Georgia begins 2023 season with 48-7 win over UT-Martin

ATHENS, Ga. — Georgia’s defense of back-to-back National Championships got off to a slow start but the Bulldogs still ran away with it with a 48-7 win. The Bulldog offense stumbled and bumbled a bit in the first half but it came alive with big plays in the second to blow UT-Martin out.

Carson Beck‘s first college start was shaky at times but he kept at it and ended up with a strong day from a statistical standpoint, completing 21 of 31 passes for 294 yards and a touchdown. Brock Bowers caught five passes for 77 yards and picked up a touchdown on the ground in the win.

The first-half wasn’t what you’d expect from a team that entered the season as the No. 1 team in both the coaches and AP polls. With a new offensive coordinator, a new quarterback, and a couple of starters missing in action, Georgia couldn’t get anything consistent going.

It went three and out on its first two drives with a touchdown sandwiched between the two, one that was jumpstarted by the type of play folks have come to expect from Bowers. His first touch of the season went for 23 yards as he broke two tackles and took Georgia well into Skyhawk territory. He punched it in from three yards out a few plays later on a jet sweep handoff. Peyton Woodring‘s PAT gave the Bulldogs a 7-0 lead.

It would stay that way until well into the second quarter. The Bulldogs got a 38-yard run from Kendall Milton to get the drive going and Beck used his legs to finish off the drive from four yards out. He sidestepped a UT-Martin defender at the two-yard line and walked in to make it 13-0. Woodring’s PAT gave the Bulldogs a 14-0 lead.

The defense followed that up with a stop and allowed the offense to work the two-minute offense. Beck and company moved the ball down the field with a couple of short scrambles and connections to Bowers and Dominick Lovett.

The hookup with Lovett covered 25 yards and took it to the Skyhawk 25 yard line, but, instead of spiking it with no timeouts, Beck rushed to the line of scrimmage and handed it off to Cash Jones. The play lost two yards and Georgia had to clock it on second down with 11 seconds left. Beck’s third down pass missed the mark and Woodring came on to hit the chip-shot field goal, sending the Bulldogs into the half with a 17-0 lead.

Beck and the Georgia offense went three and out to start the second half but they got something going on their second shot of the third quarter. After a perfect check-up punt from UT-Martin was downed at the UGA two-yard line, the Bulldogs went to work.

A 10-yard hookup between Beck and C.J. Smith, the first caught of Smith’s career, moved the chains on 3rd and 3 and the Georgia offense was off and running. Beck found Dillon Bell for a 17-yard gain then a defensive holding call moved the ball 10 more yards. Mekhi Mews caught a quick screen two plays later, darted to the middle of the field and raced to the end zone for the 54-yard touchdown. Woodring’s third PAT of the day pushed the Bulldog lead to 24-0.

The Skyhawks next possession was pretty quick and so was Georgia’s. The results, however, were different. UT-Martin went three and out and punted it back to the Bulldogs, who needed just five plays and 116 seconds to score again. Beck hit C.J. Smith for a 47-yard gain and Mews for a 25-yard pickup. Freshman running back Roderick Robinson did the rest, picking up a six yard gain to the two-yard line then running it in on the next play for his first career touchdown. Woodring’s PAT extended the lead to 31-0.

UT-Martin had a chance to end the shutout in the third quarter with a 41-yard field goal try, but the kick floated wide left as the Bulldogs just missed getting a hand on it. The score remained 31-0 but not for long.

Brock Vandagriff, who entered the game at quarterback late in the third quarter and went three and out due to a pair of offensive holding penalties, connected with Rara Thomas for 56 yards to open the possession. It was the first completion of Vandagriff’s college career and Thomas’ first catch as a Georgia Bulldog. Vandagriff hit Oscar Delp for a touchdown from 21 yards out on the next play and the PAT put the Bulldogs up 38-0.

Georgia lost the shutout on UT-Martin’s next possession. The Nighthawks drove it down the field on 12 plays and scored on a nine-yard pass from Kinkead Dent to Trevonte Rucker. The play was reviewed and replay seemed to indicate that the ball was bobbled as Rucker went out of bounds but the ruling on the field stood. The PAT cut Georgia’s lead to 38-7.

Gunner Stockton entered the game at quarterback on UGA’s next possession and he, too, led the Bulldogs to a score. He completed three of five passes for 29 yards on the drive and set Woodring up for a 33-yard field goal to make it 41-7. The Bulldogs weren’t done scoring, however, as the defense scored the next time the Skyhawks got it. Freshman STAR/nickel Kyron Jones picked off a Kody Sparks pass and returned it 26 yards for a touchdown. The PAT pushed the UGA lead to 48-7 and that’s how this one would end.

Next up for Georgia is a matchup with Ball State on September 9. Kickoff is set for 12 p.m. on The SEC Network. The Bulldogs have now won 18 straight games and 34 of 35 games dating back to the 2020 season.