Georgia freshman report: 11 first-year Bulldogs play vs. Tennessee
Georgia is now 9-0 on the 2022 season and bound for the No. 1 spot in all three polls after dropping Tennessee 27-13 on Saturday. The Bulldogs overcame an early mistake to physically dominate the Volunteers, grabbing a 24-6 lead at halftime and eventually leading 27-6 before deciding to let the air out of the ball.
A number of first-year Georgia players got a chance to perform in the extraordinary Sanford Stadium environment. We offer you a list of the true freshmen who played plus how much and how they fared below.
RB Branson Robinson (6 snaps): The bruising tailback had a rough go of it. He had just six rushing yards on five carries. He also fumbled at the end of what was probably his most successful run of the day, giving the ball back to Tennessee.
WR Dillon Bell (21 snaps): The official stats released by Georgia after the game doesn’t credit Bell with a target. He didn’t catch a pass but he did grab his third start of the season.
WR Cole Speer (special teams): Speer is on the participation chart but did not play offense. We saw him on special teams where he seems to have carved out a role for himself.
TE Oscar Delp (3 snaps): Brock Bowers and Darnell Washington shouldered most of the load. Delp didn’t play as much as previous weeks and didn’t get targeted in the passing game.
DE Mykel Williams (32 snaps): The former five-star prospect helped UGA’s defensive front dominate the game. He had two total tackles and at least one pressure on the quarterback. Williams was also hurt in the game and missed a couple of series before jumping right back in.
OLB Marvin Jones Jr. (10 snaps): With Nolan Smith out for this game and Robert Beal getting hurt in the second quarter, Jones was pressed into action. He saw some action in true pass-rushing situations and seemed to hold his own.
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ILB Jalon Walker (1 snap): The talented defender was on the field for just one play and it wasn’t a positive one. Walker was flagged for a facemask as the Bulldogs were sacking Hendon Hooker on 4th and 21. It gave the Vols a new set of downs but the defense stood tall and turned Tennessee over on downs anyway.
S Malaki Starks (80 snaps): Georgia leaned heavily on the freshman free safety and he was up to the task. Starks led Georgia in tackles with 10 total. Seven of those were solo stops and Starks added a pass breakup. He helped the Georgia secondary keep almost everything in front throughout the evening.
CB Daylen Everette (1 snap): Kelee Ringo lost his helmet at one point in the game, forcing Everette to come in and play one snap. Tennessee didn’t go after the Georgia freshman and Ringo was back the next play.
CB Jaheim Singletary (on participation report): We’re not 100 percent positive where or if Singletary saw action on Saturday. He hasn’t played much, if at all, lately and he does share the No. 9 with wide receiver Jackson Meeks. If Singletary played, it was on special teams.
P Brett Thorson (special teams): The Georgia specialist had one of the biggest plays of the game. Georgia lined up to punt in the first quarter and Thorson uncorked one that flew 61 yards and bounced another 14 before going out at the one-yard line.
The Georgia defense trapped Tennessee deep in its own territory with a three-and-out, giving the ball back to the offense at the Volunteer 37-yard line. Stetson Bennett found Ladd McConkey to start that drive for a 37-yard touchdown. Thorson finished with four punts and an average of 50 yards per boot.
