Week 2 Preview: Georgia Hosts the Governors

by Chito Chibuye

Dawgs OTL Writer/ UGA Alumnus

After a wild Week 1 in college football, Georgia comes into Week 2 as the No. 4 team in the country and gets another tune-up game before undertaking SEC play. This week, the Governors of Austin Peay will travel to Athens from Clarksville, TN, in hopes of going 2-0 after their upset of rival Middle Tennessee State University in Week 1. The Bulldogs have familiarity with both the Blue Raiders of MTSU and the Govs, as the Dawgs opened the 2018 season against Austin Peay and walked away with a 45-0 win between the hedges.

Austin Peay’s Confidence After Week 1 Upset

Led by second-year head coach Jeff Faris, the Governors traveled to Murfreesboro last weekend and got a win over now-HC Derek Mason (former Vanderbilt HC) and a team they hadn’t beaten since 1986. This team is confident at the moment and will undoubtedly bring their “We Will” mantra with them to the Classic City.

Fortunately for UGA, the leader of this team has his players focused on “process over results.” Kirby doesn’t care who is on the other side of the ball — he still expects consistency from the first to the fourth quarter. The offensive line will have an opportunity to improve from some of the mental mistakes they made last week and will more than likely see backups at both RG and RT (Juan Gaston’s MRI came back negative*). Defensively, if Georgia plays like it did last week, this game will get out of hand very quickly — but it’s also a chance for players to work on tackling, setting the edge, and being crisp in coverage before traveling to Knoxville.

Georgia Defense vs. Austin Peay QB Chris Carson

Facing QB Chris Carson (#3) may be the perfect test for the UGA defense this week. Listed at 5’11” and 224 lbs, the Mississippi State transfer and redshirt sophomore spun the ball well against the MTSU defense and looked like a Temu Kyler Murray on film (with all due respect). He helped his team by throwing two early TDs to jump out and stay in front of the Raiders, and he also had 11 carries for 35 yards.

Offensively, they spread the ball around to their trio of wide receivers: Shemar Kirk (#13), Nate Garnett Jr. (#8), and Jaden Robinson (#81). A mobile QB will demand the attention of both Georgia’s edge players and secondary. I’ll be looking for Gabe Harris to set the edge and help contain Carson, Chris Cole to be a potential QB spy or TE cover, KJ Bolden to direct traffic on the field, and Zion Branch to make big tackles from the safety position.

Final Thoughts and Prediction

Austin Peay is feeling good about themselves, as they should — but you don’t win games off feelings, you win them off consistent execution. I fully expect Georgia to bring that on Saturday. I don’t expect it to be perfect because the 2’s and 3’s will see the field in an effort to stay healthy as we start conference play. I do, however, expect to see growth from Week 1 to Week 2 and for the Governors to pay the price.

Go Dawgs.

Score Prediction: UGA over Austin Peay 41-10

Cashing In: Austin Peay’s Payday with Georgia

by Peggy Brown

Dawgs OTL Writer/ Co-Editor

If you’ve never heard of Austin Peay, you’re not alone — but after a little digging, I found out this small Tennessee school has a story that makes Saturday’s matchup more interesting than it looks on paper. I dug in and found so much information that it makes me want to take a road trip and see the place. For now, though, I want to pose two questions: What is its story and why would the University of Georgia play this team in football?

History of Austin Peay State University

Austin Peay State University was established in 1927 and named after Tennessee’s governor, Austin Peay, who was from the school’s town and the state’s fifth largest city, Clarksville. In 1785 when it was the center of tobacco trade, Clarksville was founded. It is located at the Kentucky border and 49 miles northwest of Nashville. Pictures of the downtown area show a quaint street of red-brick buildings that are purported to house lively restaurants, gift shops, and the nearby Victorian-style Customs House Museum. For nature lovers, there are the beautiful mountains and Dunbar Cave, an extensive cavern and cave system. The city is home to Fort Campbell, which supports an estimated 60,000 jobs and is at least partly responsible for the low median age of 30 in Clarksville.

