Mississippi State Bulldogs vs Georgia Bulldogs Match Player Stats On Sep 23, 2017

The Sports Xchange
Sep 23, 2017

ATHENS, Ga. -- Last week it was Mississippi State which opened the eyes of many in the SEC with its rout of LSU.

On Saturday night at Sanford Stadium, it was No. 11 Georgia's turn, scoring two second-half touchdowns in rolling to a 31-3 win over the visitors from Starkville, which came in as the nation's No. 17-ranked team.

Give Georgia's defense a tip of the cap for this one.

The Bulldogs made the game a nightmare for Mississippi State and quarterback Nick Fitzgerald, considered by many one of the best in the SEC.

Not on this night.

Fitzgerald completed just 14 of 29 passes and with a pair of interceptions for 89 yards as Georgia (4-0, 1-0 SEC) limited Mississippi State (3-1, 1-1) to 280 yards and zero touchdowns. Dan Mullen's squad entered the game as the leading offensive team in the SEC, averaging 47.7 points through its first three contests.

Individually, Georgia quarterback Jake Fromm and running back Nick Chubb proved to be a formidable combination.

The freshman Fromm enjoyed his best game in three starts, completing 9 of 12 passes for 201 yards and two touchdowns. Chubb, meanwhile, enjoyed another customary solid game, rushing for 81 yards and two scores, including a 28-yarder on the opening possession of the third quarter that extended Georgia's lead to 21-3.

A 41-yard touchdown pass to Isaac Nauta and a 49-yard field goal by Rodrigo Blankenship capped the scoring for the Bulldogs.

Freshman D'Andre Swift chipped with 10 carries for 69 yards for Georgia, which rushed for 203 yards.

After forcing Mississippi State into a quick three-and-out, Georgia wasted no time getting on the board.

On the Bulldogs' first offensive play, Chubb took the handoff, turned and tossed the ball back to Fromm, who found Terry Godwin open down the field for a 59-yard touchdown.

Georgia's second possession also resulted in a score, this one a 6-yard run by Chubb for a 14-0 lead with just over six minutes left in the first quarter.

The Bulldogs dodged a bullet in the second quarter when Swift fumbled inside the team's 40-yard line, but Mississippi State could not take advantage of the gift, ultimately punting for the fifth time in the first half.

The visitors finally got on the board with 1:14 to go before halftime on a 26-yard field goal by Jace Christmann.

Otherwise, not much went right for Mississippi State, which was outgained in total yards. Fromm posted the best half of his young career, completing 8 of 8 passes for 160 yards and a touchdown.

NOTES: Georgia QB Jacob Eason dressed out for the first time since spraining his left knee in the first quarter against Appalachian State in the season opener. ... Mississippi State DT Cory Thomas did not play due to injury. ... Georgia RB Nick Chubb's first-quarter touchdown was the 34th rushing score of his career, putting him alone in fourth place on the school's all-time list.