The conversation around the Georgia Bulldogs has taken a different tone since their close call on the road against the Kentucky Wildcats in Week 3.
Georgia, then rated first, was a 22-point favorite over former UGA quarterback Brock Vandagriff and Kentucky going into kickoff. The Wildcats had just suffered a crushing 31-6 loss at home to South Carolina.
Neither offense had much success in the defensive fight. Kirby Smart’s Dawgs trailed 6-3 at halftime before rallying and defeating Mark Stoops and company 13-12.
Georgia’s performance was unusual at best. Carson Beck, a Heisman Trophy contender, did not appear to be himself, completing 15 of 24 throws for 160 yards and no touchdowns. Kentucky gained 170 yards on the run against the renowned UGA defensive front.
The close call not only dropped the Bulldogs to second place in the AP Top 25, trailing the Texas Longhorns, but it also raises worries about how Georgia will fare against the No. 4 Alabama Crimson Tide in Week 5.
ESPN college football analyst Greg McElroy says UGA’s defensive line depth is the most important topic the Bulldogs must answer before flying to Tuscaloosa on September 28.
“I think their depth is a huge question, and Kirby told us this,” he stated during “Always College Football.”‘We no longer have the competitive depth that we once had.’ He stated that. So we’ve seen a couple of people get hurt, and they’re now reliant on three guys up front. Yeah, that concerns me.”
The Bulldogs were without starting defensive linemen Mykel Williams and Warren Brinson in Lexington. Sophomore Jordan Hall was also sidelined due to an injury.
Smart did express concern about Georgia’s depth ahead of the season. “I feel like we have less depth than we’ve ever had, and that’s kind of a common theme talking to other coaches I talk to,” Smart admitted. “I call it the deterioration of football because every year we’ve been here I feel like we’ve had more players capable of going in and play winning football and every year, that goes down.”
Williams and Brinson could potentially return next week, providing a significant boost to the defensive front. Smart prefers to rotate bodies at
position, which was not available versus the Wildcats. Jalen Milroe, the defending Alabama quarterback, is especially troublesome on defensive lines because of his ball carrying skills. His performance contributed significantly to Alabama’s victory over Georgia in the 2023 SEC Championship Game.
Leave a Reply