Nervous?

After a week of over-the-top “is this year’s Georgia team better than (x)” overreactions to the first three games, the #1-ranked Bulldogs struggled to put away a decisive underdog. Kent State was a two-point conversion away from a one-possession game in the fourth quarter. Georgia had to convert a fourth down at the goal line just to make the final margin somewhat comfortable. The Bulldogs turned the ball over three times, missed tackles, dropped passes, and had a couple of special teams miscues. Georgia, gasp, now might not be a runaway lock to reach Atlanta, much less the NFL playoffs.

How best to (over)react this week? Do we throw away what our eyes showed us in the first three games? We could go the other way – it’s tempting to dismiss a sloppy performance as just the consequence of a noon game against an opponent few outside the program took seriously. That’s the challenge in talking about this game – what can we chalk up to just one of those days, and what might Kent State have exposed that should concern us in the future? Take for example:

• What about the turnovers? Turnovers are more or less luck. Georgia got through three games without turning it over, and it caught up to them. That’s not really something to take from the game though of course each turnover play will be analyzed for things to improve and correct.
• Georgia’s difficulty defending perimeter passes was uncharacteristic. This skill had been a strong point in the first three games, and Georgia had reliably held offenses to under five yards per pass attempt by snuffing out quick passes to the outside. Kent State tested Georgia’s young defensive backs, especially Lassiter and Starks, and the visitors were able to have some success. It was jarring to see Lassiter and Smith unable to force the receiver back inside on Kent St.’s first touchdown – those are plays that had become nearly routine for this defense. “Eye discipline” was the phrase everywhere after the game. It’s the kind of thing you would expect to be worked on as part of the development of a young defense, but we should expect to see future opponents try to test those players again.
• Is Georgia’s lack of a deep threat on film now? The Bulldogs tried to hit Ladd McConkey on a deep shot on the game’s first play, and another deep pass attempt over the middle was picked off. Georgia’s longest pass play – including yards after catch – went for 23 yards. Georgia has had success this season with shorter passes to an arsenal of receivers that turn into big gains. But if deep passes aren’t a threat the defense can become more compact and take away the space that allowed those short receptions to develop. Stetson Bennett had been averaging well over 10 yards per attempt through the first three games, but he was a much more ordinary 7.5 yards per attempt in this game. Georgia was still able to drive consistently and never punted.

Rather than dwelling on this game, it’s probably more useful to look at it as a profile of a game that might get Georgia in trouble later this season. It’s no revelation that a rash of turnovers can keep an underdog in a game. A defense that takes poor angles and doesn’t work well as a unit will give up points. An offense that doesn’t get many explosive plays and settles for eight field goal attempts in two home games will struggle to put opponents away. The problems Georgia showed Saturday aren’t characteristic flaws, and many of them can be drilled on the practice field. If, though, Georgia does unexpectedly drop a game this season, I expect we’ll be talking about some of these same areas.

One of Kirby Smart’s core principles is composure, and Georgia passed an unexpected test of its composure. The interception didn’t rattle Bennett and lead to more miscues. The Bulldogs were only penalized twice. Podlesney was rock solid. McConkey had about as poor of a first half as you could have, and he bounced back to contribute in the second half. A defense that was back on its heels for the first time this season stood tall facing first and goal from the 3. The offense calmly drove to answer Kent State’s fourth quarter touchdown. Georgia was never able to put the game away until that last score, and they needed a fourth down conversion to get it, but neither did they panic or get away from what they did well. I’ll grant that this wasn’t the fourth quarter of the national title game. Smart probably wasn’t expecting his team’s composure to come into play, but it was there to prevent this game from becoming something much worse than uncomfortable.

