Weekend in Review: Road Trip Dub & CFB Outlooks.
by Keegan Shinall
Dawgs OTL Writer/ Bleeds Red and Black
We finally did it guys. We beat an opponent of note in a tough SEC environment on the road. Oh wait, the stadium was empty and Arkansas was so bad our Defensive line felt the need to run some drills to “get their moneys worth” on the NIL checks. Look, Arkansas has some athletes and Ryan Silverfield doesn’t get the job if he’s not a pretty good coach.
Still, I feel split about what we just witnessed. On the one hand, I’ve never seen an amazing season from any team without some adversity and some head scratching moments. On the other hand, we want to appreciate that this schedule has lined up perfectly for each week to grow in rigor of opponent. I’m not complaining. We are young and we can use the merger lane to get up to speed. That all sounds hunky dory until the REAL adversity hits and then you learn what you are truly made of. As of this second while much has changed around my positivity for other teams - nothing has changed from my original outlook on this team. In fact, because of what we all witnessed, I can’t speak for everyone but I do feel even more confident. We are special - we could be legendary and we have to get better every single week.
By the Numbers: Georgia Controlled the Game at the Line of Scrimmage
The final numbers tell a pretty clear story: Georgia controlled the way this game was played.
To be able to impose your will and the pace of play is a gift. I’d rather us prove we can do that and hope we can pass when we need to than be some down the field team with no game control. Come to think of it that’s actually a lot like Bama has been the past couple of seasons. Game control is the game. Arkansas was a pudding pie but we can run the rock.
The highlight of the game has to be the long near 70 yard Gunner Stockton TD run that helped put him close to 100 yards rushing for the day. If Gunner can continue to grow with his eyes down the field and be even more dangerous on the ground that will yield big for us in a big game scenario.
In total, Georgia piled up 464 total yards to Arkansas’ 300, despite running essentially the same number of plays, 63 for Georgia and 62 for the Razorbacks. That’s the biggest takeaway. The Bulldogs averaged a healthy 7.4 yards per play, compared to just 4.8 for Arkansas. That’s a difference of 2.6 yards every time the ball was snapped, and over 62 plus plays, that adds up quickly.
As I alluded to earlier the most glaring difference came on the ground. Georgia ran for 254 yards, while Arkansas managed just 17 rushing yards. That’s not a typo. 17. The Dawgs averaged roughly 6.3 times as many rushing yards as Arkansas. Meanwhile, Arkansas was forced to rely heavily on the passing game, throwing for 283 yards.
And that helps explain the possession numbers. Georgia held the ball for 35:40, compared to just 24:20 for Arkansas. The Dawgs weren't just generating explosive plays. They were also sustaining drives. Georgia converted 7 of 11 third downs, 63.6 percent, while Arkansas managed only 4 of 11, 36.4 percent.
That third down disparity is huge. Georgia repeatedly kept drives alive, while Arkansas repeatedly put itself in situations where it had to get off the field or find another way to manufacture offense.
Then on fourth down Georgia was 1 for 1, while Arkansas was 1 for 2.
The punt differential tells another part of the story. Georgia punted only twice. Arkansas punted five times.
Interestingly, the teams were nearly identical in total plays and sacks allowed, with three sacks apiece, and neither quarterback threw an interception. Gunner Stockton will be wishing he had that play back where we take a sack on the goal line. Those type of plays can cost you when the margin is smaller. Luckily it didn’t matter because Georgia simply out played Arkansas in every facet. Towards the end of the game there was sloppiness. And to call it a buck we did have 4 penalties.
Georgia: 464 yards on 63 plays.
Arkansas: 300 yards on 62 plays.
The Razorbacks found some success through the air, but Georgia's ability to establish the run, win third down, stay on the field and repeatedly create positive yardage turned the game into a very different kind of football game.
We got some guys:
Offensively,
Maybe we should double down on the Fall practice reports having smoke to them. Craig Dandridge and Jaden Reddell were both commonly name dropped as having excellent performances in practice and these two guys have both been impactful thus far. Just these two alone entering the fold have given me at least real hope that we have a group of pass catchers who will be reliable.
Defensively,
That 2 deep on the D-line I really like. Khalil Barnes made some great coverage plays showing why he was ELITE in the ACC last year with Clemson. Our ability to recognize everything quickly has been the biggest leap from last year. We’re flying around the football!
CFB Big Picture
The past few weeks have been essentially a guessing game on who’s who and what’s what. With a quarter of the regular season already in the rearview: College football trends have led the Power Poll to here. We still have to walk through the flames to taste the glory. And yet ya can’t tell me Georgia has been anything but the most dominant team in CFB. (against lesser opponents) Oklahoma is no slouch. Let’s keep going.
Go DAWGS!
