With so much bluster regarding offense this past game and QB discussion, I  wanted to go ahead and dive into the offensive drives in detail. So, I pulled up good old YouTube to rewatch the game and run down the offensive drives of UGA.

First offensive drive:
3 plays of unblocked blitzers straight into back field. First play: TE doesn’t make a chip block on DE leading to a free rusher who nails Fromm as he releases the ball (completion for 8-ish yards). Run plays ensue to gather together, getting first downs. Run blocking good allowing us to pound between the tackles. Later, 2 wide, 2 te and 1 rb set – pass to Swift after unblocked blitzer forces Fromm to go to safety pass – gets first down. Run play, then an overthrow of Ridley to stretch the field – Ridley did a small cut when breaking between the safety and CB, could have been part of play or a mistake that messed up pass timing. Next play, 2 free blitzers into the pocket, DE forced fumble and Nauta picks it up and scores. Short version: tons of pressure on Fromm – not much help pass protection but fairly good on the run.

Offensive drive two:
First play is three wide but a run for a yard. No major push at the line. Next play, called WR jet sweep screen. Play designed for Hardman leading to a 8 yard gain. Goes heavy and gets first down. Two back set – rb screen to the outside as a corner fire blitz comes in untouched but completion for a few yards. Next play, Fromm keeps on the RPO to throuloe since all the linebackers suck in for the expected run play and again another blown block pick up leading to a free rusher to hit Fromm for a sack – announcers mention Holloman not going out potentially contributing to forcing Fromm to then attempt to scramble. Next play a screen play with a full blitz incoming and Swift drops the pass forcing a punting. Again further pressure on Fromm and missteps on blocking.

Offensive drive three:
Start drive in 1 rb, 2 te, 2 wr set, leads to good run blocking for 6-7 yards. Next play, same play appearance and it gets stuffed for a loss. Clean pocket and first down pass to Hardman. Run play for 3-4 yards. Next, pass with clean pocket leading to first down pass to Godwin. Fields comes in, first is a read option potentially as it’s a delayed handoff but all eyes are on the rb, if he pulled it likely more yards than one. Subbed out Fields for Fromm. Another read potential play that Fromm hands off to the RB, the oline and Swift get it to a first down. Fumbled snap saved by illegal procedure penalty – whistle perhaps disrupted focus but unlikely. Next play, five blitzers, right tackle beaten bad and a free blitzers down mid to allow a blind side strip sack, all wr in screen covered tho 9 about to get open down middle. Field goal forced. Again, no help for Fromm from the OLine.

Offensive drive 4:
Start off in the 2 wr, 2 te, 1 rb set again. All run defense expected and ran still for a 4 yard gain to the outside. 4 wide set with 1 rb, clean pocket and first down pass to Holloman in the corner hole in the three man zones. Next play, clean pocket and Fromm over throws a streaking Godwin between the LB and CB. Next play, blitz gets through the line from the tackle position forcing Jake to release it, near resulting in a pick. No open WRs on the play as only three went out for routes and RB and te stayed to block. Next play, pass, again more pressure into Fromms face and he heaves it up to Holloman who has slowed up on his route, missing the pass. Would have likely been a TD or first down. Punt forced. Miscues from Fromm, WR and Oline.

Offensive drive 5:
Fields gets the nod at QB. RB hand off for a good amount of yards. Likely Tenn weary of fields running. Flipped the play, gets the first down. Defense again watching Fields and that hesitation allows more running. Next play, Fields on the designed roll out to neutralize pass rush and passes it to Ridley on the out route. Next play QB keep on the read. Taking advantage of the same play Georgia has been running all day (credit to Chaney and Fields on that). Another run play as Swift explodes into the secondary. Defense is softening up in watching Fields expecting a potential run from him – however illegal formation. Fields drops back to pass, Stanley backs up out of bounds prior to catching it. Correct decision but thrown late. Four wide set next with an RB, flipped the play and Herrien gets a big gain. Next play is a free play due to offsides penalty. Fields underthrows the receiver while facing pressure from two blitzers. Fromm back in and they try to run it to the outside. It was stopped short. 4th down play, outside sweep to Herrien for the first down. Great play call as defense expected inside run and good blocking to the outside. Pass play to the outside, first down with clean pocket as the RB picks up the unblocked rusher, best pass option as others were fairly well covered. Bootleg pass to Holloman follows. Could have passed to a wide open Nauta in the end zone but would be rather tough throwing across body to the end zone to be fair. Wild cat run, holyfield could have scored if not for the fumbled snap. Pitch toss to the outside using 2 wrs and te to clear a running lane resulting in a touchdown.

