Kirby Smart addresses Georgia football’s offensive woes

Georgia faithful still wonder how the much longer the Dawgs’ D can bail out the struggling offense.

Georgia’s 2019 defense is a statistical anomaly. The Junkyard Dawgs will enter their final regular season game ranked fifth in total defense, second in rushing defense, seventh in passing efficiency defense, and have only allowed one rushing touchdown.

The Bulldog Nation thoroughly enjoys watching a defense that can guarantee a win requiring only 21 points. Georgia is one of two teams (Clemson being the other) that hasn’t given up more than 20 points thus far this season.

That said, Georgia faithful still wonder how the much longer the Dawgs’ D can bail out the struggling offense.

Head coach Kirby Smart acknowledged the fans’ echoed concerns after the Silver Britches’ lackluster offense.

“There were things [against Texas A&M] that we missed that were there. That’s the frustrating thing.”

He continued: “You get an opportunity on first and ten to make the plays that we had, and you’ve got to make those.”

Smart, obviously aware of the situation, added that “some of that had nothing to to with the calls…it had to do with execution.”

“[The defense] got tired toward the end of the game. We’re going to have to overcome that, because two weeks in a row now, we’ve kind of lost momentum late and struggled on a couple drives.”

Quarterback Jake Fromm has thrown under 50% for three consecutive games. Compared to his career percentage of 65.5%, the current trend is surprising.

“Offensively, we’ve got to improve. There’s no bones about it.” Smart The message this week is that the next step is the most important step.”

College GameDay crew picks winner of Georgia vs TAMU

The College GameDay crew picked the winner of Georgia vs TAMU.

The College GameDay crew is set up in Columbus, Ohio today for the Ohio State vs Penn State game.

As it always does, the crew picked the winners of the day’s biggest games, and with Georgia vs Texas A&M on the slate for the SEC today, the guys put in their picks for showdown in Athens.

Joined by College Football hall of Famer Eddie George, a Buckeyes legend, the team made their selections with Desmond Howard and George picking the Dawgs to win big. Kirk Herbstreit had the Dawgs winning in a close one, with the weather coming into play.

Here are the picks:

Desmond Howard: Georgia wins big

Eddie George: Georgia wins big

Lee Corso: Georgia

Kirk Herbstreit: Georgia in a close game

Georgia football game day schedule vs TAMU: Senior Day edition

Georgia football’s gameday schedule vs Texas A&M.

Today will be the day a number of Georgia seniors and juniors will play their final game in Athens.

The Bulldogs host Texas A&M at 3:30 on Saturday in what will be Georgia’s last SEC game of the season before taking on Georgia Tech in Atlanta next Saturday.

Going to the game?

Here’s the pre-game schedule:

1:15: Dawg Walk

1:30: Gates open

2:49: Redcoat recognition

3:14: Senior recognition

3:27: National Anthem

3:31: Battle Hymn

3:35: Krypton

3:30: Kickoff

Georgia football tickets vs TAMU: Stats and info on price trend

Stats and info on the price trend for Georgia football tickets vs Texas A&M.

Georgia vs Texas A&M this Saturday will mark the first time the two two programs have met since the Aggies joined the SEC in 2012.

And with this being No. 4 Georgia’s final home game of the season, ticket prices are not coming cheap. However, they are cheaper now than if you were to buy them just a few days ago.

This weekend’s game is averaging $317 per ticket on the secondary market and the get-in price is currently $88, down $50 earlier this week, according to TicketIQ. The average price has gone down 21% over the course of the week.

Also, with Georgia having secured a spot in the SEC Championship Game, tickets for the conference title game have skyrocketed.

Tickets for the 2019 SEC Championship are the most expensive of any conference championship, by a lot. Currently, the average asking price for a ticket to the game on the secondary market is $1,285, up from $820 last year, and the highest it’s been this decade. The next priciest game was the 2017 Georgia-Auburn game, which settled at a $945 average asking price. The cheapest ticket in the 71,00-seat stadium is trending at $343. The next most expensive 2019 conference championship is the Big 10 Championship,  starting at $92.

The Bulldogs have a real shot at making another visit to the College Football Playoff, and with Georgia’s success comes an increase in ticket prices. Playoff tickets are up over the last two weeks, as you can see below.

