The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Dogs keep eyes on SEC prize after loss
Smart has confidence in Bennett’s growth despite some bobbles.
The sting of Georgia’s previous two losses to Alabama lasted a while. You could even say they lingered, with one coming in the national championship game and the other in the matchup for the SEC title.
It appears the Bulldogs might get over this latest one pretty quickly. Not only was the 41-24 loss Saturday night in Tuscaloosa a rare regular-season affair for the powerhouse programs, but the Bulldogs feel they didn’t play particularly well, can play much better and will get another crack at the Crimson Tide.
Since it was a cross-divisional tilt, the Bulldogs could still win the East and earn a fourth consecutive trip to the SEC championship. If they do, Alabama very likely would await them.
“Our destiny is still controlled by us, which is how you want it,” quarterback Stetson Bennett said. “If we win out, we’ll probably see those guys again. Everything we want is still ahead of us.”
Indeed, everything is. But so are Kentucky and Florida. Because of the SEC’s COVID-19 induced reshuffle, the Bulldogs have this Saturday off and can use this week to shore up deficiencies. But then there will be back-to-back road games, the first against the Wildcats, who unraveled Tennessee
34-7 this past weekend in Knoxville, and then Florida, without the benefit of the usual bye week beforehand.
The Bulldogs are walking into that unfazed.
“Oh, man, we’ve got a great team,” senior safety Richard LeCounte said. “You know, the team that played better tonight won. But it’s not really a demoralizing thing.”
Here are some things we learned from the Bulldogs fall-from-ahead loss to the Tide:
Stetson is human: The uplifting story of Bennett’s rise from Georgia walk-on to starting quarterback encountered some reality checks. Not only did he throw three interceptions against Alabama and complete only 45% of his passes, but five line-of-scrimmage bat-downs and 10 pass-breakups overall illustrated how his 5-foot11 frame can sometimes be a liability.
After throwing for 177 yards in the first half, Bennett managed only 92 yards through the air in the second half. He finished 269 yards passing and two touchdowns. The Bulldogs had 414 yards of total offense on 70 plays.
“Gotta figure out how to not get batted balls, gotta figure out how to not throw interceptions, gotta figure out how to score points in the second half,” Bennett said afterward.
Georgia coach Kirby Smart defended his quarterback, and said a lot of the shortcomings were not necessarily Bennett’s fault. He said one of his interceptions should’ve been caught and another was a fortuitous swat by an Alabama defensive lineman. The third, he said, “was a bonehead mistake.”
But Smart gave no indication of considering a change at quarterback, during the game or going forward.
“I think Stetson’s gotten better,” Smart said. “When the level of competition changes, you don’t change your evaluation. You just have to grow and get better. The experience he gained tonight will be invaluable for him for the rest of the run. … He’s a work in progress, just like our team is.”
Secondary exposed or victimized? Two receivers accounted for 78.7% of Alabama’s 417 passing yards: star wideouts DeVonta Smith (11-167-2) and Jaylen Waddle (6-161-1). Seventeen of quarterback Mac Jones’ 24 completions went to them.
“We’ve got to play better as a secondary,” said LeCounte, who recorded his third interception of the season on Alabama’s first offensive play from scrimmage. “We gave up some big plays. They were able to capitalize on it. Perfect throws, perfect catches. We were playing a great ballclub in Alabama.”
Making it more frustrating is that the Bulldogs were in position to make a lot of plays. However, they were flagged at least three times for either holding or pass interference, and those came at awful times.
Cornerback Eric Stokes was called for pass interference defending Smith in the end zone, which turned what would’ve been a fourth-down, field-goal situation into first-and-goal at the Georgia 2. Najee Harris then scored the first rushing touchdown this year against the Georgia defense by a running back.
“Penalties, man, they get you beat,” LeCounte said. “We’ve got to do better in the secondary.”
Burton breaks out: A new favorite target for Bennett emerged Saturday night. Jermaine Burton, a 6-foot, 195pound freshman from Calabasas, California, caught four passes for 58 yards and a touchdown and was targeted a team-high eight times. He hauled in the first TD of his college career on a 5-yard play with 23 seconds remaining in the half.
George Pickens caught the most passes, with five for 58, and was targeted seven times. Kearis Jackson, Georgia’s leading receiver, finished with only two catches for 28 yards.
The best thing Georgia did was get the ball to James Cook out of the backfield. His 82-yard TD catch and run on a wheel route beat linebacker Dylan Moses on the first play of the second quarter.
Kenny Milton emerging: Zamir White was again Georgia’s leading ball carrier, with 10 attempts for 57 yards and the Bulldogs’ only rushing TD. But Georgia ran a bunch of backs in the game. Freshman Kendall Milton had six carries and averaged 7.3 yards, including a 24-yard run. Kenny McIntosh (2-12) and Cook (5-16) also had totes.
“I think we’re getting better at the running the football,” Smart said.
Special players: With the exception of the 35-yard missed field goal — and that’s a big exception — Georgia turned in another dominant performance on special teams.
While Jack Podlesny missed t he aforementioned short kick, he made a 50-yarder, and that was after converting from 51 yards last week. With the three made PATs, Georgia has now made a record 306 in a row, dating to 2014.
The Bulldogs always kick the ball well. Junior Jake Camarda, who came in ranked first in the nation in both punting average (51.4 yards) and net punting (47.7), averaged 49 yards on four punts Saturday, two of which were downed inside the 20. Camarda also took over kickoff duties in this game.
But the real difference in Georgia’s special teams this year is in the returns area. The Bulldogs returned six kickoffs for 161 yards between Jackson (2-56), McIntosh (2-47) and White (2-58). They continue to lead the SEC at 33.2 yards per return.