The weather contributed to a turnover-happy game, with the rain coming and going, and it turned into a nice and muggy afternoon.
All in all, though, Georgia beat Western Kentucky by 50, and has dominated two lesser opponents in back-to-back weeks to start the season. We’ve still got a lot to learn about this Georgia team, since it’s tough to glean much from these lopsided games.
We’ll spend a fair bit of today’s newsletter taking about Saturday’s game, but I also want to jump-start our Arkansas coverage, with Georgia beginning SEC play in Fayetteville next weekend.
The Razorbacks, for the record, are coming off a beatdown at Utah and aren’t happy campers:
Arkansas coach Ryan Silverfield said his team is upset about the loss.
“Clearly not good enough in all three phases of the game,” Silverfield said, per SI.com. “Guys in the locker room were frustrated. They’re pissed off. They’re angry, and I said... those are the feeling you’re supposed to have. We have to find a way to quickly learn from this game and bounce back.”
Arkansas opened its season with a 31-14 win over FCS-level North Alabama, but its trip to Salt Lake City to play the Utes did not produce a similar result.
Utah barbecued the Razorbacks on the ground, out-rushing them 141-61 yards in jumping out to a 29-3 halftime lead and 43-3 advantage before Arkansas scored with 6:43 left on a tipped pass.
Smart, in his 11th year as UGA’s head coach, delivered a stern message in the aftermath of the Bulldogs’ 70-20 win over Western Kentucky.
“We don’t want to anoint anybody right now because they recover fumbles or catch touchdowns,” said Smart, who put his team’s success on Saturday in perspective, noting it came against the Conference USA’s Hilltoppers and not an SEC team. “When you score 70, you’re gonna have a lot of fluffy stats.
“I don’t care about stats. I really do not care… you guys will reward them, you will say we scored 70 and 60, and the only thing I’m worried about is how the hell we’re gonna play on the road next week.”
“I love them,” linebacker Chris Cole said. “White uniforms, 10 out of 10. Hopefully we wear them again. But I love them.”
“It was amazing, I’m not gonna lie,” cornerback Ellis Robinson said. “First time ever wearing something different at Georgia. It felt good to be out there, too, seeing the crowd all white, too, just like us.”
Georgia moves to 2-0 on the season and 5-0 in alternate uniforms in the Smart era, but will we see this all-white look again? Maybe, but then again, based on Smart’s impression of the second half, maybe not.
“I don’t know,” Smart said after the win. “Time will tell. If we play like we did in the second half, hell no.”
“If you don’t get off the field on third down six consecutive times, you’re not ready to play for Georgia’s defense,” Smart said. “If you can’t possess the ball on offense, then you can’t play. If you can’t crack block a guy that’s lined up inside you and hold your block and pin him, then you’re probably not ready.
“If your front five offensive linemen can’t move Western Kentucky’s defensive line, you’re gonna really struggle on the road when you play in the SEC. So there’s guys that want play in time and think they’re worthy of playing time that just proved to me they don’t deserve it.”
Check out some photos of the Saturday’s White Out below:
Georgia kicker Peyton Woodring (91) kicks an extra point after a Georgia touchdown during the first half against Western Kentucky in their NCAA football game at Sanford Stadium, Saturday, Sept. 12, 2026, in Athens, Ga. Georgia won 70-20. (Jason Getz/AJC)
Georgia cheerleaders perform during the first half of Georgias game against Western Kentucky in their NCAA football game at Sanford Stadium, Saturday, Sept. 12, 2026, in Athens, Ga. Georgia won 70-20. (Jason Getz/AJC)
Georgia students cheer after a Georgia touchdown during the first half against Western Kentucky in their NCAA football game at Sanford Stadium, Saturday, Sept. 12, 2026, in Athens, Ga. Georgia won 70-20. (Jason Getz/AJC)
Georgia football players runs onto the field before their NCAA football game against Western Kentucky at Sanford Stadium, Saturday, Sept. 12, 2026, in Athens, Ga. (Jason Getz/AJC)
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5-star junior DB has ‘lot to think about’ after UGA White Out
When Casey Barner left Athens yesterday, he had UGA on his mind.
National reports have the state’s No. 1 junior prospect, rated as the nation’s No. 1 safety and the No. 5 overall prospect for 2028 on the 247Sports Composite, pulling a Tyler Atkinson, a DJ Jacobs or a LaDamion Guyton. But the Dawgs still had a chance to plant a seed.
They did just that.
“The visit was great,” Barner, who plays at McEachern, told DawgNation. “What stood out most to me was the atmosphere, the way the defense played and just seeing how everything comes together on gameday. Georgia definitely gave me a lot to think about.”
Barner, who’s also the top-ranked junior recruit in Georgia, elaborated on that front.
“They gave me a lot to think about in terms of how I would fit into their defense, how they develop safeties and the standard they expect from their players,” he said. “The relationships I have with the coaches also continue to grow, so that’s something I am definitely considering. Overall, it just made me think more about what my future could look like at Georgia.”
The buzz lately has been that a Miami, an Ohio State or a Texas A&M might come into Georgia and plunder another 5-star away from Smart’s program.
Robinson had multiple pass breakups on Saturday, showcasing his coverage ability and physicality. He had four interceptions last season for the Bulldogs, leading the SEC.
Yet after two games, Jones has more interceptions than Robinson. We’ll see if the First Team All-American can keep up and push the Georgia defense to elite heights.
Yet for the second straight game, the Bulldogs committed some uncharacteristic mistakes in the third phase of the game.
Landon Roldan, Georgia’s third-string punt returner, had a costly fumble in the second half. That led to another short Western Kentucky touchdown.
Roldan scored his first career touchdown on Saturday, yet afterward, Smart felt the need to harp on his fumble.
“He’s fast, he makes competitive catches. He’s smart and disciplined,” Smart said. “He needs to work on his punt return, that’s for sure.”
Tyriq Green returned a kickoff for a 91-yard touchdown, Georgia’s first since Terry Godwin had one in 2016.
Yet on the final kickoff return of the game, with Georgia up 70-20, Green was rolled up on by teammate Bo Walker. The second-year running back pounced on a squib by Western Kentucky and elected to return the football.
