Christmas came early for Dawg fans on Saturday with Georgia actually coming away with a mostly stress-free 60 minutes of football, going to Starkville and winning 42-21.
Here are ten thoughts from all that
shook out at Mississippi State.
1. Let’s face it. Saturday felt like an out-of-body experience. Minus an early score being given up and a turnover, this one was different than most other games this year. You were not reaching for blood pressure or antacid medication. It was a welcome surprise. It’s what you honestly expect of this team, which is why so many times this year has been frustrating, that you knew this team was capable of handling teams it was more talented than. On Saturday, all of that finally came to fruition. After the past two or three months, it was a pleasant surprise.
2. The trap, however, is to think that this team is a national-title caliber on one Saturday alone. Was this a fluke? Has this team found itself? Georgia did a lot of very good things in Starkville, but let’s also keep things in perspective. This is a MSU team adapting to a new coaching staff that’s scratching for bowl eligibility. Yes, State has made life harder on many teams this year, win or lose, but there is a trap of making too much out of one game. Turning point or flash in the pan? Check back on that in a few weeks, if not sooner.
3. On paper, this was a trap game. It had all the elements. Georgia was coming off an emotional rivalry game win, and Texas is looming next week. Starkville can breed the bizarre circumstances on the field, and to make it worse, an 11 am local kickoff is asking for an early-game sleepwalk.
But Georgia found the best way to combat that – simply execute. This really reminded me of the 2021 Arkansas game, one that had makings of a stumbling block before the Bulldogs’ very sharp play turned it into a rout. Yes, this was a trap game going in…until kickoff.
4. It was a tough day for the tar and feather Mike Bobo crowd, as Georgia rolled up 567 yards and did pretty much what it wanted. Nate Frazier took full advantage of the offensive line getting a strong push to the tune of 181 yards, even one run that continued sans one shoe. Gunner Stockton? He put on a pass distribution clinic with completions to eight different receivers. And these were not token tosses, either. A combined 14 of Stockton’s 18 completions went to Zachariah Branch, Noah Thomas, and Oscar Delp. If Georgia can spread out the passing game like that consistently, it’ll be in good shape each game.
5. It’s hard to pinpoint a turning point in a blowout win. I mean…Kirby Smart noted after the game that he had to work hard to find something to um….*complain* about. But if there was a moment that got Georgia off and rolling, it came in the first quarter, when the Dawgs made sure State didn’t enjoy prosperity for long.
A handful of plays after a goal line fumble resulted in a turnover, Georgia didn’t waver. Instead, it dug in, with Quintavius Johnson forcing a fumble by MSU quarterback Blake Sharpen. Four plays later, Georgia went up 10-7 early in the second quarter, starting a run of 38 straight points.
6. Elyiss Williams has the potential to be special with his massive frame, and a single driver on Saturday showed us why, as in a single span he not only made a nice grab for a 24-yard catch, but also keyed a touchdown on a critical block. It’s hard early on to get a high majority of snaps in a position room with Lawson Luckie and Oscar Delp, but if Williams has plays like that, it’ll be hard to keep him on the sidelines.
7. Did former Bulldog Anthony Evans talk a lot of trash before and during Saturday’s game? Indications are yes, and you can’t blame him for wanting to compete against guys he went against in practice, a place that you can argue is more intense than actual games.
Evans and Georgia did not work out forward, and that is going to happen, especially moreso now in the current climate of the game. But if there is any ill will, it did not show after the game. Evans was a key part of the Bulldogs a season ago, and there’s no reason not to wish him well, as he, unlike others, left on good terms.
8. One of the best sights on Saturday? Seeing Lawson Luckie on the sidelines after taking a gruesome hit that was rightly ruled targeting. Let’s give credit to the Maroon Bulldogs, too, as based on the reaction, it was not done with malice, it just happened on a bang-bang play. The fact that Luckie was well enough to be around his teammates was a good sight to see. The big thing to watch this week, of course, is possible concussion symptoms.
9. If you did not think that last week was Florida’s Super Bowl, you do now. The Gators were apparently emotionally spent this week, looking punchless to an equally listless Kentucky team in a 38-7 loss. Last week was the epicenter of Florida’s season, a chance to have something good to pin hope on. Georgia broke the Gators’ spirit, and that makes last week all the more sweeter.
10. One of two things will happen on Saturday night in Athens. Georgia will be ingrained as Texas’ nemesis, or Arch Manning will get a riveting road win, and the national media that fawned over him three months ago will come rushing back.
Go Dawgs!
