How the mighty have fallen. For the first time in four years, the University of Georgia Bulldogs have lost to a team not named the Crimson Tide. That’s right, Georgia hasn’t lost to anyone but Alabama since 2020’s loss to Florida. The downside for the UGA faithful is Saturday’s loss to a very good Ole Miss (now ranked at #11) team, which was a very real fear discussed last week, is Georgia still has another very good team ahead of them on the schedule – Tennessee.
So what happened in Oxford last Saturday? In a nutshell? They got exposed, and the loss has pushed the ‘Dawgs out of the Top Ten.
That depends on who you ask. Georgia fans took exception to what some thought was a very conservative offensive gameplan, seemingly in deference to QB Carson Beck’s SEC-leading interceptions. The results spoke for themselves – a first half offense plagued by three-and-outs. The second half, Ole Miss seemed to dig in even deeper, forcing Beck to throw yet another interception and fumble the ball when he was sacked in the fourth quarter.
The lone bright spot – and that’s still a bit of a hard sell – Georgia’s defense, which forced the Rebels to kick five field goals instead of punching the ball into the end zone. Still, the Bulldogs gave up nearly 400 yards to Ole Miss, while only generating 245.
That’s not championship football. Sadly, Kirby Smart was – by his own admission – outcoached by Ole Miss’s Lane Kiffin, And that hurts to admit, for most of us.
Georgia Bulldogs Coach Kirby Smart Doesn’t Seem Worried
‘Dawgs Head Coach Kirby Smart tried to remain positive after the game, quoted in his press conference as saying.
“We’re on a long journey. It’s a long journey and you’ve got to play the next play and you’ve got to play the next game, and that’s the goal for this group. That’s what I told him in there. I was like, guys, our future’s in front of us. We’ve got to figure out how to get better.”
So while Smart and the Georgia faithful cheer themselves up about their chances and opportunities still left in the season, their odds of making the playoffs, and even the slim chance of sliding into the SEC Championship conversation, it’s hard to ignore the actual product they’re putting on the field, and even some of their wins – such as a squeak past Kentucky earlier this year – objectively, they are not the team they were even a year ago.
UGA Might Not Be Facing the Real Issues
Even worse is what appears the reaction to Beck’s struggles, a reimagined offensive passing game relying on screens, and a running game that isn’t where it should be, may not have the speed necessary to generate fast points against a good opponent. This seems to be in deference to Beck’s accuracy and may prove to be the ‘Dawgs undoing in what will be their biggest game, next week at home against Tennessee. The Volunteers have proven to be able to put points on the board quickly, and if the Bulldogs can’t go deep, and rely on a so-so running game, it could put them in a quandary if UT jumps to a quick lead.
One last worry, and perhaps the biggest one, is whether Beck was focused on the game at all. With three minutes to go, he was seen smiling and laughing on the sidelines, immediately before taking the field and turning over the ball in the fumble noted earlier.
Like any football season, this year can only be judged by the outcomes still to be determined. One thing is for certain, though, the ‘Dawgs are not the team they have been, and they’ll have to fight a lot harder and dig a lot deeper to make this season count.
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