Georgia football: 11 quick takeaways from Dawgs 11th victory on the year

Georgia football put on a show Saturday afternoon for its seniors and the 93,000 fans in attendance. The Dawgs demolished Charleston Southern 56-7 and moved to 11-0 for the first time since 1982.

The seniors had a packed Sanford Stadium for their Senior Day festivities before the game started, and Dawg nation did their part to let this group know what they mean to this fanbase.

Georgia sent their seniors out on a high note after not getting to last season, and you could tell that is all they wanted to do. The last time the Dawgs played at noon in Athens, they came out a bit sluggish, but not this week. Everyone was ready to go out there and make a statement.

While blowing out an FCS opponent isn’t that impressive, the Dawgs did it in a way that should keep them the undisputed No.1 team. No one has tested the Bulldogs outside Clemson in Game 1 all season, and the Bucs got left in the dust. Georgia gave up points on a wild play, but they stopped them from achieving much of anything for the most part.

Georgia football is now 11-0 on the season, so here are 11 quick takeaways from their latest victory over Charleston Southern.

The Bulldogs were able to play so many people and get them some experience, and that was the other big part of feeling like this week was a success. Georgia didn’t need to let Charleston Southern stick around, and they didn’t. Instead, they put up 28 points early, then let the backups and youngsters play the rest of the way.

By the second quarter, the starters were resting, and that is just what the Dawgs needed. Georgia has their in-state rivals next, but after that, it’ll be an Alabama team fighting to get into the playoffs, so the Dawgs will need to be as healthy as they possibly can be, so resting this week was a big help.

Georgia has won 10 straight by 17 or more points, and that trend should continue moving forward. After deep-diving into Saturday’s statistics and rewatching the game, here are 11 quick takeaways from the 11th win of the year.

11. Georgia football uses depth to its advantage

On Saturday, Georgia football used 69 players against Charleston Southern, which was a huge help for the Dawgs.

The Dawgs have battled it out the last eight weeks against tough SEC opponents, so this game came at the right time for Georgia to rest some key players as they’ll get ready to try and win it all.

If they get a chance to rest their starters, Georgia will, which is why they didn’t score one touchdown in the second half. The Dawgs could have hung 70-plus points on Charleston Southern but chose to put in the backups and let them get some experience.

Younger guys were able to lead the defense today and gave the veterans a break. Smael Mondon Jr. was one of the bright spots as he finished with four tackles, one tackle for loss and one sack during the game.

Four of the nine pass breakups came from third and fourth stringers looking to climb their way up the depth chart. Saturday was an excellent day to evaluate the future of this team, and there is a bright, bright future.

Mondon Jr., Xavian Sorey, and many other guys will be the next to take over this defense, so Saturday was influential in gaining their confidence.

Georgia’s defense seems like it’ll be in good hands after their performance, too, because they stood tough and refused to give up points. The Bucs points came off a turnover, so to me, the defense really didn’t cough up the points — Charleston Southern got lucky.

The Dawgs need to be as healthy as they can be moving forward, so this week was all about letting younger guys get the reps and resting the starters.

One game remains on the regular-season schedule against Georgia Tech, but the Dawgs cannot overlook the Yellow Jackets. They have to focus, just like they have done the previous 11 weeks.

10. Georgia football has the most elite defense in the country

All year long, Georgia football’s defense has enforced its will on opponents and made them quit.

Saturday was no different outside of who was playing as the backups did their part to keep that elite identity in check.

Georgia gave up seven points, but those came on a freak play that really cannot get blamed on the defense. It will, but it should have an asterisk by it. The Dawgs have given up 83 points on the season, meaning opponents average 7.5 points a game.

That number is so impressive, and the Dawgs still have a solid opportunity to leave their mark in the record books as one of the best scoring defenses ever.

Georgia wreaked havoc on the Buccaneers as they tallied 22 havoc-type plays. The Dawgs recorded a season-high nine pass breakups, eight tackles for loss, four sacks and one interception. There will likely be more to add to this total when Georgia updates its stats after rewatching the tape.

Charleston Southern finished with 126 total yards, including 58 through the air and 68 on the ground. The Bucs averaged 1.9 yards a play and earned just 10 first downs all game.

That total is the fewest yards allowed all season by the Dawgs, so Georgia continued its reign of terror even with its starters resting. It was a good day for this side of the ball, even with giving up a few points.

Georgia did a great job at getting off the field as they forced 10 three-and-outs on the day, and that is elite level numbers regardless of whether Charleston Southern is an FCS program or not. This defense rocks other teams’ worlds and moves onto the next like it is no big deal. They won’t be happy until they win it all, and there may be no stopping them until they do.

