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Georgia handles Arkansas 45-17 in first SEC road test
Georgia’s first two games looked a lot like tune-ups against overmatched opponents, but Saturday finally brought something a bit more instructive.
The No. 2 Bulldogs took their first road trip of the season, opened SEC play, and handled Arkansas 45-17. It wasn’t always easy, but it didn’t have to be.
Georgia leaned on its running game, took care of the football, and methodically turned an 18-point halftime lead into another comfortable win. The Bulldogs moved to 3-0, outgaining Arkansas 464 yards to 300.
The more interesting part was how Georgia got those yards.
Georgia ran for 254 yards while holding Arkansas to just 28. Gunner Stockton chipped in 97 of those, highlighted by a 62-yard sprint on third-and-2 in the first half. Nate Frazier added 75 yards and a touchdown, and Chauncey Bowens found the end zone three times.
That kind of ground game let Georgia control things without needing Stockton to put up big passing numbers.
Stockton finished 10-of-13 for 147 yards and a touchdown. Georgia only completed five passes in the first half, but still led 21-3, mostly because Arkansas could not slow down the Bulldogs’ running game or get anything going on the ground themselves.
Frazier started things off with a 5-yard touchdown run, and Bowens added two more scores in the second quarter from 2 and 5 yards out. That put Georgia up 21-0 before Arkansas finally got on the board with a field goal just before halftime.
The second half did not bring a quick avalanche of points. Peyton Woodring’s 38-yard field goal made it 24-3, and Bowens’ third touchdown stretched the lead to 31-3 late in the third quarter.
Georgia then delivered the play that put the game out of reach.
Stockton connected with freshman Craig Dandridge Jr. for a 61-yard touchdown early in the fourth quarter, pushing the lead to 38-3. Dandridge ended up with three catches for 74 yards, another sign that Georgia’s young receivers are starting to make their mark.
Arkansas did have some success through the air, especially with Chris Marshall, who finished with 144 receiving yards. Still, the Razorbacks never found enough balance to really threaten Georgia, and both of their touchdowns came after the game was well out of hand.
Ryan Puglisi closed Georgia’s scoring with a touchdown pass to Lawson Luckie.
This wasn’t a perfect performance, but it didn’t have to be. Georgia gave up some passing yards and did not throw it around quite as easily as in the first two games. What Georgia did instead might matter more for the rest of the season. They went on the road, ran the ball, stopped the run, took care of the football, and controlled an SEC game from start to finish.
The first two weeks showed Georgia can overwhelm teams when everything is clicking. This week, Arkansas showed that Georgia can still win comfortably even when the game calls for a different approach.
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