2 weeks Ago
There's a different tone to discourse around the Georgia Bulldogs after their close scare on the road against the Kentucky Wildcats in Week 3. Georgia, then ranked No. 1, was listed as a 22-point favorite ahead of kickoff against former UGA quarterback Brock Vandagriff and Kentucky.
The Wildcats had just come off a dismal 31-6 loss at home against South Carolina. Neither offense found a lot of success in the defensive battle. Kirby Smart's Dawgs were trailing 6-3 at the half before mounting a comeback and outlasting Mark Stoops and company 13-12.
Georgia's performance was uncharacteristic at best. Heisman Trophy contender Carson Beck didn't seem like himself, completing 15-of-24 passes for just 160 yards with zero touchdowns. Kentucky racked up 170 yards on the ground against the vaunted UGA defensive front.
The close scare not only dropped the Bulldogs to the No. 2 spot behind the Texas Longhorns in the AP Top 25, it also garners questions about how Georgia will stack up against the No. 4 Alabama Crimson Tide headed into the highly-touted matchup in Week 5.
ESPN college football analyst Greg McElroy believes UGA's depth along the defensive line is the biggest question the Dawgs need to find an answer for before traveling to Tuscaloosa on Sept. 28. "I think their depth is a huge question and Kirby told us this," he said on Always College Football.
" ...
'We don't have the competitive depth that we used to have.' He said that. So for us to see a couple guys get dinged up and now they're relying on three along the front.
Yeah, that's of concern to me." © Dale Zanine-Imagn Images The Bulldogs played without starting defensive linemen Mykel Williams and Warren Brinson in Lexington. Sophomore Jordan Hall was also out due to injury.
Smart did note his concern with Georgia's depth ahead of the season. "I feel like we have less depth than we've ever had, and that's kind of a common theme talking to other coaches I talk to," Smart said. "I call it the deterioration of football because every year we've been here I feel like we've had more players capable of going in and play winning football and every year that goes down.
" There is a possibility that Williams and Brinson both return next week, which would be a huge boost to the defensive front. Smart likes to rotate bodies at the position, but that wasn't available against the Wildcats. Defending Alabama quarterback Jalen Milroe is especially tough on defensive lines due to his ability as a ball carrier.
His play was a large part of the Tide's win over Georgia in the 2023 SEC Championship Game. Kickoff in Tuscaloosa is set for 7:30 p.m.
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