The Georgia Bulldogs will open the 2023 season on Saturday, Sept. 2 against UT-Martin. Below you can find live updates, an injury report and what Kirby Smart and Georgia players had to say about the Week 1 game.

Georgia enters the season as the No. 1 ranked team. The Bulldogs are a massive favorite over FCS foe UT-Martin.

Georgia football-UT Martin live updates for Week 1 game:

11:30 a.m. ET, Aug 28: Georgia head coach Kirby Smart will meet with the media, along with tight end Brock Bowers, center Sedrick Van Pran and defensive back Tykee Smith.

  • “Got a lot of respect for UT-Martin. A lot of their stats within their conference are similar to ours. They’ve done a tremendous job with their program. Hoping for some good weather. Excited for our guys to go play someone else.”
  • “We’ve had one of the toughest camps since I’ve been here. You can’t avoid it. Our guys have pushed through it.”
  • “Daijun is dealing with an MCL but he’s doing great. He’s going to be able to practice today. It happened in the second scrimmage, he’s bounced back pretty good from that. He’s been dealing with a hamstring almost all of camp. He feels 80/90 percent. We’re hopeful to get him back. We feel good about both of those guys.” -- Smart on the Georgia running backs
  • “We share idea in terms of schematics. You see some similarities there.”
  • Smart says Ladd McConkey has been back at practice and is progressing well from a back injury. David Daniel-Sisavanh has had a turf toe injury but practiced on Saturday. Smart was cryptic on Kamari Lassiter and Smael Mondon.
  • Field goal and kickoff duties are undecided.
  • “We want to play our best each and every day. The guy that plays better is going to be the guy that plays.”
  • Smart says tight end Lawson Luckie had tightrope surgery. Doesn’t know when he’ll be back.
  • “The demands of the job have increased but the retention of the staff has helped.”
  • Smart says he’s for whatever helps curb gambling concerns. Leaves the idea of a league-wide injury report up to SEC commissioner Greg Sankey.
  • “We have to remain focused on. That’s kind of like being where your feet are. We’ve got a lot of work to be done before we start talking about that(3-peating).”
  • “This is not the same team we had two years ago or last year.”
  • “The fear is reading what you all say about them. You have to earn that. You have to go out and earn that on tape. I can show you countless examples on tape of where that isn’t true.”
  • “The maturity level. The approach they’ve taken to their work. We’ve had camp, it wasn’t our very best camp. They’re fun to be around. Who you are intangibly is really important.”
  • “The confidence he’s gained has really helped him a lot.” -- Brock Bowers on Carson Beck.
  • “I wouldn’t say surprises but I’m trying to play faster. Just play that much faster.”
  • “I’d be open to it. It’s fun to get the ball in your hands. If they tell me to go to running back, I’ll do whatever.” -- Bowers on playing at running back.
  • “I don’t stay focused on the outside noise. Just stay focused on me and the team.”
  • “For me personally, people always said the SEC is the best football. So I wanted to practice against the best and play against the best and so that’s why I came here.”
  • “Ever since I was younger, I wanted to be the best. It was always in me to try and outwork the person next to me.”
  • “Coach Hartley, he’s one of the best coaches in the nation. I can’t say enough good things about him. He sets the standard for the whole team. He teaches us a lot outside of the game of football. He’s special to me in a lot of ways.”
  • “Still getting comfortable playing around those guys and trying to play myself into the best shape possible.” -- Tykee Smith on playing the star position.
  • “I feel real good moving around. I definitely think I’m more comfortable being in the defense.”
  • “The biggest thing was the mental thing and trying to get that confidence back Being able to go out there and play without a brace on was a big thing for me.”
  • “Real excited about what this offense can do.”
  • “Mekhi Mews is going to help this team a lot.”
  • “Julian Humphrey has had a real good camp. I’m looking forward to seeing him come along.” -- Smith on someone who will be a breakout player.
  • “The biggest thing was being able to control the controllable and we can’t control the heat.”
  • “He’s a real special player.” -- Smith on Brock Bowers
  • “I think Joenel is going to be a real special player.” -- Smith on freshman Joenel Aguero.
  • “It’s a different relationship I think working with Carson it’s communicating with him. I think it’s really important to communicate with the guy in front of you and behind you. It’s really good. He said we’re back reunited.” -- Sedrick Van Pran on working with Carson Beck.
  • “I haven’t seen it. At the end of the day they have their opinion. All we can do is respect it.” -- Van Pran on College GameDay picking Alabama to win the SEC.
  • “I like what UT-Martin does up front.”
  • “Really for me it’s making sure I’m staying on top of what I’m trying to do so that I can hold other people accountable.”
  • “I’ve been embracing the role of being consistent.”
  • “I would think that this year I’m looking to play with more technique. That’s really the biggest thing for me.”
  • “I think one thing Carson does well is recognizing coverages and making anticipatory throws. I think he does an amazing job of when the time is needed and he has to step up, he is that guy for the offense.” -- Sedrick Van Pran on Carson Beck.
  • “We’ve talked about a bunch of different things. When you do it, you want to make sure you do it right. With something like that,it has to be organic, it has to be natural.” -- Sedrick Van Pran on Devin Willock.

