Georgia football was back in action this weekend as they welcomed Austin Peay to Athens for their second game of the season. The Bulldogs were able to hold on and win 28-6, but it was hard to be excited about a victory by such a small margin against an FCS opponent.
Regardless, there were plenty of positive and negative things to take away from this game, so let's dive in and see what stood out from Georgia's win over the Governors.
Key observations from Georgia's disappointing win
Starting running back Nate Frazier fumbled on his first touch, but Georgia showed resilience quickly. Chauncey Bowens carried five times for 24 yards on the next drive, taking over from Frazier and ending with a 2-yard touchdown. On the third drive, Frazier returned and bounced back from his mistake with three straight touches for 19 yards before scoring from two yards out to put Georgia up 14-0.
That unfortunately is when the offense then began to struggle as Austin Peay adjusted, and the half ended with a bigger frustration. After getting possession in Austin Peay territory with less than two minutes left, Georgia reached first-and-goal at the 1-yard line. A holding call gave Georgia extra chances, but a drop from Branch, a Stockton misfire and a slip from Bowens left them scoreless, leaving many fans frustrated by missing out on points.
Georgia relied on its running backs as Bowens and Frazier looked dominant to start the second half. Bowens ran in a 14-yard touchdown to help give away the offensive struggles at the end of the half.
However, ball security continued to plague Georgia. London Humphreys fumbled the ball on Georgia’s own 31-yard line allowing the Governors to kick their second field goal of the game.
It wasn't all bad for Georgia on Saturday
Senior wide receiver Colbie Young was a bright spot for the Georgia offense, hauling in seven catches for 76 yards. The offense also provided a breather in the 4th quarter with a 17-play, 99-yard drive finished by a 1-yard touchdown run from Frazier that ultimately sealed the win for Georgia to start the season 2-0.
Georgia’s defense held strong, keeping Austin Peay without a first down on its first two possessions. Senior linebacker CJ Allen led the way with seven tackles which included a sack.
Sophomore cornerback Ellis Robinson IV recorded his first career interception, catching it off a deflection. The play gave Georgia possession in Austin Peay territory with just over five minutes left in the half. On the next drive, Allen came through again with a third down sack of quarterback Chris Parson, forcing Austin Peay’s third punt.
For Georgia, which felt like redemption for the offense’s goal line miscues to end the first half, Georgia made a goal line stand to prevent Austin Peay from making it a one possession game early in the fourth quarter.
Georgia's TE room has some work to do
Georgia’s tight end room has been talked about as one of the deepest groups on the roster this year. That wasn’t shown on the field Saturday and you have to be concerned about why they haven’t been getting involved. None of the tight ends recorded a reception, maybe due to a more focused attack in the run game and getting the ball out of Stockton’s hands quickly on shallow routes.
Last season, Luckie and Delp combined for 45 catches and 596 yards. While it’s still early and the playbook may not be fully open just yet, I would be surprised if Georgia doesn’t up their targets as the season goes along, given the talent and depth at that position. They also lost freshman tight end Ethan Barbour with a lower leg injury which adds more concern to this room.