Military Connections and Student Life at APSU

Fort Campbell also influences programs and services offered by Austin Peay State University, including more than 2,400 military-affiliated students out of 10,439 in 2024. In 2015, the Tennessee Higher Education Commission named APSU a Veterans Education Transitions Support (VETS) Campus. In 2020, the university earned the MacArthur Award for its ROTC program, which was among the top eight in the country. In addition, APSU employs a full-time Veterans Affairs counselor on campus.

Fun Fact: Austin Peay’s Famous “Let’s Go Peay!” Chant

Fun fact: Austin Peay is also home to one of college sports’ most unique chants — “Let’s Go Peay!” — which always gets a laugh from opposing fans and makes the Governors one of the more memorable small schools in the country.

Why Georgia Football Scheduled Austin Peay

So far, we have some of the story surrounding Austin Peay State University, but why would the University of Georgia, a school of roughly 40,000 students, want to play football with them? Much like last week’s football game with Marshall, it seems to be a mutually beneficial arrangement. According to a November 21, 2024 article in The Red & Black, larger schools pay smaller schools to play football on the larger school’s campus to guarantee a win and to add money to the local economy, while smaller schools accept the deal because the football program funds other programs at their schools. Sometimes the deal includes home games for the smaller schools as well. But in 2025 UGA paid APSU $550,000 to play this Saturday, and they set aside $4.15 million, according to my AI friend, with $1.7 million to Marshall, and $1.9 million to Charlotte, all Division I schools.

The Future of These Matchups

In theory, this system is a win-win, but with the playoff committee pondering a change to more emphasis on the merit of opponents rather than win-loss record, the future is uncertain. The future of “pay-to-play” matchups like Georgia vs. Austin Peay is increasingly uncertain as the financial structure of college football shifts. With the College Football Playoff expanding and the committee placing more weight on strength of schedule, big programs may think twice about scheduling smaller opponents. At the same time, the growing costs of NIL, facilities, and staffing mean athletic departments at smaller schools still rely heavily on these payouts to fund entire sports programs. Clarity on this cloudy future will likely come once the playoff format stabilizes and conferences decide how non-conference scheduling fits into the new landscape of college football economics. No matter who cuts the check surely there will still be football between the hedges. Nevertheless, I plan to watch the game on Saturday, wish Austin Peay the best, hope Georgia wins, and perhaps one day visit the city of Clarksville, Tennessee, on my next trip to the mountains.

Go Dawgs.

What Georgia Football Needs to Improve Before SEC Play

by Keegan Shinall

Dawgs OTL Writer/ Bleeds Red and Black

Georgia showed Marshall who Daddy was in Week 1 with a dominant 45–7 shellacking. All the while we were showing off a balanced offense and a defense that looked lightning fast. But as any veteran Georgia fan knows, the real measuring stick comes when SEC play begins. Before that stretch, the Dawgs have one more tune-up game against Austin Peay — and while the scoreboard will almost certainly tilt heavily in Georgia’s favor, this week provides a critical chance to clean things up and sharpen the details.

-Here are three areas Georgia must improve before the SEC gauntlet begins.-

1. Penalties and Early-Drive Execution

The first offensive series against Marshall was a reminder that even elite teams can stumble out of the gate. Predictable play-calling and early miscues nearly resulted in a quick three-and-out. Georgia can’t afford that type of sluggishness against SEC defenses. With all the realistic things we could improve what we have to sustain is the ELITE culture we’ve projected all off season. The worst thing I saw from Bama Saturday night wasn’t their play on the field it was how they handled setbacks on the sideline. We on the other hand have what looks like a highly disciplined juggernaut of a team coached by the general himself CKS. That said, Mike Bobo and Gunner Stockton need to continue building rhythm on opening drives, setting the tone early rather than waiting for a spark play to ignite the offense.

