I’m really trying not to let Smart’s comments yesterday about the offense get to me, but I’ve got to admit it’s a challenge. Take this pearl of wisdom:
“I think the best thing we do offensively is third-down execution,” Smart said. “That has been a point of emphasis for us in practices — to convert third downs and put together a good third-down plan. That may be with play-action passes and different things off of the run game. If you are going to do those, you have to be committed to the run. When you watch the best teams on Saturday that are able to run the ball, they have play-action shots off of it.
“We’ve been able to utilize the tight end down the middle off of play-action. We have been able to use our wheel routes that we hit Jermaine Burton on the other day off of our play-action. The play-action game and third down would be the things we have done well. The more important thing for us to continue and improve on is the ability to run the ball inside and outside.”
You know where Georgia stands in the conference in third down conversion percentage? Eighth, at 45.45%. (Coley’s offense finished fourth in 2019, for what that’s worth.) If that’s the best thing Georgia is doing offensively right now, oh, boy.
Which is not to say Kirby isn’t fond of being in third down situations. Here’s how the SEC ranks in third downs per game:
- Georgia 16.5
- MSU 16.25
- Missouri 15.25
- Ole Miss 15
- Arkansas 15
- Vanderbilt 15
- Auburn 14.4
- Tennessee 13.8
- South Carolina 13.8
- Kentucky 13
- TAMU 13
- LSU 12.25
- Alabama 10.8
- Florida 9.3
Maybe it’s just a coincidence that the SEC’s two best offenses are at the end of that list.
Get The Picture 
You got to it at the end of the post, but I remember fairly far into the 2nd half of the Bama-UT game, one of the booth guys commented that Bama had only faced 3 third downs to that point. We usually hit that in our first drive. You don’t have to focus so much on being good on 3rd down if you’re better on 1st and 2nd.
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Exactly.
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Rev, you hit the nail on the head. 3rd down isn’t where you want to be on offense. Of course, if you’re Kirby, that means you’re scoring too quickly, and the defense has to go back out there.
Speaking of which, have you ever heard a defensive player complain about his teammates on offense scoring too quickly?
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Exactly (and hell, I’d give LSU the “third best offense” title and they’re right behind Bama and the Jorts.
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Making chicken salad with chicken shit.
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I think in this case we’re trying make chicken $#!+ from chicken salad. Sure, we don’t have an elite QB running things (thanks, Newman). Everywhere else on the field we have blue chip players. It’s frustrating to watch.
We better hope Monken doesn’t check out in December or January.
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COVID Year or not, Kirby is courting disaster. If Monken gets fed up and leaves, Kirby’s rep becomes real bad real fast–assuming it isn’t already. If you’re an innovative OC or a 5-star QB, why do you choose UGA? Kirby talking up the O’s ability to convert on 3rd down takes tone deafness to a new level. Light up the scoreboard, Kirby! Damn.
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Seriously getting into Les Miles territory here.
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Yes.
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That comparison didn’t occur to me but I think it’s a good one.
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It feels like Kirby is just trying to get through the Bennett season as quickly as possible.
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It feels to me like Kirby Smart doesn’t get “offense” and really doesn’t want to. It’s only useful as a way to keep points for the other team off the board.
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^^ This. Kirby and Muschamp are similar in area, neither understand offense, nor do the even care to try. But hey, we are really good on defense! At least we have that going for us.
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Boom can’t even say that. 😉
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Very true! Hopefully our talent on defense will be enough to win the East.
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Fuck it…let the UGA “D” play both ways…
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More and more, it’s this. Five years in, and CKS seems as lost as ever when it comes to the offensive side of the ball.
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His opening press conference as Georgia’s coach when he talked about having a run first offense and imposing our will, I know many people around the program loved hearing that, but I absolutely hated it.
How could a guy who saw Lane Kiffin open up the Bama offense, who saw tOSU shred his defense the year before with a spread offense and just barely beat Deshaun Watson’s wide-open Clemson attack, want to go BACKWARDS???
Look at Sam Pittman. The man is more amazing by the day and it’s because he doesn’t fight against the future by throwing a temper tantrum, refusing to adapt.
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It is amazing that Sam Pittman – a top-notch offensive line coach – brought in Kendal Briles to run the offense and he is letting them throw it around with Franks.
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It goes to show you how wrong Kirby continues to be. He’s fucking Les Miles.
It’s maddening, because you can see where this leads, and it’s the same damn place.
How can Saban be so adaptable open-minded and Kirby so stubborn and close-minded? It’s like Kirby only learned half the lessons Saban had to teach him (recruit the best players).
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Phrasing….:)
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Hahahahahahahahahahahahaha!
Seriously you guys, are we not doing “phrasing” anymore?
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I don’t think he’s lost on the offensive side of the ball. The question is whether he really wants to change. We are parsing every word he says around the offense. My opinion is that he and Monken were expecting the offense to be a bit more high flying in the passing game (if you think we were ever going full Air Raid, you’re kidding yourself) with Newman at the controls. Something closer to what Bama is doing is what I believe Monken wants to do.
