ATHENS, Ga. – The excitement Georgia created with its opening win over North Carolina in Atlanta was greatly tempered Saturday afternoon inside Sanford Stadium as the No. 9 Bulldogs struggled to a 26-24 defeat of Nicholls State.
The Colonels, who play in the Football Championship Subdivision, entered with a 9-48 record over the past five seasons.
“It’s frustrating,” Bulldogs first-year coach Kirby Smart said. “A lot of guys didn’t execute and didn’t play well, and that’s my responsibility. We’ve got to improve, because there are good teams down the road. Other schools work on football, too, but I’m disappointed that we didn’t go out and execute and perform better.”
The Bulldogs were 55-point favorites but did not have the game clinched until converting a pair of third downs on their final possession, which began at their 7-yard line when Isaiah McKenzie fumbled a kickoff out of bounds. Nicholls pulled within 26-24 with 3:42 remaining on a 6-yard touchdown pass from Chase Fourcade to C.J. Bates that capped a 9-yard drive that was set up when McKenzie fumbled a punt.
Georgia had a third-and-7 on its final drive, which Greyson Lambert converted with a 9-yard pass to Michael Chigbu, and the Bulldogs also faced a third-and-3, which Nick Chubb converted with a 7-yard run. Chubb rushed 32 times for 222 yards in last week’s 33-24 triumph over the Tar Heels but had 20 carries for 80 yards Saturday.