On top of that, unnecessary penalties — even the “intentional” kind — need to be minimized. Clean execution will be the difference between blowouts and nail-biters later this fall.

2. Offensive Line Consistency

The offensive line did its job in Week 1, paving the way for 240 rushing yards and keeping Stockton upright. But there were moments where short-yardage pushes weren’t as dominant as expected. Against an overmatched Austin Peay defensive front, the Dawgs have a perfect opportunity to iron out blocking assignments and test different combinations.

Depth is always critical in the trenches. Rotating younger linemen this week will not only build experience but also give Kirby Smart and Stacy Searels valuable film heading into SEC play. No point in rushing anyone banged up back onto the field when we can rest those like Juan Gaston.

3. Secondary Depth and Communication

The defense as a whole was suffocating in Week 1, but the secondary played without veteran CB Daylen Everette. That forced younger players like Ellis Robinson, Daniel Harris, and Demello Jones into extended snaps — and while they held their own, bigger challenges are coming.

Week 2 offers another chance for these young DBs to build chemistry and improve communication. It’s one thing to shut down Marshall; it’s another to hold up against SEC passing attacks loaded with future NFL-caliber receivers.

Why Week 2 Still Matters

On paper, Georgia should overwhelm Austin Peay. It’s the kind of game that the multi view will be in full affect. The half rack of ribs is likely to secure my full attention at times. But the goal isn’t just to stack another win and take a nap — it’s to prepare for what’s coming. Kirby Smart knows the “Week 1 to Week 2 jump” that Chito asked about is often the biggest improvement a team makes all year. That means cutting down on sloppy penalties, refining execution, and giving younger players real experience in live action.

Georgia doesn’t need style points this Saturday. What they need is growth, discipline, and film that will pay dividends when the lights get brighter.

Go Dawgs.

Georgia Football Week 1 Recap

by Chito Chibuye

Dawgs OTL Writer/ UGA Alumnus

College Football Week 1 Takeaways

College football made a thunderous return over the 3-day holiday weekend with a loaded week 1 slate of games that did not disappoint. We knew that there would be some sloppy play as well as excess penalties, but we also got great games, circus catches, and monster upsets. The Monday after week 1 of CFB will be filled with hot takes from national media and casual fans alike on Twitter (or X, whatever). Some fan bases are already burning jerseys because their season is over, and others are getting ‘Champs 26’ tattoos. Georgia did what they were supposed to do against an outmatched opponent, and in my opinion looked really good doing it.

SEC Winners

9 LSU over 4 Clemson 17-10
24 Tenn over Syracuse 45-26
5 UGA over Marshall 45-7

SEC Losers

3 OSU over 1 Texas 14-7
Florida State over 8 Alabama 31-17

Georgia Offense: Don’t Play With Your Food

This was a complete game for the Dawgs on Saturday, and as a coaching staff you have to be happy to see that. Offensively, you can tell that Mike Bobo is really going to have success with the new weapons he has at his disposal. There was a predictable run, run, 3rd down bubble screen on the 1st drive that almost* ended in a 3 and out, However, the defender missed the pass and Zach Branch made an electric play to pick up the 1st down. After that drive Bobo was locked in like Kobe or Lebron in a Game 7. Utilizing the pistol formation into your scheme and allowing Gunner Stockton to pull the ball in critical short yard and redzone situations was absolutely beautiful.

Gunner finished the day (early) 14/24 with 190 pass yds; 2 pass TD’s
Along with 73 rush yds; 2 rush TD’s

The offense generated 250 Passing yds & 240 Rush yds on the day, committed 2 penalties (1 intentional) and saw meaningful contributions from the likes of Dwight Phillips Jr., Ryan Puglisi, and Elyiss Williams.

