Georgia Football: 3 takeaways from shutout of Kentucky in Week 8
1. This defense is nasty
Through eight weeks, the Bulldogs defense continues to be stingy, nasty and simply overpowering to opponents not only inside the red zone but between the 20s.
This group has a never break attitude as they are “doing more” which is just what Kirby Smart wants them to do. They need to do more. They’ve lost after getting up early in just about every big game the last two seasons. The games I’m referring to are the national title game and the SEC Championship with a ticket to the playoff on the line.
The ability to blank any team in the SEC no matter who they are or what level of competition they are, is nothing to be taken lightly. The Kentucky Wildcats had some success running the ball with the RPO knowing that the Dawgs were practically daring Kentucky to throw the ball, giving 10 yard cushions on its receivers in multiple sets and down and distances.
Even on a few third-and-shorts, which are manageable for most offenses, Georgia didn’t respect the passing game.
Shutting that down, Georgia nearly had its name in the record books until a pass for three yards in the fourth quarter. The stat was most incomplete passes with more than 10 attempts, resulting in no yards. A lot needs to be praised for with Smart and the defense and finding ways to win in rough weather and tough situations is one of them.
Yes, I know that they lost the week before to South Carolina which almost took Florida the distance but this game was a great bounce-back win for the Dawgs.
They next look to the bye, giving them two full weeks to prepare for the World’s Largest Outdoor Cocktail Party. This game, simply put, decides the SEC East champion — as it has the last few seasons. The loss that Missouri took in Week 8 put the Dawgs right behind Florida — both one-loss teams — on a collision course for Nov. 2.
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The winner gets a full game up and a tiebreaker over the loser which all but seals the SEC East as Georgia will only have one more team left on its schedule which is Missouri.