Georgia football overcomes slow start, pours it on Ball State with all phases clicking
Georgia football’s breezy roll-out of its 2023 schedule wrapped up Saturday against Ball State.
The Bulldogs opened by playing two non-power Five Conference opponents for the first time since 2008.
This showing was more dominant than Week One when Georgia punted three of its first four possessions against UT Martin.
Georgia scored 31 second-quarter points and rolled to a 45-3 victory in Sanford Stadium.
More: Mekhi Mews, nicknamed 'Waffle House', the latest Georgia football walk-on success story
More: Georgia football vs. Ball State live score, updates and highlights from Sanford Stadium
Here are three things we learned:
Georgia football offense gets humming after slow start
Georgia has scored 7 points in the first quarter the first two games
The Bulldogs got into the red zone on its opening possession, but Carson Beck fumbled on a scramble after he was hit. Kendall Milton recovered. Peyton Woodring missed a 28-yard field goal. Georgia punted on its second possession.
The Bulldogs averaged 4.5 yards a play in the first quarter and 7.1 in the second.
With Daijun Edwards (knee) out, Dillon Bell showed elusiveness. The wide receiver scored on a 21-yard run.
Beck went 23 of 30 for 283 yards with two touchdowns and an interception.
Beck hit Cash Jones on a wheel route for a 27-yard touchdown.
Mekhi Mews keeps wowing for UGA football
Does walk-on Mekhi Mews have an NIL agent?
If not, it seems like his marketability is about to take off.
Mews has Georgia’s two longest touchdown plays of the season.
He returned a punt 69 yards for a touchdown with 14:32 left in the first half. That followed a 54-yard catch-and-run touchdown last week.
Mews caught the punt, broke a tackle at the Georgia 40, eluded a Ball State player and ran down the sideline.
It was the first Georgia punt return for a touchdown since Mecole Hardman went 70 yards in 2018.
Mews also returned a kickoff 47 yards.
Mews also returned a kickoff 47 yards in the first half.
The walk-on looks like a guy that can help Georgia when SEC play begins Saturday against South Carolina.
Georgia football defense getting job done
David Daniel-Sisavanh got pushed into action when safety Javon Bullard left with an ankle injury.
Even without one of their best defenders, Georgia made the starting debut for Ball State quarterback Kadin Semonza miserable.
He was 7 of 16 for 55 yards with three interceptions. The Cardinals averaged 2.6 yards per play in the first half
Smael Mondon had 3 first-half tackles along with Tykee Smith.
Ball State mustered 13 yards on 10 carries in the first half rushing.
This article originally appeared on Athens Banner-Herald: Offense gets going while defense shines in blowout of Ball State
