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Georgia football still confident in Arian Smith entering pivotal Florida game
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Georgia football still confident in Arian Smith entering pivotal Florida game
ATHENS — This season hasn’t gone as planned for wide receiver Arian Smith. After a game-changing performance in Georgia’s win over Ohio State, many thought he would a key piece of the Georgia offense this season.
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I know he has not come down with some balls we wish he had, but his speed can take the top off the defenses we will face down the stretch. If he and Carson can connect on a few long ones, the other receivers will benefit. His speed is a real weapon with or without the ball.
Yes he has dropped a couple. But everyone has, he’s just had fewer opportunities. Still seems to have better hands that Landers did a few years ago. And per the article, special teams play is very critical also.
He may have the Yips.
What I love about this team is how they stand up for one another.
One of the fastest in college football. I'm looking forward to a couple of "bombs" to him from Beck. It's going to be hard to stop our receivers if Beck is on. I feel everyone will be focused for this game and, perhaps, play this game for Brock...he'll be there with his best sideline leadership..Go Dawgs! (Really looking forward to the Ga/Flounder game).
ASmith will need to regain his '22 form if this team is to reach its offensive potential. More focus at practice and extra work on the JUGS is a good start to him finding his form. He will be needed but should be up to it.
Dawg Nation is pulling for you Arian !! You can do this and we’ll be cheering you on !! Go Arian !! Go Dawgs !!
Believe in yourself, Arian! You got this!
Drops have been an “issue” with Arian Smith for years, not just this season.
He is a liability that Georgia cannot afford during the high priced games against 3 SEC East foes and 1 SEC west foe coming over the next 5 weeks.
Those are the facts.
Not hyperbole. Not conjecture. Not opinion.
Either you have “it”, or you don’t. And Landers, oops, I mean Arian Smith does not have it.
@ all the “his speed is terrific” fan comments: Speed has zero value if he cannot catch the football.
This isn’t a track meet or a season of track meets. The Cheetah in Miami isn’t revered because he is the fastest person on the field with or without the football in his hands. He is revered and feared because of what he does after he CATCHES the football.
No one fears Arian Smith because he cannot CATCH a 🏈 .
Wonder why they don't just dump it off to him. Seems like that would be an easier catch, but maybe he doesn't have the skillset to navigate the secondary.
Gonna write something controversial here. While clearly Arian Smith is not without fault the problems with the vertical passing game aren't limited to him. Has UGA completed a single over the top pass all year? They've completed several long distance passing plays thanks to Beck's ability to throw a lot of routes deeper down the field than the average college QB, but if UGA has completed an old fashioned over the top rainbow bomb Dan Marino/Jim Plunkett/Doug Williams/Terry Bradshaw style (I guess the younger folks would need to look those guys up on YouTube) I haven't seen it. I know that UGA has tried those passes and while many of them have gone to Smith, not all of them have. I remember at least 2 occasions where they went to Bowers.
Now I am not going to blame Carson Beck for all the failed attempts here, he has clearly misfired on some of them. I am going to say less than half but more than 1/3 including one that I saw to Bowers. A problem is that even the ones where he has thrown a good, catchable ball something seems "off." It is as if the WRs are used to playing with an entirely different QB than a traditional pro-style pocket passer. Which shouldn't be a surprise. For most of the WRs and TEs, Stetson Bennett IV is the only QB that they know. Lovett and Thomas transferred in from spread and air raid programs. And even in high school, pro-style offenses have mostly gone the way of the I-formation and wishbone (though I imagine some Georgia high schools still run the flexbone because of Georgia Southern's dominance not so long ago) thanks to the spread.
But back to Beck: there is a difference between throwing a "catchable" ball and throwing a perfect one where the WR merely has to lay his hands out and catch it in stride without having to much change direction, turn his head or body or do anything but watch the ball fall into his arms. While Beck's intermediate passes are often perfect or close to it, his short and vertical passes haven't been. On Beck's deep passes especially, even though they are catchable, the WRs still need to make a play on the ball to get it. The problem is that Brock Bowers aside, none of the UGA pass catchers have the 1st, 2nd or 3rd round draft pick ability to consistently do that. In order to make up for not having a group at WR that is like Ohio State or - based on the one game that I saw this year against Oregon - Washington, Beck is just going to have to throw a better deep ball. If he did, then I don't see why he wouldn't have a deep completion to Bowers in pretty much every game this year. It isn't as if Bowers hasn't been getting open on vertical routes. There was also a play where Oscar Delp was open deep against a linebacker that Beck just flat out missed.
No, this isn't a "give more playing time to Vandagriff and Stockton!" thing. There's no evidence that they would be any better at the vertical game than Beck is. There is evidence that they wouldn't be as good in the intermediate game that Beck excels at despite not having anyone who excels in the intermediate receiving game than Bowers. In the intermediate game, Bowers makes his WRs look better than they probably are. But in the vertical and short passing games, the WRs are probably a bit better than Bowers is making them look. And this includes Arian Smith.
