A 14-3 margin at 12:34 in the second quarter quickly turned to 28-3 just over two minutes of gametime.
With over 20 players confirmed to be unavailable before kickoff, Florida State looking competitive against the Georgia Bulldogs was already in question.
After it was revealed that starting linebacker Tatum Bethune and defensive lineman Braden Fiske and Joshua Farmer were out for the game, that question more or less turned into a pipe dream.
And before we get into what went down in the first 30 minutes of play, let it be said — anybody questioning why the majority of Florida State’s starters, who were told that their efforts in winning all their games did not count, decided to not play in a game (that at best would allow them to make an easily-dismissed argument for a national championship, at minimum give fake credence to those that argued against leaving them out and at worst harm their professional future) is a person that does not need to be taken seriously,
While Florida State’s squad, consisting of mainly depth players rather than the lineup that went 13-0 en route to an ACC Championship, showed impressive fight in the early minutes of the game it became quite obvious that the Seminoles weren’t going to be able to hang long.
A 14-3 margin at 12:34 in the second quarter quickly turned to 28-3 just over two minutes of gametime later, as the Bulldogs first reeled off a 75-yard drive then recovered an FSU fumble on kickoff. Another touchdown with 3:39 left in the half made it 35-3.
Two missed turnover opportunities prevented FSU from stealing or preventing points — Pat Payton had a huge sack on Carson Beck early, forcing a fumble, but Georgia recovered while Fentrell Cupress failed to bring in an interception right before Georgia’s first score of the game.
In encouraging news, quarterback Brock Glenn seemed much more comfortable within the Seminoles’ offense, taking several deep shots that were in good position but either called out of bounds or fell just ahead of the intended receiver. FSU got its only points of the first half after he managed to find Kentron Poitier deep, a 55-yard connection that put the Seminoles on the 3-yard line. Florida State was unable to punch it in, settling for a 22-yard field goal from Ryan Fitzgerald.
With the Seminoles on the verge of putting together another potential scoring drive with 49 seconds on the clock, Glenn was sacked and stripped by the Bulldogs, with a 10-yard return setting them up at their own 49.
Four plays later, Beck hit his second touchdown of the half to make things 42-3.
Georgia 42, Florida State 3: Halftime stats
Total Yards:
UGA: 383
Florida State: 185
Pass Yards:
UGA: 203
Florida State: 128
Rush Yards:
UGA: 180
Florida State: 57
Penalties:
UGA: 1-5
Florida State: 2-29
1st Downs:
UGA: 20
Florida State: 10
3rd Downs:
UGA: 1-2
Florida State: 2-9
4th Downs:
UGA: 0-1
Florida State: 1-2
Total Plays:
UGA: 35
Florida State: 41
Avg Yds/Play:
UGA: 10.9
Florida State: 4.5
Avg Yds/Completion:
UGA: 15.6
Florida State: 16.0
Avg Yds/Rush:
UGA: 11.3
Florida State: 3.2
Sack-Adj Rush Yd(Avg):
UGA: 190 (12.7)
Florida State: 71 (4.2)
Red Zone:
UGA: 5-5
Florida State: 1-1
Time of Possession:
UGA: 13:18
Florida State: 16:42
Turnovers (Def Pts Off):
UGA: 0 (0)
Florida State: 3 (7)
Fumbles-Lost:
UGA: 1-0
Florida State: 2-2
Sacks (Def Yds):
UGA: 1 (14)
Florida State: 1 (10)
TFL (Def Yds):
UGA: 3 (16)
Florida State: 3 (26)
Florida State unavailable players (opt-outs, injuries)
Quarterback Tate Rodemaker**
Quarterback AJ Duffy**
Running back Trey Benson*
Running back Rodney Hill**
Running back Lawrance Toafili***
Running back CJ Campbell**
Wide receiver Keon Coleman*
Wide receiver Johnny Wilson*
Tight end Jaheim Bell*
Tight end Markeston Douglas**
Offensive lineman Thomas Shrader**
Offensive tackle Bless Harris**
Offensive tackle Daughtry Richardson**
Offensive lineman Qae’shon Sapp**
Defensive lineman Jared Verse*
Defensive lineman Fabien Lovett*
Defensive lineman Dylan Brown**
Defensive lineman Ayobami Tifase**
Defensive lineman Joshua Farmer***
Defensive lineman Braden Fiske***
Linebacker Tatum Bethune***
Linebacker DJ Lundy**
Linebacker Dylan Brown-Turner**
Cornerback Renardo Green*
Defensive back Jarrian Jones*
Cornerback Akeem Dent*
