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Schottenheimer needs to change how he uses Sony Michel if Georgia is to right things
By John Hollis
Published:
It’s college football’s version of trying to fit a square peg into a round hole.
It just doesn’t work.
But Georgia offensive coordinator Brian Schottenheimer is trying to do just that by deploying tailback Sony Michel in largely the same manner in which he previously used Nick Chubb.
Chubb, who suffered a season-ending knee injury at Tennessee on Oct. 10, was the ideal back for the power running game Georgia has always preferred. Powerfully built at 5-foot-10, 220 pounds, he offered an impressive blend of speed and power with the necessary strength and low center of gravity that made him as extremely effective running between the tackles as around the edge.
There was nothing he couldn’t do, making Schottenheimer’s play-calling choices a lot simpler.
However, Chubb’s injury meant that there was suddenly a new reality in Athens, one in which the Bulldogs’ first-year offensive coordinator has yet to fully come to grips with.
Michel is a very talented back who will soon play in the NFL, but he’s not Chubb and to continue calling plays as if he were is a disservice to both Michel and the entire Georgia football team as a whole.
Michel (5-foot-11, 212 pounds) is a completely different back with a completely different skill set. A little smaller but considerably more explosive than Chubb, Michel is most effective out in space, where his great speed and elusiveness causes nightmares for opposing linebackers looking to try to bring him down.
The Dawgs’ biggest playmaker currently ranks 2nd on the team in rushing with 553 yards and 4 touchdowns on 102 carries. He’s also an excellent pass catcher out of the backfield who currently ranks 3rd on the team with 18 catches for 206 yards and 3 more scores.
He’s simply too valuable of an offensive weapon to see get hurt, all the more so in Chubb’s absence.
But that’s the path on which we’re headed as Schottenheimer insists on continually running Michel between the tackles, where he absorbs considerably more punishment.
It’s not a coincidence that Michel left both the Missouri and Florida games with groin and hand injuries, respectively. He gamely returned to action in Saturday’s 27-3 loss to Florida despite suffering what was later revealed to be a broken bone in his right hand.
But he shouldn’t have had to do as much.
Tailbacks Keith Marshall and Brendan Douglas are about the same size, but their different running styles make them much better suited for consistently running between the tackles than Michel.
Neither boasts the home run ability that Michel brings, but Schottenheimer must accept the new reality he now faces or see his team face even more dire consequences. Marshall and Douglas combined for 20 yards on 6 carries in Jacksonville, but they’ll need to hear their numbers called more often.
Schottenheimer will need to be especially creative in how he uses all three backs from here out, starting with Saturday’s date with visiting Kentucky.
Michel, who averaged just 3.5 yards per attempt in 13 carries against the Gators, is simply way too valuable an asset for an already struggling offense to lose the rest of the way. The quarterback-challenged Bulldogs will need every playmaker they have if they hope to avoid a disastrous conclusion to the season.
Schottenheimer commanded a lot of money to leave the NFL for Athens, so he’d best start showing he was worth it.
A good start would mean stop trying to fit a square peg into a round hole.
John Hollis is a contributing writer for Saturday Down South. He covers Georgia and Florida.
