As the No. 3 team in the country, Georgia has shown multiple strengths so far this season.
But this week, the DawgNation team answered this question as the Bulldogs head into a rivalry game against Florida and the back half of their regular season slate: To reach its full potential, what’s one thing Georgia must get right in the second half of the season?
This roundtable was featured in the Oct. 30 newsletter as a part of “Feature Fridays,” where each Friday the staff will chime in on anything from football to tailgating to their wildest sports memories.
You can subscribe to the newsletter here, and check out our answers below:
Kaylee Mansell: “One area that needs improvement is its performance in the second quarter. The Bulldogs have shown they can come out of the gate firing, outscoring opponents 87-14 in the first quarter through seven games.
“But that early success hasn’t always translated into consistent play throughout the game. The Bulldogs can’t afford to let their opponents gain momentum, erase an early deficit or take control of a game before halftime. Georgia has proven it can start games strong and finish with the toughness and execution needed to win close contests.
“But championship teams have to be consistent for all four quarters. The middle of the game is just as important as the opening kickoff and the final minutes, and if the Bulldogs want to reach their full potential, they need to turn their strong starts into complete performances.”
Connor Riley: “It’s overly simple but Georgia just needs to do a better job of tackling. There was a noticeable step back in the games against Alabama and Auburn, with it really costing Georgia in the latter. Yes, Georgia is a talented team, but tackling is an effort-based skill. The Bulldogs still have four very difficult SEC games on their schedule and they’re going to need to be more buttoned up on the defensive side of the ball.”
Brandon Adams: “In the second half of the season, Georgia needs to get healthier at running back. Dwight Phillips Jr. and Bo Walker performed admirably against Alabama earlier this month, but UGA still needs Nate Frazier to return to his pre-injury form. The Bulldogs became vulnerable to an upset against Auburn because the rushing attack faltered. They’ll need to regain that balance on offense if they want to remain a championship contender.”
Jeff Sentell’s answer was similar to Brandon’s: “Georgia needs its running back depth restored. That means getting Frazier back. A healthy Frazier is the X factor down the SEC stretch and playoff run. This UGA team is stronger than in previous years in several areas, including completion percentage, scoring offense, total offense, third-down conversions, rush and pass offense, average yards per carry, pass efficiency, rushing defense, total defense, scoring defense, and even sacks. This is a title-contending team. The Auburn game is an outlier, but any team is susceptible to getting beat when it finishes a game -3 in turnover margin.
“Punting is a yellow flag. Net punting is 89th nationally. That’s usually a heavy UGA strength. The get-right fix here is simple: The Bulldogs don’t need to beat the Bullodgs with turnovers and also keep their top backs healthy.”
Mike Griffith: “Georgia needs its defensive front to continue to develop and become more assertive. A dominant defensive front could lead to a title. If the Bulldogs can’t consistently stop the rush, there will not be a championship run.”
Cody Chaffins: “Georgia’s got to get special teams right. The hidden yards, especially in the punt and punt return game, make UGA’s drives longer and opponents’ drives shorter. It’s adds up over time and will eventually bite. Have to pin ‘em deep.”
Sarah Spencer: “The run game is key, both on offense and defense. I’ll echo Brandon and Jeff that Georgia needs Frazier at the top of his game, especially with Chauncey Bowens out. No matter how stellar Phillips and Walker were against Alabama, the Bulldogs simply have to have their top guy healthy and doing his thing at that position group.
Georgia was outrushed 192-113 in the Auburn loss, and it’s not a good recipe to repeat.”