Fiesta Bowl: 

Average price: $445

Two week % avg price change: 25%

Get in price: $160

Two week % avg get-in change: 11%

Peach Bowl:

Average price: $817

Two week % avg price change: 47%

Get in price: $248

Two week % avg get-in change: 23%

National Championship:

Average price: $1,920

Two week % avg price change: 9%

Get in price: $971

Two week % avg get-in change: 27%

Message board encroachment: TAMU fans discuss upcoming Georgia game

I spent the week exploring various Texas A&M message boards to get a feel for how Aggie fanatics view their football team. As often as I spend Saturdays glued to a television, I figured that it’d be best to get a feel for Georgia’s next opponent …

I spent the week exploring various Texas A&M message boards to get a feel for how Aggie fanatics view their football team. As often as I spend Saturdays glued to a television, I figured that it’d be best to get a feel for Georgia’s next opponent through engaging with the people who watch all sixty minutes every Saturday.

Considering this will be the first ever conference matchup between Georgia and A&M since they joined the SEC in 2012, neither team’s fan base has a much of a point of reference of how these teams stack up outside of statistical information we have available. After all, the last time these two squads had to worry about one another was in preparation for the 2009 Independence Bowl.

Among the most shared sentiments were the following:

Their fans feel that the Aggies are a very balanced team with no overwhelming strengths and no glaring weaknesses.

Several fans did say that if one unit is better than the other, it’s the defense, but only slightly. One Ag pointed out that, between last season and this one, they’ve had to replace their most productive tailback and tight end in school history with a freshman and sophomore, respectively.

As the fan noted, “If we cannot get the ground game moving or get decent production from tight end, our offense will get crushed,” acknowledging Georgia’s “stout” 2019 defense.

Other fans believe the offensive onus will be placed squarely upon QB Kellen Mond in getting the ball moving. He’s a solid pocket passer and has thrown for the third most yards of any quarterback in the conference behind LSU’s Joe Burrow and Alabama’s Tua Tagovailoa, the latter of whom won’t play again this season.

What sets him apart from other quarterbacks Georgia’s defense has seen thus far in 2019 is his ability to extend plays and throw while rolling out beyond the hash marks. The Dawgs saw a decent bit of that in the most recent win at Auburn and contained it well, setting the edge and keeping a spy linebacker focusing on the signal caller.

“The entire offense plays at the level [Mond] plays,” one fan said. “We don’t really have any game breakers that can do it themselves.”

Kellen Mond is faster on his feet and more experienced than Bo Nix, but a number of A&M fans agreed that if there is one position group of weakness, it would be their offensive line. The Aggies have given up 24 sacks on the year. Compare that to Auburn’s 16 allowed. Now compare that to Georgia’s six.

If Georgia’s front seven can adequately pressure Mond behind his pedestrian offensive line, Texas A&M fans expect doom and gloom.

Looking on the other side of the ball, the Internet’s Aggies don’t fear Georgia’s passing game nearly as much as they fear the rushing attack.

I’m sure you can imagine that I came across some toxic and blatantly non-factual posts disparaging Jake Fromm. After one poster declared everything aside from Fromm’s career completion percentage as “totally unimpressive,” several more rational A&M fans pointed out that the Dawgs don’t go long often simply because of the “monsters” the Bulldogs showcase in the backfield.

Georgia’s offense has long been based on controlling the clock with a run-first offense balanced between three or more top-self tailbacks. Any Texas A&M supporter who can recognize this has admittedly watched more Georgia football this season than I have watched Texas A&M football.

Georgia football TBT: Herschel Walker’s 76 yard TD run vs TAMU

The Georgia Bulldogs are hosting the Texas A&M Aggies for the first time since 1980. UGA’s Herschel Walker scored three touchdowns that day.

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The Georgia Bulldogs are hosting the Texas A&M Aggies for the first time since 1980, the last season the Bulldogs won a national championship. Freshman sensation Herschel Walker lead the Dawgs to a 42-0 shutout on the day. Walker had 21 carries for 145 yards and 3 touchdowns.

Walker scored a 76 yard touchdown in the third quarter. Video (with Larry Munson on the call) is courtesy of UGA Sports/Rival’s Patrick Garbin:

Georgia fans can hope the Bulldogs will host the Aggies 39 years later in another championship-winning season. D’Andre Swift will try to impersonate Herschel Walker in what may be Swift’s final game in Athens.

Texas A&M comes into the game at 7-3 with their losses coming to: Clemson, Alabama, and Auburn. The Aggies are certainly battled-tested. Kellen Mond and company are playing their best football of the season. Georgia’s defense will look to shutdown Jimbo Fisher’s offense in what’s expected to be a rainy game.

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5 reasons why Georgia football will beat TAMU on Saturday

Here are five reasons why UGA football will beat the Texas A&M Aggies on Saturday in Athens, Georgia.

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This Saturday, the No. 4 ranked Georgia Bulldogs (9-1) host the unranked Texas A&M Aggies (7-3) in Athens.

Georgia, with its win over Auburn last weekend, clinched its spot in its third consecutive SEC Championship. The Aggies, on the other hand, were given college football’s hardest schedule and have lost to Clemson, Auburn and Alabama. Additionally, they still have to play LSU at the end of the season.

