Georgia football took Oregon to the woodshed in Week 1 of the football season, and it appears the Dawgs have another strong squad ready to contend in 2022.
What that offense put on the field was downright incredible, and for a defense to be that young, they also put together a quality performance. Nothing is perfect, but what Georgia put on the field was very close to it, especially on the offensive side of the ball.
After watching the game again and looking into the stats, there are quite a few that are mind-blowing. From watching it in person to what fans at home saw, it’s apparent that if things continue to go in the right direction.
From the offensive line dominating to punting once all game and the defense making that stand at the end — Georgia was solid in Week 1.
While the Dawgs are defending national champions, that superstitious dread still sits in the back of our heads, so while Week 1 was phenomenal, we want to curb our excitement at least for a few more weeks.
Georgia football recorded some mind-blowing stats against the Ducks, which were the most vital to the outcome.
For some total stats, the Dawgs recorded 571 total yards of offense, with 439 through the air and 132 on the ground. Georgia didn’t win all the total stat sections, but that didn’t matter because they scored at will.
Oregon outrushed Georgia, but when you look deeper into those stats, the Dawgs flat-out manhandled the Ducks.
The Ducks couldn’t get into the endzone and made too many mistakes. However, they notched 313 yards on the Dawgs’ defense, so that is something Georgia can improve.
Let’s get into the nitty-gritty of it all because some of these stats just flat-out make you shake your head in amazement. Here are the five most important stats of the game for Georgia and what helped them bully Oregon.
Third Down dominance
This stat is one of the ones that most of the media discussed after the game, but it is one of the most important ones because it’s what allowed Georgia to dominate. The Dawgs went 9-of-10 on third downs, and it was 9-of-9 until that first offensive drive in the fourth quarter.
Everything went right for Georgia to complete nine third downs in that game, and it is how they were able to wear down Oregon. Starting quarterback Stetson Bennett did a great job keeping those drives going, and the rest of the offense also made sure to do their part.
Winning third down will win you most games, and if this is a glimmer into what’s to come for Georgia, it’ll be a strong year for the offense.
Seven straight scoring drives
The other stat the media hounded was the seven straight scoring drives that resulted in touchdowns. Georgia didn’t have to punt until the fourth quarter, and when they did, it was a 53-yard bomb for the freshman Australian punter Brett Thorson.
Georgia is the 3rd team in the past 15 seasons to score a touchdown on each of its first six drives against a ranked opponent, joining Ohio State vs Michigan State last season (first seven) and South Florida vs Navy in 2016 (first six). pic.twitter.com/ARholIUOKj
— ESPN Stats & Info (@ESPNStatsInfo) September 3, 2022
Seven straight drives resulted in 49 points — which was historic for the Dawgs. Georgia joined the 2021 Ohio State vs. Michigan State game that resulted in a team going seven-of-seven against a ranked opponent.
So anyone who says Georgia doesn’t have an offense, point them to that stat right there.
Georgia’s yards per play were mind-blowing.
The Dawgs averaged 9.2 yards a play regardless if it were a run or pass. That number is almost a first down every time Georgia snapped the ball, and that is crazy to think about because who does that against a talented defense like Oregon?
Let’s look at the rushing yards per touch for the Dawgs. Georgia ran 25 times averaging 5.3 yards a touch, while Oregon ran it 31 times, averaging 4.5 yards. It isn’t great for the defense, but it’s a solid performance by them. However, to average 5.3 yards a carry means the offensive line is doing work, and Georgia’s line made Oregon’s defensive front look weak.
Georgia averaged 11.9 yards per attempt and 14.6 yards per completion, including both Bennett’s and Carson Beck’s numbers. To compare, Oregon averaged 4.7 yards an attempt and 8.2 yards a catch. It just isn’t the same, and Georgia was able to beat the Ducks because they weren’t afraid to attack downfield, but more on that later in this story.
Those stats show what kind of blocking happened on the perimeter and why Georgia succeeded against the Ducks. Georgia had Oregon on their toes constantly, and the Ducks couldn’t find a way to stop them.
Stetson Bennett’s completion rating proves he made good choices
When a team has a quarterback complete 81% of his passes, those yards-per-play numbers make sense. He went 21-of-35 for 368 yards and two touchdowns. Looking at the passes he made, Bennett completed 10-of-13 passes in the 0-9 yard range for 59 yards and one of his touchdowns.
In the 10-19 yard range, Bennett went 7-of-10 for 94 yards and one score.
However, the most impressive part of his game was his long balls. Bennett went a perfect 8-of-8 on passes that resulted in 20-plus yards. He was perfect on the one area that he tends to get a lot of hate on, and if that doesn’t change the narrative, I’m not sure anything will.
The pass to Ladd that Bennett overthrew was for 18 yards, so while it was close, it wasn’t over 20-yards. This game was truly his best performance yet in the Red and Black. Hopefully, Bennett will continue this trend as the season progresses because he deserves to get respect for his skills.
He attacked the Ducks downfield, and it paid off for the Dawgs, keeping drives alive and allowing the Dawgs to milk time off the clock.
Georgia football put together a total team win, but this offense dominated on a different level. Bennett and his playmakers understood the assignment and exposed Oregon. These stats stood out in this game and helped the Dawgs dominate as they did.