Georgia vs. Oregon score, highlights: Bulldogs dominate in wire-to-wire rout of Ducks | Sporting News (2024)

For anyone wondering, the Georgia Bulldogs are still extremely good.

No. 3 Georgia defeated No. 11 Oregon 49-3 in its season opener in Atlanta on Saturday, with the offense playing a nearly perfect game while the defense created opportunities of its own. Two first-half interceptions of Bo Nix, including a stunner from true freshman Malaki Starks, let Georgia blow open a 21-0 lead and it never looked back.

Stetson Bennett completed 25 of his 31 passes for 368 yards, a career-high, and two touchdowns. Running back Kenny McIntosh was a key factor in the receiving game with 117 yards through the air, while Ladd McConkey led receivers with 73 yards. He had a rushing TD and a receiving TD.

For Kirby Smart, it was a punch in the gut to his old defensive coordinator Dan Lanning, who was making his head coaching debut for the Ducks with a team largely made up of transfers. Georgia, for its part, had just one transfer coming in. The 46-point difference is Georgia's biggest victory ever over a ranked team, and it's Oregon's worst loss as a ranked team.

Oregon will lick its wounds next week against Eastern Washington, whereas Georgia has Samford. If this game told us anything, it's that Georgia didn't miss a beat from its National Championship-winning 2021. It passed its first test with flying colors.

MORE: Get the latest results and highlights from Week 1's top-25 games

The Sporting News provided live updates and highlights from Oregon and Georgia. Follow the flow of the game below (all times Eastern).

Georgia vs. Oregon score

Georgia vs. Oregon live updates, highlights from Week 1game

6:47 p.m. --Even out of the victory formation, Georgia gains five yards. With breathing room, they'll be able to take this clock to zero. A dominant wire-to-wire win for the Bulldogs to open the season.

6:43 p.m. --Georgia's defense comes out of it unscathed, as Nix misses a throw in the end zone to turn it over on downs.

6:41 p.m. --Oregon converts on fourth down at the Georgia 12, but now it has to deal with the Georgia red zone defense again. We'll see how Nix works in the shortened field.

6:33 p.m. --Georgia finally doesn't bite on a misdirection, but Nix picks up a first down with his legs all the same. Oregon is now just outside Georgia territory.

6:31 p.m. --Oregon's defense showed a flash of life, and the offense does the same with a fourth-down conversion. The Ducks are trying to keep the clock running while moving the ball.

6:24 p.m. --There it is. The Ducks finally get a third-down stop and the Bulldogs will send the punt team out for the first time today. Georgia kept it conservative on third-and-7 with an underneath route the Ducks bottled up.

6:22 p.m. --If you're the Oregon defense, the bar has now changed to "force a punt."

6:14 p.m. --Milton catches an 18-yard touchdown on a third-down swing pass to keep the perfect third down game alive. Absolutely no answers from the Oregon defense.Georgia 49, Oregon 3

6:10 p.m. --The third quarter ends with Beck and Bulldogs in striking distance once again.Georgia 42, Oregon 3

6:07 p.m. --Bennett is out of the game for Georgia and Carson Beck is in his stead. He has 368 yards for two touchdowns with 25 of 31 passing. Just a dissection offensively.

6:04 p.m. --Nix has felt pressure up the middle nearly all game. On that third down he throws an incompletion and Oregon has to punt again.

5:59 p.m. --It looked like Oregon finally had a big play, but Christopher Smith smokes Chase Cota in the open field and injures both of them on the play (looks like wind knocked out). Good throw from Nix, just stayed in the air a moment too long.

5:52 p.m. --Seriously, what in the world can you do. Bennett puts up a 50/50 ball for AD Mitchell that Mitchell comes down with with relative ease to make it 42-3 Georgia. Kirby Smart is working Lanning today.Georgia 42, Oregon 3.

5:50 p.m. --Georgia converts on third down again, making them 8 of 8 on the game. Oregon's defense can't do much of anything.

