This is the fourth in a five-part series, reviewing and breaking down stats. It's time to look at coaching, team offense, and special teams. Yes, that's a lot to cover. Our fifth part will concern rushing, so this one is somewhat of a catch-all for other categories.
First, let's explore coaching and 11-win seasons. It's important to remember that the number of games in a season has varied, so this stat can be skewed. Playing more than 11 games gives teams an advantage in this comparison. Still, the numbers are interesting.
Speaking of wins, Georgia had 88 of them between 2010 and 2018. Next season is the last of the decade. The Georgia record for most wins in a decade is 98, from 2000 to 2009. The Bulldogs need ten to tie, 11 to break, and 12 to make it to one hundred. But 15 would be outstanding.
Kirby Smart has 32 wins and is tied with Mark Richt for the most wins by a Georgia head coach after three seasons. Kirby Smart's margin of victory has changed drastically after his first season, as the following chart points out.
Smart is 15-3 all-time against the SEC East, including 12-0 in the last two seasons. He has winning records against all six foes, including perfect 3-0 records against Missouri, Kentucky, and South Carolina. The West is a different story. He is 4-5 against the other division, with three of those wins coming against South Carolina, the other coming against Mississippi State. Alabama is the only school in the SEC to beat Smart twice.
Whatever you may think about Jim Chaney, his offenses were successful as a whole. Was it him? What it the players? Was it the opponents? Or was it a little of each one?
Georgia's 37.9 points per game is the highest in school history, just breaking the mark set in 2012 when the Dawgs averaged 37.8.
The Bulldogs had seven 40-plus point games this season. They had eight in 2012, but they had exactly seven during the entire Herschel Walker era from 1980 to 1982.
The total of 68 total touchdowns was the third highest in history, behind 2012 (72) and 2014 (70). Don’t forget there are more games in a season now than the majority of the team’s history.
For only the second time in school history, the Bulldogs averaged over 200 yards per game rushing (238.8) and 200 yards per game passing (226.1). The only other time it has happened was in 1992. It almost occurred in 2014, when Georgia accomplished the rushing with ease. But the passing total came up just short at 199.9.
Also for the second time ever, Georgia had over 700 yards of total offense in a game. The first time was in 2012 against Florida Atlantic (713 total yards), and this past season they did it against UMass when they had 701 (426 rushing, 275 passing).
In 2018, Georgia was 10th in the nation in third down conversions. They converted 47.5 percent of third down attempts. This category is not kept in the Georgia record book, but a little digging shows it's the second most in the last 20 seasons. Only the 2014 season had a higher percentage, with 49.7. In 2017, the figure was 45.6.
The Bulldogs did not turn the ball over as much as other recent seasons, but they didn’t take it away either. For the fourth straight season, the Dawgs finished with a positive turnover margin. Check out these numbers.
What about special teams?
For most of his career, Rodrigo Blankenship has been automatic: booming kickoffs, connecting on extra points (even though a few were scary), and making the majority of his field goals. His 82.6 percent success with field goals in 2018 (19-for-23) is the seventh highest ever by a Bulldog, and his career 82.8 percent (53-for-64) is actually the highest, but where does he rank in most career field goals? The answer is seventh; next season the goggle-wearer has a chance to climb closer to the top of this list, though it's a mixed blessing. (Georgia would prefer touchdowns.)
What about punting? Jake Camarda did fine as well, for the most part. There were some instances when he was shaky, but for a freshman, his work was good. Check out how Camarda did compared to other freshmen punters Georgia has had since 1990.
