2018 season for Dawgs, Rodrigo ends with 28-21 loss to Texas in Sugar Bowl
Game-by-game summaries listed below
Updated through Jan. 8, 2019
A spirited rally by Georgia pulled the Bulldogs within one score against Texas in the Jan. 1, 2019 Sugar Bowl in New Orleans’ Superdome, but the Longhorns escaped with a 28-21 victory over a depleted Dawgs’ roster.
Senior cornerback D’Andre Baker pulled out of the game early, senior linebacker D’Andre Walker pulled out late and freshman nose tackle Jordan Davis was ruled out late with an injury, weakening the team’s defense — and Texas took advantage, running the ball efficiently most of the game while UGA failed to pressure the Longhorns’ quarterback.
The disheartening setback ended the season for redshirt junior Rodrigo, who nonetheless posted impressive statistics for the third straight season as he methodically adds his name to several categories in the Georgia record book:
*** Through three seasons, Rodrigo’s field goal percentage stands at 82.81, first all-time among UGA kickers.
*** Rodrigo’s three successful extra points in the Sugar Bowl increased his school-record streak to 154. It was his third straight season without a missed PAT, and his 65-for-65 mark in 2018 is the most ever in one season without a miss — his 63-for-63 total in 2017 stands second all-time.
*** With three touchbacks against Texas, Rodrigo finished 2018 with 82, surpassing the previous single-season record of 67 — which he established in 2017. Rodrigo’s career touchback aggregate of 169 is tied with Kevin Butler for first place — Butler secured his total in four seasons while Rodrigo has amassed his in three seasons.
*** Rodrigo broke his own consecutive touchback record with a streak of 23 to start the season; he had a streak of 18 in 2017. And he ended the season with an intact streak of 13 straight touchbacks to carry into the 2019 season.
*** Rodrigo ended 2018 with 122 points, one fewer than he posted in 2017. He now stands third and fourth all-time in the UGA record book. Billy Bennett still holds first and second with 131 and 130 points in 2002 and 2003.
*** Rodrigo’s career point total of 313 is fifth all-time, trailing Butler, Marshall Morgan, Bennett and Blair Walsh. He needs 100 points in 2019 to replace Walsh (412) as the school’s all-time leading point scorer.
Game One: Georgia 45, Austin Peay 0
Kickoffs: 8 for 602 yards, 75.25 average, 8 touchbacks, 0 return yards, average field position 25.0.
PATs: 6 for 6. FGs: 1 for 1 (34).
Game Two: Georgia 41, South Carolina 17
Kickoffs: 7 for 525 yards, 75.0 average, 7 touchbacks, 0 return yards, average field position 25.0.
PATs: 5 for 5. FGs: 2 for 2 (45, 44).
Game Three: Georgia 49, Middle Tennessee State 7
Kickoffs: 8 for 604 yards, 75.5 average, 8 touchbacks, 0 return yards, average field position 25.0.
PATs: 7 for 7. FGs: none attempted.
Game Four: Georgia 43, Missouri 29
Kickoffs: 9 for 626 yards, 69.6-yard average, 7 touchbacks, 61 return yards, average field position 26.9.
PATs: 4 for 4. FGs: 3 for 5 (44 make, 21 make, 49 miss, 36 blocked, 40 make).
Game Five: Georgia 38, Tennessee 12
Kickoffs: 7 for 527 yards, 75.3-yard average, 7 touchbacks, 0 return yards, average field position 25.0.
PATs: 5 for 5. FGs: 1 for 1 (43).
Game Six: Georgia 41, Vanderbilt 13
Kickoffs: 8 for 601 yards, 75.1-yard average, 7 touchbacks, 19 return yards, average field position 24.3.
PATs: 5 for 5. FGs: 2 for 2 (53, 28)
Game Seven: LSU 36, Georgia 16
Kickoffs: 3 for 222 yards, 74.0-yard average, 3 touchbacks, 0 return yards, average field position 25.0. Squib/pooch/onside: 1 for 42 yards.
PATs: 1 for 1. FGs: 1 for 1 (40).
Game Eight: Georgia 36, Florida 17
Kickoffs: 7 for 509 yards, 72.7-yard average, 6 touchbacks, 51 return yards, average field position 28.7. Squib/pooch: 1 for 57 yards.
