# 2016 Georgia Bulldogs football team

The 2016 Georgia Bulldogs football team represented the University of Georgia in the 2016 NCAA Division I FBS football season. The Bulldogs played their home games at Sanford Stadium. They were members of the Eastern Division of the Southeastern Conference. They were led by first-year head coach Kirby Smart. They finished the season 8–5, 4–4 in SEC play to finish in a three-way tie for second place in the Eastern Division. They were invited to the Liberty Bowl where they defeated TCU.

## Coaching changes

After the 2015 regular season, Georgia's athletic director Greg McGarity fired head coach Mark Richt after 15 seasons with an overall 145–51 record. Richt was replaced with former Georgia football player Kirby Smart, who, at the time, was Alabama's defensive coordinator. Smart played for the Bulldogs from 1995 to 1998 for coaches Ray Goff and Jim Donnan and was defensive coordinator at Alabama from 2008 to 2015 under head coach Nick Saban. Jeremy Pruitt, who was defensive coordinator for Georgia from 2014 to 2015, accepted a position as the defensive coordinator for Alabama to replace Smart.

## 2016 recruiting class

College recruiting information (2016) :
| Name | Hometown | High school / college | Height | Weight | Commit date |
| Isaac Nauta #1 TE | Bradenton, FL | IMG Academy | 6 ft 4 in (1.93 m) | 235 lb (107 kg) | Jan 9, 2016 |
| Star ratings: Scout: Rivals: 247Sports: ESPN: |||||||
| Mecole Hardman #2 ATH | Elberton, GA | Elbert County High School | 5 ft 10 in (1.78 m) | 171 lb (78 kg) | Feb 3, 2016 |
| Star ratings: Scout: Rivals: 247Sports: ESPN: |||||||
| Jacob Eason #1 QB | Lake Stevens, WA | Lake Stevens High School | 6 ft 5 in (1.96 m) | 207 lb (94 kg) | Jul 9, 2014 |
| Star ratings: Scout: Rivals: 247Sports: ESPN: |||||||
| Charlie Woerner #4 ATH | Tiger, GA | Rabun County High School | 6 ft 5 in (1.96 m) | 220 lb (100 kg) | Jul 23, 2015 |
| Star ratings: Scout: Rivals: 247Sports: ESPN: |||||||
| Javon Wims #3 WR (JC) | Miami, FL | Hinds C.C. (MS) | 6 ft 4 in (1.93 m) | 205 lb (93 kg) | Nov 8, 2015 |
| Star ratings: Scout: Rivals: 247Sports: ESPN: |||||||
| Julian Rochester #8 DT | Powder Springs, GA | McEachern High School | 6 ft 5 in (1.96 m) | 327 lb (148 kg) | May 28, 2015 |
| Star ratings: Scout: Rivals: 247Sports: ESPN: |||||||
| Riley Ridley #39 WR | Deerfield Beach, FL | Deerfield Beach High School | 6 ft 1 in (1.85 m) | 190 lb (86 kg) | Jan 7, 2016 |
| Star ratings: Scout: Rivals: 247Sports: ESPN: |||||||
| Chauncey Manac #17 DE | Homerville, GA | Clinch County High School | 6 ft 3 in (1.91 m) | 252 lb (114 kg) | Sep 27, 2014 |
| Star ratings: Scout: Rivals: 247Sports: ESPN: |||||||
| Jaleel Laguins #11 ILB | Watkinsville, GA | Oconee County High School | 6 ft 1 in (1.85 m) | 210 lb (95 kg) | Aug 8, 2015 |
| Star ratings: Scout: Rivals: 247Sports: ESPN: |||||||
| Elijah Holyfield #11 RB | Atlanta, GA | Woodward Academy | 5 ft 10 in (1.78 m) | 195 lb (88 kg) | Sep 4, 2015 |
| Star ratings: Scout: Rivals: 247Sports: ESPN: |||||||
| Ben Cleveland #13 OG | Toccoa, GA | Stephens County High School | 6 ft 6 in (1.98 m) | 327 lb (148 kg) | Jul 9, 2014 |
| Star ratings: Scout: Rivals: 247Sports: ESPN: |||||||
| Tyler Clark #30 DT | Americus, GA | Americus-Sumter County High School | 6 ft 3 in (1.91 m) | 290 lb (130 kg) | May 15, 2015 |
| Star ratings: Scout: Rivals: 247Sports: ESPN: |||||||
| Michail Carter #9 DT | Jackson, GA | Jackson High School | 6 ft 3 in (1.91 m) | 288 lb (131 kg) | Feb 3, 2016 |
| Star ratings: Scout: Rivals: 247Sports: ESPN: |||||||
| Tyler Simmons #87 WR | Powder Springs, GA | McEachern High School | 5 ft 11 in (1.80 m) | 191 lb (87 kg) | Feb 3, 2016 |
| Star ratings: Scout: Rivals: 247Sports: ESPN: |||||||
| Tyrique McGhee #45 CB | Fort Valley, GA | Peach County High School | 5 ft 10 in (1.78 m) | 168 lb (76 kg) | Feb 22, 2015 |
| Star ratings: Scout: Rivals: 247Sports: ESPN: |||||||
| David Marshall #25 DT | Thomaston, GA | Upson-Lee High School | 6 ft 3 in (1.91 m) | 255 lb (116 kg) | Feb 3, 2016 |
| Star ratings: Scout: Rivals: 247Sports: ESPN: |||||||
| Solomon Kindley #40 OG | Jacksonville, FL | Raines High School | 6 ft 5 in (1.96 m) | 345 lb (156 kg) | Jan 25, 2016 |
| Star ratings: Scout: Rivals: 247Sports: ESPN: |||||||
| Chad Clay #18 CB | Suwanee, GA | Peachtree Ridge High School | 5 ft 11 in (1.80 m) | 169 lb (77 kg) | May 8, 2015 |
| Star ratings: Scout: Rivals: 247Sports: ESPN: |||||||
| Chris Barnes #19 OG | Leesburg, GA | Lee County High School | 6 ft 3 in (1.91 m) | 274 lb (124 kg) | Apr 11, 2015 |
| Star ratings: Scout: Rivals: 247Sports: ESPN: |||||||
| Marshall Long #10 K | China Grove, NC | South Rowan High School | 6 ft 4 in (1.93 m) | 230 lb (100 kg) | Jan 31, 2016 |
| Star ratings: Scout: Rivals: 247Sports: ESPN: |||||||
| Overall recruiting rankings: Scout: 10 Rivals: 9 247Sports: 7 ESPN: 7 |||||||
| Note: In many cases, Scout, Rivals, 247Sports, and ESPN may conflict in their listings of height and weight. In these cases, the average was taken. ESPN grades are on a 100-point scale. Sources: "2016 Team Ranking". Rivals.com. Retrieved January 31, 2016. |||||||
National Signing Day was on February 3, 2016.

