Georgia football's winners, losers from season opening win

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Georgia football's winners, losers from season opening win

Georgia football's winners, losers from season opening win

James Morgan, UGA Wire

Sun, September 6, 2026 at 4:00 PM UTC ·

3 min read

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The Georgia Bulldogs moved to 1-0 with a dominant all-around performance in a 63-3 win over the Tennessee State Tigers. Georgia overwhelmed Tennessee State in all aspects of the game and got off to a 35-0 start. The Bulldogs managed the extreme heat well and moved to 11-0 in season openers under coach Kirby Smart.

The 63-3 win was Georgia's largest margin of victory since the 2023 Orange Bowl against Florida State , where Georgia also won 63-3. The win was the most points Georgia had scored since the 2022 national championship against TCU. The Bulldogs do have a larger margin of victory during the coach Smart era. That came in a 62-0 win in 2021 against Vanderbilt.

"I don't know what you take from this," coach Smart said after the game. "I mean, we played in heat, we got our first game jitters out of the way. And we go back to work."

Georgia got contributions from a plethora of different players in the dominant win against Tennessee State. Fifteen different Georgia players had receptions in the win. Eleven different Georgia players had a rushing attempt. The win helped Georgia build depth and get inexperienced players some game action.

Winner: Georgia's first team offense

The Bulldogs cashed in with five straight touchdown drives to open their 2026 season. Georgia's first team offense looked physical and efficient against an inferior opponent. Quarterback Gunner Stockton completed 15 of 16 passes for 202 yards and connected on three touchdown passes.

Loser: Georgia's penalties

Georgia dominated Tennessee State in every key offensive category except for one: penalties. The Bulldogs had a few key penalties disrupt their day. Tight end Jaden Reddell had a facemask to wipe out a 58-yard catch and score. The Dawgs had two No. 51s on the field for a field goal and messed up the hold for the field goal attempt on the next snap (regular holder Gunner Stockton was out of the game). UGA finished the day with eight penalties for 85 yards.

Winner: Jaden Reddell

Georgia tight end Jaden Reddell showed excellent contact balance and looked like he'll be a big part of the Georgia offense. Reddell had the most productive game of his career and showed that he needs to be fed touches on a weekly basis.

Winners: Tight end Elyiss Williams and wide receiver Talyn Taylor

Georgia receiver Talyn Taylor had his first career touchdown catch in the win while Elyiss Williams scored an acrobatic touchdown. They drew coach Smart's praise after the game.

"Both have been great," Smart said on Williams and Taylor. "You know, Elyiss has been a weapon two ways with the blocking and the play-action pass. Really, he's had an outstanding camp."

"And Talyn's a wonderful talent," Smart said. "We've known that. We didn't get a chance to grow that with the injury he had last year. It was very unfortunate. We thought he was gonna be explosive, and he's had really good practices. He works really hard."

Winner: PJ Dean

PJ Dean posted 1.5 sacks in Georgia's win. He flashed the potential to see immediate playing time as a true freshman and former four-star recruit.

"I'm glad we were able to get him," Smart said after Georgia's win. "He's been a big plus for us."

Loser: Joseph Jonah-Ajonye

Georgia defensive lineman Jospeh Jonah-Ajonye had a pair of illegal hands to the face penalties. Jonah-Ajonye will need to clean that up, but should still see snaps as part of Georgia's defensive line rotation.