Report Card: Georgia slams Mississippi State 45-19
Georgia didn’t play its best game but it got the result it wanted at Mississippi State on Saturday. The Bulldogs from the SEC East got out with a 45-19 win in front of quite a few UGA fans who made the trip. The score says one thing but we’re always trying to look deeper. Below we go position by position to give you the weekly report card.
Georgia quarterback
Stetson Bennett made some mistakes. He didn’t really pay for those. He did, however, have a couple of interceptions that weren’t really on him. Guess it all evens out one way or the other. Bennett also delivered some really great throws when they were needed the most. He had a hand in four of the six Georgia touchdowns and accounted for over 300 yards of offense. Grade: A-
UGA running backs
The room just wasn’t there for most of the game. Georgia had a tough time giving its running backs space and they didn’t do a ton in the passing game, either. The protection was solid and Kendall Milton broke loose for a big play late in the game. Grade: B+
Georgia receivers and tight ends
Another huge game for Ladd McConkey, who had 141 total yards and two scores. He has really turned it on in November. Georgia also got key contributions from Marcus Rosemy-Jacksaint and Kearis Jackson. Darnell Washington and Brock Bowers turned in really good days both as receivers and blockers. Grade: A
UGA offensive line
It wasn’t as bad as what we saw at Missouri but it wasn’t far from it. Georgia just lost a lot of one-on-one battles up front. MSU’s aggressive approach probably made things look worse than they were at times. The protection was pretty strong throughout save a play or two here and there. That was a tough environment but you expect more from an offensive line that had been so much better for weeks. Grade: C-
Georgia defensive line
The interior pressure wasn’t great. It was slow at times and it almost seemed like Georgia expected the ball to come out quicker. It did come out quick quite a bit but there were times when Will Rogers would have to hold it and Georgia would have to essentially reset its rush during the play. The Bulldog front did a great job of controlling the run game and it was another really nice showing for Jalen Carter. Mykel Williams and Bear Alexander flashed, as did Tyrion Ingram-Dawkins. Grade: B+
UGA linebackers
Smael Mondon leads the way. He had a monster game and he made plays in coverage, rushing the passer, and other ways. Jamon Dumas-Johnson was really good again and Trezmen Marshall had another tackle for loss. The outside linebackers didn’t do a ton other than an assisted tackle here and there. Grade: A-
Georgia secondary
The Bulldog defensive backfield deserves a ton of credit for never letting Mississippi State get into a rhythm. That offense thrives off of rhythm and the defensive backs were having none of it. Georgia did a nice job of disrupting routes and disguising coverages prior to the snap. The safety play was tremendous but Kamari Lassiter had a huge game at cornerback. He came up and made really nice plays in space. Grade: A
UGA special teams
Really bad. The punt return for a touchdown was bad. It was a poor kick and poor coverage. Georgia just has to own that. It also continues to do a poor job at returning kickoffs. Mississippi State had some luck at returning kickoffs against Georgia. UGA also had a roughing the punter penalty. Grade: F
Georgia overall
Kirby Smart and company covered and then some. They did so on the road, in a weird environment, with some guys dinged up and fresh off a huge home victory. It was a really nice team win when you look at how the Bulldogs from the SEC East just answered time and time again. Grade: A-
