Believe it or not, Georgia is already halfway through the regular season. Despite a few hiccups, the Dawgs find themselves at 6-0, gearing up to play an aggressive Vanderbilt team that is drastically improved from the group the Bulldogs thrashed 62-0 last season. This game will be the first of a difficult stretch of games to finish the season, but our Bulldogs are battle tested and have given us a solid impression as to what we can expect for the remainder of the 2022 campaign.
Georgia, as expected, has relied on a significant amount of youthful players to fill the void on defense, but they certainly don’t play that way. Malaki Starks, as a true freshman, is not just one of the better safeties on the team, but he is one of the better safeties in the entire country. Other true freshmen, such as Mykel Williams and Bear Alexander, have caused serious issues in the backfield for the opposing team’s offenses. On top of that, sophomores Smael Mondon and Jamon Dumas-Johnson have been phenomenal at inside linebacker. Regardless of the youth, Georgia is still showing they are playing defense by committee. They rotate heavily and do not need one select unit to play every snap. On top of that, Georgia has only allowed an average of 10 points per game without their best defensive player, Jalen Carter.
On the offensive side of the ball, we have also seen that, while young, Georgia is extremely talented. Because of an early injury to AD Mitchell against Samford, Stetson Bennett has had to find many receivers to throw the ball to. Brock Bowers and Darnell Washington have been cheat codes when moving the ball down the field, but players like Marcus Rosemy-Jacksaint and Dillion Bell have stepped up to make plays in AD’s absence. Also, take away a few uncharacteristic drops from Ladd McConkey and he is still, without a doubt, one of the most elusive players in the SEC. When pertaining to the run game, Branson Robinson and Daijun Edwards made their names known with staggering performances against the Auburn Tigers. The Bulldog’s offensive line stepped up big last week, and expect to see that continue in the second half of the season.
Georgia, through six games, has shown that they are not the same team as a year ago, but they are talented, explosive, and capable of winning football games in numerous ways. Last year, we didn’t see the Bulldogs struggle and have to come back to win football games. This year, we have. Most people would be upset with this, and rightly so, as there is a high standard at UGA, but as we approach a set of games where three of the six teams are ranked in the top 25, Georgia has proven they are capable of overcoming adversity. They are also capable of scoring an unanswered touchdown after unanswered touchdown and ending a game before it has even begun. The point is Georgia is a force to be reckoned with, and they have a lot of football left to play. The team’s youth will continue to mature while gaining meaningful reps while some of our better players will soon return from injury, adding a new dimension to what this team is truly capable of. Buckle up, Bulldog fans. It’s about to get fun.