A couple of general caveats here:
-UGA’s coaching staff is a big organization. That means there are a variety of opinions and not everybody agrees. It’s common for there to be disagreements on strategy. Ultimately, it is on Kirby Smart to synthesize info and put a plan in place.
-These conversations happen every single week, but are usually buried after wins and tend to float a little more after losses.
-The SECCG was still a 3 point loss. There isn’t a need for radical, wholesale, philosophical changes.
That said… here is some chatter I heard this week after Georgia’s staff reviewed the game.
-UGA’s coaching staff is a big organization. That means there are a variety of opinions and not everybody agrees. It’s common for there to be disagreements on strategy. Ultimately, it is on Kirby Smart to synthesize info and put a plan in place.
-These conversations happen every single week, but are usually buried after wins and tend to float a little more after losses.
-The SECCG was still a 3 point loss. There isn’t a need for radical, wholesale, philosophical changes.
That said… here is some chatter I heard this week after Georgia’s staff reviewed the game.
- There was regret for playing Ladd McConkey in as many plays. His game is predicated on quickness and sudden movements. Coaches mostly agreed his injuries showed him to be slower than needed in that game. Gutty performance, but others needed more reps.
- In comments to the Kentucky Rivals site, Brock Vandagriff’s father said they chose Kentucky because it was “the best fit for what he can do as an athletic quarterback.” While Carson Beck had a great year, there are Georgia staffers who want to see a more dynamic offense with faster pace and increased QB run potential (not an indictment of Beck. If anything, he impressed with his running for easy yards this year. More a view of the program’s offensive philosophy moving forward). Georgia will continue to find the proper balance between risk and reward on offense. Remember, Kirby Smart is a defensive-minded coach. He prefers risk mitigation and field position. But that means offense/special teams cannot give away the ball like it did vs. Alabama.
- For all the talk above, it was evident on tape that Georgia was beaten in the trenches. Some of this is fatigue. Some was Alabama just being a good team.
- Even with all the mistakes, distractions of pending transfers, finals, etc…Georgia still had plenty of chances to make a play and win. With Bowers and McConkey hobbled, Georgia needed more options for individual playmaking in one-on-one scenarios. As the roster develops from here, there is plenty of opportunity for young players to become the next go-to guys. It’s needed at every skill position going into 2024.
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