Georgia Defense: Speed and Physicality Dominate

Simply put, this defense is FAST! “He’s really really fast, I mean he’s so fast that he makes fast people look…. not fast”. In all seriousness this defense was everywhere on Saturday and Marshall could never get things going. They rotated 3 QBs with the last only having inconsistent success with his legs. By halftime the score was 24-0 and UGA had given up 40 total yds of offense. Marshall wouldn’t score a point or even cross midfield until the 4th Q. The starting defense did this without their most experienced CB Daylen Everette, allowing E. Robinson, Daniel Harris, and Demello Jones to take the majority of the reps - which I think was smart on Kirby’s part. Raylen Wilson and Zion Branch led the defense with tackles as they tied with 7. Plus, KJ Bolden came up CLUTCH with a blocked punt. That play really started the avalanche after the offense stalled briefly at 14-0.

Kirby Smart’s Perfect Scenario in Week 1

This is exactly the scenario that you want as a veteran HC. You won the game in the manner in which you wanted, played well in all three phases, and have plenty of teachable moments on film to rep out this week in practice. UGA also came away fairly healthy, but will monitor Juan Gaston Jr. as reports state an incoming MRI on his ankle. UGA is 1-0 and looked good against a team they were supposed to beat, but make no mistake the week 1 to week 2 jump is the most telling in the first part of the season. We won’t get a trophy for beating Marshall, and last time I checked - Texas, Bama, and LSU are all still 0-0 in SEC play. It’s a long season.

Go Dawgs.

A UGA Mom’s: Gameday POV

by Peggy Brown

Dawgs OTL Writer/ Co-Editor

Looking for a different perspective on watching the Dawgs?  Not that it will be less than positive.  I love them, but here’s the deal:  I like the big plays when someone catches the football on the five-yard line and runs it 95 yards to a screaming crowd and wins the game.  I can get excited and high-five like the rest of the crowd at my house.  It’s great! 

But usually, you know, there are things to do during the game, so I’ll sit in the room with my husband, watch the game, read between the big plays, and take care of the off-stage jobs that come up.  He is the opposite of me when it comes to Georgia football.  He’s up, he’s down.  He’s talking to the players. He’s screaming at the refs.  He’s cussing the coaches.  He won’t go to the bathroom until half-time.  If I happen to ask what is on the calendar for September 3rd (or any other unrelated question), I get the blank stare.  So you see why I keep my calm during the game. 

I consider my part during the game as a back-stage manager who keeps the “play” running for the audience.  I pull the wings out of the oven, answer the doorbell if we have pizza coming, or answer the phone if it happens to ring.  The world doesn’t stop, so I take care of business.  I watch the game and listen to the interviews of Kirby Smart, listen to the stats to see how we’re doing as the game proceeds, but I’m also busy. 

Another part of what I do during a game concerns Nesta.  She is a ninety-pound part-pit bull and part-lab scaredy-cat who cannot stand it when anyone raises his or her voice.  She was an Athens rescue from the days when our son was at UGA.  When it’s storming and thundering, she snuggles up as close as she can get, and--as you can imagine--suffers during football games because of all the screaming that goes on.  She likes a calm house, and UGA football days are anything but calm.  When my husband starts rooting for the Dawgs, this dog who is almost as big as I am, ends up in my lap.   She can handle most anything from that position, and I can still watch while I comfort her.  

This season, I will be ready with my book and maybe some popcorn. I’ll run interference for interruptions to the game watching.  I’ll jump up and cheer when the big plays come, and I’ll high-five anyone in the room who is watching the game with us.  I’ll also have my lap cleared and ready for an Athens native who is a loyal Dawg fan like me. 

Go Dawgs!

Week 1: Marshall Mountain Mamas

by Chito Chibuye

Dawgs OTL Writer/ UGA Alumnus

My homework this week was simple: rewatch We Are Marshall and get myself hyped for week 1 of college football. I forgot how good that movie is — and how stacked the cast was. Most remember Matthew McConaughey as head coach Jack Lengyel, who takes over after the 1970 plane crash that tragically wiped out nearly the entire program. Few remember Anthony Mackie (Falcon/Captain America), Kate Mara (Entourage and House of Cards), Ian McShane (Deadwood and John Wick), and January Jones (Mad Men).

