Profiles in hope: Todd Gurley

I'm not saying I'm over Depressive Tyler, but I did some thoughtful reflection on the offensive changes we've seen this off season:

• No full back listed on the depth chart.
• Implementing the Hback.
• The way the offensive line is coming together.

And I think we have retooled the offense to focus on leveraging Todd Gurley's abilities. Think what we did in the overtimes against Georgia Tech. Gurley, Gurley, Gurley TD. Gurley TD. We did it out of several looks, including some spread packages.

The 25 yard TD run to seal the win was out of the pistol, with Chris Burnette pulling to seal the lane for Gurley.

(Image: Jim Hipple)

Why did that work? Because 41 of Georgia's 70 plays to that point were pass plays, including 25+  times in the second half.. It was the smart money after Gurley had gotten the ball three straight times in the first overtime possession that Bobo would call a play action. But he didn't, and Georgia won.

Georgia won because it found getting the ball in the hands of their best player, the best player on the field, was a winning play. 

What does that mean for 2014 Georgia football? I think we'll see the return of the David Greene pass game, with plenty of short to medium zone floods and misdirection plays to get guys open underneath. Hutson Mason has the ability to run that passing game, especially if the offensive line is in the place we keep hearing they are (granting we heard the same last year). We have the receivers in Conley and Bennett to run the middle cross and side line fades. Mason has worked with Mike Bobo for five years now, and Bobo is one of the best at developing QBs and finding ways to help them succeed.

Which gets me back to Todd Gurley.

In 2009, we had Joe Cox as our QB. We had Washaun Ealey, Richard Samuel, and Caleb King as our three headed rushing attack. I think we have four or five RBs on our team now that would start over all three of them, provided 2014 Richt, instead of Fair Bryant, is the HC.  I believe Hutson Mason is better than Joe Cox. But most importantly, I believe Todd Gurley is a difference maker, both from a performance standpoint, and what defenses have to do to adjust to his ability running and catching the ball.

Which leads me to my prior observation about Mason and how our passing offense will look like it did when David Greene was playing. Give David Greene Huston Mason's Offensive Coordinator and Todd Gurley. Do you think things would have turned out a bit differently in 2004? 

I do.

TD

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