• Georgia’s a deep team thanks to recruiting, but players still matter. Jalen Carter was missed on the interior defensive line. We laud receivers for blocking, but sometimes they need to make more plays as receivers. The anticipated return of AD Mitchell and Arian Smith could help extend the vertical passing game.
• I’ve mentioned before that being cleared to play doesn’t mean that a player is over an injury. Ratledge is still struggling to get up to speed. (To be fair, the other guards aren’t doing much better.) Kenny McIntosh was still able to contribute with a thigh contusion but lacked a bit of explosiveness. Players often just fight through these injuries, and fans wonder why they see less playing time or diminished production.
• It wasn’t Kirby Smart’s finest hour either. Georgia was forced to burn their final timeout after sending 12 men onto the field before a Kent State field goal attempt. That nearly led to a clock management disaster at the end of the first half. Fortunately Bennett was able to just break the goalline, but the clock would have expired had he come up short.
• Kent State did like to move around on special teams with mixed results. Georgia ended up using two timeouts as Kent State flirted with going for it before settling on a moderate fielf goal. Their presnap motion on the punt team opened up the path for Georgia’s blocked punt, but it also created some confusion that led to a successful fake punt. Kent State’s placekicker was as surefooted as Georgia’s.
• Darnell Washington’s 16-yard catch in the third quarter was one of the most impressive you’ll ever see. The ball was behind him, and he had to twist around and extend every bit of his 6’7″ frame to dive for the ball. He’s always been a dominant blocker but has come a long way as a receiver.
• Jamon Dumas-Johnson was ready for the noon kickoff and got the lion’s share of his two sacks and three TFL early. His early presence inside might’ve even led Kent St. to attack the outside a little more where they began to find some success.
• Mondon and especially Dumas-Johnson have improved since the opener, but you definitely don’t like seeing your first team defense gashed for the runs Kent State ripped off late in the game. We were spoiled last year with a dominant defensive line, but linebackers have important gap responsibilities against the run that can be exposed if someone is out of position.
• The absence of Carter opened up opportunities for players like Bear Alexander (even as a fullback in the goalline package!) He’s earned some more time in the defensive line rotation.
• McConkey, for all of his first half struggles, still led Georgia in receptions and receiving yards. The Dawgs need him, especially with Mitchell out, and you saw that in the team’s response to his miscues.
• Two touchdown runs and five receptions seems like a routine game for Brock Bowers, but his special talent and consistent play is a big reason why this game never seemed to be in danger.

The 2023 football schedule is out, and it’s…something else. We knew that the Oklahoma trip was canceled, but that had nothing to do with the home schedule. Fans will get seven home games that fall off quickly in quality after Ole Miss and Kentucky. There are four straight warm September home games to start the season, and Georgia will end the year with back-to-back road games to Tennessee and Georgia Tech.

There is light at the end of the tunnel as SEC realignment is coming, and it could even lead to this schedule being scrapped if Oklahoma and Texas work out an earlier exit from the Big 12. We’re fairly sure that divisions are on the way out, but we don’t know yet whether the SEC schedule will have eight or nine games or what the future holds for permanent opponents and rivalries. Georgia also has some more interesting nonconference home-and-homes lined up for the future, but the fate of the Oklahoma series reminds us that it could all change at any time.

Mark your calendars! The 2023 schedule has been announced.🗓

#GoDawgs ⬇️⬇️⬇️ pic.twitter.com/XD2WAGJhtO

— Georgia Football (@GeorgiaFootball) September 20, 2022

I reference the 2019 South Carolina game a lot since it’s one of the few upsets in the Kirby Smart era beyond the transition year of 2016.

ESPN’s Bill Connolly posted his advanced box score from Saturday’s game, and why not compare it to the one from 2019? The format has changed over the years, but some of the same data is in each.

Turnovers are the first obvious difference. Georgia was -4 in 2019 and +3 in 2022. One of those 2019 turnovers was a pick-six that gave South Carolina the lead. On Saturday a Georgia interception ended an early South Carolina scoring opportunity. In 2019 a similar South Carolina possession ended with a 49-yard field goal. That turnover margin was a big reason why South Carolina came out with the upset despite an 8% win expectancy.

The Georgia defense was similarly effective in 2019 and 2022. The 2019 defense finished the year rated #1 by SP+ and was otherwise outstanding until LSU showed up in Atlanta. South Carolina’s yards per play, total yardage, and success rate were right about the same in the two games. About the only difference was that South Carolina’s lone explosive pass play in each game was a touchdown in 2019 and only moved the chains in 2022.

