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Best, worst PFF grades from Georgia’s win over UMass

PFF announced their grades from Georgia football’s win versus the UMass Minutemen.

The Georgia Bulldogs’ 59-21 win over the UMass Minutemen served as a tune-up game. Georgia ended their SEC slate of opponents with a 31-17 win over Tennessee in Week 12, and with a 6-2 record in the SEC.

Despite winning 59-21, the win wasn’t as easy as expected. UMass had a lead after their first drive and the Minutemen were in striking distance of upsetting Georgia for the majority of the game. This was because Georgia’s run defense allowed 226 rushing yards. The Georgia defense still made some plays late. Linebacker Chris Cole recovered a fumble for a touchdown late in the fourth quarter.

The Bulldogs were still able to win the game thanks to an elite offensive performance. Quarterback Carson Beck had another great game and continued to put his struggles behind him.

Running back Nate Frazier had his best game and is continuing to prove his case as the lead back once Trevor Etienne leaves. The UGA offensive line earned the offensive line of the week award, according to PFF. Monroe Freeling, Dylan Fairchild, Jared Wilson, and Xavier Truss all earned spots on the PFF All-SEC team.

HIGHEST AND LOWEST PFF GRADES FROM THE GEORGIA OFFENSE AND DEFENSE VS. TENNESSEE

Bold indicates they made the All-SEC team

Offense

Best Grades

Left Tackle Monroe Freeling: 88.0 overall grade, 69.4 pass-blocking grade, 90.3 run-blocking grade

Tight End Lawson Luckie: 86.2 overall grade, 82.7 receiving grade, 77.4 run-blocking grade

Right Guard Dylan Fairchild: 83.3 overall grade, 84.1 pass-blocking grade, 84.1 run-blocking grade

Worst Grades

Wide Receiver Nitro Tuggle: 50.7 overall grade, 46.7 receiving grade, 78.9 run-blocking grade

Right Guard Daniel Calhoun: 52.2 overall grade, 66.7 pass-blocking grade, 52.0 run-blocking grade

Running Back Cash Jones: 55.4 overall grade, 50.8 receiving grade, 1.1 pass-blocking, 62.3 running grade

Defense

Best Grades

Defensive End Gabe Harris: 91.8 overall grade, 64.1 run-defense grade, 76.6 tackling grade, 92.9 pass-rushing grade, 60.0 coverage grade

Outside Linebacker Chris Cole: 90.4 overall grade, 61.0 run-defense grade, 75.3 tackling grade, 88.2 coverage grade

Defensive End Mykel Williams: 80.0 overall grade, 78.4 run-defense grade, 59.0 tackling grade, 67.5 pass-rushing grade

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Worst Grades

Strong Safety Dan Jackson: 30.3 overall grade, 38.0 run defense grade, 78.5 tackling grade, 32.6 coverage grade

Cornerback Daniel Harris: 40.9 overall grade, 63.3 run defense grade, 74.2 tackling grade, 36.6 coverage grade

Defensive Tackle Jordan Hall: 45.0 overall grade, 47.1 run defense grade, 71.9 tackling, 59.3 pass rush grade

Takeaways from Georgia’s 59-21 win over UMass

Four key takeaways from Georgia’s win over UMass

The No. 8 Georgia Bulldogs (9-2) had a tune-up game against UMass after a satisfying victory over the No. 11 Tennessee Volunteers. The Tennessee game wrapped up UGA’s SEC schedule, and Georgia was in a perfect position to make the College Football Playoff if they won out. Against the UMass Minutemen, Georgia had a few objectives: win by a lot, see what they have in younger players, and make sure no key players get hurt.

Bearing this in mind, the game was a disappointment. Sure, the Georgia Bulldogs won 59-21, but it’s hard not to feel worried about the Bulldog defense after letting up 21 points and 351 yards to a non-Power Four opponent. A lot of people, including head coach Kirby Smart, were unhappy with Georgia’s tackling.

Believe it or not, the Minutemen had a seven-point lead in the first quarter. UMass was within one score until the two-minute warning in the second quarter when Carson Beck tossed a 34-yard touchdown pass to Arian Smith.

Because this game was close, not many freshmen or sophomores got extended looks. Georgia freshman Nate Frazier had his best game with 136 rushing yards and three touchdowns on 21 carries. Sophomore linebacker Gabe Harris had a sack and two tackles for loss and freshman Chris Cole recovered a fumble for a touchdown. Other than that, there wasn’t much impact from the underclassman of Georgia’s roster.

Georgia also couldn’t avoid injuries to key contributors either. Standout defensive lineman Christen Miller suffered an apparent right shoulder injury and was taken out of the game in the first half. The Bulldogs have an amazing front seven, but Miller’s loss hurts.

Georgia moves to 9-2, and thanks to other losses in the SEC, they could enter the top 10 in the playoff rankings, but they looked very shaky against weaker competition. The UMass Minutemen fell to 2-9 and earned a lot of money for playing the Bulldogs.

