UGA Football: Georgia vs. Tennessee Tech – Postgame Notes

09/08/2024

Home Openers and Series History

With today’s 48-3 win over Tennessee Tech, top-ranked Georgia (2-0) now has won 41 straight regular season games dating back to the 2020 season.
The Bulldogs are 48-2 in their last 50 games. Head coach Kirby Smart‘s career record improved to 96-16.
The Bulldogs extended their school record home winning streak to 26 games. Georgia has won 13 straight home openers.
Georgia leads the TTU series 3-0. Tenn. Tech scored their first points in the series after getting shutout 67-0 in 1943 and 38-0 in 2009, both in Athens.

Summary Of The Offense

In Georgia’s 48-3 victory, the Bulldogs collected 498 yards of total offense on 61 plays and 15 different Bulldogs caught a pass. In the first half, Georgia collected 24 points with 250 yards of total offense on 33 plays, scoring on four of its five possessions.
Senior QB Carson Beck (18-for-25, 242 yards, 5 TDs) tied a school record with five TD passes. Redshirt freshman QB Gunner Stockton played most of the second half and finished 10-for-12 for 90 yards.

Defensive Review

The Golden Eagles finished today with 134 yards of total offense on 48 plays. They made a 32-yard field goal to end the game.
For the second straight game, Georgia shut out its opponent in the first half. TTU finished 52 yards of offense on 27 plays. The Golden Eagles had 59 yards rushing on 25 attempts and went 2-for-2 passing for minus seven yards. Last week in Atlanta, #14 Clemson finished the first half with no points on 76 yards of offense, running 20 plays. Overall, the Tigers were limited to just three points, tallying 188 yards of total offense on 52 plays. Last season, Georgia posted a pair of first half shutouts, and they came in the first two games versus UT Martin and Ball State.
Georgia’s leading tackler was sophomore CJ Allen with five tackles followed by Tyrion Ingram-Dawkins and Christen Miller with four.
The Bulldogs had three sacks today with freshman KJ Bolden and Jordan Thomas notched their first career sacks while sophomore Christen Miller had his first sack of the year and the second of his career.
Senior Dan Jackson recovered a fumble and the TTU 27, and it led to an eventual TD and a 38-0 advantage.
With Georgia leading 45-0, the fourth quarter was reduced to 10 minutes.

Beck By Popular Demand

Senior Carson Beck (18-for-25, 242 yards, 5 TDs) tied a school record by tossing 5 TDs in a game as he played the first half and the first two possessions of the second half in building a 38-0 advantage. The TD passes went to five different Bulldogs. Beck is the seventh Georgia QB to notch 5 TD passes, joining Stetson Bennett (2021 vs UAB), Aaron Murray (2013 vs. Nebraska and 2011 vs. New Mexico State in the first half), Joe Cox (2009 vs. Arkansas), Mattthew Stafford (2008 vs. Ga. Tech), D.J. Shockley (2005 vs. Boise State) and David Greene (2004 vs. LSU)
In the first half, he went 16-for-22 for 155 yards and 3 TDs as the Bulldogs scored on their first four possessions. He started out 11-for-11 for 116 yards, 2 TDs. Last season, Beck began the Kentucky game by completing his first 13 passes, which ranked third best in school history to start a contest.
Georgia needed just one play, covering six seconds for its first TD in the form of a 22-yard strike from Beck to Dillon Bell for a 7-0 lead. It was Bell’s sixth career TD catch. The short field was set up by a 46-yard punt return by Anthony Evans.
Before today, the last time the score came on a first play pass was 2017 over No. 17 Miss. State, a 59-yard fleaflicker from Jake Fromm to Terry Godwin.
Before today, the last time Georgia scored a TD on its first offensive play came in 2020 against Florida in Jacksonville when Zamir White raced 75 yards.
Georgia’s second possession was a seven play, 58-yard TD drive in 3:44, capped by a six-yard TD pass from Beck to Colbie Young for a 14-0 edge.
The third possession resulted in a 27-yard field goal and a 17-0 lead with 11:45 left in the first half.
Georgia went up 24-0 with a TD on its fourth possession, going 80 yards on seven plays in 3:12.
Beck started the second half and directed a five play, 75-yard drive featuring a 50-yard TD strike to Arian Smith.

An Array Of Targets

A total of 15 Bulldogs hauled in a pass today and that was the most since the 2022 Samford game when 15 had a reception. Last week, nine players caught a pass in the season-opening win over #14 Clemson in Atlanta.
Senior Arian Smith (4 rec., 73 yards, 1 TD) caught a 50-yard TD from Beck to start the second half that capped a five play, 75-yard drive in 2:06 and a 31-0 lead. Junior Dillon Bell had four catches for 46 yards and one score, all in the first half.
Senior Dominic Lovett (3 rec., 33 yards, 1 TD) had a 10-yard TD catch.

Running Backs Share The Load

Georgia tallied 166 yards on the ground (24 attempts, 6.9 avg) and were led by junior Trevor Etienne (5-for-78 yards, 15.6 avg., long of 45). Seven different Bulldogs had a rushing attempt.

Special Teams Highlights

Sophomore PK Peyton Woodring tallied 12 points (6 PATs, 2 Field Goal) plus he handled the first seven kickoffs with three touchbacks and one out bounds. His field goals covered 27 and 32 yards.
Junior Brett Thorson’s first punt came with 7:44 left in the contest, and it covered 55 yards and was fair caught.
Sophomore Anthony Evans had five punt returns for 62 yards including a career-long 46-yarder.

Up Next

The top-ranked Bulldogs (2-0) open SEC play at Kentucky (1-0) next Saturday with kickoff at 7:30 p.m. (ABC). The Wildcats played host to South Carolina today in Lexington with a 3:30 p.m kickoff.