We got our first look at the 2023 version of the Georgia Bulldogs on Saturday. The good news is that they won 48-7. The bad news is that they looked discombobulated in the first half before getting it rolling to a much larger extent in the second. The Bulldogs managed just 17 points against FCS program UT-Martin, but it turned it on in the final two quarters. DawgsHQ has reviewed the entire game and we\u2019ve singled out seven plays that stood out. Take a look at those below in our Xs and Os series. <\/p>\n
via GIPHY<\/a><\/p>\n I thought Beck stared his man down when I saw this play live but after a second glance, it looks like it might have been a case of right defensive call at the right time. Based on leverage and off quarters coverage to Beck\u2019s right, that\u2019s where the ball needs to go. <\/p>\n It looks like he wants to go to Oscar Delp because the linebacker is way inside. The problem is that No. 7 for UT-Martin, the edge defender, robs that route. He drops underneath it and takes away the easy first-down throw. Beck then decides to work to the outside when, in reality, he probably should of come back to the other side of the field or thrown the ball away. <\/p>\n I\u2019d also like to point out C.J. Smith\u2019s route. It\u2019s a tad sloppy. It\u2019s supposed to be rounded off because it\u2019s a speed out but it\u2019s not supposed to drive a yard and a half to two yards up field. If he takes that perpendicular to the sideline, it has a much better shot of being complete. <\/p>\n via GIPHY<\/a><\/p>\n This is not an attempt to point a finger because, in the end, calls, plans, schemes, and execution all go back to the coaching. But this play is a strong design that didn\u2019t work because, as Kirby Smart<\/a><\/strong> said after the game, a first-year starter isn\u2019t on the same page<\/strong><\/a> with his new receiver.<\/p>\n I really like this call on 3rd and 3. The motion forces the Skyhawks to communicate. It\u2019s effective eye candy. The bunch formation allows Dominic Lovett<\/a><\/strong> to get lost. He also runs a crisp route at the perfect pace for it to work well. But instead of hooking it up, Lovett angles in. Beck throws it behind him because he expects Lovett to sit down for an easy first down. Growing pains. <\/p>\n via GIPHY<\/a><\/p>\n Georgia did plenty wrong on defense Saturday but not on this play. In fact, this is exactly how you play the screen game and it goes beyond the guy who makes the play. Tykee Smith<\/a><\/strong> eyeballs the flat motion coming right at him. At that point he already starts getting width so that he can keep contain. When the ball is snapped, Smith gets more width so as to not lose the flank. <\/p>\n When he reads the block and sees the quarterback, Smith fires his gun immediately. He\u2019s flying downhill with outside leverage, making the tackle for loss. That\u2019s impressive but just as impressive is Javon Bullard<\/a><\/strong> from the inside. Georgia has this clamps on this play as Bullard is working a \u201cJ\u201d angle from the inside out to clean up if Smith is unable to get his guy on the ground. Even if the tight end is able to get a hat on Smith, Bullard would be there to blow things up. <\/p>\n via GIPHY<\/a><\/p>\n When I first watched this play I was going to give conditionally criticize Kendall Milton<\/a><\/strong> for not bouncing it off right tackle. Yes, it\u2019s very easy to criticize a running back for missing something when you\u2019re up high and seeing it from an angle that he\u2019ll never see it from. I still think he could have taking it right off Delp\u2019s hip for a good gain, though. <\/p>\n But that\u2019s not what went wrong on this play. It looks to me like there is a significant mixup because Beck is treating this like a zone read while, as will become more clear with the next play, Brock Bowers<\/a><\/strong> and Dillon Bell<\/a><\/strong> are executing an RPO concept.<\/p>\n Beck\u2019s eyes are in the right spot. He\u2019s reading the off-ball linebacker to his left but instead of pulling it and hitting Bowers, who is getting a legal pick from Bell, he hands it and carries out a zone read fake. If he pulls this and hits Bowers, it\u2019s a big play. I could be wrong but this looks like an instance of not being on the same page. <\/p>\n via GIPHY<\/a><\/p>\n This is what the previous play should have looked like. This is a good execution and a strong RPO concept. It\u2019s similar to the one that Monken used to score with Bowers in the National Championship game vs. Alabama and the Orange Bowl vs. Michigan except with a wrinkle.<\/p>\n Instead of relying completely on the read with a blocker out front, it appears as if Bobo has implemented a pick element to the play. It gets Bowers open and into space quicker. Another wrinkle is the way Bowers comes in motion on the play. Monken\u2019s version of this RPO often had Bowers in a three-point stance on the end of the line of scrimmage, sometimes beside the guard with the offensive tackle flipping to the other side. But Bobo has installed a concept where Bowers splits out, comes down in motion, and sells it like a split zone movement before releasing. The result speaks for itself. <\/p>\n via GIPHY<\/a><\/p>\n This is good design but nothing special. It\u2019s a nice throw, a great route, and a strong concept, but it\u2019s one you\u2019ll find in just about every offense. It\u2019s an example of how good execution of general offensive concepts can be really effective. <\/p>\n It starts with a solid play fake. Then you get to C.J. Smith<\/a><\/strong>\u2018s route where he hesitates for a split second to sell himself as a blocker before releasing for the deep over. Rara Thomas<\/a><\/strong> helps out as well because he immediately engages the guy on his nose like he\u2019s blocking. He\u2019s wide open when he releases, too, and the fact that he\u2019s in space pulls the linebacker down to create more room for Smith. Beck sees that and knows where the ball is supposed to go.<\/p>\n via GIPHY<\/a><\/p>\n Brock Vandagriff<\/a><\/strong> is in the game and he\u2019s looking for his first career completion. Considering Mews had just snapped off a long touchdown and has three catches for 75 yards in the game, why not use him as a decoy?<\/p>\n Mews goes in flat motion and you can see how it gains the attention of the safety. He follows the motion to the inside giving Thomas a vertical release into space with a chance to get outside of him and inside of the cornerback. Combine that movement and disruption with the play fake and this is the perfect way to attack quarters coverage. The safety, due to the eye candy from the motion and the fake, is late opening up and running and that allows Thomas to take the top off. Great ball from Vandagriff, too. <\/p>\n The post Xs and Os: Good and bad from Georgia\u2019s season-opening win<\/a> appeared first on On3<\/a>.<\/p>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" We got our first look at the 2023 version of the Georgia Bulldogs on Saturday….<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":0,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"ngg_post_thumbnail":0,"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-15615","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-uncategorized"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/demo.wztzfm.com\/wp\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/15615","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/demo.wztzfm.com\/wp\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/demo.wztzfm.com\/wp\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/demo.wztzfm.com\/wp\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=15615"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/demo.wztzfm.com\/wp\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/15615\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/demo.wztzfm.com\/wp\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=15615"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/demo.wztzfm.com\/wp\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=15615"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/demo.wztzfm.com\/wp\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=15615"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}Nice design, poor execution<\/h2>\n
Perfect defense\u2026<\/h2>\n
All wrong\u2026<\/h2>\n
Here\u2019s what it looks like\u2026<\/h2>\n
Basic + execution can still = a big play<\/h2>\n
Mekhi Mews<\/a><\/strong> moves the needle, assists with big play<\/h2>\n