The No. 1 Georgia Bulldogs football team managed to stay undefeated, beating the Auburn Tigers in what proved to be a challenging road test for the two-time national champions. It took a late Payton Thorne interception by the Bulldogs with just over a minute left in regulation to secure the victory. This game, like others before it, left many Georgia football fans wondering just how good this team might actually be.

What may have made this matchup particularly challenging for the Bulldogs was that it marked their very first road game of the year, starting at none other than Jordan-Hare Stadium. Even though Auburn football had lost their last seven games in the Deep South's Oldest Rivalry, this game exceeded any expectations that may have been set.

Under first-year head coach Hugh Freeze, the Tigers came in with a game plan and nearly executed it to perfection against the Bulldogs. Auburn matched Georgia blow for blow, staying in the game with their stingy, physical defense, creating turnovers, and effectively running the ball, showcasing their expertise. If not for Georgia's highly reliable, trusty-handed tight end Brock Bowers, the result could have been different.

Should Georgia football fans be concerned coming out of this seven-point victory over the Tigers? Let's take a closer look.

3. Georgia turnovers led to Auburn points

At times during Saturday's game, Georgia appeared careless with the football, resulting in two costly turnovers from a Carson Beck interception and an Oscar Delp lost fumble. Both turnovers gave the Tigers a short field and helped them score 14 points, with Beck's interception alone contributing to the Bulldogs' first-half struggles, a recurring theme this season.

The Bulldogs are now averaging 1.3 turnovers per game, ranking 60th in the country. Even in a relatively weak schedule this season, SEC play is in full swing, and better offensive teams than Auburn, capable of capitalizing on these types of turnovers, could pose a real threat to Georgia.

2. Georgia football faces Kentucky next week

There's both good and bad news here. The good news is that Georgia plays at home (when aren't they at home?). The bad news is that they face a Kentucky team that just rushed for 329 yards and scored three touchdowns against Florida, winning 33-14. Most of this came from Vanderbilt transfer running back Ray Davis, who had 206 of those yards before halftime. I mentioned in my bold predictions for the Auburn game that Georgia could have struggled with a team with as strong of a run game as the Tigers had. On Saturday, the Bulldogs allowed the most rushing yards they have all season against a tough Auburn rushing attack, yielding 219 yards, with a significant portion coming from Thorne (92).

Kentucky quarterback Devin Leary isn't quite the running threat that Thorne is, so the Bulldogs shouldn't have to worry too much about him carrying the ball. However, they should be concerned about Davis. I'm sure Kentucky head coach Mark Stoops will be drawing inspiration from Auburn's close game against the Bulldogs.

1. Georgia's first-half slow starts continue

For some reason, this year's Georgia football team has been plagued by slow starts. They've been tied 17-17 in the first quarter through five games. Although they didn't trail at halftime and managed to tie it up 10-10 with the Tigers, they were down 14-3 to South Carolina at the half.

Could this simply be growing pains for the Bulldogs? It's important to remember that no team remains the same from year to year, regardless of past championships. Georgia football is essentially a new team, with a new quarterback and a new offensive coordinator. Moreover, the Bulldogs, who have been the number one team for the past two seasons, now have a significant target on their backs, especially in SEC play, where every team will be gunning for them in every game.