So everyone knows by now who the skeptics are, and who the apologists are. Let's move beyond that and discuss how we should measure the success or failure of his first year. (Yes, I got this discussion off a certain podcast that will remain nameless.)
So I'm going to make the assumption here that everyone was happy with the job Monken did. Now, what made him so good? What is the word that Kirby used to describe the 2021 offense? Explosive. So this is based on defining explosive plays as 20 yards or more.
"We think that a greater indicator in wins and losses is the explosive play differential. When you add our runs and passes and you combine that against what the defense has given up, we haven’t had a game that we weren’t less than four positive. That indicator, actually, in the SEC, is a greater indicator in what’s won games. I don’t know why that is, but Ole Miss, ourselves, Tennessee, Alabama are the four greatest differential teams in terms of explosive plays over their opponent.” - Kirby Smart
2019 we were 70th in the country in explosive plays.
2020 Monken got here with no QB, no spring, and an all SEC schedule and took us from 70th to 30th. No, he did not have Bowers. No, he did not have Ladd, or AD. He had a first year starter at RB in Zeus who is not the most explosive back we've had. Kearis was his leading WR that year. (Great coaches make good players better.)
2021- 7th
2022- 1st
Now, Bobo is inheriting a little bit better of a situation in 2023 than Monken did, right? Can we all agree on that? His QB room, WR room, TE room are all better. RB's and OL maybe a wash if we give him the benefit of the doubt. Not to mention he has spring, and theres not a defense on our schedule that will finish top 30.
In 2022 we had 90 explosive plays.
How many should we expect Bobo to have in 2023?
So I'm going to make the assumption here that everyone was happy with the job Monken did. Now, what made him so good? What is the word that Kirby used to describe the 2021 offense? Explosive. So this is based on defining explosive plays as 20 yards or more.
"We think that a greater indicator in wins and losses is the explosive play differential. When you add our runs and passes and you combine that against what the defense has given up, we haven’t had a game that we weren’t less than four positive. That indicator, actually, in the SEC, is a greater indicator in what’s won games. I don’t know why that is, but Ole Miss, ourselves, Tennessee, Alabama are the four greatest differential teams in terms of explosive plays over their opponent.” - Kirby Smart
2019 we were 70th in the country in explosive plays.
2020 Monken got here with no QB, no spring, and an all SEC schedule and took us from 70th to 30th. No, he did not have Bowers. No, he did not have Ladd, or AD. He had a first year starter at RB in Zeus who is not the most explosive back we've had. Kearis was his leading WR that year. (Great coaches make good players better.)
2021- 7th
2022- 1st
Now, Bobo is inheriting a little bit better of a situation in 2023 than Monken did, right? Can we all agree on that? His QB room, WR room, TE room are all better. RB's and OL maybe a wash if we give him the benefit of the doubt. Not to mention he has spring, and theres not a defense on our schedule that will finish top 30.
In 2022 we had 90 explosive plays.
How many should we expect Bobo to have in 2023?
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