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Georgia throttles Ball State 45-3 behind second-quarter onslaught

On3 imageby:Jake Rowe•09/09/23•

JakeMRowe

Dillon Bell
Sep 9, 2023; Athens, Georgia, USA; Georgia Bulldogs wide receiver Dillon Bell (86) breaks a tackle by Ball State Cardinals defensive back Damion Charity (11) while running for a touchdown during the first half at Sanford Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Dale Zanine-USA TODAY Sports

ATHENS, Ga. — It took a full quarter of football but Georgia looked more like a championship team on Saturday as it exploded for 31 points in the second quarter and made quick work of Ball State by a score of 45-3.

Carson Beck played three full quarters, completing 23 of 30 passes for 283 yards two touchdowns and two interceptions. The Bulldogs also got rushing touchdowns from three different players and the defensive piled up six total tackles and three interceptions.

Georgia was held scoreless in the first quarter and the Bulldog defense matched the energy. That’s not to say that the offense didn’t move the ball some. UGA tallied 72 yards and five first downs but a missed field goal and some miscues kept it off the board.

The Georgia onslaught began in the second quarter when Mekhi Mews fielded a punt, darted to his right and ended up in the end zone from 69 yards out. The Peyton Woodring PAT gave the Bulldogs a 7-0 lead.

The Cardinals next drive ended with an interception as Malaki Starks picked off Kadin Semonza at the Georgia 22-yard line and the offense went right back to work. Beck hit Arian Smith on back to back plays, gains of 13 and 37 yards to get the Bulldogs into the red zone. Then, three plays later, Beck threw over the BSU blitz to Marcus Rosemy-Jacksaint for a 7-yard score.

Another interception, a bizarre one, would end Ball State’s next drive. Semonza threw to a tight end who wasn’t locking and the ball bounced of the back of his leg and into the arms of UGA outside linebacker Chaz Chambliss, who was tackled at the Cardinal 30-yard line. Georgia needed just two plays to score as Dillon Bell, in at running back on the play, took a handoff, darted off right tackle, made a man miss, and scored from 21-yards out. The PAT pushed Georgia’s lead to 21-0.

Georgia made it 24-0 on its next drive with a 34-yard field goal from Woodring. That drive stalled due to a drop on 3rd and goal as Beck hit Bell on a two-yard pass but he was unable to hold on.

Ball State got it back with less than two minutes in the half and tried to make something happened but another tipped pass was intercepted by Tykee Smith and returned 12 yards to the Cardinal 20-yard line. The pass was broken up by Daylen Everette. The Bulldogs would use about a minute of game clock before punching it in with Kendall Milton from a yard out. That would make it 31-0 going into the half.

Beck threw his first interception of the season to start the second half but he led the offense on touchdown drives the next two times. He hooked up with Cash Jones from 27 yards out to cap off an 80-yard scoring drive to make it 38-0 and the Bulldogs moved it to 45-0 after a 67-yard drive, on just three plays, that ended with a 12-yard run by Roderick Robinson.

The fourth quarter saw Ball State get on the board at the end of a 15-play 55-yard drive against the Bulldog reserves. The drive took almost seven minutes of game clock and made the score 45-3. That’s how the game would end.

Georgia will be at home again next weekend as it opens SEC play vs. South Carolina. Kickoff is set for 3:30 p.m. ET on CBS.

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