What Went Well? What Went Wrong against Mississippi State?
Headlines are dominated by the performance of JT Daniels in his first start since August 31st, 2019, during his time as a USC Trojan. The quarterback position has been a question since the beginning of the season for the Dawgs; after the performance from JT, it seems like Georgia finally found their quarterback.
The defense and the run game disappointed due to the lack of production on the ground for the Dawgs and the defense struggling to deal with a Mississippi State offense playing in their best performance since the season opener against LSU.
What Went Well?
JT Daniels Showed Out
The long-time-coming debut of JT Daniels finally arrived Saturday for the fans. Daniels started his career as a Dawg in freshly minted black jerseys with a career-best 401 yards and four touchdowns while completing 28/38 passes.
JT was on point in the passing game for Georgia early on. Todd Monken shaped the gameplan around the strengths of JT Daniels as he built confidence early with quick and easy completions in the short game.
The valuable connection with top receivers George Pickens, Jermaine Burton, and Kearis Jackson contributed towards an excellent debut performance. The precision and accuracy of Daniels’ guided the Dawgs to victory.
Quick Game Passing Resulted in Explosive Plays
When turning on the tape of JT Daniels, the efficiency in the quick passing game is a considerable boost. Coach Smart stated out throughout the season the need for precision and efficiency in the passing game. Those statements found an answer in a big way Saturday.
Quick and early completions to Pickens and Burton provided a spark in the passing game as both took short routes for explosive gains. The performance of true freshman receiver Jermaine Burton stood out as he racked up 197 yards and two touchdowns on eight receptions. Burton was just a catch away from breaking Tavarres King’s record for most receiving yards in a game (202) in the 2009 Outback Bowl.
Blitz Pickup from Running Backs
Often running backs are critiqued and graded off of the production in the run game. For coaches and scouts, they look at several things, including running back’s in pass protection. Running backs are becoming essential in pass protection as they serve as the last line of defense to a quarterback.
While the yards were not there in the run game against Mississippi State, the running backs contributed in pass protection with several critical blitz pickups that provided JT with time in the pocket.
What Went Wrong?
Denied Running Game
With a quarterback who spent the last 14 months on the sideline rehabbing from an ACL injury, an effective run game is an excellent way of easing into the offense. The run game of Georgia was not an option this weekend.
The Dawgs struggled to pick up anything in the run game as Mississippi State defenders clogged the holes. The front seven of Mississippi sold out to stop Georgia’s run game and sent multiple invitations to Georgia to beat them over the top.
Offensive Line
Until Saturday, the offensive line surpassed expectations this season after losing three starters and a rotational piece this past offseason.
Progress is being made in the run game as the line gets used to block SEC defenders and clear holes for the Georgia backfield. The offensive line struggled to get any push-up front against a heavy Mississippi State defensive line that lacked depth due to COVID-19.
No Havoc From the Dawgs Defense
The gameplan on defense was evident for Georgia from snap one until the very final snap. The Dawgs wanted to drop eight back into coverage with just three defensive linemen and force Mississippi State to make mistakes in the passing game.
The plan did not work out as well as many would’ve thought leading into the game. Freshman Will Rogers played incredibly as a true freshman at quarterback as he took what was given. Mississippi State played mistake-free offense for four quarters and gave the Georgia defense trouble.
No Pressure Up Front
Georgia’s perseverance to stick to the gameplan on defense by praying that plays would be made from a three-person front went unanswered. Georgia’s defensive line struggled to give Will Rogers any trouble in the pocket.
The absence of nose tackle Jordan Davis was evident Saturday. Davis’s presence alone makes him an instant double team draw. Those double teams would’ve helped out his teammates immensely and likely gave way to more pressure.