The calendar might say April, but it might as well have been October again in Athens and Midtown Atlanta.
That’s because both the Georgia Bulldogs and the Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets had their annual spring football games this Saturday. Both teams tried to give fans a preview of the coming football season, as well as put a cap on spring practice.
Georgia Bulldogs
Red 20
Black 20
Welcome to Athens, @ColbieYoung!#GoDawgs | #GDay pic.twitter.com/POCHEk6DrM
— Georgia Football (@GeorgiaFootball) April 13, 2024
The Bulldogs ended spring practice playing…themselves.
The G-Day Game at Sandford Stadium today showcased the Bulldogs looking forward to the coming 2024 season. The team got a combined 654 yards of offense (390 for the Red team, 264 for the Black). Carson Beck, leading the Red team, went 25 of 46 for 301 yards and two touchdowns. Gunner Stockton, Team Black, went 23 of 37 passes for 246 yards and a touchdown.
Dominic Lovett led the full team’s receivers with seven catches for 104 yards and a touchdown. Jaden Riddell and Michael Jackson III each caught five passes for Team Black. Trevor Etienne had four carries for 24 yards and three catches for 33 yards.
Running back Roderick Robinson II had 24 yards on 11 carries and three receptions for 18 yards.
Defenders Raylen Wilson had eight tackles, while Dan Jackson had seven. Both are on the Black team.
Head coach Kirby Smart said he was pleased with how his team performed today.
“As long as we as a team win and make strides every day, I’m good,” said Smart after the game. “It’s a team sport, and it’s not really about me. My personal goals – I don’t really have any. I’m just hoping we as a team can keeping working and keep fighting. Just grow. That’s all I care about.”
Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets
Team Wreck ‘Em 24
Team Swarm 27
Right back to his old ways 💨@Jamalhaynes16 with the first TD of the day pic.twitter.com/kaVmBCB55R
— Georgia Tech Football (@GeorgiaTechFB) April 13, 2024
The Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets got to business today with the final game before they start offseason practices ahead of next Fall’s regular season.
Both teams combined for 751 yards of defense. Four of Tech’s wide receivers, Malik Rutherford, Leo Blackburn, Abdul Janneh, and Zion Taylor, caught a touchdown pass each. Only one of the six touchdowns scored in the game was on the ground (Jamal Haynes 11-yard TD run). The rest were passes. Kicker Aidan Birr kicked a 62-yard FG that would break the team’s regular season 55-yard kicking record.
Tech Passers Zach Pyron went 11 of 20 for 194 yards. Hayes King went 11 of 15 for 99 yards and a touchdown.
For the Jackets’ defense, Warren Burrell and Kace Adams both have an interception each, while linebacker Jackson Hamilton tallied seven tackles, the most of anyone on Jackets defense.
Tech fans should be proud of the way the Jackets performed today. Coach Brent Key definitely was.
“I think we are on the right track,” he said after the game. “We have a chance to be a good football team this year.”
