Sports

Georgia hasn’t lost a game in 699 days. So how, exactly, do you beat the Dawgs?

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1 year ago

November 3, 2023

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Mark Schlabach, ESPN Senior WriterNov 3, 2023, 07:00 AM ET
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- Senior college football writer
- Author of seven books on college football
- Graduate of the University of Georgia

ATHENS, Georgia — Georgia hasn’t lost a football game in 699 days.

The Bulldogs haven’t been beaten in the regular season in 1,091 days. And they haven’t fallen at home in 1,483 days.

Heading into Saturday’s game against No. 12 Missouri at Sanford Stadium, two-time defending national champion Georgia has won 25 consecutive games. With a victory over the Tigers, Georgia would tie for the 14th-longest winning streak in the AP poll era (since 1936), matching Alabama (2015-16) and Nebraska (1994-1996).

Georgia’s last loss was a 41-24 defeat to Alabama in the SEC championship game Dec. 4, 2021. Its winning streak began when it beat Michigan 34-11 in a CFP semifinal at the Capital One Orange Bowl on New Year’s Eve in 2021. In the next game, the Bulldogs finally took down the Crimson Tide with a 33-18 win in the CFP National Championship to capture their first national title in 41 years.

The Bulldogs have been winning ever since.

Along with a school record 25 straight wins, they’ve captured 35 consecutive regular-season games, 24 straight SEC regular-season games and 23 in a row at home. They’re 41-1 in their past 42 games.

“Like I’ve said all the time, that’s going to come to an end,” Georgia coach Kirby Smart said. “I’ve been part of a lot of streaks. That’s going to come to an end at some point, and when it does, we’ll worry about the next game. I don’t think you can be consumed with that thought process or think that way. You’ve got to think [about] what you can do to help your team win.”

So how do you beat the Bulldogs, who have been ranked No. 1 in the AP poll for 20 consecutive weeks, the third-longest streak ever and the longest in the SEC?

Make quarterback Carson Beck uncomfortable

One of the biggest questions about Georgia heading into the season was how Beck would hold up as a replacement for Stetson Bennett, a former walk-on, who guided the Bulldogs to back-to-back national championships.

So far, so good. Beck is seventh among FBS quarterbacks with a 73% completion rate and 307.8 yards per game. He is 10th in total QBR (81.8) with 14 touchdowns and four interceptions. The junior has been sacked only five times in 283 dropbacks.

“Everybody talks about the quarterback, but he’s extremely composed and very accurate,” said one SEC head coach, whose team played Georgia this season. “Nobody has really been able to put the game on his shoulders, and I still think that’s what you’ve got to do to beat them because they don’t have what I’d call Georgia running backs. They’re good, but not in the way you would think of some of the great Georgia backs.”

In last week’s 43-20 victory over Florida, the Gators pressured Beck on just four of his 30 dropbacks (13%) and had just one sack, according to ESPN Stats & Information. Florida came into that game with a 42% pressure rate, which was third highest in the SEC and ninth best in the FBS.

Georgia’s offensive line has allowed only six sacks in eight games, which is tied for sixth fewest in the FBS. Beck is completing 78.7% of his passes when the pocket is clean, compared to only 50% when he is pressured.

Beck had his biggest moment in Georgia’s first road game, at Auburn on Sept. 30. After falling behind 10-0 in the first quarter, Georgia rallied to go ahead 20-17 in the fourth. The Tigers tied the game with a field goal, then Beck threw a 40-yard touchdown to tight end Brock Bowers with 2:52 to play. Beck completed 23 of 33 passes for 313 yards with one interception and one touchdown in the game.

“He may not be the runner that Bennett was when things break down, but you don’t get to him much, either,” an SEC assistant coach said. “In that Auburn game, when the game was on the line in a hostile environment, he looked very poised.”

Beat the Bulldogs on the road

It might be hard to believe that the Bulldogs lost three times at home during Smart’s first season as his alma mater’s coach in 2016.

