Jake Rowe’s “What Georgia needs to get over the hump in 2019” is, um, bracing. While its overall tone is perhaps overly pessimistic, I can’t say that he doesn’t make some fair points.
More specifically, I think there’s enough returning talent in the secondary that they’ll be able to cobble together an effective pass defense, even in Deandre Baker’s absence. But, yeah, they’ve got to find some answers on the defensive front. There’s also some sorting out to do as far as the receiving corps goes.
One area he doesn’t mention is tight end. I think Woerner is capable at receiving, but Georgia uses twin tight end sets a lot, mainly for blocking, and somebody needs to step up at the second spot. At the moment, neither option for that has any experience to speak of.
But I’m not worried about the o-line. At all.
Thoughts?
Get The Picture 
I don’t put any stock into anything he writes.
LikeLike
Assuming you are not worried about the o-line.
LikeLike
Senator, check your last sentence. How about “not worried about the O Line.”
I’m sure that was the intent.
LikeLike
Oops. My editor’s been furloughed during the shutdown. 😉
Thanks for catching that.
LikeLike
You may have autopiloted that mistake based on every O Line at UGA from about 1992 to 2018. It’s surreal to be able to confidently assume the OL will be talented and deep.
LikeLike
I mean, I guess. Or they could hold onto a two-touchdown lead. Or make a filed goal to go up 17. Or not have the officials fuck them over. Georgia’s lost by 3 in overtime and by 7 with the ball in Alabama territory at the end of the game. It’s not like they’ve been miles away.
LikeLiked by 1 person
This is the same guy who previewed Georgia – South Carolina last year as an even match-up. He’s got about as much perception as the refs that missed the pass interference call in the Rams-Saints game. Ask any random asshole on the internet what they think of Georgia next year – it’s as good a source as Rowe. The quality of content on that site has severely diminished since Gentry Estes left them.
LikeLiked by 1 person
Mays was used a good bit as a blocking H-back early in the year. I could see us using some six linemen sets to utilize all the o-line talent.
LikeLike
Agree. If we’re just gonna smash the ball in their faces we may as well add another OL somewhere – a jumbo package with an OL as a FB or H-back, or as a 6th OL along the line. I hope we haven’t become slaves to the 2 TE formation.
I thought having a FB was as effective or more effective than the 2 TE sets. And its just common sense to have a great player like Mays, or Salyer, or Hill on the field somewhere rather than riding the bench. If we’re in short supply of TEs, we certainly have tons of talent at other positions. It’s a matter of tweaking the offense to take advantage of our talent.
LikeLike
Just put all the o line in at once.
LikeLike
Not sure we have the numbers to do a lot of 2 TE sets.
I’d expect more 4 wide, shot gun stuff.
The good news is that you look at the schedule and it appears that the two toughest games will be at home: ND and A&M.
Not sure any of our division foes will be ready to match up.
Auburn looks to be a reclimation project at too many spots.
My view is that, if we stay healthy, we get to ATL with 1 loss or less and then we see how we match up with whoever gets in from the west.
Defense will be better because ILB will be much improved. Losing Baker will hurt some but how many big time wr/qb combos are we facing?
Better ILB play will take pressure off of the safeties. We’re just too big, too fast and too deep on defense for the limited talent in the east to deal with.
Whose the best QB on an opposing east squad in 2019? Best wr? Best RB? Whose gonna put up points and how?
It’s time for the OL to just start rolling people up. Running at Will is going to put us in a lot of 1 on 1s and we’ve got plenty of wrs who can take advantage and a qb who can put it on them.
Just stop with the fake fucking kicks and we’ll be fine into December.
If we can survive the stripes and not do anything dumb, we’ll be ok.
LikeLike
The best QB we’ll face in the East, IMO, will probably be Bryant over in Missouri. And I don’t know how effective he’ll be in a new system. Heck, I don’t even know who’s on their roster other than him.
LikeLike
If memory serves me, Mizzu has not recruited well recently. I don’t understand why they have struggled; it may be the facilities. Although they do find decent QBs. This class seems to be doing well for them with a current ranking of 34th on 247.
LikeLike
No a lot of talent in state talent in Missouri. Hard to compete when you can’t find 15 sec capable players every year in your home state.
LikeLike
Defense doesn’t really worry me. It wasn’t bad this year and we didn’t lose much besides Baker. I think the secondary will be more consistent across the board with the young players getting experience last year. I also think some of the new players will make an immediate contribution.
On offense, the line is solid and we have receivers. We are thin at TE, but they are mainly just glorified tackles or fullbacks in our system anyway. RB should be fine. I expect Zeus will be back and ready to star. Injury to Fromm is what really worries me.
