The Georgia Show: The expectations versus Austin Peay
Turning the page to Week 2
Georgia has firmly put the Thundering Herd in the rearview mirror, and now, the Dawgs are turning their attention to the Governors of Austin Peay and a 3:30 kickoff at Sanford Stadium this Saturday. While Austin Peay put a 20 point whooping on Middle Tennessee State last weekend and landed its first victory over an FBS opponent in almost 40 years, it’s fair to expect things to fall back to Earth a bit for that squad, with Georgia holding a decided advantage at each and every spot on the field. Still, the squad is a bit more cohesive than Marshall (not a major feat), but does that necessarily mean a better test for Kirby Smart and company this weekend? We’re a bit skeptical that there’s a great deal to learn from this one either, though the Dawgs will certainly have the opportunity to continue to build depth and get needed reps for young players in the process. Never anything wrong with that…
Expectations for the Georgia offense this week
After last week, it’s fair to assume that Austin Peay may be a bit more in tune with the Gunner Stockton option, which could force the Bulldogs to put the ball into the air with a bit more frequency in this contest than the previous. That’s certainly not a bad thing, and if you’ve been following the boards, there are plenty of folks clamoring for exactly that. We expect Stockton to be up to the challenge for whatever time he’s in and much of the same from Ryan Puglisi once he gets his opportunity, as well. What about our feelings on the offensive line or the pass catchers in this one? Will Dwight Phillips carry over his strong start from last week? Safe to say, everyone will be watching the Georgia offense closely once again…
And what of the Georgia defense?
There was plenty to love about the defensive side of the ball last week against Marshall, and while there’s not a world of improvement needed, there is still room to build on success. Could this be an opportunity for Elo Modozie to make his impact felt further and establish his role in the rotation? Will Kyron Jones get the nod again at safety after a bit of a surprise last week? Either way, it’s fair to expect Georgia to dole out the pain in a big way once again.