Georgia fell to Tennessee 34-31 after Tennessee’s Joshua Dobbs threw a 43-yard Hail Mary touchdown to Jauan Jennings. Special teams mistakes cost the Bulldogs in a 17-16 loss to Vanderbilt, which beat them for only the third time in the past 22 meetings. Then Georgia blew a 13-point lead in the fourth quarter of a 28-27 loss to Georgia Tech, which scored the winning touchdown with 30 seconds left.

Georgia has lost only once in 40 home games since the start of the 2017 season. That came against South Carolina in 2019, a 20-17 loss in double overtime, in which the Bulldogs had four turnovers and missed a 42-yard field goal in the second overtime. The Gamecocks, coached by current UGA co-defensive coordinator Will Muschamp, were 24½-point underdogs in the game.

Georgia has won 23 straight games at Sanford Stadium since then. It has defeated 11 straight opponents ranked in the Top 25 of the AP poll at home, winning by an average of 19.4 points. Only three of the 11 games were decided by fewer than 14 points.

Sanford Stadium can get loud, especially when there’s a ranked opponent in town. In Georgia’s 23-17 victory over Notre Dame in 2019, the Fighting Irish were whistled for six false-start penalties. Arkansas had false starts on its first two plays in a 37-0 loss at Georgia in 2021. Last season, No. 1 Tennessee had seven false starts in a 27-13 loss to the Bulldogs.

Don’t make mistakes

Last season, Missouri unexpectedly gave Georgia its biggest challenge in the regular season. After defeating each of their first four opponents by 17 points or more, the Bulldogs faced a pair of 13-point deficits in the first half and trailed by 10 going into the fourth quarter. The Bulldogs lost two fumbles in the first half and went just 4-for-13 on third down in the game. Georgia rallied, however, and won 26-22 after scoring two touchdowns in the final 10 minutes.

Missouri is one of only three teams since 2021 to lead the Bulldogs through three quarters, according to ESPN Stats & Information. Only Alabama managed to win in the 2021 SEC championship game. Each of those three opponents won the turnover battle through the first three quarters: Bama and Missouri were plus-2. Ohio State was plus-1 through three quarters of a CFP semifinal at the Chick-fil-A Peach Bowl last season.

Georgia turned it on in the fourth quarter of the two games it won. It outgained Missouri by 155 yards in the fourth quarter; it had 90 more yards than Ohio State in a 42-41 victory.

The Bulldogs don’t make many mistakes. This season, they’re the least-penalized team in the SEC with 38.1 yards per game.

“I mean, when you don’t beat yourself, you’ve got a chance,” former Georgia coach Mark Richt said. “When you don’t turn it over, you’ve got a chance. And when you don’t have foolish penalties, you’ve got a chance. A lot of games are given away by just self-inflicted wounds and there hasn’t been a lot of that going on, obviously.”

Hit some big plays

Although Georgia’s defense might not have the star power of the previous two editions — there were a record five Bulldog defenders selected in the first round of the 2022 NFL draft and two more this year — it’s still pretty stingy. Georgia ranks seventh in the FBS in scoring defense (14.8 points), eighth in total defense (272.1 yards) and 12th in run defense (93.6 yards).

One area where the Bulldogs have excelled this season is third-down defense. Opponents have converted only 25% of 100 third-down plays. It’s going to be difficult to drive the ball down the field.

“Where they’re always dangerous on defense is getting you in bad down-and-distance situations,” an SEC head coach said. “It seems like when you play them, that’s always the case. If you can run the ball just a little bit against them, then it obviously gets a little easier. But how many people have been able to do that?

“I still think that’s the first thing you’ve got to do — stay patient, commit to running the ball and mix it up enough in the pass game to keep them honest. You’ve also got to make some explosive plays on them.”

Since the start of the 2021 season, only five opponents have held a halftime lead against Georgia (Alabama did it twice). The two teams that had 10 plays of 10 yards or more in the first half either defeated the Bulldogs or took them all the way down to the wire, according to ESPN Stats & Information. Ohio State had 11 such plays in the first half of last season’s CFP semifinal. The Crimson Tide had 15 in the first two quarters of their victory over Georgia in the 2021 SEC championship game.

