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Han Vance on Georgia football: A chocked with cupcakes regular season slate saw its penultimate contest provide plenty of fireworks in the Classic City on Saturday as Georgia (10-1) had its biggest scoring output of the 2000’s millennium in a wild 66-27 win. The SEC-leading Georgia ground game generated six total rushing touchdowns, its most since the 1996 Auburn game, which was the SEC’s first-ever overtime game, in coach Jim Donnan’s first season in Athens.
True freshman dual-threat backup quarterback Justin Fields and deep into the platoon junior speedster wideout Tyler Simmons each had their best game at UGA, as the pair received extended playing time and put up yards and points together and apart. They were far from alone in the offensive onslaught.
Piling up blowout wins en route to a second consecutive 10-1 seasonal mark entering state rivalry week, Georgia had yet to quite crack half a hundred this season. The game, scrappy Minutemen of Massachusetts would not go all the way away as lovely autumnal day turned to night, in a battle of state flagships of the original 13 US colonies. Therefore, Kirby was compelled to have his side continue to score. And score they did, while compiling 701 yards and hitting 42 scored before the break.
The UGA bench was as cleared as it gets in college football, finally, the youngest team in the SEC playing so many talented players that do not receive as much playing time as they could at any lesser program. It was great to see the depth on display and the clear camaraderie of the bench cheering guys on late.
The news was not all rosy, as the best player from UMass is a good bit better than any receiver in the SEC. Andy Isabella, playing in his last college game before a certain NFL draft future, caught 15 passes for 219 yards on a vaunted defense whose head coach was once a Georgia defensive back.
Meanwhile, Georgia Tech won an overtime game to save some face before they travel to face Georgia. Twice consecutively in dramatic fashion, the Yellow Jackets claimed improbable road wins Between the Hedges, each time snatching victory from the jaws of defeat from their bitterest rivals in red and black.
Kirby is 1-1 in Governor’s Cups and simply must win next Saturday at noon.
Elsewhere, #1 Alabama struggled to a 10-10 tie at the half with tiny Citadel of Charleston, S. Car., before opening up to again hit the 50-point mark for the most times in the SEC. That one wideout had such a huge showing against the Dogs when everybody in the stadium knew that he would keep getting the ball regularly, does not bode well at all for Georgia’s ability to stop the Alabama passer, Tua, who set the season touchdown passing mark at the fabled football power. But that is a problem for another week.
The clock-control option comes to town first. When head coach Paul Johnson has his offense clicking on all cylinders, the game flies by quickly and the momentum is nearly impossible to seize, unless they turn the ball over. Lead linebacker Monty Rice was seen on the sideline with crutches throughout this contest, so I don’t expect him to be able to contribute.
These bees want nothing more than to sting us all.