Top Dawg Take: Has Georgia Regressed in Year Five Under Kirby Smart?

Expectations are not being met currently in Athens. The fanbase and the program expected to be competing for a National Championship in the fifth season under Kirby Smart but have settled for fighting for second place in the SEC East. So, has Georgia regressed this year under Coach Smart as he is heading into his sixth season at helm?

The long answer made short is no, Georgia has not regressed this season. The Bulldogs are still keeping up with the incredible pace that was set by Kirby Smart when coming into Athens as the head architect.

Georgia heads into this weekend’s game against Mississipi State with a 4-2 record. The only losses both came to the current top 10 teams Alabama and Florida. Both by a very similar margin within three scores, Alabama knocked off the Dawgs 41-24. In comparison, the Gators broke a three-game winning streak for Georgia over the Gators with a 44-28 offensive explosion.

In contrast to many in the fan base’s opinions, the wheels have not fallen off the bus. Georgia meets the minimum expectation for many as they will likely face off in a New Years’ Six Bowl for the third year in a row. This time, we will not have to wait until the SEC Championship to determine Georgia’s fate.

We live in a “COVID Era” where the offseason and preparation were cut short. Coaches and players did not begin working out as a team until late in July and into August’s early days. For a team with a new offensive coordinator, like Georgia, it was a tough offseason, considering the offseason’s departures on the offensive side of the ball.

Even without Jamie Newman, Georgia fans were still hopeful that one of the roster’s quarterbacks would breakout. We have yet to see a quarterback on the roster take the bull by the horn and make the position their own.

Struggling quarterback play and injuries never bode well for a team that is considered a contender. Georgia experienced the repercussions of a short offseason and tough all-SEC schedule. Defensively Georgia is a “beat up” with multiple key players out with injuries and a few playing through injuries.

The loss of Jordan Davis and Richard LeCounte proved to be too much for the Dawgs to overcome in a matchup with the explosive, high-scoring Florida offense. Heisman candidate Kyle Trask had a field day against the beat-up Georgia defense.

The offense struggled for consistency against an average Florida defensive unit. Shaky quarterback play and an abandoned run game left the Dawgs looking to young players to make plays in a desperate attempt to save the season.

You can make the case that a Georgia win over Florida would’ve been an upset considering the players who were missing that game. That loss can be chalked up as a loss due to poor execution and too many injuries.

The 41-24 scoreline against Alabama is somewhat misleading. Georgia was in the game with the Crimson Tide for much of the game. It took three quarters for the Tide offense to break through and tire out a star-studded Georgia defense.

An outstanding first half from then starting quarterback Stetson Bennett gave the Dawgs a 24-20 halftime lead over the Tide. As we all know by now, no lead is safe for any sports team in the state of Georgia, especially when playing a team of Alabama’s caliber.

Georgia struggled for consistency and lack of execution against the Tide. After a 90-yard touchdown from Jaylen Waddle put the Tide up 28-24 in the third quarter. An interception thrown in the redzone would give the Tide the break they needed to fend off the Dawgs once again.

Although Georgia will not play in the SEC Championship for the first time since the first season under Kirby Smart, the Dawgs have not regressed or dropped down from contention. Georgia is still a team on the outside looking in on the College Football Playoffs but has yet to put together a run like the one in 2017.