ATHENS, Ga. (AP) — A shutout win wasn’t enough for a No. 2 Georgia coming off its impressive opener when it scored touchdowns on its first seven offensive possessions.
The reigning national champions fell short of that lofty standard against FCS Samford.
Stetson Bennett still passed for 300 yards while throwing and running for touchdowns and No. 2 Georgia’s rebuilt defense delivered another dominant performance in the Bulldogs’ 33-0 win on Saturday.
The offense, however, settled for four field goals — including on its first two possessions after moving the ball inside Samford’s 10.
“We didn’t score touchdowns,” Georgia coach Kirby Smart said. “… You come off a week like Oregon where every opportunity to score a touchdown, we score a touchdown. And then we take a huge step back and have to kick field goals. Good teams, you can’t do that. You have to be able to execute well. … We have to do a better job.”
Bennett completed 24 of 34 passes, including a 3-yard scoring pass to freshman Dillon Bell. Even so, he wasn’t satisfied.
“I think we’re all upset we didn’t execute as well as we could have in the first half,” Bennett said, adding “Too many field goals.”
There were no complaints on defense, where Georgia has reloaded after losing eight players in this year’s NFL draft, including five in the first round. Overall, Georgia had a record 15 players taken in the draft.