9. Georgia football sees a drool-worthy performance from its rush attack

Georgia football wasn’t just dominant on the defensive side of the ball, but that offense also showed out. The Dawgs earned 488 total offensive yards, with both the passing and rushing games being pretty balanced.

Georgia toted the rock 32 times for 233 yards on the ground, averaging 7.3 yards a touch and scoring four touchdowns. Ten different players earned at least two yards, with six players seeing one of their rushes go for at least 11 yards.

Those numbers should make NFL scouts everywhere drool over the Dawgs’ talented stable of backs, and their nose tackle turned running back.

Senior tailback Zamir White led the way with four carries for 83 yards and one touchdown. He scored on a 40-yard run and averaged 20.8 yards a touch.

He was unstoppable and made his eight carries count on a day where White knew he would only get so many touches before letting the younger guys get some experience.

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Cook recorded six carries for 57 yards and one score, averaging 9.5 yards a carry. He also had a 40-yard rush on the day.

Kenny McIntosh averaged 7.8 yards a carry as he got 31 yards on four carries.

These three guys didn’t get a ton of reps, but they didn’t need to. Georgia scored at will and did whatever they wanted to on the ground, so sending the senior and redshirt junior out with these kinds of stats, is a good day.

Still, regardless of who the Dawgs put in there, they found success rushing the ball. Georgia probably could have earned more yards if they didn’t want to see a balanced offense attack and let the quarterbacks have some explosive moments themselves.

The Dawgs lost a total of nine yards on the game, and that is a pretty good effort as they were able to produce positive yards on a majority of the carries. Charleston Southern recorded five tackles for loss, but it wasn’t much of a loss, so kudos on this group for keeping it going on the ground and putting up some impressive numbers.

8. Jordan Davis can do it all, so send him to NYC

Georgia football senior nose tackle Jordan Davis had himself quite the Senior Day. He scored his first career touchdown and became an honorary member of the Redcoat Marching Band.

Davis loves the University of Georgia, and it shows through. From being the last guy through the Dawg walk and tearing up throughout it to having the productive day he did on the field, there is nothing Davis cannot do.

After his historic Senior Day, he went and embraced the band, led a song like he was the conductor, and it was so cool to see him appreciate the band.

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This guy is one of the most genuine people on the team, and he is an exceptional human being. There have been favorite Dawgs throughout the years, but Davis will likely go down as the all-time best Dawg.

He shows so much love for this university and is so proud to be a part of this team, and that is what coaches want in players.

This week head coach Kirby Smart said they worked on his ball-handling skills, and the play call for him to score was going to happen at some point today, and it just happened to be the first points, which makes it that much sweeter.

Now he has an offensive touchdown on his resume, and there is no reason Davis shouldn’t be a consideration for the Heisman Trophy. Davis is one of the most explosive players on the field, and people know when he is out there. He is a giant human being who can bust open holes for the linebackers to get through or get through himself.

There really isn’t much this guy cannot do well, which makes him that much more of an obvious choice to at least get an invitation to New York City.

Davis came back to do something special, and it seems like he is on a mission to help lead this team to greatness and do something that hasn’t happened in over four decades.

7. Georgia football sees third-down success on both sides of the ball

Georgia football found success on third down against Charleston Southern. Both the offense and defense did an excellent job at converting, scoring and getting the Bucs off the field.

Charleston Southern converted 4-of-20 third downs, and the Dawgs forced 10 3-and-outs on the day. It’s important to note they allowed one third-down conversion in the first half and three in the second. Georgia got them off the field over and over, which gave their offense plenty of chances to score.

The Bucs converted 20% of their third-down situations, which is the kind of number the Dawgs want every week. That low percentage is an elite number and shows just how much Georgia stopped them on Saturday.

As for the offense, we predicted the Dawgs would convert 50% of their third downs, and they got close but fell just short of that as they went 6-of-13 on the day. A 46% conversion rate isn’t terrible, but Georgia didn’t convert on third-down the entire second half.

After starting 6-of-8 in the opening half, it looked like the Dawgs were going to impress on this crucial down, but the Bucs did a good job stopping them later in the game.

However, among the six third-down conversions the Dawgs did have, two of them resulted in touchdowns. Georgia did more than enough to keep drives going, but they were able to score so quickly, having that rate under 50% wasn’t a big deal.

