The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Expect short day for Bulldogs’ starters
ATHENS — The Georgia Bulldogs have already played one game, but there will be a preseason feel to the one they play Saturday.
A week after opening the season with a 30-6 road win over Vanderbilt in an SEC East clash, the No. 3-ranked Bulldogs (1-0) will come home to face the Murray State Racers (1-0), an FCS opponent out of Kentucky. Georgia has been installed as a 50-point favorite.
In a lot of ways, though, it’s an ideal opponent coming in a perfect spot for Georgia. While the opening win was dominant for the Bulldogs, there were many imperfections and inconsistencies revealed. Playing the Racers will provide an opportunity to smooth out the rough edges.
Here are five things to keep an eye on as the Bulldogs get ready for their home opener:
1. Establishing O-line depth
The Bulldogs know they will be without right tackle Isaiah Wilson, and it’s unlikely that they will stick with their other starters for long against the Racers. That should provide a good opportunity for Georgia line coach Sam Pittman to showcase the depth of talent he has accumulated along the line of scrimmage and figure out a pecking order for some of the younger guys.
Wilson had to leave the Vanderbilt game in the second half after twisting an ankle, only to return a short time later. He apparently injured that leg again Wednesday and is reportedly going to miss at least this game and likely a few others.
Sophomore Cade Mays is the top candidate to replace Wilson. Mays started at right guard against Vanderbilt, but he’s the sixth man on the offensive line, also working daily at center and left and right tackle in practice. Plus, Mays currently shares right guard in a very liberal rotation with Ben Cleveland, who could easily take over full time at the position as he did last season before suffering a broken ankle in Game 4.
Meanwhile, Wilson’s primary backup at right tackle, sophomore Jamaree Salyer, is also coming off an ankle injury that prevented him from traveling to Vanderbilt. He has been full go in practice all week and also could start. Or Georgia could give him another week to heal. Cleveland has played at right tackle as well, as has D’Marcus Hayes.
2. Who’s next at QB?
It’s also unlikely that the Bulldogs will stick with Jake Fromm long at quarterback in this game. Anything more than four or five possessions would be a surprise. That means there should be more than half a game for other quarterbacks to play.
Sophomore Stetson Bennett has gotten almost all of the reps with the No. 2 offense since preseason camp opened in early August. He surely will be the first one in the game after Fromm. But who comes in next is where it gets really intriguing. Odds are good that it will be walk-on Nathan Priestley. The freshman from Los Angeles has impressed the Georgia coaches and players with his ability to pick up the offense quickly. At 6 feet 4, 205 pounds, he’s tall and may have the best arm talent of all the Georgia quarterbacks.
Meanwhile, D’Wan Mathis, a freshman, had not been medically cleared to play against Vanderbilt after having to have brain surgery this summer. His status for Saturday’s game is not certain, but he’s not expected to play.
3. Wreak more havoc
It’s hard to be too critical of a defense that did not allow a touchdown and kept an offensive triumvirate of Ke’Shawn Vaughn, Jared Pinkney and Kalija Lipscomb at bay. But the Bulldogs certainly didn’t come close to achieving their stated “havoc rate” goal of 20%. It’s unclear what Georgia’s formula is for calculating havoc rate, but traditional forms had it at between 11 and 12% Saturday, while some other published estimates had it at just above 8%.
Suffice it to say, Georgia needs to put more pressure on the quarterback and create more turnovers. The Bulldogs recorded two sacks, forced two fumbles, recovered one, had no interceptions and finished with a zero in turnover margin.
4. Lots of new faces
Because the Bulldogs opened the season on the road in an SEC game last weekend, only 70 players were permitted to travel and dress for the game. As it was, only 61 of those players played. Meanwhile, head coach Kirby Smart said there are a lot more players Georgia wants to get a look at before it moves into the meat of its schedule, which begins in earnest in two weeks when No. 9 Notre Dame comes to town.
Players who took the trip to Nashville and didn’t play last weekend include linebacker Nakobe Dean, defensive end Malik Herring, defensive tackle Julian Rochester, wide receiver Dominick Blaylock and running back Kenny McIntosh. Expect all of those guys get a lot of work Saturday.
Blaylock, in particular, should get a lot more work. The Bulldogs lost flanker/punt returner Kearis Jackson to a broken hand last week. Those just happen to be two of the duties that Blaylock, a 5-star freshman out of Marietta, has been training to do.
5. Dooley’s day
Georgia’s game against Murray State has long been a sellout, but it very likely wouldn’t be had the dedication of Dooley Field not been part of the festivities.
Vince Dooley, who won a national championship as Georgia’s football coach and led the Bulldogs to 23 national championships as the athletic director, is being honored by UGA in a pregame field-naming ceremony. Captains from all 25 of Dooley’s football teams, dozens of friends and family members and numerous dignitaries are expected to be in attendance.
Dooley, who turned 87 on Wednesday, said he’s humbled by the honor but is eager to “get it over with” so the attention can shift back to Georgia’s No. 3-ranked football team, “as it well deserves.”