The real reason for posting these was to see the evolution of Georgia’s offense. The Bulldogs went from a success rate of 46% in 2019 to 71% in 2022. To be clear – that 46% in 2019 wasn’t bad…it was slightly above the national average. It’s just that much better in 2022. Georgia also went from under 5 yards per play in the 2019 game to 8.4 on Saturday. Georgia wasn’t especially explosive in Saturday’s win (Bowers’ touchdown aside), but they were just brutally efficient at driving the ball with chunk passing plays. We talked in 2019 about the frustration with Georgia’s phone booth offense. In the win over Notre Dame Jake Fromm was 11-12 for just 59 yards passing at halftime – an omen for Georgia’s offensive identity the rest of the season. In the loss to South Carolina Fromm threw for nearly 300 yards on just 5.26 yards per attempt. Georgia eclipsed that yardage total in 2022 on about 20 fewer attempts at a clip of 11.3 yards per attempt – over 5 yards per attempt better than in 2019.

Anyway – enjoy the progress of the past three seasons. (Click to enlarge.)

2019:

2022:

You could pin the 2019 upset loss to South Carolina on any number of causes. Four turnovers hurt. An offense that lacked much of an explosive element came to define the 2019 season and led to the changes that brought Todd Monken to Athens. Kirby Smart took responsibility for failing to “get (their) ass ready to play.” The team went through the motions for a sleepy noon kickoff against a heavy underdog and paid the price.

Georgia has been pretty good in early kickoffs since then. They put Vanderbilt away in Nashville last season before local clocks struck noon. The Gameday lead-in to a frenzied and packed Sanford Stadium set the stage for Georgia to jump all over Arkansas. You might think some of the preparations Smart made for last week’s game at South Carolina was overkill. There was pumped-in crowd noise at practice. The obsession with Columbia’s September heat shaped the team’s social media messaging. Georgia even brought their own air conditioning (and the generator to power it) for their locker room.

The point of it all was that Smart would not allow any factor to prevent his team from being ready and engaged. South Carolina was roughly as much of an underdog in this game as they were in 2019, they had their usual home crowd, and a strong comeback last week on the road at Arkansas might have fostered optimism that they were figuring some things out. From interviews with the broadcast team and postgame comments, it’s clear that Smart’s “hunter vs. hunted” message was emphasized this week to neutralize those glimmers of hope as soon as possible. The Bulldogs executed that plan about as well as they did against Oregon. Georgia jumped out to a 21-0 lead before having to punt. With no chance of a noon letdown, Georgia’s decisive talent advantage took care of the rest.

That talent advantage starts with Brock Bowers. Bowers had been involved in the first two games but hadn’t scored yet or had the kind of jaw-dropping performance that made him Georgia’s leading receiver in 2021. This was the game we had been waiting for. Bowers doubled his season reception total, had over 120 yards receiving, caught two touchdown passes, and added another score on a reverse. His full arsenal of talent was on display. You saw the elusiveness to evade four would-be tacklers on the reverse. You saw the sure-handed leaping ability to secure his first touchdown catch and the awareness to get a foot in bounds. You saw the speed and vision to take a pop pass down the seam, juke two defensive backs, and outrun everyone for a long touchdown. Georgia had the best player on the field and a system that found ways to get him the ball with devastating results. It almost seemed unfair to deploy Bowers against an inexperienced safety who had just come into the game.

Stetson Bennett had another efficient day delivering the ball to Bowers and the other receiving options. Kenny McIntosh was a little less involved than in previous weeks, but Bennett spread the ball around to other playmakers. That was a theme for the offense: with the exception of Bowers’ stat line, only McConkey had more than two receptions. Six Georgia players rushed for at least 20 yards, but Bennett was the team’s leading rusher with 36 yards. There’s no one element of this offense or any one or two players that defenses can key on, and that had to be a nightmare for a defense missing a handful of starters.

Georgia’s defense was also without an important starter, Jalen Carter, but Georgia still had plenty of playmakers step up on that side of the ball. At first glance it looks as if the defense hasn’t missed a beat from 2021. But while the focus last season was on the front seven (and rightfully so!), this year the passing defense is enjoying some time in the spotlight. Georgia’s two P5 opponents have featured a pair of well-known quarterbacks capable of making tough throws and evading pressure. No one is going to confuse Bo Nix and Spencer Rattler with Joe Burrow, but they have still been experienced and successful quarterbacks for major P5 programs. Georgia held each to under five yards per pass attempt. For perspective, there are only seven out of 121 FBS quarterbacks currently averaging under 5 yards per pass attempt (perhaps we should call this the Jeff Sims metric after the Georgia Tech QB who is averaging right at 5.0 YPA.)

