If you can’t get a hat on a hat, what good are you out there?

Obviously, I do not have what it takes to be a successful offensive coordinator, because this goes straight over my head.

When you’ve got two players the caliber of Chubb and Sony, shouldn’t offensive coordinator Jim Chaney be finding ways to get them in the backfield together as much as he can?

Many fans may think so but Smart disagrees.

“I do think you have to be careful because as defensive coordinator, I prefer to see those two guys together because one of them doesn’t have the ball,” Smart said. “When one of them doesn’t have the ball, I always say what’s the other one doing – is he a professional blocker? Does he know how to block? Does he know how to go out and block in space, block people and cut people?”

Um, isn’t the question a defensive coordinator has to ask first is “which one of those studs is going to get the ball?”

Take one of my favorite plays from 2014, from the Georgia-Auburn game, as an example.  Dial the clip up to the 3:39 mark and you’ll see Todd Gurley and Nick Chubb together, at last.

What happens on that play after Chubb gets the ball in his hand is a blast, of course, but watch how they set Chubb up by making the play look like it’s designed to go Gurley’s way.  All three linebackers commit to his direction before Mason shovels the ball to Chubb.  It’s just as effective in creating space in which Chubb can motor as a great block by the fullback.

Indeed, that’s the point behind running the RPO plays that Smart goes on to tout.  So color me a bit befuddled.

Eh, maybe this is just a matter of degree.  Kirby does say he’s not objecting to ever putting both on the field at the same time.

“That’s the not the best thing they do. If they don’t have the ball, that’s really all they’re doing. So, we want some packages for them together, and they do block well, they’re willing to, but that’s not what they do best,” Smart said. “They’re best with the ball in their hands and we’re finding ways to get them the ball. We’ll have some packages for them together, and we’ll see if we can create some things from that.”

But he doesn’t sound like a man who’s heart is in it, either.  Like I said, I’m definitely not coaching material, because I could get a little excited watching the two of them come out of the huddle into an offensive set.

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The last days of Tracy Rocker

Two stories popped up on my Twitter feed yesterday, almost on top of each other, both involving former DL coach Tracy Rocker.

First, news of minor NCAA violations:

Last September, during a non-contact recruiting period, two Georgia assistant coaches called a recruit and the recruit’s father. Both calls lasted a minute. The identity of only Rocker, then the defensive line coach, is listed in the report, which was provided via an open records request.

A letter of admonishment was given to Rocker, who it is noted was not scheduled to make a call to the recruit “the week in question.” As further self-punishment, the football team was prohibited from calling the recruit (also unidentified) from Nov. 13-26.

And then, within minutes, this story about Rocker’s departure:

Former defensive line coach Tracy Rocker was dismissed by the university, according to documents obtained by The Telegraph through the state’s Open Records Act.

A hand-delivered notice of termination was given to Rocker and signed by athletics director Greg McGarity about the program’s decision. The university is still obligated to pay Rocker his $525,000 salary through the calendar year ending on Dec. 31.

Towers has more details.

Rocker, the Bulldogs’ defensive line coach and associate head coach, was fired. That’s according to a termination letter, dated Feb. 6, delivered to Rocker from athletic director Greg McGarity. That and other documents were turned over to DawgNation on Friday via an open records request filed immediately after Georgia’s announcement of Rocker’s departure.

In a hand-delivered document, McGarity wrote:

“The decision has been made to discontinue your services as associate head coach. The University is hereby terminating your agreement of January 1, 2016. Please consider this advance written notice of your termination.”

Rocker was also asked to sign a general release form requiring him to not speak of his dismissal pending the receipt of the remainder of his pay designated in his contract. Neither the letter nor the release provides any specific reasons for Rocker’s dismissal.

Naturally, this being Georgia, the first thought that came to my head was this is how Butts-Mehre rocks with assistant coaches and NCAA violations these days, but, according to Butt, that’s not the case.

For the record, the minor violation involving Rocker and his eventual firing are NOT related.

— Jason Butt (@JasonHButt) March 17, 2017

You had to figure it was a firing, because people like Rocker generally don’t leave unless greener pastures beckon.  What the real story is… well, I imagine the rumor mill will start cranking out something sooner or later.