Georgia Halftime Notes Vs. Arkansas State…Sept. 14, 2019
*Touchdowns To Start: Georgia scored a touchdown on its opening drive for the third straight game following a six-play, 60-yard drive at the 9:02 mark in the first quarter and finished the half up 34-0. As he has the first two games, senior TB Brian Herrien scored with a 3-yard run to put the Bulldogs up 7-0.
The Bulldogs ran 35 plays for 382 yards (10.9/play) registered 14 first downs compared to Arkansas State’s six first downs. Junior QB Jake Fromm completed the half 16-for-20 for 267 yards and three touchdowns while junior D’Andre Swift led the ground attack with 66 yards on seven carries, including a 39-yard scamper in the second quarter that set up UGA’s third touchdown. Swift reached the end zone on that drive with a career-long 48-yard catch, which was the fifth receiving touchdown of his career. He had two catches for 64 yards in the first half.
Fromm connected with freshman WR Dominick Blaylock for a 60-yard touchdown at the beginning of the second period. This was a career long reception for Blaylock and the longest for the Bulldogs this year. Blaylock has now scored for the second game in a row. Graduate WR Lawrence Cager had his first career touchdown catch at UGA on a 5-yard strike from Fromm. He had 10 touchdown catches at Miami (2015, 2017-18). Georgia’s leading receiver through the first half was freshman WR George Pickens, who snagged four for 72 yards.
*Defense Setting The Tone: Georgia was up 21-6 on Vanderbilt at the half, led 42-7 against Murray State following two periods and has again taken a large lead at the half. The Bulldog defense held the Red Wolves to 81 yards on 38 plays in the first two quarters, including seven on the ground. ASU failed to score in the first half, which is the first time the Bulldogs have held a team scoreless in the opening two periods since the Tennessee game in 2018 (17-0).
Six Bulldogs had three tackles apiece on defense, including senior DL Tyler Clark who registered his first sack of 2019 and the fifth of his career. Sophomore OLB Quay Walker also had his first career sack.
*Blankenship Boots It: Graduate PK Rodrigo Blankenship drilled field goals of 29 yards and 41 yards (season long) and four PATs in the first half. Blankenship is now 5-for-5 on the year in FGs. He is second in SEC history for Career Consecutive PATs made with 170. The SEC record is 198 held by Daniel Carlson (Auburn). Blankenship already owns the Bulldog record.
*For Starters: Junior Malik Herring (DL) started his first game of the year and the second of his career. Lawrence Cager got the start for the first time in his Bulldog career after starting a total of 18 games at Miami. While sophomore Cade Mays moved from RG to RT, junior Ben Cleveland started at RG, marking his first start of 2019 and 10th of his career. Jake Fromm started his 31st straight to lead the offense while graduate J.R. Reed (S) now leads the defense with 32 in a row.
*Injury Report: Senior WR Tyler Simmons had two catches for 21 yards and a punt return for 17 yards but had to leave the game at the end of the first quarter with a right shoulder injury.
*Captains: Tyler Simmons, graduate Michael Barnett (DT) and junior Walter Grant (OLB) served as captains.