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Playing its biggest game in a decade, Arkansas was thoroughly dominated in all phases Saturday afternoon.
A disastrous first quarter led to the No. 8 Razorbacks being shut out 37-0 by No. 2 Georgia inside Sanford Stadium in Athens, Ga.
The loss drops Arkansas to 4-1 overall and 1-1 in SEC play, while the Bulldogs improve to 5-0.
It is the second-worst defeat as an AP top-10 team in UA history, trailing only the 51-7 loss to No. 5 Miami (Fla.) as the No. 10 team in 1987. The Razorbacks had also scored in 76 straight games as a ranked team, with their last shutout coming as the No. 14 team at LSU in 1995, when they lost 28-0.
On Saturday, the Bulldogs’ FBS-leading defense smothered Arkansas, allowing only 156 total yards and forcing seven three-and-outs on 10 possessions.
Offensively, Georgia used a four-man rotation at running back to rack up 273 yards - more than twice what the Razorbacks were allowing per game coming into the week.
The early kickoff didn’t seem to both Georgia, as it carved up Arkansas’ touted defense on the game’s opening possession. It needed just nine plays to go 75 yards, with a 3-yard touchdown run by Zamir White capping the drive.
Those were the first points Arkansas has allowed in the first quarter this season, but they weren’t the only points allowed Saturday.
The Razorbacks’ offense responded with a disastrous three-and-out that started with back-to-back false starts before ever snapping the ball and included a sack.
Despite Georgia being given great field position, it seemed like the game might shift into the defensive slugfest many expected, as Arkansas made a third-and-short stop.
However, the Bulldogs went for it on fourth-and-1 and White broke an arm tackle by Jalen Catalon in the backfield to move the chains. A couple of plays later, Kendall Milton punched it in from 1 yard out to make it 14-0.
It only got worse for the Razorbacks. Freshman AJ Green muffed the ensuing kickoff, causing them to start their next drive at the 7. They went three-and-out again and this time, Reid Bauer’s punt from the end zone was blocked and White recovered it for a touchdown.
That made it 21-0 Bulldogs before Arkansas ran a play beyond its own 10-yard line.
The Razorbacks finally put something together on their next possession. Raheim “Rocket” Sanders got it started when he pulled in a check-down pass from Jefferson and raced 22 yards up the sideline.
On the next snap, Jefferson kept it and ran for 31 yards, but any momentum was wiped out when Warren Thompson was called for holding on the play, turning it into just a 4-yard gain.
Arkansas still managed to get into the red zone, but it stalled at the 20 and had to settle for a field goal. Unfortunately for them, the Razorbacks didn’t get any points from it because Cam Little missed the first kick of his career, as his 37-yard attempt sailed wide right.
Although the defense finally kept Georgia out of the end zone, Simeon Blair dropped an interception thrown right to him on third down and the Bulldogs were able to kick a field goal. Jack Podlesny made the 46-yarder to push their lead to 24-0 midway through the second quarter.
Arkansas went three-and-out on its final two drives of the half, sandwiched around a three-and-out by Georgia. It looked like the Razorbacks were going to force a second straight themselves and give their offense a chance at a two-minute drill, but Bennett scrambled for a first down that allowed Georgia to run the clock out in the half.
The Bulldogs out-gained Arkansas 193-78 in total yards. They did most of their damage on the ground, where they picked up 139 yards. That also does factor in the Razorbacks’ eight first-half penalties that totaled 50 yards.
Flags killed Arkansas’ opening drive of the second half, too, as it went three-and-out for the fifth time.
A shanked punt by Bauer gave Georgia great field position, but the Razorbacks answered the bell by limiting the Bulldogs to a 30-yard field goal by Podlesny. That made it 27-0 Georgia.
The teams exchanged three-and-outs before Arkansas looked like it might do something on offense. A couple of runs by Sanders got the Razorbacks to midfield and a penalty moved them to the 40. However, an offensive pass interference on Treylon Burks and a sack dashed those hopes.
Bauer’s punt was fair caught at the 7-yard line, but the Bulldogs’ worst field position of the game didn’t seem to bother them. They marched down the field in 11 plays, capped by an impressive 15-yard touchdown run by White.
Backup quarterback Malik Hornsby played the fourth quarter for Arkansas, but couldn’t avoid the shutout.
Georgia tacked on another field goal late, with Podlesny’s 37-yard kick making the final score of 37-0.
The Razorbacks will hit the road again next week, traveling to Oxford, Miss., for a matchup with Ole Miss that will kick off at either 11 a.m. or 2:30 p.m. CT.
