Georgia absolutely hammered Arkansas on the road Saturday with a dominant 45-17 victory, their first away game of the season. The Bulldogs are now sitting pretty at 3-0, having basically coasted through every single matchup so far. But don’t think Kirby Smart and his crew are resting easy, because they’re already looking to clean up some stuff before #21 Oklahoma rolls into town next week.
Run Game Was Rolling, But Pass Protection Needs Work
The Bulldogs set the tone right from the jump, running the ball on five of their six plays in that opening scoring drive. Talk about imposing your will! Gunner Stockton even threaded a 33-yarder to Lawson Luckie, showing off that arm. But the real story? Georgia rushed for more than 250 yards on the day, slamming home four rushing touchdowns, with Chauncey Bowens personally snatching three of those. That’s just nasty! However, it wasn’t all sunshine and rainbows up front; right tackle Juan Gaston had a tough day, giving up sacks in both the first and third quarters. That’s gotta be cleaned up, especially with a ranked opponent on deck. You can’t let guys get to the QB like that.
Defense Was Beastly, Except For That Finish
The defense brought the heat, no doubt about it. They made a crucial fourth-down stop with Valdin Sone bringing the pressure and Khalil Barnes locking down coverage on an incomplete pass. Justin Williams snagged his first career sack after Arkansas had ripped off a big pass play on the previous third down. Raylen Wilson was an absolute menace, racking up two sacks and a forced fumble, finishing with three total tackles to earn the game MVP nod. The starting unit was legit, only letting up a field goal all game. So what’s the frustration? They gave up *two* touchdowns in the final 8:30 of the game! Come on, fellas, finish strong! Kyon Jones also had a late hit out of bounds that just can’t happen. Glenn Schumann’s defense held Arkansas to 300 total yards, but those late scores sting.
Special Teams Is Clutch, But Standards Are Sky High
Our special teams unit was money. London Humphreys busted through for a blocked punt in the third quarter, a huge momentum swing. Peyton Woodring nailed his only field goal try from 38 yards, and Drew Miller was bombing punts, averaging 43.4 yards on his two kicks. Arkansas’s only kick return was stopped at the 25, so field position was consistently in Georgia’s favor. Offensive Coordinator Mike Bobo was happy to let the run game eat, and the overall team grade came in at a B+. The truth is, the game played out exactly how everyone thought it would. Arkansas is going to have a long season, but for Georgia, a 28-point road win still doesn’t get an A! That just shows you the insane standards this team has.
Next week, the Bulldogs welcome #21 Oklahoma to town. This isn’t just another game, is it? They’ve gotta clean up those late-game slips and show the nation they deserve that top spot. Can they bring that same run-game fire and lock it down for 60 minutes? We’ll be watching!
This article was created with AI assistance and published under Seattle On Tap’s editorial standards. See our Editorial Policy.
Originally reported by Yahoo Sports.
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