INDIANAPOLIS — It's been a bit of a struggle for the Georgia Bulldogs in the first half of the National Championship Game on Monday night.
The Dawgs' defense has kept Alabama in check, but UGA hasn't been able to do a whole lot on offense, failing to convert one big play to George Pickens into a touchdown and otherwise scuffling.
Georgia went into the half trailing the Tide, 9-6.
The pressure is on for UGA quarterback Stetson Bennett, who was the subject of a lot of fan consternation during the Dawgs' disappointing showing in the SEC Championship Game, when they lost to Alabama.
So far Bennett hasn't done terribly - he's completed 11 of 17 passes for 127 yards, without throwing an interception - but the team's inability to really cut into the Alabama defense is sticking out so far.
ESPN sideline reporter Molly McGrath caught up with UGA coach Kirby Smart as the first half came to a close, and said she saw Smart speaking with Bennett. She asked him what he had said to his quarterback.
"I said we gotta settle down. We haven't had one drive probably where we didn't have negative plays starting off... we're shooting ourselves in the foot. We're 1st and 15, 2nd and 20, you're not gonna beat a good football team when you're doing that," the coach said. "We gotta get some things together on offense."
The good news for Dawgs is that, as they trail by just three points, there's every opportunity to still seize things in this National Championship Game.