2022 UGA Mid-Year Report Card
Athens, GA- Seven weeks have already flown by and the Bulldogs are a perfect 7-0. Although the Team is undefeated, there have been several challenges the team has faced in the 1st half of the season. The remaining schedule looks to be much tougher than what the Bulldogs faced so far. 3 of the next 5 opponents are currently ranked in the Top 25. The "Worlds Largest Outdoor Cocktail Party" against a struggling Florida team is the only thing that separates Georgia from maybe the most anticipated matchup of the year as #3 Tennessee comes to Athens on November 5th.
The Bulldogs will use this Bye Week to re-focus and dial in some game plans against the upcoming tough schedule. While the team gets a week off, we thought it would be a good time to reflect and give out some grades on the first half of the season.
Offense - GRADE B+
The offense has been inconsistent this season but they also have shown the potential firepower they possess when running on all cylinders. Dawgnation was shown what the offense is capable of doing in the season opener, when the team scored seven straight touchdowns on the first seven possessions against Oregon. An injury to wide receiver AD Mitchell in the second game of the season against Samford proved how valuable he is to the offense. Maybe the bar was set to high for the Bulldogs after the season opener and now a fanbase has come to expect 50 points per game. But with some key injuries to running backs and wide receivers the bulldogs have been able to still produce. In what seems to be Stetson Bennett's 10th year (LOL), Coach Monken has seemed to help give him more freedom with the offense and its shown. Bennett is averaging 290 yards passing with 7 touchdowns vs 1 interception. The Running game has been by committee. McIntosh, Milton, Edwards, and Robinson have all carried the load to help the Bulldogs ground game. Injuries to McIntosh and Milton have opened up some time for others and Edwards bowling ball running style looks to be one of the trusted backs when the game is on the line. The Bulldogs are averaging 41+ points a game with 526 yards of total offense per game, both ranking top 10 nationally.
DEFENSE - GRADE A+
Gone are 1st round draft picks Travon Walker, Jordan Davis, and Devontae Wyatt. You would think the cupboard would be bare for the Dawgs... Think again. With the blowout wins in 2021, It gave the Bulldogs to rotate almost everywhere on the front lines. Coach Muschamp, & Coach Schumann have mixed in young talent with core returnees to continue giving teams fits. Through seven games, the Bulldogs have allowed just five touchdowns and an average of 9.1 points per game. The Bulldogs currently rank as the 2nd best-scoring defense in the nation. DT Jalen Carter and LB Smael Mondon have missed the past 2 games with injuries but the Bulldogs hope to have both back from the stretch run. The defensive backfield with Christopher Smith II being the anchor has been a bright spot. Freshman Malaki Starks athleticism and play-making ability has flashed off the screen at times. Kelee Ringo and Kamari Lassiter have been consistent but have shown times of playing the receiver versus the ball when in Man coverage.