No. 2 Georgia dominates No. 8 Arkansas in Athens
No. 2 Georgia shuts out No. 8 Arkansas in Athens
No. 2 Georgia did not blink in its second top-10 matchup of the season, shutting out No. 8 Arkansas 37-0 in Sanford Stadium.
The Bulldogs controlled the line of scrimmage on both sides of the ball. The UGA offense ran for 273 yards, while the defense held the Hogs to 75 yards on the ground and 87 in the air for a total of 162. Georgia's defense also managed to sack Arkansas QB KJ Jefferson four times to bring its season total to 18.
The Arkansas offense was never able to find its rhythm against the No. 1 defense in the nation. The Razorbacks failed to convert on their lone scoring chance of the day with a missed field goal in the first quarter. The Hogs managed to convert on third down just three times on 12 attempts.
Today was a record setting day for Georgia football. This was the Bulldogs' largest margin of victory against a top-10 opponent since their 34-0 win against No. 2 Georgia Tech in 1942. It was also the first time UGA had shut out consecutive SEC teams since 1980 when the 'Dawgs blanked Vanderbilt 41-0 and Kentucky 27-0. That season, Georgia would go on to win its second national title.
The Bulldogs will look to continue their winning ways as they travel to Auburn to take on the Tigers on Oct. 9. The Hogs will try to get back on track when they head to Oxford to take on Ole Miss on Oct. 9.
Georgia 34, Arkansas 0 | 12:12 Q4
The Bulldogs continue to rack up the rushing touchdowns. Georgia RB Zamir White gets his second of the day with an impressive 15-yard run. It almost ended a few yards short of the goal line, but White showed impressive body control and balance as he managed to keep his left knee inches off the ground.
Confirmed ✅
— Georgia Football (@GeorgiaFootball) October 2, 2021
Watch live on ESPN: https://t.co/0PAr0GUvuh pic.twitter.com/MTAZ485I3K
Georgia 27, Arkansas 0 | 15:00 Q4
It was a quiet third quarter in Athens. The only score came on Georgia's first drive of the second half when Jack Podlesny nailed a 30-yard field goal to make it 27-0.
UGA's defense has continued to stifle Arkansas' offense. The Razorbacks have put together 12 yards of offense over three possessions. Penalties have also been a concern for Arkansas head coach Sam Pittman as the Hogs were flagged four times in just the third quarter.
Georgia 24, Arkansas 0 | Half
Georgia dominated the first half from start to finish. The Bulldogs managed to put points on the board in their first three offensive drives with two touchdowns and a field goal.
In addition to the hot start offensively, the Bulldogs' defense was the big story of the half. UGA's defense allowed 78 total yards and just three first downs. The special teams also got involved early with a blocked punt that was recovered for a touchdown.
Prior to the start of this game, QB JT Daniels was ruled out with an injury, and senior Stetson Bennett stepped in to fill in. He has looked solid, but hasn't had to do much as he's thrown the ball just 7 times for 54 passing yards. Their run game has carried the offense with 139 yards and two touchdowns.
Arkansas' offense has relied on QB KJ Jefferson, he has 38 yards in the air and 20 on the ground, that's 74% of the Hogs' total yards. Arkansas' defense has settled down towards the end of the half. But, their offense will have to step up in order to keep this game close.
Georgia 21, Arkansas 0 | 3:34 Q1
A minute after the Bulldogs' offense score, the special teams unit decided they wanted to get in on the fun. After forcing another three-and-out, Georgia blocked the punt and recovered it for a touchdown. As of now, the Razorbacks have recorded just one yard of total offense against UGA's defense.
SPECIAL TEAMS TOUCHDOWN FOR GEORGIA 🚨 pic.twitter.com/O7BU5qYXy5
— ESPN (@espn) October 2, 2021
Georgia 14. Arkansas 0 | 4:34 Q1
After forcing a three-and-out, Georgia comes back the other way with another 9-play drive. This time they only had to go 56 yards, but once again, it ended with a rushing touchdown. RB Kendall Milton put another six on the board for the Bulldogs with a one-yard run.
Georgia 7, Arkansas 0 | 10:46 Q1
Georgia's offense keeps on rolling, as RB Zamir White punches in a 3-yard run to cap off a 9 play, 75-yard drive to open the game. QB Stetson Bennett looked cool under pressure going 2-3 with 22 passing yards and a nine-yard run.
The Razorbacks will be in trouble all day if they continue to allow the Bulldogs to efficiently run the ball.
