Successful SEC Opener
With a 45-17 win today over Arkansas, the Bulldogs improved to 11-0 in SEC openers plus 11-0 in their first SEC road game in the Kirby Smart era.
With the latest victory, the Bulldogs lead the overall series with Arkansas 13-4 including 6-0 in Fayetteville/Little Rock.
This year, second-ranked Georgia (3-0, 1-0 SEC) has beaten Tennessee State 63-3, Western Kentucky 70-20 and Arkansas 45-17.
Record Scoring Output Continues
After building a 21-3 lead in the first half, Georgia has outscored its three opponents this season 56-0 in the first quarter and 105-12 in the first half. In the second half this season, the Bulldogs are outscoring their foes 73-28.
Defensive Review
UA finished with 300 yards on 62 plays and scored 14 of the 17 points in the 4th quarter.
In the first half, Arkansas posted three points, tallying 146 yards of offense (11-rush, 135-pass) on 29 plays. UA scored on its final possession of the first half, settling for a 41-yard field goal with two seconds left, going 52 yards in six plays in 34 seconds.
The leading tacklers today were junior Demello Jones and Joseph Jonah-Ajonye with six apiece.
Senior linebacker Raylen Wilson (2 sacks, 1 forced fumble) and junior Justin Williams combined for three sacks.
On Arkansas’ opening possession on a 4th-and 4 from the UGA38, senior Khalil Barnes had a pass break up to force a turnover on downs. UA had gained 37 yards on the drive with three first downs.
In the first half, sophomore OLB Quintavious Johnson sniffed out a trick play, and it resulted in a TFL for five yards after UA had moved to the UGA 31 following a 37-yard completion. Then, a seven-yard sack by junior ILB Justin Williams, the first of his career, forced a punt.
Offensive Review
Georgia tallied 45 points on 464 yards of offense in picking up its first SEC road win of the year.
Georgia took the 2nd half kickoff and settled for a 38-yard field goal by Peyton Woodring to extend its lead to 24-3.
On its 2nd possession of the 2nd half, it had a 4th-and-2 at the UA 24 and converted with an 11-yard completion to Sacovie White-Helton. The drive ended with Chauncey Bowens’ third TD of the day and a 31-3 advantage.
In the first half, Georgia tallied 227 yards of offense on 30 plays, gaining 164 yards on the ground and 63 through the air.
Fifth-year QB Gunner Stockton (10-13 for 147 yards, 1 TD plus career-high 97 rushing yards) led the Bulldogs to another victory. He finished the first half 5-for-6 for 63 yards including a 62-yard rush. In the second half, Stockton connected on a 61-yard TD strike to freshman Craig Dandridge Jr. for his first career score. Up 38-10, junior QB Ryan Puglisi played the final eight minutes of the contest led the team to a TD. Georgia’s first possession of the game started at the UGA 38, and the Bulldogs went 62 yards in six plays in 3:45 for a 7-0 lead. On 3rd-and-2, Stockton hit senior TE Lawson Luckie (3 rec., 59 yards, 1 TD) for a 33-yard completion to the UA 21. Junior Nate Frazier capped the drive with a 5-yard TD. Luckie would add a two-yard TD catch in the 4th quarter.
This season, Stockton directed 13 consecutive touchdown drives before Georgia was forced to punt on its second possession today.
On the 3rd possession, a pair of pass interference penalties in the end zone extended the drive and led to a Chauncey Bowens 2-yard TD and a 14-0 lead with 8:45 left in the first half. It was a 10-play, 75-yard drive in 6:08, a season high for plays and time.
In the first half, Georgia was 3-for4 in scoring drives, all TDs (not counting the 1-play drive with two seconds to run out the 1st half). The Bulldogs scored a TD on their first seven possessions against WKU after scoring on their first five in the season-opening win over TSU.
The Bulldogs allowed their first three sacks of the season while the Georgia defense registered three sacks.
The Running Game
Georgia tallied 254 rushing yards on 42 atttempts for a 6.0 average and four TDs.
The Bulldogs finished the first half with 164 yards rushing on 24 attempts for a 6.8 average and three TDs.
Junior Nate Frazier gained 75 yards on 14 carries. He had a five-yard TD in the first half to give him five scores on the year in his first 12 carries.
Junior Chauncey Bowens finished with 11 carries for 39 yards and a career-high 3 TDs.
Freshman WR Craig Dandridge Jr., had his first career rush and it covered six yards plus his first career receiving TD (61-yarder). Fifth-year QB Gunner Stockton (7 rushes for career-high 97 yards) had the game’s longest rush with a career-long 62-yard scamper on 3rd-and-2 from the UGA 27.
Special Teams Summary
Senior PK Peyton Woodring tallied nine points on six PATs plus a 38-yard FG, and he took care of the kickoffs. Today marked his first field goal of the season as he is now 60-for-68 in his career.
Junior Drew Miller finished with a 40.0 average on one punt that landed inside the 20.
In the second half, senior London Humphreys registered a blocked punt, the first by the Bulldogs since the 2025 SEC Championship Game against Alabama by Cole Speer.
Points off Turnovers
Georgia scored 7 points of one turnover (Raylen Wilson caused it on a sack and recoverd by Jordan Hall at the UA32).The Bulldogs have scored 35 points off five turnovers and. Georgia is +3 in TO Margin this season.
Captains, Coin Toss And For Starters
Georgia’s captains were Earnest Greene III, Lawson Luckie, Gabe Harris Jr. and Raylen Wilson.
Georgia won the toss and elected to defer the football until the 2nd half. Junior Sacovie White-Helton (WR) made his first career start.
Up Next
No. 2 Georgia (3-0) faces #24 Oklahoma in Athens on Sat., Sept. 26th at 3:30 pm ET (ABC/ESPN). OU hosts New Mexico tonight.
