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IN MEMORIAM — DEVIN WILLOCK AND CHANDLER LECROY

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UNDEFEATED 15-0 – 2022 NATIONAL CHAMPIONS EDITION

PHOTO BY: ROB SAYE

2022National

Champions

Edition

Back-To-Back

YOU NEVER SAUSAGE

A FOOTBALL SEASON

FOOTBALL SEASON MEANS GATHERING WITH FRIENDS AND

FAMILY, ICE COLD DRINKS, A HOT GRILL LOADED WITH

DELICIOUS FOOD FOR SHARING AND CALLING THE DAWGS. FOR

NEARLY 60 YEARS STRIPLING’S GENERAL STORE HAS BEEN

SUPPLYING THE BULLDOG NATION WITH THE FINEST QUALITY

SAUSAGE, JERKY, AND SOUTHERN SPECIALTIES SURE TO MAKE

YOUR TAILGATE’S VICTORIOUS.

Stripling’s General Store began in 1964 as a small store on the family

farm originally known as the “Sausage Kitchen.” The Sausage Kitchen was

a simple meat market where James Stripling began sharing his love of

making whole hog country sausage. Those who remember the original

store recall James giving out sausage and biscuits for free on Saturday

mornings to all the local people, effectively getting them hooked on the

delicious sausage recipe.

STRIPLING’S HAS MANY

LOCATIONS ACROSS THE

STATE TO SERVE THEIR

CUSTOMERS.

STRIPLINGS.COM

Over the last four decades Stripling’s General

Store has grown to include 5 additional

stores scattered across the state of Georgia

in Bogart, Brunswick, Cordele, Perry and

Tifton. And while every location has its own

character and personality there is certainly a

familiarity that customers recognize and

appreciate. That is exactly what makes this

3rd generation company so special.

As time has passed and traditions have been

handed down from generation to generation,

Stripling’s has expanded their offerings but

has managed to maintain the original

sausage recipe. The Stripling family takes

pride in crafting their products the right way,

carefully and from the original family recipe.

Even though the process is labor intensive

and more expensive to produce than your

average commercial sausage, preserving

what the Stripling family has coined as the

“Lost Art of Sausage Making” is more

important than ever. As a family-owned and

operated business, they are steeped in the

traditions of what has not only been passed

down to them but has become part of

traditions their customers experience as well.

A run to Stripling’s is more than just a quick

trip to the grocery store; walking through

those doors is an experience like no other.

Stripling’s General Store can best be

described as a place where Southern

tradition and hospitality are preserved

through some of the greatest southern

culinary finds making them the perfect

contemporary general store for the

modern-day taste maker. From the meat

market stocked full of certified angus beef,

fresh cuts of pork and chicken and most

importantly, mounds and mounds of that

famous Stripling’s Sausage to the special

curation of gifts, décor, and southern

specialties such as mayhaw jelly,

old-fashioned hoop cheese, pickled okra and

hard to find seasonings & rubs, sauces &

marinades and let’s not forget the hand

crafted Stripling’s Jerky, Stripling’s continues

to bring the best the South has to offer to its

customers. The store also boasts a hot Food

Bar with fresh daily offerings, grab-n-go

meals, Stripling’s Sausage dogs and many of

the high-quality meats from the meat

market.

STRIPLING’S GENERAL STORE boasts locations

in Cordele, Perry, Tifton, Brunswick and Bogart.

Call 1-800-727-4058 or visit www.striplings.com

for a complete list of products and to learn

more about the Stripling’s story.

wElCOmiNg

Fitzgerald/Roberts Wealth

Management Group

TO OUR ATHENS BRANCH

Michael Fitzgerald

Managing Director/Investments

(706) 247-8254

michael.fitzgerald@stifel.com

Roy Roberts, CFP ®

First Vice President/Investments

(706) 247-8253

roy.roberts@stifel.com

LuAnne Stone

Client Service Associate

(706) 247-8255

luanne.stone@stifel.com

Main: (706) 247-8246

Fax: (706) 247-8247

Toll-Free: (866) 370-7254

www.fitzgeraldrobertswmg.com

394 S. Milledge Avenue, Suite 106

Athens, Georgia 30605

Stifel, Nicolaus & Company, Incorporated | Member SIPC & NYSE | www.stifel.com

SERVING ATHENS FOR

SERVING ATHENS FOR

45

years

athensbmw.com • 706.549.5340 | philhugheshonda.com • 706.549.3530 | hughessubaru.com • 706.715.6300

IN 2022 NATIONAL

BULLDAWGILLUSTRATED

THIS ISSUE

CHAMPIONS ISSUE

HARDWARE

PERFECTION FOR

THE DAWGS AND

STETSON BENNETT IV!

PHOTO BY: ROB SAYE

THE GAME | 16

THE SCENE | 26

THE FANS | 40

THE FINAL PERSPECTIVE | 84

OUR TEAM

EDITOR: Vance Leavy

CREATIVE DIRECTOR: Cheri Leavy

MULTIMEDIA DIRECTOR: Greg Poole

CHIEF SPORTS CONTRIBUTOR: Jeff Dantzler

ART DIRECTOR: Stacey Nichols

SALES: Caroline Kinney

SPORTS: Jeff Dantzler, Greg Poole, Coby Serina,

Clay Watkins, Murray Poole

MULTIMEDIA SUPPORT: Hamilton Culpepper,

Caroline Schlabach

PHOTOGRAPHY: Greg Poole, Rob Saye,

Blane Marable, Carter Horne

COVER ART: Mack Williams

CHERI’S CRUSHES DESIGN: Hinge Creative Co.

COLUMNISTS: Hamilton Culpepper, Loran Smith,

Kevin Butler, Caroline Champion

DELIVERY: John Cook, Wright Cook, Rob

Freeman, Anna French, Scarlett French, Flynn

Kelly, Caroline Kinney, John Kinney, Lynn

McLanahan, Eleanor Morgan, Henry Morgan,

James Morgan, Jack Sawyer, Cullen Sewell, Henry

Stokes, Champ Vance

NATIONAL CHAMPIONS EDITION:

February 2, 2023

BULLDAWGILLUSTRATED 8 2022 NATIONAL CHAMPIONS EDITION

AWARD WINNING

CONGRATS BACK TO BACK

NATIONAL CHAMPIONS!

AWARD WINNING

AWARD WINNING

GO DAWGS!!

With award winning great hotels located in the Classic City, we’re redefining

hospitality with an approach that is uniquely Athens.

bensonsinc.com

DOWNTOWN ATHENS

ATHENS WEST

FROM THE

EDITOR

VANCE LEAVY

EDITOR IN CHIEF

Enjoy our 2022 National Champions Edition, where we

celebrate the excellence of the Georgia football program

in memoriam to Devin Willock and Chandler LeCroy!

I

t’s been just over a fortnight since

our Georgia Bulldogs football

team completed their perfect 15-0

season to become the 2022 National

Champions. Of course, Georgia

football also ended the 2021 season

with the same moniker.

Back-to-Back National Champions … damn impressive Dawgs!

However, the jubilation at the National Championship parade

and celebration on Saturday, January 14, turned to shock and

despair in the early hours of the next day. Our beloved football

program had lost two of their own with the passing of offensive

lineman Devin Willock and recruiting staff member Chandler

LeCroy.

That day, I was following up a text to Kirby’s brother, Karl, for

names from a photo I had taken at the celebration. Hurting for all

involved, I sent this, “thoughts and prayers to your brother and

the team as they process the devastating passing of a teammate

and program staffer. Life is so epic and brutal all in one.”

My emotions today are virtually the same even though a few

weeks have passed. Everyone at Bulldawg lllustrated sends our

love to the families of Devin and Chandler. And the same to the

McClendon and Bowles families as they help survivors Warren

and Tory guide their futures, while missing their beloved friends.

As our cover reflects, this 2022 National Champions Edition is In

Memoriam to Devin Willock and Chandler LeCroy. The 132-page

edition is a celebration of the championship team they were a

part of. And just like Devin and Chandler, everyone involved with

the 2022 Georgia football program is so special.

Thank you, thank you, thank you for a magical season. My hope

is that this commemorative edition matches everything this team

accomplished.

This edition closes out our 20th year of publishing. Back-to-back

titles to wrap two decades in business … pinch me, is this real?

PHOTO BY: ROB SAYE

On page 12, Jeff Dantzler leads his column saying, “It (the 2022

season) was the most enjoyable Georgia football season of my

life.” How’s that for a tease for another classic JD column?

Like last year, I’ve broken this mega-edition into four sections …

THE GAME, THE SCENE, THE FANS and THE FINAL PERSPECTIVE.

Throughout the edition, please take notice of the awesome

photography by BI’s Greg Poole and Rob Saye. Working a football

game on the sidelines is a tremendous commitment and these

two guys always perform superbly.

This edition is too large for me to discuss every page, so I’m

going with a few favorites.

First up, please take the time to read Clay Watkins’ story (page

36) and Hamilton Culpepper’s column (page 122). Both Clay

and Hamilton are students at Georgia, so their perspective on

the passing of Devin and Chandler is so poignant. They do an

excellent job and I sure do appreciate their professionalism and

care with their words.

All our features (where Clay’s story is) in THE SCENE section

(beginning on page 26) should be a score. Once again, I brought

Murray Poole out of retirement for the Toughness and Connection

stories. From discussing the 2022 team with Matt Stinchcomb

to talking to three different fan groups about their travel to LA

for the Natty, Murray’s mastery on the keyboard never ceases to

amaze me. Also, don’t miss our recap of the Athens Goes West

concert held at the Troubadour in West Hollywood the Sunday

before the game. What an incredible night of music and Bulldog

revelry it was!

Our THE FANS section (beginning on page 41) is loaded with fan

photos from the National Championship game and the parade

and celebration in Athens. Needless to say, you will see lots of

people smiling with their No. 1 fingers flying high. Victory x 2 is

oh so sweet!

In both THE GAME (beginning page 16) and FINAL PERSPECTIVE

(beginning page 84) sections, you will find the nitty-gritty of this

magical 2022 season. From Kevin Butler’s players of the game to

Jeff Dantzler’s Final Top 15, the content is No. 1 like our Dawgs.

Also in the FINAL PERSPECTIVE, you will find all 18 covers that we

produced this season, paired with JD’s takes on each game/issue.

Enjoy. I know I sure did when remembering (through JD’s words)

this team’s excellence throughout the stellar campaign. Also,

Loran Smith opines about the team’s Rembrandt performance

against TCU. And Murray Poole gives a nod to the 912 area

code’s contributions to the back-to-back national championship

seasons. Way to go 912!

Speaking of the 912, our cover art was created by one of their

native sons, Mack Williams. Thanks Mack, you nailed it. And how

appropriate that our final magazine of 20 years is a cartoon just

like the very first one was by the legendary Jack Davis.

Finally, thanks to all our advertisers over the last 20 years. You

are the reason our readers can count on a fun and entertaining

publication about their favorite love, Georgia football.

Speaking of favorite love, I would be remiss not to thank my

partner in BI and life, Cheri. We’ve been to hundreds of games

and proofed thousands of pages and are still having a blast. Don’t

miss Cheri’s Championship Crushes on page 12, where you will

find lots of fun goodies to celebrate another title.

Gotta go now, but we’ll be back the week of the G-Day game to

discuss going for 3 in 2023. Nice work Rob Saye in catching Kirby

post-game. Score. Thanks again to the 2022 University of Georgia

football program. You have represented our University like the

champions you are … Go Back-to-Back Dawgs!!


CONGRATULATIONS ON BACK-TO-BACK

NATIONAL CHAMPIONSHIPS!

ENJOY

GREAT FOOD

& GOOD COMPANY

& COCKTAILS ON

ATHENS BEST PATIOS

DAILY SPECIALS • SUNDAY BRUNCH

Coastal vibes on the corner

of historic Five Points -

Walking distance to

Stegman Coliseum and

Foley Field

2310 West Broad Street in Athens

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in the LUMPKIN heart of Five & MILLEDGE

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Bulldog fans ... say this five times fast, Georgia

just won the national championship game 65-7

to win a second straight national championship

JEFF DANTZLER

@jeffdantzlerTV

It was the most enjoyable Georgia football season of my life.

The pressure had been lifted with the glorious 2021 national

championship – Bulldog Nation in a state of euphoria, and on

a victory ride though 2022.

Over the summer, Georgia head coach Kirby Smart made it clear

that his team would retain that hunter’s mentality, with the target

squarely on rightfully puffed chests as reigning national champions,

even though a record 15 Georgia players were selected in the 2022

National Football League Draft, including an astounding five first

round picks off the Bulldogs legendary defense.

From the first drive of the season in a 49-3 victory over Oregon, it

was clear that these Bulldogs were on the attack.

For a fanbase used to excessive angst after so many near misses in

the pursuit of college football’s ultimate dream - oh my gosh, that

penalty cost us a touchdown, which is going to cost us the game,

which means no title and we’ve got to wait another year to maybe

do it - this mean machine in red and black was out to make its own

history, and did they ever.

On the heels of the epic 42-41 victory over Ohio State in the Chick-

Fil-A Peach Bowl Playoff Semifinal, the stage was set for Georgia to

make a huge leap into College Football immortality.

Georgia was the fifth reigning national champion in the CFP era,

which began in 2014, to return to the title game. The previous

four all lost: Alabama in 2016, Alabama in 2018, Clemson in 2019

and thankfully on that grand stage at Lucas Oil Stadium, the 2020

champion Crimson Tide fell to Georgia for the 2021 national title.

The opponent and the numbers would line up for Georgia.

It was the fifth all-time meeting between the Bulldogs and the

Texas Christian University Horned Frogs. Georgia, spurred on by

a record setting performance from All-American legend Frank

Sinkwich, beat TCU in the Orange Bowl on New Year’s Day 1942, the

Bulldogs first ever postseason game.

Georgia beat TCU 34-3 in Athens in the fourth game of the 1980

season en route to the national championship and a perfect 12-0

record. In legendary Hall of Fame Coach Vince Dooley’s final season

at the helm, the Bulldogs beat the Horned Frogs 38-10. Smart, one of

the most important figures to ever set foot on the Georgia football

stage, led Georgia to a 31-23 win over TCU in the 2016 Liberty

Bowl. It was his first year, and the Bulldogs had a disappointing 7-5

regular season. But star running backs Nick Chubb and Sony Michel

announced they were coming back for their senior seasons and the

blue chip recruits were coming in droves.

It was liftoff time.

This 2022 national championship came 80 years after the Bulldogs’

first consensus national title of 1942. It makes for a nice numerical

homage to Charley Trippi and Vince Dooley, two of Georgia’s greatest

all-time legends, who passed away this past fall. Trippi was the Most

Valuable Player of the Rose Bowl, a 9-0 Georgia win over UCLA that

vaulted the Bulldogs to that 1942 title. Dooley guided Georgia to the

1980 national championship.

Smart’s one word answer - “aggression” - when asked prior to the

national championship game what he was looking for out of his

team in Los Angeles sent a clear message.

The following 65-7 onslaught set a slew of records and milestones

and put Georgia in some unique and elite company that many

longtime supporters had always felt possible.

Dare to be Great.

Georgia’s 58-point margin of victory is far and away the biggest in

the history of national title games. Nebraska beat Florida 62-24 to

win the 1995 title. USC crushed Oklahoma 55-19 to win it all in 2004.

In the playoff era, Clemson’s 44-16 win over Alabama to win it in

2018, that was the biggest differential.

And not just for college football.

Let’s talk NFL. Joe Montana and Jerry Rice led the San Francisco

49ers to a 55-10 win over the Denver Broncos in Super Bowl XXIV in

January of 1990. That’s the biggest margin in Super Bowl annals.

The last major blowout that could compare to Georgia’s?

How about Tiger Woods’ 15-stroke victory at the 2000 U.S. Open at

Pebble Beach.

Utter domination.

Bulldog fans … say this five times fast, Georgia just won the

national championship game 65-7 to win a second straight national

championship.

Staggering.

Georgia is the first and only team in the playoff era to win

consecutive national titles. Over the last two years, Georgia has

defeated every team that has either played for or won a national title

in the CFP era – Ohio State, Oregon, Alabama, Clemson, LSU and TCU.

When thinking about programs with back-to-back national

championships over the last half century, it’s the most royal of

bluebloods - Nebraska, Oklahoma, Alabama, USC. And now Georgia.

Coaches like Bob Davaney, Tom Osborne, Bear Bryant, Nick Saban

(with Kirby Smart as defensive coordinator for the last team to do

it, Alabama in 2011 and 2012), John Mckay, Barry Switzer and Pete

Carroll. And now Kirby Smart.

Since falling to Florida in 2020, the Bulldogs have won 33 of the last

34 games. Georgia’s back-to-back national champions are 29-1 in

2021 and 2022, with 26 of those victories coming by double digits,

and head into the 2023 campaign on a school record-tying 17 game

winning streak. The Bulldogs won 17 straight from the middle of

1945 through the second game of ‘47, with the Trippi-led Dogs of

1946 posting a perfect 11-0 record.

Since the SEC expanded to eight conference games and

division play in 1992, only three schools have posted back-toback

perfect league records. Steve Spurrier’s Florida Gators in

1995 and 1996 and Saban’s Tide teams (with Smart as the DC) in

2008 and 2009.

Kirby’s Smart’s Georgia Bulldogs are in the most rarefied air and

elite company, college football greatness personified.

What a journey.

How ‘Bout Them Dawgs!?!?!?!


THE PERFECT HOLLYWOOD

TRIP AND SCRIPT …

LASTING MEMORIES AND

THE DAWGS ARE #1 AGAIN!

Smisson Neel, Sanford Caroline Neel, John Neel,

Summer Dawn Neel, John Neel

WE ARE THE BEST at what we do!

WWW.SANFORDUSA.COM | 478.471.4221

CHERI’S

championship

crushes ...

BY: CHERI LEAVY

2.

3.

1.

2.

4.

9.

5.

5.

8.