This season, Georgia unexpectedly trailed South Carolina 14-3 at halftime at home. The Gamecocks hit nine plays of 10 yards or more in the first half but were shut out in the final two quarters.

“They’re not as good up front [defensively] as they were last year,” an SEC assistant said. “They’re still good, but don’t have as many pros up there as Kirby has had in the past. They don’t run NFL guys in and out like they used to. So that gives you a chance to have some success on offense if you can get the game to the second half.”

How long will Georgia’s winning streak last? It’s about to face one of its most difficult stretches of any of the past three regular seasons. After hosting the Tigers, the Bulldogs play No. 10 Ole Miss at home and No. 17 Tennessee and surging Georgia Tech on the road to close the regular season.

“Listen, they’re still talented, probably as talented as anybody,” an SEC head coach said. “But I do think they’re beatable. I’m not saying they’ll get beat, but it wouldn’t surprise me like it would have a year ago.”

ESPN reporter Chris Low contributed to this report.

Sports

Ohtani falls double shy of cycle in Dodgers’ loss

Published

3 hours ago

April 8, 2025

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Ohtani falls double shy of cycle in Dodgers' loss

Associated Press

Apr 8, 2025, 12:10 AM ET

WASHINGTON — Shohei Ohtani got going again at the plate Monday night, falling a double short of hitting for the cycle.

The three-time MVP homered, tripled, singled and walked, finishing 3-for-4 with two RBIs in the Los Angeles Dodgers‘ 6-4 loss to the Washington Nationals. It was a nice bounce-back for Ohtani after he went 1-for-11 in a weekend series at Philadelphia.

With the Dodgers down two runs and Max Muncy on third base with two outs in the ninth inning, Ohtani walked on a full-count splitter from Nationals closer Kyle Finnegan.

“He had some really good takes there,” Finnegan said. “He knows the situation, too. He knows I’m not going to give him anything too good to hit. He’s a pro. He worked his at-bat and I was able to sneak back in there 3-2. If I was going to get him out, it was because he was going to chase something out of the zone and he did his job and took ball four.”

Mookie Betts then grounded out to end the game.

Ohtani, however, focused more on the called third strike he took with a runner aboard in the eighth.

“My approach doesn’t really change — it’s to really get on base,” he said through an interpreter. “That fourth at-bat I really should have just taken a hack and see what happens.”

Dodgers manager Dave Roberts said Ohtani was unselfish in his final plate appearance when he drew a walk with the game on the line.

“It’s kind of hard to say he was struggling, but tonight he was locked in,” Roberts said. “Even that last at-bat to earn the walk versus Finnegan and not try to chase a cycle speaks to being a team player and passing the baton. He had an excellent night.”

On the pitching side, Ohtani is throwing bullpens and getting closer to live batting practice as the two-way superstar rehabs from elbow surgery.

“I feel pretty good with where I am at physically,” he said. “There’s some limitation on how hard I am supposed to throw or how many types of pitches I’m allowed to throw. Once that’s cleared, I will be able to do all of the above. I feel pretty good about throwing live BP.”

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NHL playoff watch: The Rangers’ path to the postseason

Published

8 hours ago

April 8, 2025

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NHL playoff watch: The Rangers' path to the postseason

Hockey fans often hear about the dreaded Stanley Cup hangover, when a team falters in the season after their championship. But a Presidents’ Trophy hangover?

Last season, the New York Rangers finished on top of the regular-season standings. This season, it’s looking less likely by the day that they’ll even make the playoffs.

When play begins Monday, the Rangers will be six points behind the Montreal Canadiens for the second wild-card spot in the Eastern Conference. With only six games left, they’ll need to come close to running the table, and will also need help from Montreal’s opponents.

Monday’s game is home against the Tampa Bay Lightning (7 p.m. ET, ESPN+). The Lightning have clinched a berth but will still be playing hard as they have a chance to catch the Toronto Maple Leafs for the top spot in the Atlantic Division.

