Georgia RB James Cook Arrested on Alcohol, Driving Without Valid License Charges
Dec 14, 2019
ATLANTA, GA - DECEMBER 07: James Cook #4 of the Georgia Bulldogs runs with the ball during a game between Georgia Bulldogs and LSU Tigers at Mercedes Benz Stadium on December 7, 2019 in Atlanta, Georgia. (Photo by Steve Limentani/ISI Photos/Getty Images)
Georgia sophomore running back James Cook was arrested and charged with driving without a valid license and possessing an open alcoholic beverage container in his passenger area Saturday, per Brandon Sudge of the MaconTelegraph.
Sudge reported that jail logs said Cook was booked into the Athens Clarke-County jail at 1:46 a.m. ET and released at 2:57 a.m.
Cook amassed 308 yards from scrimmage and two touchdowns in 12 games for the Bulldogs this season.
The4-star recruitout of Northwestern High School in Miami ran for 6.3 yards per carry in a crowded backfield led by running back De'Andre Swift.
According toChip Towersof theAtlanta Journal-Constitution, it is unclear whether the arrests will affect Cook's status for Georgia's Sugar Bowl game against Baylor on Jan. 1. Towers also reported that Cook was released from county jail on a $2,000 bond.
The Bulldogs are 11-2 and ranked fifth in the College Football Playoff rankings. They made the SEC Championship Game but lost 37-10 to No. 1 LSU.
If Georgia Loses to LSU, Coach Kirby Smart Will Only Have Himself to Blame
Dec 6, 2019
There's no avoiding it now. The trend line is no longer pointing upward for a Georgia program that a few short years ago seemed to be on its way to becoming the next Alabama, and there are no easy answers for all those critics and their 280 characters on Twitter.
Those words are as refreshing as they are painfully accurate. Somehow, Georgia—two years after going to the national championship game, and with a chance to return to the College Football Playoff with a win over LSU in Saturday's SEC Championship Game—is at a crossroads.
Surge or sink. There seemingly is no in-between.
"We have an opportunity to make a lot of things right," says Georgia quarterback Jake Fromm.
That begins and ends with the postseason. Georgia has lost one game in each of the last three regular seasons but has lost three of its past five postseason games.
A loss Saturday would continue the disturbing trend:
• 2017: Lost to Alabama in overtime of the CFP National Championship despite a double-digit lead in the fourth quarter.
• 2018: Lost to Alabama in the SEC Championship Game despite a double-digit lead in the third quarter, failing to make the CFP.
• 2018: Lost to Texas in the Sugar Bowl despite being a double-digit favorite.
Now comes this weekend, where a loss to LSU would drop Georgia to 2-4 in its past three postseasons and throw significant doubt on where the program is headed.
Is it fair to be hypercritical of a program for losing to those dominant Alabama teams or to this season's dominant LSU team? Of course not. But that's the standard Smart set at Georgia, and that's the standard fans will hold him to.
Win in this postseason, and they'll call him a genius. Lose, and they'll want him to answer for it.
And it's not just because college football has become who plays in the CFP and everyone else. It's because Smart made a few curious decisions over the past two years that will impact the program for years and have left him in an undeniable spot.
"This is Kirby's bed," an SEC coach tells Bleacher Report. "He made it all on his own. Now he has to live with the consequences."
Smart will be held accountable for nothing more so than landing the nation's No. 2 recruit in 2018, quarterback Justin Fields, and not properly developing him—not finding where and how to fit him into the offense.
Fields is a dual-threat quarterback, and from Day 1, Georgia tried to force him into its pro-style offense. Smart could never find a way to make it work, and by the end of the 2018 season, Fields was best known for Smart's galactic gaffe of a fake punt that made the SEC Championship Game Alabama's for the taking. Weeks later, after Fields didn't throw a pass or run the ball in the Sugar Bowl loss to Texas and finished the season with all of 82 total touches (39 passes, 42 runs, one catch), he transferred to Ohio State.
A season later, he's a Heisman Trophy candidate with 47 touchdowns (37 pass, 10 rush) and one measly interception and has led the Buckeyes to a No. 1 ranking heading into this weekend's Big Ten Championship Game.
