Two Georgia linemen picked up major SEC recognition on Monday after helping power the Bulldogs to a 20-17 road win over Alabama.
Sophomore offensive guard Dontrell Glover was voted SEC Offensive Lineman of the Week, while junior Joseph Jonah-Ajonye earned SEC Defensive Lineman of the Week. It was the first weekly conference honor for both players. Georgia has now had two players recognized by the SEC this season, with junior linebacker Chris Cole previously earning SEC Defensive Player of the Week after the win over Oklahoma.
Glover’s day in Tuscaloosa was as clean and efficient as Georgia needed it to be. The SEC said the Fairburn, Ga., native graded out at 89 percent overall and posted a 95 percent pass-protection grade. He also finished with three knockdown blocks and one pin.
His work up front helped Gunner Stockton stay comfortable and productive, with the quarterback completing 18 of 22 passes for 249 yards. Georgia rolled up 455 total yards, went a perfect 4-for-4 in the red zone and gave up just one sack.
Already a preseason All-SEC Second Team selection by SEC Media and the SEC Coaches, Glover has started every game at left guard this season. Kirby Smart singled out the importance of Georgia’s two starting guards after the Alabama game.
“Tough. They love it.
You know, we had two kids out there that were committed to Alabama, [ Zykie Helton and Dontrell Glover], right? And it was important to them that they knew who they were by the end of it,” Smart said.
Jonah-Ajonye made his biggest mark early. The SEC credited the Shenandoah, Texas, native with two tackles, including a sack, plus a forced fumble in the Bulldogs’ win. His strip-sack on Alabama’s opening drive was recovered by Georgia, and the Bulldogs cashed it in for a field goal.
That sequence helped set the tone for a Georgia defense that held Alabama to 6-of-13 on third down, finished with four sacks and kept the Tide off the board in the first and fourth quarters. Georgia’s defense now leads the SEC and ranks 11th nationally in scoring defense at 14.0 points per game.
Jonah-Ajonye has appeared in all six games this season and has 10 tackles, a tackle for loss/sack and a forced fumble. Defensive coordinator Glenn Schumann talked in fall camp about the role he envisioned for him in year three.
“Joseph is a great athlete for his size. He has the length we look for in the defensive end position,” Schumann said.
“He has some natural power to him. I think that for him, you're looking in that Mykel role, where you want to be a guy that can go from playing inside the tackle to outside the tackle, and that's really what we need from him.
With him not getting as many reps, it's saying that every day he's getting better. I'm really excited about what he's going to do this year because we had high hopes for him at the beginning of last year.”
In Other News...
Georgia Defense Just Sent A Clear Message In The Alabama Win
Georgias 20-17 win over Alabama looked like more than just another top-end SEC result. The Bulldogs defense spent the night making the Crimson Tide uncomfortable, and the bigger takeaway was how the group answered a challenge against an offense that had been piling up points all fall. Linebacker Chris Cole and safety Khalil Barnes pointed to the teams physical practice habits and sharp defensive focus as part of the reason Georgia was able to control so much of the game.
The real separation came after halftime, when Georgia tightened the screws and barely let Alabama breathe. The Bulldogs allowed only three points the rest of the way and shut out the Tide in the fourth quarter, which is the kind of finish that tends to travel well in this league. For Georgia, the win was important on the scoreboard, but the way the defense handled the second half may have said even more about where this unit is headed. [Read more 🡒]
Kirby Smart Sounds Off After Ugly Alabama Postgame Incident
Georgias win over Alabama had plenty of football significance, but one ugly moment after the game quickly drew attention of its own. Linebacker Raylen Wilson was on the receiving end of a fan confrontation when his helmet was shoved by an Alabama supporter, and the whole incident was captured on video as the teams were leaving the field.
Alabama athletics later said it was disappointed in the fans behavior and was gathering information, while Kirby Smart addressed the episode in his postgame press conference. Smart condemned what happened and pointed to Wilsons calm response, a small bit of composure in a scene that otherwise said little good about the way the night ended. [Read more 🡒]
Auburn Just Lost A Star Defender Before Facing No. 1 Georgia
Auburn will head into its Week 7 matchup with No. 1 Georgia without one of its top defensive players, after head coach Alex Golesh announced linebacker Xavier Atkins has been suspended for the game. The junior and first-team All-SEC selection was held out because of internal discipline issues, a notable loss for a defense that now has to prepare for the Bulldogs without one of its most proven playmakers.
Golesh said the suspension will be revisited after the game, leaving the door open for Atkins to return later in the season. For Georgia, it is one more development to monitor in a matchup that already carried major stakes, and for Auburn it raises the pressure on a unit that will need to absorb the absence of a centerpiece in the middle of the field. [Read more 🡒]