Players of the Game From Georgia’s Win Over Arkansas
Georgia football entered Saturday's game with Arkansas as four-score favorites.
That margin looked optimistic in the first half, but the Bulldogs eventually found their rhythm and ran away with a 37-10 victory over the Razorbacks to start the 2020 season.
Arkansas gave Georgia more issues than what was expected of them, so Georgia may not have won without the efforts of these seven players:
Jake Camarda - Punter
Camarda was absolutely critical to Georgia's success on Saturday. With the offense struggling to move the ball in the first half, Camarda ensured the defenses started with a long field behind them.
The junior booted seven punts for a whopping 349 yards, with five being downed inside the 15-yard-line, one of which was stopped inside the one-yard-line. Camarda was a blessing for Georgia's defense and a stud for a special teams group that had an outstanding performance.
Kearis Jackson - Wide receiver
This is the Kearis Jackson we've been waiting to see. And for that matter, the one we’ve been talking about this off-season. The redshirt sophomore had team-highs of six passes and 62 yards. Most of his receptions were tough catches against contact in the middle of the field. Jackson also came up big on special teams, returning two punts for 34 yards and setting the offense up in good field position in both instances.
Stetson Bennett - Quarterback
The former scout teamer proved that his name belongs in Georgia's quarterback discussion Saturday. Stetson Bennett impressed by completing 20 of his 29 passes for 211 yards with two touchdowns. He also rushed for 20 yards and scored a two-point-conversion with his legs. Bennett completed passes to 11 different receivers.
Most impressive was his poise, Bennett was never rattled. When Trey Hill had a bad snap on first-and-goal in the third quarter, Bennett didn't panic. He fell on the ball, minimized the loss, and prevented the turnover. On the next down (a second-and-goal from the 19-yard-line) he threw a touchdown pass to George Pickens. Bennett also converted three third downs with his arm in the second half.
Jordan Davis - Nose Guard
Jordan Davis recently said he gauges his success by how well the linebackers play. As a nose guard, his job is to occupy blockers and open up lanes for the linebackers to get in the backfield. Davis can be happy with his performance against Arkansas.
The Razorbacks only rushed for 77 yards with Rakeem Boyd only gaining 21 yards on 11 carries. Davis demolished Arkansas' offensive line for four quarters and prevented running lanes from ever opening.
Nolan Smith - Edge
Former No. 1 overall recruit Nolan Smith started his sophomore year with a bang. Smith record 1.5 sacks on six total tackles. He was ever-present around the line of scrimmage and made himself a factor in Georgia's run defense.
Eric Stokes - Cornerback
Most quarterbacks know better than to throw towards Eric Stokes, Feleipe Franks forgot. During Georgia's 32-point-run in the second half, Stokes intercepted one of Franks's passes and sprinted into the end zone for a touchdown to extend Georgia's lead to 27-10.
The pick-six was one of the rare instances Franks challenged Stokes all game. Stokes didn't allow anything on his side of the field.
Richard LeCounte - Safety
As long as Richard LeCounte is on the field for Georgia, they've got a shot at turning the other team over. He just creates plays when he's back there safety, there's really no way around it. He added two interceptions to reach a career total of seven. Sure, he got beat early in a man to man situation on the Treylon Burks 49-yard touchdown reception, but when you play as much man to man as Georgia did yesterday, it's bound to happen at least once.
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