ATHENS, Ga. -- Earlier this week, when recounting a 50-point loss to No. 1 Alabama last September, Arkansas State University Coach Blake Anderson admitted his team had been "overwhelmed" in that Tuscaloosa meeting.
Heading into a similarly daunting matchup at No. 3 Georgia, Anderson knew the Red Wolves had to start faster if ASU had any shot of keeping up with a national powerhouse on its home turf.
On Saturday afternoon at Sanford Stadium, that overwhelming feeling felt all too familiar. The hope of making things uncomfortable for the Bulldogs evaporated quickly as Georgia drubbed ASU 55-0.
"We just didn't tackle well defensively. They owned the line of scrimmage on both sides. We really struggled just trying to create some consistency," said Anderson, who fell to 0-8 against Power 5 teams in his ASU career. "It's just we've got to learn we're gonna play these kind of games. We're gonna play big-time people with a lot of talent. We're going to have to learn to play our kind of ball in this environment, and we just have not mastered that."
The Red Wolves, who entered Saturday as 33-point underdogs, were shut out for the first time since 2008. But even in Saturday's blowout, it was hardly the main story line.
Georgia fans clad in pink showed up in droves in honor of Anderson's wife, Wendy, who died of breast cancer on Aug. 19.
"One of the classiest moves I've ever seen," an emotional Anderson said.
Anderson had said this week that ASU (1-2) would be at a disadvantage at nearly every position on the field, and Georgia (3-0) proved him right. The Bulldogs' speed and play in the trenches were too much for ASU.
Junior quarterback Logan Bonner spent much of the first half on the ground. Georgia Coach Kirby Smart made sure the Bulldogs brought pressure often, and when they did, getting to Bonner felt like a formality.
Georgia finished with four sacks and seven tackles for loss. Bonner was knocked to the ground many other times after he threw the ball.
"They definitely blitzed us a lot and brought a lot of pressure," junior center Jacob Still said. "We tried our best picking it up and having specific rules for all that, but at the end of the day, we didn't protect like we needed to."
The Red Wolves fell behind 34-0 at halftime, and their offense clawed just to get across midfield. Sophomore starting running back Marcel Murray and senior wide receiver Dahu Green each did not suit up because of injuries.
ASU managed 81 yards of offense, including 7 rushing yards, in the first half. The Red Wolves punted on six of their first eight drives. During the first quarter, the Red Wolves went three-and-out three consecutive times. ASU didn't cross the 50 until midway through the second quarter when it was trailing 27-0.
The Red Wolves settled for a 50-yard field goal attempt on that drive, which sophomore kicker Blake Grupe narrowly missed wide right. It was the closest ASU came to putting points on the board.
Georgia's offense, led by quarterback Jake Fromm and a versatile running game, totaled 656 yards while averaging 9.9 yards per play. The Bulldogs scored on their first five possessions, and Fromm sat for most of the second half after posting a 17-of-22 passing line for 279 yards and 3 touchdowns. Georgia rushed for 268 yards, and four different tailbacks notched a touchdown.
Georgia got the scoring going with a 3-yard touchdown run by Brian Herrien with 9:02 left in the opening quarter. Over their next two possessions, the Red Wolves' defense held tough and the Bulldogs settled for field goals.
Late in the quarter, as Georgia drove deep into ASU territory, junior cornerback Jerry Jacobs came up with a pass breakup in the end zone on a deep ball from Fromm, preventing what would have been an easy touchdown. Georgia settled for a 41-yard field goal, and ASU trailed 13-0 heading into the second quarter.
"Making them kick a couple field goals, I mean, if you can find something [positive], yeah, that kept it from getting completely out of hand," Anderson said.
But on the opening play of the second quarter, it started to get out of hand. Fromm hit receiver Dominick Blaylock on a third and 2 for a 60-yard touchdown pass to give the Bulldogs a 20-0 lead.
"I think we were feeling good, and then once they hit that long touchdown, it didn't feel out of reach, but the momentum really started shifting their way," senior safety B.J. Edmonds said.
Fromm dished out two more touchdown passes to close the half, and on the opening drive of the second half, Georgia's offense again marched down the field and scored, this time a 37-yard touchdown run by James Cook. Georgia was in front 41-0 with 12:02 left in the third quarter.
The Red Wolves punted on four of their five drives in the second half. The other drive ended with an interception in the end zone on a fourth and 5 at Georgia's 13 by redshirt freshman backup quarterback Layne Hatcher, who entered the game once the Bulldogs took a 55-0 lead with 9:07 left in the fourth quarter.
"They're a great football team," Bonner said. "You can't mess up. You can't mess up playing a good team like that, and it shows. When you mess up, they're gonna capitalize on it."
Sports on 09/15/2019