The third-ranked Georgia Bulldogs got what many may consider their most impressive victory of the season as they went to Tempe, Ariz., and defeated Arizona State 27-10. Matthew Stafford threw for a career-high 285 yards on 16-of-28 passing, and freshman receiver A.J. Green had 159 yards of those yards on eight catches. The two hooked up for a touchdown in the second quarter that gave Georgia a 21-3 halftime lead. Knowshon Moreno added 149 yards and two touchdowns on 23 carries. Georgia moved to 4-0 on the seasons as the Sun Devils fell to 2-2.
Turning point … Arizona State appeared to be the team that would jump out to the early lead as they had a first-and-10 at midfield. A Rudy Carpenter pass to Chris McGaha would have put the Sun Devils deep into Georgia territory, but good coverage from Bulldog cornerback Bryan Evans caused McGaha to come down without the ball. A Rennie Curran sack on the following play set up a third-and-18 and Arizona State eventually punted. That led to a Georgia 10-play, 91-yard drive that gave them the game’s first lead at 7-0.
Grading the offense … Stafford and Green put on a show, giving the Bulldog offense a dangerousness that we’ve seldom seen. The ability of Green to make the tough catch, coupled with Stafford’s strong arm, means no down and distance will be too much for Georgia this season. The running game with Moreno and Caleb King did not have as many explosive plays, but they moved the ball enough to gain the attention of the Sun Devil defense. The offensive line featured a new starting lineup and managed to hold their own against a quick Arizona State defensive line. They wore that defensive line down, however, and Moreno capitalized with big runs late. Grade: A
Grading the defense … Early on in the game, the Georgia front four could not generate much pass rush, so the Bulldogs had to blitz. Dannell Ellerbe and Rennie Curran were effective enough in blitzing situations to make Sun Devil quarterback Rudy Carpenter uncomfortable. Whenever Arizona State gained confidence passing, Georgia would apply enough pressure to disrupt their rhythm. That was even more the case as the game progressed and the defensive line applied more and more pressure. Defensive ends Demarcus Dobbs and Justin Houston had sacks of Carpenter. The Bulldog secondary likewise stiffened at times during the game. Their tackling was at times inconsistent, but they played well enough to not let the Sun Devil receivers do damage. Thanks to the interior of Georgia’s line controlling the Arizona State offensive front, the Sun Devil running game was nonexistent. Curran also made his presence felt whenever the Arizona State running backs got to the second level or tried to run outside. Grade: B+
What it means for next week … The Alabama game now becomes Georgia’s biggest game of the season thus far, as two top-10 teams will square off next Saturday night in Athens. Georgia’s ability to stymie opponents’ rushing attacks will be tested, as the Crimson Tide is a power running team. Alabama is also stout up front defensively and will serve as a tough opponent for Georgia to run on. The emergence of Green, however, gives the Bulldogs a weapon to use if they are not able to run the ball well.
Butler can be reached at jbutler@scoreatl.com.
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