(1) Dick Ferguson’s – Dick Ferguson’s is proud to be represented by

Stetson Bennett IV, a hard working and loyal individual. (2) UGA Bookstore

– Cheers to back-to-back National Champions! (3) XOXO,

Sunshine – The Leavys are celebrating two time back-to-back National

Champions … The University of Georgia Bulldogs! (4) Hampton Point –

Score big with a statement necklace! (5) Heery’s Clothes Closet –

The Heery’s girls have been outfitting Bulldogs in the heart of

downtown Athens since 1959! (6) Leigh Ann Barnes Handbags

& Accessories – So excited for gameday clothing … a

bulldog bomber jacket for the win! (7) University Spirit –

My favorite UGA 2022 National Champions Tee I have

7.

seen because beloved Bulldog Jack Davis’ art is

featured. (8) Monkee’s Athens – Step into Sanford

Stadium or the streets of Athens in style wearing

Monkee’s. (9) The Avenue of Athens – Shop UGA

Queen of Sparkles!

6.

CONGRATS 2022 NATIONAL CHAMPION BULLDOGS FROM THE HEERY’S GIRLS

ULLA JOHNSON + HUNTER BELL + AMANDA UPRICHARD + STAUD + MISA + DOLCE VITA + RAMY BROOKE

KREWE + MOTHER DENIM + MIGNONNE GAVIGAN + XIRENA + HAUTE SHORE

195 COLLEGE AVENUE | ATHENS, GA | 706.543.0702

2022National

Champions

Edition

Back-To-Back

THE

GAME

DEADLINE GAME STORY - PG. 18

FROM THE FIELD - PG. 20

KEVIN BUTLER’S PLAYERS OF THE GAME - PG. 22

STATS THAT MATTER - PG. 24


THAT’S RIGHT AMARIUS MIMS, TDS WERE

PLENTIFUL IN SOFI STADIUM

PHOTO BY: GREG POOLE


THE GEORGIA BULLDOGS ARE

BY: COBY SERINA

NATIONAL CHAMPIONS

GAME STORY FOLLOWING THE 65-7 VICTORY OVER TCU

The 2022 National Championship was won by the end

of the second half. Maybe even earlier. TCU clearly

didn’t have the talent to match, and it was blatantly

obvious. The entire game the Horned Frogs only put

up seven points, and that came off an accidental 60-yard bomb

by Max Duggan, the only big play the Dawgs let up all night.

TCU literally couldn’t compete, which is a disappointing end for

a team that’s had a pretty cool ride in 2022, but it’s always “Go

Dawgs” around here.

Now keep in mind Georgia was favored in this game, but no

one not even the players, thought the game was going to get

this out of hand. Major credit goes out to both sides of the

ball. Putting up 65 and holding the opposing team to seven is

insane, but so much of this game was about Stetson Fleming

Bennett IV and the impact he’s had on this Georgia program.

You’ve heard his story a million times at this point, and his

accent might sound normal, but the fact of the matter is it’s one

of the best stories to ever come out of college football, and we

watched it end in the most spectacular way possible against the

Horned Frogs. 305 passing yards. Four passing touchdowns. Two

rushing touchdowns. Unreal numbers! But the fact of the matter

is the Bulldog Nation has been living in an unreal era of Georgia

football the past two years, and has Bennett to thank for that.

When asked about what watching Bennett taking his final

snap for Georgia was like, offensive lineman Amarius Mims said,

“It felt crazy, man. Nobody realizes how hard he works outside

of just football, man.” Mims even mentioned that he thinks

Bennett’s No. 13 should be retired.

This victory signifies the end of an era. The Mailman has

delivered. Bennett’s legacy is this upcoming Georgia dynasty.

His name is going down in the books for sure. Maybe there’ll

be a statue coming sometime soon. Regardless, Bennett’s

contribution to this University, this city, this state, has to be

recognized. And it will be soon enough.

Just sit back. Take it in. And breathe. These, these are the

glory days.

‘STET THE JET’ DID IT ALL IN

THE 65-7 TCU THRASHING!



2022National

Champions

Edition

Back-To-Back

FROM THE FIELD

BY GREG POOLE

GLENN SCHUMANN AND

JALEN CARTER


SPIKE SQUAD MEMBER,

ETHAN MARCUM


NO. 1 ACROSS THE BOARD,

MARCUS ROSEMARY-

JACKSAINT

GEORGIA - 65 | TCU 7

What a year!

Unexpected (by me, at least) blowout wins bookended the 2022 season/

postseason. Between lie, a blowout of South Carolina, a hard-nosed Kent

State squad, and Missouri was also a hard out. The Dawgs brought the

Vols back to earth, followed by wins in artic conditions and against stiff

competition at Mississippi State and Kentucky.

I was surprised by Ohio State’s outstanding performance in the Peach.

But when one thinks of that game, the enduring memory has to be the

field goal attempt to end it.

Bennett-to-Mitchell beats the defender toward the corner of the end

zone to give the Dawgs the lead after Podlesny’s PAT. Ohio State moved

the ball to the Georgia 40, and the ref placed it about one-half yard inside

the left hash. Only eight seconds were on the clock as the Buckeye kicker

moved forward.

From about 73 yards behind the ball, I focused on Darris Smith, Georgia’s

other number 19. From Baxley, he is a true-freshman outside linebacker

who mainly played on special teams. Darris, Georgia’s designated field

goal blocker, is 6-5, 225-pound and has excellent leaping ability.

The ball zips to the holder, I press and hold the shutter release, and a split

second later, the roar explodes. I thought Mr. Smith had just achieved a

moment of lifetime fame; instead, a duck hook field goal propelled the

Dawgs to LA and the showdown with up-start TCU.

The national championship game and the environs were just weird. First

was the weather, indistinguishable from a dreary winter day in North

Georgia. Then there was a stadium designed to take advantage of the

beautiful SoCal environment featuring a sail rather than a roof. However, a

sail is marginally effective when a North Georgia winter storm visits.

The game’s weirdness is all about the destruction of an opponent in a

national title game. TCU is a better football team than the score of the

championship game indicates, and they are the type of team that often

gives UGA fits. The Frogs’ early score indicated a close game was in store.

NOT!

The outcome was not so much a function of TCU’s inability as it was

the combination of Georgia putting all aspects of its game together. Of

course, UGA also possessed a marked advantage in talent, and that talent

was hitting on all cylinders. The Dawgs led 24-7 with more than eight

minutes left in the half before extending the lead to 38-7 at the horn. They

had defeated TCU’s defense and shut down their vaunted offense. Game

faces began to dissolve into smiles. The ‘Toads were toast, and both teams

knew it.

At this time last year, pundits declared that Georgia and Kirby could not

contend with some many experienced players leaving for the NFL. We’ll

see!

Kirby 2, Pundits 0



NO ONE HAWKS THE BALL

LIKE JAVON BULLARD!

PHOTO BY: ROB SAYE

KEVIN BUTLER’S PLAYERS OF THE GAME

Each week, Georgia and Chicago

Bears Hall of Fame legend Kevin

Butler picks his Players of the

Game. A member of numerous

Halls of Fame and holder of

a slew of records, Butler cohosts

DawgTalk on Georgia

Football Saturdays and the

famous Bulldog Brunch from

the Hilltop Grille on Sundays. —

COMPILED BY JEFF DANTZLER

OFFENSIVE PLAYER

STETSON BENNETT - The senior, senior senior quarterback

did it again and again and again! The national championship

game was no different than what Stetson Bennett has come

to call “normal “performance. Stetson engineered drives for

touchdowns of 57 yards, 70 yards, 92 yards, 65 yards 22, 55, 84,

54 which looked more like a G-Day scrimmage than a national

championship final. His leadership has been a catalyst for the

two time national champions, week in and week out. Stetson

Bennett and Todd Monkin are certainly on the same page and

that causes any defense that they faced, tremendous challenges

covering the wide range of talent. The Georgia offense with

Stetson will be missed, but he has left a legacy that all Georgia

teams must fight desperately and with more passion to maintain

the level of championship football Stetson cultivated during his

career at Georgia. He is a Damn Good Dawg and possibly the

Best Damn Good Dawg ever. Thank you Stetson!

DEFENSIVE PLAYER

JAVON BULLARD - The sophomore defensive back from

Milledgeville turned his career around mid-season with his

tremendous ability to always be around the ball, but more

2022National

Champions

Edition

Back-To-Back

importantly, his physical presence, handling the passing game

and coming up for run support. Javon plays football with a

great intensity, and a beautiful smile. JB loves football and it

shows with his tremendous effort on every play. The national

championship was no different for Javon, intercepting two

passes and constantly putting pressure on Max Duggan, who

seemed lost in the woods at best. Javon will be a mainstay,

and a leader on a tremendous defense going into 2023. Could

not be prouder of the way Javan stepped up and played with

tremendous concentration, communication and Bulldog

commitment. Looking forward to seeing his career develop

into one that we will talk about for ages.

SPECIAL TEAM PLAYER

JACK PODLESNY - Leading into a championship game,

everyone focuses on the kicker and the role he could play

in the outcome of the most important game of the year.

The SEC MVP for special teams this year was”JackPod,” and

for good reason. In a couple of games this year, when the

Dogs had to battle, Pod came through and gave Georgia the

lead they needed to secure a win. The championship game

was a little different, but Pod booted his kickoffs and came

through on his field goal attempt and may have gotten a

little tired of kicking his ninth extra point, which sailed wide.

Nonetheless, Pod finished his career as one of Georgia’s best

and most consistent kickers in history. St. Simons Island has

to be awfully proud of Jack, as is everybody in the Bulldog

Nation. He knows I am as proud as anyone when I look at

his career. He will be missed, but he will always be a Damn

Good Dawg.


Double the Lovin’

Congratulations dawgs

from your Neighborhood McDonald’s

athens • watkinsville

auburn • lawrenceville

STATS THAT

MATTER

BY: COBY SERINA

GEORGIA - 65

TCU - 7

THE BEST PART OF BROCK

‘THE BEAST’ BOWERS?...

HE’S BACK FOR ONE

MORE SEASON!

PHOTO BY: ROB SAYE

3

A look back at what decided the game

between Georgia and Texas Christian

A look back at what decided the game

between Georgia and TCU.

On Monday January 9, the Georgia

Bulldogs produced a night that will go

down in history. 65-7. You may see scores

like that in September. Maybe early

October, when teams play the cupcakes

on the schedule, but the 2022 Dawgs were

different. Todd Monken decided to drop

nine touchdowns on Sonny Dykes and the

Texas Christian University Horned Frogs

on college football’s biggest stage: the

National Championship Game.

The Frogs just couldn’t hold up against

what Georgia was throwing at them. There

was a drastic talent disparity favoring

Georgia that was made known prior to

the matchup, but no one thought it would

end up the way it did. The Dawgs held up

on both sides of the ball when it mattered

most, and it led to the largest margin of

victory of any bowl game in history.

152

2

Williams, Bear Alexander and Jalon

With that game being Steton Bennett’s

last time suiting up in the Red and Black,

it leaves fans with a lot to think about.

Having led his team to back-to-back

national titles after struggling to find a

roster spot just a couple years before is the

kinda stuff Hollywood writers get paid to

come up with. Bennett just did it. But even

though the Mailman has made his final

delivery, there’s still plenty of talent that’ll

be returning in 2023 for the potential

three-peat. The Dawgs are in good hands,

and here are a couple reasons why.

152

After having a quiet end to the regular

season, Brock Bowers turned it all

the way up for the last three games.

The most impressive of which was

the National Championship where

he gained 152 receiving yards off of

seven receptions. He only scored one

touchdown off of those, but he was

most definitely setting up his teammates

for success. The fact that he isn’t draft

eligible should be considered a crime,

but no one wearing Red and Black is

complaining.

3

Defensively, freshmen played a big role

in this victory. Even before Coach Kirby

Smart unleashed the second string

defenders later in the fourth quarter,

the first-years were getting at it. Three

different freshmen found their way

to the quarterback for sacks: Mykel

Walker. Williams and Walker on the

edge and Bear in the middle is going to

be problematic for years to come. Add

Marvin Jones to that group as well, and

it’s pretty safe to say that this Georgia

defense is in good hands. Nolan Smith’s

injury served as the catalyst offering

young bucks the opportunity to rush

off the edge, and Williams, Walker and

Jones made the most of it. We could see

something similar to the 2021 defensive

front sooner rather than later.

2

Not only did Javon Bullard manage to

get two interceptions, he also recovered

a fumble forced by Chris Smith making

2022National

Champions

Edition

Back-To-Back

him responsible for all three defensive

turnovers for the Dawgs. With the

way everything else in the game was

going, the turnovers were really just the

cherry on top with the offense scoring

65 already stealing the show. Bullard

is quickly emerging as one of, if not,

the best defenders on this team. He’s

deployed all over the field because of his

STAR position getting opportunities to

do anything and everything. If it weren’t

for injury, Bullard probably would have

had a sack too. Tykee Smith, who also

plays STAR, got one in Bullard’s absence.

64%

About 64% of Georgia’s rushing

production was amassed by players who

are expected to return and play in the

2023 season. Some heavy hitting names

amongst that group being: Kendall

Milton, Branson Robinson and Daijun

Edwards. Milton and Edwards have

announced they are returning for their

senior season. Robinson has climbed

the depth chart as a freshman and has

drawn multiple comparisons to former

DGD Nick Chubb. Regardless of who

they’re compared to, these guys really

run angry. RBU’s future is looking bright!


2022National

Champions

Edition

Back-To-Back

THE

PHOTO BY:ROB SAYE

Scene


TOUGHNESS - 2022 DAWGS PERSONIFIED IT - PG. 28

CONNECTION - UGA FANS CONVENED IN MULTIPLE WAYS IN LA - PG. 32

RESILIENCY - GOING FROM TRIUMPH TO HEALING - PG. 36

COMPOSURE - recap of ATHENS GOES WEST CONCERT - PG. 38


4 characteristics of greatness

YO JOE MOORE AWARD, OUR O-LINE

IS THE BEST IN THE COUNTRY X 2!


TOUGHNESS

BY MURRAY POOLE

The 2022 Georgia national champions personified toughness

Take a stroll through the dazzling

new football facility on the

Georgia campus and you’ll see it

in writing: The four character traits

that Kirby Smart drilled into the minds and

hearts of every player on his 2022 football

team.

Toughness, Connection, Resiliency and

Composure!

Safe to say, these Bulldogs bought into

their head coach’s personal directives pretty

well, bringing the Georgia program the 2022

SEC Championship, a second consecutive

national championship and, the first 15-0

season record in the school’s illustrious red

and black history.

In this space, we’re zeroing in on the first

character trait listed.

How tough was this Georgia team which,

as you are well aware, had to replace

15 starters that were taken in the 2022

NFL draft? From a 2021 team that ranks

among the Bulldogs’ all-time greatest, one

that captured the school’s first national

championship in four decades while going

14-1 … the only setback coming to Alabama

in the SEC Championship Game, a loss

that Georgia would avenge with the 33-18

pasting of the Tide in the national title game

on January 10 in Indianapolis.

A glance at four games in the 2022

campaign gives us great clarity as to this

team’s toughness.

The first is the September 3 season opener

with a pre-season 11th-ranked Oregon team

in Mercedes-Benz Stadium. What many

thought would be a down-to-the-wire battle

between two highly-ranked opponents

didn’t exactly turn out that way. Long-time

Georgia observers commented after the

3rd-ranked Bulldogs’ 49-3 shellacking of the

Ducks, playing their first game under head

coach Dan Lanning who only the year before

served as Georgia’s defensive coordinator,

that this may have indeed been the most

impressive performance a Bulldog team had

ever posted. One game in and already, the

talk of a second straight natty had begun

heating up.

After soundly dispatching Samford, South

Carolina and Kent State, the unbeaten

Bulldogs then traveled to Columbia, Missouri

on October 1 – and ran into a buzzsaw!

Georgia was heavily favored to topple a

Missouri Tiger team that stood just 2-3 on

the season and 0-2 in the SEC. But someone

apparently failed to get that message to

the Tigers as they repeatedly frustrated the

Georgia offense with a fierce pass rush on

Stetson Bennett and surged to a 13-0 lead

on the Bulldogs early in the second quarter.

Then the Mizzou lead blinked to 16-3 before

Jack Podlesny’s field goal trimmed the Tigers’

lead to 16-6 at the halftime break.

But, backs to the wall and staring their first

defeat squarely in the face, the Bulldogs

pulled within 19-12 at the start of the final

quarter. Then, with Bennett nailing some

key completions and the Dawgs’ Kenny

McIntosh and Daijun Edwards-led running

game taking over (107 yards rushing in

the fourth quarter), Georgia outscored the

home team by 14-3 in that period to leave

the Show-Me state with a grueling 26-22

win. Difficult as it was, this game not only

demonstrated the team’s toughness but a

great resiliency also.

A third illustration of both the Bulldogs’

mental and physical toughness came on the

afternoon of November 5. Back Between the

Hedges of Sanford Stadium, the game with

the also unbeaten Tennessee Volunteers was

being billed as maybe the biggest ever on


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Dooley Field at Sanford Stadium. That same

week Tennessee, which led the nation in

scoring and total offense, had leaped over

Georgia to take the No. 1 spot in the first

College Football Playoff rankings. But that

didn’t seem to sit well with the Bulldogs,

who were still carrying the No. 1 ranking in

the Associated Press poll. Georgia controlled

this game from the start. Bennett and his

receivers were clicking and the defense

was never better as the Dawgs surged to

a 24-6 halftime lead and then coasted to a

27-13 manhandling of the Vols. A Tennessee

offense that came in averaging over 500

yards per game and right at 50 points per

outing was checked to those 13 points and

289 yards total offense.

And then how about New Year’s Eve night

in Atlanta’s Mercedes-Benz Stadium? With

the Chick-fil-A Peach Bowl hosting the CFP

semifinals between top-ranked Georgia and

4th-seeded Ohio State, this was a football

game that left the 78,000 or so capacity

crowd on the edge of its seats the entire

contest. Led by quarterback C.J. Stroud, the

Buckeyes seemed to hold the upper hand

most of the game. They built a 21-7 lead

on the Bulldogs, only to see Georgia fight

back to surge ahead 24-21 … before Ohio

State came right back down the field in the

waning minutes of the first half to go up 28-

24 at the break.

