Georgia’s Offense Has Found Its Identity - And It’s Built to Finish
ATHENS - Georgia had no shortage of talent on last year’s roster. Four starting offensive linemen are now in the NFL.
The team’s top rusher and leading receiver both went in the fourth round of the draft. And Carson Beck, last season’s starting quarterback, is now steering a different program into the College Football Playoff.
But if you’ve been watching Georgia this year, the difference between last season’s offense and this one is hard to miss. This group doesn’t just look different - it feels different.
A big part of that shift starts with offensive coordinator Mike Bobo. After returning to play-calling duties last year, Bobo has brought a renewed physicality and clarity to Georgia’s offensive identity. And it shows - especially when the game gets tight.
“It makes you tough, not just physically, but mentally,” Bobo said recently. “Coach Smart’s teams don’t flinch in adversity.
Whether it’s the season opener or the fourth quarter against Ole Miss, we don’t look at the scoreboard. We just say, ‘Put the ball down,’ and go make the next play.”
That mindset has become the backbone of Georgia’s offensive resurgence. The most obvious change?
A recommitment to the run game. Last year, Georgia ranked 15th in the SEC in rushing.
This year, they’ve climbed all the way to third. That’s not a minor adjustment - that’s a philosophical shift.
A big part of that has come from quarterback Gunner Stockton, whose mobility has added a new wrinkle to the offense. Unlike Beck, Stockton’s legs are a real threat, and that’s opened up the playbook in ways we didn’t see last season.
But it’s not just about Stockton. Running back Nate Frazier has taken a leap forward - and then some. He’s already topped his numbers from last year and is closing in on a milestone that hasn’t been touched in Athens since D’Andre Swift: a 1,000-yard season.
“I feel like week by week, we’ve just gotten more connected,” Frazier said. “We know what we need to do to win. There’s a rhythm now - a flow - and we’re all in sync.”
That connection has paid off in the passing game too. While Georgia’s aerial attack may not be as statistically explosive as last season, it’s been more efficient and far less mistake-prone.
Stockton has thrown just five interceptions this year - a big drop from the 12 Beck tossed a season ago. And the drop issues that plagued last year’s receiving corps?
Largely cleaned up.
One major addition that’s helped: Zachariah Branch. The USC transfer has been electric in the screen game, turning short passes into chunk plays and giving this offense a reliable way to stay on schedule. He’s just four catches away from setting Georgia’s single-season receptions record - and he’s done it with style.
Branch has also been a big fan of Bobo’s system.
“He’s got a lot of great plays every week,” Branch said. “But it’s on us to execute.
He can draw up the perfect call, but if we don’t do our job, it doesn’t matter. That’s what we’ve really locked in on - the details.”
And those details matter, especially when you consider what this offense has had to overcome. Georgia’s offensive line has been a patchwork unit for much of the year, forced to start six different combinations in the first six games due to injuries.
That kind of instability would derail most teams. Georgia just kept pushing forward.
Now, let’s be clear - this isn’t the most explosive offense in the country. The Bulldogs rank 31st in points per game and 64th in yards per play.
But where they do shine is in the moments that matter most. Georgia ranks second nationally in red zone touchdown percentage and leads the country in fourth-down conversions, converting 76% of their chances.
Translation: when it’s time to finish, this team delivers.
That trust - between players and coaches - is the engine behind it all.
“He trusts his players, and we trust him,” tight end Oscar Delp said. “When you’ve got the kind of talent we have, it makes it possible to call plays with confidence and execute them at a high level.”
Now, with the College Football Playoff on the horizon, Georgia has its eyes on something bigger. For all of Bobo’s success - and he’s now a three-time Broyles Award finalist - he’s never been the play caller for a national championship-winning team.
Last year’s playoff run ended in New Orleans, undone in part by missed opportunities in the red zone. This year’s group has learned from that.
They’ve evolved. They’ve grown tougher.
And they’ve developed a mindset that’s all about finishing.
“The players do a great job executing,” Bobo said. “That’s the most satisfying part - working with a great group of guys who care.
We’ve had an outstanding season to this point. But we’ve got to finish.
That’s our mindset right now.”
And if this Georgia offense continues to play the way it has - tough, connected, and clutch - they just might do exactly that.