Looking to extend the longest home winning streak in the country, No. 4 Georgia hosts upset-hungry Austin Peay on Saturday in Athens, Ga.
Georgia (1-0) climbed a spot in the latest Associated Press Top 25 rankings after breezing past Marshall for a 45-7 win in its season opener. The victory marked the Bulldogs’ 32nd straight win at Sanford Stadium, the longest active FBS streak.
Quarterback Gunner Stockton made his home debut as a starter for Georgia, throwing for 190 yards and two touchdowns while adding 73 yards on the ground with two more scores.
Although it’s likely Stockton won’t be seriously tested until the Bulldogs hit the road next week to face No. 22 Tennessee, head coach Kirby Smart wants to see progression from the new starter under center.
“His next step is to continue to gain confidence in trusting his offensive line for play-action, shot plays, two-minute drives before the half,” Smart said. “I thought he did an excellent job of improvising when things weren’t there or there was a breakdown. Probably the best things he did was take care of the ball, protect the ball and make plays with his legs. He continues to get better and the next step is to play with a little more confidence.”
In Stockton’s next start, he’ll face an Austin Peay team bursting with confidence after one of the biggest wins in program history. The Governors (1-0), who play in the FCS United Athletic Conference, upset FBS opponent Middle Tennessee 34-14 on Saturday.
The win marked Austin Peay’s second victory over an FBS team. The Governors also beat Kansas State in 1987.
For Smart and the Bulldogs — who beat Austin Peay 45-0 in 2018 in the programs’ only meeting — nothing will be taken for granted despite being heavy favorites.
“It’s not as simple as walking out there and saying, ‘You’ve got bigger and supposedly better players than these guys. Just go run all over them,'” Smart said. “It’s not that simple. These guys are disruptive in what they do. They’re tied together and they play really hard.”
The road will get harder for the Governors and second-year head coach Jeff Faris on Saturday, but the massive upset boosted a team that went 4-8 last season.
“Last year, we built a culture, and we learned how to fight, but we struggled to finish games. We finished tonight out,” Faris said after the win. “I am so proud of that group. Our assistant coaching staff works their tail off. I am so blessed to be in a room with those guys; they make me so much better, and we are a true family at Austin Peay, and we’re just getting started.”
Mississippi State transfer Chris Parson threw for 142 yards and two touchdowns as Austin Peay outgained the Blue Raiders 343-153.
Prior to Saturday, the Governors had lost 30 straight games to FBS opponents, including an 0-8 all-time record against the SEC. Austin Peay’s last meeting with an SEC team came in 2023, a 30-13 loss to No. 9 Tennessee.
–Field Level Media