A shaky third quarter only put the

Bulldogs into a bigger hole and early in

the final period, it was Ohio State pushing

its advantage to 14 points. It was at this

point that Georgia fans had to be thinking

about canceling their flights to the national

championship game on January 9 in Los

Angeles. But just when all was seemingly

being lost, here came that toughness and

resiliency once more from these ’22 Dawgs.

With Bennett, Brock Bowers and the UGA

receivers putting together one of the

biggest two-minute touchdown drives –

covering 72 yards -- in the school’s history,

Georgia finally wrested the lead from the

Buckeyes when Bennett drilled a 10-yard

touchdown strike to A.D. Mitchell in the left

corner of the end zone. Only 52 seconds

remained when Podlesny’s kick made for a

42-41 Bulldog lead. And all Red and Black

faithful everywhere know the ending of this

story … Stroud running the Buckeyes down

inside the Georgia 35-yard line before Ohio

State’s winning 50-yard field goal attempt

sailed considerably wide left in the final

seconds. Georgia had survived a knockdown,

drag-out thriller and was on its way

to face TCU in a quest for a second straight

natty crown.

Matt Stinchcomb knows all about football

toughness. Stinchcomb played down in

the trenches for Jim Donnan’s Bulldogs in

the late 1990s, being named an All-America

offensive tackle in both 1997 and 1998 … a

unanimous selection in ’98. Stinchcomb is

now Saturday college football game analyst

for ESPN and the SEC Network.

“We (SEC

Network) did three

of Georgia’s games

this year, Samford,

Kent State and

Vanderbilt,” he

said. “And I was

there for the SEC

championship,

Peach Bowl

semifinal and

the national

championship

game.”

So, what did

Stinchcomb think

about this amazing

2022 Bulldog

edition, which

defied all the odds

to run the 15-game

table and bring a

second consecutive

national

championship

trophy back to

the Butts-Mehre

building?

“It seemed this

team created its

own adversity at

times,” he said.

“They did not play very well at Missouri,

they did not play very well at times versus

Ohio State. But this team, unlike last year’s

team where it took getting punched in the

mouth in the SEC Championship Game (by

Alabama) and seemingly not knowing how

best to respond … it seemed like that was

a shock to their system a year ago. This year,

you think about the third quarter against

Ohio State in the Peach Bowl, and it’s not

that dissimilar to the flurry of points at the

end of the half and the beginning of the

second half in the SEC championship last

year. This team, it responded in fine fashion.

They get a stop; they get the drive in under

two minutes to score and go ahead and

then just enough defense to slow Ohio State

down enough to force a long field goal that

was ultimately missed.

“This team seemingly was better prepared

mentally for that,” Stinchcomb said. “I do

think enough of those players had the luxury

of having seen and experienced the SEC

Championship Game a year ago.”

Stinchcomb recalled a quote from former

Georgia player Pat Dye, when he was head

coach at Auburn.

“Coach Dye said ‘practice is hell at Auburn.’

But when you look at these teams we have

to play in games, it has to be hell because

you’ve got to get your team ready to face

the Georgia’s and Alabama’s,” he said. “Those

teams demand a level of toughness that you

can’t just conjure in the moment; that has

to be instilled long before you ever take the

field on game day. And there’s no question

that Coach Smart has done a great job of

THE GEORGIA D SWALLOWED

TCU THANKS TO THE TOUGHNESS

PROVIDED BY ITS SCOUT TEAM!

PHOTO BY: ROB SAYE

instilling that in his teams, both mentally and

physically.”

Stinchcomb said Georgia fans can expect

to see that same level of toughness in all of

Smart’s future teams in Athens.

“Part of it is a standard that’s been

established by this current regime under

Kirby but is now upheld in the locker room,

and that’s gold!” he said. “If you can get your

locker room to uphold a standard, adopt

your standards and then uphold them

and enforce those on themselves, that’s

magic…a magical formula! And I don’t see

that changing.

“These Georgia teams, for two years in a

row now, they have not finessed their way

to the championship,” Stinchcomb said. “And

they sure don’t finesse their way to game

day. It’s a very much roll-up-your-sleeves and

put in the work type approach and it’s paid

big dividends!”

Smart talked about the Bulldogs’ toughness

in both his press conference after the 65-7

dismantling of TCU in the championship

game and the next morning’s presser while

being accompanied by cornerback Chris

Smith and tight end Brock Bowers.

“The significance (of going 15-0) is there’s

no blemish,” Smart said. “I had four national

championships at Alabama, I don’t think we

had but one that was undefeated, and that

one was really special.

“Sometimes it takes a loss to galvanize, put

your team in a spot to win. It did that last

year. And it didn’t take that (this season). I

always tell guys, do you have to take a loss


to learn? Why? Like, it doesn’t take that to

learn that.

“And this team is special because they

didn’t have a flaw,” he said. “They had two

games in which they came back in the

fourth quarter, Missouri and Ohio State, with

incredible comebacks and led by Stetson

and the offense.

“So, it makes it more special, I think, when

you come back and look at it, because when

you want to compare teams you’ll say, ‘hey,

look at this team.’ There’s some parts of me

that think, if the team last year played this

year’s team, last year’s team probably had

more talent on it. But this year’s team was

different. Like, they just had this eye of the

tiger; they weren’t going to lose!”

Smart said he had great admiration for

the uncanny consistency of the 2022

champions.

“I keep thinking that if you press the gas

pedal too hard, you’re going to run out of

gas and they’ll be exhausted,” he said. “I kept

thinking mentally maybe the LSU game.

And then doing this, and doing that and

then practicing this, and going to the Ohio

State emotional, just roller coaster. Maybe

we’re just out of gas. And they never run

out of gas. So that goes a lot of credit to our

strength and conditioning program, our

training staff, our kids committing to actually

doing that. Like, they actually go out and hit

each other in the 15th week of the season

over and over again, and they enjoy doing it.”

Smart pointed to senior tailback Kenny

TOUCHDOWN

KENDALL MILTON!

PHOTO BY: ROB SAYE

McIntosh and redshirt freshman quarterback

Gunner Stockton as just two examples of the

Bulldogs’ toughness this past season.

“Kenny, I can’t believe he would even be

considered a three-star,” declared Smart.

“That’s just disgusting to even think about

because this guy is an incredible athlete. His

brother plays in the NFL. He’s got great DNA.

Kenny is a great example of our program. He

came in as a chubby kid with a great smile,

playing behind people and didn’t know how

to play on special teams. He left as an alpha

leader.

“And when he spoke, people really listened

to Kenny. I’ve never seen a person will a

team to a win like he did in Missouri. The

guy was basically running crippled out there

against Missouri and pounding people

and running the ball. He took over games.

I can remember the Florida game, after the

fumble, I’ll never forget the visualization I

have of he fumbles and we say, you know

what, we’ve got to come back to Kenny. He

comes back with a vengeance running the

ball just mad. And those memories stay with

me forever.”

In commenting on Georgia’s returning

quarterbacks for next season, Smart lauded

the example set by Stockton.

“We’ve got some good quarterbacks in

there,” he said. “We got one that took a black

jersey off and took hits all week so he could

be Max (TCU QB Duggan). Gunner Stockton

said, ‘Coach, take my shirt off. I’ll take the

hits.’ And Brock Vandagriff is down there

learning all year. Carson Beck got a lot of play

time and has a lot of

composure to come

back and be able to

play. So those three

guys will get to battle

it out. And they’ll

learn a lot.”

Often times, the

toughest, and most

unheralded, players

on a football team are

the guys that toil up

front in the offensive

line. Georgia’s 2022

offensive front, which

inexplicably was

again overlooked for

the Joe Moore Award

for the nation’s best

OL (the Michigan line

whose team lost to

the same TCU team

that Georgia routed

won the award

again) paved the way

for Todd Monken’s

offense to put up

some impressive

numbers this season:

No. 5 in the nation

and second in the

SEC in total offense,

the Dawgs’ 501

LADD MCCONKEY =

TOUGH DAWG!

PHOTO BY: ROB SAYE

yards per game bettering the 2021 offense’s

production; No. 4 in the country in scoring

offense with a 41.1 per game average, which

was also above last year’s per game average.

And at the National Championship

Celebration on Sept. 14 at Sanford

Stadium, one of the three team captains,

redshirt-sophmore center Sedrick Van

Pran, spoke of his unit’s accomplishments.

“Starting off I just want to look at all these

guys (fellow offensive linemen) over here,”

said Van Pran. “Y’all did a tremendous job

this year and this wouldn’t have been

possible without all the work y’all did. It

means so much to me be a part of that

and be the only offensive line ever to give

up nine sacks in 15 games. It was truly a

blessing. I’m super proud. We couldn’t do it

without Coach Stacy Searels, Eddie Gordon

and Devonte Danzey. We really appreciate

all the work that everybody put in. We were

able to do something special.”

And, certainly, SEC and National

championships aren’t attained without

plenty of toughness on the other side of

the ball as well. Again, final statistics tell a

true story for the Bulldogs’ defense also.

Playing in somewhat of a huge shadow of

maybe the program’s best-ever defense in

2021, these Georgia defenders were pretty

special themselves. They ranked 10th in the

country in total defense, and first in the SEC,

with the 296.8 yards per game surrendered.

They were 5th in the nation, and again first

in the SEC, in scoring defense, the 14.3 pts

average the Bulldogs allowed just being

right at four points more than the 2021 unit

gave up. And, get this, the 2022 defense

of co-coordinators Will Muschamp and

Glenn Schumann, paced the entire country

in rushing yards allowed, with opposing

offenses running for a meager 77.1 average.

Again, that was slightly better than the 78.9

yards average the powerful ’21 UGA defense

surrendered.

Toughness personified. That was the

Georgia Bulldogs, 2022 edition.

BULLDAWGILLUSTRATED

31 2022 NATIONAL CHAMPIONS EDITION


Bob Kenerly, Craig Meeks, Clay McElroy,

Marcus Simmons

Connection

Georgia fans use different approaches to

travels to LA and national title game

BY MURRAY POOLE

Connection.

Not only was there a special

bonding and trust within the

ranks of the Georgia players and

coaching staff this past football season, one

of the key ingredients that enabled Kirby

Smart’s Bulldogs to become the first team of

the College Football Playoff era to win backto-back

national championships, as well as

an SEC title, but the Georgia fanbase has a

special connection of its own. Both with its

football team and with fellow Bulldog fans

as well.

Said UGA president Jere Morehead

when speaking at the recent national

championship celebration at Sanford

Stadium/Dooley Field: “And to our incredible

fans, our fans are the best fans in college

football, period! You are loyal, you are loud

and the passion that you bring gives our

team a home field advantage everywhere

they go … every weekend no matter where

they play! Thank you so much!”

Smart also praised the Georgia faithful

while pointing out his team has earned the

rabid support of the Bulldog Nation.

“These fans, they turn out all the time,”

Smart said. “They travel all over the country.

But you don’t inherit that. You work for it,

you earn it. And that’s what this team did

over the last year. They earned every single

victory over the last year. It was hard and it

was tough.”

And the Georgia fans certainly took over

opposing stadiums all season, to watch the

Bulldogs click to the program’s first-ever

15-0 record and the CFP championship.

Three times this past fall, they packed

Atlanta’s Mercedes-Benz Stadium, watching

the Bulldogs smack Oregon in the season

opener, beat down LSU in the SEC

Championship game and then capture the

dynamic 42-41 win over Ohio State in the

Peach Bowl CFP semifinals.

And once the victory over the Buckeyes

had been secured, the Georgia fanbase set

its sights on the National Championship

game, set for January 9 at SoFi Stadium in

Los Angeles.

By plane, train, automobile and boat –

well, maybe not boat – the Red and Black

contingent descended on the Left Coast

and the City of Angels. And many took very

unique approaches to get to LA. Here, we

present three different ways some Bulldogs

fans found their way to the championship

game.

The Longest LA Road Trip -

4 Horseman (Athens to LA in a mini-van)

As soon as Ohio State’s 50-yard field

goal attempt sailed wide left at the

stroke of midnight on New Year’s Eve in

Mercedes-Benz Stadium, thus preserving

Georgia’s comeback CFP semifinal win

over the Buckeyes, the Bulldogs’ fanbase,

as mentioned, began looking toward Los

Angeles and the national championship

game against TCU.

Bob Kenerly


In the case of four Athens buddies – Craig

Meeks, Clay McElroy, Bob Kenerly and

Marcus Simmons – they knew they would

be at SoFi Stadium for the January 9 game

but moments after the Peach Bowl semifinal

ended, they weren’t quite certain on the best

way to get to LA. The first morning of 2023,

though, the four came up with a plan.

“We were at a party on New Year’s Eve, and

then the next day we woke up and went to

a buddy’s in Athens, sitting at a bar in his

house,” Meeks said, “and we all just started

saying ‘what if we drove cross-country?’”

Thus, the “Road Trip to the ‘Ship” was

about to become a reality. The following

Friday, the group rented a minivan while

posing with it in front of UGA’s Butts-Mehre

Heritage Hall. Then off Meeks, McElroy,

Kenerly and Simmons went, beginning their

approximately 2,267-mile, 80-hour cross-the-

U.S. trip to Los Angeles.

But this wasn’t simply a long ride for a

football game – big as the game was – but

a chance to make pit stops at, well, some of

the more interesting venues this country has

to offer. That first day Friday they traveled

from Athens to Tunica, Mississippi, making

that their first casino stop.

“We have not had a plan the whole way,”

Meeks told the Athens Banner-Herald on

Sunday as they traveled on I-40 through

Gallup, New Mexico. “Our only plan we made

was to stop in Tunica. After that it’s just been

whatever.”

On Saturday, the Four Horsemen drove

some 14 hours from Tunica to Albuquerque,

New Mexico, with tweets on their twitter

account (@ATH2LA) chronicling stops for

catfish in Seminole, Oklahoma, three of the

four in deep sleep, a breathtaking sunset

and a stop at a gas station in Groom, Texas,

where they received a “Go Dawgs” from

several station attendants claiming they

were TCU fans.

And there were many more memorable

stops for the guys enroute, before finally

arriving at their destination on Game Day

Monday. Here is how the entire excursion

went down:

- Depart Athens - Butts-Mehre

- Tallapoosa, Ga. - Lottery Tickets

- Jasper, Ala. - Snack break

- Tupelo, Miss. - More Lottery Tickets

- Tunica, Miss. - Gambling and sleep

- Forest City, Ark - More Lottery Tickets

- Seminole, Ok - Catfish dinner at Catfish

Round-Up

- Cherokee - Casino in Oklahoma

- Groom, TX - snack and Go Dawgs from

TCU fans

- 75 Miles from Albuquerque - awful snacks

- Albuquerque - sleep plus visit to The Pit -

Dawgs ‘83 Final Four site

- Winslow, Arizona -

- Flagstaff - Lunch

- Lake Havasu City, Arizona

- Palm Springs - sleep

- Finally LA on Monday for the

game

Instead of making the drive back

to Athens after the Bulldogs’ 65-7

rout of the Horned Frogs, the four

decided to fly home.

“Originally, we were going to do a

full round trip, but now we’re going

to drive to Phoenix and fly back and

drop this van off in Phoenix,” Meeks

said as they headed west. “We

started looking at the shape of our

bodies and decided we’ll ride back

to Phoenix and fly from there.”

Kenerly said the favorite person he

met on the trip was “our waitress at

the Catfish Round Up in Oklahoma.

She wanted out of her two- bit

town badly! Our favorite stop,

I would have to say our detour

through Winslow, Arizona. That

song came out when I was probably

a 9th or 10th grader and I always

loved it, so it was fun to sing it in the very

town.”

“I have to say the best part of the trip was

we had no reservations to any hotel except

Tunica,” said McElroy. “We will leave Tunica

comments out but let’s just say we wreaked

when we left there on Saturday. When we

rolled into LA at noon on Monday, we had

no hotel reservation. We ran into some

Athens people at a hotel which had no

rooms available,” McElroy added.

“Lo and behold, Katherine Culpepper took

over and found us two rooms 10-15 minutes

from the stadium four hours before kickoff.

That is how we rolled the whole trip!”

“My favorite part of the trip,” said Simmons,

“was not knowing where we would stay

or knowing very little about the cities we

were going to – that made it fun. We had

no set plans, no real rush to get anywhere,

no agenda except to be in LA in time for the

game.

“Most of the time our main goal on the

road was to find the next Love’s store as

we probably visited 10 to 12 on the way

for bathroom breaks and varieties of food.

McDonald’s was key for breakfast.”

Simmons didn’t hesitate when asked if he

would make such a trip again. “Being able to

drive cross country and to do it with these

guys made for a once in a lifetime trip,” he

said. “I would do it again in a heartbeat with

this crew … Damn Good Dawgs!”

Meeks echoed Simmons’ feelings. “Damn

worth it! And would do it again,” he said.

“But Bob-0 (Kenerly), Worm (McElroy), Moe

Billy Copelan, Carrie Copelan, Christie Copelan,

Kendall Copelan

(Simmons) and Bear (Meeks) might hitchhike

next time (to next year’s national title game

in Houston) to make it more interesting.

“Flagstaff was a great stop for us due to

the snow and finding an old hotel with a

good pub for a brief hiatus,” Meeks said.

“As the Four Horseman like to say, what the

great Charlie Chaplin said, ‘A day without

laughter, is a day wasted’ Or maybe more

appropriately, like Forest Gump said, ‘stupid

is as stupid does!’”

The Athens foursome ended up getting

covered in print, radio and TV and they

created that twitter account so folks could

monitor the trip. They ended up with almost

2,000 followers.

A Traditional LA Road Trip

This is designated as a traditional road

trip to the national championship game

because it involves a St. Simons Island family

that not only follows their beloved Bulldogs

everywhere the team plays but, also, enjoys

taking in the sights and famous landmarks

of another part of America.