5:48 p.m. --Some profanity caught on the hot mic there, as Bennett has a rare miss downfield to McConkey on first down. The offense has otherwise stayed humming.

5:45 p.m. --Linebacker Jeffrey Bassa is down for Oregon.

5:44 p.m. --Bennett and Georgia got too cute by half. Bennett flipped a pass underhand on a shovel pass attempt while under pressure, but they immediately answer with a sweep to Edwards that gets them a first down. Georgia still has not punted.

5:41 p.m. --On third-and-11, Oregon once again opts to run to Dollars, and he gets stopped short. Nix punts with a quick kick. Not a particularly encouraging sequence for Nix, all things considered.

5:39 p.m. --If there's anything good to be taken from this game for Oregon, it's a good offense on third down. Sean Dollars converts on third-and-7, putting the Ducks at 6 of 8 on the day.

5:32 p.m. --Easy for the Bulldogs, as Milton escapes in the backfield and basically walks it in from 11 yards out. Georgia didn't miss a step out of the locker room. Georgia 35, Oregon 3.

5:30 p.m. --Oregon's defense immediately stumbles out of the gate, as Georgia gets deep into Oregon territory just over a minute into the half. They have steamrolled them through the passing game so far.

5:06 p.m.--Bennett heads into halftime with 254 yards on 18 of 21 passing, 80 of those yards to McIntosh out of the backfield. Georgia has just 59 rushing yards.

Nix, meanwhile, has 104 passing yards on 13 of 20 passing, but two back-breaking interceptions. Oregon has shown some things offensively, but the walls keep falling off as they move down the field.Georgia 28, Oregon 3

5:06 p.m. --Oregon tries to make something happen heading into the half, but there just isn't enough time. A lot of feet dragging with timeouts from Oregon and Georgia end with a Hail Mary, which falls incomplete after pressure to Nix. Georgia will get the ball out of the half.

4:58 p.m. --Georgia 28, Oregon 3

4:57 p.m. --Georgia has approached this drive with almost no urgency but they're still having their way. An Alvin Kamara-esque route from McIntosh goes for 37 yards inside the Oregon five, and Bennett immediately scores to McConkey with a disappearing act. The snowball continues to roll downhill.

Never give up on the play ✅#GoDawgs pic.twitter.com/dD2X9CXlPG

— Georgia Football (@GeorgiaFootball) September 3, 2022

4:55 p.m. --Oregon thought it had a fumble recovery off McConkey, but the officials ruled him down. Oregon retains possession.

4:51 p.m. --Georgia's red zone defense was the best in the country last season, giving up TDs on 28 percent of opposing trips. That trend continues this year. It also gave up touchdownsorfield goals 63.33 percent of the time, also best in the country.

4:46 p.m. --After an incompletion that was nearly a third pick, Oregon converts a field goal to make itGeorgia 21, Oregon 3.The Ducks are on the board, but they have a lot of work to do.

4:44 p.m. --Boos are raining down on the officials right now for an unnecessary roughness call on Georgia and have been for about four plays. Georgia will now have third-and-16 with about a yard between the chains the red zone. Tough play here.

4:42 p.m. --Nifty little trick play there from Oregon gets Nix in space, and once against we see Oregon in Georgia territory. They ran a double-reverse into a flea-flicker that got Nix to the Georgia 28. Now just outside the 10, we'll see if they can get in.

4:39 p.m. --On third-and-1, Oregon converts by a hair on their next drive. If this game is going to be salvaged, this drive is going to be huge.

4:34 p.m. --Once again, Georgia wastes no time punching it in, as Kenny McIntosh scores from a yard out. Six plays, 56 yards, 3:46 off the clock from the Nix interception. That's 14 points off turnovers.Georgia 21, Oregon 0.

4:31 p.m. --Justin Flowe doesn't get hit with targeting, so it's just roughing. Georgia first-and-10 from the Oregon 20.

4:26 p.m. --Bennett just stood in the pocket, flat-footed, for about four seconds before completing a pass to Adonai Mitchell for a first down, and Oregon gets hit with a roughing the passer that is under review for targeting.

