Georgia did exactly what the nation’s No. 3 team should do against an FCS opponent, overwhelming Tennessee State 63-3 at Sanford Stadium.
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Quarterback Gunner Stockton was nearly flawless, completing 15 of 16 passes for 202 yards and three touchdowns. Running back Nate Frazier was even more explosive, rushing for 72 yards and three touchdowns on only four carries.
Georgia scored touchdowns on its first five possessions and led 28-0 after one quarter. By halftime the Bulldogs were ahead 35-3, allowing Kirby Smart to spend much of the second half evaluating younger players.
The final statistics illustrated the mismatch. Georgia accumulated 661 total yards while limiting Tennessee State to only 119. The Tigers didn’t record their first first down until midway through the second quarter.
The afternoon also provided opportunities for Georgia’s future stars. Freshmen Kaiden Prothro, Jae Lamar and Jeremy Bell scored their first collegiate touchdowns, while backup quarterbacks Ryan Puglisi and Ryan Montgomery received valuable playing time.
There were some imperfections. Georgia committed eight penalties for 85 yards and had a special-teams substitution mistake. Those are precisely the kinds of details Smart will emphasize despite the 60-point victory.
But the larger picture was overwhelmingly positive.
Stockton operated efficiently, Frazier provided explosive rushing plays, the defense dominated and Georgia demonstrated the extraordinary roster depth that has become a hallmark of Smart’s program.
Tennessee State obviously cannot duplicate the challenges Georgia will encounter in SEC play, so this game tells us relatively little about how the Bulldogs will fare against elite opponents.
What it does demonstrate is that Georgia remains deep, talented and extremely difficult to handle when it plays clean football.
