Without JT Daniels, this is a much closer game.
That statement is made based on everything we've seen to date. When it's been a different quarterback, the UGA receivers aren't hitting nearly as many big plays down the field. When it hasn't been Daniels, the Georgia offense hasn't been nearly as in-sync.
But because of Daniels, the Bulldogs were able to double-dip with touchdowns on the final drive of the first half and the opening possession of the third quarter. Those two scores opened up a 14-point lead from which Missouri would never recover. And in the end, the Bulldogs grabbed a 49-14 blowout victory.
Let’s go back to the end of the second quarter. Missouri’s defense sent pressure, particularly on third down, to force Daniels to get rid of the ball quickly. For three consecutive possessions in the second quarter, the Tigers’ strategy worked, with the Bulldogs’ offense stagnating and forced to punt the ball.
Making matters worse was when punter Jake Camarda has his attempt blocked, recovered and established on the 1-yard line while the Bulldogs were only up 14-7. Three plays later, the Tigers tied the game at 14, thanks to running back Larry Rountree III’s short touchdown.
Without Daniels and his big-play arm, the Bulldogs may not have been able to get a score after taking the ball over with only 1:20 to go in the first half. The game just might’ve been deadlocked at the break, with Georgia hoping to find a spark from somewhere else.
But facing a third-and-10 at Georgia’s 25-yard line with a little over a minute left to play in the opening half, Daniels, again facing a blitz, was able to hit receiver Kearis Jackson for a 12-yard gain. Daniels came back and delivered an 11-yard pass to receiver Jermaine Burton, which was followed by a 16-yard passing play to Burton.
On the next play, Daniels looked deep down the field for receiver George Pickens. Facing yet another blitz, Daniels released the football just as he was shoved to the ground. Given a man-to-man opportunity in the right corner of the end zone, Pickens fought through pass interference to locate the ball and make an exceptional play on it. Pickens caught it, remained inbounds, and scored a 36-yard touchdown to give the Bulldogs a 21-14 lead with 37 seconds left in the opening half.
Without Daniels, that end-of-half series doesn’t happen.
“That two-minute drive was huge,” Daniels said. “That was an absolute game-changer. We went from having none of the momentum on the road to all of the momentum in our favor. That started the whole second half for us.”
Getting the ball to start the third quarter, the rushing attack aided Daniels, with running back Zamir White reeling off a 36-yard gain on second down. But after a run for no gain and an incompletion, Georgia was once again facing a third-and-10.
With Missouri opting to blitz and play man against Georgia’s receivers, Daniels knew he needed to release the ball quickly to avoid a punting situation. Daniels threw a perfectly-placed ball on a quick slant in rhythm to Pickens, who turned upfield and away from the Missouri defense. He took the play 31 yards for a touchdown, giving the Bulldogs a 28-14 lead.
When you’re able to hit explosive plays like that, it can change the entire direction of the game. For the majority of two quarters, it seemed as if this might be a game in which Georgia allowed Missouri to hang around until the end, despite the talent discrepancy. But Daniels’ arm talent and decision-making both played a major role in breaking open the game for the Bulldogs. And this coincided with the big day for Pickens, who finished with a stellar stat line of five catches for 126 yards and two touchdowns.
Daniels, who completed 16 of 27 passes for 299 yards and three touchdowns, has the makings of becoming an exceptional quarterback in 2021—that is, if he returns to the program, as is expected at this time.
When Georgia's season wraps up after the bowl game, it will be tough not to look back at the Florida game and wonder what could have been if Daniels had happened to be available. We all know the story, that the coaching staff didn’t think Daniels was ready early on due to the lack of mobility he showed, stemming from the ACL he tore last year while at USC.
Not playing the Alabama game is understandable since quarterback Stetson Bennett had been fine to that point. Not having Daniels as at least the No. 2 quarterback against Florida—especially since was moved to the first team two days later—is the No. 1 decision that will stick out the most when fans are looking back on this season.
The good news is that with Daniels in 2021, this passing attack should be lights out.
Georgia finally has a quarterback who can place the ball in the right spots. And the receiving corps should be even better with an offseason of improvement, players returning from injury and a better understanding of offensive coordinator Todd Monken's scheme. With the potential to have such a wide-open passing attack next year, that should only make the run game—which totaled 316 yards and four touchdowns against Missouri—even more dangerous.
The upside is exceptional with Daniels at quarterback.
Although it took some time for it to materialize, the kind of play that’s transpired over the past three games is just what Georgia needed.
