Georgia football did not have its best day against Kent State, but the Dawgs still won handily. Despite being a sloppy game, a lot of good came out of it, and even the negative moments were learning opportunities.
The Dawgs got a reality check and knocked down a few notches, which they needed. A lot of the outside noise got to them; instead of ignoring it, they listened too much.
Turnovers, fake punts and chunks of big yardage are never fun unless you’re the one causing them, so Georgia got the adversity it needed. No one challenged them before this week, and while Kent State is nothing to brag about, they were a well-coached team.
Anyone who thinks that Georgia shouldn’t have struggled against Kent State or anything negatively — take a deep breath because college football has these moments. We’ve seen these moments throughout the first four weeks of the 2022 season, and Georgia finally had that moment.
Georgia will not win every game by 90-points — that is such an unrealistic standard. Adversity happens, and it doesn’t always come from a Top-5 program.
Here are the four in-depth takeaways from the Dawgs’ Week 4 victory.
1. Mental mistakes got the best of Georgia football
Georgia did not have its best game against Kent State, but the Dawgs still dominated the Golden Flashes. The reason Kent State was in the ball game is because of the mental mistakes that people made.
Ladd McConkey coughed up the ball twice in the first half, which resulted in 10 points for Kent State. Those were mental mistakes. The interception was a mental mistake and miscommunication.
Georgia’s defense coughed up a 56-yard touchdown, and the special teams gave up another fake punt for the second week. Those are mental mistakes that the Dawgs gave up and why this game looked like Georgia was not on its A-game.
However, if you look at the stats, Georgia dominated both sides of the ball. Mental mistakes can really make a game look worse than it is, and that is one of the biggest things to take away from Saturday’s sloppiness.
2. Stetson Bennett and Brock Bowers are the most elite playmakers
There were two playmakers on Georgia’s offense that reminded us just how elite they are. Starting quarterback Stetson Bennett went 27-of-36 for 272 yards and one interception. While he didn’t throw a touchdown, he did make it four consecutive games with at least 250-yards. Bennett joined Tim Tebow to record at least 250-yards in four straight games, which is pretty elite company.
Then there is Brock Bowers who led the team, not in receiving, but rushing yards. He had two carries for 77 yards and two touchdowns. His 75-yard run to start the game was mind-blowing. Bowers put himself into Heisman contention with that run alone because he is such a game-changer. He also had five catches for 60 yards on the day.
These two guys are as elite as they come. Bowers makes Bennett better and together they are a dynamic duo. No one can come close to this duo.
3. Georgia football caused havoc on the defense
Georgia’s defense had an okay day. Giving up some big plays hurt, but when you look at the stat sheet, it was another dominating performance. The Dawgs held Kent State to 93 yards on the ground and 188 yards through the air.
Despite the 56-yard touchdown Georgia gave up early on in the game, the Dawgs did their job.
Georgia also saw Jamon Dumas-Johnson, Malaki Starks and Smael Mondon lead the team with six tackles each. Dumas-Johnson recorded two sacks and three tackles for loss. Nolan Smith also recorded a sack and tackle for loss.
Finally, we saw Georgia wreak some havoc against a team. We’ve waited on this for the last month, so it’s good to see the Dawgs finally cause problems.
4. Week 4 was the best learning experience for Georgia football
Georgia and its fans got a bit of a reality check against Kent State, and there was a bit of some entitlement from both ends. The Dawgs got a lesson, and it was great to get that lesson now instead of deeper in the season when Georgia takes on an SEC opponent.
There is nothing wrong with getting a gut check because it allows the Dawgs to fix mistakes now instead of deep into the season. Georgia is just fine, don’t sweat this game, and let the Dawgs refocus. This game is in the rearview mirror now, and it’s time to focus on future games.