There is a lot to unbox after Alabama’s deconstruction of Georgia. The Crimson Tide embarrassed the Bulldogs on their own field. The destruction was thorough, and Bama showed why, even in a down year, it is one of the best teams in the nation.
Non-offensive touchdowns are the ultimate type of game-changer in football, and the Tide got two on Saturday. While Eddie Jackson’s interception return sealed the game totally shut, it was Minkah Fitzpatrick’s punt block and touchdown which set the tone for their team’s dominance. Not only was it a touchdown off a blocked punt; it was a piece of cake. The ease with which it happened made just as much an impression as the act itself. Fitzpatrick got to the punter untouched and jogged in for the score.
Georgia had no clue how to stop Alabama. The Tide scored differently each time they hit the end zone. On top of the non-offensive scores registered in this game, the Tide got a touchdown run from Derrick Henry, a touchdown pass from Jacob Coker to Calvin Ridley, and a keeper from Coker.
It seems the reports of Alabama’s death have been grossly overstated. It also seems the Cooper Bateman experiment against Mississippi was just that. The Bama defense is still tough as nails, and Coker appears primed to lead the Tide’s offense heading into the teeth of autumn.
Georgia? That’s a different story.
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The Bulldogs were heavily exposed in all facets of the game. It seems that the team’s lofty ranking was built on past success and assumed reputation, because if that was the eighth-best team in the country, then the ninth-best might be your local town’s JV team.
The Bulldogs had no answer on offense to break the Tide. Georgia was held to 299 yards, the first time the Dogs have been under 400 yards this year, and 83 of those came on a touchdown run from Nick Chubb. It was Georgia’s worst offensive output since it posted just 221 yards at Vanderbilt in October of 2013. Greyson Lambert and Brice Ramsey both looked mediocre at best at quarterback, and Sony Michel was a non-factor.
What now for the Bulldogs? Mark Richt coaches a team that hadn’t played anyone of note in 2015 and got hammered when it had to step up. The next three games for Georgia will tell the nation what type of team it is. At Tennessee, home to Missouri, and the Florida game are all stiff tests for the Bulldogs. By the time the calendar turns to November, we’ll know whether Georgia is a contender or pretender, and the UGA fan base will know how hot Mark Richt’s seat will be.
Georgia has made a habit of ending its seasons thinking “we had a good year, but…”
Another year of that might be the end of Richt’s tenure in Athens.
At the very least, it won’t leave behind a sweet taste. Missing out on SEC East titles and SEC Championship Game appearances, if continued for another season, will certainly reinforce the idea that Richt hasn’t achieved as much as he could have or should have Between the Hedges.
