Missouri Postponement Gives Georgia a Much Needed Work Week
“We’ve got an opportunity to grow and develop and get better, and work against each other and have some competitive periods.” Smart said in his press conference in the wake of the news yesterday of the Georgia-Missouri game’s postponement this weekend.
While Georgia’s bye week came just two weeks ago, they received a gift with another off weekend. But it is no week off for the Georgia Football team as Coach Smart emphasized the need for more practice to make up for the lost time in the spring.
Those comments Tuesday morning came off the back of an ugly 44-28 loss to all-important rival Florida. Georgia went into the game, banged up, and came out more fragile.
Key players like Jordan Davis, Richard LeCounte, George Pickens, Kenny McIntosh missed the Florida game. While Marcus Rosemary-Jacksaint, Kendall Milton, Lewis Cine, and Stetson Bennett would emerge onto the injury list.
Stetson Bennett has not thrown a football in practice all week. Furthering the fact that we will see a new quarterback under center for the Dawgs next Saturday against Mississipi State. JT Daniels is the supposed front runner but is freshly off an ACL tear from a year ago.
Will Daniels finally be the long-awaited answer to the quarterback troubles that arose in Athens after the departure of Jake Fromm? While likely not considering JT hasn’t taken a hit on the football field since last August, he brings the much-needed experience back to the position.
JT thrives in the short and intermediate passing game. His quick release, arm strength, and arm talent suit him well in the quick game. Daniels brings an arm that can make outside the hash passes with consistency. But he also brings flawed mechanics when it comes to his footwork.
Everything starts at the bottom for a quarterback, and if one thing is wrong in your mechanics, it won’t be the only thing that wrong. JT needs to do a better job of driving his front foot into the ground and taking the weight off his back foot, which is the same leg he rehabbed for over a year.
Not playing football in over a year is a challenge for any player. But the problem is even more significant for a player at the quarterback position. JT is stepping into a situation where he is no longer at USC; he has new teammates, coaches, a whole different conference. Continuity in the relationship between a quarterback and his receivers is crucial to the passing game’s success. JT brings no experience with this young receiving core in Athens.
An extra week of practice and reps with the receiving core for JT will be valuable before taking his first snap next Saturday.
As mentioned earlier, the continuity with a quarterback and his receivers plays a significant factor in their success. The continuity of the players that play together on defense is another important factor. The Georgia defensive unit is undergoing severe attrition with players in and out of the lineup due to injuries.
The loss of leaders Jordan Davis and Richard LeCounte hurt the Bulldogs in their loss to Florida. The secondary struggled to communicate through the “window dressing” motions of the Gators offense. Those motions resulted in explosive down-field plays that kept the Georgia defense on the field.
Extra time to prepare will allow two things on defense. One will be getting those injured back to health and affording them more time to rehab without missing games. It will also enable those thrust into the action to adjust and jell with their teammates.
Georgia, under Kirby Smart, is known for playing younger talent early and often. But they have never sprung them into action like the attrition has forced their hand this year. Getting the likes of Jalen Carter, Major Burns, Christopher Smith will build more depth at some of the roster’s strongest positions.