No. 2 Georgia gets another shot to sharpen its edge Saturday, and Kirby Smart isn’t pretending last week’s 63-3 demolition of Tennessee State means the Bulldogs are finished products.
The defending national champions are back in Athens, Ga., for a visit from Western Kentucky, a game that serves as Georgia’s final tune-up before nine straight SEC opponents. Smart’s team opened the year by overwhelming Tennessee State, outgaining the Tigers 660-109 and moving ahead of Oregon in this week’s Top 25 poll. But for Smart, the next step is about improvement, not celebration.
"It should be a great opportunity for us to get better," Smart said. "We have a saying around here: 'You don't have to be sick to get better.' That's been the motto of last week and this week."
Georgia’s first FBS test should bring a different level of resistance, and Smart made it clear he won’t let his team treat Western Kentucky like a formality. He pointed to the Hilltoppers’ recent consistency, noting their seven straight bowl appearances and crediting Tyson Helton’s program for adapting to the modern game.
"It shows you they have a tremendous evaluation process," Smart said of the Hilltoppers having appeared in a bowl game in each of the last seven seasons.
"They've done a great job of developing players. The game has changed and (head coach Tyson Helton) has changed with it."
The Bulldogs looked plenty sharp in Week 1 anyway. Gunner Stockton threw for 202 yards and three touchdowns in a little more than a quarter, pushing his record to 13-3 as a starter. Five different Georgia players caught touchdown passes, and junior running back Nate Frazier added three rushing scores.
Stockton said the offense has plenty of firepower to work with.
"We have guys that are explosive," Stockton said. " ...
I think that we have a bunch of guys that can play winning football. We have a lot of depth, and that's a plus for a team."
Western Kentucky arrives after a rough start of its own, a 49-14 loss at Nevada that left Tyson Helton with plenty to fix before the Hilltoppers head to No. 5 Indiana next week. Nevada rolled up 486 yards, and Helton didn’t sugarcoat where his team stands after Week 1.
"You learn a lot about who you are in Week 1 and what you have, and we need to get a lot better as a football team. I think that's pretty obvious," said Helton, whose team allowed 486 yards to the Wolf Pack.
"I think we have an opportunity this year to have a good football team and a team that can compete and win a lot of football games, but sitting here today, we've got to get a lot better. I think that's a pretty obvious thing for anybody that watched our game."
Rodney Tisdale Jr. is one of the few familiar faces on a Western Kentucky roster that includes 41 new players. After starting the final six games last season, the sophomore quarterback passed for 203 yards in the opener.
"He's got to play better. We've all got to play better.
We've all got to coach better," Helton said. "But I did see a lot of good things."
Saturday’s trip to Athens will be only the second all-time for the Hilltoppers, who lost 48-12 there in September 2006. Western Kentucky is 4-23 against current SEC teams, and its most recent win over one came in 2019 against Arkansas.
In Other News...
Georgia Just Turned A Routine Hype Video Into A Fan Debate
Georgia footballs week-one hype video has become a lot more than a simple cut-up of highlights. What used to be a free social-media perk is now being kept behind a paywall on the schools Glory Glory Georgia platform, where fans have to subscribe and also help the NIL collective to get access. For a program that has built one of the loudest online followings in the sport, the move was always going to get noticed.
The reaction has already spilled onto social media, where some Georgia fans have pushed back on the idea of charging a minimum monthly payment just to watch a video that used to be shared openly. It is a small piece of content in the grand scheme of a season, but it also reflects how quickly the business of college football keeps creeping into the everyday fan experience, even for something as routine as a hype video. [Read more 🡒]
SEC Pushes LSU Toward Punishment That Could Shake The Entire League
The SEC has escalated its case against LSU in a way that could send ripples well beyond Baton Rouge, filing an amended complaint that seeks to expel the school from the league over what it says is a lack of institutional control. The dispute stems from comments made by Lane Kiffin about former NFL players returning to college football, and the conference's filing leans heavily on the idea that LSU's leadership has offered no response while Kiffin has been public on the matter.
For Georgia and the rest of the SEC, the next step matters because expulsion would require a two-thirds vote from league presidents, with that meeting expected soon. Even before any vote, the complaint has turned a coaching-side issue into a conference governance test, and the silence from LSU is now part of the broader argument hanging over one of college football's most powerful leagues. [Read more 🡒]
Kirby Smart Is Already Raving About One Georgia Freshman Receiver
Craig Dandridge wasted little time making an impression in his first college game for Georgia, popping up in multiple spots during the Bulldogs season opener against Tennessee State. The freshman wide receiver finished with two catches for 36 yards and also handled a 30-yard punt return, a small but noteworthy glimpse of the versatility that has already made him stand out in the receiver room.
Kirby Smart has been quick to notice more than just the box-score production. The Georgia coach praised Dandridges intelligence, versatility and quickness, even while noting the freshman had missed part of camp. With other receivers also contributing in the opener, Dandridges debut did not have to carry the entire passing game, but it did offer an early sign that he may have a larger role ahead. [Read more 🡒]