Meanwhile, Fromm, the player Smart kept instead of Fields, has clearly regressed from his freshman and sophomore seasons. His numbers are down, and Georgia isn't remotely the same balanced offense it was in 2017 and 2018.
Fromm has gone from fifth in the nation in passer rating in 2018 to 42nd in 2019. His accuracy has dropped from 67 percent to 62 percent, and his yards per attempt from 9.0 to 7.6 (a change of half of a point in this statistic is considered significant).
The lack of a consistent receiving corps has impacted Fromm's development, but so has another curious decision from Smart. At the end of last season, UGA offensive coordinator Jim Chaney received an offer to do the same job at Tennessee for significantly more money. Smart declined to match the offer and allowed Chaney, who had been instrumental in Fromm's development, to walk.
Then, instead of hiring an experienced offensive coordinator, Smart promoted quarterbacks coach James Coley, his friend from their days in the early 2000s at LSU as assistants under Nick Saban.
The result? Georgia has fallen from 14th in the nation in scoring in 2018 to 40th this season. Even more alarming: It has gone from from 33.8 points per game in SEC play to 25.3—a stunning drop of nearly nine points per game.
Part of that is Fromm's regression, and part is due to an injury to the team's No. 1 wideout (Lawrence Cager, who played at Miami last year) and sporadic production from three other former mega wideout recruits (Demetris Robertson, George Pickens, Dominick Blaylock).
Even the tight end spot—a position of strength the last two seasons—has had limited production from Tennessee transfer Eli Wolf.
That, one Georgia staffer admitted, has left the Bulldogs (and Coley) dependent on the one thing they know works consistently: an offensive line with five future NFL starters, and tailbacks D'Andre Swift and Brian Herrien.
"Very predictable," one NFL scout says of Georgia's offense. "But they're so good up front, they'll just maul you, and they've got two or three guys that they can turn around and hand it to. If you can load up and stop that run, you force them to win on the outside. And they've had problems doing that all season."
It has left one of college football's bluebloods staring at the reality of one last shot at the big prize with Fromm, who likely will leave for the NFL after this season.
Yes, Georgia is 11-1. But with no wins over teams in the Top Eight in the CFP rankings, and with a loss to unranked South Carolina, that's not enough.
Beat LSU and advance to the CFP, and all the questions go away. Lose, and everything from running off Fields to letting Chaney walk to hiring Coley to making odd game-management decisions over the last three seasons will come into play with the fury of those 280-character tweets from one of college football's most passionate fanbases.
"We have no consideration of anything outside here. I mean, we really don't," Smart said in the press conference. "... The thought of those things never even crossed my mind—because I don't look at them as punches. I don't look at them as jabs. Because I don't really listen to them."
Even if they're dead-on accurate.
Georgia's D'Andre Swift Shoulder Injury Diagnosed as Contusion
Nov 30, 2019
FILE - In this Oct. 14, 2017, file photo, Georgia running back D'Andre Swift (7) runs against Missouri in the second half of an NCAA college football game in Athens, Ga. While playing behind seniors Nick Chubb and Sony Michel, Swift was Georgia’s third-leading rusher with 618 yards and fourth on the team with 17 catches (more than Chubb and Michel combined) for 153 yards. (AP Photo/John Bazemore, File)
Georgia will have to tap into its stable of running backs after D'Andre Swift left Saturday's game against Georgia Tech with a shoulder contusion.
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution's Chip Towers speculated Swift may have hurt his shoulder and reported the Bulldogs star had exited the medical tent with his shoulder pads off.
The Athletic's Seth Emerson reported Georgia trainers had placed ice on Swift's left shoulder. After the game, Georgia head coach Kirby Smart said the running back had suffered a shoulder contusion, and noted "We think he's going to be fine," per Emerson.
Swift had the difficult task of replacing Sony Michel and Nick Chubb as the Bulldogs' primary running back last season. The junior star turned in a terrific campaign, leading the team with 1,049 rushing yards and 10 touchdowns.
Elijah Holyfield also broke the 1,000-yard mark in 2018, but he opted to forgo his senior season and turned pro. Swift has shined in an expanded role this year with 1,130 rushing yards on 183 carries entering Saturday.
