The biggest question on Saturday for me - Will UGA bust it open in the 3rd?

You look at scores and everything and you come away with the idea that Georgia has pounced on teams and absolutely dick punched all of them. And they have done that a few times (Arkansas is a good example), but for the most part that is not how their games have played out. They have played games that are close for 2-3 quarters, and then the other team breaks (whether with turnovers, tired defense, field position, whatever) and Georgia buries them.

Georgia's games vs the 6 average/good teams on their schedule and WHEN THEY BROKE

CLEMSON (really didn't break, but last drive of the game probably)
We all know how this one played out. They suffocated the Clemson offense from the get go and were unable to do much offensively themsleves. Led 7-0 after 3 quarters on a pick six, kicked a FG in the 4th to go up 10-3 and then ran out the clock on a tired Clemson defense inside their territory.


AUBURN (either end of half or mid-3rd)
The Auburn game finished at 34-10, but this was another one where Georgia broke the opponent in the 2nd half. Auburn trailed 17-3 and had the ball 1st and goal at the UGA 7 with 58 seconds left in the 1st half. If they score a TD, they go to the half down 17-10. They are stopped on 4 downs. They then drive down to the UGA 40 mid-way through the 3rd qtr still down 17-3 only to stall out on downs again. UGA then scores on a 60 yard TD on the 1st play after that to go up 24-3, effectively ending the game. Auburn did score on the next drive to make it 24-10 after 3 qtrs, but UGA ground Auburn's tired defense to a pulp after that and dominated the 4th.


ARKANSAS (immediately?)
Georgia ran the ball down their throats (7-0), stuffed them on a 3 and out, ran it down their throats again (14-0), blocked a punt for a TD (21-0) and the game was over with 2 minutes left in the 1st qtr.


KENTUCKY (mid-3rd qtr)
Kentucky trailed 14-7 at halftime, but UGA came out in the 2nd half and went 75 yd TD drive, 3 and out defense, 63 yard FG drive to put the game away. Kentucky drove to the UGA 5 late in the 3rd with a chance to cut it to 10 or 14, but they had a FG blocked on the last play of the 3rd qtr and that was the ballgame.


FLORIDA (2 minutes left in the 1st half)
Florida trailed 3-0 late in the 1st half and after a 2nd interception of Stetson Bennett had the ball deep in their own territory. To that point in the game they had basically played an even game - both teams missed a FG, UGA made a FG and Florida turned it over on downs. Florida then proceeded to have one of the worst 3 minutes stretches in CFB history - Fumble for a TD (10-0), Interception inside their own territory followed by a TD (17-0), Interception for a touchdown (24-0). The game went from a 3-0 halftime score to 24-0 in the span of about 90 seconds.


TENNESSEE (mid-late 3rd qtr)
Tennessee led 7-0, was tied at 10 and then trailed 17-10 late in the 2nd qtr. UGA went on a 90 play drive to score right at the end of the half to go up 24-10. UGA got the ball to start the 2nd half, fumbled, and Tennessee drove down to the UGA 17 down 24-10 and looking to make it a 1 score game mid-way through the 3rd. UGA stopped them on 4th down, however, and then immediately went down and kicked a FG to make it a 17 point game.



The point here is not to try and say SEE GEORGIA ISNT THAT GOOD, it's really the opposite. Georgia knows exactly who they are and what they do, and they have a very specific template that they execute really well. But that template is not one of "jump on a team and kick the shite out of them for 4 quarters" like, say, our 2020 team. Their template generally involves a close game for 2-2.5 quarters, creating 1-2 big mistakes, capitalizing on them and then grinding you out for the 4th quarter to turn a 14-10 game into a 37-10 game. That's what their offensive personnel and system are able to do, so that's what they do.

So, the biggest question for me is, can we reverse that trend and hold the line in the 3rd quarter when it is 10-10 or 17-13, or do we break as well? That's my biggest question for the game I think, and I think the 3rd quarter will determine whether this game end with UGA winning 31-13 or 24-21 in either teams favor.