Rapid Reaction: Jacob Eason goes down but Jake Fromm leads Georgia to easy win
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Disaster struck early for the Bulldogs in the season opener at home against Appalachian State as sophomore quarterback Jacob Eason suffered an injury forcing him to leave the game. The injury was bad enough that Eason did not return to the lineup. He was one of three for four yards before his injury.
The significance of his injury is not known at this time, nor is there a timeline for his return.
That’s the bad news. The good news? True freshman Jake Fromm stepped in and the Dawgs didn’t miss a beat in a 31-10 win. The freshman completed 10 of 15 passes for 143 yards and a touchdown.
The big questions now will be how long is Eason out, especially with the trip to Notre Dame looming large. If Eason is available, which quarterback will play for the Bulldogs? It will be fascinating to see what Kirby Smart decides in the coming days.
What I liked
The moment wasn’t too big for Jake Fromm. Most freshmen quarterbacks aren’t ready for major college football but Fromm showed virtually no sign of that Saturday in Athens. He did make a few questionable decisions, but against an opponent of the caliber of Appalachian State, they did not come back to haunt him.
Georgia’s defense looks even better than it did last year. The Mountaineers 10 points came late in the game with the contest already decided. Appalachian State had only 13 first downs in the game.
What needs work
Georgia really didn’t need to throw the ball at all in this game to win, and it didn’t throw often. While that gameplan worked out in the end, it didn’t help the team, and especially its young QB, develop the passing attack much heading into next weekend’s game at Notre Dame. Only six Bulldogs had a reception, and three of those players had one catch. Javon Wims and D’Andre Swift led the team with three catches apiece.
BackBrice Ramsey came in late in junk time and threw two interceptions. It appears the Bulldogs have no meaningful depth behind Fromm if Eason has to miss any significant amount of action.
The defense failed to force a turnover. While it may not have mattered in this game, the unit will need to get more aggressive come against SEC opponents.
A graduate of the University of Tennessee, Michael Wayne Bratton oversees the news coverage for Saturday Down South. Michael previously worked for FOX Sports and NFL.com
