Kentucky Performance is Nothing to Worry About for Georgia's Offense
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Georgia fans are a fickle bunch. You can be their absolute favorite, but struggle and you will be the subject of a lot of conversations that start with “Y’know, I don’t know about…” in barbershops and Twitter threads from Moultrie to Ringgold. It’s not that their standards are ever-changing, they’re just incredibly high, and rightfully so. If Georgia doesn’t score 40, and keep an opponent under 10, be ready for a little backlash. At times, their support for a certain player or coach seems to take into account just the previous game.
Let’s take a look at Georgia offensive coordinator Todd Monken, for example. The Bulldogs entered Saturday’s matchup at Kentucky averaging 40.6 points per game. Kentucky entered giving up 20 points per game. But with temperatures in the low 30s and the wind howling up to 20 MPH, both teams opted for a ground-and-pound approach, and what ensued after was a clock-burning slugfest between two very physical football teams.
Georgia would go on to win 16-6 and never really felt like they were in trouble, but short-yardage failures and only a single touchdown in five trips to the red zone left many Georgia fans upset about the offensive game plan.
Now, these reactions shouldn’t be overly surprising. This is a fanbase that famously wanted Mike Bobo out as OC after his teams averaged 37.8, 38.6, and 40.2 points per game in his final three seasons.
It’s only human to get used to things. Even when results stay the same, you start focusing on the flaws instead of taking in the full picture. Missing the forest for the trees, if you will. That fact is simple; Georgia has one of the sport’s best offenses and Todd Monken is the biggest reason why.
In 2022, Georgia is averaging more passing yards per game (298.8) than Ohio State (289.2), and more yards per play than North Carolina. Imagine telling that to a Georgia fan in 2018.
Obviously, you have to have the horses, but it's how you deploy them that makes a great OC. Kirby Smart and his staff have done the job of recruiting the nation’s best, and Todd Monken went to work creating a system for them.
Think about the National Championship run last year. With Georgia Pickens hurt, Georgia didn’t have a veteran target at X. Instead, they rolled into the College Football Playoff with a freshman AD Mitchell at X, a freshman Brock Bowers at tight end, and a freshman from Chatsworth named Ladd McConkey in the slot, and they proceeded to dice up Michigan and beat Alabama.
That’s all without mentioning the development of Stetson Bennett. Monken has helped elevate Bennett’s game from gunslinger to assassin. In 2021, Bennett ranked behind just Hendon Hooker, CJ Stroud, and Grayson McCall in efficiency. In 2022, on the way to an 11-0 start, Bennett is currently 9th in Georgia history with 3,011 yards this season. A strong performance this weekend against Georgia Tech could vault him past David Greene’s 2003 season (3,307) for fifth. Bennett still has the SEC Championship and at least one bowl game before the year is over. He’d need to average 294 yards per game in those 3 matchups to eclipse Aaron Murray’s No. 1 mark from his 2012 season (3,893).
It’s not hyperbole to say that Georgia would not be the defending national champions right now with the offensive evolution Todd Monken has brought to Athens. Why else do you think Kirby Smart is paying him $2 million a year to run his offense?
So yes, 16 points against Kentucky was disappointing, but it is certainly no reason to panic or question the current regime. Monken did not want to tempt fate by throwing the ball in the wind and cold. When they did, Georgia turned the ball over. Kentucky bled clock in the first half, limiting Georgia to just three possessions. Georgia just wanted to get out of Lexington unscathed. When you look at the rest of college football this past Saturday, that was a very reasonable goal to have.
Outside of Athens on Saturday (where it’s supposed to be wet, but mercifully in the 60’s), Georgia will play the remainder of their games in climate-controlled NFL stadiums. Look for Georgia’s offense to be what we’ve come to expect.
You May Also Like:
- The Good, The Bad, and The Ugly: No. 1 Georgia vs Kentucky
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- Stetson Bennett Closing in on Georgia History
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