Report Card: Grading Georgia’s G-Day spring scrimmage

Georgia held its annual G-day spring scrimmage on Saturday and the red and black teams played to a tie for the first time since 1967. The final score was 20-20 as the red team evened it up with 27 seconds left and the black team missed a long field goal as time expired. DawgsHQ has rewatched the game and we evaluate each position group below with a report card.

Georgia quarterback

Carson Beck had an up-and-down day. He made some of the best throws we’ve seen from him in a Georgia uniform but he was also a little off at times. Beck had multiple passes batted at the line of scrimmage and was picked off twice. Gunner Stockton did some good things and showed that he can push the ball downfield. He, too, was a little clunky at times while dealing with significantly more pressure than Beck faced. Grade: B

UGA running backs

It’s tough for running backs to stand out on G-Day with it being a pass-heavy event. With that said, we saw some good things. Roderick Robinson didn’t get much going in the run game but he looked smooth as a pass catcher and showed a lot of power and balance with the ball in his hands. Andrew Paul had two of the best runs of the day, one with the red team and one with the black. Trevor Etienne also showed some serious quickness and explosiveness with limited opportunities. Grade: B+

Georgia receivers and tight ends

This group has been talked about all spring and we got to see some of it with our own eyes. Dominic Lovett had an early drop but bounced back to have a huge day. His touchdown catch that allowed the red team to tie the game was outrageous but the reception earlier in the drive where he caught the ball over the middle, made a man miss, and got out of bounds was also impressive. Colbie Young only had three catches but showed that he’s a weapon. Dillon Bell and Rara Thomas were also really good.

A few youngsters flashed as well. Anthony Evans had a 54-yard catch, Nitro Tuggle hauled one in from 32 yards out, and Sacovie White notched a 26-yard touchdown for the black team. Georgia appears to be in good hands at this position.

The tight ends didn’t get involved a ton other than some short, underneath throws. Lawson Luckie had one chunk gain but that was about it. Grade: A-

UGA offensive line

We heard so much about the first-team offensive line this spring and how it had been downright dominant. That was not really on display during G-Day and the lack of balance, by design, probably played a role. The Georgia front didn’t really struggle in the run game but there was no rhythm, either. The first-team pass protected quite well with a few different lineups. The second team struggled to pass protect against a very fast but young front seven. Grade: B

Georgia defensive line

This group made a bit of a statement on Saturday after its offensive counterpart was praised all spring. Gabe Harris, Jordan Hall, and Christen Miller seriously flashed with the first-team defense. Nazir Stackhouse also played well against the run. Xzavier McLeod had two sacks with the second team and showed why Georgia targeted him in the transfer portal. We also saw some good things out of true freshman Joseph Jonah-Ajonye. Grade: A-

UGA linebackers

Georgia is absolutely loaded with fast, physical linebacker. Mykel Williams saw a ton of action at outside linebacker and tallied six total tackles, two pass breakups, and one interception. Damon Wilson and Samuel M’Pemba also did some good things.

At inside linebacker, the list of standouts is long. CJ Allen played at a different speed than we saw last year and the same can be said for Raylen Wilson. Jalon Walker was also impressive while Chris Cole took over on a three-and-out from the black offense. Justin Williams also had a really active day while playing well in space and Troy Bowles punctuated his first spring at Georgia with a strong showing in coverage. Grade: A

Georgia defensive backs

The Bulldogs gave up some plays in the back half and that’s to be expected when they put the ball in the air over 80 times. Joenel Aguero was got got by Lovett a few times but that’s a tough matchup and Aguero seemed to hold tight coverage more often than not. The cornerback play was really strong and true freshman KJ Bolden showed some promise while working with the second offense. Dan Jackson and JaCorey Thomas played well as the first-team safeties and Jake Pope had a nice pass breakup late in the game. Grade: B+

Georgia special teams

Peyton Woodring opened the scoring with a 42-yard field goal and connected on another short attempt. Ian Badger missed once but it was on a very long attempt. The punting was solid as Brett Thorson hammered a couple and had one come down inside the 20. Grade: A-

Overall

This was a typical Georgia spring scrimmage. We saw some really good things while also seeing some struggles. No one should expect this team to be a finished product and the Bulldogs are healthier now than when spring started. That’s a huge win. One thing that really stood out is the defensive team speed. Both the first and second team defenses were teeming with guys who can really run. Grade: A-

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