Georgia's blowout win masked one problem Kirby Smart can't afford to ignore

It's only one game, but it wasn't a pretty one for this group By Michael Collins Sep 8, 2026, 12:22 PM EDT Add us as a preferred source Tennessee State v Georgia | Perry McIntyre/ISI Photos/GettyImages During the Kirby Smart era, Georgia has excelled on special teams, which makes this past week's performance by that unit against Tennessee State somewhat concerning. It's easy to gloss over the box score in a blowout win over a rebuilding FCS opponent - the overstuffed stats, the huge disparity in every key area, and the blowout score. But a deeper look at Georgia's impressive Week 1 win shows a flaw that is very unlike the Bulldogs. The special teams play was, in short, a mess, and that's not something you expect to see out of Georgia under Kirby Smart. Georgia's sloppy special teams play against Tennessee State are a concern, but not a worry...yet. It's Week 1. Bugs are being worked out, freshmen have jitters, and everyone is trying to shake off a little rust, so it's not worth overreacting to a problem here or there. But when one unit is guilty of multiple mental errors and sloppy play, it's worth taking notice. After scoring five touchdowns in as many drives to open the game, Georgia lined up for a 38-yard field goal attempt by the sure-footed Peyton Woodring. Unfortunately, he never got to put toe to leather on that attempt When the Bulldogs lined up for the attempt, they were flagged for having two players on the field wearing the same number. That's a failure of both the staff and the players involved. That backed up the kick for an even deeper attempt. But once again, the kick wasn't even attempted as the snap was muffed by holder (and new punter) Drew Miller, who made a feeble attempt at a pass that fell harmlessly to the ground, giving the ball back to Tennessee State on a turnover on downs. Peyton Woodring doesn't even get a chance to kick this one, as Drew Miller's hold is no good. With typical holder Gunner Stockton out of the game, Miller had the chance to hold that one. Georgia leads 35-0 with 7:37 left in the first half. https://t.co/MXkniS6mHJ — Olivia Sayer (@OliviaKSayer) September 5, 2026 It should be noted that normally, Gunner Stockton would be holding for field goal attempts, but he had already been taken out of the game, leaving Miller to hold instead. But while that mistake may sound innocuous enough, the big coaching opportunity here is to make sure Miller knows that on a busted play, you're better off either falling on the ball or, if there's room, running. But an unplanned pass amid chaos? No sir. Because of the turnover on downs, Tennessee State took over with their best field position of the day and marched down to kick a 37-yard field goal, spoiling the shutout for the Dawgs. That inadvisable pass could have easily fallen into the arms of a defender and been run back for a touchdown. With a five-touchdown lead against Tennessee State, no big deal. But against a quality SEC team that could have been a disaster. Miller also crushed his lone punt of the day for 65 yards, but he lacked the touch to pin it near the end zone, and didn't have the hang time to allow the coverage team to get to it, and the ball rolled into the end zone for a touchback The Georgia kick returner teams didn't have their best day either In another minor miscue, returner Sacovie White-Helton failed to field a Tennessee State punt. Instead of catching or fair-catching the ball, he let it bounce, pinning the Bulldogs back an extra 20 yards. Returner Craig Dandridge exploded for a massive punt return, but it was negated due to a holding penalty committed by freshman linebacker Nick Abrams. None of these special teams errors were particularly alarming if you look at them individually, but in the context of happening in one game against a weak opponent, it's noticeable. Special teams play can -- and oftentimes does for Georgia -- mean the difference in a game, and it's crucial that unit is playing at a high level. With the emphasis that Kirby Smart likes to put on special teams, it's very likely he'll give that unit some extra coaching and a bit of...well...verbal motivation. Add us as a preferred source on Google