Georgia offense is struggling, but the problems are fixable
It was a win, but hardly a thing of beauty.
Georgia fans were relieved with the 9-6 win over Missouri that kept alive their team’s chances of winning the SEC East and reaching the conference championship game in Atlanta. But they were hardly thrilled with what they saw.
The Dawgs won despite not scoring a touchdown for the first time in 20 years.
It was the nadir for what has been an erratic offensive performance all season by the Bulldogs, even with superstar tailback Nick Chubb. With the former Heisman Trophy candidate sidelined for the remainder of the season with a knee injury, things became only that much more challenging for first-year offensive coordinator Brian Schottenheimer.
No, the Dawgs no longer have Chubb, but they still boast plenty of weapons on offense. Consistently getting those players into positions that best suit their skills will be Schottenheimer’s job, although he’s yet to prove he’s capable of doing that.
Here are a few things that need to happen for the Georgia offense to become more productive.
1. The Dawgs must get more consistent play from QB Greyson Lambert: He’s experienced the entire gamut of emotions in just half a season in Athens, ranging from the sheer ecstasy of a 24-for-25, 330-yard, 3-touchdown performance against South Carolina to the unbridled agony of his 10-for-24, 1-interception effort in the 38-10 debacle against Alabama. The reality is that Lambert is probably not as good as he looked against the Gamecocks nor as inept as he looked against the Crimson Tide. Just average will be OK for a Georgia team that will always look to run the ball first, but consistency on Lambert’s part will be the key to the Dawgs’ chances of reaching Atlanta. He’s not the kind of quarterback who can single-handedly carry a team like some previous Bulldogs quarterbacks of recent years, so it will be critical that Georgia can consistently get ahead of the chains to have favorable down-and-distance situations to help Lambert.
2. Finding a way to replace the injured Nick Chubb to keep Georgia’s power running game going: Make no mistake – Sony Michel is a talented running back who will soon be playing on Sundays. However, the sophomore alone can’t duplicate the kind of power running between the tackles that Chubb made look so routine. He averaged just 3.3 yards per carry in his 26 rushing attempts last week that netted 87 yards. In fact, it’s probably not the best idea anyway to ask Michel to even try, given that his strengths are his speed, versatility and elusiveness in space. Keith Marshall and Brendan Douglas will likely figure more into the equation. The two are more powerfully built, but lack Michel’s big-play ability and speed to get to the edge. Schottenheimer must stop calling the same plays for Michel as he did for Chubb and recognize their different skill sets to best highlight them.
3. More consistent use of the play-action passing game: Georgia’s running game and suspect quarterback play pretty much assures it of facing stacked defensive fronts every week, so making opposing defenses pay for selling out to stop the run is critical. The play-action passing game is a good fit for Lambert, whose accuracy in this part of the field has never been questioned. The short, high-percentage passes are a better fit for a Dawgs quarterback whose confidence is shaky at best after losing the starting job at Virginia before struggling at Georgia. The Dawgs have no shortage of athletes, so consistently getting them the ball in open space and letting them make plays as much as possible seems the prudent thing to do. Schottenheimer must remain patient and stick with what works or risk out-thinking himself.
4. More use of the team’s tight ends, particularly in the red zone and in short-yardage situations: Sophomore Jeb Blazevich will probably catch more balls in the NFL than he will in college, and that’s just a shame. He should be a prime target with his 6-foot-5, 248-pound frame, excellent speed and soft hands that make him a matchup nightmare in the middle of the field for opposing linebackers and safeties. Blazevich, who had a number of big catches last season, recorded just 1 catch for 8 yards against Missouri last week and lists a meager 6 receptions for 62 yards and a touchdown on the season.
5. Develop a secondary wide receiver to play opposite Malcolm Mitchell: True freshman Terry Godwin appears the most likely candidate but has been erratic like most newcomers, and his blocking downfield still needs plenty of work. But the former five-star recruit is a big-time athlete capable of taking it to the house every time he touches the ball. Getting him consistently involved will alleviate the pressure on Mitchell to almost single-handedly carry the Georgia passing game. Godwin ranks 2nd on the team with 17 catches for 203 yards.