9/22/18 5:00pm
Dawgs Win in a Mess
Cover Photo: georgiadogs.com
By: Joshua Grosh
Alright, Dawg Nation. Let just all step away from that ledge of anxiety and stress that we are all feeling. That game was anything but pretty – however, the Dawgs came out victorious. So, let’s just get the negative out of the way before we head into the positives of the game – which just might surprise you. The game today was a sloppy and undisciplined showing by Georgia. That cannot be understated. Between blocks getting repeatedly beaten, penalties assessed, Fromm not being as sharp as usual, and just the somewhat let down of the offensive line’s performance was worrying all together. To make matters worse, UGA suffered four injuries in this bout that could prove to haunt us. The running game less than stellar, not breaking 200 yards even unfortunately. This was even further made worse by the seemingly predictable play calling on the offensive side of the ball for most of the game that kept UGA’s offense in seemingly constant frustration and a Mizzou defense on fire. Even by halftime Fromm had not even completed half of his passes and was off his game – potentially from the pressure or the coverage. Further still, UGA even had a touchdown that could have been easily overturned if pylon cameras were on the field after JJ Holloman’s rendition of Deandre Baker from the Carolina game. Yet, this finally leads to the positive – UGA simply wouldn’t be beaten despite such an awful showing.
The Georgia defense was flat out impressive – and it very much so kept UGA in the game in the first half after forcing multiple turnovers and stops. They held in check one of the best and most senior QBs in the conference and forced him below a 50% completion rate and to just 221 yards through the air. They also did unfortunately surrender 172 yards on the ground which may be worrisome in future matchups – particularly against competent spread teams. The caveat is that Georgia outgained Mizzou in both offensive comparisons – and Jake Fromm even out dueled Drew Lock through the air. UGA overcame bad penalties and some all-around bad plays to rise to the occasion. This is something many championship teams deal with at some point during the season – and often it does not even end with a victory. So, if there is anything that needs to be taken from this game, it is the team will need to learn from their mistakes and move on – as I am sure Kirby will ensure to do probably as soon as the plane ride home.
Some Fun Stats
UGA held Drew Lock to a season low of 221 yards. This is below his season average of 354 yards per game – which is 62.4% of his regular output. Not to mention UGA denied Lock from having a passing touchdown for the first time this season – for reference, he hasn’t passed for less than 3 touchdowns in a game.
Georgia was credited with 3 QB hurries and 2 sacks against Mizzou, breaking through in pass rush for the first time this season. This doesn’t include the times the Dawgs got into the pocket to keep Lock looking over his shoulder. To add to this, two of the sacks led to fumbles by Drew Lock (one recovered by Mizzou). On top of this, Georgia broke up 9 passes and all but took Mizzou’s star WR out of the game because of Baker’s coverage.
Star Players
Deandre Baker had 7 tackles total, one pass defended, and took Hall out of the game completely and locked down a side of the field making Mizzou have to find other ways to keep the offense alive. He also recovered a fumble that was forced by D’Andre Walker.
D’Andre Walker had 4 solo tackles out of his 4 tackles, 2 sacks, 2 tackles for a loss, a forced fumble, a pass defended, and a QB hurry. He played out of his mind to say the least.
Eric Stokes had 4 solo tackles out of his 4 tackles, 3 passes defended, and a blocked punt that he scored for a touchdown. With Baker locking down one half the field, UGA needed another corner to step out to help the secondary and Stokes was that player today. He performed great to say the least.
Look Ahead
The next matchup falls in the friendly confines of Sanford Stadium against Tennessee. The times are still listed as to be decided. The game highly favors the Dawgs and should help UGA to rest up some injuries and correct a lot of the mental mistakes from this past week.
404thebeat.com 