Here are four key takeaways from Georgia’s win over UMAss:

Georgia’s run defense could be an issue

The Minutemen running game was the biggest reason they stayed in the game for so long. They racked up 226 yards on just 40 carries, and the running game helped the Minutemen score on three offensive drives and enter the red zone on five drives.

“We’ve got to tackle better,” said Smart in a halftime interview. The antidote against a potent running attack is solid tackling in the trenches. The Georgia defense will need to tackle better next week against Georgia Tech, who has a much better run offense, racking up 180 yards per game.

Georgia’s offense is rounding into form?

The Georgia offense has turned a corner in the past few weeks. There have been times when the offense was a concern, but since the Tennessee game, they have looked in sync.

Carson Beck is the biggest reason why. Sure, it was against an inferior opponent, but Beck was throwing pinpoint dimes nearly the whole game. Nate Frazier looked refreshed after a tough couple of weeks and solidified himself as the next man up once Trevor Etienne leaves. Overall, the Bulldog offense has scored 90 points and over 1,000 yards in the past two weeks.

Oscar Delp might finally be breaking out

Oscar Delp, a former four-star recruit, hasn’t had much production in his first two years as a Bulldog, and in his third year, he looked overshadowed in the tight-end depth chart. However, in these past two weeks, he has finally looked like a game-changer.

Delp had just one reception for 17 yards and a touchdown against UMass, but now he has three touchdowns in the last two games. He is evolving into a red zone threat, and the Georgia passing attack has been better off for it.

Georgia has struggled with trap games

Despite the offense looking spectacular, the defense looked mortal again. Inconsistent play from either side of the ball has been a trend the entire year. One week the defense shines and the offense falls flat, and the next week, vice versa.

This has caused the Bulldogs to look quite mortal against inferior competition, mucking out close games against Kentucky, Mississippi State, and Florida. Sure, the UMass game wasn’t close, but that speaks to how good one side of the ball is.

Georgia Tech (7-4) is better than any unranked team Georgia has faced. It’s less likely that Georgia can win with only one side of the ball producing against the Yellow Jackets.

Nate Frazier cementing himself as future RB1

Georgia Bulldogs football running back Nate Frazier has over 100 yards, three touchdowns in big UGA win

In the Georgia Bulldogs’ 59-21 win against the UMass Minutemen, freshman running back Nate Frazier accounted for 136 yards on 22 carries with three touchdowns. Frazier Georgia’s the first 100-yard rusher this season. Frazier hit over 80 yards against Clemson and Florida.

The last Georgia freshman running back to score three touchdowns in a single game and rush for over 100 yards was Todd Gurley in 2012 against Buffalo.

Against UMass, the Georgia offense leaned on the freshman running back and he delivered especially in the second half. He averaged 6.4 yards per carry, which is the highest out of any UGA rusher this season. This game showed Frazier’s explosiveness adds another dynamic in this offense that has not been there in the running back room since D’Andre Swift.

“He’s still learning things. He still messes up. But he’s electric,” said Georgia head coach Kirby Smart on Frazier. “He’s different when the ball hits his hands. He bursts in the hole. He’s probably sometimes too fast. He’s not patient sometimes. But you talk about a kid that runs hard, works hard, and loves it. And those linemen love playing with him.”

With Frazier in the UGA backfield for the next two years, the future is set.

Top photos from Georgia’s win over UMass

Summary, photos of Georgia football’s 59-21 win over UMass

The Georgia Bulldogs have won 30 straight home games after beating the UMass Minutemen 59-21. Georgia is now 9-2 entering the Georgia Tech game.

Georgia’s run defense struggled at times against the Minutemen, who rushed for 110 yards in the first quarter. UMass held a 7-0 lead to start the game, but they could not stop quarterback Carson Beck and the Georgia offense. Beck and Georgia scored on their first seven drives (six touchdowns and one field goal). Beck threw four first half touchdowns and passed for 297 yards.

Georgia running back Nate Frazier played well. He recorded his first career 100-yard rushing game and finished with 136 yards on 21 carries and three touchdowns.

Georgia allowed 226 rushing yards and two rushing touchdowns, which frustrated head coach Kirby Smart. Georgia did not tackle well and allowed UMass to hit a 75-yard passing touchdown in the second half. The Georgia defense did force a pair of turnovers and got a nice red zone stop in the second half.

What are the best photos from Georgia’s win over UMass?

Georgia dominates UMass 59-21

Georgia football has won 30 straight home games after crushing UMass

In a 59-21 win against the UMass Minutemen, Georgia’s offense delivered an explosive performance. Carson Beck looked sharp, delivering big plays through the air. In the first quarter, he connected with tight end Oscar Delp on a 17-yard touchdown pass.

Continuing the momentum, Beck threw a 15-yard touchdown to wide receiver Dominic Lovett, extending the lead to 21-7. Beck capped the offensive outburst with a 34-yard touchdown strike to Arian Smith, sending Georgia into the break with a 28-14 lead.

Beck became only the third quarterback in SEC history in the last 10 seasons, alongside Brandon Allen (2015) and Tua Tagovailoa (2019), to throw for four touchdowns in the first four possessions of the first half.

