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Undefeated 15-0 - 2022 National Championship Edition
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IN MEMORIAM — DEVIN WILLOCK AND CHANDLER LECROY
BACK-TO-BACK!
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
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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!!
BULLDAWGILLUSTRATED 10 2022 NATIONAL CHAMPIONS EDITION
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
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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!?!?!?!
BULLDAWGILLUSTRATED 12 2022 NATIONAL CHAMPIONS EDITION
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
BULLDAWGILLUSTRATED 16 2022 NATIONAL CHAMPIONS EDITION
THAT’S RIGHT AMARIUS MIMS, TDS WERE
PLENTIFUL IN SOFI STADIUM
PHOTO BY: GREG POOLE
BULLDAWGILLUSTRATED 17 2022 NATIONAL CHAMPIONS EDITION
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!
PHOTO BY: GREG POOLE
BULLDAWGILLUSTRATED 18 2022 NATIONAL CHAMPIONS EDITION
2022National
Champions
Edition
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FROM THE FIELD
BY GREG POOLE
GLENN SCHUMANN AND
JALEN CARTER
PHOTO BY: GREG POOLE
SPIKE SQUAD MEMBER,
ETHAN MARCUM
PHOTO BY: GREG POOLE
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
PHOTO BY: GREG POOLE
BULLDAWGILLUSTRATED 20 2022 NATIONAL CHAMPIONS EDITION
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.
BULLDAWGILLUSTRATED 22 2022 NATIONAL CHAMPIONS EDITION
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!
BULLDAWGILLUSTRATED 24 2022 NATIONAL CHAMPIONS EDITION
2022National
Champions
Edition
Back-To-Back
THE
PHOTO BY:ROB SAYE
Scene
BULLDAWGILLUSTRATED 26 2022 NATIONAL CHAMPIONS EDITION
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
BULLDAWGILLUSTRATED 27 2022 NATIONAL CHAMPIONS EDITION
4 characteristics of greatness
YO JOE MOORE AWARD, OUR O-LINE
IS THE BEST IN THE COUNTRY X 2!
PHOTO BY: GREG POOLE
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
BULLDAWGILLUSTRATED 28 2022 NATIONAL CHAMPIONS EDITION
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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
BULLDAWGILLUSTRATED 30 2022 NATIONAL CHAMPIONS EDITION
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
4 characteristics of greatness
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
BULLDAWGILLUSTRATED 32 2022 NATIONAL CHAMPIONS EDITION
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
33 2022 NATIONAL CHAMPIONS EDITION
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
BULLDAWGILLUSTRATED 34 2022 NATIONAL CHAMPIONS EDITION
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
35 2022 NATIONAL CHAMPIONS EDITION
4 characteristics of greatness
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
BULLDAWGILLUSTRATED 36 2022 NATIONAL CHAMPIONS EDITION
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
37 2022 NATIONAL CHAMPIONS EDITION
4 characteristics of greatness
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.
BULLDAWGILLUSTRATED 38 2022 NATIONAL CHAMPIONS EDITION
PHOTOS BY: ZACH ROLEN
BULLDAWGILLUSTRATED
39 2022 NATIONAL CHAMPIONS EDITION
CHEERS TO THE BACK-TO-BACK
NATIONAL CHAMPIONS!
PHOTO BY: GREG POOLE
BULLDAWGILLUSTRATED 40 2022 NATIONAL CHAMPIONS EDITION
2022National
Champions
Edition
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THE
FANS
GEORGIA 65 TCU 7 PHOTOS - PG. 42
PARADE/CELEBRATION PHOTOS - PG 72
BULLDAWGILLUSTRATED 41 2022 NATIONAL CHAMPIONS EDITION
FAN PHOTOS
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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
BULLDAWGILLUSTRATED 42 2022 NATIONAL CHAMPIONS EDITION
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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NATIONAL CHAMPIONSHIP GAME GEORGIA 65 - TCU 7
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
BULLDAWGILLUSTRATED 44 2022 NATIONAL CHAMPIONS EDITION
Congratulations Back 2 Back
National Champion Bulldogs!
FAN PHOTOS
2022National
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Back-To-Back
NATIONAL CHAMPIONSHIP GAME GEORGIA 65 - TCU 7
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
BULLDAWGILLUSTRATED 46 2022 NATIONAL CHAMPIONS EDITION
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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NATIONAL CHAMPIONSHIP GAME GEORGIA 65 - TCU 7
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
BULLDAWGILLUSTRATED 48 2022 NATIONAL CHAMPIONS EDITION
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.
