GDay: The Good, the Bad, and the Ugly

The Georgia football program was officially back in action in Sanford Stadium in front of fans for the first time since winning the National Championship. During the first look at Georgia's 2022 squad, there were some good takeaways along with some not-so-good takeaways. So here is the good, the bad, and the ugly from today's G-Day game.

The Good: Quarterback Play

Coming into today's game, quarterback play was at the top of everyone's list in regards to positions to watch. More specifically how Carson Beck and Brock Vandagriff looked. There have been a lot of positive reviews coming out of spring camp about Beck, and he showcased that on the field today. Beck started his day off by connecting on a deep shot with Arian Smtih in the first 1st quarter and from there on out he looked the part of an SEC quarterback in the latter part of his career. He also finished the day with 246 yards through the air.

As for Brock Vandagriff, it was all about seeing how much he has improved since first arriving in Athens a little over a year ago. In 2021, Vandagriff experienced the typical growing pains that any true freshman quarterback goes through. In today's scrimmage, he showed some early jitters in the pocket, but he also displayed his insane arm talent and played the part of a quarterback who has great potential and a very high ceiling, which is a positive sight for Georgia fans.

Stetson Benett did his thing as well. Made several nice throws, including two touchdowns to Arik Gilbert, who is officially back in action after missing all of last season. Bennett's veteran experience was evident in today's scrimmage and once again proved why he became the No. 1 guy last season. True freshman, Gunner Stockton, also got some snaps today and got to show off some of his game as well. All in all, it was a very solid day from Georgia's quarterback room.

The Bad: Lack of Presence in the Pass Rush

It was evident today that Georgia lost three starters on the defensive line to the NFL. The Bulldogs last year were able to consistently get to the quarterback on passing plays, but that wasn't the case in today's game. Guys like Nolan Smith, Tyrion Ingram-Dawkins, and Jalen Carter were occasionally sighted getting into the backfield, but not at the rate that Georgia has grown accustomed to seeing. They were however able to bat quite a few balls down at the line of scrimmage.

Filling the shoes of Jordan Davis, Devonte Wyatt, and Travon Walker is by no means an easy task, and it is something that Georgia will need to continue to figure out before the 2022 season rolls around. The Bulldogs have a lot of talent up front on the defensive line, it is just a matter of guys getting comfortable in their roles and what is essentially a brand new group of players figuring out how to play alongside one another.

The Ugly: The Number of Explosive Plays Allowed

If you know Kirby Smart, then you know how big of a no-no allowing explosive plays on defense are, and that was something both defensive units struggled with today. There were a good number of times where receivers were able to get behind the secondary which allowed them to pick up big chunks of yardage. Whether it was Kendall Milton getting a reception out of the backfield for a touchdown or Arian Smith burning his man for a 60-yard gain, the explosive plays were there all day for the Bulldog's offense.

When a team experiences as much turnover on defense as Georgia did this offseason, early struggles are expected and that was the case in the team's scrimmage today. That's what spring scrimmages are for though, so teams can analyze the tape, figure out what needs to be worked on, and make that a point of emphasis until September rolls around. Needless to say, Georgia's defense won't have any issue figuring out what they need to work on for the next five months.

Pregame Storylines:

You Might Also Like:

Join the community

Follow Brooks Austin on Twitter: @BrooksAustinSI

Subscribe to our YouTube Page HERE

You can follow us for future coverage by clicking "Follow" on the top right-hand corner of the page. Also, be sure to like us on Facebook @BulldogMaven & follow us on Twitter at @BulldogsSI.