Of course good pass defense requires contributions from all three levels. Only one sack on the season might be concerning, but that doesn’t necessarily imply a lack of pressure. We’ve seen that Georgia’s opponents have preferred quick passes to put pressure on Georgia’s young linebackers and defensive backs to make tackles. This game shows more than any other how Georgia can still be active up front while preventing big plays downfield. Georgia again didn’t record a sack, but they notched nine QB hurries and had six tackles for loss. Rattler was rarely allowed to get comfortable, and he ended up having to make rushed decisions and get rid of the ball quickly. He had a single completion for 46 yards and managed just 72 yards on 24 other attempts.

• It’s tough to highlight a single series in a blowout of this magnitude, but a pair of possessions in the second quarter just about ended any chance South Carolina had. Georgia was pinned deep and went three-and-out after a failed and ill-advised screen attempt. An average punt gave the Gamecocks great field position near midfield. It was 21-0 at that point, but a Gamecock score just before halftime could have put the game back within reach at halftime. South Carolina called three straight running plays. The first two went for short gains, and the third was stuffed for a loss. Georgia got the ball back, drove to add three more points, and went to the locker room with all of the momentum.
• Georgia might’ve lost focus in the third quarter of the Samford game, but they were locked in after halftime this week. Georgia’s first three drives of the second half led to touchdowns, and only a dropped pass in the endzone prevented a fourth. South Carolina managed just 17 yards of offense in response to those three touchdown drives before the reserves took over.
• I’m glad Carson Beck is doing more than handing off when he’s in the game. Not only do we get to see his command of the offense, but we also get to enjoy watching players like Oscar Delp cut their teeth.
• Perimeter blocking has been a strength of this team since the opener when Bowers and Mitchell cleared the way for McConkey. Much of what Georgia is trying to do with tight ends and tailbacks in the passing game wouldn’t be possible without complete buy-in and execution from blockers. Even Stetson Bennett got into the act.
• South Carolina’s defense was in good position several times but couldn’t come up with a big play. They sniffed out a screen that led to a Georgia three-and-out (and almost a bad turnover). An edge defender was in position on Bennett’s touchdown run but bit hard when Bennett planted his leg and went back inside. Bowers was well-covered on Georgia’s third touchdown, but a precise throw and spectacular catch using Bowers’ size advantage made the play a win for Georgia.
• David Daniel-Sisavanh has the distinction of giving up late meaningless touchdowns to Michigan and now South Carolina. He’ll have to continue to improve in those coverage situations, but he’s one of the more physical defenders Georgia has at the star position and will continue to have a role.
• Only two Bulldog defenders had more than 2 interceptions in 2021. What odds would you give Malaki Starks to best Derion Kendrick’s 2021 team-high total of 4?
• The game continues to slow down for Georgia’s inexperienced middle linebackers. Dumas-Johnson, Marshall, and Monden were Georgia’s leading tacklers and accounted for five of the team’s nine QB hurries. Marshall’s late interception was a heady play to drift from the line into the passing lane.
• Thorson’s second punt was the definition of outkicking your coverage. He boomed it 56 yards, but Josh Vann was able to bring it back 21 yards to set up South Carolina’s score.
• How lopsided was the result when the backup kicker gets to show off his leg?

Georgia’s first home game as national champions could have been a bit more festive both on and off the field. But on a drizzly day with an FCS opponent in town the dominant theme was just getting it over with. Fans were late to fill in and early to leave. Tailgating was subdued. Even the teams agreed to shorten the game, and so we experienced the rare college football game to finish in under three hours. About the only party not interested in getting on with it was the SEC Network which was duty bound to empty its advertising inventory.

That dreary and disinterested setting carried over to the Georgia offense. It wasn’t a washout: Georgia scored on all six first half possessions. Some things were just a little bit out of sync. Three of the six first half drives ended with short field goal attempts. Georgia’s reserves couldn’t cross the goal line in the second half. The running game had difficulty getting to the second level. Stetson Bennett’s accuracy wasn’t as sharp as a week ago (if Darnell Washington has to extend to make a catch, the pass might be a touch too high.)

