The No. 2 Georgia Bulldogs (7-1) came fresh off a bye week to play the extremely undermanned Florida Gators (4-4). While Georgia was able to win 34-20, it was a sloppy game that saw Florida holding a 13-6 lead at the half and actually being favored to win, according to ESPN’s win probability.
If it weren’t for Florida’s second-string quarterback DJ Lagway being carted off the field with an injury, the Gators could’ve pulled off a massive upset, but the Bulldogs locked in during the second half, going on a 28-7 run to win the game.
Georgia quarterback Carson Beck threw three interceptions, but salvaged his day with two touchdown passes in the second half. The flaws in Beck’s game are undeniable and it seems like Georgia has won in spite of Beck in recent games. He’ll need to elevate his game, especially if Trevor Etienne misses time with a rib injury.
Fortunately, the defense stepped up. Despite allowing some deep balls, the defense played solidly, arguably even better than the points they allowed. Chaz Chambliss had an amazing game with 2.5 tackles for loss and two sacks. KJ Bolden was a rock at safety, with an 83.3 PFF grade. Overall, the Georgia Bulldogs only allowed 228 total yards.
Overall, Georgia fans are worrie again. Sure, the Bulldogs now reign atop the SEC after their 30-15 win over Texas, but their offense has rarely reached the level they had last year, which has caused them to play down to competition such as Mississippi State, Kentucky, and now Florida.
On Nov. 9, Georgia will be tested against No. 12 Ole Miss (7-2), a team that just put up 63 points against Arkansas, so they’ll have to bring it offensively.
Here are some takeaways from the Florida-Georgia game
Carson Beck has got to be better
This was the second week in a row where Carson Beck had three interceptions. If we look at the bigger picture, Carson Beck has just 10 touchdowns and 11 interceptions in the last five games.
Beck has yet to reach the level of play that most expected out of him this year, and it has made it a lot more difficult for Georgia to win games. Sure, Beck was pressured on the first interception, but he has shown massive flaws in ball placement.
The catalyst for Georgia’s success is their front seven
Through thick and thin, the Georgia Bulldogs have had at least one constant unit: the front seven. Outside of a stretch where Mykel Williams was hurt, and they were just good, the pass rush and linebacker core of Georgia has been elite the whole season. They’ve done well in stopping the run these last three games, with their opponent never averaging more than 3.6 yards per carry in that span. Against Florida, Georgia only allowed 115 rushing yards on 38 carries.
They won the special teams battle
Of course, no one can talk about this game without mentioning Florida’s blatant special team mishap. On a field goal try that would’ve given Florida the lead late in the third quarter, the snapper chucked the ball way over the holder’s head, causing a mad dash for the football, which Georgia recovered. Georgia scored a touchdown on the ensuing drive.