessee and No. 23 South Carolina. Both teams lost five players in the 2023 NFL Draft and four of Tennessee’s losses played crucial roles in its high-powered offense from last year.

Georgia needs to stay vigilant, even with the perceived weakness of the schedule. Upsets happen in college football. Just last year, Appalachian State took down Texas A&M, Marshall University thundered past Notre Dame and South Carolina ended a pair of playoff hopefuls with victories over Clemson and Tennessee.

For the Bulldogs to reach the postseason, they’ll need to make sure they don’t stumble against any of the obstacles in their path, no matter how heavily they may be favored. One loss can make or break a season in college football, so the Bulldogs can’t afford to overlook any of the teams they’ll face in 2023.

The UGA football team celebrates after defeating TCU in the College Football National Championship at SoFi Stadium in Los Angeles on Jan. 9, 2023. SIDNEY CHANSAMONE/STAFF

X The only team to ever three-peat were the Minnesota Golden Gophers in 1934-1936. This was 87 years ago.

X Georgia is the fifth program ever to go back-to-back in college football since 1950.

X The last team to go back-to-back were the Alabama Crimson Tide in 2011-2012.

Not his first rodeo Mike Bobo returns as Georgia’s offensive coordinator

Samuel Higgs

Georgia’s offense is under new leadership in 2023, as Mike Bobo returns for his second stint as offensive coordinator for the team. Bobo was promoted to the role after the departure of Todd Monken, who left for the Baltimore Ravens after commanding the Bulldogs’ offense to back-to-back national championships.

Bobo is a name that Bulldog faithful should be familiar with, as he played quarterback for the team from 1994 to 1997 and was a teammate of now-head coach Kirby Smart. In his Bulldogs career, Bobo posted a total of 6,334 passing yards, which ranks eighth in program history, along with 38 passing touchdowns. In his senior year, the Bulldogs went 102, thanks in part to Bobo’s 2,751 passing yards and 19 touchdowns.

After his senior year, Bobo shifted from the helmet to the headset and started his coaching career as a graduate assistant with Georgia in 1999. He went on to have a short stint as Jacksonville State’s quarterbacks coach before joining Mark Richt’s staff at Georgia in January of 2001.

From 2001 to 2006, Bobo served as Georgia’s quarterbacks coach and helped develop notable Georgia quarterbacks like David Greene and D.J. Shockley, who each reached an SEC Championship game. In 2007, Bobo was promoted to offensive coordinator and worked with future No.1 pick Matthew Stafford under center. Georgia’s points-per-game and touchdowns jumped from 25.2 to 32.6 and from 33 to 52, respectively. Over the next four seasons, the Bulldogs’ offense averaged over 30 points per game.

It was not until the 2012 season that the offense under Bobo took off. With quarterback Aaron Murray entering his third year and freshman running back Todd Gurley bursting onto the scene, Georgia was loaded offensively. Georgia posted 37.6 points per game and averaged 467.6 yards per game on their way to a top-five finish in the AP poll.

After the 2014 season, Bobo took a job as the head coach for Colorado State, but his tenure with the team was not as successful as his time with Georgia. He posted a 2838 record over his five years with the team. Poor performance on the field — coupled with allegations surrounding the culture of the program — led to his firing after the 2019 season.

Bobo returned to the SEC in 2020 as the offensive coordinator for South Carolina, where the Gamecocks posted a measly 23.5 points per game and an overall record of 2-8. The next season, Bobo took the same position at Auburn. The Tigers scored only 28.3 points per game with a record of 6-7.

Before the 2022 season, Bobo made his return to Athens as an offensive analyst under Monken. On the Bulldogs’ road

to their second-straight national championship, their offense ranked as one of the best in college football as they averaged over 40 points per game and over 500 yards.

Although a lot of talent on offense has left the program — from players to coaches — Georgia’s offense still has plenty of firepower. Transfer receiver Dominic Lovett and returnee Ladd McConkey will likely be beneficial to whoever wins the starting quarterback job. Bobo also has returning faces in All-American tight end Brock Bowers and center Sedrick Van Pran.

Bobo also kept the entire offensive staff the same, while adding former Texas A&M and Clemson offensive coordinators Darrell Dickey and Brandon Streeter as offensive analysts, filling the position he’s leaving behind.

As Bobo is set to make his second goround as the play caller for Georgia, he possesses as much — if not more — talent than he’s had in years prior along with the benefit of a spectacular defense. The team goes into the next season with all eyes on them as they search for a third straight championship.

