Georgia Bulldogs survive home opener against Nicholls State
After the Georgia Bulldogs barely pulled off a win on Saturday against the Nicholls State Colonels, more questions have developed for the Dawgs going forward.
The Kirby Smart Era has already hit a bump in the road. Surprisingly, the Georgia Bulldogs struggled tremendously against Nicholls State in their home opener on Saturday, managing a 26-24 win.
No one expected this game to play out the way it did. The Bulldogs were a 55-point favorite according to Westgate. Not to mention, it was supposed to be the glorious debut of freshman quarterback Jacob Eason. Instead, the Dawgs found themselves trailing Nicholls State by the third quarter.
What went wrong?
The Bulldogs offensive line was having some major issues, with Eason at the forefront. He ended the game 11-of-20 for 204 yards and one touchdown, but with plenty of hiccups along the way. In the fourth quarter, he threw an interception that was returned 91 yards, quickly changing the games momentum. Greyson Lambert then replaced him, and the Dawgs came out on top.
What did we learn about the ongoing quarterback competition from this? Nothing new. Eason saved Lambert last weekend, now Lambert saves Eason. Both have their strengths and weaknesses. So…who’s starting next Saturday in their SEC opener at Missouri?
Additionally, star running back Nick Chubb broke his 100 yards rushing streak, which he had maintained for 14 straight games. He had just 9 carries for 17 yards in the first half of the game, and finished with a total of 80 yards and one touchdown on 20 carries.
Positive takeaways…
Sony Michel, who suffered an offseason forearm injury, made his return on Saturday. He had two catches for five yards and three carries for three yards, and according to Bulldogs head coach Kirby Smart, a great sense of “leadership.”
Then there was arguably the game’s hero, Isaiah McKenzie. He had some positives, but also some mistakes. However, without his 12-yard run in the Bulldogs opening touchdown drive, or his 66-yard touchdown when Georgia found themselves trailing 14-13 in the third, the game most likely wouldn’t have ended the way it did. At the same time, he made some detrimental mistakes, including a fumbled punt in the fourth quarter, resulting in a touchdown for the Colonels.
Next: Georgia Bulldogs: Nick Chubb compared to Derrick Henry?
At the end of the day, a win is a win and the Georgia Bulldogs are 2-0. However, they now have more looming questions that need answering, and it’s only going to get tougher from here.