Week 1 · Tennessee State
Three things to watch in the opener
Whether true freshman Zykie Helton holds the right guard job he won in camp; what
Talyn Taylor looks like with a real role; and how deep into the roster Kirby Smart
gets once the game is decided.
Preview template
The matchup, the number, the pick
Every preview runs the same three sections: the matchup that decides it, one
statistic that frames the game, and a score prediction you can hold us to.
Opponent scouting · Tennessee State
The Tigers have already played, and nearly won
Tennessee State opened its season Aug. 29 in Nashville and lost 26–24 to Jackson
State. The Tigers led 24–23 with 8:48 to play on a five-yard Daylin Lee touchdown
pass to Francisco Pratts III, gave the lead back on a 21-yard field goal with 2:31
left, then drove into range for a winner and never got the kick off after a
mishandled hold, per the Clarion Ledger. Tennessee State finished 2–10 last season
and 0–8 in the Ohio Valley Conference.
How to watch · Tennessee State
The opener is not on television
Saturday's game is on SEC Network+ at 3:00 p.m. ET, which is a streaming service and
not a channel. If your television package already includes SEC Network, the game costs
nothing extra, but you have to sign into the ESPN app with your provider credentials to
get it. Without SEC Network, it takes an ESPN+ subscription. Under the conference's
media agreement with Disney, every SEC school has one streaming-exclusive home game a
year, and this is Georgia's for 2026. ESPN lists Clay Matvick on play-by-play, Rocky
Boiman on color and Laura Stickells on the sideline. Sort the login out before Saturday
afternoon rather than at 2:55.
Gameday · Tennessee State
A 3:00 kickoff in 97 degrees
The National Weather Service forecast for Athens on Saturday, as of Thursday, is sunny
with a high near 97. Heat index figures differ by source, from about 105 at weather.com
to near 110 in the National Weather Service numbers WUGA cited. The Athens
Banner-Herald reports that would be the hottest home kickoff of Kirby Smart's eleven
seasons, ahead of the 92 degrees against Murray State in September 2019, and Atlanta
News First notes the stadium bowl holds heat beyond what the official number suggests.
Marshall Shepherd, who directs UGA's atmospheric sciences program, wrote for Forbes
this week that fans should plan around it. Georgia tells anyone who needs help during
the game to text DAWGS and the problem to 69050. Start drinking water Friday, not at
the gate.
October 1 · Vanderbilt
Clark Lea says Curtis has not been full-go in practice, and is not ruled out
Clark Lea said at his Thursday press conference that Jared Curtis is banged up and that
"questionable is the right marking for him right now." Lea said Curtis "has not been
able to be full-go in practice," that the injury happened on a play at Auburn, and that
it is "not something that is long term, but it's something that is challenging." He
said Curtis has felt a little better and done a little more in practice each day, that
he is hopeful, and that he is "certainly not ruling him out." Lea did not say what the
injury is. Blaze Berlowitz, who started Vanderbilt's first two games, would take the
snaps if Curtis cannot play. Per SI and Yahoo Sports.
October 1 · Vanderbilt
Jared Curtis is listed questionable for Saturday
Vanderbilt lists freshman quarterback Jared Curtis as questionable on the SEC's first
availability report of the week, which came out Wednesday night. No injury is given
for him. Curtis played the full game at Auburn on Saturday and did not come off the
field while Vanderbilt had the ball, which is why the listing drew notice. Vanderbilt
also rules out cornerback Jaylin Lackey, linebacker Jamison Curtis and defensive
linemen Aaron Bryant and Nikhil Jefferson, and lists edge rusher Miles Capers and
offensive linemen Lyndon Cooper and Clinton Azubuike as probable. The next word is
expected at Clark Lea's Thursday press conference. Curtis is the five-star who
committed to Georgia and then flipped to Vanderbilt. Per On3 and SI.
October 1 · Vanderbilt
Three out and three questionable on the first Vanderbilt availability report
The SEC's first availability report of Vanderbilt week came out Wednesday night.
Georgia lists three players out: safety Tyriq Green, offensive lineman Marcus Harrison
and outside linebacker Amaris Williams, who tore an ACL in spring practice and has
been expected to miss the season. Three more are questionable: running back Nate
Frazier with a rib injury, receiver Isiah Canion with a right leg injury and outside
linebacker Chase Linton with an ankle. Linton was listed out for Oklahoma, so
questionable is a change. Green would be out a third straight game. Cornerback Ellis
Robinson IV, who left the Oklahoma game in the second half, does not appear on the
report in any category, and no status has been given for him. Two more reports follow,
Thursday night and Friday night, with a final one 90 minutes before the 12:45
kickoff. Per the AJC, DawgNation and Yahoo Sports.
