Georgia's Smart insists he has not lost control of program
Georgia coach Kirby Smart insists he has not lost control of a program that has produced back-to-back national championships but has been rocked by offseason arrests and a car crash that claimed the lives of a player and a recruiting staffer.
No. 1 Georgia tops Kentucky, goes unbeaten in SEC again
Kenny McIntosh rushed for a career-best 143 yards, including a crucial 9-yard score late in the third quarter, and top-ranked Georgia withstood Kentuckyโs fourth-quarter rally Saturday for a 16-6 win and its second consecutive unbeaten season in the Southeastern Conference.
Angry Dawgs: No. 3 Georgia beats No. 2 Michigan 34-11 in CFP
Stetson Bennett threw three touchdown passes, Nakobe Dean led an angry Georgia defense and the third-ranked Bulldogs returned to their dominant ways, beating No. 2 Michigan 34-11 in the Orange Bowl to advance to the College Football Playoff championship.
From burgers to ballgames, SEC fans aiming for normalcy
Southeastern Conference officials are trying to get back to normal on football game days, with stadiums filled with fans and grills being fired up outside, even in a portion of the country where the states have among the lowest COVID-19 vaccination rates.
Sark latest 'Bama assistant multi-tasking before title game
(AP Photo/Vasha Hunt, File)Steve Sarkisian is the latest Alabama coordinator to be drawing up game plans for a national title showdown before leaving for a new head coaching job. The Longhorns fired Tom Herman and hired Sarkisian eight days before the national championship game Monday night against No. The difference this time is the accelerated time frame from Sarkisianโs hiring to the title game. Alabama beat Oklahoma in the semifinals before a 44-16 loss to Clemson in the national title game. Nearly a month passed from his hiring to the January 2012 title game rematch against LSU, which โBama won 21-0.
Podlesny's FG lifts Georgia past Cincinnati in Peach Bowl
Georgia place kicker Jack Podlesny, offensive player of the game, stands with Georgia head coach Kirby Smart after the Peach Bowl NCAA college football game against Cincinnati, Friday, Jan. 1, 2021, in Atlanta. 6 Cincinnati its only loss of the season with a dramatic 24-21 victory in the Peach Bowl. Daniels, a Southern California transfer, passed for 392 yards while improving to a perfect 4-0 in four starts for Georgia. Podlesnyโs winning kick tied a Peach Bowl record for longest field goal and gave Georgia a 22-21 lead. โI would feel much better if we just played our best game,โ Georgia coach Kirby Smart said.
Bama, Ohio St add 5-stars while preparing for champ games
โI could be here all day talking about how different this is,โ Ohio State coach Ryan Day said on the Big Ten Network. As of late Wednesday afternoon, Alabama had signed five of them and was expected to land at least one more. Even with the coach's future still to be determined, day signing was OK for the Wolverines. On the positive side for the Wolverines on signing day: In-state running back Donovan Edwards, a four-star, signed with Michigan. Smith had indicated his final decision would come down to a choice between LSU, Alabama, Georgia and Miami.
Trask, Florida upend Georgia 44-28 in 'Cocktail Party'
His Florida teammates took it to another level, running and leaping into the stands. Trask had another four-touchdown night, becoming the first quarterback in Southeastern Conference history to accomplish the feat in five consecutive games, and the eighth-ranked Gators beat No. Trask and the Gators took advantage, burning Georgia repeatedly with wheel routes while overcoming a 14-0 deficit. If theyโre going bracket and take away and double people, heโs going to go to who youโre not doubling or covering.โOnce Trask and Florida got going, the Bulldogs did little to stop them. Florida notched a signature win for Mullen, but likely can't afford a slip-up down the stretch to remain in play for a CFP spot.
