Beck Ties Single Game Record

Logan Cook

7 Sep. 2024

Football is back in Athens as the 2-0 Georgia Bulldogs took down the 0-2 Tennessee Tech Golden Eagles 48-3 on Saturday. Carson Beck showed why many consider him the best quarterback in the nation by throwing for 242 yards on 18 of 25 attempts and tying the school record for touchdown passes in a game at five, putting him with the likes of former UGA greats Stetson Bennett, Matthew Stafford, David Greene, Aaron Murray, D.J. Shockley, and Joe Cox. 

The Bulldogs entered the game looking forward to a rare easy week amongst a demanding 2024 schedule. It wasn’t the first meeting, either, between the Bulldogs and the Golden Eagles. They met in 1943 when the Dawgs won by a meager 67-0 and again in 2009 when Joe Cox led Georgia to a 38-0 victory. The 2024 matchup was not much different. 

Scoring began early after a 46 yard punt return by Anthony Evans and a 23-yard touchdown pass from Carson Beck to Dillon Bell on the first offensive play of the game. Beck completed seven consecutive passes on the next drive to seven different receivers, the last a 6-yard touchdown to Colbie Young, marking Young’s second touchdown in as many weeks after transferring from Miami. 

The second quarter started with a 27 yard field goal by Peyton Woodring and a 10 yard touchdown pass to Dominic Lovett. On the defensive side of the ball, true freshman standout KJ Bolden recorded his first sack. In addition, Christian Miller’s sack and Tyrion Ingram-Dawson’s three tackles for loss helped shut the Golden Eagles out in the first half. 

Arian Smith became the fourth Georgia receiver to find the endzone after a Beck pump fake and 50 yard throw. Shortly after, safety Dan Jackson fell on a fumble giving the Dogs great field position which led to Carson Beck’s 5th touchdown by finding tight end Lawson Luckie wide open on a corner route. That would end Carson Beck’s afternoon, allowing backup Gunner Stockton to get experience under center. 

Many other backups highlighted the stat sheet for the rest of the game. However, it was Branson Robinson’s 13 yard touchdown and Woodring’s final field goal that finished the ‘Dogs scoring for the afternoon. 

When asked whether he wished he had the chance to break the touchdown record, Carson Beck, to no one’s surprise, remained focused on winning: “Whether we run it in five times, throw it in five times, when you look at the scoreboard we’re 1-0 again in week two, and we move on to week three next week.” 

Coach Smart also commented on the importance of getting experience for young players: “We were able to play a lot of players today. We subbed out probably earlier than anyone in the country, and I think that helps us down the road. We played a lot of players this week, we played a lot of players last week, we play a lot of players every year. And I think that helps grow our team and our depth.”

Kirby, Carson, and the Dawgs will take that depth to Kentucky next week for the first SEC matchup of the year.