WATCH: Georgia Bulldog Fans "Light Up" Sanford Stadium vs. Kent State
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ATHENS - Kirby Smart and the Georgia Bulldogs are back in Sanford Stadium, and even though there is not a cloud in the sky, the Georgia faithful still kept the fourth quarter tradition going.
Watch Dawgs fans “light up” Sanford Stadium against Kent State.
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First Half Notes:
Offensive Highlights: Top-ranked Georgia tallied 26 points on 328 yards of total offense, running 45 plays to build a 26-13 advantage. In the first half, senior QB Stetson Bennett completed 18-of-24 passes for 173 yards and one rushing TD. His top target was senior Kenny McIntosh who had five catches for 31 yards. Today, nine different Bulldogs have caught a pass.
Sophomore TE Brock Bowers led all rushers with 77 yards on two carries -- both resulting in touchdowns. He struck paydirt from 75 yards out, marking the longest rushing TD by a Bulldog since 2020 when Zamir White went 75 yards against Florida on the first scrimmage play of the game. Bowers first TD today came on the second play. The previous longest rush for Bowers was 24 yards againt Tennessee last year. Bowers scored again on a two-yard rush in the second quarter. It marked the first time in his career he had two rushing TDs in a game. Georgia attempted its first fourth-down attempt of the year, and it was successful (4th and 1 from the 50).
For the year, Georgia is outscoring its opponents in the first half 108-16.
Red Zone Review: In the first half, the Bulldogs were 3-for-3 in the Red Zone with two TDs and and a field goal, For the year, Georgia is now 22-for-23 in the Red Zone with 16 TDs and six field goals.
A Look At The Defense: Kent State finished the first half with 13 points, tallying 124 yards of total offense on just 23 plays. The leading tackler for the Bulldogs was Jamon Dumas-Johnson with five stops including 3 TFLs and 2 sacks.
Georgia entered the game leading the nation in Scoring Defense, surrendering just 3.3 points a game and 10 total on the year. KSU’s first field goal came in the first quarter and that was the first points the Bulldogs had allowed this season in the opening quarter of a game. Then after Georgia’s third turnover of the half, the Golden Flashes had a two-play touchdown drive capped by a 56-yard TD reception to make it a 12-10 game with 11:30 left. The Bulldogs came in today as one of only three teams in the FBS that had allowed just one touchdown this season. KSU added a 45-yard field goal with 3:39 left in the first half to make it a 19-13 contest.
Coming in today, the Bulldogs had one sack on the year. KSU’s first offensive play resulted in a sack by Dumas-Johnson for a six-yard loss. He would add one more in the first half to match his total from a year ago. Also, senior Nolan Smith picked up a sack later in the first quarter.
Points Off Turnovers: Georgia did not force any turnovers in the first half while KSU managed 10 points off three Bulldog miscues. The Bulldogs entered today +6 for the year with 31 points off turnovers. In the first quarter, Georgia had its first turnover of the season on a muffed punt and it gave KSU the ball at the Georgia 26. It led to a 45-yard field goal. Later in the first, Stetson Bennett threw his first INT of the year as KSU took over at its own 5. It led to a blocked punt/safety. In the second quarter, Ladd McConkey fumbled after a reception at the KSU 32. It led to a touchdown, which marked only the second one allowed by the Bulldogs this year.
The Last Time: Freshman linebacker Jalon Walker notched his first career blocked punt, and it resulted in a safety for a 9-3 edge. It was the first blocked punt by a Bulldog since Nolan Smith against Missouri last year that also resulted in a safety. Georgia blocked five kicks last year including two punts.
It’s Good: Senior PK Jack Podlesny made a 39-yard field goal for a 12-3 lead. On the year, he is 6-for-7 in field goals with the lone miss coming on a 54-yard attempt against Samford. He was 3-for-3 on PATs.
For Starters, Game Captains & Helmet Stickers: Georgia did not have any first-time starters today. KSU won the toss and elected to defer the ball until the 2nd half. Senior Christopher Smith (SS), senior Nolan Smith (SLB), Sedrick Van Pran (C) and junior Darnell Washington (TE) were the captains. In support of Curing Kids Cancer, Georgia wore special helmet stickers with the organization’s logo.