ATHENS — Georgia football coach Kirby Smart knew he had a tired football team on his hands Saturday, so he appreciated the efforts he saw put forth.
The offense wasn’t as explosive as some had hoped to see, and there were plenty of things on film to improve upon.
But the Bulldogs still managed to have some stand-out efforts that Smart took note of:
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Kenny McIntosh: McIntosh missed most all of spring with a dislocated elbow, but he has proven himself a factor in the backfield rotation this fall.
“Kenny hit a couple of wheel routes … did a nice job out of the backfield, made people miss,” Smart said.
Justin Robinson: Robinson has flashed as a big-play receiver before, and the second-year target needs to come up big again with Jermaine Burton’s injury problems and Demetris Robertson’s transfer out of the program.
Smart noted that “Justin Robinson made a nice play down the field,” on Saturday.
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Jamon Dumas-Johnson: Dumas-Johnson, a four-star Top 200 player out of Baltimore, didn’t waste any time making an impact.
“I thought Jamon Dumas-Johnson made a great play on a pick,” Smart noted after the scrimmage.
Derion Kendrick: It’s not often that the head coach pays a compliment to a player that misses practice or a scrimmage, but Kendrick was excused to attend a friend’s funeral.
“He’s done a good job to be honest with you — he’s been very consistent, very intelligent,” Smart said. “He understands it. He plays big, bigger than he is. He’s physical.”
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Kamari Lassiter: Georgia is thin at the cornerback position with three from last season’s team moved on to the NFL and Jalen Kimber banged up. Smart is looking for someone new to step up, and it might be Lassiter.
“Kamari Lassiter is a guy that didn’t get to play in the spring, he wasn’t here, but he’s really been a surprise highlight of camp,” Smart said. “He’s intentional. He’s smart.”
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Nolan Smith: Smart didn’t mention Smith, but there were enough people in attendance that took note of the man trying to fill the shoes of 2020 SEC sacks leader Azeez Ojulari.
The No. 1-ranked player in the nation in the 2019 signing class, many are waiting for Smith to prove worth all the hype he arrived with. His opportunity is at hand.
Brock Bowers: It was a quiet scrimmage for Bowers, but Todd Monken said enough about this versatile tight end last Thursday to leave an impression.
Bowers versatility, football IQ and conditioning level is impressive and leaves little doubt he will be an impact player this season.
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Third-down efficiency: Georgia converted 64 percent of its third downs vs. SEC teams last season with JT Daniels under center — Alabama led the nation at 59 percent. Smart was not pleased with Saturday’s numbers.
“We were not exactly efficient on third down with our goal being to convert, we were converting at a lot higher rate than we did today.”
Offensive line continuity: Smart explained the reason UGA keeps switching players up is to build depth, but there will be time to do that when the schedule softens after the Clemson opening game.
Matt Luke and the staff get paid to make hard decisions, and Georgia has reached that point with the opening game against one of the best defensive fronts less than three weeks away.
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Smart liked the third-down protection Saturday and said he likes all of the players, but the injury to center Warren Ericson has created some challenges.
