Georgia fans dreaming of claiming the school’s first SEC championship in 10 years and crashing the College Football Playoff party probably aren’t sure what to think after watching the Bulldogs throttle Louisiana-Monroe, 51-14, during Saturday’s lightning-shortened game at Sanford Stadium.

The Dawgs dominated early on, but appeared sluggish at other times, particularly in the defensive secondary, before closing the game on another strong note. Georgia opens its SEC slate next week at Vanderbilt.

Here are some quick thoughts on the game:

What it means: I wouldn’t exactly starting making plans for Phoenix for the College Football Playoff Championship Game just yet after beating an overmatched Sun Belt Conference team, but ninth-ranked Georgia looked every bit as good as advertised for the most part.

What I liked: Georgia’s special teams were amazing as the Dawgs blocked two punts and nearly a third. Additionally, Collin Barber was solid in handling both punting and kickoff chores. Reggie Davis was strong in the return game in place of the injured Isaiah McKenzie.

What I didn’t like: The Bulldogs secondary was shaky in its tackling and struggled at times with coverage downfield, particularly when ULM went to its two-minute offense starting late in the first half. Two hundred six of the Warhawks’ 251 yards of total offense came through the air. A dominant pass rush helped mask some problems, but the Dawgs will have to do better defending against the short passing game when they face stiffer competition. There was a lightning delay in the second half, and then the teams eventually called the game with several minutes left on the clock.

Who’s The Man: Quarterback Greyson Lambert looked good in his Georgia debut, but stud tailback Nick Chubb remains the engine that makes things go for the Dawgs. Chubb finished with 120 yards and two touchdowns on 16 carries before giving way to Sony Michel, Keith Marshall and Brendan Douglas late in the third quarter with his ninth consecutive game of at least 100 yards rushing. His power running opened the doors for an effective play-action game.

Key Play: Sophomore defensive end Lorenzo Carter partially blocked a Chris Qualls punt with 11:24 left in the opening period to give Georgia a short field and set up Chubb’s first touchdown from 14 yards out moments later. It was the first of two quick Bulldogs touchdowns within a span of a minute that broke open what had been a scoreless game to that point.

What’s Next: The Dawgs again won’t get much of a challenge in next week’s SEC opener at Vanderbilt, but should learn a lot a more about themselves when they host South Carolina on Sept. 19. They’ll have to stay hungry and looking to improve even against lesser competition. Lambert appeared poised and very accurate in his first start at Georgia, completing eight of 12 passes for 141 yards and two touchdowns. The Virginia graduate transfer could solidify his hold on the starting job with another strong performance in Nashville.