Sports Daily: What to expect when you’re expecting spring football

Quick links: Day 2 at the Masters | Tee times | Ozuna wins it | Risacher goes wild

SPRING FEELINGS

Credit: Tony Walsh/UGAAA

Credit: Tony Walsh/UGAAA

There’s nothing like the spring football game.

Returning to a warm, blooming campus. Visiting a favorite old haunt or two, with favorite old friends. A chance to cheer, with the calm that comes with knowing you can’t lose.

I want to knit a blanket out of it and live inside.

Which, of course, is physically impossible. But Georgia and Georgia Tech are both rendering the point moot on Saturday.

Here’s what to expect from the annual G-Day and White & Gold games.

ACTION IN ATHENS

🐶 Game time: 1 p.m. Saturday. The Dawg Walk is scheduled for 11:50 a.m. (more specifics here).

🐶 How to watch: Tickets are $10 apiece. No TV coverage for the first time in a while, but you can listen on your regular Bulldog Radio Network station — and our friends at DawgNation will be all over it, too.

🐶 What to watch for: Gunner Stockton, who played in relief of the injured Carson Beck during last season’s SEC Championship and College Football Playoff games, is the presumed starting quarterback. But second-year Bulldog Ryan Puglisi is doing his darndest to make it a competition.

Here’s the skinny on other position battles, including running back and offensive line.

LIVE FROM THE FLATS

Credit: Jason Getz/AJC

Credit: Jason Getz/AJC

🐝 Game time: 1 p.m. Saturday

🐝 How to watch: ACC Network Extra will broadcast live. At Bobby Dodd, gates open at noon and admission is free. (Parking details here.)

Stick around for postgame autographs, too.

🐝 What to watch for: The Jackets are in a similar quarterback situation as their in-state rivals, with veteran Haynes King battling Aaron Philo for the job.

Otherwise, there are a whole lot of new faces looking to make a name for themselves, from the defensive line to wide receiver and tight end.

Get out there and have some fun! The forecast is looking mighty fine.

AUGUSTA DREAMIN’

Credit: Jason Getz/AJC

Credit: Jason Getz/AJC

Justin Rose dropped a first-round 7-under on everyone at the Masters, good enough for a three-stroke lead over favorite Scottie Scheffler and two others.

“I feel like I’ve played well enough to win this tournament,” Rose said afterward. “I just feel like I don’t have the jacket to prove it.”

Swag. We like it.

Go ahead and catch up on the AJC’s coverage of everything from Day 1, then get ready for today’s action — which may just see a few notable names miss the cut.

And Ken Griffey Jr. snapping some photos. Really!

As for the locals …

⛳ Georgia Tech’s Hiroshi Tai came in at an amateur-best +1. And unlike another youthful participant, he did NOT urinate in Rae’s Creek.

⛳ Harris English finished Round 1 at 2 under par, good enough to tie for second place — and outpace every other former Georgia Bulldog in the field.

BIG BEAR FOR THE WIN

Credit: Arvin Temkar/AJC

Credit: Arvin Temkar/AJC

The Braves started their series finale against the Phillies at 7:15 p.m. Thursday. Thanks to a lengthy rain delay and a trip to extra innings, it ended at 12:54 a.m. today — with a dramatic walk-off home run from Marcell Ozuna.

Atlanta’s still just 3-9 on the young season, but a series win over a division rival is certainly a step in the right direction.

“It was really good to see,” manager Brian Snitker said. “They just came back out after the rain delay and were fighting.”

Coming soon?

⚾ Meanwhile: Spencer Strider struck out 13 batters in his third and possibly final rehab start for Triple-A Gwinnett on Thursday (here’s video proof). If he comes out feeling good, he could be back with the big club next week.

What’s on deck?

⚾ A road trip to see the Tampa Bay Rays, who are playing in a spring training/minor league stadium because Hurricane Milton broke their other one.

⚾ Tonight’s first pitch: 7:15 p.m. on FanDuel Sports.

GIVE HIM THE AWARD

Credit: Frank Franklin II/AP

Credit: Frank Franklin II/AP

Zaccharie Risacher is not the betting favorite to win NBA Rookie of the Year. But my goodness, is he making a case.

The Frenchman (who turned 20 three days ago) put up a career-best 38 points in the Hawks’ 133-109 win in Brooklyn last night.

👀 Risacher shot 15-of-20 from the field, including 6-for-11 from 3-point range.

The Hawks wrap up the regular season with games at Philadelphia tonight (7 p.m.) and at home against Orlando on Sunday (1 p.m.).

👀 They’ll likely play the Magic again on Tuesday — this time on the road, and this time in a playoff play-in game.

EARNING THEIR STRIPES

Credit: Mitch Martin/Atlanta United

Credit: Mitch Martin/Atlanta United

Atlanta United hosts New England on Saturday (2:45 p.m. on Fox). And it sure could use a win.

We all could, of course. But falling short in a home match against a struggling team would be tough for the Five Stripes (2-2-3 on the season) to swallow.

🤔 To get ready, check out beat writer Doug Roberson’s statistical breakdown (inconsistent offense vs. dismal offense). Plus his look at what positions, exactly, Miguel Almiron and Alexey Miranchuk are playing these days.

🤔 Also interesting and relevant: Major League Soccer is considering changing its schedule to run from fall to spring, aligning it with the European model. Here’s what some United folks think about it.

CAPTION THIS

Credit: Arvin Temkar/AJC

Credit: Arvin Temkar/AJC

Seriously — let’s try something new. Write your own caption (wrong answers only!) and send it to me. Make me laugh.

QUOTE OF THE DAY

Thanks for reading to the very bottom of Sports Daily. Questions, comments, ideas? Contact me at tyler.estep@ajc.com.

Until next time.