Countdown to Kickoff: Opponent Previews – UGA

Clean, Old-Fashioned Hate, but on Friday

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The 118th edition of Clean Old-Fashioned Hate will be held in Athens on Black Friday. Hopefully, this change of date will also bring a change of tides. Georgia has won the last six contests; outside of last year, there hasn’t been much hope for the Jackets. Last year, the Jackets led through the first quarter thanks to a UGA fumble-turned Haynes King touchdown and a field goal from Aiden Birr. Hope started to slip away as UGA’s Kendall Milton began his record-setting performance on the ground. With less than four minutes left in the fourth, King brought Tech within eight, but the Dawgs held on to win 31-23.

*It is of note that Ladd McConkey, Brock Bowers, and Rara Thomas all sat out in last November’s match-up, however, none of those players will be on the field this November either.

UGA lost eight players to the NFL including offensive stars like Amarius Mims (OT) and Sedrick Van Pran (OL). On defense, Kamari Lassiter (CB), Javon Bullard (S), and Zion Logue (DT) all moved on to their respective new homes in the league. However, the Dawgs depth chart has these potential gaps in the roster more than covered.

Offense

Georgia has fielded a top-five scoring offense the past two seasons. This prowess is due largely to their practically impenetrable offensive line. Large (and I mean LARGE) parts of their success return, including tackle Earnest Greene III and guard Tate Ratledge. Both players were recently featured on CBS’s College Football Top 100 Players list. Even larger recruits now join the team to deepen the UGA OL corps and to set up an offensive “wall” that’s not bound to fall anytime soon.

Carson Beck is back for his senior year and he doesn’t care about his rating in NCAA 25!

Despite being a certified loser, Beck threw for 3,941 yards, 24 touchdowns, and six interceptions last year. He rushed for 116 yards and four scores on the ground. He is one of the headliners on the Maxwell Award watchlist, a potential Heisman candidate, and one of the best QBs in the SEC.

Defense

Mykel Williams is a junior defensive lineman with talent to spare. He was named to The Athletic Freshman All-American First-Team in 2022. Last year he tallied 18 tackles, including 11 solo stops, a team-leading 4.5 sacks, and 6.5 tackles.

All-American, Malaki Starks holds down the Dawgs’ secondary. Last year Starks finished the season with 52 tackles, including 31 solo stops…notched three interceptions for 47 combined return yards with seven pass breakups.

Potential Problems for the Dawgs

For the first time in a while, UGA’s schedule is tough. They kick off the season in Atlanta against Clemson. They travel to Tuscaloosa in week four and come home for two match-ups against Auburn and Mississippi State. They then spend three weeks away from Athens, facing Texas, Ole Miss, and Florida. They cap off the regular season with three home games: Tennessee, UMass, and Georgia Tech. Georgia can prove itself to be truly great against this year’s schedule. Despite the agitation in Athens over a missed CFP, there is great belief that this year will be nothing short of another natty. It will be interesting to see how those beliefs fare through the season. Despite potential losses, Georgia is still incredibly likely to make it to the extended playoffs this year and is ranked second overall this preseason.

Depth was the biggest issue that Kirby Smart self-diagnosed for this season. This points to a larger, cultural issue in Athens. Players on the UGA football team have a less than 50% chance of graduating. Coming in at 41%, UGA ranks dead last out of more than 130 FBS teams in graduation rate. This kind of statistic affects recruiting potential, especially when your physically closest recruiting competitor boasts stats like the following:

• a 92% student-athlete graduation rate, 88% for football specifically.
• an average starting salary for graduates that is about $20,000 higher than the national average
• the number one starting salary in the ACC
• the number two starting salary out of Power Five schools
• a number six ranking among public schools
• and everyone’s favorite tech stat: two in five Tech graduates become millionaires

As a football player at UGA, your odds of graduating are lower than a Tech grad’s odds of becoming a millionaire. It’s not bragging if it’s true. Now, Georgia Tech isn’t exactly number two on the recruitment trail behind the two-time national champs, but these kids (and their parents) are looking for more than just four years of football. That is where UGA struggles to keep up with its competitors. A fast car, collective money, and small-town fame pale in comparison to a diploma that actually means something.

Okay, off the soapbox. As always, this year’s game will be a struggle. There is no reasonable world in which the Jackets are favored to win. UGA has a talent advantage on both sides of the ball, however, I will not write this game off as a predetermined loss. Last year Tech rallied against a formidable opponent, showing signs of hope in the fourth quarter. I wouldn’t dare call it a moral victory, but it was something. For the first time in a long time, I am excited to see what plays out on November 29 in Athens.