1-888-SYNOVUS | synovus.com
Synovus Bank, Member FDIC.
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NATIONAL CHAMPIONSHIP GAME GEORGIA 65 - TCU 7
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
BULLDAWGILLUSTRATED 50 2022 NATIONAL CHAMPIONS EDITION
The only thing I love more than real estate,
is Georgia Football.
Congratulations
2022 Champions!
Let’s game plan your
REAL ESTATE
needs together!
SCAN ME!
Christina Hammond | Associate Broker, SRES, Property Manager
824 S Milledge Ave. Athens, GA 30605 | O: 706.850.4636 | C: 706.255.4731
FAN PHOTOS
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NATIONAL CHAMPIONSHIP GAME GEORGIA 65 - TCU 7
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
Trey Few, Indee Few, Millie Klosinski, Scott Klosinski
Jay Kaufman, Danny Moore,
Daryl Moore
Cliff McCoy, Zach Rolen, James Edwards
Walton Lee, Ansley Calhoun,
John Calhoun
BULLDAWGILLUSTRATED 52 2022 NATIONAL CHAMPIONS EDITION
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PLANTATION Plantation GA 31522
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FAN PHOTOS
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NATIONAL CHAMPIONSHIP GAME GEORGIA 65 - TCU 7
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,
Koffi Harrison
Anna Cabaniss, Allie Cabaniss,
Avery Symons, Lauren Oxenham
Vance Leavy, Robert Wolfe, David Abernathy,
Jeff Tingle, Trey Manley, Don Scully
AJ Williams, Christian Williams, Lisa Williams, Ben Williams,
Cecily Pennington, Brooks Pennington
Isabelle Culpepper Adams, Will Adams, Knox Culpepper,
Clara Chambers, Rufus Chambers
BULLDAWGILLUSTRATED 54 2022 NATIONAL CHAMPIONS EDITION
LET THE
BACK-2-BACK
BIG DAWGS
EAT AND DRINK!
CONGRATS
BULLDOG NATION!
Laissez
Les Bons
Temps Rouler
at your tailgate …
CALL FOR RESERVATIONS
420 MACON HWY | ATHENS | 706-548-3359
GEORGESLOWCOUNTRYTABLE.COM
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NATIONAL CHAMPIONSHIP GAME GEORGIA 65 - TCU 7
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
Suzette Bradling, Stan Bradling Pete Powell, Robb Willis Flin Cannon, Christie Cannon, Ann Cannon, Jay Cole
BULLDAWGILLUSTRATED 56 2022 NATIONAL CHAMPIONS EDITION
REAL ESTATE
Here & Now
Gena Knox
WORK WITH A TRUSTED ADVISOR
c. 706.224.1365 o. 706.995.7500
genaknox@ansleyre.com @genaknoxre
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.
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NATIONAL CHAMPIONSHIP GAME GEORGIA 65 - TCU 7
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
BULLDAWGILLUSTRATED 58 2022 NATIONAL CHAMPIONS EDITION
CONGRATS TO OUR 2022 champs ...
YOUR COMMITMENT TO ONE ANOTHER
EXEMPLIFIES WHAT BEING A DAWG IS ABOUT!
cobblestonepmg.com | Athens, GA | 706-705-5800
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NATIONAL CHAMPIONSHIP GAME GEORGIA 65 - TCU 7
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
BULLDAWGILLUSTRATED 60 2022 NATIONAL CHAMPIONS EDITION
FAN PHOTOS
2022National
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NATIONAL CHAMPIONSHIP GAME GEORGIA 65 - TCU 7
(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
BULLDAWGILLUSTRATED 62 2022 NATIONAL CHAMPIONS EDITION
Congratulations to our Georgia Bulldog
Back to Back National Champions!
When Online...
VISIT ONE OF OUR TWO ONLINE STORES
LISTED BELOW. GO DAWGS!
When in Athens...
