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The Georgia Bulldogs took down the Notre Dame Fighting Irish Saturday night in South Bend by the score of 20-19.
The ‘Dawgs, who move to 2-0 on the year, used a ferocious defensive performance to carry them to victory. Literally. Davin Bellamy strip sacked quarterback Brandon Wimbush, which led to Lorenzo Carter falling on the ball to secure the win.
Their victory gives them the best nonconference win of the season for any team not named Alabama in the SEC so far.
WHAT WE LEARNED
KIRBY SMART GOT A SIGNATURE WIN
Smart finally picked up a huge victory in his early tenure in Athens. Many wondered why the ‘Dawgs let go of Mark Richt, and last season didn’t do that decision any favors. But early on in Year 2, things are looking pretty good for the boys in red and black so far. Smart can hang his hat on this one for a little while up until SEC play starts. But it’s there, to be certain.
THE ‘DAWG DEFENSE IS SOMETHING FIERCE
The Bulldogs had an eye-popping performance on defense Saturday night. Carter and Bellamy combined for the play that won the game, and the former was all over the place. Richard LeCounte, five-star freshman safety, made a huge play down the stretch in the fourth quarter too. Combined, this defense played terrifically on the road to say the least. If they keep this up, the SEC East may very well be theirs for the taking.
THE OFFENSIVE SHOW STILL RUNS THROUGH THE BACKS
Nick Chubb and Sony Michel are arguably the best 1-2 punch in America. Chubb and Michel showed exactly why that was the case on Saturday. They helped ease Jake Fromm into things and take the load off his shoulders. The dynamic duo was pivotal in the offensive success that UGA had, and it shouldn’t surprise anyone. This will likely be the feature of the offense going forward, so don’t expect a downward trend any time soon.