Playing from behind every week can be a death sentence in the SEC. Getting thrown off an offensive script early and constantly having to be in catch-up mode is no way to win games consistently, especially in college football’s toughest conference.
But that’s been the case for Georgia this season, just as it was a major theme throughout the 2024 season as well
The Bulldogs went down 10-0 at Auburn last week and were in serious danger of falling behind 17-0 before a goal line fumble swung the tide of the game in what ended up being a 20-10 win.
And speaking of the tide, they trailed 14-0 and 17-7 to Alabama in the first half of their showdown in Sanford Stadium, before their comeback effort ultimately fell short in a 24-21 loss.
Georgia also trailed by multiple scores at Tennessee, at one point being behind 21-7 in the first half before surging back for a wild win. And while it’s certainly a good thing that Georgia can fight back when they’re losing by so much, at a certain point the slow starts become a big question mark.
“I don’t know. I wish I knew. I mean, I would tell you if I did,” head coach Kirby Smart said when asked why Georgia falls behind in games. “I asked the team that question [after the Auburn game]. We’ve got to get it solved because it’s hard when you’re this style of team to play catch-up. It’s not really who we are. But we’ve got to get better.”
What can Georgia do to start faster?
The Bulldogs made a concerted effort this offseason to improve their running game, which would allow them to control the ball and dictate the pace of the game much more effectively. And while they’ve certainly improved significantly on the ground this year, it hasn’t quelled their issues in the beginning of games.
Shaky pass protection, a suspect pass rush and struggles in the secondary have all been issues this year. And that certainly explains some of the phenomenon with Georgia’s slow starts. But even then, it remains a fascinating, and wildly frustrating, problem that needs to be solved.
Georgia often shows the kind of team it can really be in the second half of games. They’re resilient, physical and seem to always have a response when they take a punch. The Bulldogs have outscored SEC opponents 59-24 in the second half this season which is about as good as it gets.
That just needs to show up much, much earlier in games. Always playing with their back against the wall is not a sustainable way to win, especially in the SEC. It’s definitely a good thing that Georgia has been as good as they have in the fourth quarter this year, and that will bode well against elite opponents like the No. 5 Ole Miss squad coming to town this weekend.
“We have played really physical and out-conditioned and out-executed teams down the wire, which is a great trait to have,” Smart said, “But we certainly gotta play better earlier in games.”
Georgia could be a scary team if they play a full 60 minutes
The Bulldogs haven’t played true complementary football for a full 60 minutes at any point this season, save for their two cupcake games early in the year and a 35-14 win over Kentucky. And there are even nitpicks to be made about the way they looked in those games.
At some point, Georgia will need to start seizing control of games. Their running game has been impressive this year and gives them a chance to do that, and they’re going up against an Ole Miss team that has struggled to defend the run this season.
The Bulldogs need a hot start in this one badly. And if they don’t get one, Lane Kiffin’s high flying offense will be happy to capitalize.