No. 2 Georgia rolls over Arkansas 45-17 in Southeastern Conference opener

Fayetteville, Ark. (AP) — Championship Georgia defeated Arkansas 45-17 in their Southeastern Conference opener on Saturday. The second-ranked Bulldogs held the Razorbacks to a paltry 17 yards on the ground. Georgia took a 21-3 halftime lead and showed no hurry in moving the ball. Quarterback Gunner Stockton completed 10 of 13 passes for 147 yards with a touchdown and added 97 yards on the ground.

He also scored a team-high 62-yard run. Arkansas relied heavily on passing the football, with limited success. KJ Jackson played two drives before being replaced by AJ Hill. Jackson briefly reentered the game during the first half's final drive and advanced to the Georgia red zone. An intentional grounding penalty moved them back, but Max Gilbert kicked a 41-yard field goal before halftime.

On the ground, Arkansas had a dismal performance. Seven players combined to rush for just 17 yards. Sutton Smith led with 17 yards on six carries. This was the Razorbacks' worst rushing outing since 2018. Nick Frazier opened the scoring with a 62-yard touchdown run on the first possession. Georgia's Chace Bowens added three touchdowns by rushing.

Stockton threw a 61-yard touchdown pass to Craig Dandridge Jr. in the fourth quarter. Jackson completed 20 of 27 passes for 212 yards before being replaced by Hill, who went 8 of 14 for 76 yards. The pair combined for a loss of 16 yards rushing, primarily due to sacks. Arkansas scored two touchdowns in the fourth quarter, one from Sutton Smith and the other from a 2-yard pass from Jackson to Ty Lockwood with 40 seconds left. Upcoming games see Georgia host No. 24 Oklahoma, while Arkansas hosts Tulsa.