Touchdown Dawgs courtesy of @zeus1_34!#ATD #GoDawgs pic.twitter.com/7rdQiiaYnd
— Georgia Football (@GeorgiaFootball) October 2, 2021
Georgia QB JT Daniels will not start against Arkansas
Georgia QB JT Daniels will miss today's top-10 matchup against Arkansas with a lat muscle injury. This is the second time Daniels has had to sit out a game this season as he missed the Bulldogs 56-7 win over UAB with an oblique injury.
Senior Stetson Bennett will start in Daniels' place. This season, Bennett has thrown for 443 yards with six touchdowns and two interceptions. He will look to keep Georgia undefeated in Sanford this afternoon.
No. 2 Georgia and No. 8 Arkansas face off in top-10 SEC matchup
No. 2 Georgia and No. 8 Arkansas will face off in the first top-10 SEC matchup of the season in Athens this afternoon.
The Razorbacks are off to their first 4-0 start since 2003 when Houston Nutt was at the helm. This time, head coach Sam Pittman will face off against his old employer as he was the Bulldogs’ offensive line coach from 2016-19. He will rely on QB KJ Jefferson to lead the offense as long as he can stay healthy. Jefferson left last week’s game against Texas A&M with a bruised knee, but later returned to finish out the game.
Jefferson will have to go against the Georgia Bulldogs’ stout defense, they boast the No. 1 ranked defense in the nation this season. UGA’s linebackers will be something to watch in this game, Channing Tindall, Nolan Smith, Nakobe Dean and Adam Anderson have combined for 8.5 sacks, a fumble recovery and an interception this season.
Offensively, Georgia will look to find the balance between their run game with QB JT Daniels leading the way with 567 passing yards and five touchdowns. He missed the game against UAB with an oblique injury, he is now dealing with lat muscle issues before this game.
The Razorbacks defense might not have the same impressive stat line as the Bulldogs, but they have had impressive performances this season with big wins against No. 15 Texas and No. 7 Texas A&M where they allowed a combined 31 points.
If both quarterbacks can stay healthy, it should be a good battle between these SEC teams in Sanford stadium
Here's the schedule for Saturday's game in Athens:
- 1 p.m. | No. 8 Arkansas vs. No. 2 Georgia | Live stats | Stream: ESPN
How to watch No. 2 Georgia vs. No. 8 Arkansas
The Bulldogs and Razorbacks will faceoff in Athens for the first top-10 meeting between two SEC teams this season. Both teams will look to bolster their playoff resume before the first College Football Playoff rankings release on November 2.
- Time: 12 p.m. ET
- Date: Saturday, Oct. 2
- TV channel: ESPN
- Streaming: ESPN.com
- Location: Sanford Stadium in Athens, Georgia
- Stats: Follow live here
Previewing No. 2 Georgia vs. No. 8 Arkansas
No. 2 Georgia and No. 8 Arkansas will meet for the 15th time in the history of this matchup on Saturday at 12 p.m. in Athens. The Bulldogs are 11-4 against the Razorbacks with their last win coming in 2020 when UGA won 37-10.
Both teams are coming into this one playing their best football. The Bulldogs' most recent victory was a 62-0 thrashing at Vanderbilt where the Commodores scraped together just 77 yards and four first downs. Including its win against Vanderbilt, UGA has allowed 23 points in four games. Their defense has also allowed just 181.75 yards per game.
The Georgia offense has been rock solid too. The Bulldogs recorded 20 touchdowns on the season, eight of which were scored against Vanderbilt. QB JT Daniels will be a major factor if Georgia wants to take down the Razorbacks, as he's thrown for 567 yards and five touchdowns in his three starts this season.
Arkansas is out to its first 4-0 start since 2003 after its 20-10 win over then-No. 7 Texas A&M in the Southwest Classic. The Razorbacks have been led by QB KJ Jefferson, who has thrown for 844 yards and six touchdowns while also rushing for 230 and two touchdowns. Jefferson's health for Saturday's matchup is still in question, as he left the game against Texas A&M in the third quarter with a bruised knee but later returned in the fourth.
The Razorbacks' defense has also managed to keep games out of reach for opposing offenses in 2021. Through four games, Arkansas has allowed an average of 14.5 points per game and forced four interceptions and one fumble. DB Jalen Catalon will be the one to watch out for in the Hogs' secondary as he has two of their interceptions and 30 tackles so far this season.
Both teams will be looking to bolster their resumes for the upcoming College Football Playoff rankings. A loss this weekend wouldn't knock either out of contention, but a win would certainly help the moral of both as they continue their SEC campaigns.