Big E

Okay, Georgia’s scoring and yards per play increased, 2021 over 2020 season.  Yet, injuries did a great deal of damage to Georgia’s deep passing game, as Pickens, Burton and Smith all lost significant chunks of playing time.

So, what’s the secret to their success?  Efficiency, in spades.

Expected points added is an efficiency measure that, in essence, mathematically examines how a team does on a play-by-play basis compared to the expectation. As with most statistics, a higher number is better for an offense and reflects an offense that was consistently moving the ball and avoiding mistakes and/or negative plays.

How did Monken’s playcalling work into that?  Have a look:

He cut back on the deep throws, a reflection on the status of the receiver injuries and perhaps a recognition of Bennett’s strengths vs. those of Daniels, and ramped up play action and screen throws.

All of which gets you to this:

Despite cutting back on the deep passing game, Georgia’s offensive explosiveness improved last season, thereby proving there’s more than one way to skin that particular cat.  Todd Monken, in other words, seems adaptable.  Also, it doesn’t hurt to have a unicorn tight end involved in the offense.

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It’s all in their heads.

The NFL has had one-way helmet communication between coach and player since 1994.  Not a single college football conference has adopted that yet.  You might wonder why.

Chris Vannini’s explanation ($$) essentially boils down to because, college football.  More specifically,

So why hasn’t it happened? The SEC had conversations about it last spring, but there was disagreement among coaches, a source familiar with the conversations said…

Another concern among some SEC coaches wasn’t expressed publicly but has been suspected privately: Headsets would eliminate the ability to steal signals. The concept of stealing signals is an open secret in coaching, and some programs have elaborate operations. In a sport in which most rule changes benefit the offense, this could put the sides on the same level of an issue.

Told of that suspicion, David Shaw said it was comforting to hear someone admit that stealing signals exists. Bielema brought it up as well.

“There are certain places that put a premium on stealing signals, and that gets some people known as great play callers, but you can be a great play caller if you know what the other team is doing,” Shaw said. “For me, this is one of those balancing things. You might not be able to get all the information you want, now you have to call the game with some doubt and trust in your preparation and your players.”

Plus, you knew this was coming:

One other issue is the helmet liability and warranty, something Steve Shaw has continually pointed to. The concern is if helmets are modified to fit the communication system, the liability or warranty could be voided, opening up potential issues in lawsuits for head injuries. The NFL has a players union and collective bargaining and a limit on the number of different helmets a team can use in a season. College football has no players union, and some schools use several different helmets in a season.

You gotta love college football sometimes.

Prove it, or lose it

Per Mike Griffith…

Offensive coordinator Todd Monken told a group of boosters at a closed session that Stetson Bennett would be the starting quarterback after Bennett as much as spelled out that it would be a requirement for him to return to Georgia.

Needless to say, “after Bennett as much as spelled out” is invoking a shit ton of heavy lifting there, almost as much as the suggestion that Kirby Smart would guarantee any player of his a starting job before spring practice was finished.

Do I think, given what went on the previous two seasons, that Bennett wanted a defined role going into the preseason?  Sure, and why not?  Do I think Bennett was told he would enter spring practice as Georgia’s QB1?  Sure, and why not?  It was only a year ago that Daniels was pronounced Georgia’s starting quarterback.  It’s hard to deny that Stetson’s earned some level of assurance that he’s more than a glorified walk on now.

But that’s a long way from promising that he would be the starter, come what may.  Again, see Daniels’ 2021 season.

Gallows humor on the Flats

Okay, I’m a sucker for it, and I’ve got to admit this thread at Stingtalk made me laugh out loud.