The 2024 edition of the Georgia football team was on display for fans the first time Saturday at the annual G-Day game without some of the intrigue that usually adds to the buildup of a new season.

There’s no guesswork needed for the starting quarterback job. That was answered in December when Carson Beck said he was returning.

Sure, there are four new assistant coaches, but there’s stability with Glenn Schumann entering his third season as a defensive coordinator and Mike Bobo his second in his return as offensive coordinator.

If G-Day is any indication, defense should still be a strong suit for the Bulldogs.

That’s hardly a surprise, but it was accentuated when the two offenses managed just two combined touchdowns in the first 16 possessions.

The spring game is usually for the offense. There were at least 49 combined points each of the last three years with 57 scored last year.

This time the intrasquad scrimmage ended in a 20-20 tie after Carson Beck hit Dominic Lovett for an 11-yard score with 27 seconds left in the right corner of the end zone. Liam Badger was wide right for the Black on a 54-yard field goal try to end it.

Beck went 25 of 46 for 301 yards with two touchdowns and two interceptions for the Red Team (starting offense and second team defense). The Black Team (starting defense and second team offense) got a touchdown from Sacovie White who took a short pass 26 yards with 4:59 to go from Gunner Stockton (23 of 38 for 246 yards, TD, INT).

Here are three things we learned:

New guys in secondary get job done

Only one secondary starter from the Orange Bowl was on the field Saturday—cornerback Daylen Everette.

Safety Malaki Starks wore a headband on the sideline and jersey but was out after shoulder surgery and Kamari Lassiter, Javon Bullard and Tykee Smith are expected to go in the NFL draft later this month.

Dan Jackson and JaCorey Thomas started at safety with Everette and Julian Humphrey at cornerback.

Beck and Stockton combined to complete just 60 percent of their passes in the first half.

Jonel Aguero, the top candidate to start at the Star nickelback spot, had four tackles and two pass breakups.

He broke up a pass to Lovett. He later made a strong tackle on a short pass to tight end Oscar Delp, but on the next play Beck managed to hit Lovett for 34 yards with Aguero in tight coverage.

Jackson had Lovett covered on a third-down deep ball incompletion to force a punt.

The Red offense was held to a field goal on one first half drive but TV replay appeared to show Dillon Bell should have had a touchdown on a play called out of bounds.

Georgia Bulldogs newcomers shine

Freshman linebacker Chris Cole nearly had an interception off a swing pass from Gunner Stockton for running back Andrew Paul that could have turned into a touchdown deep in the Black team territory.

Georgia has six transfers on campus this spring.

Two moved into frontline positions based on they were with what was considered the starting units.

That was wide receiver Colbie Young from Miami and of course Florida transfer running back Trevor Etienne.

Defensive lineman Xzavier McLeod (South Carolina), safety Jake Pope (Alabama) and wide receivers London Humphreys (Vanderbilt) and Michael Jackson III (Southern Cal) were with the second teams.

McLeod was credited with 4 tackles including 2 sacks and and Pope had 4 tackles and a pass breakup.

Former Stanford tight end Benjamin Yurosek will arrive this summer.

Young was targeted in the red zone on an incompletion and then made a first-down catch later on a play where Beck may have gotten hammered by Mykel Williams in a real game.

Young scored on a 2-yard touchdown pass in the left corner of the end zone from Beck with Julian Humphrey covering.

Freshman Nitro Tuggle hauled in a 32-yard catch in the fourth from Stockton.

Freshman safety KJ Bolden (4 tackles) made a third-down stop to force a punt on the second defensive series.

Trevor Etienne flashes in Georgia football debut

Running back Roderick Robinson started ahead of Etienne but Etienne had a 14-yard catch out of the backfield from Beck and showed his speed on the outside beating Humphrey to the edge, but the play was called back for holding.

Etienne (24 rushing yards on 4 carries and 25 receiving yards on 2 catches) broke tackles on an 18-yard run over the middle in the second quarter.

Robinson took a short pass from Stockton when the quarterback jumped in with the starting unit in the third quarter and Robinson broke three tackles before Thomas stopped him on the 9-yard gain.

Andrew Paul had a 1-yard rushing touchdown and 44 rushing yards on 4 carries.

While Micah Morris came in behind Dylan Fairchild at left guard, Georgia had a pair of early enrollee freshmen lineman with the No. 2 offensive line with 6-5, 320-pound Malachi Tolliver at left guard and 6-6, 350-pound Daniel Calhoun at right guard.

This article originally appeared on Athens Banner-Herald: Newcomers Trevor Etienne, Colbie Young shine at Georgia football G-Day