Georgia football is officially back. The Bulldogs opened their season against Marshall who stood no chance from the moment the game began.
Georgia started fast and ended up winning 45-7, but even that large of a margin doesn't show how dominant UGA truly was in this game. There are countless positive takeaways that should make Georgia fans feel very confident about the season ahead, but here are the three that stood out the most.
Welcome to the Gunner Stockton era
Yes Georgia's opponent was Marshall, but Gunner Stockton did everything right. He finished the night completing 14 of 24 passes for 190 yards and two touchdowns. Stockton however was even more effective on the ground as he ran the ball 10 times for 73 yards and two more touchdowns.
But best of all, Stockton showed that he is the right man to lead this team. He may not be the most vocal guy in the world, but he is the perfect player to lead this Georgia team all season long. He will get the best out of everyone around him based simply on the way that he plays football.
A lot of people doubted Stockton entering this season, but he erased any questions people had for him as he was impressive both through the air, on the ground and as a leader.
Hello Zachariah Branch
Last season Georgia was missing a wide receiver who could consistently make a big play. That however does not appear to be a problem this season thanks to USC transfer Zachariah Branch.
Branch may have only cuaght three passes against Marshall (which was a team high), but he turned those three receptions into 95 yards and one touchdown. All three of those receptions also could have gone for significantly less yards as well, but he was able to make defenders miss and tack on extra yards after the catch.
The addition of Branch to what looks to be an impressive run game could make Georgia's offense unstoppable this season.
Georgia's defense did their job
It's hard to be overly excited about anything after beating a clearly overmatched opponent, but Georgia's defense overall played outstanding. The Bulldogs only gave up seven points on the night which just so happens to be equal to the number of first downs Marshall earned. On top of that, Marshall only converted on 20 percent of their third downs as well.
The only thing they could have done better was force a turnover (which they somehow were unable to do), but overall Georgia's defense showed that they have the tools to be a dominant force this season.