FORT LAUDERDALE - Carson Beck had something he wanted to get off his chest about his offensive coordinator.
"I think a lot of people give him hate and criticism, and I just don't think it's fair," Beck said of Mike Bobo. "You know, the statistics that we've put up as an offense, and the way he's been able to call plays and be explosive this year, and really, you utilize the guys that we've had on offense. I think he's done a great job."
For his part, Bobo didn't view his first season back as Georgia's offensive coordinator as wanting to prove something. He said he didn't feel any pressure following Todd Monken in Athens.
For the most part, Bobo and the offense met expectations in 2023.
The Bulldogs scored 38.4 points per game this season, good for ninth in the country and second in the SEC behind LSU. Georgia also finished ninth in the nation in passing offense (305.6 yards per game) and eighth in the country in total offense (482.9 yards per game).
One of Georgia's biggest reasons for success came on third downs. The Bulldogs placed second in the country by converting 54.8 percent of third downs on offense.
Bobo credited receivers coach Bryan McClendon for the job he does putting third-down packages together. He also noted that the way Georgia practices helps immensely.
"Some guys that are rushing for our defense, when we're going scout team, Coach [Kirby] Smart brings them over and practices against us in our third-down period, which I think puts a lot of stress on us in practice. We see fast looks in practice, so I think when the game comes, things slow down for us," Bobo said. "We protected well. Carson gets rid of the ball quickly. He's accurate when he throws the ball, and then, I don't know—later in the season I looked and I don't know what it is now, but our third-down avoidance is low, but our distance to go I think is not very high. I think it might be five yards or less, which gives you a better chance to be successful."
Bobo noticed the offense improve as the season went along. He mentioned improved consistency, more explosive plays, and resiliency when plans went awry.
In the SEC Championship Game against Alabama, however, things just didn't click in the Georgia loss.
"We'd been good on third down all year, and ironically, I think that game we had some third-and-shorts that we didn't convert in the game, where ultimately we weren't able to continue drives and allow us to have more plays," Bobo said. "But settling for three field goals in the red zone and turning the ball over and not being able to be explosive. I felt like we couldn't get in a rhythm for whatever reason after the first drive. One, you've got to give those guys a lot of credit. They're a good defensive football team, but that happens. Unfortunately, we didn't play our best, and they played better than us."
Going forward, Bobo is excited to finish the season against Florida State on Saturday and then continue improving through the offseason. He's not shying away from the expectations of the job.
"I think Kirby might have said it before: pressure is a privilege," Bobo said. "You’re at a place like the University of Georgia, there’s pressure for us to play well, for us to win. I think that’s part of the job. I think you learn to live with those pressures. Quite frankly, you welcome those pressures, those expectations. You want to be at a place where the expectations are high."