With Swift out of action, senior Brian Herrien will likely move into the first choice at running back for head coach Kirby Smart. Herrien averaged 5.3 yards per carry on 174 attempts in the previous three seasons and is at 4.8 on 87 attempts in 2019.
Georgia is often flush with running back talent, making for a seamless transition if someone gets injured. Herrien and Zamir White, who is averaging 5.7 yards on 49 attempts this season, have the ability to be breakout stars as they move into a larger spotlight.
Quarterback Jake Fromm will determine the team's ultimate ceiling, but having a strong and steady rushing attack opens things up for the rest of the offense. Swift's health will be a big talking point as Georgia prepares for the SEC title game against LSU.
Jake Fromm, No. 4 Georgia Dodge Upset Scare vs. Texas A&M to Improve to 10-1
Nov 23, 2019
The Georgia Bulldogs are one step closer to playing in the College Football Playoff for the second time in the past three seasons.
Led by strong performances from D'Andre Swift and the defense, Georgia defeated Texas A&M 19-13, moving to 10-1 on the season while holding off a late push from the Aggies. The loss dropped Texas A&M to 7-4 on the year.
The Bulldogs are now just two wins away from earning a playoff berth, with matchups against Georgia Tech next week and an expected showdown with LSU in the SEC title game to follow. Win both of those games and Georgia will have one of the best resumes in college football in spite of its shocking loss to South Carolina in October.
It's inconceivable that the committee would leave out a one-loss SEC champion, especially one already ranked No. 4 in the nation. Georgia controls its destiny—two wins and the Bulldogs are in.
Notable Performances
Jake Fromm, Georgia: 11-of-23 for 163 yards and a score.
D'Andre Swift, Georgia: 19 rushes for 103 yards; four receptions for 29 yards.
George Pickens, Georgia: Two receptions for 57 yards and a score.
Rodrigo Blankenship, Georgia: 4-of-4 on field goals, 1-of-1 on extra points.
Kellen Mond, Texas A&M: 25-of-42 for 275 yards and a touchdown.
Jhamon Ausbon, Texas A&M: Nine receptions for 96 yards and a score.
Quartney Davis, Texas A&M: Five receptions for 64 yards.
Georgia's Defense Dominates Yet Again
The Aggies came into Saturday averaging 34 points per game, ranked 31st in the nation. Georgia's defense came into Saturday giving up just 10.5 points per game, second in the nation.
Guess who won that battle?
Georgia, as usual. The Bulldogs held the Aggies to three points in a rain-soaked first half, giving up just 73 yards, including minus-nine yards on the ground. Georgia took a 13-3 lead into the half, an advantage that felt insurmountable given its talent on the defensive side of the ball and the wet conditions.
Sure enough, Georgia allowed just 10 points in the second half and held Texas A&M to just 274 yards of total offense for the game, a truly dominant performance.
The Bulldogs have some dangerous offensive weapons and an experienced quarterback in Jake Fromm. But it is the defense that carried the team to an SEC East title, and if they win the SEC title game and reach the College Football Playoff, it will be on the back of their defense as well.
Georgia Needs Jake Fromm to Step Up His Game
Georgia can ride its defense and Swift against most opponents. That's how good the Bulldogs are as an overall team. But against the top teams in the nation—like LSU in a potential SEC Championship Game showdown—Fromm needs to play far better than he offered Saturday.
Going to be tough for Georgia to upset LSU in Atlanta if Jake Fromm can't complete a pass more than 5 yards down the field...
Regardless of what happens tonight. Georgia's offensive issues is putting too much pressure on its defense...If Dawgs truly want to make the playoffs, this can't continue...
The wet conditions early didn't help—and Texas A&M came into the game giving up just 195.2 passing yards per game, 27th in the nation—so Fromm deserves some benefit of the doubt.
And to be fair, he did find the end zone through the air:
He also made a few key throws late, icing the game. But settling for four field goals isn't a great recipe for success, even with the incredibly reliable Rodrigo Blankenship kicking them.
