Georgia Football: In Jake Fromm We Trust
Jake Fromm does not put up the gaudy numbers that some quarterbacks who chuck the ball over the field do. However, he does everything that the Georgia Football coaches ask of him and he does it all very well. Fromm's 1,076 yards passing ranks just tenth in the SEC and his eight touchdowns place him only tied for fifth among signal-callers in the Southeastern Conference. Yet one must look deeper than the overall numbers when evaluating the Georgia Bulldogs quarterback.
Despite not putting up monster numbers, Fromm is incredibly efficient. He is third in the nation, with a completion percentage of 77.5. Fromm is also tenth in the country in yards per pass attempt with 9.7 and sixth in adjusted yards per pass attempt with 11.1. He also places eighth among FBS quarterbacks in Passing Efficiency Rating, with a number of 182.7. Most importantly, Jake Fromm takes care of the football, as he has yet to throw an interception this season.
The value of Jake Fromm goes beyond any stat sheet or his skill level. He has complete command of the huddle and of the Georgia Bulldogs offense in general. He has the ability and the authority to change plays at the line of scrimmage, and he helps the Dawgs get into the right play far more often than not.
Jake Fromm is the epitome of poise for a college quarterback. This was on full display in a raucous atmosphere at home versus the storied Notre Dame program. Jake calmly made the right checks at the line of scrimmage and delivered clutch throw after clutch throw, to give his team the lead. The biggest of these throws a was his 15-yard pass to Lawrence Cager, for the touchdown that proved to be the difference in the battle against the Fighting Irish.
Fromm again proved to be cool under pressure, this time on the road against Tennessee. He was faced with an early deficit in the midst of a hostile Volunteers crowd of over 90,000. Fromm responded by throwing for a season-high 288 yards and two scores, on 24 of 29 in the 43-14 victory.
Washington QB, Jacob Eason
Looking at the numbers, one might wonder what is there to criticize. However, Fromm is in the unusual position of having beat out two former five-star recruits, for the UGA quarterback job during his three-year tenure. Many fans on social media who are watching the performances of former Georgia Bulldogs Jacob Eason and Justin Fields are wondering what could have been.
Jacob Eason has thrown for 1449 yards so far this season at Washington. He has one more game under his belt than Fromm, due to UGA having a bye already. Yet Eason also beats Fromm in yards per game, with 241.5 compared to 215.2. Eason has also thrown three more touchdowns than Fromm with 11.
However sheer volume is the only thing that gives Jacob Eason better numbers than Jake Fromm, the man who took his job as the Georgia Bulldogs quarterback. Fromm beats Eason with a competition percentage of 77.5, compared to 65.7. Fromm also has a significantly higher yard per attempt at 9.7 verses eight and an even greater gap in adjusted yards per attempt at 11.1 over 8.7. Jake also wins over Jacob in quarterback rating with 182.7 opposed to 150.8.
Jacob Eason was held to 162 yards with an interception thrown, in a week two home loss to Cal. He was against stymied for 206 yards and his second interception, in a road loss to Stanford. In light of the recent developments, I believe it is quite clear who is the better quarterback between the Fromm and Eason.
OSU QB, Justin Fields
The other quarterback that Jake Fromm is heavily compared to, is Ohio State quarterback Justin Fields. The later was considered to be the highest-rated recruit in Georgia Football history. After being unable to unseat Jake Fromm, Fields transferred up north and was granted immediate eligibility to play.
Justin Fields is playing phenomenal football for the Buckeyes. He leads Jake Fromm in nearly every statistical category. Fields has thrown for more yards with 1,298, more touchdowns with 18 and a higher efficiency rating of 187.5. Fromm has the higher yards per attempt at 9.6 compared to 9.2, but Fields leads in the advanced stat of adjusted yards per pass attempt with 11.4. The only other stat that Jake has over Justin is completion percentage, with a significant 77.5 to 69.8 advantage. Fields recently threw his first interception of the season in a win over Michigan State.
Justin Fields also must be accounted for in the ground game. He has rushed for 283 yards already this season while adding another eight touchdowns on the ground. That gives Fields a stout 26 touchdowns in five games, for the fourth-ranked Ohio State program.
I must give credit where credit is due, Justin Fields is playing amazing as the Buckeyes quarterback. In fact, while tuning into an Ohio State 48-7 victory over Nebraska in which they led 38-0 at halftime, I came to a realization. If he stays at Ohio State for the entirety of his NCAA career, Justin Fields is highly likely to win a Heisman Trophy. That could happen as soon as this season, with the high level he is playing at. He is the perfect fit for an offense that allows him to showcase his immense arm talent by making a couple of reads and display his great running abilities when the initial reads are not there. Sometimes a change works out great for everyone involved, and Justin Feild is certainly working out well for Ohio State.
Yet Jake Fromm is also working out great as the starting quarterback for the Georgia Bulldogs. On a level where many quarterbacks have to slow down prior to the play to look towards the sidelines for cue cards or help from coaches to diagnose a play pre-snap, Jake Fromm is a huge part of UGA's diagnosing of what defenses are trying to accomplish. He is like having another coach on the field.
Obviously, UGA is always going to be a running team, but throwing to set up the run as a change of pace at times, will make this team that much more dangerous. That was evident in the Dawgs two most recent victories, as the ground game began to open up after Fromm completed more passes down the field. Opening up the offense a little more is the final step to the Georgia Bulldogs reaching the storied level of Alabama and Clemson. The wonderful thing is, recently Kirby Smart spoke of doing just that when addressing things that the Dawgs would work on during the off week.
“What can we do to get the ball to our playmakers in space, how can we do it better?” “How can we find plays to get the ball on the perimeter to loosen some teams up, throw the ball downfield, find ways to get George the ball."
Georgia Football is enjoying a level of success unlike few stretches in their history, under the combination of head coach Kirby Smart and quarterback Jake Fromm. They have posted an incredible record of 28-5 in 2⅓ seasons. The Dawgs won one of the best playoff games the NCAA has ever hosted, a 54-48 triumph against Oklahoma in the 2018 Rose Bowl. They came within three stops of winning a national championship
Georgia Football fans should fight human nature to compare and stat watch the two former quarterbacks starting for other power five teams. Instead, they should bask in the glow of a golden era of UGA football. They should relish the Jake Fromm era, an era that could come to an end as early as this season.
Jake Fromm may not have the biggest arm and he definitely isn't the fleetest of the foot. Yet his combination of poise, intelligence, leadership, stability, and efficiency, is exactly what is needed to lead the Georgia Football program to a championship. The Georgia Bulldogs players trust Jake Fromm. The UGA coaches trust Jake Fromm. I trust Jake Fromm. You should trust Jake Fromm too.
