Georgia coach Kirby Smart saw his Bulldogs smother Appalachian State on Saturday night in a 31-10 victory and spoke about the win after the game.

The opening week victory in Smart’s second season began with a scare, as quarterback Jacob Eason suffered a knee injury in the first quarter after he was pushed out of bounds on a play that led to a penalty. Jake Fromm played until the game was settled and guided the Georgia offense with help from Nick Chubb and Sony Michel. Chubb ran 15 times for 96 yards and two scores, while Michel added 87 yards on 16 rushes and one touchdown

Georgia led 21-0 at the half. Fromm completed 8 of his first 11 attempts for 109 yards and a TD in leading Georgia to three straight first-half touchdown drives.

The Bulldogs visit Notre Dame next Saturday night, marking their first game against the Fighting Irish since the Sugar Bowl on Jan. 1, 1981.

Among Smart’s post-game remarks:

On the lopsided win: “That was a long time coming for our kids. They’ve worked really hard. We have a lot of respect for Appalachian State. Our team played really hard in the second half. Our kids were persistent. We talked about chopping wood and keeping it going.”

On Fromm replacing Eason: “We didn’t have to make a lot of adjusting. Jacob and Jake have similar qualities. Jake’s a good player and we’re excited about what he can do. Jake managed the game well. We’ll keep working to get him better.”

On Eason’s return: “We’re not sure how long Jacob is going to be out. We don’t know the extent or how long. We should know more (Sunday).”

On the defense: “Coach (Mel) Tucker did a tremendous job and the kids played hard for him. He’s so passionate. We just kept executing.”

On special teams: “The punting flipped the field. Cameron (Nizialek) did a great job. The coverage did a great job. Rodrigo (Blankenship) kicked it in the end zone and was a weapon.”

On Notre Dame preparation: “We’ve got a huge game next week. That’s a great opponent on both sides of the ball and in the kicking game. … We’ll make it simple for the players. We’ll go out and get ready to go play. Notre Dame is a good football team, a great program. We’re excited for the opportunity. We’ll get prepared because it will be a physical, tough game.”

On the young players: “We’re still not where we need to be. We don’t have enough depth at some positions. When players get an opportunity to play, what are they going to do? We need more people playing winning football when we put them in the game.”