Georgia’s unstoppable offense vs. TSU is good sign for later

Georgia coach Kirby Smart told the SEC Network that stifling heat at Sanford Stadium was the “great equalizer” between Georgia and Tennessee State. It turns out it didn’t help the visitors close the gap on an opponent that spends 10 times as much money on football.

The Bulldogs are supposed to overwhelm the Tigers in any weather. It was a top-tier Power 4 team against an FCS team with a rich history, but coming off a 2-10 record last season. The season opener went as expected.

Georgia won 63-3. The Bulldogs scored touchdowns on their first five drives before Smart started subbing out the starters.

Among the ideal outcomes for the Bulldogs in this game were impressive displays of offensive playmaking and no major injuries. They checked both boxes against the Tigers.

Georgia’s rebuilt receiving corps was the subject of preseason worries. Smart is replacing last year’s group with inexperienced holdovers who were blue-chip recruits, Georgia Tech transfer Isiah Canion and (perhaps) a freshman or two.

Among the standout pass catchers on Saturday were Talyn Taylor, Sacovie White-Helton, Elyiss Williams and Jaden Reddell.

Taylor worked with the starting group for a quarter-plus and had three catches for 28 yards (36 after the catch) with a touchdown. White-Helton had three catches for 34 yards (24 YAC). Williams had a 17-yard touchdown catch (13 YAC) and Reddell scored a 14-yard TD (nine after the catch).

All those yards after the catch tell the story of Georgia’s first-team offense. Quarterback Gunner Stockton was accurate and efficient, but his targets did much of the work.

Stockton completed 15 of 16 passes for 202 yards and three touchdowns while running the offense with supreme confidence. That’s the expectation for a senior, All-SEC quarterback against an overmatched foe.

But I thought back to Stockton’s shaky home debut as the starter in the first game last year. He’s come a long way.

“He started out well,” Smart told SEC Network sideline reporter Laura Stickells at halftime. “Had some short, intermediate passing game. I thought the offensive staff did a great job giving him a chance to be successful.

“Then he opened it up more and threw some downfield passes, and he’s done a nice job.”

If Georgia’s deep passing game isn’t more explosive for a third straight year, it won’t be because Stockton is off. He can make the deep throws now. The Bulldogs need more from the inexperienced pass catchers who made plays on Saturday.

Georgia’s running back room has been scrutinized, too. There are good players in there, but are any of them home-run hitters? Nate Frazier is the one most likely to be that guy.

Frazier had four rushing attempts against TSU and scored on three of them. The first touchdown was superb. Frazier showed superlative burst, agility and balance while running 48 yards for the end zone.

“He ran the ball hard and does what he always does: making plays and making people miss,” Stockton told SEC Network.

Frazier had seven runs of 20-plus yards last season, according to cfbstats.com. Five SEC running backs had more big runs. Frazier should move up the list this year.

The performance by Georgia’s offense comes with the obvious caveat about the competition level. Georgia’s offensive line overpowered TSU’s defensive front. The running backs, receivers and Stockton faced little resistance.

Tennessee State was a Black college football powerhouse from the 1940s through the 70s while sending several legendary players to the NFL. Pro Football Hall of Fame member Richard Dent is one of them. He returned to TSU this year to serve as a special adviser to coach Reggie Barlow.

“My alma mater did so much for me,” Dent said during an in-game interview with Stickells. “I would say it’s one of the best schools in America that has put out pro football (players), West Coast offense, ‘bump-and-run,’ zone defense …

“But, today, we are setting dubious records. You could probably get out there and tackle better than us today.”

I suspect that Smart’s “great equalizer” talk served two purposes: focus his players and remind them to take care in the extreme heat. It was a good message. Stickells reported that officials from both schools considered shortening the final quarter to get everybody out of the heat (it ended up being the usual 15 minutes).

The teams filled their roles in the college football ecosystem. Georgia got to sell tickets, Tennessee State got its cut and ESPN got content. The coaches and players got to work on whatever needed work.