Georgia outside linebacker Davin Bellamy knows he’s in the middle of a three-week stretch he will never forget.
The fifth-year senior from the Atlanta suburb of Chamblee played in Sanford Stadium for the final time Saturday in a 42-13 win over Kentucky. This week’s challenge is a trip to Georgia Tech for the Governor’s Cup and Peach State bragging rights, while next week will represent Georgia’s first venture to the Southeastern Conference championship game since 2012.
“It is wild,” Bellamy said Saturday night with a grin. “I’m thankful we were able to add one more game by winning the SEC East and getting to Atlanta, but we can’t overlook Georgia Tech. They’ve had our number these last few years, and we know it’s going to be a rough game.”
Paul Johnson’s Yellow Jackets have defeated Georgia in their last two trips to Athens, prevailing 28-27 last November in a game the Bulldogs led 27-14 entering the fourth quarter. Last year’s matchup pitted a pair of 7-4 teams, but the Bulldogs are 10-1 and ranked No. 7 this time around, while Georgia Tech is 5-5 and coming off a surprise 43-20 setback at Duke.
The Yellow Jackets, who are playing an 11-game regular season due to Hurricane Irma canceling their Sept. 16 game at Central Florida, still pose a unique challenge with their triple-option offense. Georgia Tech ranks sixth nationally with 319.3 rushing yards per game and had 47 carries for 277 yards (5.9 per carry) at Duke.