Georgia Football Views: Q&A With FanSided’s Dawn of the Dawg
Here is a conversation All for Tennessee had with Georgia football expert Jay Hawkins of Dawn of the Dawg on Saturday’s game between the Volunteers and UGA.
It’s always nice to learn whatever you can about your opponent. Georgia football is coming off of a rough week, and there are plenty of questions about the Bulldogs now.
All for Tennessee caught up with FanSided’s Georgia Bulldogs site, Dawn of the Dawg, for a conversation about each team.
To see the questions they had about the Vols, go to this page. Here are the questions we had for them. The answers are below as well.
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1. How are Georgia fans feeling about their team right now after such a bad loss to Ole Miss last week? Is anything they do this year done with house money because of a new head coach?
Georgia fans aren’t feeling particularly great. The loss to Ole Miss (in that fashion) was a surprise to a lot of people and just shows you how far away Georgia is from being great. I think Coach Kirby Smart is playing with house money this year. Most Georgia fans trust him and know that he’s going to take this program to the top, but it is going to take a couple of years.
2. Georgia has shown to be a mentally tough team but at the same time with glaring weaknesses: offensive line play and the inability to stop the spread offense. How can they mask those two weaknesses this weekend? How much harder does that become if Nick Chubb is hurt?
Georgia’s offensive line play is absolutely abysmal. I do not remember it being this bad at UGA in quite a while. Spread teams have lit up Georgia as well. Just look at the past two weeks if you need a refresher. The way Georgia can mask these problems is for Jacob Eason and the receivers to step up and be consistent, and then the running game can go to work once Georgia is no longer one-dimensional. Also, the defense has to dial up the pressure on opposing quarterbacks to try to slow down the spread.
3. What does the future look like with Jacob Eason at quarterback right now?
Future looks bright. The dude clearly has the “it” factor and is so physically gifted. He has a cannon for an arm and has been compared to former UGA star quarterback Matthew Stafford. Eason is fine now. It is the people around him that is the problem.
4. Outside of Isaiah McKenzie and Nick Chubb, who are the biggest playmakers for the Bulldogs on offense?
Jacob Eason is an obvious choice, but I’d say a guy like backup running back Sony Michel is also a big weapon. He’s more of a change of pace back from Chubb and could start at most other schools in the country. The Georgia tight end position is really good as well and is very deep. They are supposed to be a big part of this offensive attack, and they will be once Jacob Eason targets them more. Jeb Blazevich and Isaac Nauta are the two best tight ends the Dawgs have.
5. Georgia’s secondary has done a good job coming away with interceptions on the season, but they also have given up lots of yards the past two weeks. Just how good is their pass defense?
Not very good. Georgia did finish 2015 as the No. 1 passing defense in college football, but that was very deceiving as the Dawgs’ group of linebackers and pass-rushers were really good and made the secondary’s job a whole lot easier. Most of those guys have gone, so the defensive backs’ job is that much harder, and they’ve shown that they are an experienced but not very good unit.
6. Are there any kinks making it difficult for the Dawgs to adjust to Kirby Smart’s new defense even though they were running a 3-4 last year?
Not really. It is so similar. It comes down to a lack of talent.
7. What is your prediction on the outcome of the game?
Tennessee should win easily, but you know how this rivalry is. I feel like Georgia will be really motivated in this game to prove the naysayers wrong and will play a good game. Tennessee will pull it out in the second half though. UT 35-UGA 21.