11: 00 a.m. ET, Aug 28: Georgia opens its 2023 season at home on Saturday against UT-Martin. The Bulldogs are riding a 17-game winning streak and have won the last two national championships.

This team, as all are, will be different. Gone are long-time contributors such as Stetson Bennett, Darnell Washington, Jalen Carter and Chris Smith. The game against UT-Martin will be Geogria’s first chance to look at some of the replacements for those talented players.

All eyes will be on quarterback Carson Beck, as he was named Georgia’s starting quarterback. He’s in his fourth year in the Georgia program but he will be making his first collegiate start on Saturday.

“I think each and every one of us has our own pressures and pressures to fulfill,” Beck said. “The only thing I can do is try to be myself every day and try to win each and every single day. We’ve got practice today, and I’m going to focus on the reps of each individual play and see what I can do the best. We’ll move on to the next day and the next day from here on out.”

Beck won’t be the only new starter for Georgia and we should gain some clarity at some of the ongoing position battles. Earnest Greene and Austin Blaske are battling to be the starting left tackle, while Julian Humphrey, Nyland Green and Daylen Everette are competing to start opposite Kamari Lassiter. Georgia will also be breaking in a new kicker, as Jared Zirkel and Peyton Woodring aim to replace Jack Podlesny.

We should also get a better understanding of Georgia’s injury situation. The Bulldogs know they’ll be without running back Branson Robinson for the entire season, as he suffered a ruptured patella tendon. Running backs Kendall Milton and Daijun Edwards are also dealing with injuries, while defensive starters Kamari Lassiter and Smael Mondon are dealing with foot injuries.

Saturday’s game will also see Mike Bobo takeover for Todd Monken as the team’s offensive coordinator. Bobo held the role from 2007 through 2014 and served as an analyst last season.

Georgia football-UT Martin: Injury report for Week 1

  • Branson Robinson -- patella tendon, out for the season
  • Lawson Luckie -- ankle, out
  • Earnest Greene -- ankle, probable
  • Tyrion Ingram-Dawkins -- foot, probable
  • Ladd McConkey -- back, probable
  • Smael Mondon -- foot, questionable
  • Kendall Milton -- hamstring, questionable
  • Daijun Edwards -- MCL sprain, questionable
  • Kamari Lassiter -- foot, questionable
  • Jackson Meeks -- foot, questionable
  • De’Nylon Morrissette -- groin, questionable
  • Raylen Wilson -- knee, doubtful
  • Joenel Aguero -- hamstring, doubtful
  • Chris Peal -- turf toe, doubtful
  • David Daniel-Sisavanh -- undisclosed

Georgia football-UT Martin game time for Week 1

The Georgia football-UT Martin game will start at 6 p.m. ET

Georgia football-UT Martin TV Channel for Week 1

The Georgia football-UT Martin game will air on ESPN+. You will need a subscription to watch the game.