Game Balls: Georgia defense pitches shutout vs. Samford
Georgia didn’t put its best foot forward on Saturday but it came away with a 33-0 win over Samford. The Bulldogs led 30-0 at the half but looked lost offensively in the final two quarters.
The defense, however, held Samford to just three first downs on the day and only 128 total yards. There were some standout performances from the game and below, DawgsHQ acknowledges them by handing out game balls.
ILB Smael Mondon: After a so-so showing in week one, Mondon bounced back in a big way. He led Georgia in tackles with four total and he notched a tackle and a half behind the line of scrimmage. Mondon showed that he can cover a ton of ground or fly downhill when asked.
RB Kenny McIntosh: Once again McIntosh finished as UGA’s leading receiver in terms of catches and yardage. He hauled in five passes for 61 yards while adding a rushing score from one-yard out. An explosive play is possible every time the senior tailback catches the football.
DL Nazir Stackhouse: The big defensive tackle didn’t have a huge presence on the stat sheet but he definitely stood out. Stackhouse pushed the pocket when he was in the game and had a great third quarter with a tackle for loss on one play then quick pressure on the next.
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DB Javon Bullard: Georgia has been looking for dynamic play out of the STAR position and it got it from Bullard on Saturday. When Samford went to the air on fourth and short in the second quarter, Bullard broke up the pass and almost picked it off. Had he caught it, he would have likely scored. He also played really well on the edge, taking on blocks and forcing plays back inside.
WR Dillon Bell: One of the true freshman standouts from preseason camp, Bell didn’t catch a pass in the season opener vs. Oregon. AD Mitchell’s ankle injury allowed Bell to play more snaps in this one and he capitalized. The first catch of his career was a three-yard touchdown. He went on to catch three passes for 22 yards on the day. His final catch was a quick screen where he showed off an impressive burst.
TE Brock Bowers: The sophomore pass catcher didn’t light it up like he did at times last season but he was a big reason why UGA reached the end zone three times in the first half. Bowers had three catches for 57 yards in the game. He had a couple of really nice catches including a leaping grab on a pass from Bennett that went for 26 yards. Bowers also had a really good game as a blocker, throwing multiple key blocks on the edge to spring teammates for more yardage.
