Georgia Bulldog Defense Dominates During Comfortable 35-3 Win Over Charlotte

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ATHENS - Dawg Post gives the latest on Georgia's comfortable 35-3 win over Charlotte.

Strong Finish Between The Hedges: With today’s 35-3 win, the fourth-ranked Bulldogs move to 10-1, and the Senior Class improves to 49-5. They went 25-1 at home if this was their last game Between the Hedges. 

*Under Kirby Smart, the Bulldogs are 56-5 at home since 2016. Also of note, Georgia improves to 42-3 against non-conference teams in the Smart era including 25-1 at home. 

*Now in his 10th season, Smart’s record is 115-20, which is the most FBS wins by a coach in his first 10 seasons in the modern era. Georgia now has five straight 10-win seasons for the first time in school history. 

*Review Of the Offense: The Bulldogs tallied 449 yards of total offense (192-rushing, 257-passing) on 75 plays in the win. Georgia led 28-3 at the half with 251 yards of offense (104-rushing, 147-passing) on 42 plays. 

*Redshirt junior QB Gunner Stockton (17-for-21, 196, 1 INT) was 15-for-19 for 147 yards with one INT plus 11 rushing yards in the first half. He completed passes to 10 different Bulldogs. He played the first series of the second half and then was done for the day with Georgia up 35-3. 

*Georgia made it 35-3 on its opening drive of the 2nd half, going 60 yards in five plays. It featured a 59-yard reception by Noah Thomas and freshman Bo Walker’s third TD as he ran in from three yards. Walker is the first Bulldog since Trevor Etienne versus #1 Texas last year to have three rushing TDs in a game.

*Georgia came in averaging 33.6 points a game while Charlotte allowed 37.4. The Bulldogs scored TDs on four of their first five possessions of the first half.

*Georgia’s first TD drive covered 60 yards in nine plays in 4:31, capped by a two-yard run by Nate Frazier. It was his fourth TD of the year and made it 7-0.

*On Georgia’s third drive, it converted a 4th-and-1 at the Charlotte 34 and Stockton got the first down with a two-yard run, Ultimately, the Bulldogs took a 14-0 lead, going 60 yards on nine plays again as Frazier scored from seven yards out for his second TD of the day. 

*Freshman RB Bo Walker (9 carries for 48 yards, 3 TDs) scampered in from 15 yards out for his first career score and a 21-0 lead with 11:29 left in the first half. It completed a six play, 40-yard drive in 3:14. He added a second TD on a 12-yarder to cap a 62-yard drive on eight plays that made it 28-0 and his third in the second half from three yards out..

*Sophomore RB Nate Frazier posted a team-high 54 yards on 12 carries with two TDs. Frazier has five rushing TDs on the year.

*Junior WR Zachariah Branch had four receptions for 55 yards. Branch now has 63 receptions on the season, which ties him with Brock Bowers (63 in 2022) for second most in a single season by a Bulldogs. The school record belongs to Brice Hunter who had 76 in 1993.

*Senior Noah Thomas posted a team-best 68 yards receiving on four catches including a 59-yarder.

*Redshirt freshman QB Ryan Puglisi played a majority of the second half and finished 7-for-11 for 49 yards. Freshman QB Ryan Montgomery saw his first action as a Bulldog and finished 1-for-1 for 12 yards. 

*A Look At The Defense: In the first half, the Bulldogs limited Charlotte to a field goal following an INT as Georgia posted a 28-3 advantage. The 49ers had 38 yards on 21 plays (17-rushing, 21-passing). For the game, the 49ers finished with three points and 169 yards of offense (39-rushing, 130 passing).

*Georgia’s leading tacklers were junior Raylen Wilson and sophomore Justin Williams with five each. 

*Redshirt freshman Ellis Robinson IV notched his team-leading third interception of the year. It led to a TD and 28-0 edge.

*Freshman Daniel Okonkwo picked up his first career INT, snagging it in the end zone. Georgia has seven INTs on the year. Georgia ran the clock out. 

*After registering just eight sacks in the first eight games, the Bulldogs tallied three apiece in wins over MSU and No. 10 Texas and added two more today. Freshman Elijah Griffin collected his first career sack while sophomore Chris Cole picked up his team-leading fourth to go with four tackles. 

*Special Teams Update: Junior PK Peyton Woodring tallied five points on PATs plus he handled the kickoffs. 

*Junior Zachariah Branch had three punt returns for 44 yards including a season-long 29-yarder. Sacovie White-Helton had two punt returns for 11 yards.

*Senior Brett Thorson punted thrice for a 51.3 average with a long of 63 and no returns, placing two inside the 20 and one touchback.

*For the seventh game this season, Georgia started a different offensive line. The past four games it has featured the same five guys but today redshirt freshman Malachi Toliver made his first career start at center for Drew Bobo (had started all 10 games this year) while freshman Juan Gaston Jr.,. made his fourth career start including his third in place of Earnest Greene III at right tackle. Also on offense, senior RB Cash Jones made his first career start.

*Junior linebacker CJ Allen, Georgia’s leading tackler who was injured in last week’s win over No. 10 Texas, did not play today, ending the longest starting streak on the team at 13 games. Sophomore LB Chris Cole made his first career start. The longest streak now is junior Star Joenel Aguero at 12 games.

*Georgia recognized its Seniors today as well as honored members of the military as part of Military Appreciation Day.

*Up Next: Fourth-ranked Georgia (10-1) concludes the regular season versus No. 15 Ga. Tech in Atlanta, Kickoff at Mercedes-Benz Stadium will be on Friday, Nov. 28 at 3:30 p.m. (ABC). Tech (9-1) plays host to Pittsburgh tonight.