ATLANTA — Kirby Smart’s catchy football slogans resonate, and one from this summer is no different.
“Nobody cares.”
ABC sideline reporter Molly McGrath explained early on in Georgia’s 49-3 win over Oregon on Saturday how the slogan “was a message to avoid against complacent and excuses.”
Kirby Smart, whose ingenious offensive and defensive game plans were worthy of his new $112.5 million contract, indicated after the game the message is still in effect.
“Expectations are definitely already in check,” Smart said. “You don’t have to worry about that.”
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Smart has plenty of game film to work with, as Georgia had its fair share of first-game mistakes to harp on and improve.
But there were far more encouraging signs that this reloaded Bulldogs’ team is capable of winning another national championship:
The Muschamp Effect
You wonder if Smart turned to Muschamp and said, “Will, you’ve been in Dan’s shoes facing us, how would you attack our base defense and personnel?”
To be clear, UGA self-scouts regularly and Co-DC Glenn Schumann is a smart, young protege. But in Muschamp, Smart has an equal in the sense of a defensive guru who has seen and done it all from a schematic standpoint.
The twist is Muschamp also faced Smart enough to offer the sort of rare and unique insight that could lead to Saturday’s sharp game plan.
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Just how did Oregon out-rush Georgia, avoid any sacks, and yet fail to get into the end zone with one of the most athletic, capable and experienced quarterbacks in college football?
Talent played a role, but the “buzz” defensive play call on Christopher Smith’s interception was not lost on Lanning, and Bo Nix provided glowing praise.
“I’ve seen a lot of those looks, they’re just really good,” he said. “Really good at the point of attack, really good at playing the ball and really good at tackling.”
The defensive fronts kept a veteran Oregon offensive line — the strength of the Ducks’ team — off balance throughout the game.
“They were trying to mix up the fronts a bit, gave us some exotic looks,” Oregon cent Alex Forsyth said. “They’re a really great team, really talented, played really hard, played smart, and they were really talented up front.”
Offensive chess master
Third-year offensive coordinator Todd Monken is settled in and knows his pieces well, as evidenced by a brilliant game plan that effectively took what Oregon was giving.
Lanning wants to take away the interior run game that sets up play-action passes and disrupt Brock Bowers with extra attention?
No problem, Monken used high-percentage perimeter passes as long handoffs to accomplish some of the same things and deployed explosive open-field weapons Kenny McIntosh (14 touches, 135 yards, TD) and Ladd McConkey (8-89, 2 TDs) on the Ducks.
Georgia converted its first nine third down conversion attempts and became the first SEC team to score on its first seven drives of a game in four years.
The drives were not gimmes, Oregon made the Bulldogs work for the points on TD drives of:
• 12 plays, 85 yards
• 7 plays, 92 yards
• 6 plays, 56 yards
• 8 plays, 75 yards
• 6 plays, 64 yards
• 9 plays, 75 yards
• 9 plays, 89 yards
The X-Factor, matchup nightmare
Darnell Washington is a problem for defenses, and there’s no real solution when the 6-foot-7, 275-pound tight end is healthy.
Washington’s 2 catches for 33 yards don’t tell the story, as his ability to line up as a blocker or split out wide creates headaches for defensive coordinators.
Beyond that, Washington’s raw power and skill are daunting.
One moment, Washington exhibits that with the ball in his hands, running through and then over Oregon linebacker Jeffrey Bassa on a quick perimeter pass play that gained 25 yards.
Then there are times when Washington is lined up tight, a prototypical blocker, bullying the defenders across from him to open up run lanes.
Of course, Smart and the coaching staff will remind their players that ultimately “nobody cares” about Week One so much as the end result.
It’s a long season, but early indications are that Smart has the staff and the talent for another historic finish.
