When Georgia receiver Terry Godwin threw a 44-yard touchdown to Malcolm Mitchell and caught a 17-yard touchdown from Greyson Lambert during January's 24-17 win over Penn State in the TaxSlayer Bowl, it was evident Godwin could be a scoring threat in multiple ways moving forward.
That was certainly the case in Sunday's 28-14 win at South Carolina, when Godwin returned an onside kick 43 yards for a touchdown with 1:33 remaining, but the rare form of score marked the first time the touted sophomore has reached the end zone this season. The 5-foot-11, 185-pounder from Hogansville is not surpassing or even matching the receiving and rushing numbers he put up a year ago, though one wouldn't know it by his disposition.
"I think it's been a great year," said Godwin, who was Rivals.com's No. 1 athlete prospect in the 2015 signing class. "I've been going out there and really working on my blocking, which is something I needed to improve, and I'm trying to make plays whenever the ball comes to me. When the team goes out and puts up numbers and does what it's supposed to do, it feels good."
Godwin did not have any receptions at South Carolina, and he had just one catch from freshman Jacob Eason for 16 yards the week before against Tennessee. His 13 receptions for 179 yards at the midway mark of the regular season pales to the 35 catches for 379 yards and two touchdowns he compiled a year ago.
From a rushing standpoint, Godwin has four carries for 14 yards (3.5 yards per carry) after rushing seven times for 47 yards (6.7) and a touchdown last season.
"Every player sets goals for themselves, but a lot of times it doesn't matter whether you reach them or not," Godwin said. "As long as your team is doing what it's supposed to do and winning, then that's all that matters to me."
Godwin, whose busiest game was a four-catch, 68-yard performance at Missouri, has started just twice this year and has half the catches of junior receiver Isaiah McKenzie.
"Terry has improved as a player, and he's gotten more physical," Bulldogs coach Kirby Smart said. "He's blocking better and playing with more toughness than he was. He has good hands and runs good routes, and we try to use him in some different capacities. With Isaiah kind of coming about, he's done a good job of handling that and kind of complementing Isaiah.
"As the year goes and Jacob develops, we'll be able to use Terry more and more, but I'm really pleased with what Terry has done."
Lending support
Lambert, the graduate transfer who made 12 starts last season, has not played since bailing the Bulldogs out in the waning moments of the 26-24 victory over Nicholls State.
That does not mean he's not contributing, Smart said, especially when it comes to working with Eason.
"He meets extra with Jacob each week to go through coverages he sees and helps him learn how to study film, which is really important for a freshman," Smart said. "You've got to understand, these kids didn't study high school film like they have to study in college. Greyson has been through that in two places, so Greyson really helps tremendously there."
Odds and ends
Vanderbilt junior running back Ralph Webb, who has rushed for 682 yards through six games, injured his ankle at Kentucky last weekend, but Commodores coach Derek Mason expects Webb to play Saturday in Athens. Smart on the proposal of signing periods in late June and early December: "I'm a big proponent of, 'If it's not broke, don't try to fix it.' Kids change minds and coaches change jobs. A lot can happen when you have the early signing period, and I think it speeds up a process that I personally think is already rushed." Georgia is 75-17-2 all-time on homecoming and has won nine straight since a 24-22 upset loss to Vanderbilt in 2006.
Contact David Paschall at dpaschall@timesfreepress.com or 423-757-6524.