Daily briefing: On Sam Hartman, Bo Nix vs. Georgia and time of possession

Ivan Maisel’s “Daily Briefing” for On3:

Wake Forest QB Sam Hartman set to return

Wake Forest quarterback Sam Hartman is nothing if not exciting to watch. He can throw and he can move around, and the Demon Deacons scored at least 35 points in 17 of 23 games over the past two seasons. It’s great news that he has been cleared to play Saturday against Vanderbilt after blood clot surgery four weeks ago. Now, to see if can move from very good to great. He threw for 4,228 yards last season with a 39/14 touchdown/pick ratio. In four years, Hartman has yet to reach a 60 percent completion percentage. That’s what fifth years are for, right? Settle in, slow the game down, not force plays where none exist. And now Hartman has the gift of a fifth year nearly taken from him by a medical scare. Can’t wait to find out how he responds.

Bo knows grief against Georgia

Barring some unforeseen events, it’s my pleasure to report to the Nix family that your quarterback Bo won’t have to line up against Georgia again. Bo Nix has started against Georgia three times for Auburn and once for Oregon. In those four games, Nix has thrown four interceptions and one touchdown, the latter in the fourth quarter of his freshman year, 127 passes ago. He has been sacked nine times. Average yards per attempt: 4.9. Average yards per attempt vs. everyone else: 7.1. Record as a starter vs. Georgia: 0-4 (losses by 7, 21, 24 and 46 points). Record as a starter vs. everyone else: 21-10. It’s probably a good thing the Ducks played the No. 3 Dawgs in the opener. Nix can put the game – and Georgia – behind him.

Hey, a defensive coach says TOP does matter

Time of possession fell out of favor in the up-tempo spread era. When UCLA coach Chip Kelly worked at Oregon, he used to mock TOP; in his four seasons with the Ducks, their average never reached 28:00 per game. But Washington defensive coordinator William Inge went old-school Monday, saying the Huskies’ defense pays attention to the stat. “Whenever you can keep your offense on the football field and watch them win the time-of-possession game, that is one of the beauties that we love in this system,” Inge said. The Huskies limited Kent State to 27:21 of possession (on 68 plays) in a 45-20 victory. A year ago, Inge’s Fresno State defense limited Kelly’s Bruins to 19:40 of possession in a 40-37 upset. That may prove Kelly’s point – UCLA scored 37 points in less than 20 minutes. But even Kelly may be coming around. His four Oregon teams averaged 26:46; his four UCLA teams, 29:08. The Bruins held the ball for 34:48 last Saturday in a 45-17 rout of Bowling Green.