Georgia 45, Ball State 3: Dawgs start slow, finish emphatically to down Cardinals

Georgia shook off a slow start, shook loose a bushel of turnovers, and ultimately cruised past the Ball State Cardinals this afternoon 45-3.

The Bulldog staff won the coin toss and took the ball, looking to get off to a fast start on offense. It didn’t pan out, as Carson Beck drove down the field before ultimately fumbling on third down before Peyton Woodring missed a chip shot field goal. The Bulldogs would exit the first quarter without cracking the scoreboard.

Instead it was the special teams and defense who proved to be the Red and Black’s best offense in the second quarter. Human spark plug Mekhi Mews got things going with a 69 yard punt return touchdown. Then the defense took over, notching three interceptions in quick succession which the offense turned into 17 points.

The Bulldogs would put it in the end zone once more before half time on a Kendall Milton plunge to lead 31-0 at the half. The Cardinals never really threatened offensively before finally managing a field goal late against the reserves to beat the 42.5 point spread.

It was a day of unexpected heroes. Brock Bowers managed only 1 catch for 3 yards and didn’t get into the end zone. Freshman Roderick Robinson was the Athenians’ leading rusher, followed by receiver Dillon Bell, who had a nifty 21 yard touchdown run as part of some effective backfield work.

Carson Beck looked a bit more solid than last week, finishing 23 of 30 for 294 yards and a pair of touchdowns. He had one interception, but it was a tipped ball off a good throw on his part that can’t really be attributed to the QB.

The defense again took care of business, allowing only 224 yards of total offense, most of them after the game was well in hand. They didn’t surrender a 3rd down conversion until the second half. The three first half interceptions was a nice touch, and ultimately put the game out of reach.

It was Georgia’s 29th consecutive regular season win, a new school record. Attention now turns to the SEC schedule, with the Bulldogs returning to Sanford Stadium next Saturday to host the South Carolina Gamecocks. We’ll be along later with additional analysis. Until then…

Go ‘Dawgs!!!