7 observations from Georgia’s woeful start that turned in to a rout at Arkansas
Over recent weeks, Georgia’s players oozed about the offensive capabilities under Todd Monken. They liked the ability to use a variety of offensive schemes. The excitement was palpable despite a wholesale swap of linemen and skill players.
Head coach Kirby Smart said the goal was to “score more points.” Wide receiver Kearis Jackson, five days prior to kickoff said the Bulldogs’ offense would be something “nobody has seen before.”
For Georgia, the good news is that Jackson’s statement proved accurate. The bad news is that it was for the worse early on.
The Bulldogs’ unit looked lethargic for more than half of regulation. It had a myriad of sloppy moments. Quite frankly, it felt like one of the worst performances (at least through 30-plus minutes) in the Smart era — which hasn’t quite been known for being an offensive power.
The talent, however, prevailed. A few plays forced the game to suddenly become a rout. The Bulldogs (1-0, 1-0 SEC) topped Arkansas — which lost its 20th-consecutive SEC contest — 37-10 at Donald W. Reynolds Razorback Stadium.
1. Second-half surge for Georgia
Arkansas looked like it was driving to take a two-score lead early in the third quarter. The upset sirens began to wail after a Georgia fumble opened the second half. Once Georgia held the Razorbacks to a field goal, the visiting Bulldogs came alive.
Stetson Bennett, who entered the game as the second quarterback, motored Georgia’s offense to its first points. He threw a dart to wide receiver George Pickens and followed it with a scramble for a 2-point conversion. That allowed the flood gates to open. Once Georgia took the lead, it ballooned to four scores. Georgia outscored Arkansas 22-3 in the third quarter, which is attributed to turnovers and quality field position.
Georgia had a quiet game by most accounts, but its loud boom came in a stretch after the half.
2. Costly mistakes early for Bulldogs
Smart said a number of times throughout preseason practice that the Bulldogs were behind. By the end of the second scrimmage, he felt like Georgia had progressed to the point of finishing spring practice.
Early on, it showed. Georgia played as if it were another intrasquad scrimmage in preparation for the season. Nine penalties for 93 yards through the first quarter became the eye-popping, error-laden statistic. Georgia also got stopped on fourth down on an up-the-middle run play. Georgia’s average field position was the opponent’s 42-yard-line. It resulted in three offensive points.
After coming out of the locker room, Georgia found its groove. But the margin could’ve been larger without all the miscues.
3. Mathis, Bennett quarterback swap
Only a few minutes passed until Georgia had to scramble at its quarterback position. Redshirt freshman D’Wan Mathis received a start in his team debut, but it didn’t last long. He threw an interception, mishandled a snap by center Trey Hill, stepped out of bounds before reaching the marker on a third-down scramble and didn’t allow for the team’s offense to click.
Bennett, albeit in the second half, took control and played the remainder of the snaps. He hadn’t played outside of mop-up duty last season, but the Blackshear, Georgia native known as “The Mailman” showed he could elevate his performance in closer games. He scrambled. His experience showed. He allowed the run game to open up with a variety of short and deep passes. Bennett finished 20 of 29 with 211 yards and a touchdown. Mathis (who returned for a few fourth-quarter drives) struggled at a 7-for-16 clip with 43 yards.
JT Daniels, the former five-star recruit and transfer from Southern Cal, had not been cleared for contact as of Saturday morning. He suffered a torn ACL last season and underwent an additional procedure in December, per Smart.
4. Late-arriving physicality vs. Arkansas
The offensive line played musical chairs. The group of Trey Hill, Warren McClendon, Warren Ericson and Ben Cleveland frequently found themselves either on the sideline or playing in different positions. Georgia, which has been known for its running game and a ground-and-pound approach, mustered 48 rushing yards against an Arkansas defense that allowed 222 rushing yards per game in 2019.
Out of the locker room, the script flipped. Zamir White rattled off runs of 19 and 20 yards and scored a touchdown as the suddenly-discovered passing game opened up the running opportunities.
5. An entire offensive personnel swap mattered for Bulldogs
A reason for the Bulldogs’ offense starting slow can be discovered easily. Nearly every previous starter had to be replaced. Those not on the roster included D’Andre Swift, Lawrence Cager, Charlie Woerner, Brian Herrien and four offensive linemen. Oh yeah — there was a new Bulldog behind center, which still isn’t an answered question. As a result, Georgia had only 177 first-half yards, but finished with 389 after more reps.
6. UGA defensive identity mirrors last season
Much looked the same for Georgia’s defense in Saturday’s victory. Early on, the fans held their collective breath as the secondary got beat on a 49-yard touchdown reception to Arkansas wide receiver Traylon Burks. Aside from the one play, offensive traction couldn’t be found for the Razorbacks.
Georgia’s run defense, which only allowed two touchdowns last season, shut down Arkansas running back Rakeem Boyd. That turned into three interceptions — one on a pass by Burks and two by quarterback Feleipe Franks. The unit carried similar dominance as last season, highlighted with a pick-6 by cornerback Eric Stokes and two interceptions by safety Richard LeCounte.
7. Scott Cochran’s debut a quiet positive
There were a lot of negative sequences that forced the success in the third phase of the game to get buried. Jackson had a few solid punt returns of 19 and 15 yards. Punter Jake Camarda pinned the Razorbacks inside their 5-yard-line multiple times. While Arkansas had a couple of proficient offensive drives, it couldn’t gain much traction due to poor field position.
To cap it off, the momentum flip occurred midway through the third quarter when Campbell got his hands on a punt for a partial block and allowed his offense to start on the opposing 26-yard-line. Georgia’s special teams’ coordinator said he doesn’t sleep on game weeks. That must’ve paid off.
This story was originally published September 26, 2020 at 8:00 PM.