Jake Fromm won’t lie. Yes, it was a blast to watch Georgia’s offense roll like it did in Saturday's 41-17 win at South Carolina. As the quarterback, that was the kind of game that puts a big smile on your face.
“It’s so much fun to watch those guys work,” Fromm said after practice on Wednesday. “All I’ve got to do is make sure the Mike (linebacker) points right, and watch those guys take care of the rest. With our running backs, too, it’s amazing to watch them hit the holes, watch them break the tackles they do. I’ve got the best seat in the house to watch a football game.”
It's easy to see why he feels that way.
Fromm did his part, completing 15 of 18 passes for 194 yards and one touchdown. But it was seeing the job done by the offensive line that made the quarterback's day. The o-line gashed South Carolina with an array of punishing second-level blocks.
“Everything we worked on this summer, and everything we worked on this fall camp—it just put back in our minds that, hey, that’s the reason we do that kind of work. We’re grinding all off-season, so it’s a little bit of reassurance, and it paid off for us a lot on Saturday,” Fromm said. “We were really physical, I thought that, conditioning-wise during the summer, it really paid off for us. It was hot outside, but it really didn’t bother anybody. We were out there playing football and having a lot of fun.”
With the weapons Georgia has on the perimeter, including the likes of Mecole Hardman, Terry Godwin, Riley Ridley and Demetris Robertson, Fromm has no shortage of talented targets.
Especially Hardman. The former Elbert County standout has been one of the go-to receivers for Fromm through two games. Against South Carolina Hardman caught six passes for a career-best 103 yards and one touchdown.
Fromm’s eyes lit up when talking about the junior speedster. “I think it’s a testament to him and the work he put in during the offseason,” Fromm said. “I think he’s even gotten a little bit faster, he’s stronger, and he’s able to make some more moves with some guys. Offensively, we’re also getting the ball to him a little bit more, and just watching him take care of the rest.”
That was certainly true against the Gamecocks when Hardman took a quick pass from Fromm and turned it into a 34-yard scoring play.
“When I throw a little screen pass to him, I’m almost mad that he didn’t take my 10-yard pass 60 yards to the house,” Fromm said. "Just because he has that potential. He’s that caliber player. We kind of expect those things from him now, and hopefully he does really well for us.”
However, as Fromm is quick to point out, Hardman isn’t Georgia’s only offensive weapon.
Robertson is a huge part of the equation, despite the fact he didn't catch a pass last week.
“Everybody in the receiver’s room—they’re completely bought it. The way the games have gone so far, we haven’t had to throw the ball 30 to 40 times,” Fromm said. “Guys are still bought in, and Demetris has done great things for us, especially the first game, taking that one to the house. What I love about this team is, nobody’s ego is too big. We don’t have to go and talk to guys. We’ve bought in. ‘Why me’ and ‘Poor me’ doesn’t happen to us.”
Bulldog running back D’Andre Swift says Fromm makes it easy to want to play hard.
“He’s just a leader,” Swift said. “He’s vocal, and if there’s anything you don’t know, you can go to him. He’ll tell you.”
Fromm said that kind of knowledge just comes with experience. With a record of 14-2 as a starter for the Bulldogs, there’s plenty of that to be had.
“Coach (Jim) Chaney and the offensive staff, they give me a lot of freedom,” Fromm said. “I just try to put the offense in the best position to succeed on the play, whether that’s changing the play, flipping it, or going fourth, fifth progression on down. I’m just doing my job, trying to get the ball to these playmakers.”
