Georgia is just two games into the season, but the Bulldogs have been able to learn a lot about their team during that time. Both their games were against Top 25 opponents and based on their level of competitiveness, that’s clearly where they belong.
Here are some observations we can make about the 13th-ranked Bulldogs (1-1, 0-1 SEC) less than a fifth of the way into the season.
1. Gary Danielson said it on national television on Saturday, and he was right: Georgia doesn't have a championship defense.
Thirty-five points in a driving rainstorm on the road in an SEC football game should be plenty to render victory. But Georgia’s defense couldn’t make that stand up against South Carolina. The Gamecocks scored 38 points, rolled up 447 yards and fans were left to think little has changed from last season.
While the Bulldogs zone defense did get carved up by South Carolina — and in the first half by Clemson — coordinator Jeremy Pruitt’s issue is not a strategic one. He has a personnel problem. Georgia simply doesn’t have any standouts in the secondary or on the defensive line. That might be something only recruiting can fix.
2. Meanwhile, the Bulldogs' offense is showing signs of picking it up where it left off last season. After two games against what was expected to be stout defenses, Georgia averaged 40 points and 433.5 yards.
More importantly, the Bulldogs are operating at a plus-2 turnover margin. They lost one somewhat flukish fumble by receiver Michael Bennett and have already recorded three takeaways (two interceptions, one fumble recovery). Sustaining that pace would represent a remarkable turnaround from last season when Georgia was 102nd in the nation.
3. Georgia still has left a lot of points on the field. At issue is scoring in the red zone. The Bulldogs' have converted their three takeaways into just three points so far.
“We’re working on it every single day,” quarterback Hutson Mason said. “Our biggest miscommunications right now are coming in the red zone. … I think we’re moving the ball between the 20s pretty good. But when we’re getting down there were kind of stalling out.”
4. Georgia has one of the best running backs — if not THE best running back — in the country in Todd Gurley. The junior from Tarboro, N.C., leads the SEC with an average of 164.5 yards rushing per game and has scored five touchdowns in two games. But it's not just him. Together with ball carriers Keith Marshall, Sony Michel, Nick Chubb and Brendan Douglas, the Bulldogs have one of the most imposing backfields in college football
Where Georgia is coming up a little short is in its downfield passing game. Considered one of the best vertical passing teams in the country the past couple of years under former quarterback Aaron Murray, the Bulldogs are averaging just 161 yards passing this season with a long completion of 36 yards.
“We’ve done a decent job throwing and catching,” Richt said. “By our standards it’s not as much productivity, but we know Game 1 (vs. Clemson) was a situation of not needing to throw the ball nearly as much in the second half. This game we threw it more and had more yards and touchdowns (191 and 2). There were some really good things that happened but I don’t think we’re totally in sync. We’re still getting better as we go and that’s why we keep practicing. I think we’ll throw and catch the ball pretty good before it’s over.”
Getting receivers Malcolm Mitchell (knee), Justin Scott-Wesley (ankle) and Jonathon Rumph (hamstring) back from injury – whenever that may be — will help.
5. Special teams have already cost Georgia a game. But this actually looks to be an area of improvement overall.
Georgia’s returns game has already shown dramatic improvement from last year’s national bottom-fifth finish and punting has been strong (41.4 net) in the first two games.
The last area the Bulldogs expected to struggle in was place-kicking. Marshall Morgan led the SEC last year, making good on 22-of-24 kicks. But after setting an SEC record with 20 made field goals in a row, Morgan missed two — including a 28-yarder — in the three-point loss to the Gamecocks.
If Georgia can get the junior from Fort Lauderdale back on target, it should be in good shape for the season.
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