September 29 · Vanderbilt
Vanderbilt arrives 3–1 with a freshman quarterback Georgia once had committed
Vanderbilt lost 21–15 at Auburn on Saturday and comes to Athens 3–1 overall
and 0–1 in the SEC, per the school's own game release and the ESPN box score. The
quarterback is freshman Jared Curtis, the five-star who committed to Georgia and then
flipped to Vanderbilt; he threw for 199 yards at Auburn and ran for a team-high 46.
Kirby Smart said this week that Curtis has tremendous talent and is a better athlete
than he gets credit for, and that Clark Lea is one of the best voices in the coaches'
room, per Yahoo Sports. Smart also said Vanderbilt arguably should have made the
playoff last season with the record it had.
September 29 · Recruiting
Alius Mayo, the top junior college prospect in the country, flips to Georgia
Cornerback Alius Mayo announced Tuesday that he is committing to Georgia, flipping from
California, where he had been committed since August. Mayo is 6-foot-4 and 190 pounds,
plays at Modesto Junior College in California, and is ranked the No. 1 junior college
prospect in the country by both 247Sports and Rivals. He belongs to the 2027 class.
He is Georgia's only cornerback commitment in that class, after Donte Wright and Jerry
Outhouse Jr. both decommitted, and the 21st commitment in it overall; 247Sports ranks
the class ninth nationally. Per the AJC and 247Sports.
September 28 · Honors
Chris Cole is the SEC's defensive player of the week
Junior linebacker Chris Cole was named SEC Defensive Player of the Week on Monday for
his game against Oklahoma: eight tackles, a career high, with a tackle for loss, a sack
and two fumble recoveries. He returned one of them 85 yards for a touchdown, which the
school lists as the fourth longest fumble return in Georgia history. The school also
noted that Cole is the first Bulldog with two fumble recoveries in a game since Roquan
Smith did it against Auburn in the 2017 SEC Championship Game. The Red and Black put
his top speed on the return at 22.12 mph. Per the university and the SEC.
September 23 · Oklahoma
Three out and three questionable on the first Oklahoma availability report
The SEC’s first availability report of Oklahoma week came out Wednesday night.
Georgia listed three players out: defensive back Tyriq Green, edge rusher Chase Linton
and offensive lineman Marcus Harrison. Three more are questionable: running back Nate
Frazier, receiver Isiah Canion and defensive back Justice Fitzpatrick. Frazier and
Canion both came out of the Arkansas win, and Kirby Smart said Monday he expected
Frazier to play. Outlets list different injuries for Frazier and Fitzpatrick, so none
is given here for either. On Oklahoma’s side, left tackle Michael Fasusi is out,
along with Taylor Helm, Trell Harris and Cole Sullivan, and defensive tackle David
Stone is questionable. Two more reports follow, Thursday night and Friday night, with
a final one 90 minutes before kickoff. Per Yahoo Sports, DawgNation and the AJC.
September 22 · Scheduling
Georgia and Clemson call off four future games
Georgia and Clemson have terminated the four-game home-and-home series they had on the
books between 2029 and 2033. Marc Weiszer of the Athens Banner-Herald obtained the
termination agreement, signed by athletic directors Josh Brooks and Graham Neff, and
reported it Tuesday; CBS Sports, Yahoo Sports and the AJC carried the same terms. The
games were set for September 15, 2029 at Clemson, August 31, 2030 in Athens,
September 4, 2032 in Athens and September 3, 2033 at Clemson. The document says the
two sides “mutually agreed to terminate the Contracts and all of the provisions of
those contracts, including payment requirements,” so neither school owes the other a
buyout. Yahoo Sports reported the letter was signed in March, months before it became
public. The squeeze is conference scheduling: the SEC went to nine league games this
season and still requires a Power Four nonconference opponent, which for Georgia is
Georgia Tech every November, and the ACC moves to nine in 2027 with Clemson playing
South Carolina annually. Asked about it at his Tuesday press conference, Clemson coach
Dabo Swinney said, “2026, the world. That’s all I can tell you. It’s college
football.” Per CBS Sports, at least a half-dozen Power Four series have been called
off in 2026, Georgia and Florida State among them. Georgia and Clemson have met twice
under Kirby Smart, both at neutral sites, and have not played on either campus since
2014, per the AJC.
