What We Learned: Week One

What did we learn from Georgia's 10-3 win over Clemson?

Many may look at Saturday's prime-time game in Charlotte, North Carolina, as an "unentertaining" offensive performance for both sides. Still, that shouldn't take away the fact that defenses ruled the day in an era of offense. 

Georgia's 10-3 win would be the eleventh win against a top-10 team under Kirby Smart. The Dawgs are now 11-6 against top-10 teams and hold a 10-6 record on a neutral field. 

Georgia's Front Seven Is Elite 

One of the most talked-about aspects of each team in the lead-up to Saturday's game was the front sevens on both sides of the defense. Of course, both defensive performances were boosted by the talent stacked upfront in the front seven. But what will make headlines all week long is the dominant performance of Georgia's front seven. 

Georgia's defensive front proved physical throughout the game; the pride the defense took in stopping the run in the past proved effective, holding Clemson to just two yards on the ground. Throwing the Tigers' run game to the wayside allowed the defense to key in on DJ Uiagalelei and got after the young quarterback. 

That added pressure resulted in a seven-sack performance, with linebacker Nakobe Dean leading the team in sacks, after being dialed up on some timely blitzes. Not to mention the outstanding performance of Jordan Davis, Travon Walker, Nolan Smith, who all lived up to their potential Saturday, being instrumental in stopping the run and rushing the passer.

Still Lots of Work to Do on Offense 

The lack of a vertical passing game surprised not only many fans but also media members. Georgia's JT Daniels threw for just 135 yards and was held off the scoreboard without a single touchdown thrown after throwing for ten touchdowns in his four games with the Georgia offense in 2020.

Yes, Georgia came into Saturday's season opener banged-up, dealing with multiple injuries suffered throughout the preseason, but that cannot be an excuse for an offense that still retains weapons like Jermaine Burton, Marcus Rosemy-Jacksaint, Brock Bowers, and a host of running backs, all capable of helping out the offense. 

Georgia's game plan on offense was to spread out the experienced Tigers defense with an east-west passing game and running game. Unfortunately, that game plan was not as effective as it could've been if the Dawgs took some shots downfield later in the game. This leaves the fact that there is still more work to do on offense. 

Defense Still Wins Football Games 

On the flip side of that, it was apparent that in an era of college football that favors flashy, high tempo, vertical passing offenses, dominant defenses can still win football games even in a contest that features two top-5 teams. 

On a night where two of the best defenses in football were going to be playing on the same field against some potentially explosive offenses, the defenses won the day. The final score of 10-3 felt much like College Football went back in time to the 2010s, and it may have made for an "unentertaining" contest, but it proves Georgia's team is good enough to grind out a win. 

Points were hard to come by on Saturday, both offenses taking on dominant defenses that held the other offense to just a field goal each, the game's only touchdown was scored on a pick-six by Georgia's Christopher Smith, that interception looked to be the deciding play in this highly anticipated matchup.

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