Fromm has offered a mixed bag in the team's biggest games this season:
Notre Dame: 20-of-26 for 187 yards and a touchdown.
Florida: 20-of-30 for 279 yards and two touchdowns.
Auburn: 13-of-28 for 110 yards and three touchdowns.
Fromm does deserve credit for throwing seven touchdowns to zero interceptions in the team's four biggest wins this season. He's earned the designation as a solid game-manager for a reason. But if Georgia is going to win a national championship, being a game-manager might not be enough.
What's Next?
Georgia travels to Georgia Tech on Saturday, Nov. 30, at noon ET. Texas A&M's brutal schedule concludes with a matchup against LSU that same date at 7 p.m.
Jake Fromm, No. 4 Georgia Clinch SEC Championship Bid with Win vs. No. 12 Auburn
Nov 16, 2019
The No. 4 Georgia Bulldogs clinched a spot in the 2019 SEC Championship Game with a 21-14 victory over the No. 12 Auburn Tigers on Saturday at Jordan-Hare Stadium.
In addition to their third straight appearance in the conference title game, the Bulldogs added another signature win to boost their College Football Playoff profile. Head coach Kirby Smart's team holds three wins over teams ranked in the Top 16 after having also beaten No. 11 Florida and No. 16 Notre Dame.
Georgia (9-1) is the first SEC East team to play for a conference title in three consecutive seasons since the Florida Gators did it from 1992-96. Auburn (7-3) took its third loss, though they have all come against teams in the Top 11 (No. 1 LSU and Florida).
If the Bulldogs are going to stay in the Top Four of the CFP rankings, Saturday's game was a microcosm of how they will do it.
Defense has been the clear strength of Smart's team. It entered this week ranked second in the nation with 10.1 points allowed per game and fifth in yards allowed per game (260.3).
That group's ability to dominate also allows the offense time to settle in.
If there's an Achilles' heel for the Bulldogs, it's a lack of consistency in the passing game. Jake Fromm tied his season high in touchdown passes, but he completed less than 55 percent of his passes for the third time in the past five games.
When Fromm is firing on all cylinders, he can do great things with accuracy and touch on his passes:
Those moments have been more spread out this season than the Bulldogs would like, forcing the defense to be perfect each week. It's held up its end of the bargain, though, which is why Georgia overwhelmed Auburn and remained in the thick of the playoff race.
Rough First Half Dooms Auburn
The difference between winning and losing for Auburn came down to a sluggish first half in which the offense was unable to sustain anything with just nine first downs and 3.3 yards per play.
Neither offense seemed likely to shine in this game, but the Tigers had great difficulties getting anything going and a 21-0 deficit at the start of the fourth quarter seemed insurmountable.
They finally turned things around on back-to-back drives, the first of which started late in the third. Bo Nix capped a 12-play, 75-yard scoring drive with a three-yard touchdown pass to Eli Stove:
On that drive, Nix accounted for 65 yards (56 passing) and was aided by a pass interference call against Eric Stokes on 4th-and-5 from the Bulldogs' 9-yard line.
The Auburn freshman took it in himself from two yards out on the next drive to help make it a 21-14 game and end Georgia's stunning streak:
The Tigers defense responded by forcing a three-and-out, and Auburn had an opportunity to tie the game with a third straight touchdown drive. Nix showed off many of the traits that make him a star, but his inexperience also got the best of him on the biggest play of the game.
He was excellent in moving out of the pocket to buy time on an eight-yard completion to Anthony Schwartz:
The Tigers got the ball back after another three-and-out, but they were at their own 27 with 1:59 remaining.
The stout Georgia defense buckled down, forcing three straight incompletions before Travon Walker sacked Nix to seal the marquee win.
What's Next?
Georgia will return home to host Texas A&M at Sanford Stadium at 3:30 p.m. ET next Saturday. Auburn has its annual FCS tune-up game against Samford at 12 p.m. ET.
