Other than quarterback, there may not be a more scrutinized position on a football team than the offensive line.
When there are issues, it can be easy to tell.
Head coach Kirby Smart admitted that there were instances during Georgia’s win over Missouri that will need to improve Saturday night at Ole Miss (7 p.m., ESPN).
However, when asked what grade he gave the unit following Saturday’s 30-21 win, Smart focused on the ultimate result.
"I mean, what's a grade? I'm very happy with the result. They played hard,” Smart said. “Could we have played better? Yes, 100 percent.”
A quick look at the statistics tells much of the story.
Missouri came into the game with a good rushing defense, thanks largely to a stout defensive line. Nine games into the season, the Tigers are giving up an average of 114.3 rushing yards per game and only five rushing touchdowns, tied with Texas A&M for first in the league.
For comparison, Saturday’s opponent Ole Miss is allowing 132 yards rushing per game and has given up 13 rushing scores.
According to the grades posted by Pro Football Focus, the run blocking ratings by Earnest Greene III, Xavier Truss, and Micah Morris graded 52.1 or less.
Pass protection was much better, although the Tigers did sack Carson Beck three times for losses of 18 yards.
“Definitely there were things that we have to tighten up on as there are every week,” Truss said. “But shout out to Missouri, that’s a great defense, a great team as a whole, and probably one of the best teams we’ve played so far.”
Smart could care less what others think. He’s focused on the assessments of he and his staff.
“I mean, it always goes back to the same thing on the offensive line. You play against different teams and sometimes you get your butt whooped,” Smart said. “There were times Saturday we got our butt whooped. I think our guys would be the first to admit that. The goal moving forward is to not let that happen again.”
Smart said anyone expecting an offensive lineman to win every single rep just isn’t living in reality, even though that’s always the goal.
“There were times we won and times we lost. You want to win them all. The expectation for our team is that you're going to win every play up front and that's just not real in the SEC,” Smart said. “You're going to face really good defenses and really good people. You've got to keep chopping wood, keep coming back and we did that.”
Truss agreed.
“That D-line, we knew they were going to be tough all week, and they were during the game,” he said. “It’s all about moving forward, watching that film like we did today, and get ready for this week.”
Thanks to injuries, Georgia’s offensive line has been comprised of six players in recent weeks. Greene started every game at left tackle, while Dylan Fairchild and Micah Morris have split time at left guard. Sedrick Van Pran has started every game at center, as has Tate Ratledge at right guard. Truss has started at right tackle since Amarius Mims went down with a high ankle sprain against South Carolina.
Mims underwent the same tightrope surgery as tight end Brock Bowers. Although he dressed out for the past two games, he has yet to play.
“Mims practiced all of last week and did a good job. He wasn't quite 100 percent, but he took reps at his right tackle position and did a good job,” Smart said. “Truss took reps at right and left tackle which he continues to do and probably will still continue to do so this week. That's not going to change in terms of those reps. I think Mims is much closer. I think he's in a good place and much closer to being able to play and play like he wants to play and go out there and compete.”
