3 Up’s, 3 Down’s from Georgia’s 45-3 Win Over Ball State
Georgia might have had fans worried for a couple minutes in their 45-3 win over Ball State, but the Dawgs ended up pulling away and coasting to victory. As I started last week, I’ll be looking at 3 Up’s (positives) and 3 Down’s (negatives) from Georgia’s games each week. Here they are for this week:
3 up’s, 3 down’s from Georgia’s 45-3 win over Ball State
Up – Mekhi Mews
Once again, walk-on receiver/returner Mekhi Mews shined in Week 2. Mews found the end-zone for the second week in a row, this time on a punt return that kick-started Georgia after a lackluster start. Mews caught the ball at the 31 and made several men miss before speeding into the end-zone. Prior to that, Mews got the game started off well for the Dawgs as he took the opening kickoff of the game back to midfield. Georgia squandered that initial KO return, but Mews is turning into a real weapon in the return game.
Mews was not as involved in the passing game in Week 2 with the return of Marcus Rosemy-Jacksaint, but he was still involved and will likely continue to be. Mews had 3 receptions for 27 yards on the afternoon in the passing game. In total, he had those receiving totals to go along with 3 punt returns for 111 yards (returns of 69, 12, and 30), and 1 kick return for 47 yards.
Through the first two weeks, Mews has 6 catches, 102 receiving yards, 5 punt returns for 130 yards (26.0 yards per return), 2 kick returns for 78 yards (39.0 yards per return), and 2 total TD’s (1 receiving and 1 punt return). At this point, even once Ladd McConkey returns I think the kick/punt return duties are Mews’ to lose.
Mews is currently the team’s leading receiver (in yardage), is tied for second on the team in receptions, leads the SEC in punt return yards (second nationally), and is fifth in the conference in kick return yards (ranks second in yards per return).
Down – Red-Zone Offense
One of the strengths of Georgia’s offense a year ago was their ability to convert red-zone chances into touchdowns. We have not seen that fully come to fruition yet this season. Georgia has not necessarily been bad in the red-zone, it just has not been a strength of the team and could hurt them more in SEC play than it has so far. On the opening drive the game on Saturday, Georgia got the ball inside the 15, but faltered several plays in a row and had to settle for a field goal, which was missed.
In the 2nd Quarter, Georgia had to settle for another field goal (made this time) after initially getting the ball to the 2 yard line. Even though a TD was taken off the board on an iffy OPI call, Georgia still had several plays from inside the 3 that they could not capitalize on.
While settling for two field goal attempts in a 45-3 win is not the end of the world, that is now four times in the first two weeks that Georgia has gotten well within the red-zone against UT-Martin and Ball State and had to kick. As you will see with several other things here, it has not costed Georgia yet, but it could as soon as this week against South Carolina.