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.
"I'm a little surprised, but not too much," Chubb said. "We knew those guys would come out here to play. It was the first game of the season for them, so we knew they would bring some energy, and they showed it. They played a great game."
Freshman Jacob Eason made his first collegiate start at quarterback and completed 11 of 20 passes for 204 yards and a 66-yard touchdown to McKenzie at the 5:43 mark of the third quarter. He also threw an interception with 9:10 remaining in the fourth quarter that was returned 91 yards to set up a field goal that got the Colonels within 26-17.
That would be Eason's final throw of the game, as Lambert entered on the next series.
"It could always change," Smart said when asked if there could be another change at quarterback before this week's trip to Missouri. "It was never set this week until late, so it's not going to be a set deal for us. We're going to see who performs well during the week and gives us the best chance to be successful.
"When you start a true freshman at quarterback, it's always challenging. There are no easy games. He's got to continue to improve and manage the game and make good decisions."
Georgia appeared to have the game in control late in the third quarter, when the 66-yard pass from Eason to McKenzie was followed by a 24-yard fumble recovery for a touchdown by Lorenzo Carter to put the Bulldogs up 26-14. The Colonels trailed 10-7 at halftime but could have been up 14-10 had Fourcade not overthrown a wide-open Bates down the right sideline with 4:21 remaining in the second quarter.
The Bulldogs will now play eight straight Southeastern Conference games, and they will do so with a lot less momentum than they had coming into the Nicholls game.
"When I was at Alabama my first year, we lost to ULM in a game that was very similar to this," Smart said. "We turned the ball over. When they get momentum and believe they can start playing with you, you better hold on. They're playing on adrenaline that your players don't have.
"Why don't our players have it? I don't know, but we've got to get them wanting to win as much as the other team."
Contact David Paschall at dpaschall@timesfreepress.com or 423-757-6524.