Georgia didn't play its best football this afternoon at Sanford Stadium. But it played good football against a good football team and got back to winning ways in the process, defeating the Auburn Tigers 31-13.

There were some undeniably positive signs. For one thing, Georgia dominated the field and scored a touchdown on its first possession. Second, the Bulldogs never trailed, something they haven't been able to say in an SEC game for a long time. In fact, it was the first time the Bulldogs had not trailed in the first quarter in their last nine SEC contests, as the first quarter ended with the Bulldogs up 7-3.

Carson Beck was extremely efficient completing 23 of 29 passes for 240 yards and 2 touchdowns. However, he didn't turn the ball over after four turnovers against Alabama. There were again some throws that weren't 100% crisp and clean, but overall it was a step back in the right direction.

Speaking of moving in the right direction, Trevor Etienne continues to be on his way to becoming a mainstay in the Bulldogs' offense. Etienne totaled 124 yards, including 88 on the ground and 36 through the air, for two touchdowns. The Red and Black finished with 381 yards of professional offense, and while it may have been a little disjointed at times, it was more than enough to get the job done.

Defensively, the Dawgs put pressure on Auburn QB Peyton Thorne from the first snap, recording three sacks and five tackles in the backfield. With the exception of a 38-yard touchdown dash, they also did a good job containing Tigers tailback Jarquez Hunter, who finished with 13 carries for 91 yards.

The Bulldogs led solidly in time of possession (31:28 to 28:32) and played a generally clean football game except for one odd play that resulted in a 30-yard unsportsmanlike conduct penalty. It was a competent performance against an overall competent Auburn team, once again undone by occasional errors.

However, there remain a few things that are…concerning. Georgia's pass rush is fast but remains undisciplined at times. Thorne was stressed most of the afternoon but escaped with good yards on several occasions. It's one thing to get into the backfield, quite another to keep the quarterback there. Some of it is scheme. But a big part of it is awareness. We need better awareness of the pass rush.

The Bulldogs' secondary continues to be hampered by inconsistency, giving up a handful of third-and-long conversions that a better team than the Plainsmen would take advantage of. Two things can be true at the same time: 1) Daylen Everette is probably our best coverage corner right now, but 2) Everette isn't particularly consistent and Georgia's opponents have recognized that. If you often see a cornerback on your television screen, that's a bad thing. This means the opponent thinks they can target him. Teams have Daylen Everette in their sights and he will win some of these one-on-one battles, but we need him to win more of them.

The Bulldogs will be back at Sanford Stadium next Saturday to host the Bizarro Dawgs of Mississippi State. It's another good game before the Red and Black face another top-five Texas team looking to exploit some of the aforementioned concerns.

I don't know if the Georgia team I saw this afternoon can beat the Texas team, but I also think the team that travels to Austin might be a little better adjusted than today's version. Especially in the 12-team playoff era, the college football season will be a process of continuous improvement with the hope of playing your best football by mid-December. Georgia isn't there yet, but today was a step in the right direction.

Plus, we didn’t lose to Vanderbilt today. Which is nice. See you later…

Come on buddy!!!