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Georgia Bulldogs

5 things Georgia fans hope get fixed during the bye week

Christine Wang

By Christine Wang

Published:


The good thing about reaching a low point in the season right before a bye week is that you get an extended amount of time to fix what went wrong.

Georgia’s offensive performance against Missouri in a 9-6 victory was that low point for the Bulldogs, even lower than when they lost 38-10 at home to Alabama. It’s the first time since 2010 that the Bulldogs have not scored a touchdown in a game. It’s not something they’re used to – they averaged more than 45 points in game in jumping off to a 4-0 start – and it’s not something they like.

Ever since the Alabama blowout, Georgia’s been on a slide. Now the Bulldogs finally have some time to get it together, and just in time, too. Their biggest rival, the Florida Gators, awaits next weekend in Jacksonville, with the SEC East title still up for grabs. To not score a touchdown against Missouri is one thing, but to lose to Florida would be much worse.

Here are the five biggest things Georgia fans hope their team fixed during the bye week:

1. The run game: Having a star like Nick Chubb in the backfield was a blessing. But having so much talent in one person often backfires when he gets injured, as was the case here. Georgia fans hope their team emerges from the bye week with a solid plan for how the running game will be revived. Running back Sony Michel is the obvious replacement, but he’s not the power runner Chubb was. Keith Marshall and Brendan Douglas each got carries against Missouri and we could see a good bit of all three backs against Florida.

2. Greyson Lambert’s productivity: Georgia’s quarterback has talent, no doubt about it. But Lambert has struggled immensely with consistency. A change in the game plan and how Lambert is utilized needs to occur. Since he’s accurate with short-range passes, using play-action could be the answer to building up Lambert’s confidence. Getting the ball out faster also reduces Florida’s opportunities for sacks or quarterback hurries, which also would reduce mistakes or miscues on Lambert’s part.

3. The receiving corps: Lambert could use a little help from the guys he’s throwing to. If the amount of quick passes starts to rise, these receivers will also be relied on to make and extend plays. Currently, Malcolm Mitchell is the go-to wide receiver, but he cannot be Lambert’s only target. Thankfully, Georgia also has Terry Godwin, who is still developing but has that big-play potential. The Bulldogs also need to get tight end Jeb Blazevich more involved. Many teams, Florida included, have been getting huge plays from their tight ends and Georgia should be no different with the 6-foot-5 Blazevich.

4. Mark Richt’s interesting play calling: Against Missouri, Richt showed his conservative side far too often. When the right time presented itself on some short fourth downs, he chose to go conservative and punt the ball away. Richt could have his own good reasons for making these decisions, but that plan might not work against a Florida team that is scoring points in bunches.  If Florida-Georgia becomes a high-scoring game, Richt is going to have to become more aggressive in some tricky situations.

5. All of the injuries: In an ideal world, every injured player would be healed and ready to perform at a top level against Florida. But one week off never guarantees that. Chubb is done for the year, of course, but others should be feeling stronger after having a little time to recover.  But there is a litany of players with injuries that could potentially be taken care of by the time the Bulldogs take the field again. Keep on hoping for good health, Georgia fans.

Christine Wang

Christine Wang is a contributing writer for Saturday Down South. She covers Auburn, Arkansas and Ole Miss.

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