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Bulldog fans pack Sanford Stadium for spring game, Jacob Eason debut

Randy Capps

By Randy Capps

Published:

A few months ago, when Kirby Smart was introduced to the crowd at a Georgia basketball game, he asked the Bulldog fan base to pack Sanford Stadium for the spring game.

“We want to see the same energy and passion at the spring game. We want to see 93,000 there to come out and support us,” he told Dawg Nation. “The easiest thing in recruiting is when your fan base is united and everybody is pulling in the same direction. That’s what we need, that’s what we want, that’s what we expect. We want to get that done.”

It seemed unrealistic at the time, but that’s exactly what happened Saturday as 93,000 fans filled the stadium to watch the Black defeat the Red, 34-14, in a scrimmage that will be most remembered for Jacob Eason’s debut.

Some fans, according to the Atlanta Journal-Constitution’s Seth Emerson, finally gave up on trying to get into the stadium in the second quarter. The capacity crowd smashed the attendance record (46,815), which was set last year.

“It was amazing,” running back Sony Michel said after the game. “Dawg Nation has the best fans in the world.”

Here are a few other highlights from the G-Day game:

SETTING THE SCENE

If you’re going to have a stadium full of fans, why not have a warm-up act? Ludacris provided the pregame entertainment as folks filed in for the game:

EASON’S DEBUT

Five-star recruit and early enrollee Jacob Eason took his first snap in the second quarter for the Red team. His first play was a completed swing pass to Brandon Douglas for a 13-yard gain.

His third play was a bullet to Riley Ridley for a 34-yard gain. The pass went to the far hash and was fitted in nicely over a defender. It was a beautiful toss from Eason, and one that drew a loud ovation from the crowd.

He wrapped up the day going 19 of 29 for 244 yards with a touchdown. It was the sort of day that only ramps up the hype behind a talented young player.

QB DERBY STILL ON

Despite Eason’s solid work, the starting quarterback job is still up for grabs heading out of spring ball.

In a live interview early in the third quarter, Smart was non-committal on when he would chose a starter from Eason, Greyson Lambert and Brice Ramsey. He repeated that sentiment after the game:

“We’ll wait and watch the tape so we can make educated decisions and judge and not rush to judgment,” Smart told ESPN’s Shannon Spake after the game. “All of them challenged each other and competed.”

“What I see is three guys, all of whom have different traits,” he said in the press room. “And all of them having improving to do.”

CHECKING IT DOWN

Offensive coordinator Jim Chaney’s fingerprints are already on the offense, as all of the quarterbacks made liberal use of check downs to running backs and tight ends.

Of course, Georgia wasn’t exactly going to empty out its playbook in a scrimmage.

“This game was going to be televised,” Smart said. “We didn’t want North Carolina to see all of our calls.”

RAMSEY HELPS, HURTS HIMSELF

Ramsey is the Bulldogs’ punter, and he’s also in the mix for the starting quarterback job. In the first quarter, he boomed a punt and pinned the opposing team inside the 10-yard line.

He then ran in for that team and took snaps at quarterback.

Maybe he would have been better off with a touch back?

FINDING A KICKER

Rodrigo Blankenship drilled a 46-yard field goal in the first quarter for the game’s opening score, which had to calm Smart’s nerves a bit.

There are no scholarship kickers on the roster, though Blankenship did kick in the U.S. Army All-American Game.

He missed a 44-yard try to end the first half as it hooked just left.

“(William) Ham has kicked really well all spring,” Smart said. “I know that’s shocking to you after today. But some of that was due to a low snap. … Ham and Blankenship have both kicked well. I know Brice hit the one bomb. But the punting has been a bigger issue than the field goals.”

GETTING DEFENSIVE

The defense was quiet for much of the day, but Aaron Davis changed that late in the third quarter. The rising senior corner back picked off an errant (and ill-advised) Lambert pass in the red zone and returned it 98 yards for a touchdown.

Randy Capps

Randy Capps is a contributing writer for Saturday Down South. He covers SEC football, South Carolina and Georgia.

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