Glen Powell Booed at UGA Football Game While Filming Hulu Series

Glen Powell faced the ire of college football fans during a surprise appearance at the University of Georgia’s recent game against Mississippi State.

During the game’s halftime, which took place on Saturday, October 12, a mysterious football team dressed in blue and white uniforms took the field at Sanford Stadium with Powell, 35, leading the charge.

The Top Gun: Maverick actor was there filming scenes for his upcoming Hulu series, Chad Powers, a comedy that follows a disgraced college quarterback as he walks onto a struggling Southern football team. Social media footage showed the entire stadium booing Powell’s fake football team as they ran onto the field. It’s unclear whether or not the crowd was told to boo the “football players” for the sake of the scene.

Created by Powell and Michael Waldron, Chad Powers was inspired by Eli Manning’s 2022 ESPN+ docuseries Eli’s Places wherein the former New York Giants quarterback participated in Penn State’s walk-on football tryouts in disguise as a character named Chad Powers, complete with prosthetic makeup and a wig.

As for Saturday’s actual football game, the Georgia Bulldogs wound up defeating the Mississippi Bulldogs 41 to 31.

“We’re both diehard college football fans. When we saw Eli as Chad Powers, we knew that was the way into a big, fun story about this world,” Powell and Waldron said in a joint statement to Variety when the show was announced in February. “We’re excited to be part of this team, and can’t wait to get Chad in the game. Think fast, run fast.”

Manning, 43, will also executive produce Chad Powers along with his brother, Peyton Manning, via Omaha Productions.

“The love for Chad Powers has surprised me in spectacular ways,” Eli told Variety. “I played 16 years in the NFL, but now when I’m in a restaurant or walking through an airport, it’s not uncommon for fans to scream, ‘Hey Chad!’ I’m so excited to team up with my friends Glen Powell, Michael Waldron and Omaha Productions to continue to tell the Chad Powers story and see what he does next.”

Eli gushed over Powell’s portrayal of Chad Powers last month while speaking exclusively with Us Weekly. “I thought he looked unbelievable,” he said in September. “I mean, he looked terrible, which is hard for Glen to look really bad. He looked bad like I did!”

He added, “I’ve been talking to him, working with him a little bit in the off season and to get him ready. And he’s fired up to play quarterback and to play Chad. He’s gonna do a great job. I can’t wait to see him in action.”