Another slow offensive start
TUSCALOOSA, Ala. – As much as Georgia’s offense found its gear in the second half of Saturday night’s 41-34 loss to Alabama, another tough first half wound up being the difference in the game.
Georgia's offense struggled to start the contest for the third time in as many games against an FBS opponent.
Against Clemson, Kentucky, and Alabama the Bulldogs have scored just 16 points, with the lone touchdown coming against the Crimson Tide.
“We just made mistakes, that’s all it was,” quarterback Carson Beck said. “We’ve just got to find a way to do a better job.”
That includes Beck, whose four turnovers (three interceptions and one fumble) did not do the Bulldogs any favors.
Two of the picks came during the first half helping Alabama jump to a 28-0 lead.
“I don’t think we need to rewatch the first half of that to know that we didn’t play our best; myself included,” Beck said. “I’ve got to do better.”
Making the first-half issues even more frustrating was that the Bulldogs played like a different team in the second.
After managing just 126 total yards in the first two quarters, the Bulldogs rolled up 366 yards of offense in the second.
Head coach Kirby Smart said Alabama’s defense offered no first-half surprises.
“We turned the ball over in the short area of the field,” Smart said. “They also did a pretty good job in the red area. We wanted Jalen (Milroe) to throw the ball in the red area. We didn’t have to – he ran around us.”
Unfortunately for the Bulldogs, any first-half answers were not forthcoming as mistakes and missed opportunities helped to do the Bulldogs in.
Take Georgia’s first possession, for example.
A second-down deep ball to Arian Smith went right through the receiver’s hands. The Bulldogs were ultimately unable to convert, and Alabama responded with another score.
A trio of offensive pass interference calls did not help the Bulldogs, either.
“There were the flags, stupid plays that hurt us, and you can’t have that, especially against a team like this. When those things happen, we’ve got to learn how to respond,” said Beck, who acknowledged Alabama’s early momentum proved to be a huge deal.
“I think momentum is a huge factor, especially in college football,” Beck said. “We’re on the road, they’re at home and we’ve got to get going. It’s not easy. We were able to make some plays in the second half, but ultimately there were too many mistakes.”
