Dawg Tracks: 15 thoughts in Georgia's first bye week

Here is this week’s Dawg Tracks column with Georgia in its first of two bye weeks this season.

1. Nothing was more fortunate than Saturday’s missed kick. Max Gilbert missing a 43-yarder — a chip-shot for today’s top kickers — is as fortunate as it gets for the Bulldogs.

2. The best teams find ways to win games. While it was a choke job on Tennessee’s part, Georgia didn’t have a special teams misfire. In addition, Georgia converted the fourth-and-6 for a 28-yard touchdown. Tennessee committed a false start to turn a 37-yard field goal try into a 43-yarder. Every little detail matters in this sport.

3. Football is funny in the way we judge teams week to week. Some folks were convinced Gunner Stockton couldn’t throw the ball 25 yards down the field before Saturday. Now, he’s tied for the sixth best odds for the Heisman Trophy.

4. In 2022, I felt strongly about Stetson Bennett as a Heisman contender. I’m certainly not there about Stockton. But the Heisman Trophy has become an award for a title contending quarterback if the statistics allow for it. Stockton is going to end the year with some great numbers. It won’t surprise me if he earns a trip to New York.

5. The first bye week is early but came at an excellent time given the injuries Georgia has suffered on the offensive line. Earnest Greene III and Juan Gaston are going to be instrumental for the SEC gauntlet the Bulldogs are about to face.

6. Sometimes you have to be stubborn on offense. The rushing attack totaled 198 yards against Tennessee but it took 55 carries. That’s good for only 3.6 yards per carry.

7. But running the ball methodically at times slowed the game down after Tennessee jumped out to a 21-7 lead. It was a sound adjustment to stay stubborn with the run and pass when the opportunity presented itself. The Bulldogs were not going to be in successful in matching the Volunteers with tempo. Georgia possessed the ball for for 38:28 to Tennessee’s 21:32 and only out-gained the Volunteers by 502 to 496 total yards. If the tempo kept at the early pace the game would’ve been a bloodbath.

8. Stockton was impressive throughout the game. He dealt with a banged up line and a rushing attack that wasn’t breaking big gains. The chunk plays came from his arm to an improved receiving corps.

9. The one rush for over 20 yards came in overtime, with Nate Frazier hitting the left edge for a 21-yard gain. A walk-off touchdown would’ve been very reminiscent of Sony Michel in the 2018 Rose Bowl.

10. Colbie Young has been an impressive receiver the last two weeks. Of this group he has the most well-rounded skill set.

11. The Georgia receivers are college football’s version of the Green Bay Packers. It’s a deep group, with a lot of No. 2 options. There may not be that George Pickens type of guy on the roster right now, but each receiver is dangerous enough to make opposing secondaries think twice about single coverage.

12. Maybe it’s because of what Brock Bowers did at Georgia but it just seems odd that the tight ends aren’t doing too much in the passing game.

13. Against the Volunteers, Lawson Luckie had three catches for 25 yards and Oscar Delp caught one pass for 18 yards. Is this going to be the expected output among the group? However, if the passing attack gets great production from its receivers, it doesn’t really matter.

14. Georgia has put together some great defenses under Kirby Smart. However, offenses that can execute at a high tempo have given them some trouble. Last year, it took a whole half to adjust to Alabama. Last week, the defense didn’t have any great answers for Tennessee‘s high-powered attack. While Alabama was stunned against Florida State, the Tide’s offense will look to press Georgia and hope to have similar results as Tennessee.

15. Peyton Woodring wouldn’t have missed that field goal. Georgia is fortunate to have its two specialists.