Georgia Football: Report Card Grade for the Bulldogs' First Game

Class was in session for the Bulldogs on Saturday night.

They were ready to go along with the rest of the Bulldog Nation as the Georgia Dome was rocking before kickoff.

But as soon the game began, the test for the Bulldogs got tougher, and at the end of the day, Georgia ended the night with a failing grade.

There were a few players that played well such as Brandon Boykin and Malcolm Mitchell, but other than that the entire team has to go back to the drawing board because a huge contest with South Carolina is on the horizon.

Here’re some report card grades for the Bulldogs after the first game of the season.

Quarterbacks: C

Aaron Murray had a tough go in the first half, but he picked up the momentum in the second half and ended his night with modest numbers.

But he never was consistent, and part of the reason is that he was sacked six times. Murray did not play bad, but he has to be better next week.

Running Backs: C-

The only running back that excelled was Brandon Boykin, who had an 80-yard touchdown run.

But wait, he’s not a running back. He’s a cornerback that came in for some offensive trickery. Isaiah Crowell got the majority of the carries and had 63 yards on 15 carries. Richard Samuel struggled, rushing for 12 yards on seven carries.

In order for the offense to work, the running game has to be more efficient. Crowell will get better, but there’s no telling if Samuel will improve.

Wide Receivers: C-

As was no surprise, Orson Charles was the team’s best receiver with six catches, 109 yards and one touchdown. But he had a costly drop in the game, which is something that rarely happens.

Tavarres King was nonexistent, with only one catch for three yards. He had two costly drops and that can’t happen to the team’s so called No. 1 receiver.

Malcolm Mitchell played well with three catches for 64 yards with one touchdown. As a whole, the receivers did not live up to expectations, but don’t be surprised if Mitchell sees more playing time soon.

Offensive Line: F

They get a failing grade for a few reasons.

The run blocking was not good. The pass blocking was not good. The penalties were not good. And losing a lineman to injury when you have little depth is never good.

No matter what type of offense a team runs, if they don’t have an offensive line, they can’t win football games. This unit has to step it up soon if the Bulldogs want to win the SEC.

Defensive Line: C-

When it came to defending the run, the defensive line was solid, as they held the Broncos to 3.5 yards per carry. But they were not able to put any pressure on Boise State quarterback Kellen Moore, and that led to Moore picking apart the defense.

It’s hard to get pressure with only three down lineman, but DeAngleo Tyson, Kwame Geathers and Garrison Smith know that they have to play better for the remainder of the season.

Linebackers: B-

The linebackers for UGA were solid even with Alec Ogletree going down with an injury. The only thing is they did not blitz as much, but that’s on Todd Grantham.

Christian Robinson led the team in tackles and Jarvis Jones looked good in his debut as a Bulldog. The linebackers are a strength on this team, but losing Ogletree for 4-6 weeks hurts in a major way.

Secondary: D

Once again, the secondary is a letdown for the Bulldogs.

There were blown assignments and they weren’t aggressive when they needed to be. Jordan Love got picked on a lot and the entire unit missed tackles all game long.

Boykin and Smith were solid, but they also could have played a lot better. The secondary has to improve real quick.

Special Teams: C-

The only real bright spot on special teams was Drew Butler, who averaged close to 48 yards per punt.

Blair Walsh only attempted one field goal and he missed, which is rare.

The return game could not get going which put the offense in bad field position all game long. Walsh won’t miss another field goal for a while and Butler did what he does best. But Smith and Boykin are suppose to be some of the best returners in the game.

They did not look like it on Saturday night.