Long-time UGA supporter Billy Copelan

and his family flew out of the Jacksonville,

Florida airport on the Friday night of January

6. Along with Copelan were wife Christie,

daughters Carrie and Kendall and Carrie’s

boyfriend, Jacob Boatright.

“We flew out of Jacksonville Friday

evening around 7:30 and didn’t get to LA

until like 1 a.m. their time and 4 a.m. our

time,” said Copelan. “Going out we had to

go through Washington, D.C. and coming

back had to go through JFK in New York.

BULLDAWGILLUSTRATED


CONTINUE

My daughter teaches school and so on

Friday we had to get a later flight and get

down to Jacksonville and thus we had these

connections. It made for a longer trip out

there but it all worked out.”

Copelan said the family finally checked

into their Los Angeles hotel around 2 a.m.

California time. “We got a little bit of sleep

and got up around 8 Saturday morning.

We had to kind of adjust to their time so

we wouldn’t be off the whole weekend.

So, we started Saturday morning with our

sightseeing. Saturday and Sunday we were

pretty much on the go both days.”

Copelan’s party was joined by other family

members once they reached LA.

“We also met out there my wife’s brother,

my brother-in-law,” Copelan said. “He was

out there with a friend of his so we met up

with them as well. We also met up with my

sister and her husband and a nephew of

mine, so we had like 10 people total. But

we kind of did our own thing when it came

to the sightseeing because we got there at

different times. Like my sister didn’t get there

until Sunday, so they did some of the same

things but not with us. So, it was really just

the five of us doing the sightseeing but then

Carrie Copelan, Christie Copelan, Billy Copelan,

Kendall Copelan, Jacob Boatright

we all met up with them at the game.”

In addition to the game and Georgia’s

pummeling of TCU, the Copelans did enjoy

the city’s many attractions.

“We did eat at Spago, which is Wolfgang

Puck, the famous chef’s, restaurant,” said

Copelan. “We ate there on Sunday night,

which was kind of a cool experience to eat at

that restaurant. And, for us, we really loved

the Santa Monica area with the pier, that

was kind of the best time for us. It was cool

to see the Hollywood Walk of Fame and all

that stuff but it was kind of like other tourist

places -- you’ve got a lot of street hawkers

and people trying to sell you stuff and you’re

just kind of aggravated and bothered the

whole time you’re walking around. But Santa

Monica was so nice. We went on Sunday

morning and the weather was pretty good

that day. Of course, the roller coaster and

the rides, that was fun stuff but just walking

around Santa Monica and some of the

shops…we ate at a really good restaurant

there called Whaler, which I think is kind of

famous in Santa Monica. They had good

food and a lot of Georgia fans; lot of TCU fans

were there.

“We also went up to the Hollywood sign,”

said Copelan. “We drove up this road that

wound around and kind of went up into the

mountains and wound up at this plateau

place where people were gathering, kind of

an overlook park where you can take your

picture below the sign. So, that was kind of

cool too. So, I would say Santa Monica and

the Hollywood sign were our two favorites.”

And then there was SoFi Stadium itself

on the Monday night of the championship

battle. Copelan said the Bulldog Nation

had the majority of the fans in attendance

but it wasn’t exactly a UGA takeover of the

stadium … like the Notre Dame game at

South Bend in 2017 or the Rose Bowl playoff

game with Oklahoma that same season.

“I looked around the stadium and tried to

guestimate and if I had to guess eyeballing

it, I would say we slightly outnumbered the

TCU fans,” Copelan said. “But it wasn’t 70-30.

I would say it was like 55-45 or maybe 60-40.

Of course, a lot of the TCU fans left early….

“So, I wouldn’t call it a UGA takeover of the

stadium but I felt like from where we were

sitting, and we were in the end zone so we

had both sides of the stadium on either side

of us, but I felt like the Georgia fans were

much louder. TCU fans obviously didn’t have

much to cheer about once the game got

into the second quarter but they had a lot of

fans there – I was a little surprised because I

thought it might be a little heavier Georgia

crowd than it was. But to be a smaller school,

they definitely travel really well. And all the

TCU fans we encountered and spoke to, they

were all really nice. There didn’t seem to be

a lot of animosity among the fan bases, at

least that we saw.”

Copelan said, unlike the heart-wringing

win over Ohio State nine days earlier, the

Bulldogs making the championship game

one that was devoid of suspense was really

refreshing to watch for all those fans dressed

in Red and Black.

“It was nice to be able to sit back and

enjoy the game because at the Peach Bowl

during the second half of that game … I

wear an Apple watch and it kept giving me

notifications that my heart rate was too high

for not exercising,” Copeland said, chuckling.

“So, it was a different vibe this game, being

able to enjoy it and soak it all in instead

of being nervous about what’s going to

happen next, like in Atlanta.”

A Working LA Road Trip

When the Georgia Bulldogs are playing

for a second consecutive national title, it

behooves all fans of the Bulldog Nation to

do their best to get there to witness it.

And that includes Georgia senators and

members of the House of Representatives …

even if they were to be sworn in on January

9, the same day as the football game in Los

Angeles.

Thus, Supreme Court of Georgia Judge


Attorney General Chris Carr, UGA President Jere Morehead, Sen. Bill Cowsert, Rep. Marcus Wiedower, Georgia First Lady Marty Kemp,

Gov. Brian Kemp, Judge John Ellington, Sen. Frank Ginn, Rep. Houston Gaines, Rep. Trey Rhodes

John Ellington, an avid Bulldog himself,

stepped up and said, let’s make this thing

happen … get these legislators sworn in

while not missing a play of the Georgia-TCU

battle. Justice Ellington graduated from

the University of Georgia with a B.B.A. in

Accounting in 1982, and from the UGA

School of Law with a J.D. in 1985.

“It’s in our constitution that the legislature

opens up on the second Monday in January,”

explained Ellington. “That’s when the

legislators are sworn in. And because we

were playing in LA there were a number of

legislators that wanted to go to the game

that weren’t going to be able to be in Atlanta

to be sworn in that day.

“So, I asked some senators and some

representatives to contact me because they

know I’m a Dawgs fan and I would already

be out there going to the game,” he said.

“And they wanted to know if I would be

available to swear them in in Los Angeles.

Otherwise, except for the game they would

have been sworn in in Atlanta.”

Two senators, Bill Cowsert and Frank

Ginn, were among the five legislators to

be sworn in with the other three being

House representatives Houston Gaines,

Marcus Wiedower and Trey Rhodes. All five

represent Athens and Clarke County as well

as surrounding counties.

“And so what happened, to see if I would

be at the game, they were contacting

me individually and I told them all to

get together and we would just do one

ceremony at the stadium,” Ellington said.

And as it turned out the five legislators

taking the oath of office would have a pretty

select witnessing party there in the spacious

SoFi Stadium.

“So, when I got to the stadium at 2 o’clock,

there was a tailgate there inside the stadium

… the President’s Club tailgate,” Ellington

recalled. “They had all reported there at 2

o’clock and there was a big crowd to witness

me swearing them in. President (Jere)

Morehead was there. Attorney General Chris

Carr, the governor (Brian Kemp) and the

first lady (Marty Kemp). And Barbara Dooley

joined in the fun. Anyway, I swore in the

House members first and then I swore in

the senators. They got the secretary of the

senate and the office of legislative counsel

here in Atlanta at the Capitol to approve it

since we were doing it out in California.”

Ellington said Georgia Athletic Director

Josh Brooks made arrangements “for us to

have a place in the stadium to do it. This

was the first time I had sworn people in like

this. And I joked that as I was swearing them

in, it dawned on me that I was working in

California and I needed to write off half of

my trip. And then I got mad at myself for not

going first class!

“No doubt it was history that we were

swearing them in at a football game but it

was also history that the Georgia Bulldogs

were going back-to-back for a national

championship!”

Ellington also noted that on the day of the

game, Delta Airlines added a flight that left

Atlanta at 12:30 p.m. and there were at least

a dozen legislators who were actually sworn

in at the Capitol that morning and made the

flight to Los Angeles for the game and then

back to Atlanta the same day.

“Of course, my five were already out there,”

he said. “But I was just glad I could swear

Georgia First Lady Marty Kemp, Gov. Brian Kemp,

Rep. Houston Gaines, Judge John Ellington

them in and make it convenient for them

and that I could also take in the game.”

“It was very special,” said Rep. Wiedower.

“We get the honor of representing the

University of Georgia as part of my district

so it was obviously important for me to be

out there supporting them and obviously

a historic run at back-to-back national

championships.

“So if you think, it took 41 years to get one

and we’re there for our second back-to-back

… to be there and be surrounded by the

Bulldog faithful, and Gov. Kemp and Marty

were holding the Bible,” Wiedower said.

“And then Barbara Dooley decided she

wanted to be part of it and she stood in as

a witness. You think about Judge Ellington,

the governor and first lady there and then

Barbara Dooley, the first lady of Georgia

football … I don’t think it can get more

special than that! It was incredible and I’m

just proud of representing UGA and what an

incredible time to be doing so!”

“I was glad to be sworn in at the game,” said

Rep. Gaines. “And Georgia winning made

it all worth it and glad the Dawgs got it

done. But it was neat to have the governor

and the first lady holding the Bible and

Justice Ellington swearing us in. And we had

Barbara Dooley out there; it was just a great

experience.”

BULLDAWGILLUSTRATED



Resiliency

The 2022 team united in triumph

for a perfect season and now

must in healing from losing a

teammate and staff member

DEVIN WILLOCK ENTERING SANFORD STADIUM

NATIONAL CHAMPIONSHIP CELEBRATION

PHOTO BY: ROB SAYE

BY CLAY WATKINS

Most head football coaches in

the country throw around

the word resilient. Given, to

have a successful football

season, teams must learn how to cope with

internal and external challenges as well as

overcome inevitable injuries, suspensions,

expectations, and other various outside

noise.

The University of Georgia came into the

2022 season as a top five team who most

expected to compete for the College

Football Playoff. Few, however, picked the

Bulldogs to win it all. ESPN’s four main

college football analysts: Kirk Herbstreit,

Lee Corso, Desmond Howard, and David

Pollack all picked Alabama to repeat as

SEC Champions. Herbstreit and Corso had

Georgia making the playoffs but losing in

the semi-finals.

However, if you listened to the way Kirby

Smart’s players talked after the National

Championship game, they were under

the impression that experts expected the

Bulldogs to go 7-5 or 6-6. While this might

not be the case, there were certainly some

college football social media pages with

solid credibility that compared 2022 Georgia

to 2020 LSU. During that wild Covid season,

the Tigers finished 5-5 after losing 14 players

to the NFL draft. Georgia lost 15 players

to the draft, most of which were on the

defensive side of the ball. Besides having

a similar number of players drafted after

winning the title, there is no comparison

between the two SEC teams’ title defense.

Before the season even started, it was

axiomatic that Georgia was going to need

to show resiliency and toughness to achieve

the goal of competing for back-to-back titles.

Once September 3 rolled around, the

Bulldogs didn’t need long to demonstrate

to college football that despite their

draft departures, they weren’t rebuilding,

they were reloading. After a dominant

performance against Oregon to open the

season, the Bulldogs cruised to victories

against Samford and South Carolina before

facing a couple of unexpected tests against

Kent State and Missouri.

Let’s start with the Kent State game.

Georgia came into the game 44.5-point

favorites. They had just come off a dominant

win against quality SEC opposition in the

South Carolina Gamecocks and returned

home to Athens where most expected they

would not only win, but cover. After Brock

Bowers took the second play of the game 75

yards on a reverse sweep for a touchdown,

Georgia was surely going to cruise to victory.

However, after a few uncharacteristic Ladd

McConkey fumbles and drops, as well as

an inability to score touchdowns in the

redzone, Kent State found themselves down

just 10 points in the fourth quarter.

Fast forward one week later. The Bulldogs

traveled to Columbia, Missouri to take on

the Tigers. It was a night game in a rocking

environment, and Georgia once again

struggled. After a disastrous first drive where

the Dawgs went backwards nine yards

before punting, they followed up the next

drive with a fumble. It wasn’t long before

Georgia found themselves behind 13 points

and without star defensive lineman Jalen

Carter. After a pair of 1 yard touchdowns

from Kendall Milton and Daijun Edwards,

eventually, the Dawgs were able to escape

the Tigers with a 26-22 victory.

Now, for those who have followed Georgia

football for years, there was a feeling that

crept back into our brains reminiscent of

games during the 1990s and 2000s. We had

to ask ourselves: Is this the game where

we blow it? Is this the game that derails

our season? After praising the Dawgs’

performance in the first three games,

analysts started questioning whether

Georgia was truly an elite team. Thankfully,

a man named Kirby Smart holds the reins

in Athens and adeptly used any slight to fuel

and motivate his hungry team. Smart, who

works tirelessly coaching and recruiting, had

the assistance of perhaps the most revered

and respected coaching staff in all of college

football. While others outside the program

may have doubted Georgia’s chances to

repeat, few inside the program had any doubt.

How about the Georgia-Florida game

this year? Georgia throttled to a 28-3 lead

against their archrivals. Stetson Bennett


and Brock Bowers were locked in to start

the game and the rushing attack of Kenny

McIntosh and Daijun Edwards were torching

Florida’s defensive line. However, late in the

third quarter, Georgia found themselves up

just eight points as the score had become

28-20 after multiple Bulldog turnovers. Not

only was Georgia’s lead dwindling, but star

edge rusher and team captain, Nolan Smith,

left the game with a torn pectoral muscle.

Georgia, however, stepped on the gas and

pulled away for a comfortable 42-20 victory.

Throughout the season, Georgia certainly

faced the type of adversity and challenges

that other title-defending teams may not

have overcome. But this Georgia team had

tasted winning it all the year before and

was motivated to not only repeat, but to

do so in an unblemished fashion. Georgia’s

championship culture is a topic that was

heavily referenced through the later parts

of the season. That culture is why Malaki

Starks chased down a Missouri player and

tackled him at the 1-yard line which forced

a field goal instead of a touchdown. This

type of perseverance is what kept it just a

two-possession game instead of a threepossession

game, making a comeback

plausible. That culture also defines why Ladd

McConkey, despite playing the worst first

half of his life against Kent State, managed

to make huge catches in the second half,

allowing Georgia to put together scoring

drives and pull away late. It is also why

Nolan Smith came back out on the field

to be with his teammates on the sideline

against Florida, helping show strength and

encouragement when the game got tight.

These same championship, never-say-die

traits displayed throughout a long season

also explain why Georgia was able to

overcome late season adversity when they

found themselves down 14 points against

an uber-talented Ohio State team in the CFP-

Semi Peach Bowl. As they showed all season,

no matter the score, no matter who was on

the field, our Dawgs competed. They fought

when they were down and out, they showed

leadership on the sideline, and they played

for one another. Smart says he preached

“connection” to this Bulldog team. That

connection, coupled with a will to hunt and

not be hunted, embodied the championship

mentality of the 2022 Dawgs.

Resiliency Through Tragedy

On January 14, 2023, Bulldog Nation

gathered in Sanford Stadium one last time to

celebrate our 2022 national championship

football team. It was a beautiful Saturday

afternoon. Chilly, but the excitement and

pride in the air was palpable. Thousands

lined up in red and black just to catch a

glimpse of Stetson Bennett and company

one final time before the dreaded eight

month wait for college football to return. Key

members of the team spoke to the crowd,

thanking them for their continued support

and explaining how grateful they were to be

Georgia Bulldogs.

Less than 24 hours later, we woke that

Sunday morning to the devastating news

that Devin Willock and Chandler LeCroy had

passed away after a terrible car accident

around 2:45 a.m. Sunday morning.

Willock was a 6-7, 335-pound guard for

the Bulldogs. Not only was he a mammoth

on the offensive line and an incredible run

blocker, he was a true student athlete who

was an honor roll student with all As. Devin

appeared in every game this season, starting

in two. Most notably, against Tennessee,

Willock manhandled a Tennessee defensive

line after getting the start.

In a terrific article published by Jeff

Sentell on DawgNation, it was brought to

light how much Willock loved UGA. Sentell

reported that John Whitehead, his former

high school coach, said Willock was texting

him talking about going for a third straight

championship. Willock said he was “going

to be a Dawg as long as Kirby Smart wanted

him to be.”

In today’s world of college football, with

NIL and the transfer portal, most players of

Willock’s size, stature, and hype would have

entered the transfer portal looking for a big

check or endorsement deals with extensive

playing time attached. Instead, Willock

redshirted, bought into the Georgia process,

and developed into a phenomenal offensive

guard. Not only did he buy into the program,

but he fell in love with the same university

we all cherish. He wanted to suit up on

Saturdays in red and black with a “G” on the

side of his helmet and go to war for Kirby

Smart’s team.

Willock was loved tremendously by his

teammates. Connection is a trait Kirby Smart

constantly preaches in order to have a

successful team. These young men become

brothers and that’s important to understand.

This level of connection helps them achieve

not just their on the field goals, but gives

them friendships and relationships that will

carry on long after playing careers have

ended.

Chandler LeCroy was a whole lot more

than just a member of the recruiting staff for

Georgia football. LeCroy was an intelligent,

young, passionate woman who shared a

special connection with Georgia football

players. Javon Bullard, Jordan Davis, and

Kirby Smart were quick to post messages

mourning the loss of Chandler. Javon

has posted multiple pictures of himself

with Chandler as well as a Georgia jersey

with the number 98 on the back with a

name plate that reads “Chandler.” Coach

Smart’s tweet reads: “Gone far too soon.

Chandler, I will always remember you for

your kind heart.” Even Dylan Raiola, a 5-star

quarterback who is the No. 1 overall rated

player in the 2024 recruiting class has

changed his Twitter profile picture to one of

himself and Chandler together on Raiola’s

recruiting visit to Georgia. In his bio, it reads

“#chandlerlecroy.”

It goes without saying that Chandler

LeCroy and Devin Willock’s impact on this

football team will continue for years to

come. They were beautiful people who

represented all things positive about the

University of Georgia.

