Red squad prevails in G-Day game

ATHENS, Ga. — Georgia’s Red and Black football teams piled up exactly 700 yards of offense combined in a busy and entertaining G-Day spring football game on Saturday afternoon at Sanford Stadium. The Red team jumped out to a 17-0 lead and went on to win 27-17.

The Red team featured the first-team offense, along with featured backups, while the Black squad included the first-team defense and primary backups. Some players, such as backup quarterback Ryan Puglisi and running back Dante Dowdell, floated between the teams. The Red offense had 385 yards, while the Black generated 315. The Red team’s rushing attack generated 129 on the ground, while the Black was held to 64.

Red starting quarterback Gunner Stockton saw limited action in the exhibition, completing 7 of 12 passes for 76 yards and a touchdown. Puglisi was much busier, completing a combined 8 of 19 for 86. Seven different quarterbacks threw at least one pass.

Running back Nate Frazier got the carry on the first play from scrimmage in the game, picking up five yards before being swarmed. He limped off after the play and was replaced by Chauncey Bowens, who is now wearing No. 5 instead of the No. 33 jersey he wore his first two seasons.

Frazier didn’t return to the game, and Bowens had a light day with nine carries for 42 yards, with a long of 18. Among non-quarterbacks, nine Bulldogs had rushes in the game, with the Red squad rushing 27 times for 129 yards and two touchdowns (by Dowdell and Dwight Phillips, Jr.). The Black team had 20 carries for 64 yards and a touchdown.

The Red squad was the first to get on the scoreboard, taking a 3-0 lead with 5:04 left in the first quarter on a Peyton Woodring 26-yard field goal. A couple of good plays got the Red team deep into Black territory, including a 15-yard rush up the left side by Phillips and a completion from Stockton to receiver Craig Dandridge for a 33-yard gain up the left side, down to the 16.

On the Red side’s next drive, Bowens took a handoff and initially went right before cutting back to the left for an 18-yard gain. Two plays later, Stockton hit Phillips on the right side for a 19-yard gain to the Black 30. In the first play of the second quarter, Jaden Reddell ran the ball 23 yards down to the Black 9-yard line. Two plays later, Reddell, a 6-foot-4 and 240-pound redshirt sophomore tight end, scored on a 7-yard rush for a 10-0 lead with 13:37 left in the half.

The Black team’s first big offensive play came on a 27-yard run up the left side by Dowdell, a recent transfer from Kentucky. The Red defense forced a turnover on downs later in the drive, when freshman defensive lineman AJ Lonon stopped running back Bo Walker for no gain on third-and-2, and then freshman safety Blake Stewart broke up a pass on fourth down.

Backup quarterback Ryan Puglisi led the Red offense on the ensuing drive and hit wideout Talyn Taylor for a 32-yard gain to the Black 33. A few plays later, Bowens ran for 10 yards to the 20. Soon after, Puglisi hit Reddell for a 16-yard gain to the 2. Phillips later scored from the 1 for a 17-0 lead with 1:31 to go in the half.

The Red offense was soon back on the field, following an interception by Todd Robinson on a deep pass from Black QB Ryan Montgomery. Stockton returned as the red quarterback on the ensuing drive, but the Black defense forced a quick three-and-out.

Redshirt freshman Hezekiah Millender took over as the Black team quarterback on the final drive of the half, completing a short pass to Walker and then a 20-yarder to tight end Ethan Barbour, to the Red 41. The drive ended on a 58-yard field-goal attempt by Harran Zurreikat that came up short.

The Black team got the ball to start the second half, and Millender was back in at QB. His second pass of the drive went for 10 yards to Jeremy Bell. A few plays later, he hit Brayden Fogle for a 32-yard gain. Millender later ran the ball in from the 1 to cut the Red lead to 17-7 with 9:32 left in the third quarter.

Montgomery played QB for the Red team on the next drive and hit wideout CJ Riley for a 26-yard gain. Two plays after that, Dowdell, now also running for the Red, broke free for 28 yards. A Woodring 38-yard field goal made it a 20-7 lead for the Red with 5:38 on the clock.

On the final play of the third quarter, Bryson Beaver entered the game at quarterback for the Black squad and hit wideout Will Taylor for a 43-yard gain to the Black 27. The Black team made it a 20-10 game with a Zurreikat 28-yard field goal with 11:20 remaining.

Montgomery took the field for the Red on the ensuing drive and hit tight end Colton Heinrich for a 48-yard gain on first down. On the next play, he found receiver Landon Roldan for 23 yards. Dowdell capped the drive with a 1-yard rush for a 27-10 Red lead. with 6:17 to play.

With 3:18 to go, Beaver, who ran for 23 yards on the preceding play, tossed a soft pass to the right side for a 6-yard touchdown to tight end Kaiden Prothro, cutting the Red lead to 27-17. Red safety Tyriq Greene intercepted a deep Beaver pass in the final minute.

