UGA 49, Oregon 3: Get postgame analysis and commentary from the Chick Fil A Kickoff game
ATLANTA — Georgia football recorded a dominant season-opening 49-3 win against Oregon and former defensive coordinator Dan Lanning.
Read the five things to know in the link below, and look back at the biggest moments in the running commentary below.
No title hangover: Five takeaways from No. 3 Georgia's 49-3 blowout of No. 12 Oregon
Chick-Fil-A Kickoff Game
Five things to know: Georgia-Oregon in top 15 matchup in Chick-fil-A Kickoff Game
New breed of Bulldog: New faces ready to step up on still-talented UGA defense.
Also: Glenn Schumann enters seventh UGA season with expanded role as co-DC
6:23 p.m. | Georgia football TE Arik Gilbert, Brett Thorson make UGA debuts
Tight end Arik Gilbert came in for the first time in a Bulldog uniform and drew a holding call on a running play by freshman running back Branson Robinson.
And it took until the 10:19 mark of the fourth quarter, but freshman punter Brett Thorson, a Melbourne, Australia native, punted for the first time. It went 53 yards.
6:12 p.m. | Georgia football RB Kendall Milton takes QB Carson Beck pass for TD
UGA adds to its blowout as backup QB Carson Beck dumps off a pass to Kendall Milton who takes it 18 yards for his second touchdown of the game. Beck was 4 of 5 for 67 yards on the drive, his first action of the season.
5:51 p.m. | Georgia football WR AD Mitchell pulls in TD pass, Stetson Bennett sets record
Stetson Bennett hit sophomore wide receiver AD Mitchell for an 18-yard touchdown pass with 5:20 to play and Georgia leads 42-3. Bennett now has 368 passing yards to break his previous high total game of 340 against Alabama in last year's SEC championship.
5:32 p.m.| Georgia football RB Kendall Milton joins TD party
Georgia's offense has now scored touchdowns on all five of its possessions.
This time it was Kendall Milton breaking loose for a 12-yard touchdown on the left side to make it 35-3 with 12:17 to go in the third quarter. Milton has 38 yards on 5 carries.
4:57 p.m.| Georgia football WR Ladd McConkey with his second TD of the game
A wide open Ladd McConkey in the left corner of the end zone hauled in a 4-yard touchdown catch with 21 seconds to go in the first half. Georgia leads 28-3. McConkey has 48 yards on 4 catches and 16 rushing yards and a touchdown for Georgia.
4:36 p.m.| Georgia football WR Ladd McConkey one of 3 rushing TDs for Georgia
Georgia wide receiver Ladd McConkey got the scoring going for Georgia with a 9-yard touchdown run on a reverse. Stetson Bennett scored off a play fake on a 1-yard touchdown run. And just now, Kenny McIntosh also scored on a 1-yard touchdown run on a jet sweep. Ladd McConkey nearly scored another touchdown earlier but was stopped at the 1 after a catch. Georgia has 233 total yards and leads 21-0 with 8:25 to go in the first half.
4:06 p.m.| Georgia football DB Malaki Starks comes up big for Bulldogs
Jefferson graduate Malaki Starks, playing in his home state, was tested in the first quarter by Dan Lanning's coaching staff.
Starks won the battle on a deep ball, showing great ball awareness to make a leaping catch as he backpedaled. That set up a drive for Georgia that has them at the 1-yard line at the start of the second quarter leading 7-0.
3:43 p.m.|Mykel Williams, Javon Bullard called on for Georgia defense
Freshman defensive end Mykel Williams, who flipped from Southern Cal, started for Georgia. The Bulldogs also had Javon Bullard at the Star nickel spot and Kamari Lassiter at the corner position opposite Kelee Ringo. Oregon moved the ball, but Georgia defense ended up forcing a punt after the Ducks got 38 yards.
3:18 p.m.| Georgia football running back Kendall Milton dressed out
Running back Kendall Milton was dressed out for pregame warmups. Didn't see much of the warmups because Greg Sankey was holding court in the press box (see below), but it looked like Daijun Edwards was second behind Kenny McIntosh the one portion I saw.
Milton has battled a hamstring injury this preseason.
