FAYETTEVILLE — It's amazing the ground Arkansas has gained on Georgia since they last played.
Especially since Georgia’s Bulldogs have advanced considerably since opening the 2020 season against Arkansas.
This time the Razorbacks and Bulldogs play their SEC West vs. SEC East matchup five games into the season. Each stands 4-0 overall.
Georgia opened last season ranked fourth nationally. The Bulldogs finished the entirely SEC 2020 schedule 8-2 overall and nationally No. 7 in the AP and coaches polls.
Today, Kirby Smart’s Bulldogs stand No. 2 in both the AP and coaches polls.
Smart was unsure about quarterback heading into the 2020 season opener in Fayetteville. Either heralded redshirt freshman D’Wan Mathis or touted Southern Cal transfer JT Daniels was supposed to succeed quarterback Jake Fromm.
Neither did against Arkansas. Daniels couldn’t because he was injured.
Mathis, who has since transferred to Temple, struggled.
Stetson Bennett, originally a Georgia walk-on whom Arkansas Coach Sam Pittman knew well coaching Georgia’s offensive line from 2016-19, rescued Georgia from Mathis’ slow start to a 37-10 victory.
Daniels finally got healthy and started Georgia’s 4-0 finish.
Smart starts Daniels but keeps Bennett ready. They shared vanquishing Vanderbilt 62-0 last Saturday
“Stetson Bennett led them to a lot of wins last year and is a really good player,” Pittman said. “But I just think this team is confident in JT and they play that way. If you give JT time, he’ll pick you apart.”
Georgia’s defense will tear you apart. The Bulldogs have yielded 23 points for four games. They lead nationally allowing fewest yards per play (3.27) and fewest average total yards per game (181.8).
The Bulldogs achieved all that, yet Arkansas gained on them.
Under the second-year coach Pittman, Arkansas has zoomed from unranked since 2016 — and 0-16 in the SEC in 2018 and 2019 — to ranked No. 8 by AP after dominating Texas and Texas A&M.
Arkansas surprising doesn’t surprise Smart. Smart saw Pittman develop and inspire the Georgia linemen he coached. Smart surmised Pittman would transmit that team wise.
Eleven 2020 seniors weathering the SEC O-fers under Chad Morris were so inspired under Pittman’s 3-7 debut in 2020 that they returned as “super seniors” because of last year’s covid disruptions.
“What’s really helped Sam is the buy-in and beliefs that the kids have in him,” Smart said. “And you know those eight or nine super seniors make a difference.”
Ironically the big jump with belief began with last year’s opener. Arkansas held a stunning 10-5 lead midway through the third quarter.
Bennett and the Bulldogs’ defense and depth finally overwhelmed, but Pittman said the Hogs saw enough in themselves to believe.
The Bulldogs won by 27, yet Arkansas began gaining on them.