After the Lightning, the Rangers host the Philadelphia Flyers, then have three straight road games, against the New York Islanders, Carolina Hurricanes and Florida Panthers. They close out the season with another matchup against the Lightning.

As noted, New York will need to gin up a winning streak here to bolster its chances. As for the Canadiens, they close out with a somewhat easier schedule: home against the Detroit Red Wings, at the Ottawa Senators and Maple Leafs, then home for the Chicago Blackhawks and the Hurricanes.

So that’s the task ahead for the Blueshirts. Will they come through?

With the regular season ending April 17, we’ll help you track it all with the NHL playoff watch. As we traverse the final stretch, we’ll provide details on all the playoff races, along with the teams jockeying for position in the 2025 NHL draft lottery.

Note: Playoff chances are via Stathletes.

Jump ahead:
Current playoff matchups
Clinching scenarios
Today’s schedule
Yesterday’s scores
Expanded standings
Race for No. 1 pick

Current playoff matchups

Eastern Conference

A1 Toronto Maple Leafs vs. WC1 Ottawa Senators
A2 Tampa Bay Lightning vs. A3 Florida Panthers
M1 Washington Capitals vs. WC2 Montreal Canadiens
M2 Carolina Hurricanes vs. M3 New Jersey Devils

Western Conference

C1 Winnipeg Jets vs. WC2 Minnesota Wild
C2 Dallas Stars vs. C3 Colorado Avalanche
P1 Vegas Golden Knights vs. WC1 St. Louis Blues
P2 Los Angeles Kings vs. P3 Edmonton Oilers

Clinching scenarios

The Edmonton Oilers will clinch a playoff spot if they defeat the Anaheim Ducks in any fashion, AND the Calgary Flames lose to the San Jose Sharks in regulation.

The St. Louis Blues will clinch a playoff spot if they defeat the Winnipeg Jets in regulation, AND the Flames lose to the Sharks in regulation.

Monday’s games

Note: All times ET. All games not on TNT or NHL Network are available to stream on ESPN+ (local blackout restrictions apply).

Tampa Bay Lightning at New York Rangers, 7 p.m.
St. Louis Blues at Winnipeg Jets, 7:30 p.m. (NHLN)
Edmonton Oilers at Anaheim Ducks, 10:30 p.m.
Seattle Kraken at Los Angeles Kings, 10:30 p.m.
Calgary Flames at San Jose Sharks, 10:30 p.m.

Sunday’s scoreboard

New York Islanders 4, Washington Capitals 1
Minnesota Wild 3, Dallas Stars 2 (OT)
Ottawa Senators 4, Columbus Blue Jackets 0
Detroit Red Wings 2, Florida Panthers 1
Buffalo Sabres 6, Boston Bruins 3
Chicago Blackhawks 3, Pittsburgh Penguins 1
Montreal Canadiens 2, Nashville Predators 1
Vegas Golden Knights 3, Vancouver Canucks 2

Expanded standings

Atlantic Division

Points: 98
Regulation wins: 39
Playoff position: A1
Games left: 6
Points pace: 105.7
Next game: @ FLA (Tuesday)
Playoff chances: 100%
Tragic number: N/A

Points: 94
Regulation wins: 38
Playoff position: A2
Games left: 6
Points pace: 101.4
Next game: @ NYR (Monday)
Playoff chances: 100%
Tragic number: N/A

Points: 92
Regulation wins: 35
Playoff position: A3
Games left: 5
Points pace: 98.0
Next game: vs. TOR (Tuesday)
Playoff chances: 100%
Tragic number: N/A

Points: 90
Regulation wins: 33
Playoff position: WC1
Games left: 5
Points pace: 95.8
Next game: @ CBJ (Tuesday)
Playoff chances: 99.9%
Tragic number: N/A

Points: 85
Regulation wins: 28
Playoff position: WC2
Games left: 5
Points pace: 90.5
Next game: vs. DET (Tuesday)
Playoff chances: 79.2%
Tragic number: N/A

