Georgia football: Final thoughts and a prediction for Georgia vs. Oregon

A buddy of mine sent a text this week describing his emotions as the days before Georgia’s season-opening showdown with Oregon ticked off the calendar. He described a roller-coaster — anxious to confident to despondent over the team’s chances to appropriately ambivalent.

“My theory on post-natty that it’ll be nice to sit back and watch Georgia this fall without feeling like the sky is falling if we lose turns out to be (BS).”

Yep. Hello, darkness, my old friend. It’s good to have you back.

The trepidation over the Bulldogs’ matchup with the Ducks is warranted. At No. 11 and with a more-than-capable defense leading the way, Oregon certainly has the horses to grind out a win over the defending national champions.

But take heart, Georgia fans. It’s football season, and I’m here to tell you why all is well in the Classic City.

Some final thoughts on the game:

Temper expectations, but be cautiously optimistic about RB Kendall Milton

Remember a couple of years ago when Milton was considered the next star running back in waiting at Georgia? He was a highly-recruited player out of California, showed flashes in limited action as a freshman, and some — though, not I — thought he might overtake the solid-but-not-spectacular Zamir White as the primary back last season.

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Injuries, though, have long been a concern.

It’s a similar story as we head into the 2022 season. Milton has battled a hamstring injury in fall camp, missing the past 2 team scrimmages and opening room for some doubt in his availability against Oregon.

But there’s good news.

Bulldogs coach Kirby Smart has indicated Milton will be ready for action, if not at full capacity. Senior Kenny McIntosh will likely start and get the bulk of the carries. But if Milton is healthy enough to go, he has game-breaking ability that could be a factor for the Georgia offense.

Any hamstring injury is cause for concern, especially because those are the kind that tend to linger if not nursed back to full health. Cautious optimism about his condition seems appropriate, however.

Other injury news to keep in mind going into Saturday:

Offensive lineman Tate Ratledge, after a foot injury cost him nearly all of 2021, is probable. Other linemen performed well in 2021, and that may have led us to forget that he was a key piece to the unit when it started the season against Clemson. His presence is more good news for that running game.
Defensive back Tykee Smith, another name we hoped to see make an impact last year before injuries cost him most of the season, is likely to play. We don’t have a ton of tape on him in Athens since he transferred in from West Virginia, but expectations are for him to be an integral piece in an experienced secondary.

Will we finally get to see TE Arik Gilbert?

Earlier this week, when news of an automobile accident involving Georgia’s potential star broke, I could sense the collective intake of breath from Bulldogs fans all over the state. To them, it has felt like a lifetime of waiting out the will-he-or-won’t-he situation involving Gilbert.

However, Gilbert, thankfully, was uninjured, and he appears ready to make his debut for the Bulldogs on Saturday.

But what are the realistic expectations?

Gilbert hasn’t set foot in a competitive game since he ended his time with LSU after his freshman season. He was entirely away from the game in 2021 due to personal reasons, and it would be reasonable to expect some temperance with regard to expectations.

None of these things have stood in the way of the hype train, however. Put simply, Gilbert is that talented. Georgia fans are salivating at the long list of potential mismatches involving their tight end room. Brock Bowers, a fast and game-breaking star; Darnell Washington, a 6-7 mammoth who can block and win jump balls in the end zone; Gilbert, whose time off has done nothing to erase the memory of his spectacular rookie season in Baton Rouge.

As with Milton, I think it’s reasonable to assume he won’t be a focal point of the offense right out of the gate. Don’t be surprised, however, if he’s in on a meaningful catch or 2 against the Ducks.

The Stetson Bennett bandwagon is about to leave the station …

It was a great story. I don’t think you’ll find a red-and-black-clad soul who would argue with that. Seeing the Georgia quarterback exorcize his demons in 2 legendary performances to help his team win a national title last season would melt the heart of even the most cynical Bulldogs.

Ask many of them, though, and they’d probably tell you they had hoped that would be the satisfying conclusion to an improbable story.

I’m going to be the one to say it, though: After Saturday, Georgia fans should be lifting their arms to the heavens that Bennett returned for his 14th season (it’s been that long, right?) in Athens.

The alternative would have been to throw 1 of their unproven trio of backup quarterbacks (Carson Beck, Brock Vandagriff, Gunner Stockton) to the wolves — those wolves being a talented Ducks defense that features multiple blue chippers in the front 7. Instead, Georgia will be led by a proven passer who has earned the respect of his surrounding cast in the offensive huddle.

I understand the questions. Even now after Bennett has proven himself more than most college quarterbacks ever get the opportunity to. He’s small. He’s a former walk-on. He was never recruited like those others who fill out the quarterback room.

On Saturday, however, Georgia will perform well because of Bennett, not in spite of him. When we’re looking at the box score and the super senior from Blackshear, Ga., has more than 275 yards and 3 scores credited to his name, remember I told you to jump on the bandwagon now.

And a prediction: Georgia 31, Oregon 17

I haven’t been talking up Oregon’s defense just to turn around and pick the Bulldogs in a runaway. I do, in all honesty, expect the Ducks to keep this interesting for 3 quarters. I think Georgia’s offense has a couple of fruitless drives in the 1st quarter, and Oregon quarterback Bo Nix takes advantage of a Georgia mistake on defense for a big passing play to give new Ducks coach, and former Georgia coordinator, Dan Lanning early momentum.

How’s that for specific?

The reality in games like this, though, is a team as deep, talented and experienced at Georgia will still have the advantage. This isn’t your older brother’s Bulldogs. If they get behind early, don’t expect them to cave to the pressure.

Smart said it this offseason: Georgia won’t be hunted this season. It’s still the hunter.

Behind a big day from Bennett, tight end Bowers and a new cast of budding stars on defense, Georgia gets its title defense off to a strong start and leaves open the next logical question: Is there anyone left on the regular-season schedule who can challenge it?