Kirby Smart praises elusiveness of Bo Nix after failing to record sack

Bo Nix had a rough debut in his opener with the Oregon Ducks. The Georgia Bulldog’s defense gave him and the Duck’s offense fits in different facets of the game. That’s what earned them the 49-3 victory in the Chick-fil-A Kickoff Game last weekend. However, Kirby Smart did praise Nix in one aspect of his performance last Saturday.

Smart spoke about Nix’s mobility to avoid the pass rush during media after the game. He realized his defense wasn’t able to record a single sack and credited that to Nix’s awareness, speed, and movement.

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“I don’t think we had any sacks. It’s hard to sack Bo Nix. He’s smart, he knows where to go with the ball. They’re playing on third downs and throwing the ball before you got there. We had some pressures called and it doesn’t matter if you throw the ball in 2.1 seconds,” said Smart. “He’s hard to get on the ground. He probably got out of three or four sacks.”

Nix finished his first game as the Duck’s QB1 with a stat line of just 173 yards on 56.8% completion and two picks. However, he was able to stay upright for the duration of the game against a stout defensive line for Georgia.

Smart believes Nix and Bulldog QB Stetson Bennett have similar skills in what makes a great college quarterback. It’s not just their arm and leg talent that makes them special. It’s their elusive nature in the pocket paired with the mindset of being willing to lose the battle if it means winning the war when it comes to a specific down.

“(Bennett) got out of three or four sacks too. That’s the difference in college football right now,” Smart said. “Not having those negative, loss of yards plays. You just throw it away and you go win the next play.”

Nix’s ability to evade defenders did little good on the scoreboard in Oregon’s opener. Still, it’s a skill that will pay off for him as he continues in football. He likely won’t play a defense that is anywhere near as difficult to play against as Kirby Smart’s the rest of 2022. With that in mind, it will be a skill that should continue to serve him well heading into their next game against Eastern Washington as well as their Pac-12 schedule.