PATs: 3 for 3. FGs: 3 for 3 (21, 22, 18)
Game Nine: Georgia 34, Kentucky 17
Kickoffs: 7 for 537 yards, 76.7-yard average, 6 touchbacks, 36 return yards, average field position 26.6.
PATs: 4 for 4. FGs: 2 for 2 (23, 38)
Game 10: Georgia 27, Auburn 10
Kickoffs: 6 for 435 yards, 72.5-yard average, 5 touchbacks, 17 return yards, average field position 23.7.
PATs: 3 for 3. FGs: 2 for 2 (25, 20)
Game 11: Georgia 66, Massachusetts 27
Kickoffs: 9 for 545 yards, 60.6-yard average, 5 touchbacks, 19 return yards, average field position 25.4.
PATs: 9 for 9. FGs: 1 for 1 (40)
Game 12: Georgia 45, Georgia Tech 21
Kickoffs: 7 for 499 yards, 71.3-yard average, 5 touchbacks, 100 return yards, average field position 37.1.
PATs: 6 for 6. FGs: 1 for 2 (25 make, 48 miss)
Game 13: Alabama 35, Georgia 28
Kickoffs: 5 for 392 yards, 78.4-yard average, 5 touchbacks, 0 return yards, average field position 25.0
PATs: 4 for 4. FGs: 0 for 1 (31 miss)
Game 14: Texas 28, Georgia 21
Kickoffs: 3 for 217 yards, 72.3-yard average, 3 touchbacks, 0 return yards, average field position 25.0
PATs: 3 for 3. FGs: none attempted
Preseason scrimmages great proving ground
Preseason camp was punctuated by scrimmages on successive Saturdays, Aug. 11 and 18, and Rodrigo was his reliable self as the redshirt junior from Marietta accumulated 5 touchbacks from six kickoffs and converted 7 of 9 field goal attempts.
Tacked on to his G-Day performance in the spring, Rodrigo’s totals were 9 touchbacks from 10 kickoffs, a 90 percent rate, and 9 of 11 field goals made, or 81.9 percent. Rodrigo’s career field goal success rate at UGA is 82.9 percent.
In the two fall camp scrimmages, Rodrigo drove two kickoffs 76 yards, or a yard past the back line of the end zone, had another one 9 deep, another 7 deep and another 6 deep as he continued to demonstrate increased leg strength from the 2017 season, when he obliterated the Dawgs’ all-time record with 67 touchbacks.
Rodrigo’s field goal misses were from 50 and 45 yards, both sliding wide by less than yard. In the two fall scrimmages, he converted from 45, 45, 42, 38, 37, 29 and 26. He made a pair of PATs in the Aug. 11 scrimmage, and tallied 23 points in the two fall workouts at Sanford Stadium.
G-Day performance for Rodrigo: Pretty-much perfect
The Georgia Bulldogs’ 2018 season unofficially began on April 21 with the annual Red&Black G-Day spring game at Sanford Stadium, where a boisterous crowd of 82,000-plus gathered to watch the offense and defenses battle on the field and on the new gigantic jumbotron.
The Black team (first defense/second offense) edged the Red squad (first offense/second defense) 21-13 in a match dominated by interceptions, dropped passes and many punts as the offensive units struggled all day. However, Rodrigo submitted a performance that was not out of the ordinary: all of his kickoffs were touchbacks and he converted all three of his place kicks for the Red team.
Rodrigo was the last specialist to get on the field, finally making an appearance midway through the second period. He was accorded a noisy reception by the Dawg Nation faithful, and he responded by calmly making his 41-yard field goal attempt. Later in the second quarter he drove a 35-yarder through the uprights, and the Red team trailed at halftime 7-6.
The rising junior had 4 kickoffs, and one of them was a two-hopper that fortunately careened into the end zone from the 2-yard line for a gift touchback. His other kickoffs were unreturnable — 73 and 68 yards into the left corner of the end zone and a 78-yarder in the fourth quarter that slammed into the base of the wall fronting the scoreboard stands. That followed his successful extra point after the Red team scored its only offensive touchdown with less than 2 minutes to play.