ATHENS — Georgia’s 14-3 lead Saturday at halftime on Austin Peay represents the closest the Bulldogs have played a Football Championship Subdivision school through the first 30 minutes of a game since 2016, when Nicholls State was down only 10-7 at the half.
Those 2016 Bulldogs, playing in coach Kirby Smart’s first home game in his first season at the helm, ended up winning that game 26-24 and finished the year 8-5 (4-4 SEC).
Smart has won two national titles and three SEC championships since then, and expectations are much higher for the 2025 Bulldogs, who entered the Saturday game against Austin Peay ranked No. 4 and favored by 46½ points.
Certainly, high enough that Smart expected his team to score a touchdown after it was set up with first-and-goal from the 1-yard line with 33 seconds left in the first half.
The Bulldogs, instead, ran five plays without getting into the end zone as time ran out in the half:
- Nate Frazier was stopped for no gain on first-and-goal from the 1.
- Stockton threw incomplete to Cash Jones on second down, but a defensive hold gave UGA another first down.
- Stockton threw an out-route pass that went through the arms of an Austin Peay defender that Zachariah Branch couldn’t hold on to in the end zone on first down.
- Stockton threw a pass into the back of the end zone that was behind intended receiver Sacovie White-Helton on second down.
- Chauncey Bowens was tripped up in the backfield on third down and fell short of the goal line as time expired.
Georgia came out moving the ball with Stockton throwing short, controlled passes, but Frazier fumbled the ball to the Governors after UGA crossed midfield and reached the Austin Peay 47.
The Bulldogs recovered with two lengthy touchdown drives capped by 2-yard scoring runs by Bowens and Frazier before Austin Peay got on the scoreboard with a field goal.
The UGA game started an hour early because of threatening weather and was delayed by lightning at halftime.
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