ATHENS, GA (AP) — Nate Frazier ran for 136 yards and three touchdowns, Carson Beck tossed four touchdown passes, and No. 8 Georgia defeated Massachusetts 59-21 on Saturday as the Bulldogs attempted to preserve their prospects of making the College Football Playoffs.
Beck and Frazier’s potent offense was necessary for Georgia (9-2, No. 10 CFP) to overcome a defense that allowed 226 running yards. Shane Montgomery, the offensive coordinator who continued to call plays after firing coach Don Brown, took over as interim coach of UMass (2-9) for the team’s first game on Monday.
With 107 rushing yards and a touchdown, Jalen John was the Minutemen’s top scorer.
Georgia now has 30 straight home victories, which is the longest stretch in the Football Bowl Subdivision.
Chris Cole, a linebacker for the Bulldogs, recovered a fumble 31 yards for a touchdown in the fourth quarter. The play was set up by Quintavius Johnson’s forced fumble and sack of AJ Hairston.
It was the second straight game that Beck did not commit a turnover. In the Bulldogs’ November 16 victory over No. 6 Tennessee, he rushed for a touchdown and threw two touchdowns without being intercepted. In the six games prior, Beck had 12 interceptions.
CJ Hester scored the game-winning run from the four to finish off UMass’s 10-play, 75-yard touchdown drive that included nine runs.
In the second quarter, the Minutemen added another clock-draining, 14-play, 75-yard drive that lasted seven minutes and culminated in another John 4-yard scoring run.
Beck did not commit a turnover for the second consecutive game. He tossed two touchdowns without being intercepted and ran for a touchdown in the Bulldogs’ victory over No. 6 Tennessee on November 16. Beck has a total of 12 interceptions in the six previous games.
CJ Hester completed UMass’ 10-play, 75-yard touchdown drive, which included nine runs, with the game-winning four-yard run.
The Minutemen added another clock-draining, 14-play, 75-yard drive in the second quarter, which lasted seven minutes and ended with another 4-yard touchdown run by John.