We were all blown away by Georgia’s offense in the season opener. The offense looked like an efficient machine reaching the end zone on every possession led by Stetson Bennett. It was impressive enough to vault Georgia past Ohio State in the polls and significantly shift the odds in the nascent Bennett Heisman campaign. That success was fueled by a bit of a statistical anomaly: Georgia was 9-for-10 on third downs against Oregon. I’m sure Todd Monken put the offense in some very good plays that were executed well, but we know that a 90% conversion rate isn’t sustainable. Against Samford the Bulldogs came back to earth going just 5-for-13 on third down. Outside of the three touchdown drives Georgia was just 3-for-11.

It’s fine to examine those third down plays to see what went wrong, but often third down is determined by what happened on the first two downs. Georgia’s offense under Bennett’s guidance is better when third downs aren’t a big part of the picture. In last season’s Orange Bowl Georgia faced nothing longer than 3rd-and-1 on their first two scoring drives. On the final two drives that took control of the national title game Georgia again faced nothing longer than 3rd-and-1. On the season Bennett was 65% on first down, 74% on second down, and just 53% on third down. His yards per attempt fell by over four yards from first and second down. Even his rushing yards per attempt fell on third down. Georgia’s offense was at its best when it was humming down the field on first and second down.

I expect most quarterbacks find it tougher on third down – you’re usually in passing situations with less of the playbook available and the defense knowing that a pass is coming. Still, third downs were a big reason why the quarterback controversy was slow to go away in 2021. The Oregon game was a hopeful sign of progress. Bennett was in control, accurate, and making good decisions. “That’s what I’m most proud of, it’s the third downs,” he said after the Oregon win. The Samford game was a return to more familiar patterns. Georgia faced just two third downs on its three touchdown drives and only one of any distance (Bennett found Kearis Jackson for a 17-yard gain on a 3rd-and-6.) Georgia wasn’t as effective on early down on its other drives, and the Bulldogs didn’t convert a third down after halftime.

That’s not to bag on Bennett; it wasn’t just an issue for the passing game. Georgia ran five times on third down and only converted once. Against Oregon we were dazzled as Georgia scored on sweeps and bootlegs to the outside, but maybe Georgia wasn’t confident in more conventional running plays between the tackles. The running game wasn’t exceptional with just 127 yards on the ground and 4 yards per carry against an overmatched defensive front. Georgia’s line, particularly at guard, hasn’t been great at getting a push, and only one Bulldog ballcarrier had a gain longer than 8 yards. Getting to the second level and opening the holes that lead to explosive running plays requires a coordination that isn’t quite there yet. It’s great that Georgia has enough skill talent and playcalling creativity to move the ball in other ways – we saw plenty of plays in the first two games on which passes were little more than extended handoffs. In areas like the red zone where the field becomes more compact it’s nice to have a little Manball in the arsenal.

If the offense was a little less focused from the first game, the defense showed progress. Let’s get the “but FCS opponent” disclaimer out of the way. It only takes a single broken play to lose a shutout, and the Georgia defense had very few busts. Samford’s best play was a fantastic catch against tight coverage, and the defense held fast to keep Samford from cashing in. The shutout was well-earned. Samford rarely crossed midfield, managed only three first downs, and had a single third down conversion in 13 attempts. This was an up-tempo spread offense that scored over 50 points at Florida a year ago, and Chris Hatcher knows what he’s doing on offense. Georgia once again handled quick passes to the perimeter, fought off blockers, and missed very few tackles. The Bulldog defense has held consecutive opponents who like to throw the ball under 5 yards per pass attempt, but it might soon get a different kind of test from SEC opponents who are more adept at running the ball.

