As Georgia’s passing woes have temporarily dispersed, its most reliable threat has disappeared.
During the conference call with the SEC coaches on Wednesday, Principal Coach Kirby Smart answered a question about where he thought Georgia had improved the most now in the 10th week of the season. He started by talking about the Bulldogs’ special team game – a unit with the second best punting net and the third best kickoff return average – before shifting the focus to the attack.
“[We’ve been] explosive in the passing game, ”said Smart. “We made a few more plays with the receivers on the field. We protected the defender well, but we also did it last year. “
That was it. There was no mention of Georgia’s running backs or the offensive line’s blocking ability to run. Smart did not praise or talk about Georgia’s hasty attack, which is strange for the coach of a program known for its ground command game.
Still, it is suitable after the Bulldogs finished 8 yards against the state of Mississippi. Running backs Zamir White, James Cook and Kenny McIntosh added an average of 1.83 yards per race with no touchdown in Georgia’s 31-24 victory.
“[Mississippi State] kicked our ass. This is the end result. ”Smart said during the post-game virtual press conference on Saturday.
Including against the State of Mississippi, only seven times has Georgia finished a game under 100 yards since Smart’s first season as head coach in 2016. In those seven games, the Bulldogs are 2-5.
Trying to figure out how offensive coordinator Todd Monken will use his running backs is almost impossible. After receiving 26 shipments for 136 yards run against Kentucky, White’s use in Georgia’s attack apparently disappeared. He finished with 107 yards run against Florida, but with only seven passes, and that after his 75 yard touchdown run in the first play of the game.
White received 11 games against the state of Mississippi and 13 against Arkansas, but he also ended with 19 against Auburn and 22 against Tennessee. It is trusting White or avoiding him.
Even Cook, after totaling 117 and 101 yards against Alabama and Kentucky, suddenly saw his production decline. He has averaged 24 total yards per game since playing the Wildcats.
However, Georgia’s clash with South Carolina on Saturday is favorable to the rushed game. A team that ranks 11th in the SEC in defense and 66th overall, the Gamecocks are giving up 166.4 yards per game this season. South Carolina has allowed more than 200 running yards in a single game three times this season. He almost added one more against Ole Miss on November 14, allowing 195 running yards.
There is no need to go further. To put it modestly, the defense against South Carolina’s hurry is not even average. If Georgia’s violent struggles continue this week, quarterback JT Daniels’ performance may not matter, as doubts about Georgia’s accelerated attack will only increase.
The first question may be something like this: What is the identity?
Georgia doesn’t seem to have one. It is as if the Bulldogs cannot put everything together at once. But Georgia had just one game with Daniels at the center. If the second-year redshirt continues to play at the same level as it did against the state of Mississippi, that should help Georgia’s onslaught.
“I think the passing game with JT there will help us to open up the racing game more than before,” said senior striker Justin Shaffer on Monday. “You have to respect the pass and the race now with the quarterback we have there now.”