The film captures a program forced to rebuild from the ashes. And while 2025’s circumstances are nowhere near that tragedy, Marshall once again finds itself in the middle of massive turnover.

From Champs to Change

Marshall ended 2024 flying high — Sun Belt champions after a dominant 31–3 win over Louisiana (yep, Billy Napier’s old crew). They finished 10–3, led by Sun Belt Player of the Year Mike Green, who topped the FBS with 17 sacks and went in Round 2: No. 59 overall to the Baltimore Ravens — right after UGA’s own Malaki Starks.

Normally, that kind of season guarantees a coach a big bag. Not this time. After contract talks with Charles Huff went south, so did he, for the Head coaching job @ Southern Miss — taking players, assistants, and just about everything else that wasn’t nailed down with him. He said: “I’m leaving here with sum’n!” (Like Denzel)

Enter Tony Gibson

So in steps Tony Gibson, the former NC State defensive coordinator (2024), returning home to West Virginia with Power Five experience in tow. His challenge will be eerily similar to what McConaughey had to deal with in the movie. A brand new roster that has been gutted and rebuilt via a 62 (yes, really) 62-player class from February’s recruiting haul, most of whom are transfers plus three new coordinators.

A scouting report on this team feels impossible to construct, but here are a few names you’ll need to know:

• QBs: Carlos Del Rio (Florida transfer) and Zion Turner (dual-threat)

• RBs: Tony Mathis Jr. (Houston) and Michael Allen (UNLV)

• Pass-catchers: TE Toby Payne and Akron transfer WR Adrian Norton

• Defensive anchors: DT Jalil Rivera-Harvey (Sr. transfer) and SS Jadrarius Green-McKnight (FSU transfer) will look to contain Gunner Stockton and this loaded offense.

That’s about as much identity as we can grab before the season kicks off.

What It Means for Week 1

If you’re the gambling type, stay far, far away from this game . Week 1 games are notoriously messy and the referees will be plenty busy on Saturday. We have no idea what the Herd wants to do this week, or what they're capable of doing (Kirby Smart said as much in his presser this week). This is a “work on us” type of game. A chance for UGA to fine tune their timing on offense, and their tackling on defense. A chance for the 2’s and 3’s to show the coaching staff who is ready to play winning football with every rep. A chance for the rest of Dawgnation to learn the new names of the players that will contribute to this season and beyond. As far as West Virginia goes..

We’ve got country roads too — and ours lead straight to Sanford, Go Dawgs.

Prediction: Georgia 48, Marshall 13

Make or Break: Mike Bobo

by Chito Chibuye

Dawgs OTL Writer/ UGA Alumnus

The conversation around Mike Bobo as UGA’s Offensive Coordinator can feel more polarizing than the last three Presidential elections and has been going on since 2007 (when George Bush was in office). On one side of the fence you have the “everything-is-Bobo’s-fault” crowd, and on the other, every excuse imaginable why it’s not. Inmost cases, the answer lies somewhere in the middle. In this case the answer is somewhere between a draw on 3rd-and-long and UGA’s highest PPG in school history. Let’s look at history to just “Call a spade, a spade.”

At this point it’s well documented how the 2024 season for Georgia went. The Dawgs led the nation with a whopping 36 dropped passes and lost QB Carson Beck to injury for the rest of the season on a hail mary play right before halftime of the SEC championship game vs.Texas to boot. Gunner Stockon would go on to help UGA beat the Longhorns (for the 2nd time that year) in OT, but would lose to national championship runner-up Notre Dame a few weeks later.

