Georgia holds its second scrimmage this Saturday ahead of its September 2 season-opener against UT-Martin. There are some areas head coach Kirby Smart is naturally going to want to see improvement.
Let's take a look at five we believe will be key.
Continued improvement from the quarterbacks
Smart said after the first scrimmage that Carson Beck, Brock Vandagriff, and Gunner Stockton each displayed their knowledge of the offense. However, all three need to be more consistent, so that will be one of the focal points for Smart and offensive coordinator Mike Bobo. Bobo has thrown a lot at all three quarterbacks, and ultimately, they’ll go about the business of cutting down on some of those plays once they figure out what the finalist has the best opportunity to execute. All three have improvements to make. Saturday is a good time to start ironing out those kinks.
Receivers must eliminate drops:
Per Smart, receivers dropped seven passes during last Saturday’s scrimmage, due to wet hands and the heat. Others bounced off their bodies and turned into interceptions. That’s why Smart was reticent to offer a complete evaluation of his quarterbacks until he went back and watched the tape. Nevertheless, there’s too much talent in this year’s receiving room for drops to be an issue. One can bet Smart will be paying close attention to their focus on Saturday.
Better effort across the board:
In my seven previous years of covering Smart and the Bulldogs, not once has he ever been completely satisfied with how his team’s inaugural scrimmages go.
There’s always going to be something. Effort always seems to be near the top of his list. Smart will forgive most things, but shoddy effort is not one. So when he says he’s disappointed in that aspect, he’s not feeding the media a stale company line. He means it.
Last Saturday, Smart acknowledged there were some players who did not appear to be totally invested because they could not sustain or keep their level of focus. The steamy conditions at Sanford Stadium undoubtedly had something to do with that, but it will still be curious to see if that aspect improves the second time around.
Improved start for the offensive line
Last week the offensive line got off to a sluggish start and Smart wants to see that improve. During his press conference, Smart said there were too many three-and-outs, too many four-and-outs, and too many five-and-outs.
While the offensive line did a better job during third down challenge drills, the red zone area proved to be a toss-up, and the two-minute drills went back and forth with neither side gaining an advantage. By Smart’s count, he saw seven or eight linemen who played “winning football,” but he’s going to want to see more, along with improved consistency from the entire group.
Get a better idea of the pecking order at safety
With Malaki Starks and Javon Bullard, the Bulldogs certainly feel very good about their two projected starters. After that, well, it’s still a bit unclear. Junior David Daniel-Sisavanh has the most experience, but Smart wants to see which of the two youngsters, JaCorey Thomas and Justyn Rhett, takes the next step. Both safeties made some good plays last week according to Smart, and he’ll want to see that continue at a position where the depth could stand to be better. Freshman Joenel Aguero is only playing Star per Smart, for those wondering.
