ATHENS — The Georgia Bulldogs finally dispatched a pesky Massachusetts team for a 59-21 victory at Sanford Stadium on Saturday. And with that out of the way, the No. 10 Bulldogs can get back to pursuing a College Football Playoff berth.
Their victory Saturday certainly did little to enhance that pursuit. Georgia (9-2) rolled up 550 yards of offense and scored on all but one offensive possession. But the Bulldogs gave up 351 yards — including 226 rushing — to UMass (2-9), an FBS independent that recently fired its head coach.
A win over archrival Georgia Tech would help the Bulldogs’ cause. The Yellow Jackets (7-4) arrive for a 7:30 p.m. Friday kickoff (ABC) in the rivalry known as “Clean Old-Fashioned Hate.”
“I’m worried about Georgia Tech; that’s all I’m thinking about,” said Georgia coach Kirby Smart, who has won 30 consecutive home games dating to 2019. “I’m not worried about anybody else in the world but my team and how we get ready in six days for that game.”
Georgia’s defense has some serious work to do before then. Utilizing a two-quarterback offense similar to Tech’s, UMass marched up and down the field on the Bulldogs. The Minutemen rolled up 266 yards on the ground, not counting the lost yardage on three sacks.
When Georgia surged ahead 45-21 late in the third quarter, it looked like it might have forced the Minutemen into submission. Instead, running back Jalen John broke off a 68-yard run, and UMass was back in business first-and-goal at the Bulldogs’ 7.
That’s when Mykel Williams made the defensive play of the game for Georgia. His strip-sack of quarterback A.J. Hairston caused a fumble that was recovered by the Minutemen, but only after a loss of 23 yards. The UMass possession would end in a missed 37-yard field-goal attempt, and the Bulldogs were able to retain a modicum of respect with regard to the scoreboard.
By then, though, Georgia’s defensive reputation had been further soiled. The Bulldogs gave up numerous explosive plays, including a 75-yard touchdown pass, and runs of 38 and a 22 yards, the latter for another score.
“Fluke plays may happen, but the 200-plus rushing is what’s concerning to me,” Smart said. “That bothers me way more.”
Fortunately for the Bulldogs, the visitors had no answers for the Carson Beck-led offense. The senior quarterback threw for four touchdowns and 297 yards on 20-of-31 passing. Freshman running back Nate Frazier added 136 yards rushing and three touchdowns for the Bulldogs.
More important, after a run of 13 turnovers in six games, Beck has had none in the past two contests. Georgia scored on every offensive possession through the first three quarters — six touchdowns and a field goal — and never punted. Quarterbacks Gunner Stockton and Collin Drake played most of the fourth quarter.
“We have a tough game this week against Georgia Tech,” said Beck, one of two dozen players recognized in a pregame Senior Day ceremony. “They just beat a top-ranked opponent. They have a very good offense and a good defense that’s going to challenge you. So, I’m just excited to watch the film from this one and move on to preparing for Tech tomorrow.”
The final margin was inflated by a 31-7 second half. With 3:28 remaining in the game, Gabe Harris sacked UMass quarterback A.J. Hairston. That forced a fumble that freshman linebacker Chris Cole scooped for a 31-yard touchdown that made the score 59-21.
Earlier in the game, the Minutemen were running the football down Georgia’s throat. They had 166 yards rushing by halftime and possessed the ball for two-thirds of the opening two quarters (20:37 to 9:23). UMass did that by going 5-of-8 on third- and fourth-down conversions. A lot of that came on quarterback runs by Ahmad Haston, who had 50 yards on three carries as the running quarterback alternating Harrison, the designated thrower.
Georgia Tech has a similar situation with quarterbacks Aaron Philo and Haynes King.
“I wouldn’t say we’re concerned,” Georgia linebacker CJ Allen said Saturday’s performance. “You’ve got to go watch the film, see what you did, fix the mistakes and move on. It’s a short week, so we can’t dwell on this game. We’ve just got to fix what we did wrong and execute.”
Georgia was more than a little concerned early in the second half. Receiving the second-half kickoff, the Bulldogs were fortunate to have kicker Peyton Woodring bail them out with a 53-yard field goal into the wind. That became even more apparent when UMass scored on a 75-yard touchdown pass on the ensuing offensive possession to get within 31-21.
That seemed to kick the Bulldogs into another gear. Frazier would score touchdowns at the end of their next two possessions. The drives totaled 21 plays and 125 yards.
“He’s explosive, makes really good cuts, really good reads,” senior guard Tate Ratledge said of Frazier. “He runs the ball hard, which is all you ask for as an offensive lineman. You want somebody back there who’s gonna make you look good.”
About the Author