The Georgia football program will play

next season with heavy hearts. Devin

would most likely have been the starter

at guard and Chandler would still have

been connecting with players and highly

touted recruits. The Bulldogs are going

to have to find a way to once again be

resilient. While the team has proven

time after time that they are capable of

overcoming numerous challenges on

the field, it will take time to heal from

this terrible tragedy. Chandler and Devin

will undoubtedly be looking down from

above and cheering on the Dawgs with

their infectious smiles. May those two

beautiful souls rest in peace.

CHANDLER LECROY

PHOTO VIA GOFUNDME.COM

BULLDAWGILLUSTRATED



Composure

ATHENS GOES WEST CONCERT,

AN EPIC NIGHT OF BULLDOG LOVE

AND MUSIC COMPOSITION BY VANCE LEAVY

While the Bulldogs national

championship victory in

LA on January 9, 2023 was

epic, the evening before at

the famed Troubadour in West Hollywood

was equally surreal. Mike Mills of R.E.M. and

members of the Futurebirds, The Glands,

Sugar, Drew Dixon, The Interns, Natural

Child blew the night away with all proceeds

benefiting Athens’ Nuci Space. The grand

finale for the evening included all the

musicians and the sold-out crowd joining

one another to ‘call the Dawgs.’

“Ain’t nothing finer in the land …”

Nuci’s Space’s appreciation for the concert

was expressed on their January 10 post on

Facebook …

Incredible. From the bottom of our hearts,

thank you to everyone who brought

Athens Goes West to life. It would be an

understatement to say that Sunday night

at The Troubadour was a dream come true.

It was spectacular to see the Athens and LA

communities come together in celebration of

the Athens Music Scene, the Dawgs Georgia

Football, and Nuçi’s Space. Sunday night

reminded us once again that community is

everything.

The event was coordinated by Troubadour

talent booker and UGA alumna, Jordan

Anderson (AB ’13) and can be watched by

going to volume.com/troubadour.

To learn more about Nuci’s Space and

consider a donation go to www.nuci.org.

NUCI’s Mission and Action (via nuci.org)

Our mission is to prevent suicide. With a

focus on musicians, Nuçi’s Space advocates

for and helps to alleviate the suffering

for those living with a brain illness and

fights to end the stigma of mental illness.

To accomplish our mission, Nuçi’s Space

maintains a health and resource center for

musicians as a safe space to seek support

and guidance, provides access to affordable,

obstacle-free professional care, actively

participates in treatment and educates about

awareness, prevention and the risk factors of

brain illnesses.


PHOTOS BY: ZACH ROLEN

BULLDAWGILLUSTRATED


CHEERS TO THE BACK-TO-BACK

NATIONAL CHAMPIONS!



2022National

Champions

Edition

Back-To-Back

THE

FANS

GEORGIA 65 TCU 7 PHOTOS - PG. 42

PARADE/CELEBRATION PHOTOS - PG 72


FAN PHOTOS

2022National

Champions

Edition

Back-To-Back

NATIONAL CHAMPIONSHIP GAME GEORGIA 65 - TCU 7

John West Perry, Will Warner, Ben Warner,

Catherine Warner

(clockwise) Camille Temple, Cammie Temple,

Bill Temple, Brooke Temple, Gracie Temple

Steve Morse, Harris Weinstein

Shelly Harrell, Sandra Kate Ellington, John Ellington

Meredith Brown, Cole Tate

Duncan Walker, Ansley Walker

Paige Lee, Walton Lee

Guy Neal, Jace Smith, Cale Smith, Cope Smith, Jason Smith


Oops!

dawgs did it again

back to back

2021 2022

UGA Terry College of Business Graduates

UGA Redcoat Auxiliary Alumni

Over 60+ Years of REAL ESTATE & Financial Experience

BONNIE DUNN

LISA M. LANGFORD

(706) 614-7360

(706) 340-2242

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Andy Beaupre, Amy Doherty, David Doherty, Doug Getten, Daniel Zeplain, Benji McLeod,

Becca McLeod, Autumn Ingram, Kirby Ingram

Christopher Schatzman, Mallory Millsap,

Gray Millsap, Drew Salisbury, Major Brannen

Alex Perry, Jalena Bradley, Abby Bradley, Bob Bradley, Taj White,

John Brow

Brent Roberts, Ashley Carroll, Michael Carroll, Pope Langdale,

Evelyn Langdale, Ferrell Scruggs, April Scruggs, John Lastinger,

Suzanne Lastinger, Tom Call, Kelly Call, Julie Godbee, Jim Godbee

Tom Allen, Owen Roberts, Shooter Roberts, Robin Croft, Hart Roberts,

Jennifer Trapnell, Duncan Moseley

Brandon Belans, McKenzie Jacobs, Maggie Jordan, Annie Lynd,

Schuyler Simons, Anna Caroline Turner, Marye Stuart Greer

(front) Price Embry, Lee Rogers, Cooper Embry, Will Hudson,

Barry Moose, Jessie Moose, Madden Robinson, Katie McDowell,

Stan Robinson (back) Flynn Miller, Reece Cohen

Jay Schumacher, Des Dorsey, Peter Dale, Juliet Jones, Melissa Roberts,

Brent Roberts, Ashley Carroll, Michael Carroll


Congratulations Back 2 Back

National Champion Bulldogs!

FAN PHOTOS

2022National

Champions

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Mitch Hires, Tracy Hires, Julie Hires,

Sonny Hires

Leigh Ann Bauerle, John Bauerle,

Magill Bauerle, Jack Bauerle

Bonney Shuman, Warren McClendon,

Billy Shuman

Kelly Blount, Blake Kembrell, Allen French, Drew French Natalie French

Joe Phelps, Elaine Phelps, Pamela Baynham,

Stephen Baynham

Josh Siegal, Christopher Schatzman,

Hal Greer

John O Knox, Cammie Holmes,

Elizabeth Sellars

Jay Schumacher, Amy Sanders Cunningham, Peter Dale


You Might Need a Bigger Closet

Paige

Alice and Olivia

Carolina K

Anna Cate

Saylor

Kleid

Milly

Elliatt

Philippe Model

and many more

Congratulations

Bulldawg Nation!

www.monkeesofathens.com | 1059 Baxter St. Suite A | Athens GA 30606 | 706.850.8577 | @monkeesathens

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Missy Sennowitz, Lexi Sennowitz,

Anna Sennowitz

Billy Shuman, Thomas Barrow, Mary Ellen Barrow, Billy Shuman, Bonney Shuman,

Julie McCollister, Susan Powell

Ann Morrison, Oscar Lamadrid

Rob Moore, Cade Jones, Chase Alexander

(front) Karen Smith, Courtlyn Smith, Caroline Smith, Lauren Fried,

Joseph Fried, (back) Kyle Smith, Randy Smith, John Rogers

Chase Dixon, Rahul Aggarwal, Scott Deviney, Christopher

Schatzman, Stuart Carrington, Hardman Knox

Shanna Bradley, Bill Bradley, Chad Carlisle, Susan Carlisle

Casey Conner, Stephen Thombley, Amy Thombley, Wyndi Damato,

Todd Damato


Congratulations on

hunkering down and

doubling up!

Today, Dawg Nation is celebrating an undefeated season and the rarest

of feats — back-to-back College Football Playoff National Championships.

From day one, the Georgia Bulldogs were determined to be elite. They set

their focus, built their team, and put in the work to overcome all challenges and

achieve historic greatness. We’re proud to say “Congratulations!”...again.

Proudly serving Dawg Nation and

all college football fans across the Southeast.

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FAN PHOTOS

2022National

Champions

Edition

Back-To-Back


Lisa Langford, Morgan Bouwsma, Alycia Appling, Bonnie Chambers

Brad Stroud, Melissa Stroud, Alannah Q’Quinn,

David O’Quinn

Jack Hodge, Carol Wallace, Caroline Hodge, Kathryn Hodge

Vance Leavy, Kelly Call, Cheri Leavy, David Abernathy, Alison Abernathy,

Lindsay Lucas, Tom Call, Chuck McConnell

Josh Brooks, Stetson Bennett, Kirby Smart

Michael McCarroll, Duncan Williams,

Daniel Williams

Jonas Jennings, Jonas Jennings Jr.

Sullivan Seydel, Scott Seydel


The only thing I love more than real estate,

is Georgia Football.

Congratulations

2022 Champions!

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REAL ESTATE

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SCAN ME!

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824 S Milledge Ave. Athens, GA 30605 | O: 706.850.4636 | C: 706.255.4731

FAN PHOTOS

2022National

Champions

Edition

Back-To-Back


Scott Flynt, Alison Yeomans, Jeff Yeomans, Eddie Flynt, Conoly Flynt

Steve Hughes, Ward Massee, Emily Ramsey,

Zach Ramsey

Whitney Huffman, Bradford Huffman,

Drew Richardson, Molly Richardson

Laura Davis, Josh Davis

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FAN PHOTOS

2022National

Champions

Edition

Back-To-Back


Jay Theodocion, Mary Frances Pope, Pete Theodocion, Geoff Pope, Kevin Hooks,

Bob Barton

Chelsea Hanson Ellison, Dave Hanna, Ashley Hanna,

Caroline Hanson

David Thomas, Sam Tuck, Barry Segars, Jon Carter, Jerry Mitchell

Ronnie Mabra, Kevin Gooch,

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Cecily Pennington, Brooks Pennington

Isabelle Culpepper Adams, Will Adams, Knox Culpepper,

Clara Chambers, Rufus Chambers


LET THE

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CONGRATS

BULLDOG NATION!

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FAN PHOTOS

2022National

Champions

Edition

Back-To-Back


Merrick Egan, Sara Fay Egan

Brad Soshnik, Sarah Soshnik, Jimmy Miller, Andrew Echols

Randy Ebersbach, Pam Shields, Wade Shields, Mark Murray, Susan Ebersbach,

Cathy Long, David Long, Sydney Cayen, Gayle Jones, Cole Jones, Carolyne Eith,

Sarah Murray, Garrett Jones, Otis Jones

Jade Clark, Patrick Jones

Taylor Chandler, Keith Chandler Becky Stewart, Jeff Stewart Justin Dow, Lee Zell, Jason Eley

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FAN PHOTOS

2022National

Champions

Edition

Back-To-Back


Bill Keaton, Bo Chambliss, Alfred Sams, Riley Sams, Bud Stringfellow, Carson Matthews

Chris Rogers, Vonda Rogers

Will Cowsert, Bill Cowsert

Taylor Bird, Briggs Montross, Rachael Miller, Brant Barrow,

Claire Storrs

Gary Wright, Leroyce Wright, Alice Ramsey, Cindy Boyd

Ellie Chambliss, Bo Chambliss, Erika Chambliss, Joyce Gates

Phoebe Hughes, Thanyanya Scott, Apryl Hughes Stanfill, Stan Stanfill

Elizabeth Williams, Jean Williams, Elle Wright, Ridley Williams


CONGRATS TO OUR 2022 champs ...

YOUR COMMITMENT TO ONE ANOTHER

EXEMPLIFIES WHAT BEING A DAWG IS ABOUT!

cobblestonepmg.com | Athens, GA | 706-705-5800

FAN PHOTOS

2022National

Champions

Edition

Back-To-Back


Lindsay Sterry, Ed Sterry, April Scruggs, John Lastinger, Suzanne Lastinger

Sarah Mills Bennett, Josie Leavy

David Fowler, Haley Fowler

Bill Major, Patty Major, Lisa Brown, Terry Brown

Bob Newsome, Ann Smith, Ken Smith

Bill Turner, Mac Turner, Dan Hensley, Tommy David

Blake Selig, Bryan Friedman,

Marc Alexander

Pam Strickland, Charlotte Anne Boyd,

Olivia Wise

Mary Beth Smart, Andrew Smart, Kirby Smart, Julia Smart,

Weston Smart

John O Knox, John O Knox, Rae Knox, Mari Cole Knox, Harriet Knox


FAN PHOTOS

2022National

Champions

Edition

Back-To-Back


(back) Brian Ross, Jeff McWhorter, Jeff Suits, Al Hickson, Grant Campbell,

Matt Ades, (front) Jeff Miller, Jeff Ramsey, Chad Brown

Christian Massey, Lewis Massey

Jeb Bradberry, Matt Moseley,

Charme Bradberry

Bob Bowers, Tyler Wilhoit, Mitchell Odom, Cameron Wilhoit

David R. Mitchell, Bob Merlotti, Joe Randall

Lindsay McConnell, Chuck McConnell, Hannah Groseclose, Graham Groseclose

Austin Defoor, Henry Young, Tim

Mackey, Jason Bryan, Amy Bryan,

Cindy Mackey, Kelsey Young, Gina

Mackey, Meredith Pittman

Brian Robinson, Corrina Robinson

Sony Michel


Congratulations to our Georgia Bulldog

Back to Back National Champions!

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FAN PHOTOS

2022National

Champions

Edition

Back-To-Back


Sam Holmes, Susan Holmes, Cammie Holmes, Lara Holmes

Elaine Metcalf, Frank Sinkwich IV

Charles Horne, Carter Horne Johnny Prescott, Michael Hawn Todd Hartley, Tucker Hartley

Emilee Stortz, Mariella Stortz,

Brooke Stortz, Jeff Stortz

Michael DiPrima, Davis DiPrima,

Reagan DiPrima

Cameron Gilbert, Lee Gilbert, Jake Gilbert, Aiden Harter

Joyce McClendon, Kammie Carter, Chris Milton


GO DAWGS!

2022 NATIONAL

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FAN PHOTOS

2022National

Champions

Edition

Back-To-Back


Chris Brown, Stacey Brown, Erik Anthony, Kerri Anthony

Sonny Seiler, Todd Story

David Sweaney, Anne Sweaney, Bill Barstow, Allan Barber

Morris Butler, Morris Butler Jr.,

Jessica Butler, Ben Butler

Dusty Lewis, Lynn Lewis, Lee Corso Prather Hudson CJ Smith, Jay Cook, Lauren Cook

Pratt Ferguson, Ed Ferguson, Cindy Ferguson, John Ferguson

Sarah Ellen Griffies, Matthew Griffies, Tracy Carmony, Mark Carmony


FAN PHOTOS

2022National

Champions

Edition

Back-To-Back


Jay Boswell, Tom Allen, Clay McElroy, Marcuss Simmons, Bob Kenerly

Emily Harrell, Tiffany Harrell

Rob Saye, Barbara Dooley

Tom Tebeau, Leverett Lunceford

Mark Chandler, Grace Olson,

Harry Middleton

John Manley, Wayne Newton

Megan Manley

Chad White, Fred Schilling,

Andrew Miller

Traci Ratley, Steve Ratley, Keith Benbenisty


CONGRATULATIONS

GEORGIA BULLDOGS,

2022 NATIONAL CHAMPIONS!

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FAN PHOTOS

2022National

Champions

Edition

Back-To-Back


LaRhonda Biggers, Jerome Biggers, Tim Becker, Ashley Becker

Mike Mills, DeWitt Burton

Shea Campbell, David Smithwick

Sarah Jordan, Sadie Jordan,

Chuck Jordan

Keith Johnson, Kent Kimberlin, Mike

Collett, Stephanie Collett

Robert Hancock, David Sailors,

Eric Gordon

Andrew Miller, Al Hickson

Georgia Powell, Kate Powell, Bo Powell,

Chad Powell, Zach Powell, Anna Jane Powell,

Elizabeth Powell, Stephanie Powell

Andrew Robinson, Greg Robinson, Fred Daniel, Yvette Daniel

Scott Ferrell. Glenn Ferrell, Dana Carroll, Mike Carroll, Brett Bodamer,

Debbie Bodamer

Ashley Hodges, Tarry Hodges, Baxter Cates, Julie Cates, Laurie Cooper,

Wayne Cooper

Nick Walker, LaDarius Gatlin,

Justin Goodwin, Kayla Smith


2021 NATTY

FROM ROLLING

THE TIDE,

TO STOMPING

THE FRAWGS...

THE DAWGS

HAVE GONE

BACK-TO-BACK!

2022 NATTY

FROM INDY TO L.A.,

GO DAWGS!

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FAN PHOTOS

NATIONAL CHAMPIONSHIP

2022National

Champions

Edition

Back-To-Back

PARADE/CELEBRATION

Kirby Smart , Jere Morehead, Brian Kemp

Mackenzie Hughes, Lindsey Orum

Todd Graves, Stetson Bennett

Jennifer Mann, Charlie Mann, Chad Mann

Elizabeth Warren, Kingsley Warren Ryland Goede, Brock Bowers Isaac Coker, Stetson Bennett


In Memory of Richard C. Ferguson (Aug. 4th, 1940 - Jan. 19, 2023)

A true Athens legend, and an avid Dawg Fan.

How 'bout Them Dawgs?

Congratulations to the

Back to Back Champion

Georgia Bulldogs!

Thanks to all of our

customers and fans for

another great season!

