Georgia spring game recap
The Dawgs saw some solid performances on offense while the defensive backfield needs improvement.
By: The Waco Kid
Photo: USA TODAY
SEC Football is back, and I’m not talking 2020 back, I am talking all of the 2010s dominating every other conference back. And what better way to start anew than the traditional spring games. It is the one time that football fans get a break from the monotony of baseball, softball, basketball, track and volleyball. Don’t get me wrong those sports are great fillers for us avid gridiron groupies but nothing beats the smells of brisket on the smoker, the refreshing chug of a cold beer on a perfect Saturday morning, or the roars and rocking of a stadium that could register on the Richter scale. We aren’t speaking about a tradition here and there, or something “fun” to do on a Saturday, no this is a way of life across the South and this past weekend brought a sense of normalcy to all of those still searching for the light at the end of the tunnel that seemed to have been extinguished over a year ago.
The usual characters took the spotlight during the spring games. From Nick Saban bursting facial veins at the most trivial of mistakes to the new dynamic duo of Kirby Smart and Will Muschamp. We experienced the initiations of Clark Lea, Bryan Harsin, Sam Pittman and Mike Leach into SEC spring training. Then witnessed the emergence of new stars throughout programs across the South. Today we will specifically touch on an SEC East powerhouse. The meanest and baddest of the canine species in the SEC, that’s right I am talking about the Georgia Bulldogs.
The Dawgs are coming off of a Mark Richt-esque two-loss season, culminating in a 24-21 victory over Cincinnati in the Peach Bowl. Kirby Smart is looking to ride this momentum into the offseason and propel his program to another College Football Playoff berth in 2021. This dream relies heavily on the progression of quarterback JT Daniels, the receiving core, and a defensive secondary that lost six players to the NFL Draft. Smart is well aware that Richt type seasons will only be tolerated for so long, so with an experienced offensive squad he will look to make that final leap into Georgia folklore.
The spring game showcased the improvement of Daniels and the receivers, unfortunately for Smart, this could also be a reflection of the regression in his defensive back unit. The worst part for the DBs is that top receiver George Pickens was sidelined for the contest with a torn ACL. Pickens has shown all of the talent in the world, his freshman season he lit up the stat sheet, however his sophomore year he had a decrease in productivity and was most known for squirting water on Tennessee quarterback Jarret Guarantano. If your most notable action for a year involved Guarantano, it might be time to re-evaluate your priorities.
JT Daniels lit up the secondary and ended the day 28 of 41 for 324 yards and 3 TDs, a commendable feat against any SEC defense. Adonai Mitchell emerged as a number 1 receiver with a total of 105 yards and 1 TD, if Pickens can get healthy this could be a dangerous combo at the end of 2021 or to begin the 2022 season. Then add in tight end Darnell Washington, who when he wasn’t running over defenders, was catching contested balls for touchdowns. The big TE looked like a force to be reckoned with and will wreak havoc on defenses across the nation. Running back Zamir White put up a pretty good performance, especially in a contest where the passing game was the main attraction. White finished with one rushing touchdown and multiple catches out of the backfield. The UGA offense looks like one that may be difficult to keep up with going into the 2021 season.
Back-up quarterback Carson Beck also performed well. He seems to be able to hit small windows with a little more ease than Daniels but did have a few missed targets, one of which resulted in an interception. The most excitement came from freshman Brock Vandagriff. The kid could hit throws and rush for positive gains when the pocket collapses. Vandagriff has the most upside of any QB on the roster but will have to grow out of the freshman errors that were on display during the scrimmage. He held onto the ball a little too long which caused a fumble that was recovered by the defensive unit. The Dawgs look like they may have the solution for this year and the coming years with Daniels and Vandagriff.
Defensively there were obvious growing pains. Outside of the secondary, the backers were losing running backs out of the backfield leading to big yardage gains. This will improve throughout the offseason and into the regular season, but the lack of play from all units on this side of the ball could be a problem for Georgia throughout 2021. Their development will directly correlate to the success of the Bulldogs, keep an eye out because if problems persist on the defense, UGA may find themselves in a three + loss scenario. Lastly, if Jake Camarda is kicking field goals throughout the season, the Dawgs will be a 4 or 5 loss team. He was abysmal in the spring game, he can drill the ball, but the accuracy is not there. He’s no Rodrigo.
The goat. (Photo: Curtis Compton, Atlanta Journal-Constitution)
The offense will be the staple of this squad, and if special teams and defense can come together, this may be a CFP-bound team. The main competition the Dawgs will face are rivals Florida and a reloading Clemson. They will have to defeat Dabo in week one to start the year off on a high note, and I believe a Tigers team in the post-Trevor Lawrence era can be defeated by a Georgia squad that has found its star power.
If the year starts with a loss, the Bulldogs can forget the Playoffs.