Desmond Howard: Georgia 'still searching for their identity' amid slow start to 2023 campaign

Georgia is still undefeated through its first five games of the season, but the Bulldogs have been far from the dominant team that most expected them to be to this point.

Kirby Smart‘s club has played two Power 5 opponents so far this year in South Carolina and Auburn. It had to rally to beat both in the second half, following a sluggish start.

ESPN College GameDay analyst Desmond Howard joined First Take on Friday and explained why people aren’t talking much about Georgia so far this year.

“Well, first off, I believe that Georgia, they have a pretty soft schedule. They have an easy schedule. I know that they’re in the SEC, so people think it’s murderer’s row. But it’s not always like that year in and year out. So first and foremost, I think their schedule is easy,” Howard said. “Second of all, when they’ve gotten into conference play against South Carolina and again against Auburn, they’ve gotten off to these really slow starts and they’ve had to fight back in the second half to win those games.”

Georgia hasn’t been truly dominant in any phase of the game yet, the way it was for most of the last two seasons.

The Bulldogs have struggled at times in the passing game, in the running game and defensively.

“I believe that we’re looking at a Georgia Bulldogs team that is still searching for their identity. They don’t know who they are as a team,” Howard said. “And when you go from a Stetson Bennett – who was never the best player on his team, but he was a winner. He was a guy who would come through in the clutch when they needed him. And then you go down to Carson Beck – you’re still trying to figure out who you have in him.”

The one player who has been thriving for the Bulldogs is tight end Brock Bowers.

The junior had eight catches for 157 yards and a touchdown last Saturday against Auburn, a week after recording nine catches for 121 yards and two scores against UAB.

Bowers is still playing at an elite level in 2023, even if the Georgia team as a whole is not.

“The saving grace for them right now is Brock Bowers,” Howard said. “Brock Bowers is not only one of the most talented receivers in all of college football – and I dare not call him a tight end, because he is a receiver. But he’s just one of the best players in all of college football. And he was the player who saved them in the first quarter last week against Auburn. But outside of Brock Bowers, you really don’t know what the Georgia Bulldogs bring to the gridiron.”