ATHENS, Ga. - Georgia will break out its black jerseys for the first time in eight seasons Saturday afternoon when the Bulldogs host Louisiana-Lafayette.
The jerseys will not have "Remember Nicholls" written across the front.
Having played eight consecutive Southeastern Conference opponents in a nine-week stretch, the Bulldogs have not ventured outside the league since Sept. 10. That was the second game of the Kirby Smart era, and it resulted in a 26-24 escape of Nicholls State, the lone Championship Subdivision foe on this year's schedule.
"It's still sitting there in the backs of our heads," Bulldogs junior outside linebacker Lorenzo Carter said this week. "That game was really close. Nicholls played a great game, so we've got to come out this week and be sharp on everything."
Thrashing schools from outside the Power Five conferences had become somewhat routine for the Bulldogs, who drubbed Troy (66-0) and Charleston Southern (55-9) in 2014 and spanked Louisiana-Monroe (51-14) to open last season. Last November, however, the Bulldogs needed overtime to escape Georgia Southern, 23-17.
Georgia entered the Nicholls game with excitement and momentum after its 33-24 opening triumph over North Carolina and as an unofficial 55-point favorite, since Las Vegas oddsmakers do not list games between FBS and FCS teams. The Bulldogs are 23-point favorites this week against the Ragin' Cajuns.
"We can definitely learn from that game," defensive back Maurice Smith said. "We were coming off a big win, just like we are this week, so we have to remind ourselves that we can't play to the level of our opponent. We've got to play like we're playing the No. 1 team in the nation."
The lethargic Bulldogs trailed Nicholls 14-13 midway through the third quarter when they appeared to come to life with a 66-yard touchdown pass from Jacob Eason to Isaiah McKenzie and a 24-yard fumble return for a score less than a minute later by Carter. That gave the Bulldogs a 26-14 lead, but it was 26-17 with 4:18 remaining when McKenzie fumbled a punt at his 9-yard line.
Nicholls capitalized with a touchdown to get within two, and McKenzie then stepped out of bounds on the ensuing kickoff to give the Bulldogs horrific field position at their 7. Georgia faced a third-and-7 at its 10 moments later and converted when Greyson Lambert threw what may have been his final pass of the season to Michael Chigbu for a 9-yard gain.
"I was very glad we won that," McKenzie said. "We had our struggles after the Nicholls game, too, but I think we've improved each and every week. We can't overlook this team, just like we couldn't overlook Nicholls and a lot of other teams we've played."
Losing to the Colonels of Thibodaux, La., would have marked the most embarrassing defeat in Georgia's football history that began in 1892, but Smart hasn't been much for using that as motivation this week.
"It hasn't come up a whole lot, to be honest with you," Smart said. "We focus on the team we play. Any time you're getting ready to play an opponent, you need to focus on that opponent and not a past opponent. Can you learn from mistakes? Every week we learn from mistakes.
"Every week we learn from things that have happened, but not necessarily who the opponent was. It's things that happen in that game."
Bulldogs players were mixed on whether they would apply the Nicholls game this week, but they were unanimous in that another unheralded team is about to step foot in Sanford Stadium looking for the upset.
"They're going to come in here and do whatever they have to do," Carter said, "so we have to come in trying to give them problems."
Contact David Paschall at dpaschall@timesfreepress.com or 423-757-6524.