The question has been raised more than once over the course of the past 24 hours in my social feeds: Is Georgia going to be a pass-first offense now for the duration of the 2023 season?

It’s easy to understand the sentiment.

While the Bulldogs have never shied away from passing the ball over the course of their recent run of dominance, they have always preferred to establish a competent ground game and play off that through the air. And it’s no wonder — just look at the running backs they have been able to rely on.

This year is a little different. There are injuries. No one has established himself as a 15-carry lead back on a weekly basis. Daijun Edwards has been his solid self since returning from injury, and Kendall Milton finally looked explosive on Saturday. The likes of wide receiver Dillon Bell and tight end Brock Bowers have continued to get a handful of carries every week. Both are good players out of the backfield, but their use should tell you just a little bit about what the coaches think about that position.

On the flipside, the aerial attack suddenly looks potent. Against an always physical Kentucky defense on Saturday, quarterback Carson Beck was nearly flawless. He completed 80% of his passes for 389 yards and 4 scores. The Bulldogs passed early and often, dispelling the notion of slow starts and finally showing some confidence in their new signal-caller.

Overall, the numbers aren’t incredibly skewed in one direction. Georgia passed 42 times against Kentucky compared with 31 rushes. Consider, though, that it had an insurmountable lead in the fourth quarter and began running clock with over 10 minutes left to play.

So, what does that mean going forward? Is the 2023 identity for the Bulldogs a vertical, air-it-out attack that utilizes the biggest strength of their offense, talented wide receivers and tight ends?

The frustrating answer is “yes and no.” I know, it’s a bit of a cop out.

Here’s the reality, though: Kirby Smart’s teams are always going to want to control the pace of the game. He doesn’t want opponents dictating the game’s identity. Sometimes that will mean stepping a little harder on the gas and going downfield against a team like Kentucky that wants to grind it out on the ground. The Wildcats, with running back Ray Davis, wanted to make Saturday a 4-quarter game where a fumble or a tipped ball could tip the scales in their direction.

What does Georgia do? It comes out guns blazing from the opening snap.

When the Bulldogs face a team that wants to get into a footrace like Ole Miss in a few weeks, however, my guess is the approach is a little different.

While Georgia absolutely has the personnel to remove the reins and go for broke on offense 100 percent of the time, it’s important to think about the entirety of the game. The offense must give its defense the best opportunities to succeed, as well. That means time of possession. That means ball security. That means efficiency.

Offensive coordinator Mike Bobo will try to get the ball in his best player’s hands as much as possible, which inevitably means more passing opportunities to Bowers (and others, who can help take pressure off of the Heisman contending tight end).

But Georgia’s gonna Georgia, y’all. Don’t get it twisted: This team still prefers to run the football.