*A Whole Lot of Offense:The Bulldogs tallied the second most offense in school history with 701 yards (426-rushing, 275-passing) on 62 plays. The school record is 713 against Florida Atlantic in 2012. Georgia’s 66 points was the most since a 70-6 win over Northeast Louisiana in 1994. With today’s 66-27 win, Georgia moves to 10-1 overall and the senior class improves to 41-11. Senior Day is next Saturday against Ga. Tech at Noon (SEC Network).
*Quick Strikes: Georgia scored touchdowns on six of its seven possessions (3 plays, 66 yards in 0:57; 10-68 in 4:58; 7-80 in 2:57; 2-73 in 0:48; 3-72 in 1:00; 4-81 in 1:01) to build a 42-13 edge by halftime. The only drive that did not result in a touchdown came on a fumble on a punt return. Georgia had 431 yards of offense on 29 plays in the 1sthalf.
Sophomore QB Jake Fromm went 4-for-4 for 97 yards and one TD in directing scoring drives on the first two and then fourth possessions. True freshman QB Justin Fields got the 3rdpossession, which featured a career-long 47-yard rush by him, and he capped an 80-yard drive with an 11-yard TD pass to junior Riley Ridley. Fromm returned for the fourth possession, and connected on a 71-yard TD pass to junior Tyler Simmons for a 28-7 lead.
Fields got the fifth possession and marched the Bulldogs 72 yards down the field for a TD in 60 seconds. The big play on this drive was a 54-yard reception to tight end junior Issac Nauta. Fields got the sixth possession and led another quick TD drive in 1:01 capped by a career-long 57-yard strike to junior Mecole Hardman to make it 42-7. Fields was 4-for-5 for a career-high 124 yards and 2 TDs in the first half.
In week three, Georgia scored 42 points in the first half against Middle Tennessee en route to a 49-7 win.
*Second Half Offense:The Bulldogs went 4-for-5 in scoring (3-TDs, 1-FG, then ran out the clock). Fromm started the second half and led the Bulldogs on a 4-play, 66-yard drive in 2:05 as freshman James Cook notched his first career TD on a 26-yard run. On the next possession, Fields returned and Georgia kicked a 40-yard field goal after going seven yards in four plays; On the 3rdpossession of the 2ndhalf, Fields led the Bulldogs to another TD (9-80 in 5:24) including a 30-yard run to give him 100 yards on the day. Fields finished 5-for-8 for 121 yards and 2 TDs. Freshman QB Matthew Downing took over in the 4thand led a TD drive covering 75 yards in six plays in 4:10 to make it 66-20.
*Scoring Defense:In the first half, Georgia held UMass to 13 points as the Minutemen ran 39 plays for 206 total yards. UMass won the toss and elected to take the football and then went three-and-out. UMass got its first touchdown after a Bulldog turnover, needing to go only 16 yards on four plays to cut it to 14-7 in the first quarter. In the second half, the Minutemen scored 14 points overall with a 75-yard TD from Ross Comis to Andy Isabella to cut it to 59-20 and a 45-yarder from the same duo to make it 66-27 with 8:55 left. Isabella finished with 219 receiving yards on 15 catches. The catch total was the 2nd most against Georgia in school history and the most in Sanford Stadium, his yards was third most against the Bulldogs. UMass finished with 390 yards on 54 plays.
*Simmons Says Touchdown:Junior wideout Tyler Simmons enjoyed a big first half with a pair of touchdowns, one coming on a career-long 49-yard rush and the other on an 87-yard reception from Jake Fromm. Simmons finished the half with 49 rushing yards and 81 receiving yards on two catches. He is the first Bulldog to score a TD rushing and receiving since Mecole Hardman against Alabama in the 2018 National Championship Game.
*Rushing Attack: Georgia, the SEC’s rushing leader averaging 240.7 yards a game, tallied 426 including 168 in the first quarter. Freshman QB Justin Fields led the team with 100 yards on seven carries including a TD. Junior wideout Tyler Simmonshad a 49-yard scamper for the first score and a 7-0 lead with 13:01 mark in the 1stquarter. Earlier this year against Middle Tennessee, he had a career-long 56-yarder for a TD. Sophomore D’Andre Swift (9-for-49 yards) and junior Elijah Holyfield (6-for-50 yards, 1 TD) only played briefly in the first half.
*For Starters:Senior C Lamont Gaillard started his team-leading 39th straight game while on defense, the team leader in starts is senior DB Deandre Baker now with 32 including a streak of 14 with junior RS J.R. Reed the most consecutive on defense with 26. Redshirt freshman Eric Stokes made his first career start at LC after freshman Tyson Campbell had started the first 10 games at that spot. At RG, true freshman Trey Hill got his first career start with true freshman Cade Mays out today. Stokes and Hill give the Bulldogs 16 first-time starters this season. Hill is the third different starter at right guard this year due to injuries.
*Points off Turnovers: Georgia scored three points off one UMass turnover (interception by Tae Crowder to the UMass 30) while the Minutemen converted one Bulldog miscue (Terry Godwin fumble on a punt return) into seven points, needing to go only 16 yards. For the year, Georgia is now +4 in Turnover Margin, scoring 51 points off 15 turnovers on the year. Opponents have scored 23 points off 11 Bulldog turnovers this year.
*Captains: Today’s captains were seniors Terry Godwin and sophomores D’Andre Swift and Monty Rice.
*Up Next: Georgia (10-1) closes out the regular season by playing host to Ga. Tech (7-4) at Noon (SEC Network) on Saturday, Nov. 24. Tech beat Virginia 30-27 in overtime in Atlanta Saturday.
