Georgia Football: 5 Ways the Bulldogs Must Improve in 2015

The Bulldogs need a win on Saturday against Tennessee if they want to have any shot at winning the SEC title. However, after the 38-10 loss to Alabama last week, there might be some doubts about whether the Bulldogs will be able to pull it off.

The loss to Alabama was disappointing and embarrassing because the game was over as soon as the second quarter began. But it was also a good way to learn about what the Bulldogs need to improve on as they move forward into the rest of the SEC part of the 2015 schedule.

So here are five things the Bulldogs must improve on this season.

Passing Offense

The Bulldogs strength on offense has been the ground game led by Nick Chubb and Sony Michel. They average close to 245 rushing yards per game, and Chubb is second in the SEC in rushing yards and touchdowns.

However, the passing game has struggled at times. The Bulldogs rank ninth in the SEC in passing offense, averaging 208 yards per game. The reason for the lack of the air attack has been the play at quarterback.

Greyson Lambert has had his ups and downs this season. He looked great against South Carolina as he completed 96 percent of his passes and threw for three touchdowns. But he was the polar opposite in the Alabama game, going 10-of-24 for 146 yards and one interception.

The Bulldogs should never go away from the run game, but they need to find a way to throw the ball downfield more so they can be more balanced.

Special Teams

Special teams have been a weakness for Georgia over the years. And it was on full display against Alabama as the Bulldogs allowed a blocked punt for a score.

Combine that with the Bulldogs only making over 60 percent of their field goals and being ranked near the bottom in kickoff return coverage, and it has not been a great start for the Bulldogs special teams.

"

Blocked punt TD!! FitzMagic #Alabama #Uga pic.twitter.com/GdmAEhgBrU

— BamaVine (@BamaVine) October 3, 2015"

The one good thing the Bulldogs have going for them on special teams is Isaiah McKenzie, who already has a punt return for a touchdown. But the Bulldogs won’t have McKenzie on Saturday due to a hamstring injury, and he has been ruled as doubtful, according to Seth Emerson of Dawgnation.com.

Getting Another Receiver Involved

Malcolm Mitchell is having a great start to the 2015 season, catching 23 passes for 371 yards and one touchdown. However, there needs to be another receiver to take pressure off Mitchell as well as Lambert.

"

#UGA has a number of plans to get the ball to 5-Star wide receiver Terry Godwin pic.twitter.com/uCm5nFJiui

— UGASports.com (@UGASportscom) September 10, 2015"

Mitchell is the only wide receiver on the roster that has caught a touchdown pass this season. The other players that have caught touchdown passes this season are Chubb, Michel and Jeb Blazevich. If there is one player that can be that next great receiver, it would be Terry Godwin, who has 10 catches for 106 yards. But if the Bulldogs want to be a real threat on offense, there needs to be another on the roster that becomes a playmaker this year.

Run Defense

Defensively, the Bulldogs have been solid this year as they rank fourth in the conference in total defense and fifth in the conference in scoring defense.

If there is one glaring weakness, it would have to be the run defense, as the Bulldogs are giving up 123 rushing yards per game.

"

I liked a @YouTube video http://t.co/usc6GDH10Z Derrick Henry Long TD vs UGA

— Garrett (@AnimatedGamers1) October 4, 2015"

One of the biggest reasons for the struggles at run defense is the way the defense is built. The Bulldogs rely on speed more than size, and when a team like Alabama runs at them like it did last week, that wears them down as the game progresses.

Alabama gashed the Bulldogs run defense with 189 yards rushing last week. The Crimson Tide ran at the Bulldogs consistently, which is why they were able to control the clock and come away with a win.

Quarterback Pressure

Leonard Floyd and Jordan Jenkins have proven they are one of the two best linebackers in the game, averaging six sacks per season. And they are on their way to having strong 2015 seasons, as Jenkins has three sacks on the year while Floyd has two.

But the Bulldogs only have eight sacks this season, which ranks 10th in the conference. And another reason Alabama was able to beat Georgia last week was the fact the defensive front seven for Georgia did not lay a finger on Alabama quarterback Jacob Coker.

Going forward, the Bulldogs will need to find more ways to apply pressure on quarterbacks. They have to get Lorenzo Carter involved—he has yet to record a sack—and the defensive line needs to win more of its battles in the trenches.