Points: 79
Regulation wins: 28
Playoff position: N/A
Games left: 6
Points pace: 85.2
Next game: @ MTL (Tuesday)
Playoff chances: 5.4%
Tragic number: 6

Points: 74
Regulation wins: 27
Playoff position: N/A
Games left: 6
Points pace: 79.8
Next game: vs. CAR (Tuesday)
Playoff chances: 0.1%
Tragic number: 1

Points: 71
Regulation wins: 24
Playoff position: N/A
Games left: 4
Points pace: 74.6
Next game: @ NJ (Tuesday)
Playoff chances: 0%
Tragic number: E

Metro Division

Points: 107
Regulation wins: 42
Playoff position: M1
Games left: 5
Points pace: 114.0
Next game: vs. CAR (Thursday)
Playoff chances: 100%
Tragic number: N/A

Points: 96
Regulation wins: 41
Playoff position: M2
Games left: 6
Points pace: 103.6
Next game: @ BUF (Tuesday)
Playoff chances: 100%
Tragic number: N/A

Points: 89
Regulation wins: 36
Playoff position: M3
Games left: 5
Points pace: 94.8
Next game: vs. BOS (Tuesday)
Playoff chances: 99.9%
Tragic number: N/A

Points: 79
Regulation wins: 32
Playoff position: N/A
Games left: 6
Points pace: 85.2
Next game: vs. TB (Monday)
Playoff chances: 8.5%
Tragic number: 6

Points: 78
Regulation wins: 27
Playoff position: N/A
Games left: 6
Points pace: 84.2
Next game: @ NSH (Tuesday)
Playoff chances: 2.5%
Tragic number: 5

Points: 77
Regulation wins: 24
Playoff position: N/A
Games left: 6
Points pace: 83.1
Next game: vs. OTT (Tuesday)
Playoff chances: 4.5%
Tragic number: 4

Points: 74
Regulation wins: 21
Playoff position: N/A
Games left: 4
Points pace: 77.8
Next game: vs. CHI (Tuesday)
Playoff chances: 0%
Tragic number: E

Points: 71
Regulation wins: 20
Playoff position: N/A
Games left: 5
Points pace: 75.6
Next game: @ NYR (Wednesday)
Playoff chances: 0%
Tragic number: E

Central Division

Points: 108
Regulation wins: 41
Playoff position: C1
Games left: 5
Points pace: 115.0
Next game: vs. STL (Monday)
Playoff chances: 100%
Tragic number: N/A

Points: 105
Regulation wins: 41
Playoff position: C2
Games left: 5
Points pace: 111.8
Next game: vs. VAN (Tuesday)
Playoff chances: 100%
Tragic number: N/A

Points: 98
Regulation wins: 39
Playoff position: C3
Games left: 4
Points pace: 103.0
Next game: vs. VGK (Tuesday)
Playoff chances: 100%
Tragic number: N/A

Points: 93
Regulation wins: 31
Playoff position: WC1
Games left: 4
Points pace: 97.8
Next game: @ ANA (Monday)
Playoff chances: 99.5%
Tragic number: N/A

Points: 91
Regulation wins: 33
Playoff position: WC2
Games left: 4
Points pace: 95.7
Next game: vs. SJ (Wednesday)
Playoff chances: 86.4%
Tragic number: N/A

Points: 82
Regulation wins: 27
Playoff position: N/A
Games left: 5
Points pace: 87.3
Next game: vs. SEA (Tuesday)
Playoff chances: 0.2%
Tragic number: 1

Points: 62
Regulation wins: 23
Playoff position: N/A
Games left: 5
Points pace: 66.0
Next game: vs. NYI (Tuesday)
Playoff chances: 0%
Tragic number: E

Points: 54
Regulation wins: 19
Playoff position: N/A
Games left: 5
Points pace: 57.5
Next game: @ PIT (Tuesday)
Playoff chances: 0%
Tragic number: E

