If not for a shanked punt and D’Andre Swift, Georgia (6-1,3-1) and Kentucky might still be playing in the rain. The scoreboard looked nice for Georgia as it won the contest 21-0, but that shouldn’t distract from the fact that the offense was anemic in the first half and well into the third quarter.

The first drive of the game indicated offensive coordinator James Coley was content with the same play-calling style he used against South Carolina. After a first down run by Swift, the Dawgs ran it again on the ensuing first and second down, leaving themselves with a third-and-5. A four-yard pass to George Pickens left them with fourth-and less than-1. Georgia punted the ball away, much to the dismay of those in attendance.

The second drive was more of the same, substituting run plays for quick passes to running backs. On first down, a play-action fake turned into a dump off to Brian Herrien for three yards. Second-and-7 saw James Cook being put into motion, catching a screen and immediately running into tight end Charlie Woerner, for a one-yard loss. Then Jake Fromm almost threw an interception on third down, forcing another Georgia punt.

Georgia gained only two first downs in the first-quarter—one on the first play of the quarter, the other on the last play. The Bulldogs offense garnered just 42 total yards in the quarter, while the defense continued to bail them out, giving up only 36.

There were moments in the second quarter that temporarily quieted the boos of the crowd, including big plays by Pickens and Swift. But even with those plays, Georgia continued to shoot themselves in the foot. Swift had a 20-yard pickup, immediately followed by a botched snap, resulting in a nine-yard loss.

The frustration may have reached an all-time high when Georgia attempted to sneak its way to a first down. Coley made no attempt to disguise the sneak, rolling out a new formation using Cade Mays and Woerner to push Fromm from behind. The junior quarterback came up short when center Trey Hill slipped on the wet grass, eliciting yet more aggravation from the cold, wet fans.

According to head coach Kirby Smart, the displeasure voiced by the fans has no impact on his decisions.

"No effect for me, I’ve got headphones on,” said Smart. “We’re trying to make the best decisions that give us the best chance. I mean, you know, fans, that’s what they pay their money for, to give their opinions, and they’re entitled to that. I respect that. But at the end of the day, our job is to put our kids in the most successful situations and allow them to be successful—you know what I mean. I don’t think you make decisions based on that (crowd reaction). If you do—you never look back. You’ve got to make decisions based on patience, the weather, the field position, and all those decisions that were involved and that were calculated."

The first half was rough for Georgia. The team was 1-of-7 on third downs. Fromm averaged 3.5 yards per completion. The Bulldogs had zero points as they went to the locker room, then struggled on as they started the third quarter. Sure, the weather may have been terrible, but the offense at one point had one touchdown in their last four quarters and two periods of overtime against South Carolina. Given the same results against Florida in two weeks or Auburn farther down the line, winning will be a tough task.

Granted, after the botched punt by the Wildcats, Georgia absolutely dominated behind the legs of Swift and a tremendous defensive display. Smart was complimentary of Coley’s offensive game plan.

“Very pleased today, I thought we were extremely patient on offense and in tough conditions,” said Smart of the performance.

“I’m not concerned. I feel really good about what our offense does. I feel good about Jake. To judge it based on that game is just not very smart. It’s hard to judge anything in that game. What you’ve got to evaluate is what is your heart, what is your courage, what is your love of the game. Think about those wideouts [going in to block]. ‘For the love of the game’ is what’s that for.”

Junior offensive lineman Ben Cleveland said the lack of offensive success in the first half can be chalked up to Kentucky’s defensive game plan.

“I don’t think it was weather or play-calling. Sometimes, offenses and defenses just go head-to-head,” said Cleveland. “Both teams scheme it up right. I think that’s a lot of what happened tonight. We played very physical up front and on the perimeter. We just had to get something to get our momentum going forward, and just roll with it.”

Georgia enters its’ second off week of the season following the win, and Smart is adamant there’s plenty of work to be done.

“Where we are right now is not where we need to be. We’re not a finished product. We’ve got to get better. It’s what we’re gonna do this week.”