ATHENS — The Georgia football offense is continuing to find its way under quarterback Gunner Stockton.
The Bulldogs held a 14-3 lead at halftime on Austin Peay, representing the closest Georgia has played an FCS-level school through the first 30 minutes of a game since 2016, when Nicholls was down only 10-7 at the half.
The UGA game started an hour early because of threatening weather and was delayed by lightning at halftime.
Those 2016 Bulldogs, playing in Coach Kirby Smart’s first home game in his first season at the helm, ended up winning that game over Nicholls 26-24.
Smart has won two national titles and three SEC championships since then, and expectations are much higher for the 2025 Bulldogs, who entered the Saturday game with Austin Peay ranked No. 4 and favored by 46.5 points.
Certainly, high enough that Smart expected his team to score a touchdown after it was set up first-and-goal from the 1-yard line with 33 seconds left in the first half.
The Bulldogs, instead, ran five plays without getting into the end zone as time ran out in the half:
• Nate Frazier was stopped for no gain on first-and-goal from the 1
• Stockton threw incomplete to Cash Jones on second down, but a defensive hold gave UGA another first down.
• Stockton threw an out route pass that went through the arms of an Austin Peay defender that Zachariah Branch couldn’t hold in the end zone on first down.
• Stockton threw a pass into the back of the end zone that was behind intended receiver Sacovie White-Helton on second down.
• Chauncey Bowens was tripped up in the backfield on third down and fell short of the goal line as time expired.
Making things even worse, promising Georgia tight end Ethan Barbour suffered what appeared to be a broken leg on the final play of the first half.
Georgia came out moving the ball with Stockton throwing short, controlled passes, but Frazier fumbled the ball to the Govs after UGA crossed midfield and reached the Austin Peay 47.
The Bulldogs recovered with two lengthy touchdown drives capped by 2-yard scoring runs by Bowens and Frazier before Austin Peay got on the scoreboard with a field goal.
The Govs will get the ball first to start the second half, as UGA won the toss and chose to receive.
Austin Peay quarterback Chris Parson is 9-of-10 passing for 69 yards with an interception, while Stockton is 17-of-21 passing for 139 yards and has carried three times for 10 yards.
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