1059 Baxter Street | 706-548-7246 | www.dickfergusons.com

FAN PHOTOS


2022National

Champions

Edition

Back-To-Back

PARADE/CELEBRATION

Jenny Walsh, Joe Walsh Marsha Greene, Chelsea Greene Lucy Fain, Christianna Williams, Henry Williams

Tate Sanford, Peyton Jordan,

Marie Jordan, Noodle

Charlie Nicholson, Brooks Nicholson, Carter Nicholson,

Caleb Edwards, Harvey Edwards, Alex Balkcom, David

Balkcom, Robb Slocum, Lisa Slocum, Bob Slocum

Josh Murray, Denny Murray, Lauren Murray, Aaron Murray, Maddox Murray, Sharon Murray

Kathryn Ericson, Warren Ericson

Darryl Robinson, Yukeia Robinson Alex Murphey, Reeves Murphey Billy Payne, Martha Payne


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After Back-to-Back titles for Kirby’s Dawgs

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Photo By Repurposed Photography

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FAN PHOTOS


2022National

Champions

Edition

Back-To-Back

PARADE/CELEBRATION

(clockwise from bottom) Rush Poutier, Rosemary Little, Miller Poutier, Leila

Mastrogiovanni, Tallulah Mastrogiovanni, Mary Kate Little, Karl Smart, Nick

Mastrogiovanni, Halo Smart, Ann Poutier, Micah Mastrogiovanni, Jana

Mastrogiovanni, Derek Little, Isadora Smart, Clyde J Smart

Maleah Jones, Jayden Jones, Ali Jones, Jarvis Jones,

Jaxon Jones

Henry Pursner, Meresa Smith, Andy Smith, Alyssa Hatten, Timmy Parks,

Ben Wallace, Jake Grantham, Jackson Grantham

Robin Lowe, Archie Lowe

Norma Jean Maxey Singleton, Sharon Smart, Sonny Smart


FAN PHOTOS


2022National

Champions

Edition

Back-To-Back

PARADE/CELEBRATION

Sarah Bruno, JD Daniels, Maggie Schambach, Laura Ashley Lester, Charlotte Lester

Evelyn Mason, Jennifer Mason, Susina Mason,

Fort Mason, Luke SImmons

Tyrek Ficklin, Mon Clayton,

Taiwan Battle

Camden Lang, Eliza Connolly

Stacey Helms, Nikki Grant

Shirley Turner, Tyreda Starks Margaret Young, Bill Young Emma Moon, Simone Pete, John Young


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FAN PHOTOS


2022National

Champions

Edition

Back-To-Back

PARADE/CELEBRATION

Brandon Young, Shaun Chapas Sarah Watson, Emilio Ferrara Aleah Hylton, UGA X, Jackson Bailey

Thomashea Jenkins, Thomarcus Jenkins Greer Moseley, Tory Bowles John Meshad, Fred Victor

(back) Nicole Broadnax, Critter Broadnax,

(front) Cov Broadnax, Griffin Broadnax,

Bourne Broadnax

Sarjit Patel, Heena Patel, Will Muschamp

Thomas Paris, Hunter David,

Brian Satiski


Ameris Bank and The Bishop Family

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FAN PHOTOS


2022National

Champions

Edition

Back-To-Back

PARADE/CELEBRATION

Bruna Morehead, Angelina

Rodrigues, Wilson Rodrigues

Billy Goldman, Caroline Goldman

Frankie Sinkwich, Lacy Sinkwich

John Culpepper, Mack Furlow, Katherine Culpepper, Timothy Furlow,

Luci Furlow, Nancy Dyleski, Mark Dyleski

Chandon Haynes, Mikayla Magee, Shawn Williams

Bob Odum, Lynda Odum AJ Kametches, Ray Drew, Zack Odum Donna Hopper, Evelyn Dukes

Dell McGee, Linda McGee

Jackson Blackwell, Andrew Garrard, Becky, Ross Akins, Mark Akins, Tanner Samson, Sam McIlvain


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2022National

Champions

Edition

Back-To-Back

THE

FINAL

PERSPECTIVE

ALL EIGHTEEN 2022 BI COVERS + JD GAME TAKES - PG. 86

DEVIN WILLOCK/CHANDLER LECROY TRIBUTE - HAMMY CULPEPPER - PG. 122

THE 912 CONTRIBUTION TO TITLES - MURRAY POOLE - PG. 124

KIRBY & CO’S REMBRANDT PERFORMANCE - LORAN SMITH - PG. 126

JEFF DANTZLER’S FINAL 2022 TOP 15 - PG. 128


THANKS AND GOODBYE CHRIS SMITH AND

STETSON BENNETT... DON’T WORRY, THE TEAM

IS IN GOOD HANDS WITH SEDRICK VAN PRAN

PHOTO BY: ROB SAYE


Issue 1

G-Day/Spring

BULLDAWG ILLUSTRATED

years

FINDING

2022

IDENTITY

12022National

Champions

Edition

Back-To-Back

BY JEFF DANTZLER

SPRING/G-DAY ISSUE

There is no way a national

championship ever meant

more to a fan base than

the 2021 national title

did for the University of Georgia

Bulldogs. The 33-18 triumph over

the Alabama Crimson Tide, the

roadblock for so much glory over

the past decade, sent the entirety

of the Bulldog Nation into an

ecstatic state of euphoria and

relief. The Bulldogs of 2021 are one

of the most talented in college

football history. That showed at

the NFL Draft in Las Vegas in the

spring.

Could these Bulldogs possibly

contend? Yes Georgia has

recruited, developed and retained

talent at an all time elite level, it

was a record breaking night in

the other Clark County. A record

15 Georgia Bulldogs were taken

in the 2022 NFL Draft, including

five first round draft choices. All

five of those first round picks were

defensive players, an NFL Draft

record. Travon Walker was the No.

1 overall pick, Jordan Davis won

the Outland and Lombardi Awards,

Nakobe Dean won the Butkus

Award.

Georgia head coach was proud of

the way his team came together

in the spring, the competition

for playing time across the board

and the leadership, especially

from Stetson Bennett and Nolan

Smith. For the first time in his

Georgia career, Bennett was the

unquestioned starter. Getting all

of the reps and snaps with the

first team in spring practice and

preseason camp proved to pay

incredible dividends on Georgia’s

repeat victory ride.


WAY

2 DAWGS!

GO

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Issue 2

Season Preview

2022National

2Champions

Edition

Back-To-Back

BY JEFF DANTZLER

After an all-time enjoyable

off season, it was time to

get back to work. Well,

the football team had

been putting in the time since not

too soon after the victory over

the Crimson Tide and celebration

parade and coronation. But for the

Georgia fans, it was time for the

countdown to the season to begin.

Bulldawg Illustrated coverboy

Bennett, MVP of the Orange Bowl

and National Championship Game,

was primed for a big season as the

offense may have to take more of

a lead role with so many new faces

on defense.

Amongst those heir apparent

players who would be tested were

the inside linebackers, led by

highly touted sophomores Smael

Mondon and Jamon Dumas-

Johnson. They were standing in

for a tremendous trio of inside

‘backers who departed for the

NFL. Mondon and JDJ were lights

out throughout the season, a

testament to Georgia’s recruiting

and development. The defense

would be tested out of the gate?

How quickly could they grow up?

Throughout its history, most

of Georgia’s greatest seasons

have come with highly touted

opponents scheduled for the

season opener. Smart has talked

about how that big early game

helps grab the attention of the

team in preseason camp. That was

the case against Clemson and was

the case again this season with the

Oregon Ducks rolling to Mercedes-

Benz Stadium, and doing so with

a familiar face, Dan Lanning. The

countdown was on as the Bulldogs

were set to go championship and

history hunting.


Thank you, Dawgs!

3

Georgia-49, Oregon-3 | Mercedes-Benz Stadium - Atlanta

Issue 3

OREGON

2022National

Champions

Edition

Back-To-Back

BY JEFF DANTZLER

The last time Georgia

played a season opener

as the reigning national

champions, the Bulldogs

toppled Tennessee 44-0 in Athens

to kick off the 1981 season. It

would be ambitious for even the

most confident of Georgia fans to

think the Dogs could do that to

one of the PAC-12’s top programs

and preseason favorites, especially

considering the familiarity factor of

first-year head coach Dan Lanning,

fresh off coordinating Georgia’s

2021 national championship

defense.

It was a performance for the ages,

as Georgia dominated every

phase of the game in the 49-3

victory. With Stetson Bennett

the unquestioned starter at

quarterback, the Bulldogs offense

was overwhelming and efficient.

The Bulldogs scored touchdowns

on their first seven possessions,

distributing the football in a

variety that had the Ducks bills

spinning. The defense, replacing a

slew of departed greats now in the

NFL, kept high powered Oregon

out of the end zone.

Heading into the season as the

consensus No. 3 team in the

country behind only Alabama and

Ohio State, the nature and margin

of this triumph sent notice, as

National Coach of the Year Kirby

Smart said in the summer, “we will

not be hunted at the University

of Georgia.” The Bulldogs jumped

Ohio State and moved to No. 2

nationally and served notice that

they would once again be the

team to beat in the Southeastern

Conference East Division race.


Work with a

Trusted Advisor

ANDREA LLOYD

C. 770.361.5533 | O. 706.995.7500

ANDREALLOYD@ANSLEYRE.COM

ANSLEYRE.COM | 1394 S MILLEDGE AVENUE, ATHENS, GA 30605

Equal housing opportunity. If you have an existing brokerage relationship, this is not intended as a solicitation. All data believed to be accurate but not warranted.

4

Georgia-33, Samford-0 | Sanford Stadium

Issue 4

SAMFORD

2022National

Champions

Edition

Back-To-Back

BY JEFF DANTZLER

The first home game,

and Georgia came in

as undefeated reigning

national champions. Nice

sound to that. Georgia controlled

the game, but got an outstanding

effort from one of the top

programs in Division 1-AA (FCS).

Under the watch of standout head

coach Chris Hatcher, who Kirby

Smart worked for at Valdosta State,

the Samford Bulldogs posted a

10-1 regular season, losing only

to Georgia, won the Southern

Conference and advanced to the

FCS Playoffs.

It was an overcast rainy afternoon,

not too hot for early September

in the deep South. The crowd

was beyond ecstatic, enjoying

the national championship with

hopes for contention for another

buoyed by the season opening

performance against Oregon.

Georgia’s defense was strong the

entire time. The Bulldogs offense

was stopped by Samford in the red

zone on the first two possessions

of the game, and standout kicker

Jack Podlesny delivered a pair of

field goals.

Georgia then got the offense

cooking and tacked on three

touchdowns and another field

goal to build a commanding

30-0 halftime lead. For a second

straight game, Georgia got to

go deep in the depth chart for

snaps and playing time, including

quarterback Carson Beck. The

number 33 certainly rang sweet.

Georgia beat Alabama 33-18 for

the national championship in

Indianapolis, and then won the

home opener 33-0 to make it 2-0

and sharpen up for the ‘Cocks.


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Georgia 48, South Carolina 7 | Williams-Brice Stadium - Columbia

Issue 5

South Carolina

BULLDAWG ILLUSTRATED

years

VS.

& POUND

KENNY MCINTOSH AND THE DAWGS

HEAD TO COLUMBIA!

2022National

Champions

Edition

Back-To-Back

BY JEFF DANTZLER

It was one of the most

impressive road Southeastern

Conference victories in Georgia

annals. Through three weeks,

it was clear, no team had two

more impressive victories than

the Bulldogs did against Oregon

and South Carolina. The faithful

at Williams-Brice Stadium were

raucous, smelling an upset

opportunity. But on a blazing

hot day with a high noon kickoff,

the mighty Bulldogs of Kirby

Smart quickly extinguished those

flames with another dominant

performance.

Brock Bowers showed once

again that he is one of the most

dynamic, if not the best all around

player, in all of college football.

The Smooth Smasher from Napa

tallied three TDs and made a wide

assortment of catches. Georgia’s

defense meanwhile was ferocious.

Amongst the highlight plays, an

interception return by freshman

Malaki Starks to set up the Dogs

second touchdown. SC scored

with less than a minute remaining,

the first TD of the season allowed

by Georgia.

The dominating all-around

performance by Georgia vaulted

the Bulldogs to the top of the

national rankings. The win marked

the Bulldogs third straight over

South Carolina and pushed

Georgia to 1-0 in the Southeastern

Conference. Under Kirby Smart’s

watch, Georgia is now a perfect 4-0

at Williams-Brice Stadium. Through

three games, the reigning national

champions had outscored the

opposition by an overwhelmingly

impressive combined tally of

130-10.


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Georgia 39, Kent State 22 | Sanford Stadium

Issue 6

KENT STATE

2022National

Champions

Edition

Back-To-Back

BY JEFF DANTZLER

Bulldogs Head Coach Kirby

Smart always preaches

that humility is only a

week away. Georgia beat

heavy underdog Kent State, but it

was far from perfect. Brock Bowers

raced 75 yards for a touchdown on

the second play from scrimmage,

as the All-American put on

another impressive display. Maybe

it seemed like it would be too

easy. The rest of the way, Georgia

struggled with the upstart Golden

Flashes, who had already played at

both Washington and Oklahoma.

Through the first three games,

Georgia did not turn the football

over. The turnover bug would

bite and rear its ugly head against

Kent State. The Bulldogs were

plagued by three turnovers and for

a second straight week, Georgia

gave up a first down on a fake

punt. Bowers scored a second

rushing touchdown on a two yard

scamper. Two carries, 77 yards, two

touchdowns, plus five catches for

60 yards. The Dogs amassed four

rushing scores and 257 yards on

41 carries.

Things got hairy when Kent State

scored a touchdown early in the

fourth quarter to cut Georgia’s

lead to 10. The Bulldogs survived

a two-point try that would have

made it a one possession game

and cut the Georgia lead to 32-24.

But it was 32-22, and the offense

drove 75 yards on 12 plays, eating

up 6:43. Kendall Milton scored on

fourth and goal from the one to

put the game away. All-American

Chris Smith sealed things with his

second pick of the year.


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Georgia 26, Missouri 22 | Faurot Field/Memorial Stadium - Columbia

Issue 7

MISSOURI

2022National

Champions

Edition

Back-To-Back

BY JEFF DANTZLER

This was the scariest game

of the regular season for

Georgia. The turnovers

came again. Georgia

coughed the football up three

times and the Bulldogs were

behind all night long. Missouri was

coming off a heartbreaking loss to

Auburn, which included a missed

field goal by kicker Harrison Mevis,

that would have won it for the

Tigers. Well he came back with a

tremendous performance against

Georgia, nailing five field goals to

put Georgia in a hole.

Mevis nailed a 56-yarder early

in the fourth quarter to give the

Tigers a 22-12 lead over the topranked

Bulldogs. Jack Podlesny

had provided all the Georgia

scoring. One of the best kickers in

Bulldog annals was four for four.

Mevis and “JackPod!” would be

named co-special teams players

of the week in the SEC. Georgia’s

running game picked up in

the fourth quarter and Stetson

Bennett made some clutch throws

as the Bulldogs came back.

A critical fourth down conversion

run by Kenny McIntosh set up

Georgia’s first touchdown, a oneyard

Milton rush, to cap a 10 play,

75-yard drive. Georgia then got a

stop, and the Bulldogs moved 68

yards in seven plays, with Daijun

Edwards scoring from a yard out. A

three-and-out stop followed, then

the Dogs went and won the game.

Georgia ate up the final 3:39 of the

contest, moving 42 yards in eight

plays to escape CoMo with a gritty

road win that would serve Georgia

well - especially on New Year’s Eve.


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8

Georgia 42, Auburn 10 | Sanford Stadium

Issue 8

Auburn

2022National

Champions

Edition

Back-To-Back

BY JEFF DANTZLER

The underdog Tigers were

aiming for the upset

of now second-ranked

Georgia, which fell from

the top spot after the CoMo close

encounter. A lot of funny things

and major upsets have happened

in this grand rivalry through the

years. Georgia wasn’t firing on all

cylinders early offensively. But

the defense was gritty and tough.

In the closing moments of the

first quarter, the big play came on

special teams, and the Bulldogs

were on their way to a dominating

win.

All-American Nolan Smith snuffed

out an Auburn fake punt and

Georgia took at the Tigers 36 yard

line with just two seconds to go in

the first quarter. McIntosh struck

paydirt on third and goal from the

Auburn one, and Georgia grabbed

a 7-0 lead. The complimentary

football continued. The Dogs got a

three and out, and Ladd McConkey

returned a punt 38 yards to the

Tigers 31. On the third play of

the ensuing possession, Edwards

scored from a yard out.

Georgia upped the lead to 21-3

in the third quarter and then

delivered the knockout blow.

“Stet the Jet” had one of the

most memorable plays of his

storybook Bulldog career, racing

64 yards for a touchdown on the

first play of the fourth quarter to

give Georgia a 28-3 lead. Georgia

ascended back to the top spot in

the rankings at a perfect 6-0. The

victory was Georgia’s 15th in the

last 18 games against Auburn in

the deep south’s oldest rivalry.


9

Georgia 55, Vanderbilt 0 | Sanford Stadium

Issue 9

VANDERBILT

2022National

Champions

Edition

Back-To-Back

BY JEFF DANTZLER

Talk about just what

the doctor ordered.

Georgia steamrolled

the Commodores

for a second straight season,

improving to 7-0 on the season.

There was no drama, with the

exception of a near miss wouldbe

long touchdown strike by

the Commodores with Georgia

leading 7-0. Vandy chose twice

not to come to Athens in 2020.

The Bulldogs blew the ‘Dores away

62-0 in Nashville en route to the

2021 national title. The last two

years, that’s 117-0 in the Dogs

favor.

McIntosh scored a pair of first

quarter touchdowns on an 11-yard

third-down pass from Bennett

and on a seven yard run. Edwards

scored in the second quarter and

Bennett found Dominick Blaylock

for a 10-yard touchdown to make

it 28-0 at the half. Podlesny kicked

a pair of third quarter field goals

and Carson Beck threw two fourth

quarter touchdown passes. Cash

Jones struck paydirt from 36 yards

out to provide the final margin.

Georgia’s defense was

overwhelming. The Bulldogs held

Vanderbilt to 45 yards on 23 carries

with a long run of eight yards. A

pair of Commodore quarterbacks

went 12 of 24 for 105 yards, 4.4

yards per attempt. Georgia was

now 7-0 with an open date to

come. There was a little time to

catch your breath and get ready

for the gauntlet that would follow.

Florida, Tennessee and then at

Mississippi State and Kentucky,

then the Jackets, what a stretch for

the champions.


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0

Georgia 42, Florida 20 | TIAA Bank Field - Jacksonville

Issue 10

Georgia-Florida

2022National

Champions

Edition

Back-To-Back

BY JEFF DANTZLER

There is nothing like the

Georgia-Florida game,

and the reigning national

champion Bulldogs came

into this one ranked No. 1, with a

perfect 7-0 record. Florida, under

the watch of first year head coach

Billy Napier, was 4-3 and in search

of that signature victory. The

Bulldogs raced to a 28-3 halftime

lead, highlighted by a remarkable

73-yard TD catch and run off a

multi-tipped aerial. Bennett and

McConkey connected for a sevenyard

touchdown with just 17

seconds left in the first half.

