So much for the accusation that Hutson Mason can throw the ball down field.
Georgia was already down when it got the ball on offense for the first time and Mason immediately hooked up with Chris Conley on a 48-yard pass on first down. He followed that with an 18-yard pass to Michael Bennett. That got the Bulldogs inside the 10-yard line and they were able to score on three straight runs from there.
“Hutson just had faith in us. We had been going against these corners all day and we felt like we could take them. The coaches had faith in us to do that. In a big situation, we put the ball in the air and we capitalized on it. So we can throw the ball down field.
Georgia still ran the ball a lot — 39 times in 56 plays, including 30 times for 202 yards by tailback Nick Chubb — but the early throws on early downs sent a message and loosened up Arkansas’ defense.
“I think we’ve just gotten better,” said Mason, who finished with 179 yards and 2 TDs on 10-of-17 passing. “Early on in the season we just weren’t very good, from me to my receivers. There wasn’t a lot of trust and not a lot of execution. We’ve been practicing really hard. The talent has always been there.
“It feels good today to be able to throw the ball deep. I think this gives us a lot of momentum and a lot of confidence going forward.”
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