6. Georgia football sees another successful game in the red zone

Georgia’s red zone offense looked strong on Saturday against Charleston Southern as the Dawgs scored 85% of the time they were in this area of the field.

The Dawgs went 6-of-7 in the red zone, and it would have been a perfect game if it weren’t for a mistake from Bulldogs’ quarterback Carson Beck throwing a pass into tripe coverage and seeing it get picked.

On the year, Georgia is now 46-of-52 in red zone scoring and 33-of-52 in red zone touchdowns. The Dawgs score 88% of the time and score a touchdown 63% of the time.

Georgia is doing a better job of punching it in when they get close as the season progresses, but with some lethal offenses coming up on the slate, seeing these numbers look this good the last few weeks makes us feel a bit better.

The Dawgs need to keep scoring in the red zone because the more they score, the less likely an opponent can come back and win. Georgia’s defense is doing their part, so now the offense can do theirs.

While it isn’t that big of an issue because Georgia does have a talented kicker in Jack Podlesny, the more successful a team is in the red zone, the better. There is something wrong when you’re that close to the end zone and can’t get in, but that hasn’t been the case for Georgia, as they’ve done a decent job.

However, it has gotten better more recently as the play-calling improves and starting quarterback Stetson Bennett gets more comfortable. Georgia seems to be peaking offensively at the right moment, so it’s good to see the red zone stats make that production.

5. Georgia football continues to find success on first and second downs

First down stats have become a favorite around Dawn of the Dawg as it has been interesting tracking how Georgia football keeps drives going.

Against Charleston Southern, the Dawgs finished with 22 first downs, with six coming on third down.

There have been discussions about starting quarterback Stetson Bennett and how he is terrible on third down, but at the same time, the Dawgs aren’t relying on that down to keep drives alive.

Among the 16 first downs that didn’t come on third-down, Georgia moved the chains 16 times on first and second down, with 11 of them coming on 1st and 10.

The Dawgs continue to find success on the first two plays instead of relying on the third one to make something happen. There is nothing wrong with that either because that means the offense is calling the right play and producing big chunks of yards.

In years past, first down hasn’t always resulted in the best production, so seeing Georgia move the ball on 1st and 10 is huge, which means this offense is moving in the right direction.

The Dawgs must keep this trend up while also improving that third-down number because there will be a game they have to convert and keep drives alive to win ball games.

Georgia needs to keep the ball moving and sustain long drives. If those first downs come before third-down, by all means, keep doing what works.

As long as the Dawgs can produce the offensive numbers they need, that is what matters. Sure we can nitpick and want this team to be almost perfect, but no one is perfect. Plus, why does it matter when the first down happens as long as it does.

4. Georgia’s punt return sees their confidence rise

Georgia football’s punt return group had one of its best games all season as they amassed 150 yards on nine returns.

The Dawgs averaged 16.6 yards a return, which is an ideal number for these situations. Getting a good return on a punt puts the offense in better field position, which sometimes makes it easier to score.

Jackson got close on Saturday but couldn’t quite make it happen. Kearis Jackson led the way with four returns for 71 yards, averaging 17.75 yards, and had a long return of 41 yards. He will bust one loose before the season ends and score a touchdown because Jackson gets better as the season continues.

However, he has a lot of promise, and if anyone does it, Jackson would be the guy to make it happen.

Ladd McConkey had two returns for 62 yards, with both runs going for 30-plus yards. He has excellent vision, and his speed is awesome to see in these situations. McConkey will make another great returner for the Dawgs and another weapon for them to use back there.

Dominick Blaylock finally was healthy enough to play in a game, and he got a couple of returns under his belt but didn’t have as much success. His biggest thing was getting hit again and earning some playing time after missing so much of the season. However, Saturday’s performance had to boost his confidence, and he will get comfortable doing more.

This group gained a lot of confidence in themselves on Saturday, and the Dawgs will need that for the rest of the season as special teams could end up playing a pivotal role in one of these possible four remaining matchups.

3. Brock Bowers makes history with pair of touchdowns

Georgia football starting tight end Brock Bowers made history on Saturday against the Buccaneers. He had four catches for 36 yards and two touchdowns, leading the team in receptions and scores.

Those two scores proved to be historic as he earned his seventh and eighth on the season, which is the most ever by a Georgia tight end as he surpassed Leonard Pope’s record.

On the season, Bowers leads the Dawgs with 34 catches for 552 yards and eight touchdowns. He averages 50.18 yards a game and 16.24 yards an attempt. No one thought Bowers would be in this position as a true freshman, yet here he is making a name for himself.

