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The Georgia Board of Regents unanimously approved budget cuts to the state’s largest public college system Tuesday to meet Gov. Brian Kemp’s call for a reduction in spending. The 4% cut for the current fiscal year budget — nearly $10.4 million — does not include the budget for classroom instruction, University System of Georgia officials say. The cuts, though, will affect farm and marine research, libraries and even the state’s new Cyber Innovation and Training Center in Augusta. Spending for those operations will be cut by 6% for the 12-month fiscal year starting July 1, 2020.  The system’s main budget for the current fiscal year is now $2.58 billion. The cuts come from parts of the budget that is allocated for expenses that does not include classroom teaching.   The cuts were proposed by the campuses, system officials said. Board members did not discuss the cuts before the vote. A spokeswoman for the system declined an interview request with Chancellor Steve Wrigley (pictured above) or board chairman Don Waters. Kemp recently ordered all state agencies to cut their budgets by 4% this fiscal year and 6% the next fiscal year, in part, to focus on some of his top priorities, such as pay raises for teachers. Kemp promised during his 2018 campaign for governor a leaner state government. Some state lawmakers told The Atlanta Journal-Constitution on Monday they are worried about the impact of the University System cuts to rural parts of the state that rely on these services. 

We are on the eve of another football weekend in Athens: the third-ranked Georgia Bulldogs host the Arkansas State Red Wolves in a game that will kick off at noon on Saturday, with television on ESPN2. From UGA Sports Communications…   Georgia junior quarterback Jake Fromm was named to the 2019 Allstate AFCA Good Works Team on Thursday. Fromm is one of 11 players from the NCAA Football Bowl Subdivision (FBS) selected based on their commitment to community service. For 28 years, the American Football Coaches Association (AFCA) has recognized a select group of college football players committed to making a difference in their communities. There were also 11 combined players chosen from the NCAA Football Championship Subdivision (FCS), Divisions II, III and the NAIA. Fromm, a native of Warner Robins, is one of three players from the Southeastern Conference on the FBS 2019 Allstate AFCA Good Works Team. Georgia leads the nation in Allstate AFCA Good Works Team honorees with 20 since the award’s inception in 1992, including eight in the last nine years and for the last six consecutive years. The Bulldogs’ previous Good Works Team honorees are Alec Millen in 1992, Travis Jones in 1993, Brian Smith in 1995, Matt Stinchcomb in 1997 and 1998, Brett Millican in 2000, Jon Stinchcomb in 2001, David Greene in 2003, D.J. Shockley in 2005, Quentin Moses in 2006, Kelin Johnson in 2007, Jeff Owens in 2009, Aron White in 2011, Aaron Murray in 2012, Chris Conley in 2014, Malcolm Mitchell in 2015, Jeb Blazevich in 2016, Aaron Davis in 2017 and current Bulldog place kicker Rodrigo Blankenship in 2018. Fromm was the emcee for this year’s Big Hearts Pageant, which is an event that benefits Extra Special People (ESP). He has also participated in ESP’s “Bulldogs and Buddies,” which welcomed individuals with developmental disabilities and their families to Georgia football practices. Fromm has been a repeat visitor to Camp Sunshine, a facility which provides recreational, educational and support programs for children with cancer and their families. In addition to also reaching out to a young Bulldog fan in South Carolina who was terminally ill, Fromm has made numerous hospital visits in the Athens and Atlanta areas and spoken and read to children in Athens area schools since his UGA career started in 2017, among other volunteer activities in the community. On the field, Fromm has completed 412 of 631 pass attempts for 5,686 yards and 56 touchdowns en route to leading the Bulldogs to a 25-5 record as a starter over the last three seasons. Guiding Georgia to the last two SEC Championship Games, Fromm directed the 2017 Bulldogs to a double-overtime victory over No. 2 Oklahoma in the Rose Bowl Game and a spot in the College Football Playoff National Championship Game. In the classroom, Fromm has posted a 3.38 GPA in finance. The 2019 Allstate AFCA Good Works Team will be invited to New Orleans to participate in a special community service project ahead of the 2020 Allstate Sugar Bowl, where the entire squad will also be recognized on the field during a halftime presentation. Fans are encouraged to visit ESPN.com/Allstate to vote for the 2019 Allstate AFCA Good Works Team Captain now through Nov. 22. The Team Captain will be honored at this season’s The Home Depot College Football Awards on ESPN. The No. 3 Bulldogs (2-0, 1-0 SEC) play host to Arkansas State (1-1) on Dooley Field in Sanford Stadium at 12 p.m. on Saturday. ESPN2 will televise Georgia’s second home game of the year.

