GEORGIA IS CHEEZ-IT NATIONAL TEAM OF THE WEEK

GEORGIA IS CHEEZ-IT NATIONAL TEAM OF THE WEEK

DALLAS (FWAA) – The Georgia Bulldogs, the nation’s top-ranked team earlier in the season, went into Austin Saturday night and put on a defensive show to knock off top-ranked Texas. For its 30-15 road win in front of a stadium-record crowd of 105,215 that featured seven sacks and four forced turnovers, Georgia (6-1) earned the Cheez-It National Team of the Week award for games played the weekend of Oct. 19, as selected by the All-America Committee of the Football Writers Association of America.

This is the third time for the Bulldogs to be so honored and the first time since 2013 when they won at then-No. 6 LSU, 44-41, on the weekend of Sept. 28.

The win earned a benchmark for Georgia head coach Kirby Smart, who joined a select group of head coaches who have been among the fastest to reach the century victory mark in their career as he reached 100 wins tonight in just 117 games. That’s tied for fifth-fastest with Knute Rockne (100-12-5 at Notre Dame) and Chris Petersen (100-17) with Boise State and Washington.

Georgia stymied Texas in the first half to build a 23-0 lead, with 17 of those points coming after three forced turnovers. The Bulldogs held Texas to just 38 yards of total offense (2 rushing, 36 passing) in the first half. It was the third time this season the Bulldogs have posted a first-half shutout. Texas didn’t convert a third down in the first half (0-for-7) and was only 2-of-15 in the game.

On the night, the Bulldogs held Texas to a mere 259 yards of total offense. Coming into the game, Texas was seventh nationally in scoring with 43.2 points per game.

“I think the biggest thing was not knowing what we were in every play and affecting the timing of the routes. We’ve got good pass rushers when we can go,” Georgia head coach Kirby Smart said. “The bigger factor in the game was the inability to run the ball because we felt like if they could run the ball it was going to be tough. They really never established the run, and that’s what this league is. That’s what you’ve got to do in this league because if you can’t do that it makes you more one-dimensional.”

Georgia has now won 45 of its past 46 games, including 31 of its past 32 SEC regular-season games, and the Bulldogs are 52-3 in their last 55 games.

Georgia is idle this week in preparation for its annual clash with Florida in Jacksonville on ABC at 3:30 p.m. ET on Sat., Nov. 2.

Since 2002, the FWAA has named a National Team of the Week. Coming into the 2023 season, 284 teams have been honored, including 101 different Division I programs. Each honored team will receive a custom Cheez-It “care package” along with a hand-crafted game ball made in America by Dallas-based Big Game USA, the nation’s leading manufacturer of custom footballs.

The other National Team of the Week nominees for the weekend of Oct. 19 were:

• Illinois (6-1): The No. 22 Illini celebrated their Memorial Stadium rededication with a 21-7 win against No. 24 Michigan, their first win over the Wolverines since 2009 and their first ranked-vs.-ranked home win since 1991. The game took place 100 years and one day after Red Grange’s iconic six-touchdown performance against Michigan during the stadium’s Dedication Game and was Illinois’ third win over a ranked team this season. The Illinois defense forced three turnovers.
• Maryland (4-3): The Terrapins rallied for a dramatic 29-28 victory over USC in their first-ever meeting, with 15 fourth-quarter points for their first Big Ten win of the season. Billy Edwards Jr.’s rushing touchdown with 53 seconds left gave Maryland its largest fourth-quarter comeback win in five seasons. Up 28-22, USC attempted a field goal with 1:41 left to play, but Maryland’s Donnell Brown blocked the kick, setting up Maryland’s first game-winning touchdown in the final minute of regulation since 2001.
• Tennessee (6-1): The Volunteers came back three times, scoring all of their points in the second half, finally taking the lead on a 16-yard Nico Iamaleava pass to a diving Chris Brazzell II in the back of the end zone for a 21-17 lead with 5:52 remaining. The No. 11 Vols added a field goal before UT safety Will Brooks’ interception with 1:28 left sealed the win in front of a sellout Neyland Stadium crowd (101,915). Tennessee earned back-to-back home wins against Alabama for the first time since 2004-06.

ABOUT KELLANOVA
AKellanova (NYSE: K) is a leader in global snacking, international cereal and noodles, and North America frozen foods with a legacy stretching back more than 100 years. Powered by differentiated brands including Pringles®, Cheez-It®, Pop-Tarts®, Kellogg’s ® Rice Krispies Treats®, RXBAR®, Eggo®, MorningStar Farms®, Special K®, Coco Pops®, and more, Kellanova’s vision is to become the world’s best-performing snacks-led powerhouse, unleashing the full potential of our differentiated brands and our passionate people. Our net sales for 2023 were $13 billion. At Kellanova, our purpose is to create better days and ensure everyone has a seat at the table through our trusted food brands. We are committed to promoting sustainable and equitable food access by tackling the crossroads of hunger, sustainability, wellbeing, and equity, diversity & inclusion. Our goal is to create Better Days for 4 billion people by the end of 2030 (from a 2015 baseline). For more detailed information about our commitments, our approach to achieving these goals, and methodology, please visit our website at kellanova.com.

ABOUT FLORIDA CITRUS SPORTS
Florida Citrus Sports is a not-for-profit event management organization dedicated to positively impacting the Orlando region while enhancing the quality of life in Central Florida through world-class events, including the Camping World Kickoff, the Cheez-It Citrus Bowl, the Pop-Tarts Bowl, the Florida Blue Florida Classic and the Florida Cup & FC Series. For more information, visit FloridaCitrusSports.com.

Founded in 1941, the Football Writers Association of America consists of 1,100 men and women who cover college football. The membership includes journalists, broadcasters and publicists, as well as key executives in all the areas that involve the game. The FWAA works to govern areas that include game-day operations, major awards and its annual All-America team. For more information about the FWAA and its award programs, contact Steve Richardson at tiger@fwaa.com.

For more information, follow @CheezIt and @CitrusBowl on your favorite social media platform, and stay tuned to see what absurdly satisfying antics Cheez-It has in store this season.

2024 FWAA All-America Committee
Kirk Bohls, Houston Chronicle (Chair)
Frank Bonner, Daily Memphian
Travis Brown, KBTX.com
Ken Capps, Freelance
Angelique Chengelis, Detroit News
Brett Ciancia, Pick Six Previews
Scott Dochterman, The Athletic
Bryan Fischer, FOX Sports
John Hoover, All Sooners
Mike Huguenin, Freelance
Shehan Jeyarajah, CBS Sports
Emily Leiker, Syracuse.com
Ben Portnoy, Sports Business Journal
Sean Reider, Albuquerque Journal
Tony Siracusa, Last Word on College Football
Phil Steele, Phil Steele Magazine
Dusty Thibodeaux, Rivals: Warhawk Report
John Wagner, Country News Review (Minn.)
Jon Wilner, Bay Area News Group