I really, really like what the staff has done on the offensive side of the ball this offseason.
And speaking of crayon boxes, Seth Emerson’s come up with another good Bobo take with this($$):
By the points-per-game metric, Mike Bobo-coordinated offenses now account for two of the three highest-scoring teams in school history. Anybody still criticizing Bobo’s credentials or capabilities is not to be taken seriously on the subject anymore.
Now, if anyone wants to say Bobo’s offenses couldn’t finish in the biggest moment and points out that he has a championship ring as an analyst and not as the coordinator, that is a fair criticism. But in a year where Georgia’s defense wasn’t as good as expected, the team was in the position it was — unbeaten — in large part because of Bobo and its offense.
As I’ve posted before, the 2019 SECCG was Smart’s road to Damascus moment, when he realized (just like Saban did) that the old tried and true weren’t going to get the Georgia program where it ultimately needed to go. In this day and age, if you want to be elite, you’ve got to have an offense that can score. And as Seth points out, that’s what they did:
- Fourth nationally in yards per play for the third straight year (7.3)
- Fifth nationally in total yards per game (496.5)
- Fifth nationally in scoring offense (40.1)
Couple that with an excellent defense and special teams, and you can go a long way. That was done with a new starting quarterback and offensive coordinator, by the way, both of whom are returning for the ’24 season.
Couple that with plenty of returning experience on the offensive line, even with the losses of Van Pran and Mims and the receiving corps (yes, McConkey will be missed) and you’ve got a solid base to start with.
Are there questions? Of course. Bowers was a unicorn, so it’s not as if there’s going to be a seamless transition in the wake of his departure. (As that famous line from Moneyball goes, I guess they’ll hope to recreate his stats in the aggregate.) You could also say the running back room looks a trifle sketchy, based on the health situation.
But that’s where I like the rest of the offeseason effort. The staff has done a terrific job mining the transfer portal for exactly the kind of talent the roster needs to proceed. Etienne is exactly what the doctor ordered to stabilize the running back group. It looks like they’ve found someone to step into Ladd’s shoes, as well as a tall receiver capable of fighting for 50/50 balls.
I’m not about to proclaim we’re on the verge of seeing a major improvement on the offensive side of the ball this coming season — hardly likely with Bowers gone — but I’m not worried about a major step back, either. Mike Bobo should still have some fun. And so should we.
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