Despite being ranked No. 23 in both the Amway Coaches Poll and the AP Top-25, Texas A&M stayed unranked in the College Football Playoff rankings.

But do not sleep on Jimbo Fisher’s group. His team is coming off of a bye week and most recently beat South Carolina 30-6, the same team that beat Georgia in October.

We got the Dawgs winning, and you can see why below, but the DawgNation will come out and be loud on Saturday at 3:30.

Here are five reasons why Georgia beats Texas A&M.

Georgia football opens as heavy favorite over the Aggies

Georgia football opens as a heavy favorite over the Texas A&M Aggies.

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This Saturday, Georgia hosts Texas A&M in Sanford Stadium for the Bulldogs’ final SEC matchup of the year.

It will be the first time the two schools have met since the Aggies joined the SEC in 2012.

Ahead of Saturday’s matchup, Georgia opened as a 13.5 point favorite over Texas A&M, continuing the Dawgs’ streak of being favored in every game they have played this season.

Odds via BetMGM. Access USA TODAY Sports’ betting odds for a full list. Lines last updated Tuesday at 1:15 p.m.

Want to get in on the action? Place your bet now at BetMGM.

No. 4 Georgia is sitting at 9-1 and coming off an impressive road win over Auburn, while Texas A&M, which found its way into the Amway Coaches Poll this week at No. 24, is 7-3. Last Saturday, the Aggies took down South Carolina, the team responsible for handing Georgia its only loss, by a score of 30-6.

The last time the two programs met was in the 2009 Independence Bowl, which Georgia won 44-20. Running back Caleb King was responsible for two rushing touchdowns while tight end Aaron White caught two of his own.

Georgia leads the all-time series 3-2. The most recent regular season meeting between the two programs came in 1980. Georgia won that game and went on to win its second national championship.

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How Georgia football and TAMU match up: Statistical breakdown

See how Georgia football and Texas AM football matchup in our weekly head-to-head statistical breakdown ahead of Saturdays game.

The Texas A&M Aggies travel East this Saturday as the Georgia Bulldogs will host them in Sanford Stadium for what will be the Dawgs final SEC matchup of the regular season.

Georgia secured a ticket to its third straight SEC Championship Game this past Saturday with a 21-14 victory at Auburn.

The unranked Aggies (7-3, 4-2) are not a team to overlook.  Jimbo Fisher and company have lost games to previously ranked #1 Clemson, #1 Alabama and #8 Auburn. A&M has one of the toughest schedules in all of college football, still having #4 Georgia as well as #1 LSU the week after.

That will be a total of three #1 teams and four top five teams on the season.

That being said, let’s take a look at how these two teams matchup statistically this season.

On paper, the first matchup between the Bulldogs ands Aggies since TAMU joined the SEC in 2012 looks to be a Georgia win. But, hey, we said the same thing before South Carolina.

Here’s a look at how the two SEC programs match up statistically.

OFFENSE

Georgia football HC Kirby Smart talks Lawrence Cager, OL injuries

Ahead of the Georgia football game vs Texas A&M, Kirby Smart discussed the injury of Lawrence Cager and some offensive linemen.

Georgia is at the point in the season where it’s not a matter of whether or not a player is injured, but whether or not he is able play through it.

After Georgia’s physical game against Auburn, which the Dawgs won 21-14 on the road, UGA will look to heal up as much as possible ahead of its final SEC matchup with Texas A&M on Saturday.

Wide receiver Lawrence Cager left the Auburn game in the first quarter after making just one catch.

On Saturday, Smart discussed the injury, which came to the shoulder that has been bothering Cager all season.

“He took a shot, and it bothered him. He took a shot on the (fourth) play of the game I think, maybe, and it started bothering him.”

On Monday, Smart updated Cager’s status.

“Cager will be cleared to practice, it will just be a matter of if he can sustain,” Smart said.

Versatile offensive lineman Cade Mays was able to play for a portion of the game, but eventually had to be held out.

 “Cade is banged up — don’t think he’s going to be able to practice today, but we think he’s going to be able to play and he’s going to be able to hopefully practice Tuesday.”

Mays left the Missouri game the week before with an ankle injury.

“(Mays) is a little beat up, (and) we knew that going into the game, he’s got some soreness, and he’s fighting through it.,” Smart said.

On fellow offensive lineman Ben Cleveland, Smart mentioned that he missed some practice last week with a toe injury but is hopeful that the big man will be able to play vs Texas A&M.

“Ben (Cleveland) is still fighting the injury bug, too, on lower extremity. We’re hopeful he’s able to go.”