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Georgia football offense using off week to focus on passing offense issues
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Posts: 11,381 admin
Georgia football offense using off week to focus on passing offense issues
ATHENS — Georgia football knows it has a serious problem when it comes to catching the football.
Comments
Working on the passing game and catching the ball…not surprising but still good news.
Go, Dawgs!
Might put some focus on the O Line as well…
We seem to be a bit lethargic coming back from off weeks. Hope that changes
I know, I say this endlessly in one form or another, but while Georgia has always valued the Pro style QB, we have NEVER valued the Pro style Receivers. We have always valued TEs over WRs and the defense knows this and compensates. They know that we never have that "West Coast Offense" and while we may TRY to throw deep, it's really a much lower percentage vs a Bama, Ohio State and such. As Kirk mentioned in the Bama game, "who is the superstar receiver"? We don't have one.
Lets put this in perspective. We have 6 WRs on our roster and HALF of them were transfers. You've heard of both Luckie and Delp but those are both TEs. When have you heard Nitro Tuggle's name called? Hint, he has one reception and he's a 4 star recruit. Evans III has 0 yards this year. Michael Jackson III has 0 yards this year. Arian Smith had a combined 20 receptions in his first 4 years with us.
Who is our next big WR star? We certainly don't have a lot of "studs" coming in with 2025 at #10 and #44, no real significant odds on anyone for 2026 and 2024 and earlier wasn't pretty. I mean, look at Oregon. In 2024, they grabbed #6, #18 and #36 and have #1 and #4 secured for 2025.
All of this to say that we clearly have a Receiver coaching problem. Clearly, recruits see how poorly our Receivers are being trained and/or the schemes that utilize TEs and so we are left with what we got.
Take the gloves off and maybe we'll catch the ball better. No one will ever convince me that gloves do not impair dexterity. Ever. But, I'm old school, way old school.
Go Dawgs!
Agreed.
Good comments - And I note there were several pieces written in spring predicting that the receiver group was going to be one of our strong suits this year. makes one wonder. But I do trust Kirby and Bobo who see em all in practice. Sure they are playing the best group.
The WRs are not just standing there waiting for the ball en route. They have pre-drilled patterns they follow whether they are the primary receiver on that play or not. It is this in action route running and clicking with Carson that seems to be the current plague. Carson puts the ball in tight spaces with zip on it… often. The same receiver is not always the culprit….many receivers drop. I would spend copious time running routes and looking for the ball over shoulder, plus while at top speed. Yes, I agree, the often bulky, sticky gloves, can become a problem as well. Georgia should not be dropping 8 balls a game…not at the elite college level. Kirby found it almost comical, he said. We fans did not find it comical! Believe me.
It has become very hard to watch our QB. Beck is not elite. Just average. I don't like the image he projects with his Lambo and Jet deals. I believe he needs to spend more time on his game than NIL. I keep hoping he will improve but at this point I'm not sure. He came out before the season and said his goals were to go high in the first round and win the Heisman. I have nver heard someone say that before the season started. I believe he came in this year thinking he's entitled. If he doesn't improve he'll be lucky to go in the 4th round.
Yes, it's a problem for sure, but it's not just on the receivers or just on Beck. It's definitely both. Route running, catching, getting separation, throwing the ball too far behind or in front of the receiver, poor pass timing, etc…all these things need to improve. McConkey and Bowers were masters at knowing how to run routes and get open. Other than those two guys, we haven't had any truly dependable, consistent TEs or WRs in recent memory.
Agree with you @MontanaDawg. There's a lot that goes into it. But I also agree with @kirkhilles that we need better QUALITY wide receivers as well. Higher quality receivers can make up for, or cover for the poorly thrown balls, they tend to get better separation and they're more likely to make the miraculous catches. I've been screaming for years that we really need to sign some 5-star receivers and I cannot understand why we can't do it. I don't think Beck is awful, but while we count the number of dropped passes, I wish someone would count the number of passes that have simply been off-target (too high, too low, too wide, behind the receiver). I never see interviews with our receivers but I bet if they could speak freely and honestly, they would tell you that a lot (but not all) of the balls they don't catch, were more difficult to catch than they needed to be, if they were catchable at all. I'm guessing if Beck's throws are more on target, we'll see fewer drops. Go Dawgs!
Since Georgia is working on the receivers getting better…how about blocking. I recall Smart first couple of years that receivers had to be physical in blocking on the edges and perimeter. What happened?
True, but some of those expected to be the highest performing WRs are either suspended or gone 😳
For once, I think CKS was being a little bit sly... the fact that UGA is throwing so much is NOT because they trust the WRs so much, it's that:
1) It takes us that many throws to get the required COMPLETIONS... not so if drops were cut by 50%
2) Our run game is not overwhelming, so the yards have to come from the pass more often than not
3) We've gotten behind the chains (and sometimes, behind in points) too often, and passing is increasingly what's needed to dig out
I'm 100% about backing your players and I admire CKS (unlike Saban or a few others I can name) for never throwing his own players under the bus... but this narrative from him is a bit of a stretch, and he knows it 🤔🫤🤠
Just repeating what many of you have already said, if the On Target dropped balls were caught it’d make Beck look considerably better. No one can fault the WRs and TEs when Beck makes bad throws but when the ball hits them right in the hands they have Got to make those catches !! Especially vs teams with good defense where opportunities might not come along much. Maybe this off time will help Em out. Hope so. Go Dawgs !!
Yep, glad you sad that. And it’s kind of spooky to. Hope our Dawgs are All business vs the mud lizards !!
Need to Start right out the gate firing on all cylinders !! Floor the gas pedal, score Allot and Fast and put all hopes of them having an upset away !! Then once there’s no way they could come back start putting in younger guys and/or guys that haven’t had many real game snaps in.
I Hope the slow starts are gone !! And when it’s a Good pass right on the hands I sure hope our receivers catch the dawg gone ball !! I understand them missing bad throws but gotta catch the good ones !! Go Dawgs !!