## Schedule

Georgia announced its 2016 football schedule on October 29, 2015. The 2016 schedule consisted of 6 home, 4 away, and 2 neutral site games in the regular season. The Bulldogs hosted SEC foes Auburn, Tennessee, and Vanderbilt, and traveled to Kentucky, Missouri, Ole Miss, and South Carolina. Georgia went against Florida in Jacksonville, Florida.
The Bulldogs had hosted three of their four non–conference games, which were against Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets and the North Carolina Tar Heels both from the Atlantic Coast Conference, Louisiana–Lafayette Ragin' Cajuns from the Sun Belt Conference, and Nicholls State Colonels from the Southland Conference.
| Date | Time | Opponent | Rank | Site | TV | Result | Attendance |
| September 3 | 5:30 p.m. | vs. No. 22 North Carolina* | No. 18 | Georgia DomeAtlanta, GA (Chick-fil-A Kickoff Game) | ESPN | W 33–24 | 75,405 |
| September 10 | 12:00 p.m. | Nicholls State* | No. 9 | Sanford StadiumAthens, GA | SECN | W 26–24 | 92,746 |
| September 17 | 7:30 p.m. | at Missouri | No. 16 | Faurot FieldColumbia, MO | SECN | W 28–27 | 57,098 |
| September 24 | 12:00 p.m. | at No. 23 Ole Miss | No. 12 | Vaught–Hemingway StadiumOxford, MS | ESPN | L 14–45 | 65,483 |
| October 1 | 3:30 p.m. | No. 11 Tennessee | No. 25 | Sanford StadiumAthens, GA (rivalry / SEC Nation) | CBS | L 31–34 | 92,746 |
| October 9 | 2:30 p.m. | at South Carolina | | Williams-Brice StadiumColumbia, SC (rivalry) | SECN | W 28–14 | 77,221 |
| October 15 | 12:00 p.m. | Vanderbilt | | Sanford StadiumAthens, GA (rivalry) | SECN | L 16–17 | 92,746 |
| October 29 | 3:30 p.m. | vs. No. 14 Florida | | EverBank FieldJacksonville, FL (rivalry / SEC Nation) | CBS | L 10–24 | 84,681 |
| November 5 | 7:30 p.m. | at Kentucky | | Commonwealth StadiumLexington, KY | SECN | W 27–24 | 62,507 |
| November 12 | 3:30 p.m. | No. 8 Auburn | | Sanford StadiumAthens, GA (Deep South's Oldest Rivalry) | CBS | W 13–7 | 92,746 |
| November 19 | 12:00 p.m. | Louisiana–Lafayette* | | Sanford StadiumAthens, GA | SECN | W 35–21 | 92,746 |
| November 26 | 12:00 p.m. | Georgia Tech* | | Sanford StadiumAthens, GA (Clean, Old-Fashioned Hate) | SECN | L 27–28 | 92,746 |
| December 30 | 12:00 p.m. | vs. TCU* | | Liberty Bowl Memorial StadiumMemphis, TN (Liberty Bowl) | ESPN | W 31–23 | 51,087 |
| *Non-conference gameHomecomingRankings from AP Poll released prior to gameAll times are in Eastern time ||||||||
    The game between Georgia and South Carolina had been originally scheduled for October 8, 2016, but was postponed due to Hurricane Matthew and played on October 9, 2016.

