3 things to know about Georgia vs. Samford

Mecole Hardman #4 of the Georgia Bulldogs takes the field before the game against the Samford Bulldogs at Sanford Stadium on September 16, 2017 in Athens, Georgia. (Photo by Scott Cunningham/Getty Images)

Credit: Scott Cunningham

Credit: Scott Cunningham

Mecole Hardman #4 of the Georgia Bulldogs takes the field before the game against the Samford Bulldogs at Sanford Stadium on September 16, 2017 in Athens, Georgia. (Photo by Scott Cunningham/Getty Images)

Georgia took on an FCS school Saturday night at Sanford Stadium and came away with a 42-14 victory against Samford, a win led by star running back Nick Chubb.

Here are three things to know about the victory:

GROUND GAME

Most of the halftime stats were even, but Georgia led 21-7. The reason for the big lead was that Georgia held a huge advantage in an important category: the run game.

In the first half, Georgia outgained Samford 161 yards to 11. Georgia’s yards came on 26 carries and Samford’s on 10. Chubb gained 108, including a 32-yard run for a touchdown.

Georgia’s run game dominance continued in the second half. In the first 15 minutes, the Bulldogs gained 93 yards on 16 carries, building their game total to 254 yards on 42 carries and three touchdowns. Samford went backward in the third quarter, rushing for minus-13 yards on seven carries.

Chubb’s night ended after he scored a touchdown to cap the Bulldogs’ first possession of the third quarter. His final tally was 131 yards on 16 carries and touchdowns of 32 and 14 yards. The Bulldogs finished the game with 284 yards on 54 carries, 5.3 yards per run. Samford finished with 22 yards on 23 carries.

QUICK-STRIKE SCORING DRIVES

The Bulldogs began the game with a drive that stalled on Samford’s 44 on the Dogs’ first possession. Georgia scored touchdowns on six of its next nine possessions, and four consecutive drives took less than two minutes each.

The Bulldogs’ second drive covered 79 yards on two plays, in 27 seconds. The final play was a 32-yard run by Chubb. A 47-yard catch by Riley Ridley preceded that play. Georgia’s next drive covered 54 yards in three plays and lasted 1 minutes, 34 seconds. It ended with a 51-yard touchdown catch by Terry Godwin.

The next time the Dogs had the ball, they scored on a drive that covered 26 yards on four plays and lasted 1:56. That one ended on a 14-yard run by Chubb. After that came a four-play, 45-yard drive that was over in 1:07. Godwin ended it with a 9-yard touchdown catch. The play was set up by Godwin’s 32-yard catch.

INSIDE THE STATS

Godwin paced Georgia’s receivers, with 98 receiving yards on four catches. Five other receivers had a catch apiece. Quarterback Jake Fromm was 8-of-13 passing for 165 yards and three touchdowns. His passer rating was 244.3. Backup Brice Ramsey completed one pass of two attempts, for 10 yards.

Georgia used four running backs other than Chubb. D’Andre Swift gained 54 yards on nine carries and Brian Herrien 45 yards on nine carries. Swift scored one touchdown, an 11-yard run. Elijah Holyfield gained 28 yards on eight carries, and walk-on Prather Hudson gained 15 on six carries.

Georgia outgained Samford 459 yards to 249 and led in time of possession, 35:11 to 24:49.