A truncated 10-minute fourth quarter tells you all you need to know about the one-sidedness of this game. Georgia didn’t score in the 60s or 70s like some of its SEC brethren in their guarantee games, but we should know by now how Kirby Smart approaches these games. There was a ton of situational work and early and frequent substitutions.

Georgia’s advantages in all three phases showed up on the first plays for the defense, special teams, and offense. TTU went horizontal on their first snap, and that’s rarely a good idea against the Georgia defense. Anthony Evans followed with his best punt return of the season to set up Georgia’s possession. Carson Beck immediately hit Dillon Bell on a corner route for Georgia’s first score. The Bulldogs had 14 points after running eight plays, and it did seem for a minute as if we were on our way to a score we’ve only seen in postseason games.

The scoring slowed to a trickle from the late first quarter into the second as both teams sustained lengthy drives with few explosive plays. Georgia marched down the field on a 14-play drive that took over 5 minutes but fizzled with two incompletions inside the 5. They had to settle for a chip shot field goal. TTU followed with an 11-play drive that consumed nearly half of the second quarter but advanced no further than the Georgia 38. Georgia put points on the board on their first four possessions, but the teams combining for two possessions that ate up twelve and a half minutes put the brakes on runaway scoring.

Georgia opened the second half with a pair of quick strike scores surrounding a TTU fumble, the only turnover of the game. That was enough to turn the game over to the reserves. Fans who stuck around got to see Gunner Stockton run the offense and a number of players make their Sanford Stadium debuts. It was a memorable afternoon for players like Jordan Thomas and Chris Cole, and Justyn Rhett will probably be fine with moving on to the next game.

It was fun to see Beck toss five touchdown passes, Etienne make his first appearance for Georgia, and the defense dominate. The main draw of these lopsided games to me though is the opportunity to empty the bench. For many of us it’s our first glimpses of players who drove last year’s recruiting news and who Georgia is counting on to sustain its place atop college football. Some of them will end up redshirting; others might earn more playing time as they gain experience. It’s peeking into the future – a luxury we don’t get often during the game-to-game grind.

Go-to guys

Georgia spread the ball around to 15 different receivers against TTU. Of course several of those were reserves getting playing time later in the game, but after two games we’ve seen a combination of around ten tailbacks, tight ends, and wide receivers emerge as credible targets for Carson Beck. That depth makes the Georgia offense unpredictable and versatile enough to attack different defensive approaches. At the same time, there’s one question Georgia hasn’t had to answer yet: who does Beck look to when he needs a key reception late in the game or on a big third down? The answer seems to be a work in progress. Georgia is only converting 40% of third downs so far (8 of 20.) Whether that’s a quirk of the first two games or something that will matter more in tighter games remains to be seen.

Recently of course it’s been Bowers, McConkey, or even AD Mitchell who could be expected to be targeted when the Dawgs needed a catch. Who might that be in 2024?

• Arian Smith leads the team with nine receptions. The long reception to open the third quarter is what most people associate with Smith, but Smith’s role this year has expanded beyond “go deep.” His deep threat helps him create space to break off routes for short gains, and we’ve seen him involved in screens and jet motion. His blocking has also improved which helps him stay on the field for a wider variety of plays. Smith still needs to improve after the catch and develop moves to evade the first tackler that will let him turn shorter gains into explosive plays.
• Dillon Bell won’t be lining up in the backfield this year, but his eight receptions show that he’s expected to be a bigger part of the passing game.
• Dominic Lovett is third on the team with six receptions primarily from the slot. He’s made some fantastic moves after the catch, and his veteran experience showed against TTU in tight quarters to get open for a touchdown. The combination of SEC experience and elusiveness might make him a top go-to option.
• Colbie Young has made the most of his three receptions. Young leads the team with two touchdown receptions and has been targeted several other times in the redzone. His 6’3″ frame makes him a natural target in tight quarters. There are still some timing and accuracy issues between Beck and Young.
• If you want a big catch, there were few bigger than the two third-and-long receptions by London Humphries in the opener. Humphries didn’t catch a pass against TTU, but his performance against a tough Clemson defense said plenty.

As for replacing Bowers, it’s interesting that Luckie has been the primary receiving threat from the tight end position. He has four receptions including a couple of explosive plays while Delp has just one reception through two games. Ben Yurosek got on the field early, but he’s yet to record a catch.

Extra Points

• TTU only attempted eight passes, and most of those were after halftime. Their five receptions totaled 18 yards. This wasn’t a game that featured Georgia’s secondary in much other than a run support role. There were still some individual standout moments. KJ Bolden’s sack on a safety blitz effectively forced an early three-and-out. Dan Jackson had a couple of big hits including an outstanding tackle at full speed along the Georgia sideline.
• Tackling overall though wasn’t a strong point for the Georgia defense. After lost-yardage plays hurt them early on, TTU found success up the middle in the running game that let them sustain two first half drives. It didn’t result in points, but the drives took 12 minutes off the clock and kept Georgia’s offense off the field.
• As thoroughly drilled and mentally tough an elite team like Georgia must be, focus can wander in games like this. It could definitely show up in tackling, and penalties are another likely result. Georgia’s nine penalties led to some stalled drives and ultimately TTU’s only points. On a hot day during a blowout it can be easy not to lock in and reach and grab.
• Branson Robinson ran with much more confidence than he did in the opener. That’s to be expected after working back from such a serious injury; often learning to trust the recovery is a big mental step. Watching him attack running lanes and drag defenders looked a lot more like the old #22.
• Tyrion Ingram-Dawkins and Christen Miller have flashed in each of the first two games. That’s significant with Brinson and Williams injured. Ingram-Dawkins in particular is playing with better consistency and will improve the rest of the defense.
• Did you enjoy a cold one? There was no shortage of places to grab a beer around the stadium, and many fans looked to be partaking in the novelty of alcohol sales in Sanford Stadium. It was unfortunate though that folks who just wanted some cold water on a hot gameday had to join the beer lines; more standalone water stations would have been nice given the conditions.