Athens, GA–Three things that Georgia head coach Kirby Smart expected to see Saturday afternoon from his Bulldogs were fire, passion and energy – and it is safe to say the Red and Black teams delivered.
Sanford Stadium welcomed the Bulldogs back to the field for the annual G-Day spring scrimmage, where 35,033 enthusiastic Georgia fans watched the Red team defeat the Black team, 34-17, on a perfect, sunny spring day.
The game featured several familiar faces. The Georgia born and raised Gunner Stockton led the Red team to victory, throwing for 309 yards and two touchdowns. Sophomore running back Nate Frazier scored the first touchdown of the scrimmage on a pass from Stockton. Both Frazier and Stockton embodied the fire, passion and energy Smart said he’s looking for this spring.
A newer face on the field was redshirt freshman quarterback Ryan Puglisi, who brought some energy of his own. As the starting quarterback for the Black team, Puglisi completed a 35-yard pass to freshman wide receiver CJ Wiley in the first quarter. Puglisi finished with 224 passing yards and two touchdowns.
Smart acknowledged that both quarterbacks showed promise, but still have room to grow.
“They need a game environment,” Smart said. “Both did some good things, and both did some poor things. I am excited to see some more growth and toughness from them.”
Georgia’s linebackers also turned up the heat during the scrimmage. CJ Allen led the Black defense with eight tackles, while Justin Williams led the Red defense with nine stops. Chris Cole tipped one of Puglisi’s passes in the red zone, preventing a scoring opportunity for the Black team.
Smart praised the energy that he saw from both Williams and Cole.
“I’ll tell you that there’s not two players on our team that play with more fire, passion and energy,” Smart said. “It’s about the kids that want to play the game the most right now, and those two guys personify that.”
Backup quarterback Colter Ginn saw action for the Black team in the second half. On the first play after halftime, Ginn completed a 50-yard pass to London Humphreys. Minutes later, Ginn connected with Humphreys again, this time for a 7-yard touchdown.
Despite those efforts, the Black team could not match the Red’s offensive production. The Red team totaled 441 yards, compared to the Black’s 313.
Saturday’s scrimmage offered fans a glimpse of what’s to come this fall. With new faces and young talent across the roster, Smart hopes the energy displayed on G-Day continues into the regular season.
“Fire, passion and energy pays off, and that’s what we’re looking for out of those kids,” Smart said. “Because the guy that plays hard is better than the guy that just has the most talent. I am excited about the work we’ve had and looking forward to seeing progress next season. We’ve got a lot of work to do in terms of off season and getting ourselves where we need to be for next year.”
The Georgia Bulldogs will return to Sanford Stadium on Aug. 30 to open the 2025 season against the Marshall Thundering Herd.