Kirby Smart hitting his stride with this whole offensive coordinator thing

Whether you’re referring to his stout Alabama defenses of the early 2010s or his versatile Georgia defenses of the last few years, the name Kirby Smart has become synonymous with dominant defenses. 

Smart’s done nearly everything that a head coach can do to elevate his program to the top of college football. His critics still point to a lack of a high-powered offense and elite level of quarterback play.

Let’s take a look at the transitions of the Georgia offense in the Kirby Smart era and what may be next in store for the Dawgs.

Kirby Smart’s OG OC: Jim Chaney

Despite a rough 2016 campaign, Chaney’s offense dominated SEC defenses in the 2017 and 2018 seasons as the former Tennessee offensive coordinator played a significant role in Georgia’s success.

Through the Smart era, the Bulldogs never ran the ball more than under the command of Chaney. In 2017, the Bulldogs ran the ball on 68.8% of all offensive snaps (the highest rate of the Smart era), and in 2018, the Bulldogs passed the ball significantly more but still ran the ball on 61.3% of their snaps (the second-highest rate of the Smart era).

While Georgia found plenty of success with the ground game in the Chaney era, the Bulldogs’ game logs from the ‘17 & ‘18 seasons show that they had a 1-4 record when throwing the ball more than 30 times in a game. Their only win with more than 30 attempts came against the Vanderbilt defense in 2018, a game in which the Dawgs still ran for 219 yards and two touchdowns.

So what does this mean? Well, while Chaney’s run-first offense was dominant and could outmatch most teams in the trenches, the Bulldogs’ passing attack struggled when they could not establish the ground game.

Georgia football’s offensive identity takes a step back under James Coley

Well, that’s a name you probably haven’t heard in a while. Coley’s one-year stint as offensive coordinator of the Dawgs in 2019 wasn’t too memorable for Georgia fans. A 12-2 record and a Sugar Bowl victory are nothing to shake a stick at, but the Bulldogs’ offense struggled to put points on the board despite all-world talent at the offensive line position.

Looking at the statistics of the entire season, it appears that Georgia had a balanced offense with 29.6 pass attempts and 37.1 run attempts per game. However, the stats don’t always tell the whole story. In Georgia’s two losses in 2019, the Bulldogs threw the ball an average of 47.5 times (17.9 more times than the season average) and ran the ball an average of 34 times per game (3.1 more times than the season average).

The Dawgs are rolling now with Todd Monken

Finally, we come to the Dawgs’ current offensive coordinator, Todd Monken. While the former NFL offensive coordinator exceeded expectations in his second season, the Georgia offense had a rough first season under his command.

Maybe it was the all-SEC schedule. Maybe it was the COVID-filled offseason. But Georgia football’s offense looked unrecognizable in 2020. The Dawgs passed 30.6 times per game (most in the Smart era), for 4.6 yards per run (lowest of the Smart era), and running the ball on 55.2% of all offensive snaps (lowest of the Smart era)

Considering the statistics and several game logs from the season, Georgia’s 2020 season on offense had much more to do with an inability to run the ball than an inability to pass.

For example, any time that Georgia passed more than 30 times in a single game either resulted in a loss (at Alabama) or an average of less than three yards per carry (at Arkansas, vs Mississippi State, and vs Cincinnati).

However, in 2021, the Georgia offense saw a major improvement in the running game and offensive balance. In the six occasions the Bulldogs threw the ball at least 30 times, Georgia averaged 5.2 yards per carry through these contests — just 0.1 yards short of their season average.

So, what does it mean for Georgia’s offense in 2022?

The success of the 2021 Georgia Bulldogs proved not only that defense can win championships in the modern era of college football. It also proved that Georgia can run a dynamic and balanced offense.

The last season that the Bulldogs recorded more pass attempts than run attempts was 1994 when Eric Zeier, Terrell Davis, and Hines Ward made up the Georgia offense. While Georgia does not need to have an elite pass attack in order to win a championship, a balanced offense can only be successful when the passing game can make up for a stagnant run game.

Thankfully, Georgia fans may have found the solution to their problems in Todd Monken.

Are you all in on Georgia?

Ready to get all your latest Georgia recruiting and team news in one place as Kirby Smart and company gear up for 2022? Become a member of DawgsHQ today. With your DawgsHQ membership, you’ll not only have access to the goings on in Athens, but you’ll be able to peruse other fan sites within the On3 network to hear just how rivals are feeling about the Dawgs, as well. Make sure to follow along on Twitter (@DawgsHQ), on Facebook and on YouTube for all the Dawg news you need now! And listen to the DawgsHQ crew on our podcast Dawg Walk Talk on Spotify and Apple Podcasts.