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Kirby Smart upset with Georgia's red zone execution in first half vs. Georgia Tech

On3-Social-Profile_GRAYby:On3 Staff Report•11/26/22
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Georgia coach Kirby Smart communicates during a game on Nov. 12, 2022. (Jonathan Bachman / Getty Images)

No. 1 Georgia leads Georgia Tech 10-7 at halftime, battling back from an early deficit and mostly controlling the flow of the game. But red-zone execution hasn’t been great, something coach Kirby Smart pointed out at halftime.

The Bulldogs scored on both of their red zone trips, but had to settle for a 30-yard field goal attempt after getting all the way down to the 4-yard line on one of them.

“Well I see them shrinking the game a little bit,” Smart told ESPN sideline reporter Kris Budden. “They’re doing a nice job. They hit us with an opening drive. We wasted a couple red-area series where we’ve got to get touchdowns out of those.”

Both teams had only five drives in the half, and Georgia essentially only had four, getting a final possession that started at the Georgia 20-yard line with just 28 seconds remaining in the half. The Bulldogs kneeled on the ball to get to halftime and regroup.

Smart wants his quarterback to snap back into it after a pretty subpar first half.

Stetson Bennett IV finished the first 30 minutes just 5-of-10 passing for 28 yards with a touchdown and no interceptions. He added three carries for 19 yards.

“Play with some confidence and use our players to help us,” Smart said of his message to Bennett at halftime. “We got several times there where we’ve got an opportunity to run the ball, we’ve got to run the ball and be more physical.”

Red zone execution key focus in second half

For the second straight week red zone execution has been a little wanting for Georgia. A week ago the Bulldogs knocked of the Kentucky Wildcats 16-6, struggling to convert trips into the red zone into touchdowns.

That was the story again early on Saturday, with Georgia Tech doing a nice job getting tough with its back to the goal line.

But the Yellow Jackets have also simply showed up to play.

Georgia Tech outgained Georgia 187 yards to 153 in the first half, while limiting the Bulldogs to just 26 offensive plays in the first half.

No. 1 Georgia is looking to extend its winning streak this season to 12 straight games to finish unbeaten ahead of an SEC Championship Game showdown with No. 5 LSU a week from today.