ATHENS, Ga. _ And just like that, the Jake Fromm era is underway.
Jacob Eason, the sophomore and Georgia's incumbent starter at quarterback, injured his left knee after being shoved out of bounds by an Appalachian State defender early in the game. That brought in Fromm, a true freshman, with 6:30 remaining in the first quarter.
Fromm played until UGA's final snap with 25 seconds to go, and he played well. Fromm, a 6-foot-2, 225-pound quarterback, was 10 of 15 for 143 yards to lead the Bulldogs to a 31-10 win over Appalachian State in the season-opener at Sanford Stadium.
Fromm's immediate impact quickly turned a negative into a positive. After relieving Eason, he led Georgia to a pair of first downs after it hadn't gained one previously. He paced the Bulldogs on a 61-yard scoring drive his second series and hooked up with Javon Wims on 34-yard touchdown pass on his third.
Meanwhile, Georgia coach Kirby Smart indicated at halftime that Eason's injury is not extremely serious. He told UGA sideline reporter Chuck Dowdle that the knee is sprained and that Eason "could be back as early as possible. We don't know when." Eason did not return.
Knee sprains can require a recovery of anywhere from two weeks to 12 months, depending on the severity. At the least, it would appear Eason will be out for next Saturday's game at Notre Dame. His father, Tony Eason, played receiver for the Fighting Irish from 1986-90.
Fromm's poised response when unexpectedly called into duty continued the narrative for what has been a storybook athletic career. As an adolescent, he emerged as a home run-hitting star during Houston County's run to the Little League World Series. Then he threw for 12,817 yards _ 260 shy of Deshaun Waston's all-time mark in 10 fewer games _ and 116 touchdowns as the quarterback at Houston County High. He was the subject of a television documentary when he was being recruited as a 4-star prospect.
The win gives the Bulldogs a 2-0 record against the Mountaineers, who also lost 45-6 at Sanford Stadium in 2013. Georgia improves to 94-27-3 in season openers.
Lost in all the quarterback talk was a stellar performance by Georgia's defense. App State had only seven first downs and just over 200 yards offense through three quarters.
Running back Elijah Holyfield and receiver Riley Ridley dressed but did not play due to one-game disciplinary suspensions.