October 3 · Vanderbilt
Vanderbilt kickoff set for 12:45 on the SEC Network
UGA Athletics announced Monday that the October 3 home game against Vanderbilt would
kick at either 12 p.m. or 12:45 p.m. ET, on ABC, ESPN or the SEC Network, with the
final call to come after the games of September 26. Vanderbilt has not played in
Athens since 2022, a 55–0 Georgia win.
Updated Saturday night. The SEC settled it once the slate finished: 12:45 p.m.
ET on the SEC Network, per DawgNation and the Athens Banner-Herald. It is Georgia's
second 12:45 home kickoff of the season and its third early afternoon start. The
game is homecoming.
Honors · Class of 2027
Edwards, Seymour and Miller elected to the state Hall of Fame
The State of Georgia Sports Hall of Fame announced Thursday that receiver Terrence
Edwards, defensive lineman Richard Seymour and tennis player Allen Miller have been
elected to its 2027 class. Edwards started four years in Athens under Jim Donnan and
Mark Richt and still holds the Georgia records for career receptions (204), career
receiving yards (3,093) and career touchdown catches (30). Seymour was a first-team
All-American in 2000, went sixth overall to New England in the 2001 draft, won three
Super Bowls and was elected to the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 2022. Miller led
Georgia to the 1985 NCAA team tennis title and won the NCAA doubles championship the
same year. Induction is February 19 and 20 in Macon, per UGA Athletics.
September 26 · Oklahoma
Sanford Stadium will be striped for Oklahoma
Georgia announced Wednesday that it will stripe Sanford Stadium for the Oklahoma game,
assigning a color to each seating section and asking fans to dress to it. The
section-by-section chart is posted at georgiadogs.com. Fans organized a stripe on
their own for the Ole Miss game last October. The template for this in Athens is the
2007 blackout against Auburn, which Mark Richt called for and paired with black
jerseys the players did not know were coming. The SEC set the kickoff on Monday,
September 14 at 3:30 p.m. ET, and the network was settled after Saturday's slate:
ESPN.
September 24 · Oklahoma
Oklahoma rules out Fasusi and lists Stone questionable
Oklahoma’s first SEC availability report of Georgia week rules out left tackle Michael
Fasusi, safety Michael Boganowski, receiver Trell Harris and linebackers Cole Sullivan
and Taylor Heim. Defensive tackle David Stone and receiver Jer’Michael Carter are
listed as questionable. Linebacker Kip Lewis, who missed the New Mexico game with a
knee injury, is probable. Fasusi has not played since the opener. The SEC releases
updated reports Thursday and Friday and again 90 minutes before kickoff. Per On3,
247Sports and Oklahoma Sooners On SI.
Updated Thursday night. Carter moved from questionable to out on the
second report of the week. Stone is still questionable, Lewis is still probable,
and the five players ruled out Wednesday are all still out. Per On3 and Oklahoma
Sooners On SI.
September 23 · Oklahoma
Oklahoma left tackle Michael Fasusi faces long odds to play
Oklahoma left tackle Michael Fasusi faces long odds to play Saturday in Athens,
ESPN’s Pete Thamel reported Wednesday. Fasusi has a shoulder injury and has missed
the Sooners’ last two games. He started the season at left tackle and was a freshman
All-America pick last year, per On3. Oklahoma has since ruled him out on its first
availability report of the week. He is the second
Oklahoma lineman whose status for Saturday is unsettled, along with defensive tackle
David Stone. Per ESPN, On3 and Georgia Bulldogs On SI.
September 22 · Oklahoma
Oklahoma’s David Stone hurt a knee at Monday’s practice
Oklahoma defensive tackle David Stone hurt his left knee during a jog-through at
Monday’s practice, and his availability for Saturday has not been settled. Brent
Venables said Tuesday that Stone “ran his knee into a scout team player in a
jog-through” and that “it kind of popped out,” that the X-rays were
“positive,” meaning no fracture, and that Stone put his pain at about a two out
of 10. Venables did not rule him out for Athens. ESPN reported Stone was set for an
MRI. Stone has started all three
games and had a career-high eight tackles against New Mexico, two of them behind the
line, including a sack. Oklahoma listed him as questionable on its first availability
report of the week. Per ESPN, DawgNation and Yahoo Sports.
Next up · Oklahoma
The Sooners needed a 14–6 win over New Mexico
Oklahoma beat New Mexico 14–6 on Saturday night in Norman and comes to Athens at 2–1.
