re: Could the offense’s real problem be in the running game?

Now compare the passing offense for those 3 seasons and you will likely see the most significant difference.
Fromm's quarterback rating has dropped from 171.2 to 146.0. His average yards per completion has dropped from 9.0 to 7.2. TD passes have dropped from 30 to 16 so far this season. As such I would contend that the main drop-off in the offense has been due to the play calling and the quality of the receiving core.

You’re missing my point. Swift was meant to be a feature back, but how were utilizing him this year he’s supposed to be thunder and lightning. He can do thunder as we’ve seen, but lightning is his calling card, as we know.

Having Holyfield last year was impactful to loosen up defenses and allow us to deliver the first blow. That’s why he started most games and then Swift finished them.

He’s a top running back for sure. Despite a true 1-2 punch and stacked boxes with a musical chair line, he’s gotten his. But he hasn’t hit the home run as much this year because he’s been asked to pound the rock early and often, not just put the game away.

I understand. But short yardage is Herrien's juice for this team.

Our offense is about balance. If we throw the ball well, it will help our run game. If we run the ball well, it will help our pass game.

Our passing game has fallen off due to so many good/experienced receivers leaving after last season. We've struggled with consistency in our route running, physicality (while catching; blocking as been OK), and ball catching. Our top receiver has a glass shoulder and the second most experienced guy has stone hands, followed by a group of very young and raw guys who could be awesome with some good coaching and more experience (Pickens and Blaylock trending up, for sure).

When you struggle to consistently move the ball through the air, the opponents' focus shifts to the run game. They sell out to stop the run and dare our receivers to be more physical than their corners and safeties on the outside. We haven't been very creative in our play calling to do more than out routes, come backs, and fades and that relies on good route running, catching, and physicality, which, again, we've been inconsistent with.

I strongly believe that if we had another solid receiver or two, our offense would look very different.

Are you calling Dick Leverage a liar? Because he said "maybe", he gets an out. It just means he hasn't really paid attention, and is just sort of talking out of his arse, and doesn't know what he's talking about. Just kinda sharing his feelings. But he is NOT a liar. Just remember...

"It's not a lie, if you believe it..."

-George Costanza

quote:

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We threw 2 passes between the hashes on the last 2 drives against Auburn. One was dropped and one was well covered. It’s not that we don’t try... we just are not having a ton of success...

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Go watch the replay of Fromm's throws versus Notre Dame and Tennessee...back to back games. Only one throw over ten yards over the middle of the field. We do not attack the middle of the field in the passing game.

It is not that we aren't having a ton of success...it is that we don't try. Maybe that is by design because the sideline throws are safer. But it does make our offense easier to defend.

Holy crap!! Still mad after 3 weeks! LOL
You hang in there little buddy. LOL!

Thank you Peter Buck. A very civil and mature reply to something you don’t agree with.

Yes, since I don’t care to go back and actually count the number of times that we have thrown into the middle of the field, I used the phrase “maybe one time a game.” Perhaps a little hyperbolic but not that far from actuality.

So just to clear the air, my point is that it seems to me , based on viewing the games and without keeping notes to make a spreadsheet after the games, that we probably throw over 90% of our passes outside of the hash marks. If Lil Buddy rides in on his white Arabian Charger and proves that it is actually 80%, I would like to pre-apologize to you for a faulty eye test only estimation.

On the flip side of that, I find it frustrating that most other teams (sorry that I cannot provide you and exact number) seem to throw with a more widespread utilization of the entire field of play. Some of these teams include mid majors and smaller schools. And this particular form of attack appears to be our biggest weakness when a team uses it against us. At least, It appears that way in the game threads when lamentations of “why can’t we stop the crap across the middle!” are voiced. Now, Peter Buck, I am not saying that every team does this to us. I want to make that clear so that Lil Buddy doesn’t think it’s the whistle to charge up out of the trench with his bayonet.

Finally, Peter Buck, I just think that if the aforementioned teams in the original post can do this rather effectively , then UGA should not be so unbalanced in field utilization.

I haven't read this entire thread but my 2 cents is to me, and this is just my opinion, is the following:

1) We don't have a bruiser who is good for 5 yards a pop up the gut...We had Chubb, then we had Holyfield, and now well, we just don't have one.(was hoping that would have been Zeus)

2) As good as Swift is, he doesn't break many shoe string tackles. This might be nit picky, but he seems to struggle staying on his feet after ankle tackles. The man is best in Space.

3) Teams know what we want to do and when there is 9 men in the box, even the best RB's aren't going anywhere against a defense with a pulse.