Pacific Division

Points: 102
Regulation wins: 43
Playoff position: P1
Games left: 5
Points pace: 108.6
Next game: @ COL (Tuesday)
Playoff chances: 100%
Tragic number: N/A

Points: 97
Regulation wins: 39
Playoff position: P3
Games left: 6
Points pace: 104.7
Next game: vs. SEA (Monday)
Playoff chances: 100%
Tragic number: N/A

Points: 93
Regulation wins: 32
Playoff position: P2
Games left: 6
Points pace: 100.3
Next game: @ ANA (Monday)
Playoff chances: 99.9%
Tragic number: N/A

Points: 85
Regulation wins: 27
Playoff position: N/A
Games left: 6
Points pace: 91.7
Next game: @ SJ (Monday)
Playoff chances: 12.6%
Tragic number: 6

Points: 83
Regulation wins: 27
Playoff position: N/A
Games left: 5
Points pace: 88.4
Next game: @ DAL (Tuesday)
Playoff chances: 1.4%
Tragic number: 2

Points: 74
Regulation wins: 23
Playoff position: N/A
Games left: 6
Points pace: 79.8
Next game: vs. EDM (Monday)
Playoff chances: 0%
Tragic number: E

Points: 72
Regulation wins: 27
Playoff position: N/A
Games left: 5
Points pace: 76.7
Next game: @ LA (Monday)
Playoff chances: 0%
Tragic number: E

Points: 50
Regulation wins: 14
Playoff position: N/A
Games left: 6
Points pace: 54.0
Next game: vs. CGY (Monday)
Playoff chances: 0%
Tragic number: E

Note: An “x” means that the team has clinched a playoff berth. An “e” means that the team has been eliminated from playoff contention.

Race for the No. 1 pick

The NHL uses a draft lottery to determine the order of the first round, so the team that finishes in last place is not guaranteed the No. 1 selection. As of 2021, a team can move up a maximum of 10 spots if it wins the lottery, so only 11 teams are eligible for the No. 1 pick. Full details on the process are here. Matthew Schaefer, a defenseman for the OHL’s Erie Otters, is No. 1 on the draft board.

Points: 50
Regulation wins: 14

Points: 54
Regulation wins: 19

Points: 62
Regulation wins: 23

Points: 71
Regulation wins: 20

Points: 71
Regulation wins: 24

Points: 72
Regulation wins: 27

Points: 74
Regulation wins: 21

Points: 74
Regulation wins: 23

Points: 74
Regulation wins: 27

Points: 77
Regulation wins: 24

Points: 78
Regulation wins: 27

Points: 79
Regulation wins: 28

Points: 79
Regulation wins: 32

Points: 82
Regulation wins: 27

Points: 83
Regulation wins: 27

Points: 85
Regulation wins: 27

Sports

Utah HC to open new training facility in Sept.

Published

8 hours ago

April 8, 2025

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Utah HC to open new training facility in Sept.

Associated Press

Apr 7, 2025, 02:36 PM ET

The Utah Hockey Club will open a new practice and training facility for team use on Sept. 1, the team announced Monday.

The 115,780-square-foot facility, built on the southeastern end of a Sandy shopping mall, will house two NHL standard ice sheets. It will also include training, medical and dining facilities as well as team locker rooms.

Building a practice facility quickly was one of the immediate challenges Utah owner Ryan Smith faced in bringing an NHL team to the Beehive State. The Utah Olympic Oval, which is primarily used for speedskating events, served as the team’s practice facility this season, but it was intended to be only a temporary solution.

“We want to be competitive in the NHL, and to do that you got to have a place where these guys can practice and they can recover, and it’s home,” Smith said. “We did a miraculous job with the Oval, but at the same time that’s not this.”

Players on Utah’s roster had input on the practice facility’s design from the dining areas to the locker rooms. The facility incorporates many of their suggestions.

“We tried to involve them as much as we can in every part of this,” Smith said.

Utah’s practice facility will also be ready for public use next January. It will feature event venues, eight community locker rooms, equipment rentals and a team store. The ice rinks will be available to the public when not in use by the team.