• Bennett of course had several excellent throws. One of the best came on a third down after an awkward sidearm attempt on second down fell incomplete. Bennett threw a dart right on the money across the field to Kearis Jackson along the sideline.
• Bennett has scored a rushing touchdown in each of the first two games, but he has negative rushing yards on the season (thanks to a bad sack taken against Samford.) You can excuse the coaches for not calling many designed runs so far that expose Bennett to contact, but the plays that have been missing are the runs that turn broken pass plays into positive gains. Instead Bennett has preferred to scramble in the backfield and look for a way to salvage the passing play. He was lucky to escape for a touchdown pass against Oregon, but against Samford the results were a sack and whatever that was before halftime. The line is thin between keeping a play alive and throwing it away to play another down, but Bennett has shown that he can do damage when he tucks and runs.
• One of the bright spots in the running game was Kendall Milton. While McIntosh has flourished in multiple roles early this season, a healthy Milton might be the team’s best pure tailback. Milton had a career-high 85 yards on ten carries and had the team’s only running plays that broke longer than ten yards.
• Young players getting their first significant action is one of the more enjoyable things about games like this, and Georgia began emptying the bench early. Since even prospective redshirts are able to play in four games, we were able to get a look at just about everyone cleared to play. Freshman receiver Dillon Bell caught a touchdown pass and had some nice moves in the open field. Mykel Williams notched the team’s first sack of the season. De’Nylon Morrissette had a pair of receptions. Daylen Everette was an early sub into the defensive backfield and gained valuable experience. On the opposite side of the inexperience coin Dominick Blaylock had a reception after years of working back from knee injuries.
• The secondary led the team in tackling in the opener, but the front seven was more active against Samford. Smael Mondon led the team in tackles and had 1.5 tackles for loss. Defensive linemen like Walthour and Stackhouse were disruptive. Carter might not have stats that jump off the page, but his impact is obvious on just about every snap from the attention he draws.
• There seems to be no shortage of playmakers in the secondary. Dan Jackson forced a fumble. David Daniel-Sisavanh continues to be a physical force in the middle and tipped a pass that could have been picked off. Javon Bullard had a perfectly-timed breakup of a fourth down pass. Last week’s defensive hero and leading tackler Malaki Starks had a quiet game statistically as did Ringo, but it’s not that they had poor games – there are just different guys stepping up.
• Carson Beck again looked stable guiding the offense to Georgia’s final score of the game. He nearly had a nice touchdown pass to Bell, but his third down throw might have been better going underneath than forced into the endzone.
• It’s interesting to see Ladd McConkey get the lion’s share of punt return opportunities whether or not the team was in punt safe. Kearis Jackson might not be 100%, but he did get to field a punt later in the game.
• Can’t ignore Podlesny’s day. He just came up short on his long attempt but otherwise made sure each scoring opportunity resulted in points. A few bad misses, especially early, could have easily soured the impatient crowd.
• It was unfortunate that the day’s light rain kept the Redcoat Band off the field. You’d hope that an off-and-on drizzle wouldn’t be too much for the drainage system of a professionally-maintained turf surface. Georgia is extremely supportive of the Redcoats, but keeping them in the stands just added to the scrimmage vibe of the entire day.
• Most of the crowd was slow to filter in, but credit to the students for showing up early and in full voice.
• It’s a shame many were scared away by the forecast. You won’t get many early September games with temps in the 70s, no glaring sun, and a cool east breeze. After a little early sprinkle it actually turned out to be a pretty decent day for football.

Georgia’s offense was nearly flawless in a 49-3 win over Oregon. So, naturally, let’s start with the defense.

I’ll give the offense its due, but in a way their performance was expected. Well – maybe that wasn’t expected. You could argue though that a chief preseason plot was the anticipated strength of the Georgia offense led by its returning senior quarterback, a loaded tight end room, plenty of experienced skill talent, and a solid offensive line. If anything about the offense was surprising it was that much of what we heard during the offseason wasn’t just the usual preseason sunshine pumping.

The defense on the other hand lost nine players to the NFL, and no position group was spared. Yes, Georgia had recruited well. Yes, Jalen Carter, Nolan Smith, Christopher Smith, and Kelee Ringo were outstanding players around which to rebuild. “Rebuild” was the key word. How far would the defense fall? How much would they miss Dean, Davis, and all of the other mainstays from the 2021 unit? How long would it take their talented but inexperienced replacements to get up to speed?

The defense was far from perfect, but three points is three points. It might have felt a little disorienting to see the defense bend a little more than we’re used to. Oregon had only one three-and-out, and they had five drives of over 30 yards with only a field goal to show for it. Field position helped: Oregon’s best starting field position was their own 25 after seven Podlesny touchbacks. Georgia’s defense might not have been as dominant and active in the backfield as they were a year ago, but they were very effective at limiting explosive plays and betting that Oregon wouldn’t be able to nibble their way 75 yards down the field. Though Oregon drove the ball and converted nearly 50% of third downs, Georgia held them to just 4.6 yards per play. That wasn’t quite the 4.1 YPP standard set by last season’s defense, but it would have still been 7th best in the nation last year.