Bowers has shut down the whole “Georgia doesn’t throw to its tight end” narrative, and he has rewritten the history books. He is such a crucial weapon for this offense and is starting quarterback Stetson Bennett’s favorite target.

To see him break a record Pope held is pretty impressive because Pope was one of the last dominant tight ends Georgia had, so it’s nice to see the Dawgs utilizing this weapon.

Bowers is a unicorn because he can catch the ball, tote the rock, and is one of the fastest on the team. There isn’t much Bowers can’t do, and the Dawgs will take it.

He was there for Georgia when they didn’t know who would be a receiving playmaker. With so many injuries, Bowers got his shot, and look at him now — 11 games in, and he already set a school record.

There is no telling what next great thing this young man does, but it sure is nice to have him on the Dawgs team instead of somewhere else.

2. Stetson Bennett is the man for the job — for now

Georgia football saw action from four quarterbacks on Saturday against the Buccaneers.

The Dawgs senior quarterback Stetson Bennett got the start and played through the first quarter, then JT Daniels came in for a few series, followed by Carson Beck and finished the game with Brock Vandagriff under center.

While some may think this takeaway is silly or out of context, but of all four quarterbacks, the offense ran the best with Bennett in control.

Georgia scored at will with Bennett was prominent, and they looked more comfortable catching his balls than the other quarterbacks.

Yes, the backups were in for the second half of the game, so it’s hard to compare, but at the same time, there is no question, Bennett is the man for the job.

Georgia’s quarterbacks went 20-of-37 for 255 yards, four touchdowns, and two interceptions as a collective whole.

The senior quarterback went 8-of-14 for 105 yards, two touchdowns and one interception, completing 57% of his passes. Daniels led the team with a 58% completion rate as he went 7-of-12 for 73 yards. Beck completed 5-of-10 passes for 77 yards, one score, and one pick — a 50% completion rate.

Bennett and Beck threw an interception, and while that isn’t ideal, those things sometimes happen. The one Bennett threw came on the game’s opening drive, and it got tipped at the line of scrimmage, so it wasn’t entirely his fault.

As for Beck, he threw his into triple coverage in the endzone, and the Buccaneer defender just snagged it.

Daniels had a couple of suspicious throws, but that seemed to be him knocking the rust off after not playing more than a couple of series in the last month. He and Bennett will continue to compete for the starting spot, and in my opinion, they will both be ready to go against Alabama if Georgia needs that to be the case.

Bennett and the offense have meshed together, plus the Mailman has this ability to make plays, so it’s obvious why the Dawgs have him as the starter.

He is the man for the job right now until he proves otherwise, but regardless, Bennett is a significant reason the Dawgs are now 11-0, and people should respect him for that.

1. Georgia football makes 11th statement on the year

Georgia needed to make a statement against the Bucs, and they did. Even though they were playing an FCS opponent while others in the top-4 had tougher matchups, the Dawgs still managed to win by 49 points and shut down Charleston Southern.

There was no sluggish play to start the game like a few weeks ago against Missouri, and the Dawgs made it a point to play as one unit. It was a total team effort from all three phases of the team, and that is what you want out of a team against an FCS team.

The Bucs didn’t stand a chance on Saturday, and that’s not because Georgia played a perfect game, but because the Dawgs were going to do whatever it takes to send their seniors out on the right note. They likely also wanted to put the game away early so these starters could rest.

Georgia was still able to produce a dominant victory with their backups playing. Everyone knew from the starters to the lowest man on the totem pole to avoid any disasters.

Plus, seeing 69 guys get action on Saturday is never a bad thing. That experience will carry over into the rest of the season and next year. Today was about seeing what people could do when all these star-studded players leave after the season.

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The Dawgs also found out they will take on Alabama in the upcoming SEC Championship on Dec. 4 after the Tide beat Arkansas Saturday night.

Finally, the stage is set, and for Georgia to be the man, they will have to beat the man, so it’s only right they’ll faceoff in another epic showdown once again in Atlanta.

Well, it seems like the Dawgs are in good hands because they made a convincing enough argument for remaining as the undisputed No.1 team in the country and that there is no one out there ready to faceoff with this team.

There are teams with high-powered offenses, but none of them have taken on this Georgia squad that wants to win at all costs and will do whatever it takes to make that happen.

Georgia football has one game left in the regular season as the Dawgs will head to Atlanta next weekend to take the Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets. This matchup against Charleston Southern came at the right time for the Dawgs as they got to rest, and they got to send off these seniors on a high note in their final home game as Bulldogs.