Despite 4th quarter sloppiness, Georgia wipes out WKU in ‘White Out’ game

ATHENS — The Georgia football “White Out” at Sanford Stadium quickly turned into a wipe out Saturday afternoon.

The No. 2 Bulldogs (2-0) scored on their first seven possessions en route to the 70-20 victory over Conference USA member Western Kentucky (0-2), exceeding their point total from their 63-3 opening game win over Tennessee State.

It was the first time Georgia scored at least 60 points in back-to-back weeks since 1915, according to ESPN.

“We were efficient, we got some turnovers there, had some explosive plays, that was good to get things started that way,” Georgia coach Kirby Smart, who improved to 58-5 in home games and 45-3 against nonconference opponents, said during his halftime interview.

“We have to play to our standard, it’s not about the scoreboard, it’s not about who we’re playing, it’s all about what we do.”

The Bulldogs outgained the Hilltoppers 493 yards to 225 and scored four of their touchdowns off turnovers.

Georgia opens the SEC portion of its schedule at noon next weekend at Arkansas, so Saturday’s home game afforded Smart a final opportunity to polish his team.

The Bulldogs, wearing white alternate uniforms complete with white helmets before the announced crowd of 93,033 — primarily clad in white in compliance with the “White Out” — appeared eager to impress.

Gunner Stockton tied a school single-game record with five touchdown passes before coming out of the game midway through the second quarter with a 42-0 lead, his day complete with a 13-of-16 passing line good for 234 yards and a scramble for 3 yards.

The Bulldogs’ staked out to a 49-6 halftime lead, as Ryan Puglisi came on in relief of Stockton on UGA’s seventh offensive series and handed off to sophomore Landon Roldan for a 9-yard touchdown on an end around that made it 49-0.

The Hilltoppers first-half score came one play after Puglisi was hit on his 9-yard scramble and fumbled the ball away at the UGA 15.

Western Kentucky cashed in when backup quarterback Brock Glenn ran the ball 15 yards up the middle on a QB draw for a touchdown. The extra point kick bounced back off the upright, leaving the scoreboard resting at 49-6 as the teams headed to intermission.

The 49 points tied a school-record (dating back to 1950) for most points in one half, something accomplished three other times, most recently in 2021 in a 56-7 win over Charleston Southern in 2021.

Puglisi (2-of-5 passing, 19 yards, two carries, 79 yards) looked to atone for his error on his next full possession, keeping the ball after faking a handoff and racing 70 yards for a touchdown on UGA’s first possession of the second half, making the score 56-6.

The Bulldogs’ next score came on a circuslike play, rewarding fans in a mostly-empty stadium who weathered heavy rainfall in the third quarter.

Linebacker Terrell Foster tipped a Glenn pass that Blake Stewart intercepted at the Hilltoppers’ 27 and returned 12 yards before fumbling forward into the end zone, where it was recovered by a diving Tyriq Green, bringing the score to 63-6.

Western Kentucky scored its first fourth-quarter touchdown when Glenn completed a four-play, 64-yard TD drive with 10-yard QB draw with 5:10 remaining.

The Bulldogs answered quickly when Green took the ensuing kickoff 91 yards for a touchdown, making it 70-13 with UGA’s first kick return for a touchdown since Terry Godwin ran one back against South Carolina in 2016.

The Hilltoppers closed out the scoring with 1:17 left when Glenn hit tight end Coleson Arends with a 7-yard touchdown pass four plays after Roldan fumbled at the UGA 23.

“We got a bunch of guys that aren’t ready to play,” Smart said in his postgame TV interview. “If we have a backup go in right now, we’re in a lot of trouble.

“We’ve got guys who aren’t ready to play, couldn’t execute the game plan. They all want to play, but they couldn’t. I was proud of the guys who played early, but sloppy second half.”

Stockton’s performance, in addition to its historical significance, was encouraging as he completed his long throw of the season, the ball traveling 49 yards from the point of the throw to Craig Dandridge’s catch.

Smart has harped on UGA’s needs for explosive plays throughout the offseason, and the deep pass has been a play Stockton has worked to improve with the Bulldogs having lost six of their top seven pass catchers from a season ago.

A 70-yard touchdown pass to Sacovie White-Helton also checked the box for explosive plays, as White-Helton showed his speed after catching the short pass and outracing the defense to the end zone.