3 Reasons Georgia's Offensive Struggles Aren't Entirely Jake Fromm's Fault
By Mark Powell
Jake Fromm has been on the wrong side of Georgia fan outrage this season. The Bulldogs failed to reach the College Football Playoff in part because of their offensive ineptitude, but while such faults typically begin with the quarterback, Fromm has actually been wrongly blamed for such failures. Let's identify the three biggest reasons for the Dawgs' offensive difficulties that have nothing to do with the QB.
3. James Coley
After losing Jim Chaney to Tennessee, Georgia installed a new offense under James Coley, but the transition has been a turbulent one. Despite putting up modest numbers against the bottom of the SEC, they scored no more than 24 points against any ranked opponent.
2. Young Receivers
Two of Fromm's top four targets, including former 5-star freshman George Pickens, are first-year players. While that doesn't make them ineffective, it does mean there will be some bumps in the road. Pickens' and Dominick Blaylock's route-running and maturity were in question at various points in the season, including when the former was suspended for the first half of the SEC Championship against LSU for nearly starting a brawl against Georgia Tech.
1. Reliance on Run Game
If you had D'Andre Swift, he'd be the focal point of your offense, too. Unfortunately for Fromm, this leads to difficulty, as defenses often load the box to take away Georgia's greatest weapon. With an overwhelmed offensive line, an inexperienced receiving corps and an offensive coordinator who's failed the Dawgs game in and game out, expecting Fromm to magically deliver a competent passing game despite all those flaws is simply ridiculous.