Georgia’s 49-7 win over Middle Tennessee State Saturday afternoon in Athens was one of the rare games where everything ostensibly went according to plan, but there were still plenty of mistakes to criticize and nitpick.
Well, rare for everyone but Kirby Smart.
If you caught a glimpse of Smart on the sideline during the 42-point victory, you may have thought the score was reversed. Seemingly every time he popped up on screen, Smart was laying into a player, yelling at coaches through his headset or just scowling at the very idea his Bulldogs were not playing perfectly.
This is all part of the dark magic he learned from Nick Saban. Smart, like Saban at Alabama, has created a standard he believes Georgia should play up to, and when it doesn’t, whether it be against Auburn or Middle Tennessee, he is pissed. Because the Smarts and Sabans of the world understand that if you want to play perfectly against Auburn, you also have to play perfectly against Middle Tennessee.
Which is to say that all those small, correctable mistakes are criticized and nitpicked for a reason. Middle Tennessee was the final cupcake opponent until UMass in the second-to-last week of the regular season, and although Georgia will likely be favored in every game for the rest of the regular season, there are plenty of opportunities to stumble if the Dawgs don’t play at the top of their game.
The most obvious and egregious cause for concern was the penalties. Georgia was flagged seven times for a total of 54 yards against the Blue Raiders, which equals the team’s combined number of penalties against Austin Peay (3-40) and South Carolina (4-47). Smart is often forgiving of penalties he perceives as “aggressive,” penalties that can come from being too amped up, such as holding.
Then there are penalties like Ahkil Crumpton’s unsportsmanlike conduct on the opening kick that changed Georgia’s starting position from the 25- to 13-yard line. On this drive, the Dawgs just went 87 yards instead of 75, but against an opponent such as LSU, Auburn or even Missouri, that’s the kind of penalty that can put the offense in a hole it’s tough to climb out of.
But the penalties were only one of the problems. Offensively, the biggest issue was pass protection, particularly on the left side of the line, where the injured Andrew Thomas lined up. Cade Mays turned heads at left tackle after coming in for Thomas when he went down in the second half against South Carolina. But in retrospect, his success seemed to be derived more from the fact that the South Carolina defense was dog tired and not because he was head and shoulders better than them. He was brought down to earth against Middle Tennessee, looking much more like the true freshman he is.
On defense, two issues jumped out: the lack of a pass rush and poor pass protection in the secondary. Georgia’s lack of sacks can be chalked up in large part to Middle Tennessee quarterback Brent Stockstill’s ability to make quick passes, but combined with the ineffective pass rush against South Carolina, it has to be an issue. In the secondary, Deandre Baker nabbed his second interception of the season. Whatever side of the field he’s on is good, but the opposite side is untested and rife for exploitation by a good quarterback.
Missouri’s Drew Lock, whom Georgia will face next week, is a good quarterback. The Tigers are 3-0 and low-key contenders for second-place in the SEC East thanks in large part to Lock. And if Georgia gives him time in the pocket to make the right decision—that goes for the linemen rushing him and the defensive backs covering a talented bunch of Mizzou receivers—he will make the Bulldogs play. By the same token, Georgia’s offensive line has to do a better job in protection against a really good and deep Missouri defensive front.
Luckily for Georgia, it may not have to pass much because of its depth at running back. (D’Andre Swift got just four touches against Middle Tennessee because Smart decided he could win without him.) And if a shootout does go down in Columbia, Georgia has now proven capable of scoring on offense, defense and special teams this season. (Mecole Hardman, who is establishing himself as one of the best WRs in college football, housed a 70-yard punt return Saturday.)
Missouri could be Georgia’s toughest opponent of the early season. But if the Bulldogs avoid the little mistakes and play to the standard set by Smart, it won’t matter who they’re playing, because the end result will always be the same.
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