Where to park on gameday

Notable places to park for a home game

Gameday at the University of Georgia sees Athens filled to the brim with Bulldogs fans cheering on the team whether from inside the stadium, across campus or throughout the city. With thousands of fans comes thousands of cars, and those cars need somewhere to park. Here is a guide on the best places to park on gameday.

Campus parking

Football game attendees may be able to park on campus during gamedays. Season pass holders can purchase a digital 2023 football season parking permit for $239 through the ParkMobile app on a first-come, first-served basis, according to UGA Transportation & Parking Services. There are a limited number of single-day parking passes available on a first-come, first-served basis for $34. Both types of permits are transferable.

On-campus gameday parking opens at 7 a.m. Shuttles run from East Deck three and a half hours before kickoff, 15

minutes after kickoff and two hours after the game. Overflow parking is available at the Intramural Fields parking deck off College Station Road after all of the East Campus parking areas are filled, according to TPS. Shuttles will also run from overflow parking.

The Classic Center

The Classic Center, located at 300 N. Thomas St., allows gameday visitors to rent a spot in its parking deck less than a mile from Sanford Stadium.

The Classic Center offers two season passes that come with either one or two spaces, but both are already sold out, according to the Classic Center website. It also offers single-game passes. Any additional inventory is sold on gamedays on a first-come, first-served basis.

The Classic Center deck opens at 8 a.m. if the game starts before 1 p.m., at 10 a.m. if the game starts from 1 to 4 p.m. and at noon if the game starts after 4 p.m., according to the

website. Parking at the Classic Center allows gas grills in open-air spaces and provides indoor restrooms.

Downtown Athens Parking System

Downtown Athens offers parking passes. On gamedays, its decks on College Avenue and Washington Street are $40 on a first-come, first-served basis, according to parking director Jeremy Smith. There are a limited number of season passes available for preseason sale for $280. Season passes guarantee buyers a parking spot no matter what time they arrive. Tailgating is not allowed in these decks.

Downtown Athens has three parking lots off Dougherty Street that can accommodate buses and RVs and that allow tailgating. Prices for these lots vary per game.

Private properties

Just like the university itself, many local businesses, organizations and even homeowners use the high demand for gameday parking as a way to make money. Private properties may rent out parking spaces on Saturdays during home games. Prices are set by property owners and can vary. Be sure to check with the operator about rules around tailgating and grills.

Examples of locations offering parking spaces for rent are Jimbo’s on Baxter Street and the Presbyterian Student Center on S. Lumpkin Street.

Allison Mawn

The Tate Student Center parking lot in Athens, Georgia, in 2020. FILE/STAFF

A light that never goes out How Light Up Sanford became tradition

Lucinda Warnke

Picture this: it’s the moment right before the fourth quarter. Sanford Stadium is packed to the gills with fans, and the air is thick with humidity and the tension of a tight game. Then, the Redcoat Band roars to life with “Krypton,” and suddenly tens of thousands of cell phones light up the stands.

Light Up Sanford, as it’s known, is an iconic moment for Georgia fans. Unlike other gameday traditions — such as Calling the Dawgs and the Dawg Walk — Light Up Sanford is relatively new, first happening during Georgia’s final home game of the 2015 season against Georgia Southern.

Ahead of the game, Kenneth Hubbard, a trumpeter in the Redcoat Band, came across a YikYak post suggesting that students and fans light up the stadium at the start of the fourth quarter during Krypton. Hubbard liked the idea and posted it to the Redcoat Band Facebook page. From there, another trumpeter, Grayze Anne Sepe, made graphics to advertise the idea and created a Facebook event page. Social media was abuzz with the idea, and soon podcasts, talk shows and radio shows were mentioning it.

Not wanting the tradition to fade at the end of the season, the Redcoat Band advertised it again on social media the following year. It really gained steam in 2017 when the tradition appeared at a slew of Georgia’s night games.

It didn’t gain the coveted status of tradition until Georgia’s 2019 game against Notre Dame. Hubbard told DawgNation that UGA Athletics was initially hesitant to accept

Light Up Sanford due to its novelty, but after fans set Sanford aglow during the Notre Dame game, they were ready to embrace it.

Since then, Light Up Sanford has become a Georgia football staple and even appeared at Georgia’s two national championship games in Indianapolis and Los Angeles. As the Bulldogs enter the 2023 season, fans can look forward to many more glowing games between the hedges.

Georgia mascot Hairy Dawg celebrates during the Peach Bowl against Ohio State University at Mercedes-Benz Stadium in Atlanta, Georgia, in 2022. JESSICA GRATIGNY/STAFF

Who turned off the lights?

