Here’s a little telling stat from Saturday’s scrimmage game against Marshall.
Now I can’t believe that Smart would hit the portal and recruiting trail, picking up quality receivers and also blue chip tight ends just to return to Manball all season long. However, it was clear on Saturday that grinding yards on the ground (239 yards on 44 carries, good for 5.4 yards per carry) while Stockton led all rushers in yards signals that Kirby’s quote from SEC Media Days was more than just a distraction from unleashing a secret air attack.
We certainly have the receiving room to air it out and stretch the field, but the Marshall game looked like it was a live test to see how well Georgia could establish the run and what needs to be worked on prior to the first big test against the Vowels in two weekends.
With Austin Peay coming up and utilizing a two-quarterback approach, one of which is a clear dual-threat, I’d imagine it’ll be wash, rinse, and repeat this weekend. Smart doesn’t care about the outside noise (throw it deep, more, Bobo!) and in my humble opinion will continue to test the run game this weekend…but with an admission that the team ran a “conservative” approach last season, will that continue to hold true, or was that just a reaction to the injuries and dropskies that plagued the team in 2024?
Yep, this Saturday will be a repeat of last Saturday, but I do think Kirby will focus more on the run this year. Last year, we had to pass to set up the run, and given our receiver and OL problems, that was a bad position to be in.
Hopefully we can avoid the OL injury bug and feed the RBs (and Gunner) a bit to set up the pass. But I think that’s still a ways away from the Manball of 2019.
The long ball isn’t a high percentage play..but it’s spectacular when it works..which hasn’t been often enough for UGA in recent years. Mostly all it does is put you behind the chains and you end up punting. With Gunner’s particular skill set, I believe the running game and the tight ends will do the bulk of moving the ball down the field. Why get greedy if you can do it in 5 to 12 yard bunches? If this defense is as good as we hope, long drives eating clock could be the ticket. The good, speedy receivers ARE now a threat to keep defenses honest. Kirby and Bobo seem to have this figured out (if I have them figured out which is questionable at best)…If so, defenses are going to have to play it straight up and honest (which you need superior talent and coaching to make work) or pick their poison. I think Tennessee will pick making Gunner prove he can hit the long one…Branch is a game changer and is going to make a difference..he can turn a 15 yard pass play into a long gain.
I agree. UT will do everything to stuff the line and get us into 3rd and long. Do we have the receiver who can win the one-on-one back shoulder throws and can Gunner throw those?
We seldom had 3 healthy RBs and OL at the same time last year. Carson was not a read option threat. Now we’re loaded and I fully expect to see the running game more developed between the tackles and using our big TEs to pull and attack the edge. Add Gunner taking off and we are going to be a lot to handle. Once those safeties sneak up Branch and Young will burn them deep.
Kirby never said they needed to run it more, just better. All due respect to Brent Rollins, but that stat isn’t important until you show how many yards gained on those 5 power runs. I also saw a lot of counter plays, pin-and-pull, inside and outside zone on Saturday. That they included more power is good, if you have guys that can win one-on-one battles. With 2 starters out, that remains to be seen. That said, those two guys just don’t look like they were in game shape either. In any event, re Tennessee, their secondary blows so I think we’ll throw plenty up there.
After watching the game and some replays I still can not decide if our O-line played good, bad, or ugly. Like you said, they ran a lot of different assignments. I guess we will all know soon enough.
Yep, the Tennessee game will be enlightening.
It’s hard for me to make sense of what’s good or bad based on what I’ve been seeing from the “analysts” on social media. These are the guys who break down film with “alright what we’re seeing here is a heavy zone concept with a zebra pull on the back end with a maraschino cherry top. Bobo should’ve taken his first step to the right and back and Gaston to the left and back and meet to do a dosie-do but instead they opened and went the opposite way and left the A gap open for the linebacker to blow up the play”. I don’t know if they really know what they’re talking about or not…but if I were Marshall and stood little to no chance to win, I’d sell the farm on stopping the run being that you know Stockton can run and you question if he can throw, and new personnel all over the place, I’d just sell out on the run. If there are more guys coming downhill than there are people to block, it’s going to look ineffective. Finding some balance and stretching the field, when they decide the time is right, will prove what is going on in the trenches. Just my opinion. And I’m no expert.
Lol. I think some really so not know what they are talking about and make up stuff. That guy on Top Billin was one that seemed to.
Other than receivers not being able to catch the ball last year. Which even my outside the area ass knows is a problem. Last season’s QB couldn’t throw up a deep ball and allow his guy to run under it. He’s still trying and missing dart like shots. SBIV would put some air under it. I hope Gunner figures this out. Connecting not just attempting deep passes will help the run game. Also most importantly committing to RTDB.
As usual Kirby sees problems he fixes them. Biggest mistake bama ever made was letting Kirby leave.