Thoughts From the Box: Georgia Runs Wild On Auburn In 42-10 Victory
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ATHENS - A win is a win, but it wasn’t necessarily a pretty one for Kirby Smart and the Georgia Bulldogs.
Yes, Georgia beat Auburn by 32 points with a final score of 42-10. They beat their ass in the 2nd half. Hell, they even covered. But still, something was off with Stetson Bennett and the passing game.
The offense got off to another slow start, scoring zero points on their first three offensive possessions. Thankfully for Georgia, Auburn head coach Brian Harsin coached the game like he doesn’t want to be there anymore. The Tigers called a fake-punt late in the 1st quarter that gave Georgia life and great field possession, leading them to their first touchdown of the ballgame.
Before I criticize the passing attack, it’s only fair to acknowledge Georgia’s rushing attack. The Bulldogs ran the ball early and often, and that’s the biggest reason why they won the ballgame. They played tough, physical football in the trenches and it led to six rushing touchdowns and 292 total rushing yards. The backs did their job, and the offensive line blocked much better in the run game than they did against Missouri.
They RAN THROUGH Auburn. They did exactly what they wanted to do on the ground. Smash-mouth, physical football.
Unfortunately, quarterback Stetson Bennett couldn’t get anything going through the air until the 4th quarter when the game was already over. It’s clear the minor shoulder injury he’s been dealing with has hurt him. He was inaccurate, ineffective, and couldn’t get into a rhythm throwing the ball. He had plenty of protection, but he wasn’t making throws. Between losing a fumble early in the 3rd quarter, missing a wide open Brock Bowers for a touchdown in the first half, and throwing for just 208 yards on the day, it’s safe to say this is the worst he’s played in a Georgia game as a full-time starter. Now he did take off for a long 64-touchdown run, but he didn’t get much going through the air until the 4th quarter.
The receivers have to better, too. This isn’t all on Bennett, but of course he’s going to have to play better moving forward, especially in the first half. The passing game is a giant concern right now, and that has to change come November. Bennett ended the game 22/32 for 208 and zero touchdowns with one lost fumble.
The Georgia Bulldogs WIN the 2021 NATIONAL TITLE!
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Defensively, Georgia played their ass off once again. Now, you have to admit that Auburn’s offense is BAD. I mean, worse than bad. They gave an ugly performance today, but that’s no surprise. The Tigers always have trouble scoring in Athens and that happened again today.
Outside of two atrocious missed tackles by Nyland Green and Dan Jackson that led to a long 62-yard Jaquez Hunter touchdown, Georgia’s defense was outstanding. They had Robby Ashford running for his life all day, and at times it turned into a solid gain for the young quarterback. Like Stetson Bennett, Ashford had a tough time getting anything going through the air today.
Overall, this is a solid win, but did they look like the No. 2 team in the country? They did for the last quarter and a half, but certainly not early on. Still, there aren’t many teams who could come into Athens and beat the Bulldogs right now.
They’ve got to be more consistent offensively. They ran the ball well today but couldn’t get the passing game going. If Georgia wants to go on the road and beat Mississippi State, they need to be clicking offensively. If they don’t want the Vols ruining their season in Athens next month, they need to be a lot more consistent.
The score will look nice for the future, but did Georgia play to their standard today? I don’t think so. They have a lot to improve on and beat a BAD Auburn team today. Now, they’re 6-0 and have a much-needed off week coming after Vanderbilt.
The Georgia Bulldogs WIN the 2021 NATIONAL TITLE!
