Offensive expectations
Offensively, head coach Kirby Smart has a check list for what he wants to see during Saturday’s G-Day game at Sanford Stadium.
"Decision-making. Throw and catch the ball on the plays the defense gives you. Be explosive. We want to be explosive; we want to be a vertical passing team,” Smart said. “We're not into making excuses for what receivers are in and what receivers aren't. We've got really good receivers in, and I think they compete well. That will be the expectation every day we go on that field: to attack people vertically and throw the ball and catch the ball."
That’s where quarterback JT Daniels obviously comes in.
Daniels, along with Carson Beck, Stetson Bennett, and Brock Vandagriff will each have the opportunity to perform in front of fans during Saturday’s scrimmage, set to begin at 2 p.m.
Although much talk has been what kind of effect losing George Pickens to a torn ACL will have on the offense, Daniels agrees with Smart when it comes to the depth of the receiver room.
“In terms of other receivers, obviously, we have a loaded receiver room. It’s great to see some of the young guys, J-Rob (Justin Robinson), Jermaine (Burton) before his little knee thing, D-Rob (Demetris Robertson) has been stepping up, Kearis (Jackson) is always Kearis,” Daniels said. “You have a great receiver room, and as much as you hate to lose George—and you do; there’s no understating that—you’ve got a lot of guys that are going to work their butt off and try to develop and produce any way they have.”
Running back Kendall Milton can attest to that.
On Tuesday, Milton was asked about the versatility he’s seeing with the offense this spring. Although Georgia’s running backs will obviously remain an integral part of what offensive coordinator Todd Monken does, the sophomore said the Bulldogs have too many weapons not to use them all.
“Georgia is always going to be RBU, but we’re an offense that has weapons all over the field. With all those weapons, everybody wants to get the ball, so you’ve got to fit the scheme where it benefits everybody,” Milton said. “I expect we’re going to run the ball, but I also expect we’re going to pass the ball because of our weapons and everything that we have on the team.”
Of course, whatever success Georgia’s offense ultimately enjoys will depend on Daniels.
Despite a strong showing in the four games he played, there was plenty of areas he felt he needed to improve.
“I'd say the biggest thing: the game is definitely slowing down to a certain extent. I’ve gotten better at eliminating unnecessary things to look at pre-play,” he said. “Something else I’ve been working on is decision-making and not making bad plays worse. Which is something that has always been a constant improvement for me that I always need to emphasize—guys are going to slip, someone’s going to run the wrong route every now and then, someone’s going to miss protection every now and then.
“When that happens, it’s on me not to make it worse and compound the mistake and give a turnover. Incompletions aren’t bad. Throwaways aren’t bad. That’s probably the biggest thing I’m working on, the biggest thing I’ve noticed with the game slowing down a little bit and understanding where to go with the ball faster.”
Despite the loss of Pickens, Daniels still believes the Bulldogs have an offense that can help them accomplish all their goals.
“There’s no denying that we do want to win a natty. I think we have the team to do it. Obviously, losing George doesn’t help you, losing an elite, elite top-tier receiver doesn’t help you, but it’s a great team,” Daniels said. “Coach Smart has done a really good job of instilling a team standard and a team DNA that a lot of guys have really become accustomed to. There’s a lot of good things going for the team. As much as you hate to lose George, there are just things we’ve got to focus on, and things we’ve got to develop, because we have the team to do whatever we want.”