Georgia football: 3 Dawgs that will easily help beat Auburn

The past few games for Georgia football have been rather bumpy, with its most recent matchup against Missouri nearly resulting in an upset. Georgia’s lack of focus has caused players to be out of sync and perform far below the standard that fans expect.

With Georgia hosting Auburn this week, the Dawgs must be ready to defend their home turf. As defending national champions, the team should expect to get everybody’s best shot week-to-week. Complacency and lack of focus could be detrimental to the hopes of defending the title.

The Dawgs will be looking to get back on track this week and return to the level of play that fans enjoyed through the first few weeks of the season. To do that, these key players will need to step up and perform to their potential.

Georgia football needs big games from key players against Auburn

These are the guys that need to step up for the Dawgs and have a good game. It’s not that they haven’t had them in the first five weeks, but when these guys step up, it helps Georgia win.

Stetson Bennett

As the quarterback and veteran leader of the offense, Stetson Bennett’s play heavily influences the team’s success. His high-level performances to start the season ignited the Georgia offense and vaulted him into the Heisman conversation.

In last week’s narrow escape in Missouri, Bennett was visibly off of his game and just didn’t seem to have it that night. Inconsistent accuracy caused him to miss throws he normally makes, and the offense struggled as a result. Georgia finished with 481 yards of total offense, but the inability to sustain drives was a key issue all game, as evidenced by the Dawgs failing to find the end zone until the fourth quarter.

While Auburn has struggled this season, SEC rivalry games can never be overlooked. Bennett must be sharp and precise this weekend as he was to begin the season. A big performance from The Mailman will go a long way to ensure a comfortable win against the Tigers.

Kenny McIntosh

After reeling in 14 receptions for 178 yards in the first two matchups of the season, Kenny McIntosh has only totaled eight catches for 59 yards in the three games since. This comes as a bit of a surprise with Georgia without Adonai Mitchell’s services at wide receiver.

McIntosh’s receiving abilities add another dimension to the offense that the team has seemed to stray away from recently. Whether it involves getting the ball to him as a primary receiver or as a check down, McIntosh should be utilized in the passing game more than he has been as of late.

His rushing production will also be a big factor in the offense’s success. The Dawgs struggled up front against Missouri until late in the matchup, and establishing K-Mac on the ground will help open up the passing game.

Kelee Ringo

A game-clinching pick-six in the national championship can lead to lofty expectations. Kelee Ringo entered the season with immense hype as a lockdown corner. While he hasn’t been bad, the jump that was expected has not happened yet.

Ringo’s size and speed make him a very attractive draft prospect, and after last season, many thought he was well on his way to being a top pick. He has struggled to take that next step this season, though. Last year, only 40.6% of passes thrown Ringo’s way were caught, according to Pro Football Focus. Through the first five games this season, 68.7% of his receivers’ targets have been caught.

If Ringo can avoid mistakes and return to form from the 2021 season, Georgia’s defense will be much better moving forward. Last week, a big play on a deep ball and an unnecessary pass interference blunder kept Missouri’s drives alive in the second half. Auburn has nothing to lose and will likely try to maintain aggression offensively to keep the Dawgs on their heels. Ringo could be a game-breaker with a big performance on the outside and prevent the Tigers from gaining momentum.

Georgia will need to lock in and refocus as a unit this week to return to its dominant ways from the initial few weeks of the season. Auburn will be ready to play, but big performances from these key players should help the Dawgs return to the elite level they’re capable of playing.