The Athens chapter of Habitat For Humanity is looking for help with tomorrow’s planned clean-up of the historic St. James Baptist Church cemetery in Athens. Volunteers will gather at 8 o’clock Saturday morning at the cemetery on Jefferson Road. From Facebook…   Help us honor the National Day of Service & Remembrance with a weekend service project to clear, clean, and preserve the historic St. James Baptist Church Cemetery in Athens, GA. This is a great opportunity to participate in the National Day of Service & Remembrance if you cannot do so on September 11th itself, which falls on a Wednesday this year. Our goal is for 100 people to give one hour of service each.We will be removing vines, saplings, and other undergrowth to prepare for an anticipated mapping and restoration of the cemetery in the upcoming year. Habitat and Thrivent will provide tools and refreshments. If you plan to attend, please register on the event website so we can bring sufficient supplies.This event is co-sponsored by Athens Area Habitat for Humanity, Thrivent Financial Building on Faith 2019, and the Friends of the St. James Baptist Church Cemetery.

It’s safe to say it’s been a sweltering September. Monday fell just short of breaking a record, while Tuesday’s heat broke a record and Wednesday’s heat tied another. For more than a century, the record for Sept. 12 had held strong — until this afternoon. Atlanta hit 99 degrees earlier Thursday afternoon, shattering the previous record of 94 set in 1900, Channel 2 Action News meteorologist Brad Nitz said. This time of year, temperatures should reach only 84 degrees on average. Under lots of sunshine and mainly dry conditions, temps were able to climb quickly. Several atmospheric conditions are factoring into the heat, including an area of high pressure that is running the show. The record high is also in jeopardy Friday, Channel 2 reported. “Through today, through tomorrow, into Saturday, still showing this strong high pressure in control,” Channel 2 meteorologist Brian Monahan said. “That’s going to mean really hot temperatures across North Georgia.” “If we squeeze out a shower, it will be in the northeast Georgia mountains. Otherwise through tonight, mainly clear and quiet,” Monahan said. “Tomorrow morning, we start warm and dry. It’s going to be another hot Friday across North Georgia.” Temps are eventually coming down, he said. A tropical wave over eastern Cuba on Thursday morning has the potential to bring rain into North Georgia and help tamp down the heat. The wave of storms has two possible tracks, one that brings the wave into the Gulf of Mexico and another that sends it along the eastern coast of Florida.  “You want a break in the heat? You need to root for this to head to the Gulf of Mexico,” Monahan said. The system now has an 80% chance of developing into a tropical storm and would be called Humberto. By Sunday, metro Atlanta should break its 90-degree streak, according to Channel 2. The projected high is 89.  “That’s when we start to watch that tropical wave that does have the potential to bring us some more rain clouds and cooler temperatures by next week,” Monahan said. 

The University of Georgia plays host to today’s State of Education in Georgia Conference: it opens at 8 o’clock this morning at the Georgia Center. From the University of Georgia master calendar…   This one-day conference will include keynotes, posters, and discussions on enhancing social and emotional learning (SEL), as well as: Best practices in supporting students’ SEL needs Community collaboration in supporting SEL Frameworks for designing SEL A teacher/administrator panel on SEL

Notre Dame coach Brian Kelly found what he was looking for in a 66-14 demolition of New Mexico on Saturday in South Bend. 'Our team kinda found themselves today,' Kelly said in his postgame press conference after the No. 7-ranked Irish routed the Lobos. RELATED: Georgia coach Kirby Smart sets relaxed tone for Notre Dame 'We had been looking to go into the second (game) week here and put the pieces together, and I think by and large they started to fall together for us today.' Notre Dame (2-0) travels to play at Georgia (3-0) in an eagerly anticipated rematch of a 2017 classic won by the Bulldogs, 20-19. ESPN GameDay will be present, along with a national television audience for the 8 p.m. game on CBS. It's the first matchup of Top 10 teams between the hedges at Sanford Stadium in almost six years, when a No. 9-ranked Georgia beat a No. 6 LSU 44-41 on Sept. 28, 2013. Kelly said in the days leading up to the New Mexico game that the No. 7-ranked Irish had the right pieces in place for a national championship run, provided some offensive playmakers could step up. RELATED: Brian Kelly says Notre Dame has making of national champion That happened Saturday afternoon, his offense rolling for 591 yards with senior quarter Ian Book thrown for 360 yards and 5 TDs on 15-of-24 passing. Book was also Notre Dame's leading rusher with 46 yards and a TD on nine carries, while freshman Kyren Williams carried four times for 26 yards. Avery Davis had what Kelly referred to as an 'electric' 59-yard touchdown play. 'You saw a number of different players on the offensive side of the ball have significant roles in what we did offensively, and that was kind of what we were expecting to happen today, and it came to fruition,' Kelly said. 'To get this game under our belts going into Georgia was really big for us, and to get Ian into a rhythm really helped today a lot.' Notre Dame coach Brian Kelly DawgNation Georgia-Notre Dame More amazing catches from George Pickens, more growth needed UGA football report card, Georgia football aces final pre-test Georgia football Game Ball: Dominick Blaylock stars as Next Man Up' Bulldogs stock report: More ups than downs in 55-0 win over Red Wolves Injury alert: UGA senior captain leaves game with shoulder injury The post WATCH Notre Dame coach Brian Kelly: Irish found themselves' in 66-14 win appeared first on DawgNation.

