BULLDOGS NO. 3
The Georgia Bulldogs finished last season at No. 2 and will begin this year at No. 3 in the Associated Press poll, which was released Monday. Here is the top 10 (for the complete poll, see page D2):1. Alabama2. Clemson3. Georgia4. Wisconsin5. Ohio State6. Washington7. Oklahoma8. Miami9. Auburn10. Penn State
Austin Peay football coach Will Healy has studied his share of video on the Georgia Bulldogs as the Sept. 1 trip to Sanford Stadium looms for his Governors.
Healy is familiar with Georgia's offensive weapons that include quarterback Jake Fromm, running back D'Andre Swift and tight end Isaac Nauta, and he is aware of the challenges defensive end Jonathan Ledbetter and cornerback Deandre Baker could pose. Yet there is one other Bulldogs player who has continued to amaze Healy every time he appears on the screen.
"Their kicker is the best kicker I've ever seen in my life," Healy said.
Georgia's playoff run last season forever will be remembered by Sony Michel's 27-yard touchdown run to clinch the Rose Bowl win over Oklahoma and the 41-yard touchdown pass the Bulldogs surrendered to Alabama's Tua Tagovailoa and DeVonta Smith in the title-game loss to the Crimson Tide. Yet there is no denying the importance place-kicker Rodrigo Blankenship played in each contest, drilling a 55-yard field goal at the halftime horn against the Sooners and a 51-yarder in overtime against Alabama.
A former walk-on now entering his redshirt junior year, Blankenship is coming off a stellar season in which he made 20 of 23 field-goal attempts and all 63 extra-point tries.
"I'm trying to treat this preseason how I've treated every preseason," Blankenship told reporters late last week. "I'm trying to go into it with tenacity and the drive to be the best that I can be. I'm trying to attack each and every day and approach each day like I still have something to prove."
The Bulldogs continued preseason workouts Monday.
Blankenship, a 6-foot-1, 191-pounder from the Atlanta suburb of Marietta, came to Georgia in 2015 and redshirted that season, when Marshall Morgan was the senior kicker.
William Ham won the battle of walk-ons to start the 2016 season as Georgia's kicker, but Blankenship took over in the fourth game, a disastrous 45-14 loss at Ole Miss, and hasn't looked back. Blankenship made 14 of 18 field-goal attempts as a redshirt freshman, including a 25-yard attempt as time expired for a 27-24 win at Kentucky.
Blankenship became an instant favorite among Bulldogs fans after the triumph in Lexington by conducting his postgame interview on the SEC Network while still wearing his helmet.
The attention has only flourished since, as he was awarded a scholarship before last season's Notre Dame game and then kicked a 30-yard field goal with 3:34 remaining for the difference in Georgia's 20-19 win. Blankenship scored 17 points in the 53-28 win over Missouri, and his 55-yard field goal in the Rose Bowl, which got the Bulldogs within 31-17 at intermission, set the bowl record and a school record for a postseason game.
"I can certainly appreciate being recognized for a good performance on the field, but it's not something I'm actively looking for," Blankenship said. "It's always nice when someone recognizes you on the side of the street and they ask to take a picture. It's always a nice experience, but it's not something I focus on."
When asked about the coolest moment of fame he has experienced, Blankenship replied that NFL Hall of Fame receiver Jerry Rice now follows him on Twitter.
Blankenship has made 34 of 41 field-goal attempts and all 89 extra points during his time at Georgia, but the overlooked aspect to his game is kicking off. After having 20 of 55 kickoff attempts (36.4 percent) result in touchbacks in 2016, he had 67 touchbacks last season in 94 opportunities (71.3 percent).
His 67 touchbacks set a school record.
"I was proud to be more help to the team, because that's something the team needed of me," Blankenship said. "We're all trying to be the most complete players we can be."
Contact David Paschall at dpaschall@timesfreepress.com or 423-757-6524.