Georgia football had some ups and downs against the Gators but still beat their biggest rival 42-20. There were a few things that the Dawgs did throughout this game against Florida that were strategic yet impressive. Taking away those mistakes and this game would have gotten ugly.
It was pretty ugly anyway, and it sucks that the defense coasted in the second half, but they still got the job done. A win is a win. However, this upcoming week will need to see an almost perfect performance because the Tennessee Volunteers will be itching to upset the defending national champions.
Let’s dive into the Florida game a little longer before we turn our attention to the biggest game of the year — most definitely the most anticipated one.
These takeaways aren’t just the best things that we saw. Instead, we wanted to really focus on how these things help moving forward. Georgia has to be on its A-Game for the rest of the year, and this performance gave a slight glimpse into what we can expect.
These are our three biggest takeaways from the game against Florida that will help Georgia move forward and stay undefeated.
Georgia football is extremely successful going up-tempo on offense
Throughout the game against the Gators, we saw the Dawgs pick up the tempo on offense, and those were times we saw some of the most success. Georgia has done this throughout the entire season, but there was more of it against the Gators.
Starting quarterback Stetson Bennett was able to get in a smooth rhythm, and it kept Florida on its toes. Georgia has the capability to pick up the pace, and against the teams moving forward, that will help.
Bennett didn’t look great against the Gators, but he has never looked that great against them. He went 19-of-38 for 316 yards, a pair of touchdowns, and a pair of interceptions. Bennett overthrew guys and wasn’t in sync with some guys, but when the Dawgs went tempo, he made good passes, and it worked.
Next week he will be at home, in front of a serious crowd and we’ve all seen how he flips a switch when the stage gets bigger. His performance against Florida is nothing to worry about because the rush attack is improving, but more on that later.
Georgia football saw its defense put on a clinic when it stayed focused
The Dawgs saw the defense put on a clinic Saturday night in the first half, and while the Gators ended up scoring 20 points, it wasn’t a bad night for this young unit.
It was quite evident when Jalen Carter and Nolan Smith were on the field, the defense had a different dynamic. Hopefully, Smith’s injury doesn’t prevent him from playing against Tennessee because he is a leader that helps make things happen.
Carter came in sporadically, but when he did, Florida’s offense had no chance. The Dawgs finished with three sacks, eight tackles for loss, two pass breakups and 10 quarterback hurries. Those are much better numbers than we’ve seen in the past, which tells us this group is growing and getting better each week.
They are maturing and coming into their own at the right time, and that is exciting to watch unfold.
Georgia has a rush attack again that compliments the passing attack perfectly
In the last few weeks, we’ve seen Georgia’s rush attack grow stronger, and that is coming at the right time. We finally saw the first 100-yard game from Daijun Edwards this week against the Gators as he recorded 12 carries for 106 yards and two scores.
As a whole, Georgia tallied 239 yards and four scores against the Gators. In four of the last six games, the Dawgs have recorded at least 200 rushing yards. Those numbers are what you like to see, especially when the Dawgs’ passing is just as successful.
When Georgia can have a balanced offense, it makes it harder for defenses to find success against the Dawgs. So moving forward, keeping it balanced with explosive plays coming through the air and on the ground will be super helpful in staying undefeated.
Georgia football demoralized Florida and in the process showed us it has what it takes to go undefeated again in 2022. There is a mountain standing in front of them, but if anyone knows how to handle a mountain, it’s the Dawgs.