ATHENS Georgia coach Kirby Smart put a dominating 55-0 win in perspective, and then casually addressed the biggest home game in recent memory. RECAP: How Georgia beat Arkansas State, injuries and news from game The No. 3-ranked Bulldogs (3-0) will collide with No 7-ranked Notre Dame (2-0) at 8 p.m. next Saturday in a game expected to draw ESPN's popular GameDay crew along with a monster television audience. 'As far as the stage, the biggest thing we can do is let the players relax and play,' Smart said following Georgia's dominating win over Arkansas State on Saturday. 'The team that makes the fewest mistakes will usually win that game. The team that overanalyzes it, hypes it up and makes it bigger than it larger than life, sometimes that gets you in trouble.' Smart knows all about the dialing down the emphasis on one game, having spent most of the offseason fending off questions about a so-called 'Alabama hump.' The Tide, of course, came from two scores back to beat Georgia in the 2017 CFP title game and the 2018 SEC Championship Game. Of course, it was Smart and the Bulldogs that came from behind to beat Notre Dame in South Bend in 2017, Jake Fromm's first start at quarterback. 'We've played in a lot of big games, we've got a lot of kids in that team room that have played in big football games,' Smart said, 'so they're not going to be intimidated by that. 'But Notre Dame is a very good football program, they have a very good football program, they have a very good team, they have a very good coaching staff that does a tremendous job. They were one of the top four teams in the country last year.' Smart felt Georgia was one of the top four teams, too, which makes it pretty clear the Bulldogs' head coach ultimately felt a one-loss Oklahoma team deserved to be out. But that was then and this is now, and next Saturday's game will likely have College Football Playoff implications, both Smart and Irish coach Brian Kelly confident that have national championship caliber talent this season. Next opponent Notre Dame believes it's national champion material Smart said he knows the Irish's style of play from two seasons ago, but he hasn't studied them closely enough this season to make a judgment on their speed and line play. 'I haven't watched Noter Dame,' Smart said. 'I didn't watch them last year because we didn't play them, and I haven't seen them yet, so that would be a hard question for me to answer . 'They recruit the same players we do, so when we go knocking on doors, we're going after the same guys, so they have a really good football program.' Georgia football coach Kirby Smart DawgNation Georgia-Arkansas State More amazing catches from George Pickens, more growth needed UGA football report card, Georgia football aces final pre-test Georgia football Game Ball: Dominick Blaylock stars as Next Man Up' Bulldogs stock report: More ups than downs in 55-0 win over Red Wolves Injury alert: UGA senior captain leaves game with shoulder injury The post WATCH: Georgia football coach Kirby Smart sets relaxed tone for Notre Dame appeared first on DawgNation.