TWO GREAT STORES FOR ALL
YOUR BULLDOG NEEDS
University Spirit
700 Baxter Street
Athens, GA 30605
706-353-2677
www.universityspirit.com
The Clubhouse
157 College Avenue
Athens, GA 30601
706-369-9541
www.ugaspirit.com
Helping UGA fans look their very best since 1975
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NATIONAL CHAMPIONSHIP GAME GEORGIA 65 - TCU 7
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
BULLDAWGILLUSTRATED 64 2022 NATIONAL CHAMPIONS EDITION
GO DAWGS!
2022 NATIONAL
CHAMPIONS!
Why Regions and Todd Cowart?
We have closed more loans over the last SEVEN years than any other loan officer team
in the country. More importantly, our office garnered an almost 100% customer service
rating. These results cannot happen unless customers get the financing they require,
personal and professional loan processing, and a loan transaction that closes on-time
and properly funds. Let us show you why Regions Mortgage is the best choice for you
and your family.
Online Athens Community Choice Award
• Low Jumbo Rates, 100% Financing Options, Doctor Loans, “One Time Close”
Construction To Perm Loans
• We Have Several LOCAL Branches Near You
• We Keep 100% of Our Loans
• WE DO LOANS ALL OVER THE SOUTHEAST
• Voted ‘Best Mortgage Lender’ four years by Athens Banner-Herald
• Winner of JD Power Customer Service Award, 2013 Horizon Award Winner,
Region’s Chairman Club Award Winner 2014-2022
• #1 In Closed Loans Nationally for SEVEN years
• I Have 15 Year Old Triplets and Need Every Loan I Can Get!
ATHENS RESIDENT. DAWG FAN.
Contact me today to learn more. It would be a pleasure to help.
Todd Cowart,
Mortgage Lender
CELL: 678-488-5308 | todd.cowart@regions.com
www.cowboybanker.com | NMLS ID: 310972
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NATIONAL CHAMPIONSHIP GAME GEORGIA 65 - TCU 7
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
BULLDAWGILLUSTRATED 66 2022 NATIONAL CHAMPIONS EDITION
FAN PHOTOS
2022National
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NATIONAL CHAMPIONSHIP GAME GEORGIA 65 - TCU 7
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
BULLDAWGILLUSTRATED 68 2022 NATIONAL CHAMPIONS EDITION
CONGRATULATIONS
GEORGIA BULLDOGS,
2022 NATIONAL CHAMPIONS!
WHERE EVERY DAY IS A
“SATURDAY ON ST. SIMONS.”
Located on St. Simons Island, minutes from the Village, shopping, restaurants,
and historic sites, featuring an on-site Topgolf Swing Suite and bar. Access to
Sea Island Golf Club is available with the purchase of a Sea Island Golf Package.
theinnatseaisland.com (844) 825-4812
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NATIONAL CHAMPIONSHIP GAME GEORGIA 65 - TCU 7
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
BULLDAWGILLUSTRATED 70 2022 NATIONAL CHAMPIONS EDITION
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!
ATLANTA | BIRMINGHAM | MEMPHIS | NASHVILLE | PENSACOLA
JOEPOWELL.COM | 770.449.4010
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2022National
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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
BULLDAWGILLUSTRATED 72 2022 NATIONAL CHAMPIONS EDITION
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
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NATIONAL CHAMPIONSHIP
2022National
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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
BULLDAWGILLUSTRATED 74 2022 NATIONAL CHAMPIONS EDITION
Recover. Rejuvenate.
Revive & relax...
After Back-to-Back titles for Kirby’s Dawgs
& Coach Richt’s CF Hall-of-Fame Induction
Photo By Repurposed Photography
Beechwood Promenade | 196 Alps Rd. Ste. 31 | Athens GA 30606
706-521-5290 | www.yourfootpalace.com
Open 7 days a week Mon-Sat. 10am-8pm, Sun 11am-7pm
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NATIONAL CHAMPIONSHIP
2022National
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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
BULLDAWGILLUSTRATED 76 2022 NATIONAL CHAMPIONS EDITION
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NATIONAL CHAMPIONSHIP
2022National
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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
BULLDAWGILLUSTRATED 78 2022 NATIONAL CHAMPIONS EDITION
Life’s better
with brick.
Proud Supporter of Georgia Football!