4:22 p.m. --BRUTAL interception from Nix, as he just failed to read the defense on a one-read play. Georgia followed his eyes, and it's Georgia ball once again. This is getting bad quickly.

The Bulldogs were ready for Bo Nix in the backfield‼️ pic.twitter.com/VpJCGRth2K

— ESPN (@espn) September 3, 2022

4:20 p.m. --Really enjoying the third-down offense Oregon has running. Another nice shoulder fake from Nix puts Mar'Keise Irving in space.

4:18 p.m. --Credit to the Oregon offense, they are moving the ball fairly well. Another against-the-grain playcall gets them a first on third-and-8 to prevent an ominous 3-and-out. But the yards against Georgia get harder to come by the more this momentum remains.

4:14 p.m. --Coming off a playfake, Bennett basically walks it in against the overloaded offensive line.Georgia 14, Oregon 0coming off a seven-play, 92-yard drive that took just 3:37 off the clock.

4:09 p.m. --Oregon has to find a way to stop the bleeding here. Georgia is driving again and deep in Ducks territory. Bennett is already over 150 yards. Bowers, McConkey, and McIntosh are over 30 receiving. Everything is clicking early for the Dawgs.

4:06 p.m. --Starks, for those interested, a true freshman. A prized recruit. Keep an eye on him.

A TRUE FRESHMAN @StarksMalaki!#GoDawgs pic.twitter.com/zg3DFkovcX

— Georgia Football (@GeorgiaFootball) September 3, 2022

4:02 p.m. --Nix gets picked off on his first air-it-out play for the Ducks, as Malaki Starks makes an outstanding interception on a 50/50 ball that never looked close to 50/50. Once again, the drive sputters, and Georgia will have the ball deep in its own territory.

4 p.m. --On their next drive, Oregon picks up another quick first down. The goal now has to be consistency and sustained drives after an alarmingly-easy Georgia drive.

3:55 p.m. --Some crazy-looking play design from Georgia, as a misdirection jet sweep to Ladd McConkey gets them six. Great play on the outside puts Georgia on the board. Georgia 7, Oregon 0.

And @GeorgiaFootball takes the FIRST TOUCHDOWN vs Oregon 🔥💪 pic.twitter.com/da0HB3Fheb

— CBS Sports HQ (@CBSSportsHQ) September 3, 2022

3:51 p.m. --Georgia converts on its first third-down test, converting an easy curl route to Marcus Rosemy-Jacksaint. On the ensuing play, Bennett feels some pressure up the middle for the second time this drive.

3:50 p.m. --Kenny McIntosh is picking up the Georgia bloodline on running backs, making some nifty moves down the sideline for a big gain on second-and-2. Georgia is now out past the Oregon 40 on its opening drive.

3:44 p.m. --Georgia works things easy, going from a bubble screen to a swing pass to get back-to-back first downs. Oregon has to be better laterally on defense.

3:44 p.m. --The drive faltered shortly thereafter, with Nix trying to hit his man on a wheel route before the head got around. Field will flip to Georgia, as Stetson Bennett takes the field for the first time.

3:40 p.m. --Crowd noise is already a factor early, as Oregon gets baited into a false start on third-and-3. Oregon, for its part, is still able to convert and keep the drive alive. Big first down to avoid the 3-and-out for the Ducks.

3:38 p.m. --Oregon gets off to an inauspicious start on the opening kickoff, as the Bulldogs swarm the kick return inside the 15. Bo Nix has a long way to go on his opening drive.

3:35 p.m. --Both teams have taken the field, as Bo Nix leads the Ducks against his former SEC rival Georgia and its consistently ferocious defense. Dan Lanning's head coaching debut is around the corner against his former team. Can he upset Kirby Smart to start his career?

3:10 p.m. --Welcome to Week 1 College Football! We have a top-15 matchup on the way, as No. 3 Georgia gets ready to play No. 11 Oregon at Mercedes-Benz Stadium in Atlanta, Georgia.