Georgia football-UAB: final score and commentary on Stetson Bennett's record day

Greetings from Sanford Stadium for Georgia’s home opener of 2021.

It’s the first of six games between the hedges this season.

The quarterback situation, as we’ve reported this week due to JT Daniels’ injury, will be front and center for the Bulldogs against UAB.

The 1980 national championship team will be honored

That team’s quarterback Buck Belue will “call the Dawgs” before kickoff. Heisman Trophy-winning running back Herschel Walker is expected, too. 

OK, back to the quarterbacks.

ESPN2 analyst Robert Griffin III confirmed on the Paul Finebaum Show Friday afternoon what was reported earlier in the day that Carson Beck could be in line to start this game.

JT Daniels and UGA coaches spoke to Griffin Friday and said “they’re not sure he’s going to be able to go,” due to an oblique injury.

“They’ve given him time off this week to see if it will heal and he feels like it’s progressed well, but there’s a chance Carson Beck is the starter,” he said.

There’s been mixed signals since then. Fifth-year senior Stetson Bennett, a starter for five games last season, is the other option that Kirby Smart could turn to.

Don’t be surprised to see multiple quarterbacks.

Stay tuned.

6:53: Final: UGA 56, UAB 

6:29 p.m.: Freshman linebacker Jamon Dumas-Johnson adds to UAB misery with a 20-yard interception return for touchdown. Georgia 56-0 with 10:14 to go.

6:03 p.m. Carson Beck to Justin Robinson for a 12-yard touchdown pass. It's the first collegiate touhdown pass for Beck and the first receiving TD for Robinson. 49-0 UGA with 7:11 left in the third quarter.

5:47 p.m. Bennett tied a UGA record with five touchdown passes in the first half and added Georgia's longest run of the game here in the third quarter of 20 yards. Then James Cook stayed on his feet and scored on a 14-yard TD run. It's 42-0 with 8:42 left in the third.

4:33 p.m.: Bennett just threw his fourth TD pass of game (and declared for the NFL draft---we kid). Bennett this time to Arian Smith for 61 yards. 28-0 Bulldogs with 14:09 to go in first half.

4:22 p.m. Stetson Bennett with his third TD pass--this one 88-yards to Brock Bowers after a blown coverage. It's the longest TD pass for Georgia sine Aaron Murray to Reggie Davis' school-record 98-yard touchdown in 2013. 21-0 Georgia.

4:13 p.m. Carson Beck entered the game after a Lewis Cine for Georgia's third offensive possession. The Bulldogs went three-and-out with three straight runs.

3:58 p.m. Bennett ties his Georgia high with his second TD pass less than five minutes into the game. He hits running back Kenny McIntosh on right side for 12 yards.

3:43 p.m.: Stetson Bennett's throws a TD on his first pass play--73 yards to Jermaine Burton. 7-0 Georgia 14:22 left 1st.

3:15 p.m. Sideline reporter D.J. Shockley asked Smart about what he wants to see from the offense with Stetson Bennett as starting QB: “Same as I wanted last week. We’ve got to be explosive. ...I want to start fast and be really aggressive.”

3:07 p.m. Stetson Bennett announced as the "probable" starter on the scoreboard pregame.

2:58 p.m. Daniels is the first QB in the stretch lines followed by Stetson Bennett and then Carson Beck.

2:47 p.m. Stetson Bennett is taking snaps from presumed starting center Sedrick Van-Pran Granger and Carson Beck is with Warren Ericson. JT Daniels is with Jamaree Salyer. Then they just swapped.Beck with Van-Pran Granger and Bennett with Ericson.

2:31 p.m. Mary Beth Smart is on the field pregame. Safety Lewis Cine just gave her a hug before heading into the locker room.

2:14 p.m. JT Daniels is on the field for pregame warmups. All of the scholarship quarterbacks have been spotted. We'll see if Daniels is held out due to injury.

2:12 p.m. Wide receiver George Pickens is wearing shorts and his Georgia jersey. Remains to be seen if he can return later this season from a torn ACL.

2:08 p.m. Tight end Darnell Washington and nickel back Tykee Smith aren't dressed out, but they're not in boots either after sustaining ankle injuries. 

1:42 p.m. Wide receiver Dominick Blaylock and defensive tackle Julian Rochester, both coming off knee surgeries, are working pregame with director of strength and conditioning Scott Sinclair. Blaylock still has a balky brace on his left knee.

1:26 p.m.: The referee for today is Lee Hedrick. 

1:24 p.m.: The Dawg Walk with fans is back. A couple of players wore cowboy hats and props to Kelee Ringo for a strong red jacket.

1:19 p.m.: Former UGA/UAB linebacker Jake Ganus tweeted he’s coming to the game. He’s now a high school coach and indicated he’ll be bringing 2024 DB prospect A’Mon Lane.

Yes, Georgia can host recruits again this season in Sanford.

“We went a year without being able to utilize our beautiful facility,” Smart said on his radio show. “The west end zone is such a recruiting advantage because they get to enjoy our amenities, see the locker room and the wonderful job our administration and supporters have done in giving us this great venue for home games. It completely went unused last year.”

1:10 p.m.: Today’s UGA captains: safety Christopher Smith, offensive lineman Jamaree Salyer and running back Zamir White.

12:54 p.m.: UGA director of sports medicine Ron Courson, who tested positive for COVID-19 and missed the Clemson game, already was spotted back on the field here. So Georgia has its veteran trainer on the sidelines today.

More to come

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