The Dawgs have run the SEC gauntlet and received little to no recognition from the CFP committee for doing it. Dawg Nation awaits the Enemy on Black Friday night. In the meantime, the Dawgs get a final taste of a cupcake on the Saturday before Thanksgiving. Let’s get to the first look.
Series Record & Last Meeting: Georgia leads 1-0 in a 66-27 win between the hedges in 2018. The Dawgs ran out to a 42-13 halftime line powered by a 28-point 2nd quarter and then emptied the bench as UMass kept their starters in the entire game to attempt to keep the game somewhat respectable. Justin Fields had his biggest game in a Georgia uniform (sigh) with over 200 yards of total offense and 3 total touchdowns.
Gambling Degenerate Facts: Georgia is a 42.5 point favorite, and the point total sits at 55.5.
Interesting Statistic: 20.7 – UMass’s points per game scored
The UMass offense has been for a lack of a better word … anemic (and that may be insulting to blood disorders), and that’s been against a schedule that hasn’t been exactly a murderer’s row. Missouri held them to 3, and Mississippi State held them to 20. I won’t be angry if they score against our 1st team defense, but I will be disappointed.
Early Outlook
Don’t choke on a cupcake, Dawgs. I don’t mean that as I believe there is any way for the Dawgs to lose on Saturday. What I mean is don’t mess around with this team and be forced to play starters for longer than necessary. I expect to see UMass try to shorten the game and cash their check as quickly as possible. I expect Kirby is going to be willing to allow them to play that way as he and Mike Bobo continue to try to establish a consistent run game and keep Carson Beck’s jersey clean. I expect we’ll be as vanilla as possible on defense especially with the first team in the game. I don’t expect any wrinkle to get shown.
That likely leads to a game where no one is going to be happy except Kirby gets a win that doesn’t cover the spread and gives him a chance to chew on his team for the next 5+ days in preparation for Clean Old-Fashioned Hate.
What’s your thought on Saturday at this point? I’ll be back later this week with a full scope preview. Let us know in the comments below.
I hate it when top teams beat these FCS schools by 50+ points, and I respect Kirby for not wanting to do that. However, since it appears that the committee puts a lot of credit behind such beatdowns (see Alabama v Mercer), I think we really need to put the hammer down on UMass for the “eye test”.
I don’t know (and was too lazy to look it up) if the recently fired UMass head coach was the same guy who brought them in last time. If so, I imagine Kirby was going to send a message when that guy was running double passes with his starters when Kirby had emptied the bench.
I think the first team plays the first quarter and part of the 2nd before every starter comes out.
Our good friend (or at least familiar name) Mark Whipple was the coach back then. That was also the year they had Andy Isabella, who no one had heard of but he announced himself in that game, got drafted and made a mini pro career out of the game.
I generally agree with you about killing G5 teams and keeping the pressure on from the opening kick. But, and maybe this is the product of the expanded playoff and where Georgia sits (and how the committee clearly feels about the Dawgs), Kirby needs to absolutely hammer UMass. Score, keep scoring, and then score more. You want to get other guys in the game in the third and fourth quarters? Fine. But run the same offense and shoot for 70+ points.
Do not give the committee any argument to leave Georgia at #10 if Ohio State beats Indiana like a drum on Saturday. I don’t think the ND vs. Army game will be closer than the 14.5 line, but if Notre Dame doesn’t look good and barely gets by Army and Indiana gets curb-stomped Georgia doesn’t need to be in a world where Georgia wins by 20 to 25 points against UMass (and don’t get me started on Penn State at Minnesota).
Just what I was going to say. Style points are sadly back in vogue..although I suspect the morons on the committee won’t give UGA any credit one way or the other. They have their agenda and anything you do will be used the way they see fit to support their agenda.
Kirby only seems to be concerned in beating the spread when it’s a statement game, so I wouldn’t be surprised if they experiment a lot with personnel and try to give the 2s and 3s as much playing time as possible. With the postseason approaching, and the optimism that we get there, it wouldn’t surprise me either if some guys have been held in check to be released for the final games and tourney time.
Since the QB is a former Tech guy and a scrambler, I also suspect that Kirby and Schumann have installed some stuff for Tech this week and will be testing it against UMass.
Also saw somewhere that the Senior recognition will be this Saturday, and they have the chance to be the winningest senior class in Georgia football history.
I want to beat EVERY team like we beat TCU. I want to dominate EVERY game. I hate it when games are sloppy and/or close and give anyone reasons to doubt us. I like to relax and enjoy a victory, so I hope we start fast and empty the bench while still not allowing a single point against us. Since that rarely happens, I just hope we win comfortably and have no new injuries going into the Tech game. I hate Tech with the heat of 1 million suns, so I hope that we are healthy and fired up to destroy them next week!
I agree. Play to the whistle and play hard. Then put in Stockton, then Rashada, and even Puglisi. Give all the Dawgs a shot and lets get our ya-ya’s out.
Yep. I’d like to see a backup QB get some meaningful time in this game…. AND actually throw a pass instead of only handing the ball off.
Why play any starter in a game like this? See what your backups can do and let the starters rest for the rival and the playoffs.
“Don’t choke on a cupcake,” what a great lesson for life and sports. Let’s get an early lead and let the young pups loose to play in their CFP championship. Time for the younguns to show up and show out, after we get a good lead.
I think starters on offense play until up by 21 in the 2nd Q. Run heavy with some quick strike PA to keep Carson loose. Then it’s Gunners game from there. D will get starter reps first couple of series then heavy rotation. Same for OL. Great scrimmage opportunity late in the season. Expect Dawgs to get to 38 – 43 points before killing clock.
In general, this team is terrible. Dawgs have no excuse but to get into the 50s in points scored and allow 7 or less. It’s maybe the worst team they’ve played in a long time. I appreciate the off week from the stress and will enjoy my bourbons in peace.
Also, I’m excited to see the back up RBs and WRs, as well as plenty of Ellis Robinson and the young defensive linemen.
Pretty sure that Kirby doesn’t like to embarrass anybody except for FU and Tech. I’m taking UMass to cover, barely.
45-6. Put the young pups in early for needed game experience.
I look for Kirby to get some deep bench running backs in the game to see what they have. But running the ball to run the clock is going to keep the score down and Dawgs may not cover. Of course the committee will only see that Georgia didn’t beat the spread and will punish us for it. Any kind of “committee” I’ve ever participated on had it’s agenda set and was only looking for a rubber stamp from the peons below the chairman. That’s why I shun committees…mostly they are only an implementing tool of the appointing entity.
There are only a couple of teams outside of the SEC that could compete and win over half of their games if they played an SEC schedule…unless they got Texas’ schedule..then they might win a few.
In keeping with last week’s Successories theme of “Own what you have”, I give you the classic:
“Committees: None of us is as dumb as all of us.”