Georgia Football: Midseason Report Card for the Bulldogs

After losing to Boise State and South Carolina at the start of the season, many Georgia Bulldog fans were worried that the team would have another sub-par season like last year.

But the Bulldogs were able to bounce back and win the next five games, including four games against SEC opponents.

So the Bulldogs have everything in front of them despite going 0-2 to start the season. One could say the first half of the season is a success, while some would say it could have been better.

Here's some first half grades to hand out for the Bulldogs.

Offense: B+

The Bulldogs have been solid all year on offense, and that's no surprise, because Aaron Murray has been the steady hand for the squad.

The Dawgs are ranked fifth in the SEC in scoring offense and third in the SEC in total offense. Murray is third in the conference in passing yards per game and leads the conference with 16 touchdown passes.

Isaiah Crowell has been improving at running back and is fourth in the conference with 608 rushing yards through seven games.

The surprise of the year has to be Malcolm Mitchell, who has 438 receiving yards and three touchdowns through six games.

I think the one thing I would like to see the Bulldogs improve on is the play of the offensive line. They have gotten better as the season progressed, but can they continue that trend in the second half?

Defense: A-

There were question marks surrounding the defense before the season began because many were wondering if this scheme was right for the personnel they had on the roster.

Based on the way they played this first half of the season, this defense is the right fit and then some. The Bulldogs are ranked third in the SEC in total defense and scoring defense, and they are also ranked eighth in the country in total defense.

They are led by Jarvis Jones, who is third in the conference in sacks and second in the conference in tackles for loss.

Bacarri Rambo is also having a good year, as he is second in the conference in passes defended and tied for first in the conference in interceptions.

In all honesty, this defense plays well as a whole. They fly around the football and rarely make mistakes. They only seem to get better each game, and it should be interesting to see how they do in the second half of the season.

Special Teams: C-

This had been a glaring weakness for the Bulldogs during the first half of the season.

It's bad enough Blair Walsh has eight field goals, but when you nearly lose a game to Vanderbilt because of special teams breakdowns, that's not a good thing.

In fact, part of the reason they lost to South Carolina was the fact they had some special teams issues, such as the fake punt the Gamecocks converted for a touchdown.

This has to improve, because if it doesn't, they will lose a game or two due to special teams.

Coaching: B

It looked like the coaching staff was going to get a revamp after a 0-2 start to the year. But Richt has brushed off all the critics and has the Bulldogs in position to win the SEC East. Granted, the talent is much better than in year's past, but Richt has done a solid job getting his players ready each game.

The one coach to watch for is defensive coordinator Todd Grantham. He has done a good job putting his players to make plays, but he can't have any other incidents like he did after the Vanderbilt game.

That has to stop.

Overall: B+

Overall, the Bulldogs had a good first half. It wasn't great, but they were able to go 4-1 in SEC play, which puts them in a tie for first in the SEC East.

The offense was solid and the defense plays extremely well. But the special teams have to improve in order for the Bulldogs to achieve their goals.

It should be an interesting second half of the season, with Florida, Auburn and Georgia Tech on the horizon. But thanks to the good start to the 2011 season, the second half will be fun for players, coaches and fans.