John Mateer threw for 238 yards and two touchdowns but was intercepted twice in the
first half, the second setting up a New Mexico field goal, and the Sooners were booed
off the field at halftime leading 7–6, per Field Level Media. Isaiah Sategna caught a
53-yard touchdown midway through the third quarter for the final margin and finished
with six catches for 101 yards. Neither team could run: the two combined for 130
rushing yards. Oklahoma outgained New Mexico 299 to 185 and sealed it on a fourth-down
stop at its own 18 inside three minutes. The final is confirmed on Oklahoma's official
game center.
September 12 · Western Kentucky
White helmets for the first time
Georgia will wear white helmets, white jerseys and white pants against Western
Kentucky, which the school says is the first time the program has worn that
combination. The announcement came August 5. Kickoff is 12:45 p.m. ET on SEC Network.
It is the second meeting ever between the two schools.
Television · September 28
Georgia at Alabama is 7:30 on ABC
Georgia's October 10 game at Bryant-Denny Stadium will kick off at 7:30 p.m. ET on
ABC, the school announced Monday. The game had been held in a night window rather
than given a set time. Alabama moved up to seventh in the AP poll on Sunday and is
the first of four ranked opponents left on Georgia's schedule.
Polls · Week 5
Florida climbs to eighth, Ole Miss falls to ninth
Georgia stayed second in both the AP Top 25 and the Coaches Poll released Sunday,
September 27, with six first-place AP votes behind No. 1 Texas, which took 62. The
movement is on Georgia's schedule. Florida beat Ole Miss 52–28 in Gainesville and
climbed 13 spots, from 21st to eighth, which the AP notes is the Gators' highest
ranking since 2020. Ole Miss fell from fourth to ninth. Alabama moved from eighth to
seventh, and Missouri slipped from 19th to 25th. Georgia plays all four, starting at
Alabama on October 10.
Polls · Week 4
Georgia holds at No. 2, and Oklahoma falls out of the AP poll
Georgia stayed second in both the AP Top 25 and the Coaches Poll released Sunday,
September 20, again with three first-place AP votes behind No. 1 Texas, which took 58
of them. Saturday's opponent is the story. Oklahoma dropped out of the AP poll
entirely after a 14–6 win over New Mexico, finishing 26th on points received with 91;
the Sooners are still No. 24 in the Coaches Poll, so Georgia is hosting a team the
two polls disagree about. Ole Miss made the biggest move among Georgia's opponents,
climbing from eighth to fourth in the AP after beating LSU, and drew three
first-place votes of its own. Alabama moved from 10th to eighth, Missouri from 20th
to 19th, and Florida entered the AP poll at 21st at 3–0 under Jon Sumrall, its first
appearance of the season. The Coaches Poll has Ole Miss sixth, Alabama eighth,
Missouri 21st and Florida 22nd.
Television · September 20
The Oklahoma game goes to ESPN
The network for Saturday's 3:30 p.m. ET kickoff in Athens, held open under the
six-day option when the time was announced on September 14, was assigned after
Saturday's games. It is ESPN. ABC took the other three of the SEC's big four windows:
Texas at Tennessee at noon, Ole Miss at Florida at 3:30, and Texas A&M at LSU at
7:30.
Polls · Week 3
Second again, and a new team at the top
Georgia stayed No. 2 in both the AP Top 25 and the Coaches Poll released Sunday,
September 13. Texas took over at No. 1 after rallying past Ohio State, which fell to
sixth. Georgia drew three first-place AP votes after receiving none in the first two
polls of the season. Among the teams on Georgia's schedule, Ole Miss is 8th, Alabama
10th, Missouri 20th and Oklahoma 24th in the AP poll. The Sooners had been 11th
before losing 17–10 at Michigan.
Polls · Week 2
Up to No. 2 in both polls
Georgia moved from third to second in the AP Top 25 and the Coaches Poll released
Tuesday, September 8, behind only Ohio State. Oregon, which had been No. 2, fell to
sixth after needing a fourth-quarter touchdown to beat Boise State. Georgia did not
receive a first-place vote in the AP poll; it got seven in the Coaches Poll. Among
the teams on Georgia's schedule, Ole Miss is 9th, Oklahoma 11th, Alabama 12th and
Missouri 23rd in the AP poll. Florida is tied for 25th in the Coaches Poll and
unranked by the AP.
Dawgs in the NFL
63 former Bulldogs opened the season on a roster
Georgia counted 63 former players on NFL 53-man rosters and practice squads as of
September 2. At least one Georgia player has appeared in each of the last 25 Super
Bowls, which the school says is the longest active streak in college football and one
short of Nebraska's record. Georgia has had 70 players drafted since 2020, more than
any other program, including eight in the 2026 draft.