This situation is NOTHING like 2017 and 2018 where he had a highly talented QB (people forget that Fromm was a 5-star by some services himself) fighting off 2 5-stars. Unless Daniels still has lingering health issues from his knee and Beck just isn’t getting it, there are 2 QBs on the roster who are more talented than the guy who is playing.
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You can’t have a good defense without knowing offense. Kirby may not be able to design an offensive playbook but I’m pretty sure he has a good idea of concepts and strategy. You have to know you opponent in order to defend against them. But I would say I think he is too involved in the offense and needs to let Monken do his thing.
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You bring up a great point Signal. How is it possible for a guy so gifted at defending opposing offenses to be so inept at designing the basic concepts of his own offense? While I have less than zero inside info, I would agree that it appears as if Kirby simply can not keep his hands off of the offense. He is master recruiter and can build a complete roster (minus the QB), so let your OC run his side of the ball. This is what I find to be maddening.
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I think Kirby is still just so risk averse that he reverts back to what he knows – defense and man ball. It’s his warm security blanket when things don’t go right.
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He’s a play not to lose coach.
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Sheesh, the more and more he speaks, the more and more it sounds like the same stuff he said after the South Carolina game last year [barf emoji]….
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I see Vandagriff is lighting it up. So next year , he can sit the bench (except the occasional fake punt) while game manager SBIV leads the Dawgs to a 9-3 record. Then he can transfer to Auburn or MIchigan.
I’m a little unhappy with the way the Justin Fields story played out. Not suggesting the Fromm should have been benched – just saying Fields should have played a lot more – and at meaningful times. Hell, he should have been allowed to throw a few deep balls.
Monday morning grouch….. now, get off my lawn, punk!
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let me see if i have got this right…
kirby is so fixated on manball that he hires an OC known for wide open O’s… and he pulls in the best dual threat QB transfer available…just so can continue to play manball…or did we get screwed when Newman left and had to scramble because the usc guy wasn’t ready to go for Ark.
sometimes i feel like y’all look for shit to gripe about.
we have won every game this year except bama and we led that game into the third Qtr. the sky is not falling for me yet.
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Tell me something: through four games, what is Georgia’s identity on offense?
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A shit ton of dropped passes, inaccurate throws, and unseen wide open receivers.
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That’s what I see…
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I like the offense look, scheme and play calling. Our execution at QB and OL has been the problem. We opened with a QB who had to run for his life and was just not ready for SEC game speed. Our backup settled things down and the line started meshing. Then our center decides he only needs to be average at snapping the ball, and Bama’ D line shows that hands in the air is better than pressuring SBIV. Elsewhere, RBU is showing up via Zoom rather than getting any explosive plays. (Hint…this may be an OL problem too.). Didn’t we use to have an O line coach who went on to be a HC somewhere?
Monken is not the problem. Newman leaving was definitely a problem and our OL may be another. Kirby’s probably going to get into turtle mode until the OL and running game is fixed. SB is good enough at QB to let that work itself out while working on his own need to better understand Monken’s scheme getting receivers open underneath in space.
You know who would be really good In this situation? Greyson Lambert.
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Jake Fromm (also, Davis Mills would have absolutely flourished in Monken’s system – very similar to the system run at Greater Atlanta Christian).
Jacob Eason.
Justin Fields.
JT Daniels.
Maybe even Carson Beck.
I think Monken is waiting Brock Vandagriff to show up.
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Green clovers, orange moons, pink hearts….those are my lucky charms, not friggin’ third downs….
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Yes, I think people that want to go “Les Miles” on CKS are a little trigger happy. Monken lost his QB1 when Newman opted out and it feels like QB2 was not really paid much attention to with the shortened preseason. It’s a combination that has come together because its 2020. It is what it is.
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And if we had had a manball offense like the dawgs faced against them in 2012 we would have beaten their high flying highwire act last week. I don’t care how they do it..just score on more of your possessions than the other guy and you probably win.
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I don’t call that offense manball. It was a pro-style offense that passed or ran when it wanted to. Sure, it had a big tailback, but we also had a passing game with a QB who put up 3,900 yards passing.
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Everything Kirby has said about offense this week has made me physically ill.
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This will help:
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Oh Big Guy, I didn’t even realize you knew what YouTube was. Good for you!
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Oy. A little early to be dishing out the insults, don’t you think?
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HAHAHAA
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Well, when we get to Jax I won’t mind all those third downs when we look across the field and see Towel Boy.
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Defense is to Kirby what Kathryn (the water girl) was to Richt.
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Is that physically possible… ?
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She seems nice.
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why are we having an offensive identity & qb crisis conversation 5 games into the 5th season? Lets not forget it’s the Kirbys D backfield that’s given up the late scores & explosive plays vs Bama, not the O.
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I’d agree if not for this being his offensive philosophy his entire time as Georgia HC. It got us to the NC game and then cost us the same game. Now it just gets is to SEC east banners.
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This was intended for another comment.
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