Every week, Dayne Young and Brent Rollins will collaborate to show you the nuances of Georgia's technique and tendencies. This recap focuses on Georgia’s 27-0 win over Missouri.
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Dayne: A 27-point win and a shutout against a conference opponent should leave nothing but good vibes across the Georgia kingdom. Things are never that cut and dried. Georgia overmatched Missouri and was a few executions away from a 40+ point blowout.
Brent: As I mentioned yesterday in the post game thoughts and observations, expectations are an interesting thing. The team should "look" a certain way based on the talent (or perceived talent) on the field. This is an offense that has struggled to truly find its rhythm—and as a great friend and loyal Bulldog fan recently described to me, it's often boring. But what do we also see? A dominant defense with good depth and playmakers at every level. Now, if and when the offense finds a rhythm and starts playing complementary football with the running and passing games—look out.
Unique rushing designs
Dayne: We're seeing ingenuity in the ways in which Georgia gets the ball in the hands of its running backs. This James Cook wildcat play is a great concept. The Missouri safety simply made a play on the ball. I'd expect Georgia to use the wide side of the field next time to give Cook more room to operate.
Brent: Do you know the most number of carries Cook has in a game this season? If you guessed the six he he had against Missouri this past weekend, you are correct. After five games a season ago where he had at least five carries, this game was the first for Cook with more than three carries this season. Now, while idea of getting Cook carries is a great thing, this straight run where you were outnumbered from the beginning might not be the best idea. At least give a jet sweep fake of some sort to hold second-level defenders, because, as Dayne points out above, Tiger safety Tyree Gillespie made a decisive play on the ball.
Dayne: This is the importance of playing to the most available space. Demetris Robertson is an electrifying ball carrier and should get more opportunities. This plays serves as a misdirection, with Brian Herrien getting the fake and immediately becoming a backside blocker. Check out Isaiah Wilson quickly getting to the linebacker with his shoulders parallel to the ball carrier.
Brent: If you happened to have the Watch Along with Coach Donnan on during the game—and you should go back and listen even if you didn't—you kept hearing Coach mention he'd run some form of misdirection, given how Missouri's second level defenders were flying to the football. Most effective offenses have various forms of misdirection, and the Bulldogs' offense is gradually starting to add it to the repertoire (as you'll see below as well). Also, anything involving getting Robertson the ball is a good thing. He's now averaging 11.9 yards per touch, with 20 receptions for 229 yards and three rushes for 45 yards. By the way, all three of his carries have gone for over 10 yards and first downs.
Dayne: We're seeing more and more of these quick pitches. They're the new version of the toss sweep, but develop quicker so as not to stress blockers even more. This kind of play can work well against Auburn because it would get as far away from Derrick Brown as possible.
Brent: In the first clip, check out the attention D'Andre Swift gets on the jet sweep fake. The linebackers don't get involved in the play because of it. Also, impressive work by Ben Cleveland pulling and getting out in front. Amazing what a little misdirection will do, especially in the running game. In the second clip, a tendency breaker from the previous week in short yardage. With Robertson in as, in essence, the outside tight end, the Bulldogs ran zone action off this same formation, and Swift picked up a first down against Florida. Here we see the quick toss action, and Robertson and Charlie Woerner doing a good job of reaching the edge defenders. The three plays you see above—a tendency breaker and two true misdirection plays—got thirty yards. Jake Fromm scrambled for 15 yards and D'Andre Swift's big run you'll see below was for 47 yards. That's 92 yards on five plays. The remaining 31 runs got 95 yards. Diversity and misdirection in the running game will be key moving forward. Missouri's front seven is really solid; Auburn's is better.
