Halftime Notes: Georgia holds sloppy 26-13 lead over Kent State
ATHENS, Ga. — Georgia holds a 26-13 lead over Kent State at halftime. The Bulldogs have once again displayed some sloppiness on their home field, turning it over three times and giving up some big plays on defense. Below, DawgsHQ shares what we saw in the first two quarters of action.
- Stetson Bennett IV has played poorly in the first half. The Georgia quarterback has done some good things with his legs and has a couple of nice throws under his belt, but he has been off. It’s different than the Samford game because even when he was struggling, he was in control. He doesn’t look as settled right now. I’m not sure what he was looking at on that interception.
- Ladd McConkey’s struggles are a big reason why Georgia has struggled in this game. That was a brutal muffed punt and the fumble was just as bad. Some time on the sideline might help him out but I could see them going back to him a couple of times in this game to get him back into it.
- Up and down from the Georgia running backs. They have, at times, done a better job of getting more than just what is there. Kenny McIntosh and Kendall Milton have both had their moments. I still think there’s more to be had if they can break that one tackle in space.
- Brock Bowers continues to be a problem for opposing defenses. With over 100 yards of total offense in the first half and two more rushing touchdowns, it’s easy to see why he’s such a focal point for those opposing defenses.
- The offensive line play has been spotty. The protection hasn’t been as clean and Kent State is throwing a lot at them. The run blocking has been pretty solid at the point of attack outside of a couple of plays.
- The defensive line play has been stellar. Kent State wants to run the football but Georgia is having none of it. The interior pressure has been lacking a little but backup guys like Bill Norton and Bear Alexander have made plays in the run game.
- Jamon Dumas-Johnson has been a one-man wrecking crew at times. He was dynamite in that first half with three tackles for loss and a pair of sacks. No. 10 has been all over the field and he has, by far, been UGA’s best second-level defender. The overall tackling has been poor.
- Not sure what happened with the secondary on that long touchdown but I’ve noticed some bad angles out of the safety position — mainly Malaki Starks.
- Another overall sloppy showing from the Bulldogs at home. The tackling has been bad. The execution on offense has been bad with dropped passes, bad throws, and breakdowns. We’ll see if Georgia can put a stamp on this one with a strong second half.
