ATHENS — Georgia football fans didn’t have the benefit of an extended recruiting period to study their newest quarterback, D’Wan Mathis.
But the Bulldogs’ fans caught an eyeful of the 6-foot-6, 210-pound early enrollee freshman from metro Detroit on Saturday — as a quarterback and receiver.
Mathis was 15-of-28 passing for 113 yards with an interception, but he had what would have been a 35-yard completion to Matt Landers dropped, skewing the numbers.
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Landers made it up to Mathis on a double-reverse throwback pass that went for a 39-yard touchdown and highlighted the annual G-Day Game.
Georgia football coach Kirby Smart allowed each of the teams to have a trick play for the scrimmage. Smart didn’t sound surprised when the SEC Network interviewed him on field about Mathis’ catch.
“I had no idea Matt could do that, but I knew D’Wan could do that, D’Wan can run,” Smart said.
Mathis’ interception appeared to be a case of a mixup on the depth of the route being run by tight end John FitzPatrick.
Smart said he has liked what he has seen from Mathis, who flipped from Ohio State when he learned that former Buckeyes quarterback Dwayne Haskins was talking to former UGA QB Justin Fields.
“D’Wan’s got a nice release, he throws the ball well,” Smart said. “He’s picking up the offense.
“He brings another element, because he has really good legs and really good feet. We might mix him in there at wideout some.”
Smart noted Mathis had a few “sloppy snaps” to deal with, but he was pleased overall with how Mathis and Stetson Bennett handled the game.
“I was pleased with how Stetson and D’Wan managed the game from the field, and that’s important,’ Smart said. “They are only going to get better through practicing and repping and playing in that kind of environment.
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