There is one major concern that every Georgia fan shares so far this season. The inability for Georgia to start fast has been driving fans crazy because every big game it seems like UGA has to claw their way back just to have a chance to win.
It just so happens that Kirby Smart shares these feelings as well because he recently shared that his defenses slow starts is what is frustrating him the most.
"Defensively, two games we did, the two better opponents we played, we did not execute well in the first," Smart shared via 247sports.com. "It's really frustrating because we show we can in the second half. We showed we can in the second and third quarter with Tennessee. And with this game, it was more second half."
Kirby Smart shares major concern regarding Georgia’s defense
There are a lot of reasons why Georgia lost to Alabama on Saturday, but one of the biggest by far is the slow start from Georgia’s defense. The Crimson Tide didn’t do anything crazy or have any big plays that burned Georgia, but Alabama was able to march down the field and score two touchdowns on their first two drives.
UGA had their chance to get off the field to end both drives as well. In fact, they had eight chances as Alabama faced eight third downs during those two drives. But the Tide were able to convert all eight third downs which is about as bad as it can get.
The good news for Georgia’s defense is that they played very well after their slow start. Georgia actually held Alabama to zero points in the second half which gave the offense a chance to win the game. Even though the offense wasn’t able to pull through, it’s easy to think about how differently this game could have gone if Georgia’s defense played well from the opening snap.
Georgia has to find a way to play better at the start of games. They’ve had real issues getting the engine turned on for multiple years now, and if UGA is going to bounce back after this loss to Alabama it all starts with finding a way to play better in the first half.