After the front seven’s turn in the spotlight in 2021, Georgia’s secondary shone in this win. Oregon had just one completion over 20 yards, and that came right before halftime as Georgia went into prevent coverage. Georgia’s five leading tacklers were defensive backs. That had a bit to do with Oregon’s approach – they attacked the perimeter with short passes and runs and put the Georgia secondary in a position to have to make plays. The secondary was up to the job. Oregon managed just 4.7 yards per pass attempt, had only a couple of runs longer than ten yards, and weren’t able to take advantage of Bo Nix’s mobility to create big plays.

Bo Nix jokes aside, the defense bottled up a four-year starter, limited his dangerous scrambling ability, and forced him into key mistakes. Oregon outgained Georgia on the ground, but 67 of their 140 rushing yards came on the final drive against Georgia’s reserve defenders. The Ducks never really tried to establish the run, and they quickly found themselves in comeback mode. Nix ended up as Oregon’s leading rusher with only 37 yards. Just about every preview of Oregon’s new offense under Kenny Dillingham included the words “fast” and “explosive”. The Ducks did try some tempo, but Georgia took away the explosive elements. If the plays to the perimeter were meant to bring the defensive backs up to open up shots downfield, it didn’t work. Georgia defended the few long pass plays and tackled well enough to keep the shorter plays from becoming large gains.

If there was one area of the defense to build on, it was the pass rush. Creating pressure with just a four-man rush was a strength of the 2021 defense and a concern heading into 2022 with so many key defensive linemen now in the NFL. The Bulldogs did flush Nix a few times, but Georgia recorded zero sacks and zero QB hurries. The only tackles for loss came from defensive backs. It’s true that Oregon’s experienced offensive line is a strength, and it’s also true that the defensive line won’t make many plays with a mobile quarterback and so much of the action directed outside. Oregon still had enough obvious passing situations that you might have expected someone to get through to Nix a time or two as Georgia did when Nix played for Auburn. We know what Jalen Carter can do, and true freshman Mykel Williams earned a start. It didn’t really matter in this game, and there’s plenty of time to work on it before you see an opponent against whom a better pass rush could make a difference.

Perimeter plays were also a feature of Georgia’s offensive game plan, but the Bulldogs were far more successful with their perimeter attack. Seth Emerson’s in-game observation that it felt a lot like the Michigan game was spot-on. It wasn’t just Georgia taking early control of the game; it was also in how the Bulldogs approached the game. Once again Georgia came out attacking the perimeter with quick passes using a mix of tight ends, tailbacks, and receivers. Against Michigan the objective was to neutralize some outstanding edge rushers. Oregon’s defensive strength was its middle linebackers. Georgia spread the ball around to ten different players and made those linebackers cover and chase. Even Georgia’s red zone offense continued to attack the outside. The first touchdown was a ballet of misdirection leading to McConkey’s score. Bennett scored on a keeper around the end. McIntosh scored on a sweep for the third touchdown.

Of course success on the outside can’t happen without blocking, and Georgia got outstanding blocking at all levels. McConkey doesn’t score without Bowers and Mitchell handling their assignments. Bowers and Washington combined to give McIntosh a clear path around the edge. This is a payoff of Georgia’s experience at the offensive skill positions: there’s no need to convince anyone about the value of blocking for one another. Bowers might block for McConkey on one play, and a few plays later it will be the other way around. With a few exceptions Stetson Bennett didn’t throw many deep balls. Georgia rang up 439 receiving yards and nearly 12 yards per pass attempt with a bevy of passes to open space, excellent downfield blocking, and skill players able to get through tackles and make defenders miss. The blocking started up front: Oregon didn’t record a sack and had just one tackle behind the line of scrimmage. Oregon’s leading edge rusher Brandon Dorlus was neutralized and not a factor. In a game in which Georgia leaned on the pass, Bennett had plenty of time on all but a couple of snaps. Though Georgia got most of its yardage through the air, this was still very much a physically dominant showing from the offense.

