There were a lot of great performances Saturday inside of Sanford Stadium but there were really three players who stood out from the start. Saturday night on Twitter, I posted a poll for fans to vote on who they think should win Top Dawg of the Week after the week two performance against Murray State.
On a day that saw the Georgia offense up 56 points, and the defense contributed with a scoop and score by JR Reed. Georgia blew out Murray State with a final score of 63-17. The defense played well other than some blown coverages. The Dawgs wrecked a lot of havoc on a fast pace Murray State offense that didn’t have the answer to a powerful front seven of Georgia. Offensive Top Dawg of the Week: George Pickens Former longtime Auburn commit, and now a true freshman for the University of Georgia, George Pickens is starting to show why he was so special coming out of high school. Georgia fans have been crying for a breakout performance from one of the receivers after the Vanderbilt game, and they sure did get that in week two. George Pickens was the go-to target for the Dawgs on offense as he racked up 78 yards and 1 touchdown on 4 receptions. It all started with an impressive one-handed catch for Pickens that picked up 11 yards for the Dawgs. It looked like something you would see on a video game but every bit of that catch was real. The next offensive possession, Pickens ran a fly route and hooked up with Fromm on the play that saw Pickens make another impressive catch, which was a nice diving catch by the freshman. The drive ended with none other than a touchdown pass to George Pickens. An impressive performance for a freshman in only his second game at the collegiate level, he showed why he was so successful in high school and starting to show how he could be a force immediately for Georgia this season. Pickens is a Top Dawg! Defensive Top Dawg of the Week Defensively this one could’ve gone to anybody because there were a lot of Top Dawgs out on that field when the Dawgs were on defense. But one guy really stood out from the rest, one freshman stood out from the rest. The number one overall prospect from the 2019 recruiting class, Nolan Smith burst onto the scene against Vanderbilt where he almost got a sack but the Vandy quarterback got back to the line of scrimmage. Smith came into week two with a point to prove, in front of Vince Dooley and a soldout Sanford Stadium and on Dooley Field, Nolan Smith collected 3 tackles, 1.5 sack, and 1.5 tackles for a loss. Almost every play that he was in he was close to hitting the quarterback. Murray State didn’t have an answer to the edge rusher that combines speed and power to get after the quarterback and be a game-breaker for the opposing offense. A great performance from another true freshman who showed why he deserves to be here. Nolan Smith is a Top Dawg! Dawg Bone Performers Once a tradition that set in place by former UGA Head Coach Mark Richt, the “Dog Bones” which was “A Sign of Excellence.” Players would be able to earn a white bone or a black bone that would then be stuck on the back of their helmet as a symbol of “excellence.” That tradition has now faded from Athens and the helmets worn on Saturdays by the Dawgs. Top Dawg Blogging is all about tradition, culture, pride, excellence, etc. Now in our weekly Top Dawg Awards, we will be recognizing players that were close to winning Top Dawg of the Week, as our Dawg Bone Performers. Eli Wolf The grad transfer from Tennessee has come into the Georgia program and has made an impact with his hard work and leadership. All that work in practice showed Saturday against Murray State in his first game at home as a Bulldog. As a junior tight end at Tennessee Wolf recorded 30 yards and 1 touchdown on 5 catches. Some players will pick up that stat line in one game, but that was the season stat line for Wolf. Now a grad transfer at Georgia it was his time to shine. Wolf recorded 73 yards on 4 catches in an impressive performance against Murray State. Wolf was targeted early on for Georgia as he made two catches in a row, the second one ended up as a fumble which was recovered by Murray State. But instead of quitting on himself and getting down on his abilities, Wolf finished off a performance on a high note as he recorded two more receptions. Eli Wolf was praised for his ability to open up the run game with his blocking and now he is being praised for his ability to destroy defenses over the middle with his route running and his hands. Zamir White After sustaining one ACL injury it is hard to come back and be the same person you were before you got injured. Zamir White suffered a torn ACL in his senior season of high school. White ended up coming to Georgia for his freshman year and after being cleared for spring practice, he tore his other ACL. Two ACL injuries are enough to make some people quit sports altogether especially if you are a running back and haven’t even played a single snap of College Football. His nickname is “Zeus” for reason and just like Zeus the greek god would, he would come back even stronger. Zamir White redshirted his freshman season and rehabbed his injury. His hard work paid off with a 51-yard performance rushing on only 5 carries against Vanderbilt in his first collegiate game. The hype was really coming into week two of the season, and fans were wanting more of Zeus. Zamir White added to his story by leading Georgia in rushing with 72 yards and one touchdown on 8 carries. White put up a performance that you wouldn’t expect from a guy coming off two ACL surgeries. White was also crucial in pass protection as Coach Smart complimented a play where White picked up a linebacker and “He picked up a blitzing linebacker in the A gap and smacked him right in the jaw,” as Smart said at his post-game press conference. JR Reed A senior safety for Georgia that is becoming a big leader on the Georgia defense. Reed is very overlooked by many in College Football and even Georgia fans don’t notice just how good Reed is for Georgia. Reed is a guy that goes about his work very quietly as he just locks in and goes straight to work. Reed made a big play today after Mark Webb caused a fumble by a big hit, Reed scooped up the loose football and took it to the house. Reed had 4 tackles with a .5 tackle for a loss. Reed is a player to watch in the secondary as he is going to be a playmaker in the secondary for Georgia. Jermaine Johnson The freshman had a great day against Murray State as they were able to get a lot of playing time after the starters came out early in the second quarter. Jermaine Johnson a JUCO transfer is a junior this season for Georgia. Johnson showed the ability and talent that got him here. Johnson got the first sack of his collegiate career, along with having four tackles and one for a loss. Johnson has a lot of potential to be a starter for the next two years here at Georgia and if he can put it all together he could be a force for Georgia off the edge alongside of Nolan Smith.
2 Comments
Ed Reno
9/9/2019 08:02:45 pm
I realy enjoyed this new feature.
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Ray Reno
9/10/2019 12:18:00 pm
I agree that this new feature is good.
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Harrison Reno
Is the founder and author of Top Dawg Blogging. Harrison has been blogging for the past 4 years Archives
April 2020
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