Georgia Bulldogs rout Southern, prepare for Crimson Tide

The No. 7 Georgia Bulldogs took care of business against SWAC opponent Southern University at Sanford Stadium, but even with the big win, the Dawgs are looking ahead to their upcoming visit from the No. 12 Alabama Crimson Tide.

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The Jaguars were the first SWAC team to ever visit Athens, Ga., and the Bulldogs didn’t give them the warmest of welcomes.

The game may have been lost by Southern, but you can clearly call the trip a win for them and in particular, the marching band. Southern’s famous band, known as the “The Human Jukebox.” was given a standing ovation by Georgia fans following their halftime show. Southern’s $650,000 guarantee for playing the game included a commitment that their band would perform.

Georgia (4-0, 2-0 SEC) came out quickly, going up 17-0 on the Jaguars, but looked rather unmotivated for the remainder of the first half, allowing Southern to move up and down the field with relative ease, and not finding ways to convert on third down, going 0-3 on third down conversion attempts before the half.

Nick Chubb couldn’t find any running room, quarterback Greyson Lambert looked efficient but unimpressive, and the Dawgs seemed like they were playing down to their opponent, making head coach Mark Richt get a little more demonstrative than usual despite taking a 20-6 lead into the half.

The second half saw a completely different Georgia team, and the rout was on, riding on the strength of Nick Chubb and Sony Michel‘s legs. Chubb left the game in the 3rd quarter after tying Herschel Walker‘s school record for 100-yard rushing games with his twelfth.

Lambert went 9 of 10 for 146 yards with two touchdowns, while Ramsey, who played most of the second half, completed 11 of 14 passes for 125 yards.

The concern for Georgia in this game was staying healthy – which they did – and not looking past Southern towards next week’s huge SEC game with Alabama – which they didn’t. Southern wasn’t quite as lucky, suffering a few injuries during the game, the most serious of which being to wide receiver Devon Gales, who was carted off the field late in the third quarter. There was no immediate report on Gales’ injury or condition.

Sep 26, 2015; Athens, GA, USA; Georgia Bulldogs quarterback Greyson Lambert (11) looks down field against the Southern University Jaguars during the first quarter at Sanford Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Dale Zanine-USA TODAY Sports

Looking ahead to the visit from the Tide, Georgia has a lot they’ll need to work on. Alabama will be coming in with a lot to prove in shutting up the voices screaming that the dynasty is over and Nick Saban is getting tired of Tuscaloosa. It’s going to take a near-flawless game from the Bulldogs, and that’s not what was seen against Southern today.

Lambert and Ramsey both had some bad passes that, against Alabama, would probably have been intercepted. Several lapses on special teams that ended up being harmless today would have proven disastrous against a top team.

Laser focus and controlled energy weren’t what was seen from Georgia today, and that’s what it will take to beat Alabama next week.

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