Why Georgia football never plays any night games

Georgia football games are a must-watch for nearly any Georgia student, alum or fan.

Some of the most prized memories from these games are from when they took place at night, such as Georgia’s victory over Notre Dame in 2019 to the most recent night game — a blowout against South Carolina in 2021. The bright red lights that fill the stadium, coupled with the buzz that fills Athens, turn night games into a sort of spectacle.

Luckily for Georgia fans, the team’s first game of the season against UT Martin on Sept. 2 is a night game. However, there are several questions arising around this decision. Why were there no night games in 2022? Why is Georgia’s

potential only night game against a non-conference team or big-time opponent? Is someone at Georgia scared of the dark and that’s why there are no night games?

While all good questions, the lack of night games is a lot more simple than a fear of the dark. It’s all due to scheduling around television deals.

The SEC is currently part of a deal with CBS. It’s a part of a broadcast known as “College Football on CBS Sports.”

The SEC and CBS have been partnered since 1996, giving CBS exclusive rights to choose which games the network prioritizes.

With Georgia being one of the best teams in college football — having won two national titles in back-to-back seasons — CBS has lately prioritized Georgia’s games in its primetime slot. The problem? CBS’s primetime spot is

at 3:30 p.m., which is why several of Georgia’s best games were scheduled at that time.

From Georgia’s home games against the ranked Arkansas and Kentucky in 2021, to its matches against Auburn and No. 1 Tennessee in 2022, all four of these games were scheduled at 3:30 p.m. Even this season, the Bulldogs’ game against South Carolina — a highly anticipated matchup — is scheduled for 3:30 p.m. to be televised on CBS Sports.

The good news for everyone hoping for more Bulldogs games at night is that 2023 is the final year that CBS has the rights to air SEC games, with the rights transferring over to ESPN — who owns the SEC Network — in 2024. This deal will run until 2034. CBS signed a lucrative deal with the Big 10 to air their games instead.

ESPN’s primetime slot is traditionally reserved for later in the day, typically around 7 or 8 p.m. depending on the location of the game. Either way, with ESPN leading the charge for SEC games, Georgia fans can finally fulfill their dream of watching more big-time matchups when the sun is down and Sanford’s lights are bright.

Owen Warden

Sanford Stadium attendees participate in the “Light up Sanford” tradition against the University of South Carolina in Athens, Georgia, in 2021. FILE/STAFF

Food on Gameday Let the big dawg eat at these local restaurants

Avni Trivedi

Saturdays at the University of Georgia mean college football. If you didn’t luck out with the student ticket lottery system and are looking for places other than Sanford Stadium to watch the game with food and drinks, here is a list of some prime spots around Athens.

Paloma Park

Located on Washington Street, Paloma Park is a popular place to watch any sports game. With its spacious indoor seating and beer garden complete with a large screen, Paloma is convenient if you’re looking for somewhere to watch the game and have a bite to eat.

This Tex-Mex restaurant has a menu full of chips and salsa combos as well as small plates such as jalapeño poppers, wings, tacos, nachos and more. For drinks, Paloma offers a variety of cocktails, wells, beer and wine.

The beer garden has outdoor access to the bar to easily order your food and drinks.

Paloma is typically packed on game days, so if you’re looking for a loud environment to match Sanford Stadium, Paloma is the place to go.

Saucehouse Barbecue

Owned and operated by a UGA alum, Saucehouse offers an extensive menu of drinks and barbecue. The bar and restaurant are separate, but the game is played throughout the venue on numerous screens.

For food, Saucehouse offers barbecue plates with a variety of selections such as pulled pork or slicked brisket, a vessel such as a bun or nachos and two sides, such as slaw or potato salad. The menu also includes vegetarian options and kids meals. If you’re looking to just snack, it offers a variety of “saucy snacks,” from fried pickles to mozzarella sticks.

The Bar at Saucehouse has 29 beers on draft, a variety of signature cocktails and a selection of wines, according to its website. It also offers margarita and beer pitchers.

The restaurant is open from 11 a.m. to 9 p.m., and the bar is open from 11 a.m. to 11 p.m. on Saturdays.

Blind Pig Tavern

A neighborhood bar and grill with three locations around Athens, the Blind Pig Tavern is the place to go if you want a variety of food options and a place to watch the game.

The menu does not stick to one cuisine, offering wings, nachos, quesadillas, barbecue, burgers and more. On Saturdays, all three Athens locations offer a $6 Bartender’s Choice Cocktail.

The restaurant is open from 11 a.m. to 10 p.m. on Saturdays.

