Georgia was one of just two teams in the SEC East to win at least 10 games in 2014, and it was the only team in the division to close the year ranked in the top 10 of the final Associated Press poll. Here’s the five areas where the Dawgs need to improve the most to make the leap back to title contention in 2015.

1. Explosive passing offense: Georgia led the SEC in completion percentage in 2014, but it attempted the second-fewest passes in the conference and boasted the fourth-fewest explosive completions of 30-or-more yards. Hutson Mason was a consistent game-manager at quarterback, but he was far from a playmaker. Now there’s even more uncertainty at the position entering 2015, and although Nick Chubb returns to carry the run game the Dawgs must find ways to make plays through the air to force defenses to respect more than just the run.

2. Balance in the run game: Chubb was a workhorse when he broke into the lineup in the middle of last season, but Georgia can’t expect him to maintain that kind of workload in the coming years without sustaining an injury. The freshman carried the ball at least 30 times in three of Georgia’s final eight games last season, and he amassed more than 25 total touches in five of the final eight games. If the Dawgs can’t find a second option in Sony Michel or a healthy Keith Marshall, it could cost Chubb a few games due to injuries down the line.

3. Red zone defense: The Bulldogs fifth in the SEC in red zone scoring defense, which is nothing to shrug at, but it ranked 12th in the conference in red zone touchdown percentage, which is worth the concern. The Dawgs allowed opponents to score touchdowns on more than two-thirds of their red zone trips, which was difficult for a run-heavy UGA offense to keep pace with at times in 2014. Georgia must tighten up its defense at the goal line and force more field goals and fewer touchdowns if it hopes to win more close games in 2015.

4. Punting: Georgia was the only team in the SEC to average fewer than 40 yards per punt in 2014. In fact, it didn’t even average 38 yards per boot during the season, costing the Dawgs dearly in field position battles. The Dawgs return many of their key contributors on defense next season, but they must improve in the punting game to limit the number of short fields that defense must protect in the coming year.

5. Time of possession: For an offense that ran the ball as effectively as UGA did in 2014, it seems almost unbelievable that the Bulldogs ranked 10th in the SEC in time of possession in 2014. Georgia’s opponents actually possessed the ball for longer per game than the Bulldogs did, and for an offense that lacked explosiveness through the air that could be troubling if the trend carries over into 2015. Georgia must do a better job of controlling the ball to make life easier on its defense going forward.