“He’s done a great job bouncing back from it," Smart said on Wednesday. "It was unfortunate. Soft tissue injuries are hard to control and monitor. He had a few days there when he was not able to go full speed, but he was still able to do things. ...He’s hitting good numbers on the GPS and getting in good shape. He’s very bright so I’m looking forward to him being a big part of things.”
3:03 p.m. | SEC commissioner Greg Sankey on playoff expansion, future SEC football scheduling
A day after the College Football Playoff Board of Managers announced the playoff will expand from four teams to 12 by 2026, SEC commissioner Greg Sankey took questions from a gaggle of reporters before kickoff here.
Sankey had pushed for the field to expand to 12 more than a year ago.
"When I was here in July (for SEC Media Days), I really thought this would be a next spring decision," Sankey said.
--On the SEC timeline for its future scheduling, with momentum to go from eight to nine games. "Our expectation is a decision on future scheduling will be in the next six months," he said.
--Texas and Oklahoma are to join the league by the 2025 season, but the timeline could be sooner if those schools hash it out with the Big 12 before then. As for adding other schools, Sankey said: "We're not out recruiting."
--He said TV networks weren't the impetus for the Texas and Oklahoma moves.
"I'll flat tell you that was our decision," he said.
2:20 p.m. | Georgia football observations from the field before Chick-Fil-A Kickoff Game
Just back from a pregame visit to the field. Oregon's green and yellow uniforms sure sparkle up close.
Freshman offensive tackle Earnest Greene, who has battled a hamstring injury this preseason, worked with strength coach Scott Sinclair in the end zone as he did some jogging.
Tight end Arik Gilbert was sporting a No. 14 warmup shirt, but he's listed now as No. 7.
Check out the Twitter feed above for more from the field.
One other thing. The ACC officiating crew today will be headed up by referee Mike Roche.
1:48 p.m. | Kirby Smart on Oregon veteran football offensive line
A matchup to watch is Oregon’s veteran offensive line led by preseason first team All-Pac-12 preseason picks T.J. Bass and Alex Forsyth against a Georgia front seven led by Jalen Carter that lost four first-rounders.
“I think we face a really good offensive line day in and day out, and very experience in our own,” Smart said. “That provides a lot of good competition. I think they've got more returning starters, returning snaps than almost anybody in the country on their offensive line. It's certainly a strength in terms of even with Mario's history is of recruiting offensive linemen. He did a tremendous job putting together depth at that position, so it will be key that we play well, physical.”
1:36 p.m. | Georgia football's Kirby Smart, Oregon football's Dan Lanning survey scene on field
Kirby Smart just walked across the Mercedes-Benz Stadium turn field with a couple of state troopers. Dan Lanning had just done a broadcast interview on the field and when I looked up they had past by. I'm assuming there was a hug or handshake.
I did see Lanning hugging longtime Georgia football staffer Bryant Gantt and greeting chaplain Thomas Settles.
Smart spent time in the end zone visiting with wife Mary Beth and their 14-year old twins Weston and Julia.
1:16 p.m. | Oregon football transfers that Georgia Bulldogs will key on
Georgia didn’t add a single player from the transfer portal. Lanning, as you might expect for a new coach, brought in what could be some significant pieces.
Besides quarterback Bo Nix from Auburn, there’s cornerback Christian Gonzalez from Colorado, nose tackle Sam Taimani from Washington, running backs Mar’Keise Irving from Minnesota and Noah Whittington from Western Kentucky and wide receivers Chase Cota from UCLA and Caelb Chapman from Texas A&M.
Georgia's staff certainly will be getting a look see in pregame warmups.
“A lot of it going to be a cat and mouse game of who’s out there and who’s starting,” Smart said on his radio show.
1:04 p.m. | Checking out the Georgia football depth chart
Georgia’s “unofficial” depth charts are listed on the flipcard in the press box.
Here are those listed as concrete starters, meaning there is not an OR with their name: QB Stetson Bennett, WR Ladd McConkey, C Sedrick Van Pran-Granger, NG Zion Logue, DT Jalen Carter, OLB Nolan Smith, ILB Jamon Dumas-Johnson, ILB Smael Mondon, CB Kelee Ringo, S Chrisopher Smith, S Dan Jackson, PK Jack Podlesny, P Brett Thorson.
Pretty sure that Warren McClendon is safe as the starting right tackle.
This article originally appeared on Athens Banner-Herald: Game recap: UGA football vs. Oregon score, analysis
