Georgia runs by Tennessee Tech

The Bulldogs scored the first four times they had the ball against Tennessee Tech, an overmatched Division I-AA opponent, with true freshmen finding the end zone each time -- Washaun Ealey on a 7-yard run, Orson Charles on a 23-yard catch, Branden Smith on a 52-yard run and Ealey on a 44-yard run.

"We all hang out with each other, so we got a lot of talk about this weekend," said Ealey, whose touchdowns were the first and second of his UGA career.

Said Smith: "It is exciting to see freshmen players get in the game, make good plays and just help the team win. ... On recruiting day, people said we had one of the best classes. Hopefully everything will work out right in the future."

The four touchdowns by the freshmen gave Georgia a 28-0 lead just 10 seconds into the second quarter of a game that proved to be the widely forecast mismatch.

The win lifted the Bulldogs back above .500 at 5-4 and provided a brief respite from a stormy season. Despite the fan furor stirred by the previous week's 41-17 loss to Florida, Sanford Stadium was about 90 percent full at its peak for the Tennessee Tech game.

The Golden Eagles dropped to 0-24 all-time vs. Division I-A opponents, with 21 of the losses by more than 20 points. Georgia's competition will be much more formidable the next three weeks -- Auburn, Kentucky and Georgia Tech, in that order.

Although emptying their roster onto the field, Georgia finished Saturday's game with 469 yards offense (304 rushing) to Tennessee Tech's 55 (minus-13 rushing). The Dogs' defensive front overwhelmed the Golden Eagles' offensive line as Georgia posted its first shutout since a 34-0 victory over UAB in 2006 and its first homecoming shutout since a 21-0 win over Kentucky in 1981.

"We were totally dominated by Georgia," Tennessee Tech coach Watson Brown said. "We ... played as hard as we can play."

About the only negative for Georgia was, once again, excessive penalties: 11 for 86 yards.

The two-year-old penalty problem persisted despite Richt's latest crackdown effort: He immediately pulled players from the game when they were flagged for an infraction.

"It sends a message, but it also might have gotten guys about as tight as they can get," Richt said in retrospect. "So I'm not sure we'll continue with that."

Six of Georgia's penalties were for false starts, which quarterback Joe Cox attributed in part to UGA players confusing noises made by Tennessee Tech players with his cadence.

The larger story of the game, though, was Georgia's freshmen.

"We've got some talented guys," offensive coordinator Mike Bobo said. "Hopefully we can build on what happened today, those guys making plays and just having fun and playing like they did when we recruited them."

Ealey, who lost the starting tailback spot to Caleb King because of problems with pass protection, came off the bench to run for 89 yards on seven carries. Charles caught three passes for 42 yards. And Smith played mostly on defense but gained 72 yards on three offensive carries, including the 52-yard touchdown run around right end on a direct snap from center.

"It wasn't really a trick play," Smith said, "because everybody knows every time I get in the ballgame [on offense], something is going to happen with No. 1 [his jersey number]."

Said Cox: "Branden still doesn't even know what's going on [on offense]. I have to still tell him where to go, what to do. Just tell him, ‘When you get the ball, run.' ... He's one of those special guys who, with the speed he has, is always a threat to break one."

Other freshmen also contributed. Wide receiver Rantavious Wooten, starting in place of the injured A.J. Green, had two catches for 17 yards. And defensive end Montez Robinson, getting his most extensive playing time of the season, had five tackles, including two of Georgia's six sacks.

"There are a lot of guys whose names y'all are going to hear for the next few years," said Cox, a senior. "They're going to make a lot of plays."