Bulldogs prepare to ‘attack vertically’ on G-Day

ATHENS — Are you ready for some football?

Well, it’s coming. It’s game week in Athens. G-Day is set to played at 2 p.m. Saturday at Sanford Stadium.

For those hoping to see Georgia spreading the ball around a little more on offense, this ought to be a very satisfying day. Expect the Bulldogs’ quarterbacks to be throwing the ball all over the yard as second-year offensive coordinator Todd Monken continues to refine his install around second-year quarterback JT Daniels.

Traditionally, G-Day is always a pass-happy affair as keeping players healthy is as much of a priority as is perfecting the offense. But make no mistake about it, coach Kirby Smart’s goal remains for the Bulldogs to be more explosive on offense.

“Throw-and-catch the ball, make the plays that the defense gives you, be explosive,” Smart said after the Georgia’s scrimmage this past Saturday. “We want to be explosive. We want to be a vertical passing team. We’re not into making excuses about what receivers are in, what receivers are out. I think we’ve got good receivers.”

Things are starting to look better on that front. The Bulldogs will, of course, be without star split end George Pickens, who suffered a torn ACL the second week of spring practice. But the prognosis for what remains of a battered receiver corps is rapidly improving:

• Redshirt freshman Arian Smith, who sprained a wrist in the previous scrimmage, was back for the latest one and reported performed well this past Saturday;
• Sophomore flanker Jermaine Burton, who hyperextended a knee the third week of practice, is back to doing individual work;
• Smart said sophomore Marcus Rosemy-Jacksaint is running on the side and is “very close” to being able to resume team work, according to Smart. Rosemy-Jacksaint was second-team behind Pickens at split end as a freshman last season;
• Sophomore Dominick Blaylock, who started at slotback before back-to-back ACL injuries sidelined him last season, is also running on the side on the side.

In the meantime, a young set of receivers is getting the bulk of the repetitions in practice behind veterans Kearis Jackson and Demetris Robinson.

Georgia wide receiver Kearis Jackson (10) runs with the ball during the Bulldogs’ practice Saturday, April 3, 2021, on Dooley Field at Sanford Stadium in Athens. (Tony Walsh/UGA)

“We have guys there that have experience and have done a good job,” Smart said. “Kearis has been very consistent, J-Rob (redshirt freshman Justin Robinson) has made some plays, (freshman) A.D. (Adonai) Mitchell has made some plays, Jaylen Johnson, Ladd McConkey. Those guys continue to grow, get better and compete.”

There has been buzz in spring camp about the performances of running backs Kendall Milton, James Cook and Zamir White. The trio was dominant in Georgia’s final closed scrimmage of the spring this past Saturday. But it’s unlikely that they will get many opportunities to display their wares during G-Day, an intrasquad scrimmage in which the defense is allowed full-speed, tackle-to-the-ground contact. Fans will be well-advised to get there early for what promises to be a short, fleeting glimpse of the Bulldogs’ marquee ball-carriers.

But if you like throwing and catching, you should get your fill and then some.

“That will be the expectation every day we go on that field, to attack people vertically and throw the ball and catch the ball,” Smart said.

Away from the football field, it was big weekend for the Bulldogs in other sports as well:

• In men’s basketball, coach Tom Crean got some ingress to counteract all the egress his roster has experienced this off season. Jailyn Ingram, a 6-foot-7, 219-pound small forward from Florida Atlantic, announced that he has been accepted by the Bulldogs’ as a graduate transfer for next season. Ingram led the Owls in scoring at 12.3 points per game last season while making 45.9 percent of his 3-point shots and 72.4 percent of his free throws. A member of two state championship teams at Morgan Country High in Madison, Ingram is Georgia’s second grad transfer for next season. He joins 6-10 forward Braelen Bridges of McDonough, who’s coming to UGA from Illinois-Chicago.

• Also, Georgia’s No. 23-ranked baseball team shocked the SEC this past weekend by taking the series from No. 1 Vanderbilt two games to one in Nashville, Tenn. The Bulldogs (20-11, 5-7 SEC) return to Foley Field for a five-game home stand that starts Tuesday against Georgia State (5:02 p.m.), will continue with a three-game set vs. Kentucky this weekend and ends with a return game from Clemson next Tuesday, April 20.
• Coach Jeff Wallace’s No. 3-ranked women’s tennis team completed a perfect regular season with a 4-2 win over Auburn at the Dan Magill Tennis Complex. The Bulldogs (16-1, 12-0 SEC) will enter next week’s SEC Tournament in Tuscaloosa as the No. 1 seed and favorite to win.