The 2018 Georgia Bulldogs football team represented the University of Georgia during the 2018 NCAA Division I FBS football season. The Bulldogs played their home games at Sanford Stadium and competed as members of the Eastern Division of the Southeastern Conference. They were led by third-year head coach Kirby Smart.
Georgia entered the 2018 season as defending SEC champions and the previous season's national runners-up, and they were ranked third in the 2018 preseason AP Poll. The Bulldogs won their first six games by an average margin of victory of 30 points but suffered their first loss on the road against LSU. The team rebounded with victories over No. 9 Florida and No. 11 Kentucky, and secured their place in the 2018 SEC Championship Game as champions of the East Division. The game was a rematch of the 2018 College Football Playoff National Championship against West Division champion Alabama, and the results of the games matched as Alabama once again came from behind to win the 2018 match-up. Georgia was left just outside the top four in the final CFP rankings, and they were invited to the Sugar Bowl to play Big 12 Conference runner-up Texas. The Bulldogs were upset by the Longhorns 28–21 and finished the year with a record of 11–3.
The Bulldogs were led on offense by sophomore quarterback Jake Fromm, who finished the year with 2,761 passing yards and 30 passing touchdowns. Fromm finished in second in the conference behind Alabama's Tua Tagovailoa in passing touchdowns and passing efficiency rating (171.3). On the ground, D'Andre Swift and Elijah Holyfield each finished with more than 1,000 rushing yards, the second consecutive year that Georgia had two 1,000-yard backs. On defense, cornerback Deandre Baker was a consensus first-team All-American and the recipient of the Jim Thorpe Award.
Recruiting
2018 recruiting class
Preseason
Award watch lists Listed in the order that they were released Lott TrophyDeandre BakerCBSRRimington TrophyLamont GaillardCSRChuck Bednarik AwardDeandre BakerCBSRMaxwell AwardJake FrommQBSOD'Andre SwiftRBSODoak Walker AwardD'Andre SwiftRBSOJohn Mackey AwardIsaac NautaTEJRButkus AwardD'Andre WalkerLBJRJim Thorpe AwardDeandre BakerCBSRJ. R. ReedCBJRBronko Nagurski TrophyJonathan LedbetterDESROutland TrophyLamont GaillardCSRLou Groza AwardRodrigo BlankenshipKJRPaul Hornung AwardMecole HardmanWR/KRJRWuerffel TrophyRodrigo BlankenshipKJRTed Hendricks AwardJonathan LedbetterDESR
SEC media poll The SEC media poll was released on July 20, 2018, with the Bulldogs predicted to win the SEC East Division.
Preseason All-SEC teams The Bulldogs had twelve players selected to the preseason all-SEC teams.
Offense
2nd team
D'Andre Swift – RB
Terry Godwin – WR
Isaac Nauta – TE
Andrew Thomas – OL
Lamont Gaillard – C
3rd team
Jake Fromm – QB
Defense
1st team
Deandre Baker – DB
J. R. Reed – DB
2nd team
Jonathan Ledbetter – DL
D'Andre Walker – LB
Specialists
1st team
Rodrigo Blankenship – K
2nd team
Mecole Hardman – RET
Schedule
Roster
Game summaries
No. 22 Austin Peay
At No. 24 South Carolina
Middle Tennessee
At Missouri
Tennessee
Sources:
Vanderbilt
At No. 13 LSU
No. 9 Florida
At Kentucky
No. 24 Auburn
UMass
Georgia Tech
vs. Alabama (SEC Championship)
Sources:
Statistics Statistics AlabamaGeorgia First downs 21 23 Total yards 403 454 Rushes–yards 29–157 39–153 Passing yards 246 301 Passing: Comp–Att–Int 17–34–2 25–40–0 Time of possession 24:30 35:30 Team Category Player StatisticsAlabama Passing Tua Tagovailoa 10–25, 164 yards, 1 TD, 2 INT's Rushing Josh Jacobs 8 carries, 83 yards, 2 TD's Receiving Jaylen Waddle 4 receptions, 113 yards, 1 TDGeorgia Passing Jake Fromm 25–39, 301 yards, 3 TD's Rushing D'Andre Swift 16 carries, 75 yards, 1 TD Receiving Isaac Nauta 4 receptions, 81 yards, 1 TD
vs Texas (2019 Sugar Bowl)
Players drafted into the NFL
1 30 Deandre Baker CB New York Giants 2 56 Mecole Hardman WR Kansas City Chiefs 4 126 Riley Ridley WR Chicago Bears 5 168 D'Andre Walker LB Tennessee Titans 6 179 Lamont Gaillard C Arizona Cardinals 7 224 Isaac Nauta TE Detroit Lions 7 237 Terry Godwin WR Carolina Panthers
Source:
Rankings
References