Remember a time when Georgia had Gurley, Marshall, Michel, and Chubb all in the same backfield? Nick Chubb remembers, and remembers specifically why UGA was calling him despite the stout competition in the running back room:
Chubb was special, but let’s not forget that, for a running back, Georgia is special. Thanks to the GOAT, Herschel Walker, Georgia forged its brand of offensive identity as RBU. I remember a time when, I believe it was Erk or Herschel one, stated that the 80s Dawgs liked to throw the ball twice a game – once to throw the football on to the field to start the game, and once at the end to throw it back off the field.
No doubt Chubb considered the Georgia legacy while also choosing to remain home. While he certainly could’ve taken his services elsewhere (thank God he didn’t), what was evident was that Georgia was going to use a committee of backs and not one featured back. The potential to share the load while also being a staple of one of the most prestigious football programs in the country is an easy draw if you have the talents for it.
A quick look at our current running back room reveals a lack of hometown boys, as does much of the roster, but there is blue chip talent abounding. So what’s the draw to Georgia given the development of talent at the TE position and shift in passing philosophy, especially if you’re a talented running back? Lest we forget that between the Aaron Murray days and the Monken days there was Manball, a term aptly describing Georgia’s run-heavy offensive philosophy under Smart by the Senator himself. A defense-first and former running back coordinator as a head coach creates the DNA for a manball type of team.
Think back to 2017-2019, and especially 2019, where the Joe Burrow Tigers broke the conference mold from big defense to big offense, in so much it compelled Saban to change philosophies and adopt an offense-minded approach as well. 2017 was a success for Kirby, no doubt, but offensive predictability was becoming a concern in the changing landscape of the SEC by 2019, so Kirby turned to Todd Monken to rejuvenate the offense starting in the 2020 season.
Consider the shifts in average attempts per season under Kirby:
- 2016 – 30 pass, 41 rush
- 2017 – 20 pass, 45 rush
- 2018 – 26 pass, 41 rush
- 2019 – 30 pass, 37 rush
- 2020 – 31 pass, 38 rush
- 2021 – 27 pass, 36 rush
- 2022 – 33 pass, 37 rush
- 2023 – 33 pass, 36 rush
One thing I’ll give Monken credit for, he achieved balance in the end. I’d dare say that 2022 was his magnum opus and a season where I truly felt like the only team that could stop Georgia was Georgia. Offense and defense were equally incredible, but while balance was achieved, average attempts for running backs didn’t fall off the table, either. Although the gap narrowed into balance, I can’t neglect to note that Cook saw plenty of action as a receiver option and I can recall Bowers and McConkey toting the ball on running attempts, as well. I don’t think I could ever tell you – and this is key – what the next offensive play might be throughout the whole season.
One thing is for certain, aside from 19 and 86 getting a lot of touches the past two years, ball distribution under Monken ensures that, if you have a bevy of talent, everyone gets a play. Couple that with being on the big stage every game, sharing the load so you enter the combines healthy, and it’s easy to see why talent can sometimes opt for tradition and prestige instead of NIL (though the latter doesn’t hurt if you have it).
Enter Mike Bobo for his second stint as OC. Average attempts alone in the 2023 numbers above suggests Bobo achieved even more balance than Monken, though one could argue that they tethered Beck early in the 2023 campaign and let him loose later, so those numbers are somewhat skewed. Our receiving corps was talented and plentiful, while our RB room was banged up. Milton was hampered a good bit of the season, Robinson was lost for the season, so the Dawgs had to turn to Edwards to carry the load, which he did admirably. To be honest though, Edwards was reliable, but not the dynamic back that we’ve seen during the Manball days.
One compelling reason for Kirby to run so heavily and successfully in 2017 was the fact he had Chubb, Michel, and Swift back there, and who could fault a coach for leaning on a trio like that? Throw in a true freshman at quarterback that was really managing games as he developed, and for Kirby, it worked out. In one of the most famous games in Georgia history – the Rose Bowl – Georgia threw the ball 29 times and ran 34. A good bit of that can be attributed to playing from a deficit, and also bear in mind Michel had four of those receptions. The run game averaged 9 yards per play to the pass game’s 7, and Georgia piled up 317 yards rushing on 34 attempts. It’s easy to see why this formula would want to be duplicated in the next few years, and I’ll raise my hand and admit that I thought we would never come back in Pasadena because we were a run heavy team and couldn’t win in a shootout. Color me pleasantly incorrect in that regard.