Things turned Florida’s way in the

third quarter, as the Gators made

the plays and took advantage of

a couple of Bulldog miscues. On

a broken coverage, Florida struck

for a 78-yard touchdown pass

and suddenly, Georgia’s 25-point

lead was down to 28-20. But

the champion Dogs responded.

Georgia drove 78 yards on six

plays, including a clutch Bennett

to Marcus Rosemy-Jacksaint

connection, with Edwards rushing

in from 22 yards away to give

Georgia a 35-20 lead with under a

minute to go in the third quarter.

Georgia stopped the Gators on

downs at midfield, and then

went 49 yards on eight plays,

with McIntosh scoring his second

touchdown. Florida drove to the

Georgia 15, but the Dogs again got

a stop on downs, then chewed up

7:27 of clock. That makes five of six

against the Gators. The first CFP

ranking came out, and Georgia

was third behind Tennessee and

Ohio State. The Bulldogs were No.

1 in the AP Poll. The stage was set

for No. 1 vs. No. 1 Between the

Hedges.


1

Georgia 27, Tennessee 13 | Sanford Stadium

Issue 11

TENNESSEE

2022National

Champions

Edition

Back-To-Back

BY JEFF DANTZLER

In one of the most highly

anticipated showdowns ever in

Athens, top-ranked undefeated

Georgia toppled top-ranked

undefeated Tennessee to establish

the Bulldogs as THE team to beat

in the SEC. Tennessee was No. 1 in

the first College Football Playoff

Poll, with Georgia, still No. 1 in the

A.P. Poll, sitting at third behind the

Volunteers and Buckeyes. Ticket

demand was incredible, as the

high flying Volunteers were in the

midst of their best season in 20

years.

After an early turnover that

helped spot Tennessee a 3-0

lead, the Bulldogs responded

with calm precision. A deep ball

from Bennett to Arian Smith

put Georgia in business. The

Blackshear Bandit then scampered

into the right corner of the East

End Zone for (after a lengthy

review) the go-ahead score. The

Bulldogs would never relinquish

the lead. The Bulldogs were on

top 21-6 and Kelee Ringo had a

clutch interception. Georgia would

respond with a Podlesny field goal

to end the first half up 24-6.

Georgia’s defense continued

its domination as the heavens

opened on a red clad raucous

Sanford Stadium throng. The

Bulldogs tacked on another

field goal, and after a turnover

exchange, turned the Vols away.

Tennessee scored in the closing

minutes to make it 27-13. But

Georgia recovered the onsides

kick and got one more stop. The

return of Jalen Carter at 100%

was enormous. The nation’s best

defensive lineman had a game to

remember, including forcing what

should have been a first quarter

(another review) safety.


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2

Georgia 45, Mississippi State 19 | Davis Wade Stadium - Starkville

Issue 12

MISSISSIPPI STATE

2022National

Champions

Edition

Back-To-Back

BY JEFF DANTZLER

This one had scary upset

potential written all over

it. Georgia was coming off

emotional victories over

Florida and Tennessee and had the

hungry Starkville Maroons with

the Late Great Pirate Mike Leach

in command under the lights on

a chilly night. Georgia was back in

the top spot in the rankings and

the SEC’s lone undefeated team.

This was a big step in the gauntlet.

There was a little margin for error.

But these Dawgs from Athens were

aiming for perfection.

Georgia took control and built an

early 17-3 lead. But State would

come back and return a punt for

a touchdown to end the first half

- a sequence and play that left

the Georgia faithful flummoxed

and the Bulldogs head coach

steaming. Georgia stopped a

two-point attempt and led 17-12

at intermission. And after that

stop, Georgia actually had an inch

of momentum. McConkey raced

70 yards to start the third quarter,

then hauled in a 17-yard scoring

toss from Bennett.

State got no closer than 12

points the rest of the way. ‘The

Skyscraper’ Darnell Washington

caught a two-yard TD from

Bennett and then Kendall Milton

delivered the final blow with a 34-

yard touchdown run in the closing

minutes. The Bulldogs were now

a perfect 10-0 and clinched the

SEC East Division title for the fifth

time in the last six years of Smart’s

remarkable tenure. LSU clinched

the SEC West this same day.

Georgia had much larger goals

ahead.


3

Georgia 16, Kentucky 6 | Kroger Field - Lexington

Issue 13

KENTUCKY

2022National

Champions

Edition

Back-To-Back

BY JEFF DANTZLER

It was one of the coldest games

the Bulldogs ever played, and

Georgia hunkered, fought,

persevered and took Kentucky’s

best shot to pull out a 16-6

triumph on the bluegrass. This

was the second of those back-toback

road games on the second

half gauntlet that stood out as a

stiff and dangerous challenge. But

Smart’s Dawgs have avoided the

letdown and lookahead. Georgia

embraced the challenge of the

cold and these physical Wildcats

and got a big road win.

Podlesny was superb in the first

half - Bennett had one particularly

impressive hold - as Georgia

struck for field goals on all three

possessions of the first 30 minutes.

Yes, possessions were limited and

extra precious in this one. It was

9-0 Georgia at intermission. On

the second possession of the third

quarter, Kenny McIntosh struck

paydirt from nine yards out to

make it 16-0. The superb senior

running back chalked up 143 yards

on 19 carries.

Kentucky came up with a goal line

stand, and then went 99 yards

to make it 16-6. For a second

straight week, the Bulldogs made

a monster stop on a two point

conversion and it remained a

two score game. A late hook left

(foreshadowing perhaps) of a field

goal by the ‘Cats kept the lead at

10. Smart’s Bulldogs joined Steve

Spurrier’s Gators (1995-1996) and

Nick Saban’s Crimson Tide (2008-

2009) as the only teams in the

divisional era to post back to back

8-0 league records.


4

Georgia 37, Georgia Tech 14 | Sanford Stadium

Issue 14 Ga Tech

2022National

Champions

Edition

Back-To-Back

BY JEFF DANTZLER

It was a slow start for Georgia,

as the Yellow Jackets grabbed

an early 7-0 first quarter lead

on the strength of a long fourth

down conversion. It marked the

first time Georgia trailed Tech since

2016. Jack Podlesny slid in a field

goal to make it 7-3. Then in the

second quarter, Bennett found

Rosemy-Jacksaint for a leaping

touchdown grab, and Georgia led

10-7. That would be the halftime

score. Costly penalties and missed

opportunities kept the Jackets in

the game.

Following another Podlesny field

goal after a call didn’t go Georgia’s

way, the Bulldogs took advantage

of a Tech blunder on a punt.

Bowers made a terrific catch and it

was 20-7. Then Tech fumbled and

Podlesny struck again. Georgia

delivered the big play of the game

when Bennett hit McIntosh for an

83-yard strike early in the fourth

quarter, pulling the Dogs out of

the shadow of their own goal. On

the next play, McIntosh scored

from two yards out. Milton scored

on a 44-yard run on the Dogs next

possession and the game was

Georgia’s.

Brent Key took over as interim

coach and led the Jackets to a

4-4 record after a 1-3 start under

Geoff Collins, who never coached

a game in Athens. Key said after

accepting the job a few days later

that Tech would work 365 days

a year to dominate Georgia. The

Bulldogs have won 18 of the last

21 meetings against the in-state

foe. For the first time in school

history, Georgia posted backto-back

perfect regular seasons,

going 12-0 in 2021 and 2022.


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Georgia 50, LSU 30 | Mercedes-Benz Stadium - Atlanta

SEC

Championship

2022National

Champions

Edition

Back-To-Back

BY JEFF DANTZLER

The Bulldogs advanced to

the SEC Championship

Game for the fifth time

in six years, boasting a

record of either 11-1 or 12-0 each

time. That put Smart and Georgia

in the aforementioned company

of Spurrier’s Gators and Saban’s

Red Elephants. Brian Kelly became

the fourth coach to make the SEC

Championship Game in the first

year at his new school. This was

the fifth time that Georgia and LSU

played in the title tilt, the second

most frequent meeting behind

Alabama-Florida.

Nazir Stackhouse blocked a field

goal, and the All-American Chris

Smith made yet another signature

play - one of the smartest plays

ever in a game of this magnitude.

He waited to touch the football

until the last gasp, the Tigers, and

some Bulldogs were headed to

the sidelines, and it was off to

the races, 96 yards for the TD. The

Bulldogs led 35-7, and 35-10 at

the half. Bennett was tremendous,

with Bowers and McConkey

shining as his favorite targets.

Carter had one of the big

defensive plays, and famously

held up Tiger quarterback Jayden

Daniels with his left arm, while

extending his right hand signifying

Georgia is No. 1. That’s a tee-shirt

and likely a statue. The SEC title

is Georgia’s 14th, putting the

Bulldogs alone for the second

most ever behind only Alabama.

Tennessee has 13 and LSU 12. The

victory sent Georgia to the College

Football Playoff as the No. 1 seed,

followed by TCU, Michigan and

Ohio State.


5

Georgia 42, Ohio State 41 | Mercedes-Benz Stadium - Atlanta

Issue 15

CFP SEMI-PEACH BOWL

2022National

Champions

Edition

Back-To-Back

BY JEFF DANTZLER

Georgia was in the playoff

for a second straight year

and the third time in

six years under Smart’s

watch. Ryan Day had the Buckeyes,

who lost their regular season

finale to arch-rival Michigan, in

the CFP for the third time in the

last four years. This was just the

second ever meeting between the

Bulldogs and Buckeyes. Georgia

defeated Ohio State 21-14 in the

Florida Citrus Bowl on New Year’s

Day, 1993. Earlier in the day, TCU

upset Michigan 51-45 in the Fiesta

Bowl.

Ohio State led by 14 in the first half

and in the fourth quarter. Georgia

led for just 1:49 of the game. In a

game of this magnitude played

at such a high level, any single

play can be the difference maker.

Bennett and C.J. Stroud, both

finalists for the Heisman Trophy,

were exceptional. Smart called

a savvy timeout to stymie a fake

punt. Bennett hit a wide open

Arian Smith for a 76-yard score,

and subsequent two-pointer to

McConkey. On the go ahead drive,

Bennett was five for five through

the air.

This was the greatest day of the

College Football Playoff era, with

two instant classics. Georgia’s

win over Oklahoma in the Rose

Bowl on New Year’s Day 2018 was

unquestionably the best semifinal

ever. Now it’s between that one

and this one, with TCU-Michigan

No. 3. Bennett was the Most

Valuable Player and Georgia made

it a perfect 3-0 on the season at

Mercedes Benz Stadium, where

the clock struck midnight on New

Year’s Eve as the 50-yard field goal

hooked wide left.


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Georgia 65, TCU 7 | SoFI Stadium - Inglewood

National

Championship

2022National

Champions

Edition

Back-To-Back

BY JEFF DANTZLER

Georgia made history in

so many ways with the

65-7 victory over TCU.

The Bulldogs became

the first team in the CFP era, which

began in 2014, to win back-toback

national championships. The

margin of victory was staggering,

far and away the biggest of any

game of any era. Nebraska beat

Florida 62-24 to win the 1995

national title, and that’s 20 points

shy of the Bulldogs 58-point

victory. The largest margin in a

Super Bowl was the 1990 Super

Bowl when the 49ers beat the

Broncos 55-10. Perhaps Tiger

Woods 15-stroke victory at Pebble

Beach in the 2000 U.S. Open is

the closest comparison to such

dominance on such a stage.

Georgia grabbed a 10-0 lead, then

the Horned Frogs scored their lone

touchdown. Georgia answered

quickly to go up by 10 at the end

of the first quarter. The Bulldogs

picked off a couple of passes after

Bennett ran for his second score,

and cashed in with touchdowns.

At the half it was 38-7. Georgia

scored two touchdowns in both

the third and fourth quarters.

Here are the drive charts:

Georgia 1st Half; TD, FG, TD, TD,

TD, TD.

TCU 1st Half: Punt, fumble, TD,

punt, Int., Int., End of Half.

Georgia 2nd Half: Punt, TD, TD, TD,

TD, Victory kneel.

TCU 2nd Half: Punt, Punt, Downs,

Downs, Punt.


UNDEFEATED. BACK-TO-BACK.

A DYNASTY IN THE MAKING.

Commemorate a historic title win with an officially

licensed, Swiss made automatic timepiece.

©2023 AXIA Time, LLC

axiatime.com

A portion of your purchase will go to Bulldogs Battling Breast Cancer.

BBBC promotes early detection and provides assistance to women who may not have the

resources to receive critical services. Learn more at bulldogsbattlingbreastcancer.com.

Use BBBC10 for 10% off your order.

a

IN MEMORIAM — DEVIN WILLOCK AND CHANDLER LECROY

National

2022 Champions

Commemorative Edition

BACK-TO-BACK!

UNDEFEATED 15-0 – 2022 NATIONAL CHAMPIONS EDITION

2022National

Champions

Edition

Back-To-Back

BY JEFF DANTZLER

Georgia’s 17-game winning

streak matches the longest

in school history, and the

Bulldogs have won 33

of the last 34 games. The Georgia

Bulldogs are now the two-time

reigning national champions of

college football. Over the last two

seasons, Georgia’s back-to-back

national champions are a cumulative

29-1 with 26 of the victories coming

by 10 or more points. The Bulldogs

beat three of the other top six

teams in the final national rankings

- defeating Tennessee, Ohio State

and TCU.

The 1980, 2021 and 2022 Bulldogs

are undisputed, unanimous national

champions. Georgia was also

voted No. 1 in at least one poll in

1927, 1946 and 1968. BI voted the

Bulldogs No. 1 in 2007. In the final

AP Top 25 College Football Poll

of 2022, the Bulldogs beat seven

teams: TCU (2), Ohio State (4),

Tennessee (6), Oregon (15), LSU (16),

Mississippi State (20) and South

Carolina (24). Georgia bookended

the 2022 campaign with a 49-3 win

over Oregon and 65-7 triumph over

TCU, while running the table in the

SEC, defeating the Jackets, LSU and

Ohio State.

Stetson Bennett IV leaves Athens as

a Heisman Trophy finalist and was

voted MVP of all four playoff games

Georgia won the last two years, and

this season’s SEC Championship

Game. He also was selected as the

winner of the 2022 Manning Award,

presented by the Allstate Sugar Bowl

to the top quarterback in the nation.

The Mailman delivered … period ++


THE KRONAUGE

family SAYS ...

HOW BOUT THEM B2B DAWGS!!!

2022National

Champions

Edition

Back-To-Back

WHAT’S THE WORD

HAMILTON CULPEPPER

DEVIN WILLOCK AND CHANDLER LECROY

WILL FOREVER BE REMEMBERED

PHOTOS VIA INSTAGRAM

Devin Willock and Chandler

LeCroy were two Bulldogs,

two sweet souls, a son and

a daughter with one thing

bringing them together: University of

Georgia football.

Devin, an offensive lineman, and

Chandler, a recruiting analyst, were killed

in a car wreck Sunday, January 15, 2023.

Just hours before the fatal crash, all

seemed right in the Classic City as Red and

Black flooded the streets with jubilation

for the parade that celebrated Georgia’s

second straight national title. Now, the

UGA campus floods with cold rain water

and heavy hearts as we mourn the loss of

two Dawgs.

The first time in the week following the

crash, I walked into my Sport Marketing

course in the Ramsey Center, sat down

and pulled out my computer just like

any other day. I opened this document

to begin writing this story, jotting down

a few thoughts before class started.

Professor Slonaker entered the room and

unlike any other day, he didn’t put the

attendance code on the screen.

Rather, he sat on a stool at the front of

the room and said, “We won’t be taking

attendance this week after the tragedy

a few days ago. We all grieve in different

ways, and if you feel you can’t make it

to class because you knew them or you

simply just need time to take in this

shocking news, I understand.”

In a time like this, a time with

circumstances this University has never

faced, there is grieving. This school needs

time to heal after this loss. In a time like

this, no outcome on the field, no recruit

decommitting, no player transferring or

coach leaving matters. In a time like this,

a football team with two members lost,

multiplies. An entire university becomes

a family and an entire fanbase becomes a

support staff for their direct families and

their even bigger family that wears the “G.”

There were two survivors of the crash,

Warren McClendon, another offensive

lineman, and Tory Bowles, another

recruiting analyst.

The printed version of this magazine is

distributed to the hometowns of these

two survivors: Warren of Brunswick and

Tory of Athens. Many readers of ours

probably know these families. Tory was my

babysitter, drove me home from school

and is always such a light to everyone

around her. So, from the Athens and

Brunswick communities, from the BI family

and from all of Dawg Nation, we send

prayers and well wishes to the Bowles and

McClendon families as well.

In the wake of this tragedy, however, a

few lights have shone through the UGA

student body, not only memorializing

the lives lost but revealing Devin and

Chandler’s loving character while they

walked this earth.

As the Georgia basketball team traveled

to Lexington (on January 17) to take on

Kentucky, Devin’s friend and Georgia

hooper Jabri Abdur-Rahim and Coach

Mike White added a patch to the team’s

jerseys, recognizing the two victims.

Extra Special People (ESP), the studentaffiliated,

non-profit organization that

creates opportunities for disabled

children, posted a picture of Devin with

a few of the kids after a Georgia practice.

The caption says: “Devin Willock was one

of our special buddies. Not only will #77

be remembered for being a champion

on the Georgia football field, but he

was a loving champion for people with

disabilities at ESP. Devin, your warm and

gentle presence will never be forgotten.

Today, our buddies celebrate and honor

you.”

Chandler’s obituary said: “She had a way

of making each and every prospect and

their families feel like her own family. Her

love for the current Georgia football team

didn’t go unnoticed. She would spend

as many hours a day as she could to the

program helping out in any and every

way she could. Her job didn’t stop with

recruiting. She made it her responsibility

to help every single entity in the building,

whether that be defensive and offensive

support staff, nutrition, equipment,

operations and any department that

needed a helping hand. Every department

of Georgia Football lost a member of their

team and she will forever be missed.”

Devin not only gave his heart and soul on

the field, but he gave it back to the people

less fortunate who couldn’t play football

because of their disabilities. Chandler gave

her heart and soul to Georgia football as

well, showing any recruit how Georgia can

be their home just as it has been to her.