Dominant Defense in Florida Win Secures Georgia's Place as CFP Contender
Nov 2, 2019
Florida running back Lamical Perine (2) is stopped after a short gain by the Georgia defense including linebacker Monty Rice (32) and defensive back J.R. Reed (20) during the first half of an NCAA college football game, Saturday, Nov. 2, 2019, in Jacksonville, Fla. (AP Photo/John Raoux)
All season, defense has carried Georgia. Despite the Bulldogs' stunning Week 7 loss to South Carolina, defense wasn't to blame. The unit played well enough to win.
Saturday, in a commanding 24-17 victory over rival Florida, that defense ensured Georgia has a straightforward path to winning the SEC and reaching the College Football Playoff.
Despite what the final score suggests, UGA controlled the game. The defense's tremendous effort started right away.
On the Gators' opening possession, a 2nd-and-1 run went nowhere. After a false start and five-yard gain, Kyle Trask tried to hit Kyle Pitts on an out-breaking route. Georgia safety Richard LeCounte broke up the pass, forcing a turnover on downs.
That fourth-down deflection started the Dawgs on the right note, and they continued to play that outstanding tune. Florida didn't convert a third- or fourth-down attempt until the fourth quarter, missing on each of its first seven tries.
Trask also provided a bit of help. He took two awful sacks, trying to scramble and create time but instead losing 29 yards. Florida faced a 3rd-and-25 and 2nd-and-34 on those drives, effectively ending the possibility of a conversion.
But that's what pressure does.
Georgia isn't an overwhelming unit up front; the team entered Saturday ranked 54th nationally with 2.3 sacks per game and 80th with 5.6 tackles for loss. And the Bulldogs only recorded two and four, respectively, against UF.
Still, they controlled the line of scrimmage. Florida gained just 50 yards on 17 non-sack rushing attempts, and the offense trudged to just 120 total yards on its first five possessions, excluding the kneel-down heading into halftime.
That defensive dominance allowed the Dawgs to carry a 16-3 edge into the fourth quarter. True, they weren't flawless in the frame. Van Jefferson caught a touchdown, and then UF converted a quartet of third or fourth downs to before trimming UGA's lead to 24-17.
Championship teams don't rely solely on one unit, though. The defense bought time for Jake Fromm and the offense.
The junior quarterback recovered from a frustrating two-game stretch in superb fashion. After throwing three interceptions in the South Carolina loss and mustering only 35 yards passing during the rain-soaked win against Kentucky, Fromm thrived in Jacksonville.
Largely thanks to his arm, Georgia converted 12 of its 18 third-down attempts. Fromm went 10-of-13 for 119 yards on the money down, moving the chains eight times and throwing one score.
The team's 12th and final conversion iced the victory.
Fromm ended the contest 20-of-30 for 279 yards with two scores and zero interceptions. His favorite target was Miami transfer Lawrence Cager, who caught one touchdown and racked up career-high marks of seven catches and 132 yards.
Most importantly for Georgia, it's now the front-runner in the SEC East. Every other divisional foe has at least two conference losses, and two-loss Missouri is up next. Kirby Smart's squad can nearly wrap up the East crown with a victory in Week 11.
Yes, that's merely the first step.
The CFP is the goal, yet the November slate isn't easy. After hosting Missouri, UGA heads to Auburn, hosts Texas A&M and travels to Georgia Tech. Fromm has often struggled against top competition, but this is a promising step in the right direction. Plus, the Dawgs will be favored in each matchup.
Should they continue winning, a trip to the Dec. 7 SEC Championship Game will follow. No matter whether Alabama or LSU awaits, a CFP berth will be at stake.
And if the defense that showed up Saturday in Jacksonville also appears in Atlanta, the Bulldogs will have a tremendous chance at guaranteeing themselves a spot in the College Football Playoff.
The Georgia Bulldogs made a statement Saturday with a 24-17victory over the Florida Gators in a crucial SEC East matchup.
Both teams entered the day with one loss in conference play, but No. 6 Florida was in first place with one more win. If the eighth-ranked Bulldogs wanted to keep their division hopes alive, let alone have a shot at the College Football Playoff, they needed to beat their rival in the World's Largest Outdoor Cocktail Party.
Jake Fromm's 52-yard touchdown to Lawrence Cager on the Bulldogs' first drive of the fourth quarter gave them a 24-10 lead and proved to be the difference. Fromm made another key throw on Georgia's final drive, hitting Eli Wolf for 22 yards on 3rd-and-7 that allowed the offense to run out the clock.