This ain’t complicated. A WR must be able to catch the ball. And that includes the ones not directly on target. Of course, receivers who can’t even catch the passes that are directly on target are not likely going to catch those slightly off target. It’s good to hear Arian has been effective on special teams, but he’s been pretty bad as a WR so far this season. Hopefully the extra work he’s put in will pay dividends.
@thadec another illogical, overly simplistic and generalized take. Indicative of someone that hasn't been watching (or playing) football very long.
UGA/Beck can't hit the long ball because "none of the UGA pass catchers have the 1st, 2nd or 3rd round draft pick ability". Then that means that 98% of CFB teams can't complete and shouldn't try deep passes according to @thadec . Laughable.
Did you ever think that maybe UGA doesn't have many deep ball completions because UGA hasn't attempted many deep throws? UGA hasn't attempted many deep passes this season mostly because of the 3 reasons listed in the next paragraph. BUT it is also because CKS's game philosophy is to wear down a defense with methodical, punishing drives that tap the D out in the 2nd half.
There are a few logical reasons why Beck has been less than stellar on the long ball. 1) Beck is an inexperienced game QB. He is still refining all his skills including throwing the long pass. 2) UGA's best, proven deep threat (WR?) has been hurt most of this season. McConkey has not played much and not at all in the first 3-4 games. 3) and this is the most important reason, UGA plays 6 WR's a game and has practiced more with 1st team reps due to injury. There is no way for a new, inexperienced QB to get down deep ball timing with that many WR's w/limited practice reps. So a combination of things that need to be improved will lead to an improvement in the deep passing game.
It is going to take more time for Beck to get in tune with the different speeds of multiple WR's. He will learn to throw to a spot and put a little more air under the ball. Wouldn't surprise me to see ASmith catch a bomb tomorrow. He seems to be regaining some confidence.
BTW Beck has hit a long pass completion this season. RaRa Thomas caught a 60 (?) yard pass over the top early in the season.
Wow !!! @UGADad20 you did a Great job of laying that explanation out there !! Excellent !!! And if you don’t mind my adding this, Beck hasn’t NEEDED to toss the long ball that much. He’s shredded allot of teams just using short to intermediate passes. Which with every completion helped build his confidence.
There are Several Dawgs on this team that are More Than capable of catching the long ball. BUT as you pointed out Beck hasn’t had much opportunity to develop a deep throw chemistry with any one or two or even three WRs.
BUT I Believe that Beck and the WRs he has Can and Will at various points Use the deep ball. Bobo and Beck will use those deep balls at opportune times at Their discretion. NOT because fans are calling for more deep balls.
Deep balls can be very dangerous for an INT to, if the QB and WR are off just a smidge a good CB or Safety might pick that off. So it’s a weapon based on Planning And Opportunity. Both of which I’m confident Bobo and Beck have down very well !! @thadec writes many well thought out and reasonable comments but I don’t understand his thinking on this one.
Back to Arian. I think the vast majority of comments here are to support Arian. To cheer him on. I’m sure that the vast majority of Dawgs fans are well aware of the issues he’s had. But I think that same majority Believes he Can get better and are Hoping for his sake and the team that he Will get better.
Yes I’m well aware that there are plenty of other guys to throw to. But if Arian can snap out of the droppsies he Could be a dangerous weapon. Our Dawgs are a Brotherhood, when a Brother is down, But working his back side off to get better, Brothers don’t throw each other under the bus when their down. Go Arian !! Go Dawgs !!
You are right. Deep balls are way more 50/50 balls than the high % throws Beck has been making routinely. It is much harder to throw intermediate routes with accuracy than to throw the ball 50 yards and let the WR track it and run under it. If you know CKS you know he doesn't put the ball up for grabs.
You reminded me of a point I wanted to make in that last post. What would you rather have in a young, inexperienced QB ? Would you rather have a QB that hits 75% of all of his throws with excellent accuracy or a guy that hits more long balls? Beck is still a work in progress after 8 starts. Look at SBIV. Even after starting a couple of years he was still able to improve each of his last 2 years at UGA. Beck should get better with experience.
@UGADad20 I’m not saying it will happen, but you know what would just tickle my ole bones ??!!?? Would be to see Beck dial in a long bomb to none other than Arian Smith for a TD !!! That would be so Awesome !!! And might help quite the naysayers on several topics !! 😀 Hope you enjoy the game !! God Bless !! Go Dawgs !!!
That would help ASmith's confidence immensely. When you are a WR you need to believe you will catch every pass. And you want every pass coming your way. When you have drops you lose a little of that. ASmith should have been targeted a few times in every game, with especially easy throw and catches, to start to build his confidence back.
UGA fans shouldn't give up on ASmith. UGA needs him. UGA has no one else with that speed/experience combination.