Kirby Smart’s Halftime Thoughts

“We gotta tackle better. If we tackle better, we put them in more third and longs. We haven’t played any good defense,” said Smart at halftime.

The numbers back up his critique. UMass gained 166 yards on the ground in the first half, outpacing Tennessee’s 152 yards the previous week. Issues included missed tackles, poor angles, and a lack of intensity plagued Georgia early in the game.

On Georgia’s offense

“They have been playing complementary football all year. They have picked us up when needed to,” said Smart.

Second-Half Turnaround

The Georgia defense tightened up in the second half, allowing only 60 rushing yards and limiting UMass’s passing game. The defense did allow a 75-yard touchdown pass from quarterback AJ Hairston to Jakobie Keeney-James, who beat defenders Daniel Harris and Dan Jackson.

On offense, the Bulldogs shifted to a ground-heavy attack to assert their dominance in the second half. Freshman running back Nate Frazier powered the offense with three rushing touchdowns, helping to stretch the lead beyond 20 points.

The exclamation point came from the defense, as sophomore edge rusher Gabe Harris Jr. recorded a sack and forced a fumble. Freshman linebacker Chris Cole scooped up the loose ball and returned it for a touchdown, sealing the 59-21 victory.

Five things to know about UMass

Five things to know about Saturday’s opponent. Georgia plays UMass at 12:45 p.m. ET

UMass Minutemen is the Georgia Bulldogs’ opponent on Saturday. Not a lot of people know much about them. Here are a few things to know about the Minutemen.

Student Enrollment

UMass student enrollment is over 30,000. The Minutemen received over 50,000 undergraduate applicants this season while only accepting 5,300 applicants for first-year students.

Independent Conference

UMass’ first three seasons in the FBS was apart of the Mid-American Conference (MAC) before becoming an independent in 2015.

UMass just fired their coach

UMass fired their head coach Don Brown on Monday. Offensive coordinator Shane Montgomery will serve as UMass’s head coach following Brown’s dismissal.

UMass not been over .500 in over a decade

UMass has not been over .500 since Week 8 of the 2011 season. In their second best season, they went 4-8 in 2018 with wins over Duquesne, Charlotte, UConn, and Liberty.

Share a common opponent

Georgia Bulldogs linebacker Damon Wilson II tries to tackle Mississippi State Bulldogs quarterback Michael Van Buren Jr.. Dale Zanine-Imagn Images

Georgia and UMass share a common opponent this season which is Mississippi State Bulldogs. The Minutemen lost 45-20 in their game in Starksville. Georgia won their game 41-31 against the Bulldogs in Athens.

UMass fires head coach days before playing Georgia

UMass parts ways with its head coach before the Georgia game in what is not exactly ideal timing.

The University of Massachusetts has parted ways with head coach Don Brown ahead of their upcoming matchup against Georgia.

The Georgia Bulldogs kept their College Football Playoff hopes alive with a commanding 31-17 win over Tennessee in primetime last weekend, wrapping up their conference schedule. Now, they shift focus to a non-conference game against UMass. Offensive coordinator Shane Montgomery will serve as UMass’ offensive coordinator following Brown’s dismissal on Monday.

Don Brown began his coaching career in 1982 at Dartmouth and held various defensive coordinator roles at Northeast programs like Yale, Brown, and UMass, where he first joined in 1998. He became Northeastern’s head coach in 2000, staying until 2003, and later led UMass from 2004 to 2008. Brown also worked as a defensive coordinator at Maryland, UConn, Boston College, and Michigan before returning to UMass as head coach in 2022.

Despite an overall head coaching record of 101-71, UMass’s 2-8 start this season led to Brown’s dismissal during his second stint with the program. UMass has already faced two SEC opponents this year, Missouri and Mississippi State, and will now prepare to take on Georgia.

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The Minutemen are coming off a heartbreaking loss to Liberty, where they led 20-7 at halftime but ultimately lost in overtime. The program will also begin its search for a new head coach.

TV, kickoff time set for Georgia vs. UMass game

Georgia hosts UMass on Nov. 23. When and where can UGA football fans watch the game?

The Georgia Bulldogs will host UMass Minutemen on Saturday, Nov. 23 at 12:45 p.m. ET. The Georgia-UMass game will be televised on the SEC Network.

Georgia is 7-2 and needs to beat Tennessee to keep their College Football Playoff hopes alive. UMass is just 2-7. The Minutemen do have a shared opponent with Georgia. UMass lost at Mississippi State 45-20 while Georgia beat Mississippi State at home 41-31.

UMass quarterback Taisun Phommachanh also may be familiar to Georgia fans. Phommachanh began his career at Clemson and later transferred to Georgia Tech before ending up at UMass.

The early kickoff time is a scheduling win for Georgia. The Bulldogs get a few more hours to prepare for Georgia Tech, who Georgia plays on Black Friday.

UMass is the second of three consecutive home games that Georgia ends the season with. ESPN’s matchup predictor gives Georgia a 99% chance to beat UMass. Georgia’s offense should finally be able to find a rhythm against UMass’ defense which has struggled all season long.