Virus wreaking havoc on SEC with Saban now testing positive
10 Florida's game against defending national champion LSU was postponed Wednesday to tentatively Dec. 12 after the SEC postponed Missouri-Vanderbilt on Monday. Vanderbilt coach Derek Mason is going through a similar situation. To play, the SEC requires at least 53 on game days. Timing is critical depending on the day of the week a positive test or tracing result returns. โEvery time youโre taking a test," Mason said, โyou're crossing your fingers ... you don't have anybody in harm's way."
No. 3 Georgia dominates 2nd half, beats No. 14 Vols 44-21
Bouncing back from a goal-line stand at the end of the the first half, the No. โThey really outplayed us in the second half,โ coach Jeremy Pruitt said. All those good feelings evaporated when Tennessee turned it over on its first two possessions of the second half. Tennessee's defense held Georgia to a pair of field goals after those miscues, but the Vols offense just couldn't get anything going. SILLY MISTAKESWhile it didn't matter in the end, Georgia made plenty of mistakes that irritated Smart.
SEC threatens fines, suspensions for breaking mask protocols
A Sept. 30 memo after the opening weekend of the SEC season included a reminder to coaches to be mindful of masking up and following other sideline protocols. According to the latest memo, going forward SEC schools will be โassessed a $100,000 reduction in Conference revenueโ for failure to adhere to requirements. Repeat offenders will face an increase in lost revenue by $100,000 per offense and even suspensions, the memo said. The NFL commissioner, Roger Goodell, earlier this week issued a similarly stern warning to follow protocols as the league grapples with positive cases. Georgia coach Kirby Smart acknowledged this week he had been talked to by the commissioner and others about keeping his mask on.
Stetson Bennett, No. 4 Georgia romp past No. 7 Auburn 27-6
Stetson Bennett threw for 240 yards and a touchdown, solidifying his hold on the quarterback job as No. Postal Service cap in an effort to get noticed, Bennett was never viewed as a starting candidate for the Bulldogs. No matter the time of year, Georgia kept the upper hand with a fourth straight victory over Auburn. Georgia star Richard LeCounte got the boot in the second period for a helmet-to-helmet collision with Auburn receiver Shedrick Jackson. His work can be found at https://apnews.com/search/paulnewberry___More AP college football: https://apnews.com/Collegefootball and https://twitter.com/AP_Top25
Week 5 Preview: Top-25 matchups in SEC; ACC title rematch
including the Deep South's Oldest Rivalry, highlights the fifth week of the college football season. 4 Georgia on Saturday night as the second month of the season starts, but only the second week of SEC play. The first of three games that decide the Commander-in-Chief's Trophy might have sneaked up on college football fans. The Falcons will play six conference games to go along with Navy and Army. ___Follow Ralph D. Russo at https://twitter.com/ralphDrussoAP and listen at http://www.westwoodonepodcasts.com/pods/ap-top-25-college-football-podcast/___More AP college football: https://apnews.com/Collegefootball and https://twitter.com/AP_Top25
Former UGa player says he experienced racism, manipulation
Still, Smarts Bulldogs may lean on their experienced defense in the pandemic-delayed season. Georgia, which is ranked fourth in the country, denied the allegations and said it would share its full response to Reeseโs waiver application if he is granted permission. Reese released a statement Tuesday night on Twitter expressing frustration that his waiver had yet to be granted. Reese said he decided to transfer because his 1 1/2 years at Georgia โtook a devastating mental toll on me. Another Georgia transfer, offensive lineman Cade Mays, is still awaiting a decision on whether he can play right away for Tennessee.
Florida-Georgia game staying in Jacksonville through at least 2023
JACKSONVILLE, Fla. โ The Florida-Georgia football game is staying in Jacksonville through at least 2023. The contract between the teams to play in Jacksonville was set to expire after the 2021 game at TIAA Bank Field. The future of the game in Jacksonville has been a hot-button topic, more so in recent years. But the financial incentives to keep the game in Jacksonville make it worth it for the programs. They also split a $250,000 signing bonus and receive other financial incentives for travel.