by Dan Mathews
A sloppy start luckily didn’t doom Georgia, as they go on to beat Kentucky 21-0.
The Bulldogs and Wildcats were both scoreless at the half. It wasn’t until the third quarter, when D’Andre Swift opened the scoring with a 39 yard touchdown run. He would tack one one more later in the game from three yards out in the fourth quarter.
The first half stat line was anything but ugly for UGA. Quarterback Jake Fromm finished with just 28 passing yards and threw for only seven more in the entire second half.
The Bulldogs could also only convert one third down out of seven opportunities. They were also stuffed on a fourth and one by the Wildcats defense.
Yes, you could say that Georgia was in a tough position offensively tonight, because of the hard driving rain that persisted throughout much of the game. They did finish the game with 235 yards of total offense.
The offensive play calling by coordinator James Coley continues to be a question for this team. This side of the ball will likely need to work through these issues during the bye week, before making a trip to Jacksonville for their annual meeting with the Florida Gators.
The defense was able to be a difference for the Bulldogs, as they completed their second shutout of the season. They were also able to force a fumble on Wildcats quarterback Lynn Bowden in the third quarter.
Like Georgia, Kentucky did not throw the ball much on the night. They finished with just 16 throws for 17 yards.
In the limited times that the Wildcats did throw it, UGA defenders were able to break up five of those attempts. That helped increase the “havoc rate” that Kirby Smart has harped on all season.
The thing that continues to be a concern for the Bulldogs, is their lack of pressure on opposing backfields. They finished tonight’s game with one sack and one tackle for a loss.
Going forward, both of those numbers need to increase for the Bulldogs. That is if they want to reach the College Football Playoff at the end of the season.
Sure, Georgia is getting help in the SEC East with contending teams losing games. This now means that the game in Jacksonville will be even more meaningful in two weeks.
The good news for this team, is that they’re still in position to accomplish their goals. They badly need their offense to improve, if they want to make this happen.
