One of the biggest gripes about Georgia’s offense last fall came from its overall lack of explosive plays. That's an area new offensive coordinator Todd Monken told reporters during a Tuesday Zoom call that he hopes to change.
So, what qualifies as an explosive offensive play?
“To me, it's a 12-yard run or a 16-yard throw. And you're always trying to be in the top 10 in the country in everything you do,” Monken said. “The bottom line is, you want to be explosive one out of every eight plays. That's approximately about 10 a game, and that's going to put you about the top third, top quarter in the country. Then, if you're getting 12 to 14 a game, you're really hitting on all cylinders. You're going to be in the top 10.”
Monken’s comments were his first to reporters since taking over as the Bulldogs’ new offensive coordinator last January.
Although the Bulldogs are entering just their sixth day of fall camp, he likes what he sees as far as Georgia's potential to be more explosive than it was a season ago.
“Well, I hope so. It's a lot more fun that way, when you're explosive. It's funny how it works," Monken said. "Your ability to run the football, put the defense on its heels and run past conflicts, is the No. 1 way to gain explosives—either hitting open space in the intermediate levels or over the top.
"The next part is, how do you get skilled players in space? How do you get really good skill players in space that can make people miss? So, that's at every level. That's what we're trying to accomplish, and I think we have those guys to do it. Again, the proof will be in the pudding, once we get to playing games. But I do like what I see.”
Monken didn't stop there. While he obviously didn't offer specifics, he did share a lot about his overall philosophy and how he believes the Bulldogs have the talent to achieve what he wants to see done.
“You have to be able to be balanced. But balance isn't just run, pass—it's ball distribution to players; it's utilizing the whole field. Obviously, being comfortable enough to turn around and hand the ball off is a big part of that for your quarterback,” he said. “You’ve just got to be careful how often you put so much on a player's plate."
Finding consistency is another goal.
Georgia finished fifth in the SEC in scoring at 30.8 points per game, thanks to blowout non-conference victories against Murray State and Arkansas State. Yet, take away the 43 points scored against Tennessee (six of which came on a fumble return by Tae Crowder) and the Bulldogs averaged just 21.125 points in their remaining conference games, including the 37-10 loss to LSU in the SEC Championship.
“Obviously, the important thing is consistency, in my mind. It's not about last year. I’m not comparing anything to last year; that’s not what I’m talking about. But how can you consistently score against the opponents you play each week? An average is only worth its salt if you consistently do it,” Monken said. “Taking advantage of your opportunities and how you go about that is the key. Every team is a little bit different in that regard, so that's probably the most important thing. I'm not comparing this year’s offense to last year's. I’m just saying in the history of us scoring points, it’s been having explosive plays and scoring touchdowns in the red zone.”
Monken said his discussions with head coach Kirby Smart about how to go about getting this done have been quite simple: "Scoring points and not turning it over. I know that's really simple, but, obviously, when we spoke about his vision for the offense, that's what I think every coach wants—to take advantage of your personnel, the players you can recruit here to the University of Georgia,” Monken said. “Obviously, as coaches, we are paid to maximize our players' measurable skill sets, so that's probably first and foremost.
"The talent we get here: finding a way every day to develop those players and then utilize their skill sets to the best of their ability. Obviously, the most important part is moving the football and scoring points, whether that's running the football or throwing the football, but being explosive and not turning it over. It's a pretty simple game."
Otherwise, Monken did not reveal a whole lot. That will be for opposing defensive coordinators to figure out.
“There are obviously things we'll take from a number of places I've been over the last 10 years, from Oklahoma State to Southern Miss to the last couple of stops I've been in the NFL. There are a number of things I liked—things I've done in the past and some things that other people did,” Monken said. “So that's really what you do. You put together what you think is the best way to move the football and score points."