ATHENS Georgia freshman receiver George Pickens made sensational catches appear routine for the second straight game Saturday afternoon against Arkansas State. Pickens led the No. 3-ranked Bulldogs with five catches in their 55-0 victory over the Sun Belt Conference Red Wolves at Sanford Stadium. The dynamic 6-foot-3 target leads UGA with 9 catches on the season for 162 yards despite not having a catch in the season-opening game. One of Pickens' greatest receptions on Saturday had more to do with his head than his hands on Saturday. Pickens bailed out third-year quarterback Jake Fromm on an under thrown ball, adjusting while it was in flight for a 32-yard gain on the second series of the game. RELATED: Kirby Smart says George Pickens growing from tough coaching' 'I was trying to throw it deep and let him go get it, but actually I got bumped and the ball came out the way it did, and I got a little bit worried,' said Fromm, who has yet to throw an interception through five games this season. 'But he came out and made the play, so good for him, good for us.' Pickens starred in Georgia's two-minute drill at the end of the first half, making three catches as Fromm went 6-for-6 on a 66-yard TD drive. Pickens caught a 15-yard seam route, and then reeled in a 13-yard pass before making a 12-yard catch that featured him twisting back for a ball behind him while tight-roping the sideline. WHAT. A. GRAB. @GeorgiaFootballs George Pickens is a PROBLEM! pic.twitter.com/jyeW9xLQm6 SEC Network (@SECNetwork) September 14, 2019 Coach Kirby Smart has praised Pickens' blocking, and on Saturday there were no signs of the emotion that got Pickens in trouble with a personal foul last week. But the head coach said Pickens still has room to grow, and the good news is that Pickens is accountable and responsible to know he needs to work on his game. 'Y ou're seeing (growth) because we're trying to use his talents more,' Smart said. 'The first game we didn't know how he would respond and we tried to get him the ball some late. The second game we certainly had some opportunities to use him, and he's improved and proving that he can become accountable.' Another amazing George Pickens' grab, Curtis Compton / AJC But, Smart said, there's even more that Pickens can be doing in the Bulldogs' offense. 'All people see is the catches, (and) you don't see what he does when he doesn't have the ball or you see a busted route,' Smart said. 'He had several things today that he didn't do right, so he has a lot of improving to do. 'I know the consensus will be he had catches, he had wows, he had this. But when he didn't have the ball or the ball wasn't thrown to him, it was because he wasn't doing what he was supposed to do.' Tailback D'Andre Swift, who Smart said has grown into a team leader, has been impressed with Pickens' progress. 'He's definitely lived up to the hype, he blocks well, he catches the ball well in practice,' Swift said. 'He's just got to keep getting better and being consistent at it.' DawgNation Georgia-Arkansas State UGA football report card, Georgia football aces final pre-test Georgia football Game Ball: Dominick Blaylock stars as Next Man Up' Bulldogs stock report: More ups than downs in 55-0 win over Red Wolves RECAP: How Georgia beat Arkansas State, injuries and news from game Injury alert: UGA senior captain leaves game with shoulder injury Next opponent Notre Dame believes it's national title material The post WATCH: Georgia WR George Pickens makes amazing catches, but still growing appeared first on DawgNation.

