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The Georgia football team has arrived in Miami ahead of Friday’s game against Michigan. The Bulldogs held practice in Athens on Sunday before landing just before 4 p.m. on Sunday afternoon.

The team will begin practicing in Miami on Monday. This will be Georgia’s first game since a 41-24 loss to Alabama back on Dec. 4.

“I think any time you have a long break between games, it’s important to understand how your team needs to practice to play,” Georgia coach Kirby Smart said. “You also have to be smart down here with how you practice because you don’t practice at the same time that you play the game. You play the game at night, and you practice during the day.”

Michigan arrived on Saturday, opting to fly in a day early. The Wolverines are coming off a 42-3 win over Iowa in the Big Ten Championship game. This is the first time Georgia and Michigan have played each other since 1965.

The Bulldogs have been in the College Football Playoff before, playing in the 2017-18 version. Quarterback Stetson Bennett did not play in the game but worked as a scout team quarterback for the Bulldogs.

With JT Daniels in COVID-19 protocols, Bennett is expected to get the start for the Bulldogs. Daniels was not seen arriving at the team hotel on Sunday but that does not rule him out for the game.

“We feel good. We practiced hard, we watched a lot of film on Michigan,” Bennett said. “They have a great team but we’re feeling good.”

From a defensive standpoint, Georgia will be seeing a much different offense than what it saw against Alabama. The Wolverines are a better running team than the Crimson Tide, led by running backs Hassan Haskins and Blake Corum. The duo combined to score 31 rushing touchdowns this season. Quarterback Cade McNamara threw 15 touchdown passes to 4 interceptions this season while completing 64 percent of his passes.

The Bulldogs defense had a historic regular season, holding opponents to 6.9 points per game. But Alabama found success throwing the ball, as Bryce Young threw for 421 yards. He threw for three touchdowns and ran for another.

The proud Georgia defense will need to have a much stronger effort against Michigan if Georgia is to get a rematch against Alabama. The Crimson Tide take on Cincinnati in the other College Football Playoff game.

“This season is all about making history and breaking records and stuff like that,” Davis said. “It’s definitely an honor to be a part of it and we’re just ready to get to it.”

Georgia and Michigan are set for a 7:30 p.m. ET kickoff on Friday. The game will be broadcast on ESPN.

Kirby Smart, Georgia football players preview game against Michigan

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