Florida's offense was forced to play one-dimensional football because it couldn't figure out Georgia's run defense. The Gators were held to 21yards on the ground—well below their 142.4 yards-per-game average entering Saturday.
Kyle Trask came alive late with two touchdown passes in the fourth quarter. His two-yard score to Freddie Swain with 3:11 remaining gave the Gators hope.
A 20-17 loss to South Carolina three weeks ago left Georgia in a precarious position for the College Football Playoff.
Losing to a 3-5 foe on your home field leaves no margin for error the rest of the season if you want to be considered one of the four best teams in the country. It doesn't help that there are still eight undefeated teams in FBS, including the five such schools ranked ahead of the Bulldogs in the AP Top 25.
Saturday showed how dominant Georgia's defense can be, even though things weren't always in perfect sync. The Gators managed 278yards of total offense.
Florida's inability to move the ball for the first three quarters led to a massive disparity in time of possession. The Bulldogs held the ball for nearly 36 minutes. They did that even though the second level of their defense showed holes, per The Athletic's Seth Emerson:
On the one hand, the middle of Georgia's defense is getting killed in pass coverage and that needs to be firmed up at halftime.
On the other hand, Florida only has three points out of it. The pass rush and D-line is doing work.
Everything was breaking Georgia's way for the first three quarters—so much so that Brian Herrien made an acrobatic catch on a pass he didn't even look back for until it almost hit the ground:
Fromm and the Bulldogs offense continued their inconsistent play. They entered this week tied for 24th in the country with an average of 36 points per game, but they had been held to 23 points or fewer in three of the previous four contests.
In fourtrips to the red zone, Georgia could only come away with one touchdown. Fromm's scoring strike to Cager was huge because it gave the Bulldogs a two-score lead and came right after Florida cut the deficit to six points early in the fourth quarter.
Defense had been the key ingredient for Florida's success this season, though the unit has shown holes recently with 93points allowed in the past three games. For comparison, opponents scored a combined total of 57 points against the Gators in their first six games.
If head coach Dan Mullen can't get his defense back on track, Florida's promising start could go south in a hurry. The team does have a favorable schedule to end the year with games remaining against Vanderbilt, Missouri and Florida State.
Georgia is putting together a resume that warrants attention from the playoff selection committee ahead of Tuesday's first rankings. It holds two victories over teams currently ranked in the Top 20, including a 23-17 win over Notre Dame in September.
There's still work to do for head coach Kirby Smart down the stretch to wash away the stink of that South Carolina defeat, but the Bulldogs have a path to do that with a game at Auburn in two weeks and a potential appearance in the SEC Championship Game against either LSU or Alabama on Dec. 7.
What's Next?
Georgia will return to Sanford Stadium next week to host Missouri on Nov. 9 at 7 p.m. ET. Florida will play Vanderbilt at the Swamp on Nov. 9 at 12 p.m. ET.
Jake Fromm, No. 3 Georgia Cruise to 43-14 Win over Tennessee in SEC Action
Oct 5, 2019
No. 3 Georgia moved to 5-0 overall and 2-0 in SEC play thanks to a 43-14 win over Tennessee on Saturday at Neyland Stadium in Knoxville.
Tennessee seized a 14-10 lead early in the second quarter after freshman quarterback Brian Maurer found wideout Jauan Jennings for a 12-yard score, but Georgia responded with 16 unanswered points before halftime. Bulldogs quarterback Jake Fromm tossed both of his touchdown passes during that span.
Georgia's defense took over in the second half, holding Tennessee to 60 yards from scrimmage on its first four drives and forcing two turnovers. The Bulldogs finished the scoring when an Eric Stokes sack led to a Tae Crowder scoop-and-score.
The Bulldogs have now won eight of their last 10 games against the Volunteers, who fell to 1-4 (0-2 SEC) on the season.
