Georgia Football: Sunday afternoon thoughts

Georgia football won Saturday against its oldest rival, Auburn, 27-20. It was not pretty or easy, but Georgia won the game. I’ll get into the Sunday thoughts, but I will start with this blog with a warning. I’m unhappy; look elsewhere if you want the Sunshine Bulldog fan.

I am not the guy who says a win is a win and moves on. I must be realistic with myself and the school I attended and cheer for. My view on this team has changed dramatically because of Saturday. OK, there is your warning.

However, It is not all that bad; there were some bright spots from this team. The biggest positive was that this entire team was relentless and gutsy. Carson Beck is the guy, and made me a believer in him. Kirby Smart said he still does not know if this team was good or not in his post-game press conference. I agree with him.

Offensively, Georgia played well. I know a lot of folks out there will say, “Oh, but if not for Bowers…” Guess what? Georgia has Brock Bowers, sorry. Georgia played well enough to win on offense yesterday. Auburn has a fantastic defensive backfield, and Georgia exposed it, which leads me to one of my negatives. Why is Georgia not throwing the ball to set up the run? This team is far better off throwing the ball around the field than running it. Do not get me wrong, the running backs are not the problem. It is the offensive line.

The O-line played well in the pass protection phase of the game but crumbled when it came time to run the ball. I won’t call out players for poor performance, but I will say one of the offensive linemen that I  know is a reader of the blog needs to play better. He played horribly, and the other guards were blown up on Saturday.

The O-line, to me, has been the weak spot for this team. They have not been consistent enough to play winning football. For the few loud hundred fans screaming for Bobo’s job, it isn’t his fault Georgia O-line was getting its butt kicked. I do not have any complaints outside of that for this offense. The offense won the game for the Dawgs. Furthermore, I do not think the offense is the team’s weakness.

Georgia’s Defense may not be as good as I thought it was. I thought the linebackers and defensive backs got exposed on Saturday. Their eye discipline and tackling were sub-par. First, Georgia did not have one guy on defense set the edge, which allowed Auburn to run to the outside in open space. Linebackers were getting sucked into the run and taking the wrong angles. Then, the secondary could not tackle to save their lives. It just felt like a string of poorly played-defensive drives.

I know Hugh Freeze was finally calling plays on Saturday, and he is probably one of the best offensive minds in football ( I hate saying that), but there is no excuse why the Dawgs defense could not execute. That is the second week in a row where they have not played well. I am starting to doubt this Georgia defense. I know Auburn scored on a short field due to two turnovers, but Georgia’s defense could have played better.

Hopefully, it gets better as the season moves along. It has to. How will Georgia beat Kentucky, Ole Miss, and Tennessee if they play like they did Saturday? I am not sure either. Things need to be fixed and fixed fast. I do not doubt in my mind they can be fixed. You have the best three of the best defensive minds in college football. But it needs to be figured out!

I know this post has been negative, and I have been an arm-chair quarterback. But, I am telling you how I see it. This Georgia team can still win a national title. But they need to tune some things up to win another title. Some in the national media are crying for Georgia to be dropped in the polls. Good, drop Georgia to #15 for all I care. AP poll in October never won anybody a national title.

There is not a single team out there that has played unbelievable. Every team out there has multiple fatal flaws. Georgia could still win the whole thing in January, but they must improve. Saturday against Kentucky is the next step. Georgia needs to make that next step.