The schedule is tough, especially with A&M late, but if we get through that we have a great shot at taking out Bama and going to the playoffs.
LikeLike
Giving Georgia and A&M a date with each other on “cupcake week” (Bama hosts Western Carolina), two weeks prior to the SECCG, feels like something concocted at a lunch meeting at Birmingham’s most popular meat&3. #awwshuckspawl
LikeLike
Agree as to the blocking ability of our remaining tight ends. They could excel at it, but they’re not as thick, or weren’t at least, maybe they’ll bulk up over the offseason.
And with Coley coming in we may see fewer double tight sets regardless.
LikeLike
LEADERSHIP. There’s plenty of talent at every position, 2018 vs 2017 was a leadership gap.
LikeLiked by 1 person
I think this is the #1 concern (followed closely by a disruptive DL, either interior or outside).
I’d be interested in a poll about what the consensus is for what UGA needs to do to get over the hump
LikeLike
Most of us have been saying for a few years now. Georgia matches up with almost every team in the nation outside of perhaps the single most important aspect of any elite team, and that’s along the defensive line. Georgia simply hasn’t recruited and/or developed guys like Payne, Williams, any of the Clemson DL, Derrick Brown, etc…
And I think it’s cost the Dogs one national title and perhaps a second shot at one last year. And if we’re being honest, I don’t see that changing next year even though 2019 should be the most loaded UGA team we’ve seen 1-85.
LikeLike
Parrish…you know Georgia beat Alabama in ’18. Georgia was very much their equal.
The refs, the refs alone, and only the refs should ever be credited with Georgia’s being on the short end of that scoreboard.
Please quit forgetting.
LikeLike
Herewith begins the drum banging. It would be nice to see us actually design an offense that THROWS it to the tight end, as an integral part of our attack. I never doubted that Nauta could catch the ball. He is another in a long line of good tight ends who ultimately have a good chance to play on Sundays. I just scratch my head about why we don’t use our tight ends more effectively, since we are supposedly running a pro set offense. And, last time I checked, a pro set offense at the next level looks like the following: Gronk, Ertz, Kelce, Watson, etc. I realize there is a talent component attached to that assumption. Just saying that I think we have had talent at that position for a long time, at least a level that would allow us to exploit our opposition.
And while I am banging my drum, let me be the first to say that for this upcoming 2019 season, can we also design more HUNH? Our now fully vetted QB thrives in that environment. He ran it in HS and it seems like every time we give him the opportunity to run that, he looks imminently comfortable and super effective doing so. As in our opponent is getting their butts kicked. Either that or I am drinking heavily and can’t see the truth.
Peace. Out.
LikeLike
I share the same TE sentiments but, looking at the historic stats, had Nauta come through in 2017 with an average of his 2016 and 2018 receptions, he would be right there with Orson Charles and Randy McMichael in the number of receptions. That can probably be chalked up to the loss of a quarterback in game 1 and using a true freshman behind him.
LikeLike
The passing game worries me, The running game will continue to create all sorts of room for it, but we’ve got a lot of new faces to develop timing and trust with the QB. And the QB/offense has struggled in high stakes environments with all of the chips on the table. We like to blame Chaney for that, but it’s not like Coley and Smart weren’t on those sidelines wearing headsets.
Can the passing game come through when we run into opponents who can limit the running game? So far, the answer to that has been no. And now we’re a lot less experienced on the receiving end.
I’m also looking at Year 4 for Smart and his front 7. If it isn’t dominant, then my question is simple: wtf?
LikeLike
I agree with him that if you have all those things then you are probably a national title team. But that’s obvious.
I am worried about the OL staying healthy. Not worried about the quality or quantity, but injuries are always something to worry about. Especially since we had some this past season.
LikeLike
My only worries are Fromm’s timing with the new receivers and who will be our center. Seems like our centers have been the leaders of our O-line.
LikeLike
With the OL’s talent and depth, Coley has plenty of levers to push/pull/rearrange; I don’t see a big concern on the offense. Yes, the loss of Ford hurts the depth at TE but we aren’t so weak we will sacrifice much production there, and we can scheme around the blocking. Always the chance we pick up a grad transfer to bridge the gap, and Goede may be able to help before the end of the season. We also have a QB depth issue that could potentially wreck our chances in 2019 against the schedule we face, and is a bigger concern than the TE issue.
Our defense will be as good as last year, most likely better, but needs to grow along the front to become elite as the fall off from 2017 was very noticeable last season.
LikeLike
I reckon we’ll just have to score more points than the other guy.
LikeLike