ATHENS Georgia coach Kirby Smart couldn't say enough in the days leading up to Saturday's game about how good of a football program Arkansas State is and the respect he has for the Sun Belt Conference. Smart said he's glad his No. 3-ranked Bulldogs (3-0) prepared and played the game with the same mindset en route to the 55-0 blowout victory at Sanford Stadium. ' They approached this team with a lot of respect, which I did too,' Smart said. 'I still think that they play in one of the tough conferences and they've got a good football team. 'We played probably better today, at least defensively, than we had been playing. We had some tough contested plays on the outside. And then offensively I thought we mixed tempo with playing with the ball well, and did some good things.' That's fair to say, considering Georgia out-gained Arkansas State 656 yards to 220 and held a 34-0 lead by halftime. QUARTERBACKS (A) Jake Fromm was 17-of-22 passing for 279 yards with 3 TDs, and Stetson Bennett came off the bench for 9-of-10 passing performance that netted 109 yards. Fromm showed, once again, he's at his best in the 2-minute offense, smartly marching UGA 66 yards for a TD at the end of the first half with a 6-of-6 passing performance on the drive. Bennett redeemed himself after the careless Pick-6 last Saturday against Murray State. RUNNING BACKS (A) The depth of talent in the Georgia backfield continues to impress, topped by D'Andre Swift with his 140-yard day (9 carries, 76 yards; 2 catches 64 yards, TD). Versatile James Cook was also in form, carrying 3 times for 51 yards and a TD while catching both passes thrown his way for 17 yards. Brian Herrien was running over Red Wolves during his 4-carry, 25-yard one TD day and freshman Kenny McIntosh broke off a 62-yard TD run. It was a workmanlike 6-carry, 18-yard one TD performance for Zamir White. RECEIVERS (A-) Smart said there are still breakdowns and missed assignments in George Pickens' game away from the football, but his team-high 5 catches and 84 yards were impressive, as were his blocks. Senior grad-transfer Lawrence Cager stepped up with a huge block on Cook's 37-yard TD run after he made his first scoring catch as a Bulldog on a 5-yard diving grab. Dominick Blaylock stepped up and stepped out with a team-high 112 yards receiving on 4 catches, drawing heavy praise from Fromm. OFFENSIVE LINE (A-) Georgia's offensive line played what appeared to be its best game of the young season, paving the way for 268 yards rushing at 8.1 yards per attempt. None of the starting players had any penalties, the only infraction in the offensive line room a holding penalty on Xavier Truss that negated a 7yard Trey Blount catch from Bennett. Georgia didn't get as dominant of a push on a fourth-and-2 as some might expect, but Fromm dug in and churned out the 3 yards for the conversion. DEFENSIVE LINE (A) Smart was impressed with the level of play from his defensive line, saying 'we played more physical up front.' Saturday's game featured senior Tyler Clark making a team-high five tackles along with 1.5 quarterback sacks. Malik Herring, benched in the opener, was in the starting lineup for the first time in 2019 but appeared to suffer a shoulder stinger. Freshman defensive lineman Tymon Mitchell and junior Devonte Wyatt was credited with four tackles. LINEBACKERS (A) Robert Beal came off the bench to lead the linebackers with five tackles, and Monty Rice had four tackles and two solo stops in his limited playing time. Freshman Nakobe Dean looked closer to 100 percent after dealing with the ankle injury last week that kept him out of the opener, and Azeez Ojulari was sound with his containment and recorded a sack for a third consecutive game. Nate McBride made the most of his time at LB with three tackles and a PBU. SECODARY (A-) Arkansas State had just one pass play go longer than 17 yards, a 45-yard completion in the fourth quarter with both teams' backups in the game. Tyson Campbell set the tone in the first half with three tackles and three pass break-ups before coming out of the game with what appeared to be a minor foot injury. Eric Stokes had 3 tackles and 2 pass break-ups, but also, a pass interference penalty. SPECIAL TEAMS (A) Tyler Simmons had one punt return for 17 yards before leaving the game with a shoulder injury, and that was the only return opportunity for the Bulldogs on Saturday. Georgia coverage units were again smothering against inferior competition, limiting the Red Wolves to a kick return for 12 yards and one punt return for 8 yards. Jake Camarda averaged 48.7 yards per punt, quietly having a solid year. Rodrigo put seven of his eighth kickoffs into the end zone and made both field goal attempts, from 29 and 41 yards. Brooks Buce kicked off twice, putting one of his kicks in the end zone. OVERALL (A) It was about as complete of a win as Smart could have hoped for. Offense, defense and special teams executed and played clean, just five penalties for 41 yards and few apparently broken assignments. The offense averaged 9.9 yards per play, and the defense pitched a shutout. Georgia is ready for Notre Dame. The post Georgia football report card: Bulldogs ace final warm-up, pound Arkansas State 55-0 appeared first on DawgNation.

ATHENS Georgia freshman receiver Dominick Blaylock was ready when it became 'Next Man Up' time at Sanford Stadium on Saturday. Blaylock, in his second game action of the season, had a team-high 112 yards receiving and a touchdown on four catches, stepping into the slot when senior Tyler Simmons suffered a shoulder injury. The No. 3-ranked Bulldogs scored a 55-0 win over Arkansas State on Saturday at Sanford Stadium. Blaylock recorded the first 100-yard game for UGA since Mecole Hardman had 6 receptions for 103 yards against South Carolina. Simmons, a senior captain, was slammed down out of bounds after making a 12-yard catch t the Red Wolves 28-yard line on Saturday. Quarterback Jake Fromm said he had been impressed with Blaylock all week in practice, and Blaylock seized the moment. 'Dom did a great job all week in practice,' Fromm said. 'This guy is coming out making plays, he's really taking his job seriously, and he's not having a whole lot of mental errors, you don't have to worry about him at all. 'He's just a guy who's going to do what he's told and do it really good, and he came out and he got rewarded for it today, and it's awesome for him.' Blaylock made the trip to Nashville for the season-opening game against Vanderbilt, but he didn't get the opportunity to play. Fromm said it shows how Blaylock kept his focus the following two weeks of preparation. 'It's just a testament to what guys do in practice and the work they put in,' Fromm said. 'When you get your opportunity to go out on the field, you really take advantage of it, and you could see that he did that, and he has been doing that, and now he's out there making plays.' The post Georgia football game ball: Dominick Blaylock stars as Next Man Up' appeared first on DawgNation.