A quarter-by-quarter look at Georgia’s 48-6 victory over Southern on Saturday at Sanford Stadium:
FIRST QUARTER
Big play: Malkom Parrish deflected a punt that went 10 yards and was recovered on the Southern 27. The Bulldogs scored two plays later when Greyson Lambert hit Nick Chubb on a screen pass that he turned into a 24-yard touchdown and a 10-0 lead with 7:56 left.
Turning point: Georgia stopped Southern’s only drive at the Bulldogs’ 31, forcing a 48-yard field-goal attempt, which was no good with 3:34 remaining. The Bulldogs promptly increased their lead to 17-0 on the next possession when Sony Michel scored on a 7-yard run.
The takeaway: Lambert’s consecutive completion streak ended at 22 after he missed on his third attempt of the game, but his next attempt turned into Georgia’s first touchdown. He finished 6-of-7 for 91 yards.
Score: Georgia 17, Southern 0
SECOND QUARTER
Big play: John Atkins batted down an pass on third-and-6 to force a punt and halt Southern’s momentum at the 50-yard line. The Jaguars had dominated the quarter to that point and cut Georgia’s lead to 17-6 with a 14-play, 75-yard drive that consumed 7:51 of the quarter.
Turning point: Brice Ramsey replaced Lambert on Georgia’s second possession of the quarter and promptly sparked the offense with three completions in four attempts, including a 30-yard pass to Isaiah McKenzie to the Southern 26. The drive stalled at the 8, resulting in Marshall Morgan’s 25-yard field goal.
The takeaway: Southern dominated both lines of scrimmage and controlled the quarter. The Jaguars averaged 6.6 yards a carry in the second and used short passes to keep the Bulldogs guessing. Southern outrushed the 81-35 in the first half, with Chubb gaining only 31.
Score: Georgia 20, Southern 6
THIRD QUARTER
Big play: Chubb’s 9-yard touchdown run just 1:27 into the quarter showed that he wasn’t done despite his sluggish first half. Chubb gained 44 yards on the drive that gave the Bulldogs a 27-6 lead. He surpassed the 100-yard mark in the quarter to extend his streak to 12 consecutive games.
Turning point: Chubb’s first three carries each went for a first down and totaled 35 yards, which surpassed his entire total from first half (31 yards). Michel joined the run fun with a 58-yard touchdown to give Georgia a 48-6 lead.
The takeaway: Georgia reasserted its dominance, shrugging off its second-quarter malaise by scoring on its first two possessions. However, an illegal procedure penalty wiped out Lambert’s best throw of the season, a 39-yard, perfectly timed pass to Malcolm Mitchell for a touchdown that didn’t count.
Score: Georgia 48, Southern 6
FOURTH QUARTER
Big play: Keith Marshall had first downs on consecutive plays, the first on a 13-yard reception from Ramsey and the second on a 13-yard run in his first offensive action of the game. He later ran for 7 yards to convert a third-and-4.
Turning point: The Bulldogs controlled the start of the quarter with an 11-play, 64-yard drive that provided experience for several reserves, including Ramsey. The drive bogged down at the Southern 23 and ended with Patrick Beless’ missed field-goal attempt.
The takeaway: Marshall showed some of the spark that he had before injuries robbed him of most of the past two seasons. Faton Bauta finished the game at quarterback and running back Brendan Douglas ate the clock with six consecutive runs for 44 yards.
Score: Georgia 48, Southern 6
