Last week, I fretted about Georgia’s offense being somewhat predictable due to Jake Fromm’s limits.
Speaking of pre-snap reads, those are even easier for Fromm to handle when he’s making them from the shotgun or pistol rather than under center. Given his background and experience, that’s hardly surprising. Unfortunately, that can make for predictable playcalling.
Looking at last week’s game against Samford, Georgia broke away from at least one tendency it had the game prior against Notre Dame. Georgia increased its plays from under center with its first-team offense. In total, the Bulldogs ran 21 plays under center compared to 30 plays in the shotgun against Samford.
While Smart said switching between shotgun and from under center is “overrated” when it comes to analysis, it does play a part in what the opposition is trying to find out.
“They can look at those things, see it, try to get tendencies off it,” Smart said. “I think every coach in America is trying to break his tendencies.”
But the reason for noting the number of plays under center and out of the shotgun in the Samford game is important for one particular reason. Of the 21 plays under center, quarterback Jake Fromm threw from this spot zero times.
Fromm received only one passing call from under center against Notre Dame and he was sacked on the play.
The tendency here is that Fromm isn’t going to throw the ball when Georgia is under center.
All you can do is all you can do, obviously, and, to be fair, Georgia was going to run the ball down Samford’s throat no matter what formation in which it lined up. Still, with an opponent like Mississippi State, which showed last week it does an excellent job with its game prep, that’s got to be a major concern. Maybe Chaney deserves to be cut a little more slack than he gets.
Instead, it looks like a certain former Georgia defensive coordinator got baited.
During the week of practice, Georgia’s offense practiced the flea-flicker play over and over.
On Thursday, the offense was told it would begin Saturday’s 31-3 win over Mississippi State with the particular play. It was something head coach Kirby Smart saw on film that he believed would work early in the game. Plus, taking a deep shot that early might soften Mississippi State’s box against the run…
On the play, quarterback Jake Fromm lined up under the center on what looked like a run play. After all, Fromm did not attempt a pass from under center the week before against Samford. Mississippi State loaded the box to prevent the run in response.
Fromm handed the ball off to running back Nick Chubb, who then pitched the ball back to Fromm. Godwin was left wide open for what turned into a 59-yard touchdown reception.
Smart said he spoke with offensive coordinator Jim Chaney about the potential play call on Wednesday, which is when the final decision was made to go with it.
“I thought it was there. And it worked,” Smart said.
That wasn’t the only unpantsing that worked.
Throwing the ball only 12 times, Fromm posted a 270.70 passer rating last night. Passer ratings from Mississippi State’s three other 2017 opponents: 53.25, 93.30 and 84.51. In the last decade, no other quarterback has eclipsed that mark against MSU.
After his third start as a true freshman, Fromm is now second in the SEC in passer rating. Somebody’s putting him a position to succeed.
Get The Picture 
I have to give it to Chaney. He’s doing a good job with young Mr. Fromm. This stable of running backs is helping. Without stubbornly being intentional about it, we’re starting to exert our will on offense.
That flea flicker call and the play to Nauta were absolutely brilliant.
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I already showered once today for church. Now I need to take another!
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The biggest difference between the shotgun and underneath center, is the time a QB may have to throw it. He may gain an additional second of time. Probably also a little easier to run the ball when you are underneath center. Smart is right, when comparing the two, it is overrated imo.
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This season has worked out really well from a scheduling standpoint so far. Each big game was preceded by a tuneup game. Now we have to go on the road to Knoxvegas and play a team that has beaten the Dawgs 2 years in a row. Forget what pundits are saying. UT is 3-1 and their sole loss came by way of a Hail Mary on the last play. They very easily could be undefeated and the pundits would be saying all that stuff about Tennesee that they are now saying about Georgia. Expect a tough game. Like the ND game I would’ve happy with a one point victory for the Dawgs and run like a thief.
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+1 yer honor…Saturday is so last week…we gotta git after they ass.
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They’re all just tuneups for Bama. No body else on the schedule can play with us.
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They very well could also be 0-4. They suck.
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This
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But that’s kind of the point: they are just so freakin’ lucky that we will have to not just be better than they are; we also have to overcome their luck rabbit’s foot and home field. I want to see Lulu cryin’.