Millender finished 9 of 15 for 103 yards, Montgomery was 10 of 18 for 132 combined in his stints with the Red and Black, and Beaver, a freshman, was 9 of 13 for 101 yards and a touchdown.

The two-time defending SEC champion Bulldogs open their season on Sept. 5 against Tennessee State on Dooley Field.

POST-GAME QUOTES

Head Coach Kirby Smart

Opening Statement…
“We had 35 or something new guys going on Dawg Walk that have never gone before. I was excited for them. I thought our fan base was really good out there and had good energy, and that created a little anxiety for our players, which is really good for young players. I’m happy and pleased with the spring overall, I thought our guys got better. We got more reps than we’ve ever gotten before, in terms of ones, twos, and threes of a full body of work. We got more snaps today than we’ve had in the spring games in the past. I was pleased with that at the time. I think we were 65 or 63; we’ve been averaging around 20 for that game, so I’m really happy for the players that were able to do that. We got to play a lot of players today. At times it was sloppy that I got frustrated with, in terms of trying to execute, but sometimes it even had something to do with that too. We had a little hotter day today and our last two scrimmages have been unusually cool. The guys had to push through today, and we actually got less reps today than we got our other two scrimmages but pleased with the progress of the team. We have a lot of youth in this team that continues to grow up. We’re going to have a lot of guys that are going to help us next year, excited for the next step. Next step for us is to continue two weeks of weightlifting. We’ve got a football school, which we do, and it takes guys back through the install.” 

On Jaden Reddell getting the game’s first touchdown…
“Yeah, he had a really good spring. I would say he was probably one of the most explosive and just most improved players. He played twitchy, he played fast and had a chip on his shoulder. We had not seen that before out of him. He probably had three or four incredible plays throughout spring practice. He was really consistent; he’s improved blocking. I can’t even tell you what he did today, because it’s hard to keep up with, but I can tell you that throughout spring, the other 14 practices, he’s been great. He’s created a lot of competition in that room.”

#14 Gunner Stockton | QB | R-Sr.

On his thoughts of the game…
“I thought it was a good day. It was a chance to go out and play in front of our fans, which is always a great day. I thought we competed and did our best.” 

On measuring the success of his game…
“That’s a tough question but I think being able to prepare the right way, go out and have fun, and try to get better every day.”

On areas of growth his was focused on this spring…
“My biggest thing was my footwork and pocket presence, not creating my own pressure.  I thought I got a little better at that after the spring.”

#71 Earnest Greene | OL | R-Sr.

On his feelings about the offensive line from G Day…
“Comparing this G Day to other G Days in the past, we’ve had a little more camaraderie together as a unit…We’re playing with less kinks to work out. I don’t know if that’s because we got some guys last year, and they’re returning. They just did a good job this spring with communication and stuff like that.”

On what the offensive line has accomplished this spring…
“I feel like the communication aspect of it is really big. I don’t know if you all can tell in the plays out there, but we had a few checks that we made two or three times in the same play. We’re all on the same path. The right communication aspects led to explosive plays. As long as we make sure we’re on the same path and we communicate well, we’ll have the special plays.”

#7 Lawson Luckie | TE | Sr.

On G-day…
“Yeah, it’s different than a game, a real game in the fall, but it’s always fun to be back between the hedges playing in front of the fans. It makes it a little different than a scrimmage and more exciting so it’s always fun.”

On Jaden getting the first touchdown and how he’s established himself this spring…
“He’s kind of put it all together this spring for the first time. He’s been balling. He’s been one of our most productive play makers this whole entire spring. Seeing that come together for him as one of my good friends on the team is super exciting”

#19 Justin Williams | ILB. | Jr.

On stepping into a larger role…
“Definitely a lot to get better at. It’s time to learn; I’m excited for the opportunity, it was amazing.”

 On the plays at the line of scrimmage and batting balls down…
“We always emphasize batting balls. Coach Scott calls it the ‘Volleyball Drill.’ You see the ball in the air, jump up like [it’s] a volleyball.”

#4 KJ Bolden | DB | Jr.

On working with Khalil Barnes…
“Yeah, he’s adjusted real good. He’s been coming in every day just trying to learn the play book. He just keeps competing, just getting to learn everybody, know everybody, so just knowing how everybody’s playing and how to play around everybody. So, he’s going to do a great job around here. He just continues to keep working, getting better.”

Quintavius Johnson | OLB | Jr.

On G-day breaking pressure…
“It’s about being better together, being better as a team. Holding our guys up and being there for each other.”

On spring training progress…
“We get better as we go, on and off the field. Make sure our guys are doing it the right way. It’s about getting that standard out there to the transfers, even the young guys in year one and year two that don’t know how it’s supposed to work yet.”