Four out, three in bunch formation and a RB in the backfield. Run up the gut for a couple yards. Next, 3 wide te set, play action to an open Godwin for a first down. To note, are this point in the game, Georgia has 14 first downs and 252 yards to Tennessee’s 3 first downs and 68 yards. Another run play for a few yards. Pass play with a clean pocket leads to a first down pass to Nauta. Rush up the middle for a few yards. Next is a WR screen to Hardman for a few more yards. Then, comes a four wide with a RB set, and it is a draw play up the middle to convert the first down. Great blocking at the point of attack. Next is a pass play to Woerner – a delayed blitz was coming in but from had already found his receiver. Herrien follows up with a first down run. Fields comes into the game in the red zone. Designed option play, Fields keeps it and the te eats the edge rusher in the backfield but Fields is able to scoot behind him and breaks a tackle to get the touchdown and the lead up to 24-0.

Is after the Tennessee touchdown drive that was giftwrapped via a couple major penalties. First play is a pitch to the outside. Godwin got beat on his block holding the run to no gain. Second play, a two receiver and 2 te set, run up the gut – starting to hit a brick wall and a more lively Tennessee oline. Pass play is next with great blocking and Fromm throws to the out route with Hardman to get the first down. Another run play that was stuffed to the outside. Next play is a play action that leads to a Fromm sack with multiple rushers breaking through. All wrs mostly blanketed though a zip to the WR in route could work though the linebacker would make it an incredibly tight window. Then comes a 3rd down and long draw play where swift gets write a few yards but not enough. UGA is trying to counteract the edge rusher that has been beating the OLine repeatedly.

Two te and we set, pass play but Fromm is forced to scramble again as the pocket collapses – a holding call draws it back. Next comes a three wide set with a te. Pass to Herrien but it leads to a loss – Fromm again didn’t have time as pressure started to come from the left tackle side again. Roll out pass follows to try to combat the left tackle continuously getting beat. But no one is open and is an incomplete. Thus it’s Tenn ball.

It is now 24-12. If there is a time to kill momentum, it is now. UGA runs it up the gut for the first play to start chewing clock. Next play is a 2 te and wr set, wr sweep to Robinson and it is swallowed for a short gain, if Nauta kept his block more inside, it could have spring Robinson. Next play is 3 wide pass, complete to Ridley for the first where Fromm again sees pressure from the tackle side (right side this time). Fields in the game again, blown play but Fields gets a moderate gain on the ground to save the play. Next play, a run up the middle to get a moderate gain to bring up 3rd down. Option run, hand off to Swift to get the first down. Fromm is back in the game. RB sweep to get a few more yards. Then followed up but a great run by Herrien and the OLine help to pave the way to a major first down. Fields is back in the game with two wide and 2 te ends. A fumbled exchange but Fields recovers it but takes an extremely hard shot in the process – in a helmet to helmet hit. Fromm back in to let Fields regroup. Another run play and the OLine is taking Tennessee’s dline to the skating rink because they’re rolling them out of the way for Herrien. Third and one with a beautiful spin move by Herrien to save the first down after a blown run block at the line. Herrien runs it again and gets a moderate gain breaking tackles the way in. Next is a pistol formation for UGA and Swift gets it and makes a beautiful cut and hard run to get the soul breaking touchdown to make it 31-12. A massive drive to really tear the heart out of the Tennessee defense.

After the fumble recovery, Georgia takes over around the 30 yard line with fields in the game in a 3 wide, 1 te set. A running play is called and Holyfield had to go back to Fields side where fields throws a great block. The next play is out if the same set, is a QB keeper for a touchdown, looked like a read option with it being the same as the previous play. The score now is 38-12 – the final score of the game.

Kneel down to end the game.

With all this in mind, here is my final opinion on the game. The offensive line and other blocking was a major issue throughout the game. It led to mutliple bad passes by Fromm, blown up plays, and avoidance of the passing game when Fields was in the game. The running lanes loosened when Fields was in the game because of his running threat. As for those wondering why Fields didn’t throw it more – it’s because Kirby doesn’t want to set Fields up for failure in this situation. With the blind side continuously being beat, Smart likely didn’t want to set Fields up to try to pass with blitzers breathing down his neck and risk making freshman mistakes that could rattle his confidence. Not to mention, it likely helped to set up future games with making teams have to game plan for his running ability. The offensive miscues we’re really back breaking at times. WRs missed blocks, WRs sometimes let up on routes or misstepped causing bad timing, TEs missed blocks/chips to help the passing game, and more. The offense wasn’t as clean as it needs to be but it likely will get better. Nothing I saw was uncoachable so far. If the blocking was there, a lot of the plays wouldn’t have been as head scratching. The lack of passing was more a byproduct of the lack of passing protection at the tackle positions. With the injuries up front – it is very likely UGA will lean on it’s running game more in order to avoid risking another sound beating by the hands of defensive ends to their tackles.