Creature Comforts

Founded in 2014, Creature Comforts is a craft brewery and taproom located on Hancock Avenue. Similar to Paloma, Creature Comforts offers communal seating indoors and outdoors with a covered patio.

The brewery has more than 20 beers on tap, and although the brewery doesn’t serve food, it often hosts food trucks, such as Agua Linda.

The taproom is open from noon to 10 p.m. on Saturdays.

Gameday Fashion

Blood, sweat and dressing to the nines

Jesse Wood

Whether it’s the die-hard fans or the intense team rivalries, the SEC does things differently than other football teams across the country. Fashion is one aspect of football in the South that truly sets the SEC apart. Gamedays have fans showing off their spirit through elaborate outfits fit for tailgating, attending watch par-

ties and cheering on their team from the stands.

With the 2023 University of Georgia football season rapidly approaching, here are the trends you can expect to see in Sanford Stadium this fall.

Skorts and Skirts

Skorts have easily become a staple in many wardrobes in recent years, with the con -

venience of shorts and the style of a skirt helping it earn popularity.

Katie Jacobs — the owner and founder of Cheeky Peach, a boutique downtown — dotes on skorts and believes them to be the next game day trend.

“Skorts were, and continue to be, absolute best sellers,” Jacobs said. They’re versatile, comfortable and keep you cool for those early, very toasty games. Customers can then transition to pair with knits and boots for fall.”

The rising popularity of this closet staple coupled with the approaching football season has led many stores to sell more skorts

and skirts.

“Denim skirts have been super popular, especially a white denim skirt. We just released it and we’re pretty much sold out,” Kara Hembree, store manager of Dress Up Athens, said.

“The item we sell the most of for game days is short skirts,” Jack Breedlove, the manager of Plato’s Closet, said.

Basics

At Dress Up, Hembree notes that the Athens location has sold lots of “elevated basics.” It’s no surprise that the current trend of filling your closet is with these highly ver-

Georgia fans celebrate with Georgia mascot Hairy Dawg during a game against Florida at TIAA Bank Field in Jacksonville, Florida, in 2022. JESSICA GRATIGNY/STAFF

satile pieces.

“It goes with everything,” Hembree said. “You could dress down this tank top if you wanted to, or you [could] dress it up. It goes two ways.”

Cheeky Peach also participated in this latest internet craze, working to help its customers build an “entire look around easy base pieces” by selling high-quality basics that can be mixed and matched with “funky favorites,” Jacobs said.

Patterns

Christopher Mobley, located on Baxter Street, is prominent in the world of men’s game day fashion.

Mobley oriented this football season’s product to fit a more “aggressive style” that UGA fans can identify with, tastefully implementing unique patterns into his clothing.

“We designed some [apparel] with camos, some with skulls on them, just a little more intimidating, a little more aggressive,” Mobley said.

Patterns are also making a mark at Dress Up, according to Hembree. Though they might not include human bones, they are fun in their own way.

“The florals and the prints are going to be a really big [trend],” Hembree said.

Statement Accessories

Bright necklaces and big earrings have been a staple of Southern fashion for years, and football games are no exception.

“We carry a huge selection of jewelry to add icing to the cake of the perfect gameday look,” Jacobs said.

Recently, bedazzled purse straps have made a big impact in the world of accessories. According to Hembree, the sparkly straps made their way onto the scene around two years ago and have not disappeared yet.

“Our purse straps have been a huge [trend], and I think they will continue to be a huge [trend],” Hembree said.

Light Blue

Mobley made the bold decision to add a new color to the usual sea of red, black and white: light blue.

“We wanted to switch things up and introduce Georgia to this light blue trend that has taken off everywhere,” Mobley said.

This trend is Mobley’s favorite and is receiving positive feedback online. The light blue can be found on much of its merchandise from polos to quarter zips.

“It’s cool and different but not too different,” Mobley said.

A fan wears a decorative hat during the game against Tennessee at Sanford Stadium in Athens, Georgia, in 2022. JESSICA GRATIGNY/STAFF

Best in Style

Why UGA uniforms are the best in the SEC

Lucinda Warnke

As the 2023 college football season opens and Georgia football sets its sights on a third-straight national title, there’s one area where UGA can always claim victory — its team uniforms.

While college football uniforms can sometimes offend the senses with clashing color schemes — look no further than Tennessee’s safety barrel orange — Georgia’s choice of Bulldog red and Arch black are both fitting for the football field and tasteful enough to represent a respected institution of higher learning.

