Georgia's offensive line needs work in the run game

Right guard Tate Ratledge paused for a moment when asked about his performance and that of the Bulldogs’ offensive line.

Specifically, run blocking. He didn’t mince words.

“We definitely want to see improvement in the run game, and I’m going to take ownership of that. I haven’t played up to my standard or our standard,” Ratledge said. “Across the board, we’ve got to go out there with the mindset that we’re going to run the ball and not let different things affect us with running the ball.”

The numbers aren’t what Bulldog fans have grown accustomed to.

Georgia enters Saturday night’s game against Kentucky (7 p.m., ESPN), ninth in the SEC in rushing offense at 148.6 yards per game, an average of 4.2 yards per rush. The Bulldogs’ 15 rushing touchdowns actually lead the SEC.

Although Kirby Smart is quick to tell you that there’s improvement to be made, Georgia’s head coach didn’t place his team’s running game inconsistencies and lack of explosives as problems with the offensive line.

“You got to help them in a lot of ways. You can't name me an offensive line right now that you say, ‘Oh, man. They're just moving people and they're mashing people.’ Defensive linemen have leverage. They strike out of their hips, they come out. You have to find ways to get double teams. You've got to find ways to run it on the perimeter,” Smart said. “Running the ball in the SEC is the hardest thing to do. And Kentucky just did an unbelievable job of doing it. But outside of that performance, it's just not easy.”

Still, Smart said the Bulldogs are working on ways to improve.

“I can't pinpoint one thing that we can do better. But there's a lot of things that we must do better. And that's not just an offensive line job,” Smart said. “You know, there are perimeter blocks, there are tight-end blocks, there's getting in the right run play, and there's the running back reads where they have to do the right thing, too. It's shared responsibility, starting with me.”

It’s a different offensive line than what the Bulldogs began the season with.

With Amarius Mims out with an ankle injury, the Bulldogs moved Xavier Truss from left guard to right tackle, with Dylan Fairchild taking over at right tackle.

“I do think we’ve meshed better together the last few weeks of practice,” Ratledge said. “With Truss going out there, there were some bumps that he had to get over, but I feel he’s done a really good job of getting over them. We just need to clean some things up.”

Truss’ move to right tackle coincided with Austin Blaske’s recent knee injury.

Had Blaske been healthy, it’s conceivable Truss might have stayed at left guard. But Blaske’s misfortune not only helped open the door for Fairchild, but allowed Micah Morris to start playing a bigger role.

Morris rotated with Fairchild during the game against Auburn and gives the Bulldogs another option.

Smart was asked to give his take on the play of Georgia’s guards.

“Depends on what front they were in, right? I mean, they had different fronts. I mean, you have a covered guard, and you have an uncovered guard. We had some mistakes in there on a couple of pass pros. We had some good plays,” Smart said. “I mean, Auburn's defensive line played extremely hard, like every one of them will. They played with really good pad level and leverage and didn't give up movement. Which every one of them will. So, I think across the board, the offensive line and our defensive line both have to play better. And that's, essentially, my assessment.”