Georgia Bulldogs on bye week

Fresh off a dominating 55-0 win over Vanderbilt, the Georgia Bulldogs head into their bye week 7-0 and No. 1 in the most recent AP Poll. Georgia returns to the field on Oct. 29 against Florida in Jacksonville. On Wednesday, head coach Kirby Smart spoke at the SEC coaches teleconference to update his team during the off-week.

Despite outscoring their two most-recent opponents 97-10, Smart said there’s still plenty the team can improve upon.

Georgia Bulldogs’ road to undefeated start

Georgia’s undefeated start and No. 1 ranking comes from their high-powered offense that’s first in the country in total yards (3,686 yards) and fourth in yards per game (526.7). With 41.7 points per game, the Bulldogs boast the nation’s No. 10 scoring offense, good for third in the SEC.

This dominance extends to the defensive side, where the Bulldogs rank third in the nation in yards allowed per game (247.1) while having allowed an NCAA-low five total touchdowns, which is tied with Illinois and Iowa.

Additionally, the fast start can largely be attributed to the play from quarterback Stetson Bennett IV. The sixth-year senior and former walk-on is second in the SEC in both passing yards (2,033 passing yards) and completion percentage (70.74 percent). Additionally, he has yet to throw less than 200 yards or complete less than 55 percent of his passes in a game this season.

In the team’s shut-out win over the Commodores, Bennett IV threw for 289 yards and two touchdowns while completing 80 percent of his passes. Sophomore backup Carson Beck added 98 yards and two touchdowns off the bench, both career-highs.

https://twitter.com/GeorgiaFootball/status/1581413937832083456?s=20&t=nFZ5jc2WC-dE1R6D6L-vQw

Smart said that both quarterbacks did a good job on Saturday and that he wants to spend the bye week putting them through adverse situations to better prepare them for the rest of the season.

Missing from Saturday’s lineup was running back Kendall Milton, who was dealing with a groin injury. Milton is currently second on the team in rushing yards with 284 and tied for third in rushing touchdowns with four. On Wednesday, Smart said the running back is doing a good job of rehabbing this week, but he did not give a timetable for return.

Remaining schedule

Next week, Georgia will look to make it two-straight wins over Florida and five wins over the last six matchups. Smart briefly spoke about Florida quarterback Anthony Richardson on Wednesday saying that Richardson is an extremely talented quarterback.

Following their matchup with Florida, the Bulldogs take on three-straight ranked SEC opponents including No. 3 Tennessee on Nov. 5 in Athens. It would be the first time both teams were ranked in the top-five when they play each other since 2005. The winner will likely win the SEC East.

Georgia travels to No. 24 Mississippi State the following week before concluding SEC-play against No. 19 Kentucky in Lexington. The Bulldogs conclude the regular season at home against Georgia Tech, who they have beaten four-straight times.

Midseason accolades

As the Bulldogs have team success, multiple players on the team are experiencing individual success after being named to multiple midseason award watch lists.

The Rotary Lombardi Award named tight end Brock Bowers, offensive lineman Broderick Jones, defensive lineman Jalen Carter and linebacker Nolan Smith to their Midseason Watchlist.

“The Rotary Lombardi Award® goes annually to the college football lineman —offense or defense-who, in addition to outstanding performance and ability, best exemplifies the character and discipline of Vince Lombardi,” according to the award’s website.

4 Dawgs have been named to the Rotary Lombardi Award Midseason Watch List:@brockbowers17 @millionairemov3 @breadmanjalen @SmithNoland2 #GoDawgs pic.twitter.com/rhcpxvD0zO

— Georgia Football (@GeorgiaFootball) October 18, 2022

Additionally, the Joe Moore Award named Georgia’s offensive line as one of 22 teams on their Midseason Honor Roll.

The Georgia O-Line is one of 22 teams named to the Joe Moore Award Midseason Honor Roll, recognizing the nation's most outstanding offensive line unit.#GoDawgs pic.twitter.com/lz4wvgJrVK

— Georgia Football (@GeorgiaFootball) October 18, 2022