GG DDwwss
McDonough Showroom
170 Westridge Industrial Blvd.
McDonough, GA 30253
770-914-9280
VISIT OUR SHOWROOMS
Augusta Showroom
1984 Tobacco Road
Augusta, GA 30906
706-771-5454
Brunswick Showroom
514 Young Lane
Brunswick, GA 31520
912-280-9484
Doraville Showroom
2275 Cook Drive
Doraville, GA 30340
770-840-0036
Macon Showroom
1716 Forsyth St.
Macon, GA 31201
478-742-6432
Dublin Showroom
202 Savannah Ave.
East Dublin, GA 31027
478-272-1703
Coming Soon: Beaufort, South Carolina
WWW.CHEROKEEBRICK.COM
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2022National
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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
BULLDAWGILLUSTRATED 80 2022 NATIONAL CHAMPIONS EDITION
Ameris Bank and The Bishop Family
Congratulate the Bulldogs on Back-to-Back
National Championship titles!
Joe Bishop
VP, Mortgage Banker
O: 706.715.6580 | C: 864.993.0047
joe.bishop@amerisbank.com
amerisbank.com/joebishop
NMLS# 204256
Loan Programs:
• Construction-to-permanent
• Jumbo
• Medical Professional
• Renovation
• FHA, VA and USDA
All loans subject to
credit approval.
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2022National
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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
BULLDAWGILLUSTRATED 82 2022 NATIONAL CHAMPIONS EDITION
#1 BEST SELLING AMERICAN WHISKY
AS
VO T E D
2017
B Y TH E WO R L D
’ S
B EST B AR S
2022National
Champions
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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
BULLDAWGILLUSTRATED 84 2022 NATIONAL CHAMPIONS EDITION
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
BULLDAWGILLUSTRATED 85 2022 NATIONAL CHAMPIONS EDITION
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.
BULLDAWGILLUSTRATED 86 2022 NATIONAL CHAMPIONS EDITION
WAY
2 DAWGS!
GO
ATHENS ACADEMY
E X C E L L E N C E W I T H H O N O R
#1 Private School in Northeast Georgia
Scan the code to schedule
your individual tour today!
706.549.9225
admissions@athensacademy.org
www.athensacademy.org
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.
BULLDAWGILLUSTRATED 88 2022 NATIONAL CHAMPIONS EDITION
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.
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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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5
Georgia 48, South Carolina 7 | Williams-Brice Stadium - Columbia
Issue 5
South Carolina
BULLDAWG ILLUSTRATED
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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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6
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.
BULLDAWGILLUSTRATED 96 2022 NATIONAL CHAMPIONS EDITION
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7
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.
BULLDAWGILLUSTRATED 98 2022 NATIONAL CHAMPIONS EDITION
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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.
BULLDAWGILLUSTRATED 100 2022 NATIONAL CHAMPIONS EDITION
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.
BULLDAWGILLUSTRATED 104 2022 NATIONAL CHAMPIONS EDITION
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.
BULLDAWGILLUSTRATED 106 2022 NATIONAL CHAMPIONS EDITION
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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.
BULLDAWGILLUSTRATED 108 2022 NATIONAL CHAMPIONS EDITION
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.
BULLDAWGILLUSTRATED 110 2022 NATIONAL CHAMPIONS EDITION
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.
BULLDAWGILLUSTRATED 114 2022 NATIONAL CHAMPIONS EDITION
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.
BULLDAWGILLUSTRATED 118 2022 NATIONAL CHAMPIONS EDITION
UNDEFEATED. BACK-TO-BACK.
A DYNASTY IN THE MAKING.
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licensed, Swiss made automatic timepiece.
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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 ++
BULLDAWGILLUSTRATED 120 2022 NATIONAL CHAMPIONS EDITION
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.
BULLDAWGILLUSTRATED 122 2022 NATIONAL CHAMPIONS EDITION
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
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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
PHOTO BY: GREG POOLE
BULLDAWGILLUSTRATED 124 2022 NATIONAL CHAMPIONS EDITION
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
PHOTO BY: GREG POOLE
NOLAN SMITH
PHOTO BY: GREG POOLE
BULLDAWGILLUSTRATED
125 2022 NATIONAL CHAMPIONS EDITION
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.
BULLDAWGILLUSTRATED 126 2022 NATIONAL CHAMPIONS EDITION
2 MAD DAWG SHOW SEASONS
2 NATIONAL CHAMPIONSHIPS
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ATOP SANFORD!
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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.
BULLDAWGILLUSTRATED 128 2022 NATIONAL CHAMPIONS EDITION
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