Georgia football hit the pause button for the second open date on its schedule this week and is sitting pretty much where everyone thought it might be at this point of the season.

How it got there is a different story.

The Bulldogs bookended their best games against Clemson and Texas with some head-scratching performances in the five games in between when they often looked like they were underachieving for their talent level.

“I think everyone's grown,” Georgia head coach Kirby Smart said this week when asked about the team now compared to the first off week of the season after three games. “The experiences we've had since the last bye week have been on the road at Alabama, home games against two tough SEC opponents, on the road at Texas. I mean, it's been a journey. And the next journey I think is a five-game stretch, if I'm not mistaken, and it'll be a hell of a journey, too, because every week is a season right now.”

Georgia is 6-1 before its annual game against Florida on Nov. 2 compared to 7-0 last season.

The Bulldogs had played one ranked opponent — No. 20 Kentucky — at this point last year compared to three top 15 teams this year: No. 14 Clemson, No. 4 Alabama and No. 1 Texas.

Let’s take stock of the No. 2 Bulldogs at just past the midway point and look at what’s to come.

Areas of improvement

Fumbles lost. Georgia has one lost fumble, which ranks fifth best nationally. It had four lost fumbles at this point last season.

Fumbles recovered. The Bulldogs have taken away the ball with five fumble recoveries. It had none after seven games last season.

Sacks. The Bulldogs are sixth in the SEC with 2.57 sacks per game. That number jumped after a seven-sack game against Texas. The average was 1.71 a year ago at this point.

Areas of slippage

Penalty yards per game. Georgia is 123^rd in the nation at 72.43, up from 29^th and 42.14 a game a year ago.

Third-down conversions. Converting at 38.2 percent, which is 87^th in the nation, down from 57.1 percent and third in the nation a year ago.

Time of possession. 68^th nationally at 30:18, down from 6^th last year at the time at 33:37.

All-American caliber

LB Jalon Walker

S Malaki Starks

P Brett Thorson

All-SEC caliber

K Peyton Woodring

S Dan Jackson

DE Tyrion Ingram-Dawkins

RB Trevor Etienne

WR Dillon Bell

OG Dylan Fairchild

Playoff projections

Georgia missed out on the four-team playoff last year despite being 12-1. With an expanded 12-team format, the Bulldogs are well positioned.

Here are predictions:

Paul Myerburg, USA Today: In Sugar Bowl in quarterfinals as No. 1 seed vs. winner of No. 8 LSU-No. 9 Miami.

Mark Schlabach and Kyle Bonagura, ESPN: In Sugar Bowl quarterfinals as No. 2 seed vs. No. 7 Texas

Jerry Palm, CBS Sports: In Sugar Bowl quarterfinals as No. 1 seed vs. winner of No. 8 Alabama vs. No. 9 BYU

Stewart Mandel, The Athletic: In quarterfinals as No. 1 seed vs. winner of No. 8 Tennessee-No. 9 Clemson

Three surprising first-half storylines

Texas fans trashing the field after a pass interference call that ended up being reversed.

Kirby Smart calling out fans for home game atmosphere after Auburn game.

Smart's sideline incident shoving Mississippi State's QB.

Three Carson Beck stats

TD/INT ratio: 15/8 in 2024 from 12/4 in 2023

Completion percentage 66.0 from 73.6

Number of drops by Georgia pass catchers: 16. Bulldogs had 19 all of last season, per Pro Football Focus.

Key losses

DE Mykel Williams. Missed two games and limited in others due to ankle injury.

OG Tate Ratledge. Sidelined four games after surgery for high ankle sprain

WR Rara Thomas and Colbie Young. Thomas dismissed from team before season and Young suspended indefinitely after arrests.

Toughest games remaining

Nov. 16 vs. Tennessee (6-1, No. 9 ESPN SP+): Fourth in the nation in total and scoring defense

Nov. 9 at Ole Miss (5-2, No. 3 ESPN SP+): Fourth in nation in passing offense

Nov. 2 in Jacksonville vs. Florida (4-3, No. 15 ESPN SP+): 95^th in the nation in rushing defense at 164.3

Nov. 29 vs. Georgia Tech (5-3, No. 48 ESPN SP+): 100^th in nation in pass efficiency defense

Nov. 23 vs. UMass (1-6, No. 121 SP+): 116^th in nation in scoring defense

Three players that could still break out

DE Mykel Williams. Was the Texas game a sign of what’s to come? The junior pass rusher had two sacks and a forced fumble and looked closer to fully healthy.

OLB Damon Wilson. Has 11 tackles including 2½ for loss with a forced fumble and two fumble recoveries.

TE Oscar Delp. Four of his five catches have come the last two games, including a 43-yard catch against Texas.

This article originally appeared on Athens Banner-Herald: Georgia football: Taking stock of Bulldogs about halfway through season