As most of you know, Mike Bobo is beginning his second stint as the offensive coordinator for The University of Georgia after spending 2022 as an offensive analyst. Following Todd Monken’s departure for the NFL, Bobo will take the reins of the offense for the first time since 2014.

            Just so everyone is up to date with Coach Bobo’s whereabouts throughout his career:

·         1999 – UGA (Graduate Assistant)

·         2000 – Jacksonville State (QB Coach)

·         2001-2006 – UGA (QB Coach)

·         2007-2014 – UGA (Offensive Coordinator)

·         2015-2019 – Colorado State (Head Coach)

·         2020 – South Carolina (OC/QB Coach) *Interim HC

·         2021 – Auburn (OC/QB Coach)

·         2022 – UGA (Offensive Analyst)

·         2023-Present – UGA (OC)

In the 2022-2023 season, we saw the Bulldog offense reach new heights after finishing in the top ten nationally for the first time in the Kirby Smart era (2016-present). Georgia racked up 501.1 YPG, which was good for 5^th in the nation. Stetson Bennett finished with 275.1 passing YPG (4,127 in 15 games). 4,127 yards also gave Stetson the most passing yards in a single season for any Bulldog all-time, along with Bennett now being 4^th in school history for career passing yards and 5^th in career passing touchdowns. Brock Bowers had 63 catches (2^nd most in a season for UGA) and 942 yards (5^th most in a season for UGA). Other offensive rankings/stats for the ’22 squad include:

·         41.1 PPG (5^th Nationally)

·         205.3 Rushing YPG (19^th Nationally)

·         51.1% 3^rd Down Conversion (5^th Nationally)

·         86.7 % 4^th Down Conversion (1^st Nationally)

·         94.3 PFF Team Offensive Grade (2^nd Nationally)

Now that we know how special the ’22 offense was under OC Todd Monken, what can we expect from Mike Bobo? I went through several stats/indicators of performance from Bobo’s past to see how he did while at Georgia and in his ensuing years at other schools.

A note to begin with: Georgia saw an immediate bump in offensive production in 2007, coming up from only 23.3 PPG in 2006. Mike Bobo’s first game as the OC at Georgia was actually the 2006 Chick-Fil-A Bowl, after taking over play-calling duties during bowl practices. Georgia scored 28 points in the second half due to adjustments from Bobo and came back from a 21-3 halftime deficit to defeat #14 Virgina Tech in Matthew Stafford’s freshman year.

Excluding 2022, Bobo led offenses have finished an average of 46^th in the country, scoring 30.5 PPG. On the surface, those numbers do not sound enticing, but Mike Bobo led some of the most dynamic passing attacks in the Mark Richt era. Aaron Murray became the SEC leader for career yardage and set a then UGA single season record for passing yards (3,893 in 2012). In 2014, when the Dawgs finished 8^th in the country offensively, Hutson Mason was the play caller and was accompanied by the famous RB trio of Chubb, Gurley, and Michel. Those averages for Bobo led offenses also include several years of underwhelming Colorado State squads that may not have scored many points but had several proficient years according to PFF metrics.

To point out the obvious, Coach Bobo has dealt with fluctuating levels of player talent at each school he’s been at. Here’s a breakdown of team talent rankings and PFF grades for offense and defense since his departure from Georgia in 2014:

            Unfortunately, PFF data only ranges back to 2014, so I cannot utilize any grades for Bobo at Georgia from 2007-2014. From 2015-2021, the best defense Bobo had to work with, according to PFF, was Auburn in 2021 and Colorado State in 2015. Both of those defensive grades, 82.5 and 82.0 respectively, would’ve ranked outside of the top 50 in 2022. What these grades are telling us is that Mike Bobo has rarely, if ever, gotten elite play on the defensive side of the ball to compliment his offenses. Georgia’s scoring defense rankings from 2007-2014 were 18^th, 58^th, 63^rd, 36^th, 23^rd, 18^th, 89^th, and 16^th. Comparatively, Georgia has finished outside of the T-25 in PPGa one time since Kirby Smart took over, and it was his first season in 2016. The Bulldogs have finished in the top ten in PPGa four times since 2016. Football is the ultimate complimentary game. Offenses can win you ten games and PAC12 (PAC4?) championships. Defenses can keep you competitive against top teams and help you win a lot of games. To win a national championship… that takes elite play in all three phases of the game. A great defense means better field position for the offense, rarely having to play from behind, turnovers, etc. In summary, Georgia’s 2023 defense will make Mike Bobo’s job as offensive coordinator easier than it ever has been.

            Outside of playing opposite a phenomenal defensive squad, Bobo also now has weapons at his disposal that put the Georgia pass catcher rooms of old to shame. I think that everyone reading this understands what Brock Bowers is capable of. Outside of one of the best players in CFB, Georgia nabbed the #9 player (#3 WR) in this year’s transfer portal class, Dominic Lovett, along with Mississippi State standout, Rara Thomas. The Dawgs also return Ladd McConkey, Arian Smith, Dillon Bell, Jackson Meeks, and Marcus Rosemy-Jacksaint, with 1,862 combined snaps played in 2022. There is a distinct lack of pass catching ability out of the backfield after the departure of Kenny McIntosh; however, with the additions of Tyler Williams, Anthony Evans, Yazeed Haynes, Lawson Luckie, and Pearce Spurlin, this should be the most talented pass catching room that Georgia has seen under Kirby Smart.

             There will undoubtedly be minor shifts in Monken’s system to Bobo’s. While I don’t believe that you’re going to see a lot of the Power I, I would expect a shift back to a more pro-style offense. With Bowers, Delp, and the surging Lawson Luckie at tight end, the 12 &13 Personnel will likely still be a large part of Bobo’s scheme. The running back room lacks a proficient receiving back, but it has more than enough power to be able to run the ball often out of under center sets. I would expect shades of the 2012 Georgia offense for this upcoming year. In 2012, Georgia averaged 28.5 pass attempts per game (285.1 YPG) and 37.5 rushing attempts per game (182.6 YPG). Neither Todd Gurley nor Keith Marshall were major threats in the passing game, but that offense featured plenty of capable receivers to spread the ball around to. I will also say that the pass attempts to rush attempts ratio will be a little more balanced this year than in 2012; although, the Bulldog O-Line should be outstanding this year. Four out of five starters from the 2022 line return this year, and that group will likely compete for a Joe Moore Award. The Oline talent is another testament to what Bobo now has to work with/ can do offensively.

            Outside of being a more than capable play-caller, Mike Bobo has always been an elite recruiter. I believe that Todd Monken has always been an NFL oriented coach with brief stints in college. Bobo, however, has been around college football all of his career, not even mentioning that Bobo is a UGA Football alumni. Mike Bobo was imperative in landing Dylan Raiola in this current cycle, and Mike has a great track record of bringing top offensive talent to Athens.

To close us out, here are some of the top prospects from recent history where Mike Bobo was listed as one of the main recruiters and hopefully indicators of what is to come:

·         5* QB Dylan Raiola

·         5* QB Matthew Stafford

·         5* RB Sony Michel

·         5* QB Aaron Murray

·         5* ATH Terry Godwin

·         5* WR Marlon Brown

·         5* RB Nick Chubb