Bobo is not the reason UGA didn’t reach its goals last year. Injuries happen, and that’s just a part of the game. When your wide receiver room has “hands like a snake” and your offensive line whiffs on blocks in critical moments during the season, good teams are going to beat you. What we are NOT ‘gonna do’ is act like we don’t have IMMENSE experience when it comes to Bobo-led offenses. Instead, simply ask yourself: Can UGA win a National Championship with Bobo as the OC?

I’ll never forget 2007 when UGA beat Alabama in Tuscaloosa on their first possession of OT behind an aggressive and unexpected playcall by Bobo and an absolute dime from Matthew Stafford to Mikey Henderson. I was in the stadium the following year when Saban and Kirby came to Athens and burned off our eyebrows by halftime, dropping 31 points while we managed an even more impressive zero points at intermission. My freshman year at UGA in 2010 the Dawgs went 6-7 on the year….. 6 and 7/!! AJ Green was suspended before players were getting paid! My classmates would probably agree that the only“standard” at Georgia that year was being the #1 party school in the nation (a legit stat, look it up). The only memorable things were the multiple snow days that shut down everything in Athens except for downtown.

A much better year, 2012, was when Aaron Murray and Todd Gurley led the Dawgs to the SEC championship game, only to lose because of poor clock management, and not throwing the ball to the endzone in time, and a Todd Grantham defense. Bobo does, however, get credit for having the school record for PPG in a season during 2014 where he orchestrated an offense that put up a blistering 41.7 points per contest. When I say it’s a mixed bag, I mean it.                                           All in all, as an OC or HC in almost two decades, Mike Bobo has won one SEC Championship (2024) for Georgia and didn’t win anything at Colorado State, period. Kirby Smart changed the expectations for this football program, plain and simple. If you want to say Bobo is trending in the right direction, fine. I’ll give you that, but how many excuses and how many missed opportunities is this fanbase and more importantly, Kirby Smart,willing to endure? Go back and watch the two-year clinic Todd Monken put on during our back-to-back title runs. Yes, before you say it, UGA had an unprecedented number of freak athletes on those rosters which are currently demoralizing competition NFL offenses and defenses. I’m referring to Bobo’s play-calling specifically. I also think it’s disingenuous not to give Bobo credit for his aptitude to recruit and develop QB’s which is a must in college FB in any era, but play-calling is about feel, matchup hunting, and breaking tendencies against defenses that study every concept you run. The X’s and O’s are far more complicated than the summation I’m about to give and I understand that.

To me the biggest difference between Monken and Bobo is how Monken would attack defenses vertically with the characteristics mentioned above while using horizontal movement to distract defenses. Youtube highlights of George Pickens, AD Mitchell, Ladd McConkey, and Brock Bowers catching deep passes while James Cook and Kenny Mcintosh embarrass linebackers on seam, angle, and wheel routes makes me happier than it should, honestly. Meanwhile, Bobo is out here running jet sweeps and throwing bubble routes (among other concepts behind or near the LOS) that are often predictable during a run, run- pass, 3-and-out, and rarely even pressure the first-down marker on critical drives.

During this year’s SEC media day when Georgia was in town, I actually heard one of the better arguments explaining Bobo’s success or lack thereof during his time at UGA. It came from former Georgia TE Ben Watson. He explained how different it can be for an OC to coach under an offensive mind (Mark Richt) vs. a defensive mind in Kirby. We know CKS wants his OC’s to win possession, play field position, and keep the defense fresh. Maybe this limits how aggressive Bobo can be, and Lord knows if Bobo had some of these defenses back in the day he would have more hardware in the trophy case. Somehow Monken got it done, but let’s not go backwards here. At the end of the day Bobo has yet to deliver, but an SEC crown is a great start in year two of his 2nd stint as OC. 