The red and black color choice isn’t random. It first came to represent the university at the end of the 19th century when UGA had a tradition of the graduating class choosing colors to represent the school and unveiling them in campus publications. In December 1891, the university literary magazine named the university’s colors as “old gold, black and crimson.” These remained the school colors until 1893 when Georgia Tech defeated Georgia in a 28-6 slaughter.

Bitter from defeat, Charles Herty — a chemistry professor who organized the first football team in 1892 — took issue with the inclusion of gold in the school colors, and it was subsequently removed. As a storied football program situated in a university wrought with lore and tradition, it’s only fitting that Georgia’s colors reflect that rich history and harken back to its fiercest rivalry.

But colors aren’t the only thing that make Georgia’s uniforms sing. The Bulldogs signature “power G” logo is iconic while still being clean and compact, allowing for fast recognition on the field and a friendly addition to fans’ t-shirts, jewelry, hats and more. First proposed by head coach Vince Dooley in the 1960s, the Georgia “G” was meant to be a sleek and forward-looking update to a time-honored program. Compared to Kentucky’s bland,

Lacking Legacy

block-font initials or Missouri’s involved tiger, the “power G” steamrolls the competition, like the defense it has represented these past few seasons.

Over the past century, the University of Georgia football team has adorned a variety of fonts, color patterns and design changes that have done well at displaying new eras for the football team. Although the uniforms have gotten a bit more complex since their beginnings with fashionable styles, I cannot definitively say that the Bulldogs have the best uniform in college football, nor the SEC.

While the uniforms for this upcoming season look great, there is one major flaw in calling Georgia’s uniforms “the best” in the SEC. In order to have the best uniform in this historic conference, you need to have both a great looking uniform and consistency overtime that makes the uniform iconic in its history.

The Bulldogs uniforms in the early to mid 2000s were the ones that I would consider the most iconic and my personal favorite. However, once they put the scalpel back to the number font, the uniforms went downhill quickly.

The Bulldogs from 2013 to 2022 wore a uniform number designed by Nike that had the numbers rounded-off. Seemingly minor at first, the Bulldogs lost the block numbers staple that they had carried over several decades. The rounded-off uniforms looked out of place, and the classic red and white uniforms lost, in my opinion, a lot of intimidation along with it.

These uniforms were rock bottom for the Bulldogs, and luckily they were replaced again with the block numbers after winning the 2021 national championship.

Finally, Georgia is one of the few programs that has truly considered its uniforms from top to bottom, finishing the look with a set of silver pants. Coined the “silver britches,” the iconic bottoms were first introduced by head coach Wally Butts, who took over the program in 1939. They caught on through the 1950s, as fans proclaimed the pants a symbol of the team in their cheers and banners during games. While other teams have since veered from the traditional white, LSU’s yellow bottoms and Vanderbilt’s subdued gold don’t quite strike the balance between cohesive color scheme and field stand-out that Georgia’s does.

As Georgia enters the season and faces SEC rival after rival, the Bulldogs can feel rest assured that they’ve secured the win for best uniforms even before their first kickoff. Preseason predictions may fall through for this team, but a sharp sense of style never will.

Examining Georgia’s rival, the Florida Gators, it’s hard for me not to like this uniform. Not just because the colors and design stand out, but the historical value stands out too. If I was watching a game in the 1990s, I can easily pinpoint the Gators’ iconic helmet and uniform that have been a mainstay for over three decades with only minor changes.

Although the Bulldogs’ uniforms look great for the upcoming season, they have implemented too many drastic changes over the past three decades for me to give them any place near the top when discussing the best uniforms.

While the Bulldogs’ helmet has only had minor shifts as time has passed, the uniform itself has changed its font multiple times with the block numbers always coming back. This was seen in the late 1990s when the uniforms had the number popping out with a nice drop shadow effect in a classic pattern fitting for the era. Then, the team ultimately phased back to block numbers without the shadow.

Going forward, I do think that these uniforms have a chance to be one of the best in the SEC, but to do that, they need to build more of a legacy like LSU, Florida and Ole Miss have done. Georgia needs to wear them for the next few decades and then think about making changes for special games with alternate uniforms.

Why UGA uniforms aren’t the best in the SEC

Jim Bass

Georgia running back Daijun Edwards celebrates a touchdown with his teammates against Vanderbilt at Vanderbilt Stadium in Nashville, Tennessee, in 2021. FILE/STAFF

Georgia running back Daijun Edwards celebrates a touchdown with his teammate against Florida at TIAA Bank Field in Jacksonville, Florida, in 2022. JESSICA GRATIGNY/STAFF

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