Photo credit – Michael Lerzo, mlerzophotgraphy, Union Recorder

The Georgia Bulldogs (9-2) defeated the UMass Minutemen (2-9) by a score of 59-21 on Saturday afternoon. While it wasn’t quite as easy as fans hoped,  Kirby Smart and the Dawgs overcame a disappointing defensive performance to find the victory 

Most attention on Saturday was elsewhere as college football earthquakes shook the national landscape. Multiple playoff hopefuls were upset including Ole Miss, Texas A&M, BYU strengthening Georgia’s playoff resume. Georgia also mathematically sealed their place in the SEC Championship game on December 7th in Atlanta against Texas or Texas A&M.

But attention inside Sanford Stadium was on the seniors. Before the game, Georgia honored a senior class that will leave Athens as the winningest class in program history. Smart said after the game, “It’s hard to put into words what they’ve done…. They’ve set a standard here, and if you make it five or six years in our program, you’re a tough dude.”

Carson Beck and the Georgia receiving game led the way in the first half. All four first half drives resulted in Carson Beck passing touchdowns to Oscar Delp, Cash Jones, Dominic Lovett, and Arian Smith. Beck tallied 297 yards on the day. The struggles came on the defensive side of the ball. A banged up Dawgs defense struggled to stop the run as the Minutemen rushed for 209 yards in the first half alone, finding the endzone twice. Defensive lineman Christen Miller left the game early in the first quarter with an arm injury. 

After the intermission, Georgia stalled on the first drive but were saved via a 53-yard boot by Peyton Woodring to make it 31-14. UMass responded quickly thanks to a defensive mistake by Georgia. Quarterback AJ Hairston found Jacoby Keeney-James on a 75-yard bomb that left Daniel Harris and Dan Jackson scratching their heads. 

Then the Nate Frazier party started. Georgia took the next possession 75 yards in 9 plays finished off by a 9-yard Nate Frazier touchdown. Frazier found the endzone again on the next drive on a 15-yard run, and then a third time in the 4th quarter. Frazier finished with 136 yards on 21 carries and three touchdowns. 

Georgia ended the afternoon with a final touchdown on a scoop and score from linebacker Chris Cole, sealing the 59-21 victory. 

After the game, Smart noted, “we didn’t play well defensively, obviously. Disappointed there. Probably the best thing we need for a wakeup call.” 

Fans hope that the defense will answer that call this week as Georgia Tech rolls into town on Friday night. Haynes King and Jamal Haynes pose a threat on the ground, and Kirby will need an improved defensive performance. Kickoff is at 7:30 on ABC.