ATHENS — Georgia football is 5-0, just like a season ago, but the Bulldogs’ offense doesn’t appear as consistent or settled to anyone inside or outside the locker room.
The difference from last year to this year?
“I think right now we’re still trying to find our identity on the offensive side of the ball,” Georgia offensive lineman Andrew Thomas said Monday, “and that’s the only difference.”
The Bulldogs are ranked No. 2 coming off a 38-12 home win over Tennessee, whereas last season Georgia at this point was ranked No. 5 at 5-0, coming off a 41-0 road win against the Vols.
The offensive identity Thomas referred to has evolved into a two-quarterback system, and Smart said he’ll use whoever is moving the ball best, and Jake Fromm and Justin Fields know that.
RELATED: Plan is to still play two quarterbacks for No. 2 Georgia
“What do great competitors want? Number one, they want to win, (and) number two, they want to do well,” Smart said. “But when you’re in a team format, sometimes doing well may mean the combination of those two guys, and Jake continues to improve and do good things, and so does Justin.”
RELATED: Georgia offense can’t tolerate slow starts much longer
Smart said Georgia isn’t where it needs to be yet with Vanderbilt coming to Sanford Stadium for a 7:30 p.m. kickoff (TV: SEC Network, RADIO WSB 95.5 FM, 750 AM).
Smart indicated the Bulldogs’ offensive plan of attack, and therefor quarterback of choice, will be determined by how the Commodores’ and other future opponents line up on defense.
“We don’t know how they will play us, what front they are going to play us in, what pressures they are going to run,” Smart said, explaining why Georgia doesn’t have a set rotation at quarterback, “so a lot of that is determined in game.”
A lot is also determined between games, with the Bulldogs’ practices as game-like as possible.
“We are a work in progress, we’re a child trying to learn to walk and run and sprint, and we’re not sprinting, I don’t know if we’re jogging yet, I don’t know where we’re at on the continuum,” Smart said. “”But we’ve got to improve.
“We had those same concerns in some areas last year, t’s just a different team, different spots, and we have to continue to work to get better.”
Georgia lost NFL backs Nick Chubb and Sony Michel off last season’s team, along with leading receiver Javon Wims.
The Bulldogs 15th in the nation in scoring offense with 44.5 points per game, and 34th in total offense, with 470.2 yards per game.
Georgia football OL Andrew Thomas
Georgia-Tennessee football game
• Bulldogs players weigh in on quarterback rotation
• Georgia football report card for Tennessee game
• Is Georgia football meeting its standard?
• WATCH: Emotional Jeremy Pruitt ‘they know they were in a football game’
• WATCH: Jake Fromm talks about swapping snaps with Justin Fields
• 3 Takeaways: Kirby Smart has ‘no plan’ for quarterback rotation
