Georgia's early-season blowouts aren't merely improving its resumé for the rankings. They're accelerating the development of the roster that Georgia may need in November and December.
Three games into the season, Georgia has repeatedly created enough of a first-half scoring gap to turn significant portions of games over to players who normally would only be getting a handful of snaps, if any at all.
Those snaps are very different from practice, and could prove to mean a lot more than just some garbage time minutes when the meaningful games on Georgia's schedule get here.
A young defensive lineman can take 500 practice reps, but those aren't the same as going up against an opposing player who doesn't know the play call. A quarterback can run the second-team offense all week, but that's not the same as having to convert third down in a stadium with 66,000 people in it.
Georgia is essentially buying roster developmental time with dominance.
These lopsided scores are providing plenty of value for Kirby Smart to use his backups. Against Tennessee State and Western Kentucky, you could dismiss the backup work as the natural byproduct of playing overmatched nonconference opponents. We expected to see the bench emptied and everyone but the scout team on the field.
But this week, Georgia did it on the road in an SEC game.
Ryan Puglisi entered the game against Arkansas with 8:30 remaining and Georgia leading 38-10, and he didn't just hand the ball off until the clock expired. Georgia put together an 11-play, 75-yard touchdown drive that consumed nearly six minutes. Puglisi went 7-of-8 for 63 yards and a touchdown in the game
Puglisi wasn't the only backup to play some meaningful minutes. Ethan Barbour caught a five-yard pass. Jeremy Bell caught one for 19. Jaden Reddell caught one for seven. Bo Walker caught two passes and later carried the ball. Nick Peal carried twice, including converting a third-and-3. Then Puglisi converted third-and-7 with starter Lawson Luckie before finding him for the touchdown.
Against Tennessee State, Puglisi was already running Georgia's offense in the third quarter, not entering for a couple of kneel-downs or handoffs with three minutes left. He completed passes to multiple targets and led a touchdown drive. Georgia also got Ryan Montgomery into the game later.
Then came Western Kentucky, where Puglisi actually finished as Georgia's leading rusher with 79 yards. The official box score is enormous; Puglisi, Montgomery, Walker, Anthony Kruah, Khamari Brooks, Caden Harris, Jontae Gilbert, Blake Stewart, and a long list of other younger players all saw the field.
These backups weren't just on the field, taking up space as the clock ran down. They were being asked to execute an actual offense. That, my friends, is developing depth instead of just hoping they show up when needed.
Georgia may be building one of the most game-tested second units in the country.
Georgia isn't going to go through an SEC season with the same 22 starters taking every meaningful snap. There will be injuries, there will be off-field issues, there will be players who struggle. A freshman or sophomore who currently looks like a luxury could suddenly end up playing 40 snaps against Texas, Alabama, or in a playoff game.
There's a tremendous difference between that player's resumé being “He's looked good in practice.” and “He's already played meaningful stretches in multiple games, including on the road against an SEC opponent.”
And heading into Week 4 against Oklahoma, that luxury has been overwhelmingly favorable so far. Georgia is 3-0, Gunner Stockton hasn't needed to absorb four quarters of punishment every Saturday, and dozens of players are accumulating actual game experience behind him.
Georgia's starters have been so dominant early that the Bulldogs have outscored their first three opponents 105-12 in the first half.
Bottom line, Georgia keeps putting games away early, and every extra snap for the backups could pay off when Kirby Smart needs them most down the stretch. Experience over potential.
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