Keep the main thing the main thing
This post was written by Clarke Schwabe (ABJ ’08), a true Bulldog fan and the proposal writer for the UGA Division of Development and Alumni Relations.
It’s been an unforgettable season for UGA’s football team. Despite how we felt Tuesday morning, there’s still plenty of reasons to be proud of the Georgia Bulldogs.
This year’s squad demonstrated what it means to give it your all, to work together, and to play with heart. The results speak for themselves.
Roquan Smith became the first Georgia player to receive the Butkus Award, a trophy given to the nation’s best collegiate linebacker.
Roquan Smith accepting the award for Most Valuable Player for the SEC Championship game. Photo Courtesy of Reann Huber, www.reannhuber.com
Nick Chubb and Sony Michel’s combined career rushing yardage surpassed the famed Southern Methodist University “Pony Express” tandem of Eric Dickerson and Craig James, a Football Bowl Subdivision record that stood for 35 years.
And UGA’s Rose Bowl performance stamped the Bulldog name firmly into the lore of “The Granddaddy of Them All,” setting records for the longest field goal in bowl history (Rodrigo Blankenship’s 55-yarder), most points scored by both teams (102), and the first overtime in the game’s 104-year history.
Go Dawgs! pic.twitter.com/Yx9R5SgOxp
— Coach Kirby Smart (@KirbySmartUGA) December 3, 2017
These groundbreaking achievements, along with dozens of others from 2017 (Terry Godwin’s one-handed touchdown grab, Lorenzo Carter’s sky-high field goal block) now indelibly written into UGA history, lifted Georgia into territory it has not traversed in recent years. But there is little reason to think the Dawgs will only get a brief taste of this rarefied air.
Terry Godwin’s impressive one-handed touchdown catch against Notre Dame. Photo Courtesy of Icon Sportswire, Getty.
Of the team’s freshmen and sophomores (a group that includes Freshman All-Americans Jake Fromm and Andrew Thomas, as well as Blankenship, Ben Cleveland, D’Andre Swift and Mecole Hardman), 30 players played in 10 or more games and the group has more than 90 starts among them.
SWIFT INDEED pic.twitter.com/Faw9APj4pf
— CBS Sports (@CBSSports) December 3, 2017
An experienced group of underclassmen will also be bolstered by what is widely considered UGA’s most elite football recruiting class—a class, according to 247 Sports’ composite ranking system, that ranks in the top 10 since the turn of the century. Of the seven five-star recruits signed to SEC rosters for 2018, six are coming to Athens.
Sophomore Wide Receiver Mecole Hardman jumps through the Georgia G before a victory over Mississippi State. Photo Courtesy of Blane Marble Photography, www.blanemarble.com
The Bulldogs have a handful of new national and school records, a stable of proven, young players ready to take the reins, and one of the best recruiting classes coming to campus.
So, how ‘bout them Dawgs?
With more than 200 days to go before the Dawgs are back between the hedges, here are some other ways you can stay connected to the University of Georgia!
- Join Digital Dawgs, our social media ambassador program
- Find your local alumni chapter
- Like the UGA Alumni Association Facebook or follow us on Twitter
- Learn more about our affinity groups
- Make sure that your contact information is up-to-date to ensure you receive relevant communication about alumni events in your area
