ATHENS, Ga. -- Having started nine games last year at Virginia, transfer quarterback Greyson Lambert admitted getting the call for the first time as member of the Georgia Bulldogs in Saturday's opener against Louisiana-Monroe, felt a little bit different.

In a good way.

"As far as nerves, it was actually probably about a 180," said Lambert, who marked his Bulldog debut by completing 8-of-12 passes for 144 yards and two touchdowns to help spark Georgia's 51-14 rout of the War Hawks.

"I just said I'm ready to go out and have a good time. It was a lot of fun to be out there with the guys."

Georgia (1-0) had plenty of stars in the game, which was twice delayed by lightning in the Athens area, the final time resulting in the play being halted for good late in the fourth quarter.

Sophomore Heisman Trophy candidate Nick Chubb picked up where he left of, rushing 16 times for 120 yards and two touchdowns.

Malcolm Mitchell and Jeb Blazevich caught the touchdown passes from Lambert.

Running back Keith Marshall also enjoyed a big day.

After playing in only three games last year after tearing an ACL in 2013 against Tennessee, Marshall rushed 10 times for 73 yards and two touchdowns.

"We believe in running the ball and we think we do a great job of it," said Bulldog head coach Mark Richt, whose team rushed 38 times for 243 yards.

"Today was about execution. We're blessed that all our tailbacks stayed healthy in camp. We hope they continue to stay healthy and continue to share the load."

For Louisiana-Monroe (0-1), redshirt freshman quarterback Garrett Smith enjoyed a strong debut, completing 23-of-29 passes for 206 yards and two touchdowns, both going to wide receiver Rashon Ceaser, who had 13 catches for 153 yards.

"Georgia is a very good team," coach Todd Berry of Louisiana-Monroe said. "We can say that because we have experience playing against the Top 10 every year and they’re a very good football team.

"I said going in it was going to be a very tough for us to stop the run, and obviously we struggled with that significantly."

Ultimately, Mother Nature did her part to put a damper on the afternoon.

Lightning delayed the game with 8:35 left in the third quarter with Georgia leading 35-14, and afterward the Bulldogs quickly doused any hopes the Warhawks had of making an improbably comeback.

A blocked punt by Bulldog freshman D'Andre Walker resulted in a quick safety and allowed Lambert to ice the game with 28-yard touchdown pass to Mitchell, extending Georgia's advantage to 44-14.

The lead grew to 51-14 before the game was suspended a second time and ultimately called with 9:54 to play.

"I think this is the first time I've been involved in one that got terminated at this point," Richt said. "We had one delay, then another, and it could have gone all day and all night, so it was in the best interest of everyone to terminate it when we did."

The Bulldogs wasted little time getting the game off on the right foot.

After a blocked punt but Lorenzo Carter on Louisiana-Monroe's first possession set Georgia up at the Warhawk 22, it took the Bulldogs two plays to find the end zone, with Chubb scoring untouched from 14 yards.

Thanks to cornerback Aaron Davis, Georgia's offense wasn't off the field for long after he intercepted Smith's pass to set up the Bulldogs on the 15.

On the next play, Lambert hit Blazevich for the score and the rout was on.

The Bulldogs would go on to add three more scores in the first half, getting a second touchdown run from Chubb, a three-yard score by Keith Marshall and a 23-yard screen pass from Brice Ramsey to Sony Michel.

Louisiana-Monroe finally got on the board with 20 seconds left in the second quarter to make the halftime score 35-7.

"I just think our offense needs to start faster instead of on our fourth and fifth drive of the game," Smith said. "It was good to see that once we got moving from an offensive standpoint that we were really running up and down the field on them.

"I just think we need to start fast."

NOTES: RB Keith Marshall's three-yard run in the second quarter was his first touchdown since 2013 against South Carolina after he tore an ACL later that same year against Tennessee. ... Saturday's game was the first of two against SEC foes by Louisiana-Monroe. The Warhawks, who played at LSU, Kentucky and Texas A&M last year, travel to Alabama on Sept. 26. ... Lorenzo Carter's blocked punt was the first of his career and first for Georgia since Shawn Williams, now with the Cincinnati Bengals, did it against Nebraska in the 2001 Capital One Bowl.