UT QB Brian Maurer: 14-of-28, 259 yards, 2 TD, 1 INT
UT WR Jauan Jennings: 7 catches, 114 yards, 1 TD
UT WR Marquez Callaway: 3 catches, 105 yards, 1 TD
Jake Fromm Comes Through When Georgia Needs Him Most Saturday
Fromm, a junior signal-caller out of Warner Robins, Georgia, entered Saturday with a 75.6 percent completion rate, six touchdowns, no interceptions and a career-high 9.6 passing yards per attempt in four games. In other words, he couldn't have done much better.
Granted, the Bulldog offense isn't exactly taking deep shots on every play, and more of the same occurred Saturday:
Georgia's Jake Fromm completed 16-20 passes for 195 yards and 2 TDs in the first half against Tennessee today.
However, Fromm shined when Georgia needed him most when he engineered a gutsy, game-changing drive.
Georgia was up 20-14 and held possession on its 30-yard line with 51 seconds left before halftime. Until that point, the Bulldogs played an uneven game against a team that isn't in its class.
Granted, the Vols were losing momentum after giving up 10 straight points, but they were still in the game down just one score.
That's when Fromm went to work.
After a D'Andre Swift 23-yard run, Fromm completed all four of his passes for 47 yards, capped by a seven-yard touchdown strike to George Pickens.
Jake Fromm to George Pickens caps off a blazing 00:50 drive to end the half for #UGA. Peyton Manning-like. 🧠
Suddenly, Georgia was up two scores after engaging in a back-and-forth battle all game. After the half, the Bulldogs cruised to victory by outscoring the Vols 17-0.
Fromm may have a reputation as a game manager, but he's proved capable of doing far more when his number is called. That was the case Saturday, and Georgia is 5-0.
Brian Maurer Gives Tennessee Hope for Future
The final score doesn't reflect the hope Maurer gave Tennessee against the nation's third-best team.
The Volunteers' aerial attack sprung to life during the signal-caller's first career start, and Maurer found Marquez Callaway for a 73-yard touchdown on his first completion to light up the Neyland Stadium crowd:
The second half didn't go Tennessee's way, and Maurer committed two turnovers.
Still, it's easy for Vols fans to be excited after a disappointing start that's included an upset home loss to Georgia State and a heartbreaking overtime loss to BYU.
Plans for a Brian Maurer statue outside Neyland Stadium are underway.
It's only one game, but early returns are overwhelmingly positive for the true freshman.
What's Next?
Both teams play at home on Saturday at noon ET in SEC battles. Georgia will take on South Carolina, and Tennessee will welcome Mississippi State.
Look: Georgia Grocery Store Removes Irish Spring Soap Before Notre Dame Game
Sep 18, 2019
ATHENS, GA - SEPTEMBER 07: Georgia Bulldogs mascot Hairy Dawg is seen prior to the start of the game against the Murray State Racers at Sanford Stadium on September 7, 2019 in Athens, Georgia. (Photo by Carmen Mandato/Getty Images)
In anticipation of Saturday's marquee matchup against Notre Dame, a grocery store in Georgia is taking every precaution necessary to ensure the Irish have no presence in the state.
Dill's Food City announced it won't be selling Irish Spring soap at its Lavonia and Royston stores this week:
The store clearly understands the importance of this week's game if it won't even sell a hygiene product people use on a regular basis.
Saturday's showdown between Notre Dame and Georgia at Sanford Stadium is the second game this season between two teams ranked in the Top 10.
The last time these two programs met was in 2017 when Georgia edged Notre Dame 20-19 in South Bend.
It's unclear if the Irish's loss had anything to do with South Bend permitting sales of English Bulldogs in the week leading up to the game, but it can't be proved that didn't play a role in the outcome.
Georgia Fans Honor Blake Anderson's Late Wife Wendy with 'Pink Out'
Sep 14, 2019
Sanford Stadium went pink for Saturday's game between the Georgia Bulldogs and the Arkansas State Red Wolves.
Bulldogs fans made good on their pledge for a "pink out" to honor Arkansas State head coach Blake Anderson's wife, Wendy, who died from cancer in August.
The movement to have Georgia fans wear pink was started Tuesday when the non-profit organization Bulldogs Battling Breast Cancer tweeted out a request that caught Anderson's attention:
