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09/17 11:37 CDT Second-ranked Georgia opens Southeastern Conference play at
struggling Arkansas
Second-ranked Georgia opens Southeastern Conference play at struggling Arkansas
By ERIC W. BOLIN
Associated Press
FAYETTEVILLE, Ark. (AP) --- Two games into the season and No. 2 Georgia has yet
to be tested, having beaten Tennessee State and Western Kentucky by a combined
110 points.
The Bulldogs' third game of the season should provide a bit more of a
challenge, though given Arkansas' struggles so far, the Razorbacks (1-1)
probably aren't a litmus test of what Georgia (2-0) can expect from most of its
Southeastern Conference season the rest of the way. Arkansas hasn't won an SEC
game since Oct. 26, 2024.
A repeat of the 7-5 halftime deficit the last time coach Kirby Smart and Co.
visited Fayetteville would be a major surprise.
That game served as the season-opener in the strange, COVID-shortened 2020
season. It saw Georgia's now-iconic Stetson Bennett IV doff his third-string
status and lead the Bulldogs to a 37-10 win. Georgia won national championships
the next two seasons. Smart and his team learned a lot that day in
Fayetteville. Circumstances in 2026 are far different. At least, they're
different for the visitors.
"You'll learn a lot about them (his team) if they have adversity," Smart said.
"I've learned a lot about our teams in the past from going to play in SEC
environments when maybe we haven't played our best or maybe we get in one of
those hornet nest games and you have to fight your way out of it."
Can't live it down First-year Arkansas coach Ryan Silverfield would have had his hands full against Georgia, anyway. Disparaging remarks he made about the Bulldogs program during his time at Memphis have come back into focus during game week. Silverfield was asked last year about his team's preparation and how they set a standard. When he said "not our standard is ?Georgia wide receiver arrested for driving 900 miles per hour over the speed limit.' That's a weekly occurrence," the Arkansas job wasn't open yet. Smart said Monday that he has since talked to Silverfield about the comments and they're letting bygones go. "That's much ado about nothing," Smart said. "He made a choice to talk about what he wanted to talk about. He did apologize about it. I think (he) was talking about generalities."
Been a long time Georgia is 10-2 against Arkansas since the Razorbacks joined the SEC in 1992. Arkansas hasn't won in the series since 2010 when Bobby Petrino coached the Razorbacks to the Sugar Bowl. Arkansas hardly looks the same as last year, never mind five years ago when the two last met. The Razorbacks have 80 players on the roster who played elsewhere last year. "You don't know much about them, so the evaluation is of our team," Smart said. "That's what I spend my time worrying about is our team. You spend too much time worrying about their team, and you won't have a good team."
Preparing for a question Arkansas quarterback KJ Jackson wasn't named the starter until near the end of fall camp. His play through two games hasn't inspired confidence and Silverfield pulled him for AJ Hill Jr. near the end of last week's 43-10 loss to No. 20 Utah. Jackson completed 14 of 34 passes for 139 yards and an interception against the Utes. After the game, Silverfield said he anticipated sticking with Jackson again against Georgia. As of Monday, that's still the plan. Tentatively. "I thought the quarterback play was not to the standard that we expect and not to the standard to win football games," Silverfield said. "We plan on having KJ as our starting quarterback, but I've got great faith in everybody in that quarterback room." ___ Sign up for Top 25 poll alerts here, visit the Top 25 here and see AP's full college football coverage here
Can't live it down First-year Arkansas coach Ryan Silverfield would have had his hands full against Georgia, anyway. Disparaging remarks he made about the Bulldogs program during his time at Memphis have come back into focus during game week. Silverfield was asked last year about his team's preparation and how they set a standard. When he said "not our standard is ?Georgia wide receiver arrested for driving 900 miles per hour over the speed limit.' That's a weekly occurrence," the Arkansas job wasn't open yet. Smart said Monday that he has since talked to Silverfield about the comments and they're letting bygones go. "That's much ado about nothing," Smart said. "He made a choice to talk about what he wanted to talk about. He did apologize about it. I think (he) was talking about generalities."
Been a long time Georgia is 10-2 against Arkansas since the Razorbacks joined the SEC in 1992. Arkansas hasn't won in the series since 2010 when Bobby Petrino coached the Razorbacks to the Sugar Bowl. Arkansas hardly looks the same as last year, never mind five years ago when the two last met. The Razorbacks have 80 players on the roster who played elsewhere last year. "You don't know much about them, so the evaluation is of our team," Smart said. "That's what I spend my time worrying about is our team. You spend too much time worrying about their team, and you won't have a good team."
Preparing for a question Arkansas quarterback KJ Jackson wasn't named the starter until near the end of fall camp. His play through two games hasn't inspired confidence and Silverfield pulled him for AJ Hill Jr. near the end of last week's 43-10 loss to No. 20 Utah. Jackson completed 14 of 34 passes for 139 yards and an interception against the Utes. After the game, Silverfield said he anticipated sticking with Jackson again against Georgia. As of Monday, that's still the plan. Tentatively. "I thought the quarterback play was not to the standard that we expect and not to the standard to win football games," Silverfield said. "We plan on having KJ as our starting quarterback, but I've got great faith in everybody in that quarterback room." ___ Sign up for Top 25 poll alerts here, visit the Top 25 here and see AP's full college football coverage here