This year, 2025 will be another opportunity for Bobo to silence the critics (like me), he has a deep and talented offense that should outperform projections. In the coaching business any deficiencies of the offense/defense fall on the coordinators whether it is concepts, position coaches, player execution, or results. When the OC or the DC struggles, that falls on the head coach who hired them. Just ask Mark Richt. Bobo may have been the best man at Kirby Smart’s wedding, but that doesn’t mean Dawgnation should accept him as a pallbearer should there be a funeral.              

   Go Dawgs

Georgia Football 2025: Recipe for a Natty

by Chito Chibuye

Dawgs OTL Writer/ UGA Alumnus

2024 wasn’t everything Georgia fans had hoped for, but an SEC Championship and a CFP berth isn’t exactly a bad “down year.” Still, the Dawgs are hunting for a bounce-back in 2025. In this season’s Make or Break series, we’ll identify the key factors that will determine UGA’s success.

The recipe for 2025: the run game, the aggressiveness of the OC, and the interior defensive line.

Run Game

Health is a factor for every football team at every level, every year. This RB room should benefit not only from starting the season healthy, but from being extremely deep. Nate Frazier will be the 1A, and I fully expect Rod Robinson (6'1, 235+), McCray (6'0, 240), and Chauncey Bowens (5'11, 225) to contribute. That’s a ton of size for a team that wants to emphasize run efficiency—and don’t forget about 3rd-down specialist Ca$h Jones.

Despite having three offensive linemen selected in the 2025 NFL Draft, Georgia’s OL unit did not have a great season. Health was a factor again, but a lack of cohesive play was more alarming. This year, both tackles return in Freeling and Greene III. Micah Morris could be your best lineman at LG, and while Drew Bobo may never be as athletic as Jared Wilson, he’s the OC’s son and has what you want between the ears. Then there’s the giant: Juan Gaston Jr. If reports are true, he’s taken over at RG and would join a very short list of true freshmen OL to start at Georgia in the Kirby era (Cade Mays, Andrew Thomas—end of list). If Gaston can be a wild card or at least add reliable depth, the run game should take a major step forward.

And let’s not forget the QB factor. By nature, a dual-threat QB supercharges a rushing offense. Gunner Stockton will pick up yards when plays break down, convert first downs against man coverage, and force defenders to stay honest in RPO situations. Nothing against Carson, but keeping linebackers and edge defenders from fully committing to the RB will do wonders for this offense.

Aggressive OC

This offense is absolutely loaded. We’ve already mentioned the RB and OL rooms, but the TE and WR groups might take this team to a different stratosphere. I don’t throw out hot takes often, but by season’s end, Georgia could have the best WR room in the SEC. With that kind of firepower, there is zero reason why this offense shouldn’t average 40+ PPG.

But it’s on Kirby and Mike Bobo to make it happen. Kirby has to let Bobo cut it loose, and Bobo has to make it his personal mission to:

• Start games fast

• Attack defenses vertically on early downs

• Take shots in run-heavy situations

• Find and exploit mismatches relentlessly

• Break tendencies in big moments

In short, he needs to channel his inner Todd Monken. Because if I see another bubble screen or RB draw on 3rd and long… I just can’t.

Interior D-Line

This is the most crucial unit for the 2025 defense. We don’t need to be as dominant as we were in ’21 and ’22, but we dohave to be competent. I’m optimistic about Christen Miller, Jordan Hall, McLeod, and freshman phenom Elijah Griffin. All of them are disruptive and capable of wreaking havoc inside.

The big question: do we have the Jordan Davis-type body who can produce consistently? That remains to be seen. But if Nnamdi Ogboko (6’4, 340) and Nasir Johnson (6’5, 340) can contribute at NT—eating blocks and freeing up linebackers—this defense could once again be championship-caliber.

Bottom Line

Make no mistake: these three areas will make or break Georgia in 2025. If the run game clicks, if Bobo unleashes the offense, and if the D-line holds its ground, the Dawgs won’t just be competing for SEC titles… they’ll be chasing another national championship.

Go Dawgs!