Georgia’s first full fall scrimmage brought a little of everything Saturday - encouraging signs in the run game, a touchdown from the backfield, and enough dropped passes to leave Kirby Smart with a familiar gripe.
The Bulldogs worked in brutal heat in Athens, with the on-field temperature nearing 100 degrees and the heat index pushing the “feels like” number 10 degrees higher. It was the kind of day that tests every part of a roster, and the offense had its share of ups and downs.
On the bright side, the ground game showed some pop. Chauncey Bowens was one of the standouts, running effectively throughout the scrimmage.
Nate Frazier, the projected starter, opened with a run of more than 30 yards early in practice, though his workload was limited. Freshman Jae Lamar also flashed as a runner, but his day ended with a late fumble after a pass reception.
Bo Walker accounted for the scrimmage’s only touchdown, finishing a catch-and-run for the score.
At receiver, London Humphreys and Landon Roldan drew positive reviews from observers. Humphreys also took a heavy shot from preseason All-American candidate KJ Bolden after hauling in a catch over the middle.
But the day wasn’t as clean for the pass-catching group overall. Smart had already warned the receivers during a practice open to Glory Glory NIL initiative subscribers last Sunday, saying, “We’re going to start counting dropped passes.”
Saturday’s scrimmage suggested that message may still need to land. Even with nice grabs from transfer Isiah Canion and freshman Kaiden Prothro, drops were an issue across the board. Talyn Taylor, Sacovie White-Helton, Jaden Reddell and Elyiss Williams all had passes hit the turf as well.
White-Helton and Roldan also handled punt-return duties.
There were a few moving parts up front, too. Center Drew Bobo was held out, and one snap sailed over Gunner Stockton’s head. Cortez Smith worked with the first team in Bobo’s absence, with Malachi Toliver next in line at center.
Quarterback play was uneven, according to observers. Stockton was still trying to get fully dialed in, while backup Ryan Montgomery continued to show good moments.
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