After being fired by the Auburn Tigers, Mike Bobo landed in Athens. But ever since, the Dawgs fandom have been critical of him. After last season’s offensive trajectory, Paul Finebaum had said that Kirby Smart is “way too loyal to Mike Bobo, and I would get rid of Bobo today.” But the OC remained resolute amid all the flak and delivered results against No. 5 Ole Miss on Saturday.

The Dawgs secured a 43-35 victory, and the focus was on the offensive comeback in the last fifteen minutes. Bobbo’s popularity soared, but it wasn’t always like that. Now, Georgia alum, David Pollack, has pressed that it’s not the offense that has to be put on alert, but it’s the other side of the ball that needs attention.

“Bobo gets a lot of heat. He gets talked about with this offense,” David Pollack said on his show. Last season, Georgia struggled with the run game, averaging only 4.06 yards per carry. Though they won the SEC championship, the spirits weren’t as cheery as they should have been. They ranked No. 51  in total offense and No. 71 in turnovers. To give you more context, Georgia’s worst run game was recorded in 2011, with 3.9 yards per carry.

Pollack added to his point. “It’s pretty clear if you’re watching Georgia. There’s one problem that pretty much consistently happens, and it’s their defense.” The Rebels had an early lead in the game, scoring three touchdowns in the first half and another two in the second half. The Dawgs weren’t able to stop the offense for much of the game.

Trinidad Chambliss had a highlight reel throw of a 75-yard TD pass to De’Zhaun Stribling in the third quarter. “Georgia’s defense still doesn’t have a lot of answers,” Pollack added. He played for the Dawgs back in 2001-2004, and was the star defensive end on the roster. Moving on, he makes an alarming statement. “I think that’s not going to change.” That should be the priority concern for Smart presently. Georgia’s tag as the defensive line factory is at stake.

But this year, a lot of defensive talent was taken up by the NFL Draft. Seven defensive players went to the pros, including Mykel Williams, Jalon Walker, and Tyrion Ingram-Dawkins, among others. Pollack continued. “But here’s the thing, guys. You’re not going to play Ole Miss every week. Like, and that’s the thing about matchups.” In the upcoming slate of games, they have Florida, Mississippi State, Texas, Georgia Tech, and Charlotte. Even the HC is not comfortable with how the defense has been playing.

Kirby Smart’s reaction to Dawgs’ defense

Mike Bobo’s offense is racking up compliments, but the same can’t be said about the defensive unit. The head coach himself, who has been a defensive coordinator in his career, was honest and sharp in his statement. “The way we played defensively, you’re probably going to lose games,” Smart shared per dawgnation.com.

Not just on Saturday, the defense has been inconsistent over the season. Although it did showcase some strong highlights. He continued. “But, look, as bad as we played on defense, I can sit here and tell you without watching the tape, that’s a really good offense. When you go up against them, they have really good weapons, they’ve got a good plan, and the quarterback run element right now for them makes it really hard to defend.”

After Carson Beck left for Miami, inexperienced Gunner Stockton stepped into his shoes, and he hasn’t disappointed. Just like Bobo got flak for the sluggish offense last campaign, analysts were skeptical about Stockton leading the offense. But with a 91.0 QBR, he is among the top quarterbacks in the FBS.

Against Ole Miss on Saturday, he scored five touchdowns. His Heisman conversations is also picking up pace. He was 12 of 12 in the second half, going 26-of-31 overall.  The offense registered an overall 510 yards, with 221 rushing. They picked up 17 points in the fourth quarter alone to take away the win. Looks like the offense is in rhythm. But unless the defense gets on the same page, this Georgia team is not going to make the playoffs.