Below are five burning questions facing Georgia as the Bulldogs get ready to open their season Saturday against Austin Peay.
Can Jake Fromm be expected to take his game to another level?
See no reason why not.
Yes, freshman Justin Fields has pushed Fromm throughout the course of the spring and fall camp, but from everything we’ve seen and been told, the sophomore has responded to the challenge.
Last year Fromm enjoyed a standout freshman season, completing 62 percent of his passes (181 of 291) for 2,615 yards and 24 touchdowns, and based on the work he’s put in combined with what could be one of the best receiving corps in the SEC, look for those numbers to improve.
It’s also reasonable to expect Georgia to throw the ball more than it did last year, and assuming Fromm is as consistent as he was a season ago, there’s no reason he can’t be one of the top quarterbacks in the SEC.
Will we see Justin Fields?
Coaches have been preparing the freshman to play, and although Kirby Smart likes to talk about the “competition,” the quarterback job has always been Fromm’s to lose.
He didn’t, so how will Fields be used? Will we see him against Austin Peay?
Short answer, yes.
The Governors are ranked in the preseason Top 25 of the FCS, but let’s not kid ourselves, this is a game in which the Bulldogs should roll, which would give Smart ample opportunity to get Fields in the game.
At some point he will.
Smart said back at Media Days that Fields brings a dynamic the offense doesn’t currently have. At some point Saturday, everyone will see why.
How deep will the defensive rotations go?
We saw last year how much Georgia loves to rotate, and the guess here is we’ll get a good taste of that against the Governors.
Yes, the Bulldogs lost some talented defensive players off last year’s team. Roquan Smith was a once-in-a-generation player at middle linebacker.
However, even the most novice Bulldog fan can tell you that Georgia under Smart has recruited its collective rear ends off and accrued what on paper is some amazing young talent.
The coaches won’t admit this publicly, but they would love for this to be the kind of game where the second and perhaps even the third unit get their first taste of college action. The guess here is they’ll get their chance.
Will the tight ends finally get more opportunities to catch the ball?
Bulldog tight ends caught just 22 passes last year, but now that offensive coordinator Jim Chaney also serves as the tight ends coach, does that mean Isaac Nauta and company will get a few more balls thrown their way?
There have been indications in practice this may be the case, although it’s one of those deals where you never know for sure until the game is finally played.
We’ll think positively, however. Those additional chances could come on Saturday.
Although Georgia doesn’t figure to get too fancy against Austin Peay, I predict that coaches will use this game to get some sort of rhythm going with the passing game. Will the tight ends get a few looks? We’ll see.
Will the product match the hype?
It’s been 10 years since Georgia entered a season with this much preseason hype.
The Bulldogs were ranked No. 1 heading into the 2008 campaign coming off their bludgeoning of Hawaii in the Sugar Bowl. Led by Matt Stafford and Knowshon Moreno, much was expected. However, the Bulldogs finished 10-3, settling for a victory over Michigan State in the Capital One Bowl.
Fresh off last year’s trip to the National Championship, Kirby Smart’s Dawgs are a preseason No. 3.
Some key players – especially on defense – were lost, but overall, it’s easy to see why Georgia is considered by most to be a serious playoff contender for 2018. There is significant talent on both sides of the football.
Still, it won’t be easy.
Although Georgia figures to be favored in all 12 of its regular season games, history suggests that navigating a season undefeated is not an easy task to accomplish.
For those counting, it’s been 36 years (1982) since a Bulldog team finished the regular season undefeated. That’s a long time.
Of course, never say never. Enjoy the ride!
