Georgia Bulldogs

Georgia Football: 3 Takeaways from win over Missouri

Published Jun. 30, 2017 6:28 p.m. ET

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Sep 17, 2016; Columbia, MO, USA; Georgia Bulldogs place kicker William Ham (92) is congratulated by offensive lineman Tyler Catalina (72) after kicking an extra point to give Georgia the lead against the Missouri Tigers in the second half at Faurot Field. Georgia won the game 28-27. Mandatory Credit: John Rieger-USA TODAY Sports

The Georgia football team is 3-0 in 2016 after a thrilling come from behind win over the Missouri Tigers.

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It wasn’t easy, but the Georgia Bulldogs managed to move to 5-1 all time against Missouri, with Jacob Eason making his first SEC road start against a tough defensive opponent.

The favored Bulldogs struggled all night in several aspects of the game, most noticeably, Nick Chubb only rushing for 63 yards and no touchdowns. But Chubb wasn’t the only Georgia player having issues against the Tigers.

This was definitely a much different Missouri team than Georgia has seen in the past two seasons. A more wide-open offensive attack definitely seemed to take the UGA secondary by surprise, and Tigers quarterback Drew Lock is greatly improved over last season.

The Bulldogs escaped with a narrow last-minute win, and that’s all fans really wanted to know for now. But there are some things that could definitely be seen, both good and bad, to take into the next few games.

Here are three big takeaways from the win over Mizzou.

Sep 17, 2016; Columbia, MO, USA; Georgia Bulldogs quarterback Jacob Eason (10) is sacked by Missouri Tigers defensive end Charles Harris (91) in the first half at Faurot Field. Mandatory Credit: John Rieger-USA TODAY Sports

The Offensive Line is a Mess

The Georgia offensive line was a concern coming into the season. Those concerns were falsely calmed in the win over North Carolina in Week 1, when it seemed just like old times for Nick Chubb and the Dawgs up front.

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Then things tightened up against FCS opponent Nicholls State. Most chalked that up to overlooking a supposedly lesser opponent.

After watching the inability to open holes for the running backs; to offer decent protection for Jacob Eason and to be physical and dominating at all against Missouri, it’s safe to say this offensive line is a problem.

While Missouri does have a very strong defensive front, led by Charles Harris, they had their way with the Bulldogs all night. If Jacob Eason wasn’t running for his life in an unplanned scramble, Nick Chubb was getting hammered in the backfield before he even had a chance to get moving.

It seemed the best solution was to do some designed roll-outs and moving pockets which would take advantage of Eason’s athleticism and give the Georgia receivers a chance to get open. However, that strategy may not be as successful against teams like Ole Miss and Florida.

Georgia was only able to rush for 101 total yards against Missouri. That will have to change if the Dawgs expect more SEC wins.

Sep 17, 2016; Columbia, MO, USA; Georgia Bulldogs head coach Kirby Smart looks on against the Missouri Tigers in the first half at Faurot Field. Mandatory Credit: John Rieger-USA TODAY Sports

Special Teams is a Bigger Mess

How can special teams have gotten worse? This was already a sore spot for the Georgia football program, who haven’t seen much in the way of consistent special teams play since Blair Walsh and Drew Butler were wearing red and black.

Freshman kicker William Ham continued his struggles, going 0-for-2 on the night on attempts of 23 and 38 yards. The entire Bulldog Nation was holding hands and praying when he was trotted out to kick the go-ahead extra point with just over a minute remaining in the game.

Kick and punt coverage once again had issues, including a bonehead targeting hit by Kirby Choates as he tackled Missouri returning Jonathon Johnson as he was fielding a punt.

Coach Smart is going to have to find a way to fix these issues, or special teams play is going to cost the Bulldogs dearly in some close games against better teams than Missouri.

Sep 17, 2016; Columbia, MO, USA; Georgia Bulldogs quarterback Jacob Eason (10) throws the ball against the Missouri Tigers in the first half at Faurot Field. Mandatory Credit: John Rieger-USA TODAY Sports

Jacob Eason Has What it Takes

For all the bad that was seen in this win, there was Jaocb Eason, who showed incredible poise and maturity in some difficult circumstances.

Some of the best quarterbacks to ever play the game absolutely crumbled in their first road start as a freshman, and to see Eason standing tall, taking hits and using his legs to keep plays alive was a welcome sight.

Eason had a few overthrows and did throw one interception, but his 29-for-55, 308 yard, three touchdown game more than made up for some minor mistakes. Had at least a half dozen passes not been dropped, he may have had 400 yards passing.

What Georgia doesn’t want to do is lean on Eason like that week in and week out. They can’t expect a true freshman quarterback to throw the ball over 50 times per game and not have it come back to bite them.

But this was Eason’s coming out party. All the promise that had been talked about was evident in some pressure throws he made, including the game-winning touchdown pass to Isaiah McKenzie.

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