Georgia football: 3 quick takeaways from Dawgs’ epic semifinal victory

Nakobe Dean and Zamir White life the trophy after defeating the Michigan Wolverines in the Orange Bowl. (Mandatory Credit: John David Mercer-USA TODAY Sports)
Nakobe Dean and Zamir White life the trophy after defeating the Michigan Wolverines in the Orange Bowl. (Mandatory Credit: John David Mercer-USA TODAY Sports) /
facebooktwitterreddit
Prev
2 of 4
Next
Georgia football
James Cook runs the ball into the end zone for a touchdown. (Photo by Michael Reaves/Getty Images) /

Georgia football sustained drives and won on third down

Georgia football did a great job at keeping drives going against Michigan. The Dawgs went 10-of-16 on third down against the Wolverines, giving them a 62.5% conversion rate.

Defensively, Georgia gave up 8-of-15 third-down conversions. The Dawgs did give up 53% of third downs, so that wasn’t perfect, but the Dawgs held Michigan to 11 points, and six came later in the game. Not that it makes it okay, but Michigan converted when the game was very much out of reach.

However, the more telling stat is that the Wolverines went 0-of-3 on fourth down, which gave the ball back to the Dawgs. Georgia’s defense stood tough, and Michigan only scored because of blown coverage by a third-string defensive back.

The offense’s ability to keep the ball out of Michigan’s hands impressed us the most Friday night because it’s been a while since Georgia was able to keep drives going as they did against the Wolverines.

The Dawgs struggled to convert in third down in the last two games against Georgia Tech and Alabama. They went 2-of-5 and 3-of-12 in those two games. On the season, Georgia converts 45% of third downs, so seeing them convert 62% against a stout defense like Michigan is an excellent sign of their progress over the last few weeks.

Having healthy playmakers out there helped the Dawgs, and starting quarterback Stetson Bennett got two first downs using his legs.

Georgia played their game from the start to the last whistle and finally didn’t let the other team dictate how they played. The Dawgs adjusted, stayed creative, and worked.

I will take 10-of-16 third-down conversions every game if possible.