The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Bulldogs receivers take turns to shine
No one is ‘the guy,’ but group has been key for Georgia this season.
ATHENS — Although Georgia often is characterized as “Running Back U,” 2018 has been a nice season for the team’s receivers, enabling the Bulldogs to rank seventh in the SEC in pass offense with 181 completions, 2,490 yards and 24 touchdowns.
While no one player has mind-blowing numbers, at least five Bulldogs listed on the roster as receivers have played key roles in the team’s success and all have made big plays.
Entering Saturday’s game against Georgia Tech, Riley Ridley leads the receivers with 32 catches for 441 yards and six touchdowns. Mecole Hardman has 31 receptions for 475 yards and five scores. And Jeremiah Holloman, who has come on strong as of late, has 19 catches for 321 yards and four touchdowns.
“We have good balance in the room. And we have great camaraderie,” coach Kirby Smart said. “I think each one of those guys had a game where you’d say he’s the guy, he’s the guy. … You don’t have to have a guy. You can do it by committee.”
Terry Godwin, who has dealt with injuries early in the season, didn’t necessarily agree with Smart’s “balanced” assessment,
but does think he plays among the best pass-catchers in all of college football.
“I wouldn’t say more ‘balanced,’ I would say we’ve got more weapons,” said Godwin, who has the longest reception of the year, a 75-yarder against Vander- bilt. “Like I was saying at the beginning of the season, to us, this is the best receiving corps in the nation.”
Making the cut (block): One item on the Georgia defense’s list this week will be to avoid damage from Tech’s cut blocks — when an offensive player tries to take down a defender by hitting his knees — up front.
Defensive end Jonathan Ledbetter said, “(On Sunday), we did a gauntlet in the weight room, something they created for fun to simulate a cut block. I just don’t think this game can be simulated. These guys just come out and it is what it is, so we just have to go play.”
“The switch flips tremendously,” linebacker Natrez Patrick added. “We have to be creative to simulate those cuts. We try to do as best we can in simulating that in practice.”