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You want to talk lucky? Watch the last 2 fu games.
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Right on, Mayor. Remember, they all are playing “their best game” vs UGA (N.D. seems to have done so). And we also would like to see “Chubb’s Revenge” enacted on their ass for the last visit to their lousy cow pasture. Can’t forget that they won that game after Chubb went out. Herrien and Swift can grease the hole with Tenn sweat for Chubb on every other run.
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Notre Dame has blown out their other three opponents, so it looks like Georgia just got Notre Dame’s normal shot, and it could have been a Georgia blowout if not for a few bad calls, way too many facemasks and dropped interceptions.
Tennessee will obviously play better than they did against UMASS, but it doesn’t change the fact that they aren’t very good.
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My favorite part of the Nauta TD is the announcer saying, “oh boy” before Fromm even threw the ball.
Also notice that Payne and Woerner were also wide open. The entire defense got sucked in.
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Just think; if he ever learns the play-book as well as Eason does after a first year in the SEC – Lordy!
I think both these QBs can draw in some big-time WRs such as to make for two differing badass Offensive units for two to three more years. That and use of the now upbeat “Dingo” formations could make for some unusual and upbeat Dawg games.
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I don’t see how Eason is getting his job back. Fromm is improving by the minute. When Fromm would flip his wrist and the ball would go right where he wanted it to go I was thinking: If Eason had thrown that pass he would have reared back and thrown it 150 miles an hour and it would have sailed over everyone’s head or bounced of the receiver. Fromm is what a call ” a football player”. He might not have the awesome physical prowess of Eason but he just can play some football. And he has more than enough physical talent. I hate to say it but I think Eason transfers at the end of the season because he ain’t gonna be starting.
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I agree with your opinions about our quarterbacks, with the exception that I’m not sure Eason will transfer at the end of the season. During the game yesterday, the announcers were referring to Fitzgerald and the fact that he’s a local boy and that UGA didn’t recruit him. I understand that pundits/fans would prefer that UGA recruit each and every athlete from our state, but you can’t give them all scholarships. I think we’ve done pretty well with the young men that we have signed. In fact, I’m thankful that we have both Fromm and Eason. Can’t wait ’til next Saturday at the Vowels! HBTD!
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QB controversy?…what QB controversy says Tony Romo with Dak Prescott winning all over the place…it could get interesting around here in a few weeks… 😉
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Forget it Jacob! It’s Frommtown!
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High five Chaney!
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Opening trick play. TE seam route. Wilddawg with a guy that knows what to do with the extra blocking going wide. Somebody found Bobo’s coloring book in a drawer last week. I expect Kirby to call an onside kick against the gators if he’s been studying any old film.
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Just watched the replay on dvr. Loved Kirby’s comment going in at halftime about “eye violations” when asked about the flea flicker
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If yesterday is a sign of things to come, then all the past frustrations with Chaney and Smart’s offensive philosophy can be easily forgiven.
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I am just glad 3rd and Grantham gets to live on, would have hated to have been the ones to take that away from him.
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He will eventually throw the ball from under center. Just a matter of time. He is not what is call a true “drop back passer”. But with time I think Chaney gets him there. Just not now with all these conference games, playbook, and game prep. Fromm has not been on campus a year. Hell, he is not Tom Brady, yet.
If he only threw 12 passes and had to TDs, and throw in some well place balls, and a possible TD pass that was dropped, I think the staff is happy with that.
Here is my big take away from last night’s game. The defense.
It has been a long time since I seen a Dawg defense play at that level…”eye discipline”, “sure one-on-one tackles in space”, “their speed to the gap and ball”, and “total player responsibility”. Their goal should be to step up right there is Bama and Pruitt.
I would think conference OCs took note of their play.
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I suppose I’m as tough on Chaney as anyone. I’m happily eating crow today.
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I’ll join you if the UT game goes as we hope. That will be the second SEC game needed for my convincer.
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It took a 270+ passer-ranking and a near perfect night to give a 176+ avg and place second … ponder that.
I think the QB situation in the SEC isn’t as bad as projected
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