Georgia Football: Kirby Smart’s biggest decision yet.

Georgia Football will face the biggest decision of the Kirby Smart era over the next few weeks when they must decide which QB will take them forward.

Related Story: Play of the game vs Miss. State.

How bout them Dawgs? That was fun, wasn’t It? For one night we got to see what Georgia Football was truly capable of. Not what they’re going to be capable of in 2018 or 2019….but what they’re capable of NOW. The 31-3 dismantling of last week’s flavor of the week team the Mississippi State Bulldogs was absolutely amazing. This was a game that many, myself included, thought would be a war due to both teams having stout SEC defenses and good running games. But it wasn’t. It was a massacre.

Georgia dominated this game from the opening kickoff until the end. The offense was balanced and effective on the ground and in the air. Offensive playcalling was near perfect (good job, Chaney). The offensive line had its best performance in years. Special teams were on point with near flawless punt coverage and Rodrigo Blankenship perfect on field goals and extra points (1-1 field goals and 4-4 extra points) and kicking every kickoff into the end zone. The defense gave up 3 points to a team that was averaging over 40. This was the most impressive win this team has put together since maybe 2012.

Freshman Deandre Swift, Deandre Baker, and especially quarterback Jake Fromm were all big contributors to the win. So not only is Georgia good now, we are looking to be good for the next few years. The latest AP poll has the Dawgs sitting at #7 and ready to go into a revenge game against rival Tennessee, a team who seems to have a head coach with one foot out the door and seems to be right for the picking.  Things are good in Athens. But something still looms. Something big.

As I watched the game Saturday…

I noticed the tv camera move from the field to the sideline. There he stood. Jacob Eason, looking like he was within a couple of weeks of returning from injury. He seems to be close to ready to return now,  in fact. The 5-star blue chipper quarterback who was our starter at the beginning of the season. Remember that? It was back when we had 2 healthy 5-star QBs on the roster. While there were already a few of our fans wanting Fromm to get his shot, the majority of us were happy that we were settled at the position. Eason was the clear-cut starter, having a year of SEC experience and a cannon for an arm. This was going to be a breakout year for him.

You all know how this story goes by now. Eason goes down just a few minutes into game 1. Fromm starts warming up. He came in the game and immediately started moving the team downfield against App. State. He was the starter. It wasn’t the way he wanted to get the starting gig, but it was his.

So Fromm wins. 1-0. Goes to Notre Dame in his first official start. 2-0. Takes care of business against Samford. 3-0. And finally, comes out and helps lead an offense that puts up 31 points against a defense that was thought to be one of the best in the conference in Mississippi State this past Saturday. This was his best game of the season (9-12 for 201 yards and 2 TDs, including a beautifully executed flea flicker to Terry Godwin for a TD on the Dawgs’ first offensive play).  4-0.

So what does Coach Smart do now?

The biggest decision of his short tenure as UGA head coach is coming up within the next few weeks. Does he give Eason his job back? I mean, the kid can’t help he got injured, right? He never really had enough time to get in a rhythm against App. State and show how he had progressed as a quarterback in the off-season.  Or does he stick with the hot hand? Fromm is a freshman, and it shows at times. But more oftenthan not, he plays like a seasoned vet. The team responds well to him and he was named the SEC Freshman of the week for his performance. He doesn’t seem shaken to me, and here’s the main thing…….he’s a winner.

I said from the time Eason went out that it was still his job, with an asterisk.  That asterisk was Fromm coming in and playing lights out. Now on paper, he hasn’t necessarily done that. He has a completion percentage of 62.3% and has passed for 650 yards through 4 games. But he’s winning, and he seems to be improving every week.

I know the case for Eason. He has more experience and a better arm. He can make the offense a bigger downfield threat. And if he underperforms when he returns, you can always put Fromm back in. But Fromm is winning. I fully expect Fromm to start again against Tennessee Saturday. If he goes up there, wins, and gets even better in the process, Kirby may be forced to give him the starting job…even when Eason is at 100%.

Before game 1, I didn’t think we would have a quarterback controversy at any point this season.

That was going under the assumption that Eason stayed healthy. When he went down, many assumed that Fromm would play like a freshman and when Eason came back it would still be his job. Fromm has made it a much tougher decision by simply coming out and winning. I think you have to stick with the hot hand. The argument of “If Eason returns and doesn’t play well, you can just put Fromm in” works both ways.

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If Fromm starts struggling, Eason can replace him as well. I don’t see the freshman doing that anytime soon, though. He’s playing good ball. I believe Kirby must stick with the hot hand. Mama always used to say , “If it ain’t broke, don’t fix it”.