## Game summaries
### vs North Carolina

| | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
| #22 Tar Heels | 0 | 10 | 14 | 0 | 24 |
| #18 Bulldogs | 7 | 7 | 9 | 10 | 33 |

### Nicholls State

| | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
| Colonels | 0 | 7 | 7 | 10 | 24 |
| #9 Bulldogs | 7 | 3 | 16 | 0 | 26 |

### At Missouri

| | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
| #16 Bulldogs | 7 | 14 | 0 | 7 | 28 |
| Tigers | 10 | 10 | 7 | 0 | 27 |

### At Ole Miss

| | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
| #12 Bulldogs | 0 | 0 | 7 | 7 | 14 |
| #23 Rebels | 17 | 14 | 14 | 0 | 45 |

### Tennessee

| | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
| #11 Volunteers | 0 | 7 | 7 | 20 | 34 |
| #25 Bulldogs | 7 | 10 | 7 | 7 | 31 |

### At South Carolina

| | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
| Bulldogs | 7 | 7 | 0 | 14 | 28 |
| Gamecocks | 0 | 0 | 7 | 7 | 14 |

### Vanderbilt

| | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
| Commodores | 7 | 0 | 3 | 7 | 17 |
| Bulldogs | 3 | 3 | 7 | 3 | 16 |

### vs Florida

| | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
| Gators | 7 | 7 | 7 | 3 | 24 |
| Bulldogs | 7 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 10 |

### At Kentucky

| | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
| Bulldogs | 7 | 6 | 3 | 11 | 27 |
| Wildcats | 7 | 7 | 7 | 3 | 24 |

### Auburn

| Quarter | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
| Auburn | 7 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 7 |
| Georgia | 0 | 0 | 7 | 6 | 13 |
at Sanford Stadium • Athens, Georgia
* Date: November 12
* Game time: 3:30 p.m. EDT
* Game weather: Fair • 62 °F (17 °C) • Wind gusts 20 miles per hour (32 km/h; 17 kn)
* Game attendance: 92,746
* Referee: Ken Williamson
* Box Score

### Louisiana–Lafayette

| | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
| Ragin' Cajuns | 0 | 7 | 0 | 14 | 21 |
| Bulldogs | 14 | 7 | 7 | 7 | 35 |

### Georgia Tech

| | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
| Yellow Jackets | 7 | 7 | 0 | 14 | 28 |
| Bulldogs | 7 | 7 | 13 | 0 | 27 |

### TCU–Liberty Bowl

| | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
| Bulldogs | 7 | 7 | 7 | 10 | 31 |
| Horned Frogs | 9 | 7 | 7 | 0 | 23 |

## Rankings

Ranking movements Legend: ██ Increase in ranking ██ Decrease in ranking — = Not ranked RV = Received votes :
| | Week | Week | Week | Week | Week | Week | Week | Week | Week | Week | Week | Week | Week | Week | Week | Week |
| Poll | Pre | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 11 | 12 | 13 | 14 | Final |
| AP | 18 | 9 | 16 | 12 | 25 | RV | RV | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| Coaches | 16 | 9 | 13 | 11 | 20 | RV | RV | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | RV |
| CFP | Not released | Not released | Not released | Not released | Not released | Not released | Not released | Not released | Not released | — | — | — | — | — | — | Not released |