In 2023, though, Georgia lacked another key quality that Kirby talks about – explosive plays. Although “balance” on paper looks nice, the banged up running room dropped in explosive plays, more specifically in runs of 20 plus yards which was 40th in the nation last year. Given the OLine talent, it was expected to see more of this in 2023, but defenses quit loading the box by about a 10% drop to deal with Georgia’s talented passing attack, also realizing the run game would present with a bend but don’t break type of attack. I kind of felt some eerie feelings that we were attempting to finesse in place where we should’ve said “f*ck you” and ran the ball down the opposing team’s throat.
But we didn’t have a Chubb, or a Zeus, or a Worley or a Herschel.
We know how things ended. Somehow, after 29 straight wins, people saw need to panic. The loss of two talented receivers and another in Thomas to legal troubles for the 2024 campaign, and we’re arriving back at this:
With Etienne and a compliment of great backs in the Dawg Firm of Robinson & Robinson, along with the emergence of Nate Frazier, there’s a press to get the explosive run plays back and give Beck and his receivers the balance necessary to keep the offense guessing, getting the underneath opportunities again that can make for tough matchups for linebackers against tight ends or DBs in man matchups that would be problematic with receivers like Young, Lovett, and Bell. That’s fine and good, but my hope is, more than anything else, we maintain the offensive balance and unpredictability we achieved in 2022. Or maybe in the 2023 Ole Miss game, when it seemed for a brief moment that most of our offense was healthy.
One thing is for certain, as we say around here, I fully believe Kirby’s on the mother. The game is a delicate balancing act of “what’s old is new again” so I don’t put it past him to reinvent in the playoff and conference expansion era, and for the running game to rejuvenate with a hopefully healthy running back room and dynamic passing attack (personally, I think our receiving room is pretty solid, but that’s, like, my opinion, man).
I just hope if we do go heavier on the run, it’s more like 2017 than 2019, and honestly in line with 2022. And especially not like the 2014 South Carolina game. RBU is in our program’s DNA, but lately, so is balance…and winning.
Win the damn game, Bobo.
All I want to do is win but I’d be lying if I said the prospect of Kirby reverting to man ball didn’t bother me. I really hope he doesn’t do that but know he likely will. There is nothing cool about being predictable and stubbornly trying to prove how tough you are can cost you a game.
#2 is the standard set by Todd Monken, whether the run play was a pass to a RB in the flats vs an edge rusher/olb, with a down field blocker, advantage RB, it’s a running play via the 5 yard pass, it seemed as though the half time totals were weighted for the pass, with a nice (14-24 point lead) the 4th quarter was the RB’s room time to have fun vs a tired opposition d and the run/pass totals became equal…GO DAWGS!!
When you look at those splits, Gentlemen, remember about 20 of those rushing attempts come in the 2nd Half with plenty in the fourth quarter like when we kicked Alabama’s arse (those are Saban’s words) or watched Tennessee volunteer to give us the number one ranking because (check notes) it was raining. Make no mistake out of respect for the blog, I sanitize my statements but as a virtuoso of vulgarity I can easily make the Hound from the Throne Game’s comments look like a Campfire Girl’s. I do not care for our opponents.
I was in love with this post until you mentioned 2014 South Carolina. I don’t think I have ever been more (possibly equally but never more) disgusted at a game. Damn, just damn.
Monken said it and Bobo seems to practice the same philosophy of taking what the defense gives you. We are going to have some tough road games that very well may devolve into slugfests, with this schedule…so the ability to run at will and manage the clock will be imperative.
I have absolutely loved watching our offense these last few years…it’s done my ticker and vocal cords wonders not being in nailbiters every Sat…tack on 2 Natties and I am in full support of adding Kirby’s likeness to the open slot on Mt. Rushmore.
Should a MT. DAWGMORE ever materialize, not who, but how many would be on there!!….GO DAWGS!!
The key to our RBU success is “sharing the load so you enter the combines healthy.” WR’s and DB’s want to be in every play, but RB’s know the wear and tear takes away from their pro career. Better to have the big stage and share the load with other great RB’s to make you all look good. I wonder if that’s why Etienne came to UGA – he saw that UF was probably going to use him like Gus used up Kerryon Johnson.
I just can’t get enough of NICK CHUBB! He is the absolute DGD and an inspiration to all prospective Dawgs. My all time favorite (and I’m pretty old!).
An OC doesn’t need to be balanced. An OC needs to exploit whatever the defense gives him. Bobo = balance, Monken = abuses the defensive weakness. Chaney/coley- manball.