FAYETTEVILLE, Ark. — Georgia didn’t need to rely on its passing game to overwhelm Arkansas.
The No. 2 Bulldogs controlled the game with a punishing rushing attack and a defense that completely shut down the Razorbacks on the ground, cruising to a 45-17 victory Saturday in the SEC opener for both teams.
Georgia improved to 3-0 overall and 1-0 in conference play, while Arkansas fell to 1-2 and 0-1.
Chauncey Bowens scored three rushing touchdowns, Nick Frazier added 75 yards on the ground and quarterback Gunner Stockton provided another dimension with his legs as the Bulldogs steadily pulled away.
Georgia led 21-3 at halftime and never needed to open up the offense.
Stockton completed 10 of 13 passes for 147 yards and a touchdown while adding a team-high 97 rushing yards. His biggest run came on third down when he broke loose for 62 yards, setting up Bowens’ second touchdown.
Even with the final score heavily favoring his team, Georgia coach Kirby Smart wasn’t ready to call the victory a blowout.
“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.”
By that standard, Smart had plenty to like.
Georgia’s Defense Takes Control
The Bulldogs’ defense made life miserable for Arkansas from the opening kickoff.
The Razorbacks managed just 17 rushing yards on 20 carries, with seven different players combining to produce that total.
It was Arkansas’ lowest rushing output since the Razorbacks managed 16 yards against LSU in 2018.
Sutton Smith led Arkansas with only 17 yards on six carries.
With the running game essentially eliminated, Arkansas was forced to rely heavily on its quarterbacks and passing attack.
KJ Jackson started the game but was removed after two drives. AJ Hill took over before Jackson returned for the final possession of the first half.
Jackson eventually settled in and completed 20 of 27 passes for 212 yards, but the Razorbacks repeatedly struggled to sustain drives.
Hill completed 8 of 14 attempts for 76 yards.
The two quarterbacks combined to lose 16 yards rushing, much of that damage coming from sacks.
Bulldogs Establish the Run
Georgia’s offense didn’t need to do anything spectacular.
The Bulldogs simply kept handing the ball to their running backs and letting their offensive line control the game.
Frazier scored Georgia’s opening touchdown, finishing a six-play, 62-yard drive on the Bulldogs’ first possession.
He ended the afternoon with 75 yards on 14 carries.
Bowens carried 11 times for 39 yards but made his biggest impact around the goal line, scoring three touchdowns.
Stockton’s ability to run the football made Georgia even more difficult to defend.
His 62-yard third-down run helped set up Bowens’ second touchdown and demonstrated why the Bulldogs were comfortable keeping the ball on the ground.
Smart said Stockton repeatedly made the correct decision when Arkansas’ defense took away the initial play.
“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.”
Arkansas Finds the End Zone Late
The Razorbacks finally reached the end zone twice in the fourth quarter, but by then Georgia had the game firmly under control.
Smith scored on a 5-yard run with about 8½ minutes remaining.
Jackson then connected with Ty Lockwood for a 2-yard touchdown with 40 seconds left.
Arkansas’ best scoring opportunity of the first half ended with a field goal.
Jackson returned for the final drive before halftime and moved the Razorbacks into Georgia territory and eventually into the red zone. But an intentional grounding penalty pushed Arkansas backward, forcing the Razorbacks to settle for Max Gilbert’s 41-yard field goal.
That kick accounted for Arkansas’ only first-half points.
Stockton Adds a Big Play Through the Air
Georgia wasn’t completely one-dimensional.
Early in the fourth quarter, Stockton connected with Craig Dandridge Jr. on a 61-yard touchdown pass.
The one-play scoring drive gave Georgia another explosive play and pushed the Bulldogs further out of reach.
It was a reminder that while Georgia was content to run the football, the Bulldogs still possessed enough firepower through the air to punish Arkansas when opportunities presented themselves.
Two Programs Headed in Different Directions
The result extended two dramatically different SEC trends.
Arkansas has now lost 12 consecutive conference games.
Georgia, meanwhile, has lost only 12 regular-season SEC games since Smart took over as head coach in 2016.
The Razorbacks’ struggles have also generated increasing attention away from the field.
After Arkansas went 2-10 last season, Ryan Silverfield was hired during the offseason to lead the program. Following Friday’s Board of Trustees meeting, the university passed a resolution calling for a review of “the state of competitiveness of Razorback Athletics, including steps to improve the resources available to the football program.”
Arkansas has now endured three 2-10 seasons since 2018.
Looking Ahead:
Georgia will return home next Saturday for another major test when No. 24 Oklahoma visits Athens.
Arkansas will attempt to regroup when it hosts Tulsa.
For Georgia, Saturday’s performance offered another example of why the Bulldogs remain one of the nation’s most complete teams.
The offense controlled the line of scrimmage, Stockton made plays with his arm and legs, and the defense completely erased Arkansas’ running game.
Georgia may not have needed to throw often, but it didn’t need to.
The Bulldogs dictated the game from start to finish.
