Even with Georgia at 12-0 and the top team in the College Football Playoff rankings, there’s been no shortage of recent questions about the Bulldogs’ offense as far as consistency is concerned.
While some may consider it nitpicky in instances, it is an area of worry for some.
So, how does head coach Kirby Smart feel about that and the way his offense is performing heading into Saturday’s SEC Championship against LSU?
“When you play good defenses, you have to understand they're going to find ways to stop you," Smart said. "They're going to find and do good things. Some of that's been created off who we play, and a lot of it is how we play. Again, I've been proud of what our guys have done. Sometimes the conditions haven't dictated, and sometimes we haven't played really well. But I'm always looking for our guys to play their best, and our best game is ahead of us is our goal.”
Speaking of goals, Smart and his offensive coaches do have specific scoring numbers in mind when they take the field each week.
“I want to say we want to score right at 38 points a game is our goal. We base that on college football history,” Smart said. “If you want to be number one in scoring offense. If you can do that, you're going to be near it. In most recent years, you wouldn't be first there because the numbers have kind of gone up, up, up, and away. I think Coach (Todd) Monken and the offensive staff agreed this year it was either 35 or 38.”
While the Bulldogs have reached that goal in eight of the team’s 12 games, struggles in a windy Lexington, Kentucky, and the first half last week against Georgia Tech, have raised alarms that Georgia is becoming “too conservative.”
Streaky is another description often used.
“I think all offenses are that way (streaky). I think it's called momentum, and it's real. Momentum's a real thing. Shooters are that way in basketball, right? Hitters are that way in baseball. Kickers are that way in football. Defenses are that way,” Smart said. “We've had some really bad drives in like bad quarters, and I'm like where did that come from? Well, it's really no different with the offense. You're trying to find the thing that makes you more consistent, but sometimes it's momentum in the flow of things, and when you get things flowing, you play better.”
The Bulldogs certainly hope that’s the case Saturday inside Mercedes Benz Stadium.
“I mean, I’m not really sure if it a different level of how we’re going to play, how we’re going to attack it,” wide receiver Ladd McConkey said. “I guess that’s a question for our coaches. We are going to go out and attack it like we do every week. Whatever they call, we’ve got to go out and go execute it.”
Offensive tackle Warren McClendon sang a similar tune.
“It’s up to Coach Monken what he wants to do and what he wants to run,” McClendon said. “We’re just going to prepare for the game plan and execute that the best we can.”
Obviously, whatever success Georgia has offensively Saturday against LSU will fall on the right arm of Stetson Bennett, who in games at Kentucky and Georgia Tech has combined to complete 23 of 37 passes for 251 yards and two touchdowns with one interception.
Smart, however, has absolutely no concerns.
“No, I think he's played well. I think he's done what we've asked him to do. I think, if he continues to do that, then we'll be successful because what we've asked him to do, he's done,” Smart said. “He has played some formidable, good opponents, and he's played really well against those teams. He's made a couple of decisions I think he would like to have back, but he's also made some really, really spectacular plays.”