Given that protection, Bennett looked like the composed quarterback who led Georgia from behind to two fourth quarter touchdowns against Alabama. He was in complete command of the offense, spread the ball around, and checked down rather than force passes. He even threw a couple away. It’s a sign of his maturation that he only ran twice – and one of those was the designed keeper at the goal line. Instead he continued to look downfield for better options – even when escaping a sack in the red zone – and let the receivers get the yards. His passes were crisp and accurate allowing the receivers to maximize yards after the catch. The back-shoulder dart to Mitchell was textbook – as was the reception. Georgia might or might not be as pass-heavy in the coming weeks, but we know now that Georgia’s breadth of offensive weapons is as advertised, that Bennett is more than capable of getting the ball to those weapons, and that Todd Monken can be ruthless in deploying those weapons to put points on the board.

• Georgia isn’t likely to have another game with this kind of national spotlight on it until the Cocktail Party. It was important for the defending national champions to make a statement in this game because whatever perception came from this game would have to last for a while. The dominant performance helped to reset a few preseason narratives not just for the team or defense but even for individuals like Bennett.
• I wondered before the season who might step into the role James Cook had developed for himself as a versatile weapon out of the backfield. Kenny McIntosh staked his claim by leading the team both in receptions and receiving yards. His best run came on a sweep after lining up on the outside of the formation. We’ll likely see more traditional runs from McIntosh in the coming weeks, but he’s shown that he can be effective in just about any role.
• I considered Warren McClendon Georgia’s most underrated player for good reason, but Ladd McConkey made his case on Saturday. AD Mitchell continued to be a threat on the outside. The tight ends are phenoms. But Georgia’s second-leading receiver behind McIntosh was the dependable McConkey. Ladd had a rushing and receiving touchdown and had to wind through traffic on both.
• Carson Beck continued the superlative day for Georgia’s quarterbacks. He had a single incompletion, made good decisions, and led an impressive touchdown drive. It’s nice to be able to salt away the game with guys like Kendall Milton, Kearis Jackson, and Daijun Edwards at your disposal.
• David Daniel-Sisavanh was quietly among Georgia’s leading tacklers as the coaches rotated defensive backs. One of his tackles was an impressive Cine-like stick that halted a ball carrier.
• What a debut for Malaki Starks. It’s almost as if recruiting matters. The true freshman was inserted at safety early and almost immediately came up with a highlight interception. He later broke up a third down pass in the red zone that held Oregon to a field goal attempt. Starks ended up as Georgia’s leading tackler (8 total, 5 solo) and was moved all over the defensive side of the ball. Most impressive was his speed – he was perfectly in position and under control to make his interception, and he closed quickly (nearly coming away with another INT) on his pass break-up. Starks could likely be a Mecole Hardman-like star on the other side of the ball, but for now the greatest need is in the secondary, and Starks was up to the job. Of course he can get even better – he got caught out of position and let an Oregon receiver break wide open until Christopher Smith made a spectacular play to break up the pass.
• As for Smith, he loves making gorgeous interceptions in big season openers, doesn’t he? Smith played as you’d hope a senior defensive leader would: in addition to the pick, he was second on the team in tackles, had a tackle for loss, and broke up Oregon’s best chance at a big downfield completion.
• Smael Mondon’s name was called often. As a starting middle linebacker he was used in multiple roles against the run and pass. He and Jamon Dumas-Johnson combined for six tackles, but often the middle of the field was open for short passes or draws. Their technique and discipline will continue to improve, but there was no question about the speed and athleticism at the position.
• Loved seeing the reserve defenders get the stop at the end. The program’s standards have taken root in another generation of talented defenders.
• Brett Thorson was impressive in a low-stress punting situation. Georgia never attempted a field goal, but it was interesting to see Bennett as the holder on extra points. Oregon had no interest in returning kickoffs after Dan Jackson made a great tackle to start the game.
• Oregon will be just fine. Georgia fans have blocked Nicholls State from memory, but coaching changes can be turbulent. It can take a while for even the best coaches to establish their standards, and Oregon went up against a fine-tuned machine that didn’t have to spend the offseason adjusting to a new system and culture. Lanning has come up in winning programs, understands the importance of recruiting, and has the energy and drive to carry the program through their transition.