Three Answers From UGA - Oregon

Before the Georgia-Oregon game, there were three questions / storylines to keep an eye on. Here’s what we may...or may not have learned.

How Well Will Stacy Searels Adjust In-Game?

I’ll be honest. I expected a little bit more of disruption from Oregon’s defense. They don’t have guys on Georgia’s level of talent yet, but we’ve seen cases, even last year, when teams like even Mizzou at times slowing Georgia’s offensive front to a crawl. That didn’t happen Saturday with the punt unit not even taking the field until the second half when things were very much decided.

It is noting, however that in the first half we saw some younger linemen rotate in, such as Amarius Mims, so it’s pretty clear that Searels has an eye on pushing starters to not be content as well as getting reserves game experience in case of attrition as the year goes on.

How much will inexperience hold back talent?

The answer was none. Malaki Starks put on a master class of playing the football with his first-half interception, and though he didn’t make the splash of Starks, Mykel Williams was in on the first defensive series. It always says something in a position where there are a lot of players rotating, you begin the game as the starter.

Bo Nix...was it the player or Auburn?

You can take Bo Pix out of Auburn, but you can’t take the Bo Pix out of Bo Nix. Given the social media comments by Auburn friends of mine during the game, the sentiment from the wartigerplainsmen was, ‘not our problem, anymore.’

Nix did what you expect - extend some drives with his legs and make a few throws on the run, but Georgia schemed like they had a mental edge over him, and Nix played like Georgia’s defense lives rent-free in his head. Obviously, it made things easy for Georgia’s defense with deep downfield throws not quite being on-target or underthrown (see the Starks interception).

Next to Reggie Ball, Bo Nix might be the one opposing quarterback that Georgia fans are sad to no longer be able to see on the opposing side of the line of scrimmage.

Go Dawgs!