Georgia Bulldogs @ Arkansas Razorbacks
No. 2 Georgia rolls over Arkansas 45-17 in Southeastern Conference opener
FAYETTEVILLE, Ark. -- — Chauncey Bowens ran for three touchdowns and No. 2 Georgia held Arkansas to just 17 yards on the ground in a 45-17 win Saturday.
Georgia (3-0, 1-0 SEC) led 21-3 at halftime and never truly needed to pass the football. Quarterback Gunner Stockton finished the game 10-of-13 passing for 147 yards with a touchdown. He added a team-high 97 yards on the ground, including a 62-yard run on third down that set up Georgia’s third touchdown, Bowens’ second.
Georgia coach Kirby Smart, whose team won its first two games by a combined score of 133-23, cautioned that the win over Arkansas wasn't like those, even with the lopsided score.
"I don’t know that I would call it a blowout," Smart said. “Y’all might say that, but I don’t look at SEC games that way. I don’t look at the scoreboard. I look at how we play.”
They played well, especially on defense.
Arkansas passed most of the game, rarely with much success. KJ Jackson played two drives before being replaced by AJ Hill. Jackson reentered on the final drive of the first half and led the Razorbacks (1-2, 0-1) into the Georgia red zone for the first time. An intentional grounding penalty moved them back and Max Gilbert kicked a 41-yard field goal just before the break.
Things were worse on the ground for Arkansas. Seven players combined for 20 carries and 17 total yards rushing. Sutton Smith led with 17 yards on six carries. It was the Razorbacks’ worst rushing performance since picking up 16 yards against LSU in 2018.
Nick Frazier scored Georgia’s first touchdown, capping a six-play, 62-yard drive on the team’s first possession. He finished with 75 yards on 14 carries. Bowens ran for 39 yards on 11 carries. Stockton picked up his touchdown on a one-play series, completing a 61-yard pass to Craig Dandridge Jr. early in the fourth quarter.
“I think Gunner did a good job of making us right,” Smart said. “Several of those were pass plays that became run plays. The defense dictates some of that. We’re going to take what they give us.”
Jackson, who was replaced twice and reinserted twice, completed 20 of 27 passes for 212 yards. Hill went 8 of 14 for 76 yards. The pair combined to lose 16 yards rushing, mostly on sacks.
Arkansas picked up its two touchdowns in the fourth quarter with the game well in hand. Smith scored from five yards with 8 1 /2 minutes remaining and Jackson threw a 2-yard touchdown pass to Ty Lockwood with 40 seconds left.
Arkansas' loss was its 12 straight in SEC play. Georgia has lost just 12 SEC games in the regular season since 2016, Smart's first season as head coach.
The Razorbacks' football struggles have caused a stir. Coach Ryan Silverfield was hired over the winter after the team went 2-10 last year, but Arkansas' 1-1 start, now 1-2, was enough to spur action.
The university's Board of Trustees passed a resolution Friday that called for a review of “the state of competitiveness of Razorback Athletics, including steps to improve the resources available to the football program.”
Arkansas has three 2-10 seasons since 2018.
Georgia hosts No. 24 Oklahoma on Saturday.
Arkansas hosts Tulsa on Saturday.
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