5 crucial things to unpack about Georgia's topsy-turvy loss to Alabama

If there is such a thing as a "thrilling loss" then Georgia has found the secret recipe for providing them, and it usually happens when the Bulldogs play Alabama.

2024's Week 5 regular-season game was no exception, with Georgia looking like they were out for the count after one quarter, only to come back, take the lead, and then snatch defeat from the jaws of victory on two gut-wrenching plays.

With so much happening in the span of this heavyweight bout beyond the final score, it's important to use it as a learning experience as well as a cautionary tale. Five things stood out above all once the final gun sounded.

Unpacking the dirty laundry is never fun, but if you want to get things clean again, it's a necessity.

Georgia is deficient in the receiver department (pull out those sweaty shirts)

While you'll never replace a generational player like Brock Bowers, or a guy who seemed to step up every single time you needed him like Ladd McConkey, the hope was that Georgia's receivers would have learned from those and other stars and be ready to step in as the next man up.

We saw a glimpse of how wrong that assumption may have been against Kentucky, but how far Georgia's receivers have fallen off was on full display against Alabama.

Countless dropped passes, bad routes, and sloppy play made a struggling Carson Beck's night even harder. While Arian Smith and Dillon Bell did a better job of answering the call in the second half of the game, there was still an element missing -- a disconnect even -- between receivers and quarterback.

Perhaps the second half of the game was just what the doctor ordered, and we'll see more synergy between Beck and his receivers, but for now, it's safe to say that the receiving corps, particularly at tight end, have a lot of work to do.

The dominant Georgia running game seems like it was ages ago (mud-stained pants come next)

When people think about the Georgia Bulldogs, one of the first things that comes to mind is great running backs and a smack-you-in-the-mouth style of running the ball that regularly wore down opposing defenses.

Against a stout Alabama defense (and also missing some pretty good offensive linemen), Georgia ran the ball for a total of 80 yards. Trevor Etienne finished with 55, and the rest of the yardage was sparsely divided between Beck, Dillon Bell, and Branson Robinson.

Granted, the Bulldogs found themselves in a first-quarter 28-0 hole, but even at that point it was still too early to abandon the run. In fact, had the Bulldogs played Georgia football from the first possession, the defense may have caught a break before being buzzsawed in four straight Alabama possessions.

The poor running performance was just a microcosm of what's been seen so far this year. Georgia only rushed for 102 yards against Kentucky and 169 by committee against Clemson.

Trevor Etienne has been less than advertised, Branson Robinson has been pretty much a non-factor, and freshman Nate Frazier -- who had a spectacular debut against Clemson -- has only touched the ball nine times since that Week 1 game and got zero touches against Alabama.

The mighty UGA run game is now ranked 58th nationally in yards per game (126.25) 53rd in yards per carry (3.61) and 21st in rushing touchdowns (3). Georgia needs to figure out the running game and figure it out fast. Getting into passing shootouts with Texas, Ole Miss, and Tennessee could lead to disaster.

The Georgia secondary was exposed (grab those wet clothes from the waterproof pocket)

Prior to the season beginning, it was clear that the secondary could be an area of concern for Glenn Schumann's defense.

That prophecy was completely fulfilled against a lethal Alabama passing attack. Jalen Milroe threw for 374 yards and two touchdowns, and that was despite Alabama getting off to a fast 28-0 lead.

Milroe distributed the ball to 11 different receivers, eight of whom had catches for 15 yards or more. The most damaging being the 75-yarder to freshman Ryan Williams to put Alabama back on top after Georgia had scrapped their way to a one point lead.

Georgia's defensive backs looked lost in coverage for a good part of the night. They were constantly one step behind every Alabama receiver, and if missed tackles were NIL dollars, every one of them could now comfortably retire.

Schumann had the difficult task of replacing some All-Americans with a lot of very young talent. It's clear this group has a long way to go, and with three very proficient quarterbacks -- Quinn Ewers (or Arch Manning), Jaxson Dart, and Nico Iamaleava, some adjustments need to be made quickly

It's going to take some scheming to hide the warts in the secondary, and that may need to include upping the number of blitz packages to potentially reduce the amount of time these defensive backs have to be in coverage.

Carson Beck has more warts than anyone thought (man, those sneakers stink, so air them out)

Carson Beck is still a very good quarterback. He showed a lot of mettle during Georgia's second-half comeback, but he also had a lot of problems exposed that many scouts believed had been fixed during the 2023 season.

Clearly, Beck is not as accurate as he had been given credit for. Like most good quarterbacks, when he has a few seconds to step back, set his feet, and scan the field, he can drop dimes. But when he's forced to move out of the pocket or has a defender getting into his face, his accuracy suddenly takes a huge dip.

Beck's four turnovers -- three interceptions and one fumble -- also raised some red flags. Not a single one of the picks could be attributed to the receivers, and two of them were so egregious that even Kirk Herbstreit, a big Carson Beck fan, seemed incredulous in his commentary

The final interception that sealed the win for Alabama was one hundred percent avoidable. Beck misread the coverage and then placed the ball poorly. Instead of being over the shoulder of this receiver where it would result in either a touchdown or an out-of-bounds play, he forced receiver Colbie Young to play defensive back after being boxed out by Zabien Brown.

Beck's performances in the big games need to step up because the Bulldogs have a few more on the horizon.

Georgia is still a playoff team (put those clean socks that you didn't wear in the drawer)

Despite the laundry list of problems above, it's not wrong to say that Georgia is still one of the best teams in the country and should make the College Football Playoff this year. It's not a given, but they have a team good enough to make it.

Coming from a 28-0 hole, with a turnover ratio of -2, on the road in Tuscaloosa to take the lead was a Herculean feat. The Bulldogs were one play away from escaping the Crimson Dungeon with a win. Few teams could have mustered that kind of gutsy performance.

Losing a game like this early in the season isn't a bad thing. Kirby Smart and his staff now have a very clear picture of what needs to be fixed (or adjusted to) and they have plenty of time to do it, starting with a date against struggling Auburn at Sanford Stadium next Saturday.