Simmons, others enjoy strong outings in UMass rout

Nothing like a career-best outing to punctuate a strong two weeks for Tyler Simmons.

Simmons took a handoff on an end-around and raced 49 yards for a score on No. 5 Georgia’s third play from scrimmage. One quarter later, Simmons grabbed a pass from Jake Fromm on the sideline and outran the UMass defense 71 yards for another score.

Simmons’ 130 all-purpose yards in the Bulldogs’ (10-1, 7-1) 66-27 rout of UMass set a career-high for the junior, as did his two scores. For a receiver nagged by injuries — Simmons missed over three quarters against Missouri on Sept. 22 and missed the entire Tennessee game the following week — his outing Saturday night surely won’t hurt his confidence.

“Coach (Kirby) Smart emphasized all this week that it’s about focusing on us and making ourselves better,” Simmons said. “It’s not really about the opponent. If we get better, we know we’re doing the right thing.”

And for a Georgia offense depleted by injuries on the offensive line, Simmons’ emergence is certainly a welcome one. Simmons was routinely praised by Smart dating back to last season due to his physical blocking style, his speed and his and ability to contribute on special teams.

“For the last couple of weeks, we thought he was one of the fastest guys, on the GPS he was popping big numbers,” Smart said. “He looked really fresh, and it showed today. He was able to do some things with the ball in his hands.”

The junior featured more on offense in 2018, but a shoulder injury suffered against Missouri proved to be a tough setback. Simmons didn’t catch a pass or record a carry against Vanderbilt, LSU and Florida, and caught just one pass for three yards in Georgia’s SEC East-clinching win over Kentucky. But the McEachern High School product recently saw extended snaps during the Bulldogs’ 27-10 win over Auburn, then enjoyed a career night against an admittedly-overmatched UMass side that ranked 124th in the country in scoring defense.

“He’s getting healthier,” Bulldogs quarterback Jake Fromm said. “He’s fun to watch. He’s a really explosive guy, you get to see the speed he has. ... Fast guys definitely help. It threatens (a defense) vertically, and it makes my job that much easier.”

And Simmons wasn’t the only Bulldog who enjoyed a breakout night. Justin Fields threw for 121 yards and two scores on just five completions. James Cook, a seldom-used freshman and former four-star recruit, scored his first two touchdowns as a Bulldog during the second half.

Cook finished with 76 yards, second on the team to Fields’ 100. Fields even added a score on a scramble in the second half. That was the theme of the night: Players who normally get restricted to the sideline, enjoying reps against an overmatched team. With two big matchups coming up — a post-Thanksgiving home tilt with rival Georgia Tech and an SEC Championship matchup with No. 1 Alabama — Smart wasn’t complaining.

“I’ve got confidence in all our players,” Smart said. “... That’s what coaches do, they show confidence in players. We put them out there and give them an opportunity to play.”

This story was originally published November 18, 2018 at 11:16 AM.