ATHENS, Ga. — Kirby Smart said players such as tight end Brock Bowers have made it possible for him to have the best 100-game start of any coach in Southeastern Conference football history.
Bowers caught two of Carson Beck's three touchdown passes, including a 41-yarder that helped top-ranked Georgia overcome a sluggish start, and the Bulldogs beat the University of Alabama at Birmingham 49-21 on Saturday night.
The win gave Smart an 85-15 record, the best mark through 100 games for a coach at any SEC school. The start includes back-to-back national championships the past two seasons.
"It seems fast, seems very fast," Smart said of his 100th game, before turning to Bowers and adding, "It's fun when you've got guys like this guy with you."
Beck threw for 337 yards and ran for a score for Georgia (4-0), which pulled away after the Blazers (1-3) pulled even at 7-all early in the second quarter. The Bulldogs led 28-14 at halftime, but Beck and other starters left the game after Georgia went up 42-14 late in the third quarter.
Bowers was the reliable constant for Georgia's offense. The junior caught nine passes for 120 yards.
"We kind of wanted to start off fast and explosive," Bowers said. "We came out and took a few shots. We started out pretty hot except for a few hiccups. I'm pretty happy about it."
Georgia lost fumbles on punt and kickoff returns and failed to connect on some big-play chances in its passing game. The Bulldogs still had more than enough offense to beat the Blazers of the American Athletic Conference and extend their school-record winning streak to 21 games.
Beck threw an 11-yard touchdown pass to Arian Smith, who was helped by a block from Bowers, on the Bulldogs' first possession. The quick score provided a misleading perception that Georgia, favored by 41 1/2 points, would not be tested.
A fumble by Georgia's Mekhi Mews on a punt return set up UAB quarterback Jacob Zeno's 16-yard pass to tight end Bryce Damous for the tie at 7. Dillon Bell lost a fumble on a kickoff return late in the first half after Zeno's second touchdown pass, a 2-yarder to Amare Thomas.
Zeno added a touchdown run in the fourth quarter as the Blazers joined the SEC's South Carolina — which lost 24-14 at Georgia last week — as one of two teams to score two touchdowns against the Bulldogs this season.
"This gives us a lot of confidence and shows that we're better than what it might seem in practice or those losses that we had a couple of weeks ago," Zeno said. "So we're going to be good. We're going to be fine."
Zeno was productive but couldn't match his average passing totals in first-year coach Trent Dilfer's offense. A 6-foot-4 junior, he entered the game fifth in the nation with his average of 318.7 passing yards per game. Zeno tallied 250 yards while completing 32 of 51 passes with two touchdowns and one interception. He rushed for 22 yards on eight carries, including a 3-yard score.
Georgia struggled with missed opportunities to complete deep passes. Smith was open downfield when a pass bounced off his hands, and Beck overthrew Jackson Meeks, also wide open, on another deep pass.
Georgia led only 14-7 before Bowers broke a tackle by Blazers linebacker Nikia Eason Jr. on his 41-yard touchdown catch. Daijun Edwards' second run to the end zone pushed the lead to 28-7.
Beck's 1-yard plunge gave Georgia a 35-14 lead early in the second half. The first-year starter completed 22 of 32 passes.
"Carson had a couple throws he missed I think he'd like to have back, but he was pretty accurate other than that," Smart said. "He continues to be explosive and continues to protect the ball."
Bowers' second touchdown catch, a 10-yarder, extended the lead to 42-14.Bowers topped 2,000 career receiving yards and passed Tavarres King for the No. 3 spot in program history with his 22nd touchdown catch. Bowers is one of only 10 Bulldogs ever with at least 2,000 receiving yards, and the tight end posted his eighth game with at least 100 yards and seventh with two touchdowns.
Backup quarterback Brock Vandagriff led a fourth-quarter touchdown drive capped by Sevaughn Clark's 7-yard run. UAB's Ricky Lee intercepted a pass by Georgia's third quarterback, Gunner Stockton, late in the game.
Xavier Truss moved from left guard to start at right tackle after the Bulldogs lost starter Amarius Mims to a left ankle injury last week, and Dylan Fairchild filled in at guard. As expected, Georgia was without running backs Kendall Milton (knee) and Roderick Robinson (high ankle sprain), while receiver Ladd McConkey (back) missed his fourth consecutive game.
Safety Javon Bullard (ankle) and defensive end Mykel Williams (illness) also were held out.
With their four-game homestand to open the schedule over, the Bulldogs, 1-0 in SEC play, begin a string of seven straight league games when they visit Auburn next weekend. The Tigers (3-1) lost 27-10 to Texas A&M in their SEC opener Saturday.