2021 UGA Football: Week Three

UGA Instant Analysis 

Week 3: W vs.USC; 3-0

I could get used to these comfortable games, but I expect Georgia only has one more (Vandy) before a tough Arkansas team comes to town. Don’t be surprised when Sam Pittman takes down A&M and comes to Athens as a top ten team. 

I have to first congratulate Georgia great David Pollack on his enshrinement into the College Football Hall of Fame. I mentioned this last season when Thomas Davis retired, but my family is from the North and my dad never really cared about college football, so as a kid in Georgia I was introduced to the Bulldawgs when David Pollack and TD were studs between the hedges. They made me fall in love with the game, and without that I don’t know how much of the man I am today would be possible. Ironically, Pollack has a similar background where his family is from the North so I really appreciate him and everything he did for UGA and for hundreds of kids around the state who looked up to him, like me.

On to the game itself. A less-mature younger me would tell you I hope every team stinks and keeps stinking forever. I don’t feel that way anymore, and I genuinely wish all the young men in uniform the best, on and off the field. It takes a lot of heart, effort, and time to play college sports, and I know these kids are better men for it. Unfortunately, South Carolina is in a real bad spot and had to play this Georgia team on a mission, and it showed in every phase. I like Shane Beamer, and he is one of a few budding branches on the Kirby Smart tree (which is its own branch off the dominating Nick Saban tree), so I will root for him and his players as much as possible. Don’t look now, but multiple coaches from the 2017 staff are off to amazing starts like Mel Tucker at Michigan State and Pittman at Arkansas. Jim Cheney is still nowhere to be found thank goodness. 

Maybe surprisingly I start this week with the defense. No, they were not bad at all, and frankly they weren’t the worst unit on the field, but there are some points of concern. The defensive front is ridiculous and stacked. There are basically two teams of six LBs and DL that rotate in that are big, physical, and fast. That depth can take them a long way. I don’t have many concerns there, but the back end worries me sometimes. There were a few too many Carolina routes that got behind Georgia DBs and should be touchdowns if not for poor throws or upfront pressure. Against a better team, those can be costly. It wasn’t awful, and to be fair these DBs want to smack you in the mouth (which I love), but they must tighten up the back end moving forward. To throw some love out there, Lewis Cine absolutely attacks the run game and he plays unafraid. Georgia potentially gets a boost from Tykee Smith this year, but it’s an area to look out for certainly against Arkansas.

Special teams checks in at number 2. Not a whole lot of negative here. Podlesny deserves some love for drilling an end-of-half kick. It might have been short but those moments come in handy later in the season.  Another trend to highlight is Kearis Jackson’s willingness to field punts when they are headed to the goal line. It won’t show up on a stat sheet, but he is great about keeping that ball from rolling deeper and it keeps the offense in better field position. 

Offense lands in the top spot, and while there is a lot of praise coming their way, they could have been so much better. First off for the O, JT is the guy and there’s no question about it, however, if he could run just a little bit this offense would be unstoppable. Even the threat of pulling a zone read or tucking a boot leg would go a long way. Georgia is dangerous even without that ability, but I would love to have that extra threat. By the way, the freshman QB on the roster has it, something to remember next season. Regardless, JT played great outside of one lazy throw at the end, and I look forward to his growth next week too. This week’s offensive spotlight belonged to Adonai Mitchell, a true freshman receiver who demonstrated intelligence, quickness, and toughness against Carolina. Another player that needs some attention is Kendall Milton. While his stat sheet might not pop (yet), he laid a truck stick on a defender for the third straight week, and followed it up with an ankle breaker on his next carry. He is the most talented back on the team, and no one is in a better position than him moving forward. He had last season and now this year to relax a little behind quality backs, and will shine next season before being a first or second round draft pick. His hits will be limited and his legs will be fresh so MAYBE he can last a few seasons in the league. Outside of some laziness and questionable conservative play calls, this offense performed great against an SEC defense and has another chance to shine next week, this time on the road. 

I wasn’t blown away by the performance this week, but really the Dawgs packed it in halfway through the third quarter so it’s hard to say how much better it could have been. Next week’s spread will open at around 40 points so it better be a beat down, and I’m encouraged with the progress of this Georgia team. 

As always — Go Dawgs.