Devin and Chandler won’t just be

remembered with two rings on their

fingers; they won’t just be remembered

for being back-to-back champions; they

won’t just be remembered for even being

members of the Georgia football team;

they will be remembered for so much

more: their love for everyone around

them, their care for those who needed

help, their hard work and dedication

to Georgia, and their joy that acted as

a magnet gravitating everyone toward

them.

The two were an unlikely bunch as Devin

was a redshirt sophomore from New

Milford, New Jersey, and Chandler was

a Georgia girl from Toccoa, but Georgia

football brought them together, and just

like everyone they came in contact with,

Georgia football was so fortunate to have

them. Rest in Peace Devin and Chandler.

Your stellar commitment to the Red and

Black will forever be remembered and

celebrated by the Bulldog Nation.


A Team United

as We Celebrate 2 National Championships

and Remember the Lives of 2 Champions …

DGDs Devin Willock and Chandler LeCroy.

Building Success.

Providing Hope.

Putting 1000 people

to work daily

2019

BULLDOG 100

Athens • Braselton • Covington

and Lawrenceville

(706) 548-0625

POOLE SHOTS

MURRAY POOLE

2022National

Champions

Edition

Back-To-Back

NOT ALWAYS A RECRUITING HOTBED, THE 912

PLAYED MAJOR ROLE IN BACK-TO-BACK TITLES

For a good number of years, many

football lovers in the southeastern

part of this state thought college

recruiters might be overlooking

high school prospects in their area … in the

912 -area code of Georgia.

High school football in South Georgia

has always ranked up there with the best

played anywhere. Draw a line across

the lower part of the state -- from down

in the southwest corner at Bainbridge

and Thomasville, up to Moultrie and Tift

County, over to Valdosta and then on

through Waycross to Jesup and Brunswick

and then down to Kingsland/St. Marys and

back over to Folkston and Homerville.

While the Atlanta Metro area and heavily

populated surrounding counties have

produced the most college football

prospects, due to sheer numbers alone,

there’s a long, long list of great players

from the Bainbridge Bearcats, the

Thomasville Bulldogs and Thomas County

Central Yellow Jackets, the Colquitt County

Packers, Valdosta Wildcats, Lowndes

High Vikings, Ware County Gators, Wayne

County Yellow Jackets, Brunswick High

Pirates, Glynn Academy Red Terrors,

Camden County Wildcats, Charlton County

Indians and Clinch County Panthers,

who have gone on to dot SEC teams’

rosters as well as the other college teams

throughout the land.

But maybe unlike the heavily recruited

hotbeds of Valdosta and Moultrie in the

southern part of the state, the high schools

that comprise the 912-area code haven’t

always had a steady flow of major college

recruiting traffic come through their

athletic buildings … not when you go

back many years in comparison to schools,

as mentioned, in the metro Atlanta and

middle Georgia areas. Savannah would be

that exception due, again, to its size and

the many high schools that are in Chatham

County. Sure, there have been players such

as Willie McClendon, Lindsay Scott and

Champ Bailey come out of the 912 but

then, what recruiter could miss on such

great talents as these? A recent example

of such stellar prospects would be Darius

Slay, Justin Coleman and Tracy Walker, all

out of Brunswick High School and currently

playing in the NFL.

I’m saying all this, referring to maybe

some recruiting omissions in southeast

Georgia in the past, to now point out that

college recruiters, both from the Power

5 schools as well as the smaller college

programs, are presently combing the 912

area of Georgia with, well, a fine-tooth

comb. Not many stones are left unturned

when an outstanding prospect shows

up on the schools’ radar. And they’re

offering these kids full rides earlier than

ever. Bulldogs head coach Kirby Smart

was in southeast Georgia the week of

January 16 and it’s been documented that

Georgia has already offered Brunswick

High freshman tight end Heze Kent, 6-6,

240, and Charlton County sophomore

tight end and edge rusher Elyiss Williams,

6-6, 235. … among others. Brunswick

senior offensive tackle Jamal Meriweather

committed to the Bulldogs back in the

early signing period.

And to get a better picture of how the 912

area is currently producing football players

that are making a huge impact on the college

front, I advise you to look at the back-to-back

national champion Georgia Bulldogs.

Stetson “The Mailman” Bennett, Warren

McClendon, Jack Podlesny and Nolan

Smith … all 912 area high school players

who played major roles – and then some--

for the program’s first-ever 15-0 football

team in 2022.

STETSON BENNETT

PHOTO BY: ROB SAYE

WARREN MCCLENDON



What else can you say about Bennett,

the 5-11, 190-pounder out of Blackshear

in Pierce County who defied all the odds

to pass and run the Bulldogs to the

back-to-back natty crowns and records

of 14-1 and that unblemished 15-0 mark

this past season? Back in the fall of 2017

when Bennett, as a walk-on to Georgia

was running the scout team offense,

what would you have said if someone

had predicted this kid is going to become

the best quarterback in UGA’s history

and lead us to consecutive national

championships? Absolutely no one could

have imagined such a scenario, that is,

except maybe Stetson himself!

All the Mailman did in the 2022

campaign was pass for a new UGA singleseason

yardage record with 4,127 yards

and 27 touchdowns and run for 205 net

yards and 10 more touchdowns. Bennett’s

total yards passing broke the school

record of 3,893 yards set by Aaron Murray

in the 2012 season, with Murray playing

one less game than Bennett.

Bennett, who posted a 29-3 win-loss record

as the Bulldogs’ starting quarterback, also set

a new season accuracy standard, his 68.28

completion percentage mark toppling the

previous program record of 67.87 set by

Hutson Mason in 2014. Bennett, of course,

was one of the four finalists for the Heisman

Trophy and won the Burlsworth Trophy,

awarded to the best player nationally that

began his career as a walk-on. Bennett was

named MVP in all four CFP games he played

in over the past two years, including the two

national championship wins. In the 65-7

romp over TCU on Jan. 9 in Los Angeles,

Bennett accounted for six of Georgia’s

touchdowns … four passing and two

running.

He also was selected as the winner of the

2022 Manning Award, presented by the

Allstate Sugar Bowl to the top quarterback

in the nation.

McClendon, the 6-4, 300-pound junior

tackle from Brunswick High School, the

nephew of Willie McClendon and cousin

of former UGA player and now receivers

coach Bryan McClendon, was named

to the 2022 Coaches All-SEC first team

and was regarded by many as the most

technically-correct offensive lineman on

the team. He started Georgia’s first 13

games this season at right tackle before

being injured in the SEC title win over LSU.

That, after starting all 15 games for the

2021 Bulldog national champions. In the

2020 season McClendon was named to

the Freshman All-America team.

Jack Podlesny, who didn’t even consider

playing college football until his senior

year at Glynn Academy in Brunswick,

came to Georgia as a walk-on after first

being offered in the same role by the

University of Michigan. The St. Simons

Island native quickly developed into one

of the program’s all-time place-kickers,

being named to the Associated Press and

Coaches’ All-SEC teams this past season as

well as the SEC’s Special Teams Player of

the Year. “Pod” was true on 26 of 31 field

goal attempts and 73 of 74 PAT kicks in the

2022 campaign. Also handling the kickoff

assignment, Podlesny sent 73 of his kicks

into the end zone for touchbacks. He was

one of 30 kickers named to the preseason

watch list for the Lou Groza Award, which

goes annually to the nation’s top kicker

and was won by his Bulldog predecessor,

Rodrigo Blankenship, in 2019.

Last but by no means least of the

“Big Four” from the 912 area is outside

linebacker Nolan Smith, who hails from

Savannah while playing his high school

ball at IMG in Florida. Although the 6-3,

235-pound Smith played in only eight

games due to an injury in the Florida

game, he was undoubtedly headed for

murray

All-America honors at his position before

the Bulldogs’ 42-20 win over the Gators

marked the end of his season. Smith had

recorded 18 total tackles and a team-high

16 quarterback hurries up until then. Smith,

who started 14 of 15 games for the 2021

champions and notched 56 tackles with 9.0

for loss and 3.5 sacks, was named Second

Team preseason All-America by Athlon and

was on the watch list for both the Outland

Trophy and Bronko Nagurski Trophy.

But don’t think Nolan Smith took a

lesser role with the team after his injury

in Jacksonville. He practically became one

of the Bulldogs’ coaches, spending each

of the seven remaining games on the

sidelines giving pointers to his defensive

teammates, shouting encouragement and

generally keeping the entire team fired up

and motivated through the Dawgs’ end of

the season and playoff run.

While Bennett, McClendon, Podlesny

and Smith are all now headed for the NFL

Draft, another 912- area guy, defensive

lineman Warren Brinson, is set to return as

Georgia chases a 3-peat national crown in

2023. And the 6-4, 305-pound junior, who like

Smith is from Savannah and played at IMG,

should be a key cog in the Bulldogs’ defense

this coming fall. This past season Brinson

played in all 15 games while notching 12

tackles and 14 quarterback hurries.

And showing promise for the coming

seasons in Athens are two more southeast

Georgia products, redshirt freshman

offensive guard Micah Morris from

Camden County and freshman outside

linebacker Darris Smith, from Baxley in

Appling County.

Yes, 912 area code football fans, now

Kirby Smart and all of the head coaches in

the Deep South and elsewhere will always

have your bottom right hand corner of the

state high on their prospects shopping list.

Go Dawgs and the 912!

JACK PODLESNY


NOLAN SMITH


BULLDAWGILLUSTRATED


WHADDAYA GOT

LORAN

LORAN SMITH

2022National

Champions

Edition

Back-To-Back

There is no greater competitor in the game than Kirby Smart, which his

2022 Dawgs punctuated with their Rembrandt performance to go back-to-back

LOS ANGELES – The Georgia locker

room pre-game for the National

Championship game was as loud

and animated as I have ever seen

it. In the Kirby Smart era. In any era … that

I have experienced.

There were flashbacks to the 1980

national championship game with Notre

Dame in the Sugar Bowl. It was eerily

quiet. “Not a creature was stirring, not

even a mouse.”

I remember Rex Robinson humming

along with the singer of the national

anthem. Herschel Walker’s

broad shoulders stretched

beyond the width of his

locker. Frank Ros was slapping

teammates on the back with

inaudible comment.

Last year in Indianapolis

it was more reserved, less

intensity but with expressions

of resolve and commitment.

An occasional shoutout, a salty

reminder or two. The coaches

lectured hard with diagrams

on overhead projectors.

To win the game is the

objective and how you

motivate yourself varies from

team to team. Championship

to championship. Just win

baby.

The 2022 Dogs were dogtired

from the long season. The

pressure to win was a constant

in their heads. They had to

journey across the country

to a place where sunshine is

the norm, but was beset with

constant rain or the threat of in

all forecasts. All weekend I kept

hearing in my head Albert

Hammond’s lyrics, “It never

rains in Southern California,

but girl don’t they warn you. It

pours, man, it pours.”

Not sure how many times

I have set foot in Southern

California, but I don’t ever remember

it raining. Then there are those last

five words of that verse in that song. It

definitely poured for the game.

I got wet walking from the uber that took

me to the fantastic So-Fi stadium. Then

again after the game from the stadium

to the bus that got me back to the team

headquarters. I kept reminding myself,

“Who cares?”

Georgia fans disappointed in

management’s no tailgating dictum at

the classy facility should not fret—the

elements would have made for soggy

sandwiches and soaked burgers.

On the Saturday (before the title game)

at the Bulldogs workout at So-Fi, I have

never seen Kirby more on edge. He

ramped up the intensity, exhorting his

charges to give more of themselves. “You

are playing a team that will play hard. I

KENNY MCINTOSH AND

KIRBY SMART REJOICE IN

GOING BACK-TO-BACK!

PHOTO BY: ROB SAYE

want you to be winded, I want you to get

tired today.”

The normal fast pace seemed faster. More

alacrity was expected in the movement

from one drill to the next. Hurry-up was

never more underscored. Fumble recovery

drills were a top priority. On-side kicks

were given emphasis along with fake

field goal attempts, 4th and 1 and short

yardage plays. The coach coached like he

expected it to be a very close encounter.

At the end of practice as he dashed out

on the field, he said to a bystander. “I hope

that we are ready to play. If we aren’t, it

could be a long night. These guys (TCU)

really play hard.”

The fear of losing had brought about

a new meaning. Obviously, he wanted

to win the game. There is no greater

competitor in the game today. But to

have it on the record that this team might

lose to TCU would have been

a colossal defeat. With all

due respect to the Horned

Frogs, a loss would have been

embarrassing.

Therein lies a telling element of

the Kirby Smart story. He never

takes anything for granted.

He had to know he had better

talent but is driven by the notion

that the best team does not

always win—rather, the team

that plays the best. Whatever, he

would never tip his hand that he

is confident about an opponent

under any circumstances to

anybody. God forbid, his team.

That is why he is now the

only coach in history in the

College Football Playoffs to

win back-to-back national

championships.

Unless you have been hiding

under a rock somewhere, you

know the rest of the story. No

team of Kirby Smart has ever

been more opportunistic,

none of his championship

teams have been smoother

or more efficient. They gave

of themselves; they kept the

petal to the metal, and they

are again the class of college

football. This was a team of

muscle and finesse. Heart

and soul. It featured love

and laughter, commitment and enduring

resolve and resiliency.

The memory of the Bulldogs, led by the

Horatio-Alger-like- quarterback, Stetson

Bennett, will be featured in the UGA

statistical Hall of Fame and the memory

banks of Georgia loyalists forever. This was

a football Rembrandt.


2 MAD DAWG SHOW SEASONS

2 NATIONAL CHAMPIONSHIPS

www.themaddawg.com

SPECIAL THANKS TO OUR SPONSORS

Bibb Distributing

A DOOLEY TRIBUTE -

HOISTING THE 2022 FLAG

ATOP SANFORD!

PHOTO BY: ROB SAYE

2022National

Champions

Edition

Back-To-Back

JD’S TOP 15

— Jeff Dantzler

The highlight of the bowl season was New Year’s Eve, when two of

the three greatest semifinal games of the College Football Playoff era

were played. The top of the SEC showed its dominance on the biggest

stages, highlighted by Georgia’s history-making run to a second straight

national championship. The three most talented teams seemed to be

Georgia, Alabama and Ohio State. But TCU beat Michigan, which beat

Ohio State. There were some great head to head battles amongst the top

teams this season.

1. GEORGIA - The Bulldogs are the first team

in the CFP era to capture back-to-back national

championships. The 65-7 blowout of TCU in the

National Championship Game is one of the most dominant

performances on such a stage in the history of sport.

2. TENNESSEE - It was a tremendous season for

Tennessee, the Volunteers best since 2001. The wins

over Florida, LSU, Alabama and Clemson will long be

remembered by the Tennessee faithful. Georgia dominated the

Vols, the L at South Carolina baffling.

3. ALABAMA - The Crimson Tide played in five

games determined by six or fewer points and went

3-2 in those to finish 11-2. Bryce Young had another

tremendous season at quarterback. The Sugar Bowl

performance against Kansas State was lights out.

4.TCU - Granted it was a bad ending, but this

was a tremendous season for TCU. The longest of

longshots with a first year head coach, the Horned

Frogs had a perfect regular season, had a Heisman

Trophy finalist and beat Michigan in the Fiesta Bowl semifinal.

5. MICHIGAN - The Wolverines beat Ohio State for

a second straight season, went 12-0 and then won

the Big Championship Game. Then came disaster

against TCU in the Fiesta Bowl. Missed opportunities,

turnovers and self inflicted wounds cost Michigan dearly.

6. OHIO STATE - The Buckeyes came up just short

against Georgia 42-41 in the Chick-Fil-A Peach Bowl

semifinal. It’s one of the greatest games ever. The

Buckeyes were tremendously talented, but lost their last two

games of the season.

7. WASHINGTON - The Huskies, with one of the

top histories of any west coast program, had a terrific

year, finishing 11-2 with a 27-20 win over Texas in

the Alamo Bowl. Head Coach Kalen DeBoer did an

excellent job, and quarterback Michael Penix had a strong year.

8. PENN STATE - The Nittany Lions posted an 11-2

record, falling to Michigan and Ohio State. The highlight

wins came at Auburn and then in the Rose Bowl, where

Penn State beat PAC-12 champion Utah 35-21.

9. TULANE - The Green Wave had their best season

of the 21st century, and it ended in style. They beat

Central Florida in the American Championship Game

and then had an epic comeback to beat Southern Cal

46-45 in the Cotton Bowl to finish 12-2.

10. FLORIDA STATE - The Seminoles bookended

their regular season with victories over LSU and

Florida. MIke Norvell kept the momentum going in

the postseason, as Florida State beat Oklahoma 35-

32 in the Cheez-it Bowl.

11. UTAH - The Utes won a second straight PAC-12

Championship, derailing Southern Cal’s playoff hopes

in the title game. For a second consecutive season,

the Utes came up short in the Rose Bowl, losing to

Penn State 35-21 in Pasadena.

12. SOUTHERN CAL - Lincoln Riley and Caleb

Williams had an enormous first season impact for the

Trojans. But the campaign did not end well. USC lost

the PAC-12 title game by a big number, then, after

Williams won the Heisman, the Trojans fell to Tulane in Dallas.

13. LSU - The Fightin’ Tigers are almost always ready

to play in their bowl game. After losing to Texas A&M

and then Georgia in the SEC Championship Game,

LSU blew away Purdue 63-7 in Orlando to finish 10-4

in Brian Kelly’s first year.

14. CLEMSON - The Tigers had their hearts ripped

out in the regular season finale, falling to South

Carolina. Clemson rebounded to beat North Carolina

to win the ACC for the seventh time in eight seasons. The

Tigers lost to Tennessee 31-14 in the Orange Bowl.

15. OREGON - After losing to Georgia 49-3 in Dan

Lanning’s Ducks debut, then won eight in a row.

Oregon lost heartbreakers to Washington and Oregon

State, but rallied to defeat North Carolina 28-27 in the

Holiday Bowl to finish 10-3.


Enjoy Responsibly.

PLEASE DRINK RESPONSIBLY.

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