The 2024 Georgia football team will take the field in Sanford Stadium for the first time with fans in the stands Saturday in the annual G-Day game.
Kirby Smart, entering his ninth season as Bulldogs coach, is trying to get the Bulldogs back in the College Football Playoff after missing out last season and settling for an Orange Bowl rout of Florida State.
Georgia, national champions in 2021 and 2022, is viewed as a top playoff contender in what will be an expanded 12-team field.
Due to the second phase of renovations to the stadium, the south side of the stadium will be closed except for some rows for players’ parents.
Georgia returns 8 offensive starters and 8 defensive starters from the bowl game including quarterback Carson Beck and pass rusher Mykel Williams.
The Bulldogs are expected to have several players out due to injury Saturday including safety Malaki Starks (shoulder), inside linebacker Smael Mondon (foot) and defensive end Tyrion Ingram-Dawkins (foot).
More:Watch Georgia football in G-Day spring game live with ESPN+ (subscribe today)
Dominic Lovett scores on an 11-yard pass from Carson Beck and ties the game with less than 30 seconds to go in regulation.
Liam Badger adds three more to the Black team’s total as things wrap up here at Sanford Stadium. Gunner Stockton is 21-for-33 for 236 yards, one touchdown and one interception. Carson Beck is 25-for-46 for 301 yards, two touchdowns and two interceptions.
Sacovie White caught Gunner Stockton’s 26-yard pass to score a touchdown for the Black team in the final five minutes of the game. Stockton is 13-for-20 overall for 180 yards.
Georgia football put the announced attendance on StatBroadcast as 55,101, though it didn’t quite look accurate as the southern wall was pretty much empty due to construction.
A 31-yarde Peyton Woodring field goal breaks the tie and puts the Red team on top, 13-10. 6:54 to go in the game.
Christian Miller went down on a tackle to stop Andrew Paul from rushing up the middle and came up clutching his left arm to his body. Probable shoulder injury, details unknown at this time.
A 38-yard Liam Badger field goal puts the Black team up to tie the board,10-10, at halftime. Gunner Stockton is 10-for-16 on the afternoon for 115 yards.
Carson Beck’s second interception of the half comes off CJ Allen at the Red team’s 50-yard line. Allen returned for 0 yards.
Carson Beck’s short pass to Colbie Young puts the Red team up 10-7 for their first lead of the scrimmage.
Carson Beck’s pass intended for Arian Smith is intercepted by Mykel Williams at the Black team’s 12-yard line, broken up by Williams himself. He returned eight yards before running out of bounds.
Gunner Stockton threw a deep pass down right field to get significant yardage (54 yards) for the Black team. Anthony Edwards III was on the receiving end of that bullet. Andrew Paul got the ball to the 1-yard line on the next play and scored for the 7-3 lead.
A 42-yard Peyton Woodring field goal puts the Red team up, 3-0. Carson Beck was 4-for-7 for 41 yards and Dillon Bell had two catches.
Georgia running back Trevor Etienne appears like he will take part in the G-Day game. He’s dressed out and warming up.
The Florida transfer is facing suspension for the opener against Clemson for a DUI and reckless driving arrest, but any discipline apparently won’t include today’s scrimmage.
It looks like Carson Beck and Gunner Stockton will be the only scholarship quarterbacks to go on G-Day.
Freshman Ryan Puglisi is not warming up and using a cane and wearing a brace on his left knee. Coach Kirby Smart called it a minor knee injury earlier this spring.
Uga XI, known as Boom, is here, attracting a crowd in front of his dog house. Sir Foster is cranking out the pregame music on the sound system.
It won’t be close to a full house what with renovations on the south side of Sanford Stadium putting a bunch of seats out of use today. The new press box, which is relocated from prime seats, looks like it still has a lot of work to go. It’s in the southwest corner. The old press box is being replaced by the most expensive premium seating.
Players on the Red team (first-team offense, second-team defense)
RB: Trevor Etienne, Roderick Robinson II, Branson Robinson (injured), Cash Jones
TE: Oscar Delp, Lawson Luckie
WR: Dominic Lovett, Colbie Young, Rara Thomas, Arian Smith, Dillon Bell
QB: Carson Beck
OL; Dylan Fairchild, Jared Wilson, Micaah Morris, Tate Ratledge, Earnest Greene, Xavier Truss
DL: Jamaal Jarrett, Jordan Thomas, Xzavier McLeod, Nnamdi Ogboko, Joseph Jonah-Ajonye
DB: Ellis Robinson IV, KJ Bolden, Justyn Rhett, David Daniel-Sisavah, Demello Jones, Jake Pope, Ondre Evans, Chris Peal, Kyron Jones
ILB: Troy Bowles, Chris Cole, Justin Williams, Kris Jones
OLB: Sam M’Pemba, Quintavius Johnson
Players on both teams
RB Andrew Paul
WR Anthony Evans III
DB Daniel Harris, Julian Humphrey
OLB: Damon Wilson, Gabe Harris Jr.
DL: Mykel Williams, Jordan Hall, Christen Miller, Nazir Stackhouse, Warren Brinson Tyrion Ingram-Dawkins (injured)
OLB: Chaz Chambliss
ILB CJ Allen, Raylen Wilson, Jalon Walker, Smael Mondon (injured)
DB: Daylen Everette, Joenel Aguero, Dan Jackson, JaCorey Thomas, Malaki Starks (injured)
QB: Gunner Stockton, Ryan Puglisi, Collin Drake, Sam Bush
RB: Chauncey Bowens,
WR: Nitro Tuggle, Tyler Williams, Michael Jackson III, London Humphreys, Sacovie White, Cole Speer
TE: Jalen Reddell, Colton Heinrich
OL: Malachi Toliver, Michael Uini, Kelton Smith, Monroe Freeling, Marques Easley, Bo Hughley (injured), Daniel Calhoun, Jamal Meriweather, Drew Bobo, Nyier Daniels
It’s the Red team (first team offense) vs. the Black team (first team defense) on Saturday.
Georgia released hype videos with players on each side on Friday afternoon.
