Georgia football: Worried about a QB controversy? History is on UGA’s side

Georgia football is blessed with the issue of having two great quarterback’s on the roster for 2018. How well can the Bulldogs manage that issue?

For the second year in a row now, Georgia football enters a season with two top-notch quarterback’s on the roster. The incumbent Jake Fromm was the no. 3 quarterback in America in the 2017 recruiting class. Newcomer Justin Fields was the no. 2 quarterback in this past year’s class.

Both quarterbacks are known for good arms and leadership. But both also have their differences. Fromm is a pocket passer who can run well during desperate moments. Fields is a mobile quarterback who teams will fear when he takes off.

Kirby Smart has indicated that both are competing for the starting quarterback job and it’s clear that both will get their shots during the season. But how well will that mesh with Georgia’s championship goals? We’ve seen dual quarterback system’s and unresolved quarterback controversies ruin many team’s championship runs in the past.

However, down in Athens, history seems to be on Georgia’s side when it comes to using two quarterbacks. if that trend continues in 2018, Georgia fans might not have anything to worry about in the Fromm versus Fields battle.

The last time we saw anything like a dual quarterback system in Athens was 2002 and early 2003. Jim Donnan signee David Green clashed with Mark Richt follower D.J. Shockley. But Richt found a way to appease both. Greene played two series and then Shockley came in for one after that.

Greene was the man at QB with his methodical, precision passing and his fatal play action fakes. When Greene was at his best, there was no defense for him. But Shockley’s scrambling gave defenses something else to contend with and made Georgia’s offense harder to stop.

That combination worked as in 16 games together, Georgia’s record was 14-2. There were moments where it didn’t work, like in 2002 when Shockley threw a pic-six against Florida in a game the Dawgs lost 21-14. Or in 2004 when Shockley scored Georgia’s only touchdown early against Tennessee and fans booed David Greene when he kept playing instead of Shockley.

But overall, the duo produced a SEC Championship, two SEC East Championships and 34 wins in three years. Georgia’s offense didn’t have as many weapons in 2003 and 2004 as they have in 2018 either.

The last time a quarterback controversy had a crop of weapons around them like the 2018 squad will was 1976. That year, Ray Goff ran Georgia’s veer offense with Kevin McLee and Al Pollard in the backfield. Matt Robinson handled most of the passing duties.

The two combined for 1,639 yards of Georgia’s offense and together they led the Bulldogs to the SEC Championship. The team ran into the nation’s best team Pittsburgh in the Sugar Bowl and the Dawgs didn’t have an answer for Heisman winner Tony Dorsett. If Georgia had found a way to beat Pitt, they may have jumped up to no. 1 in the nation.

The earliest case of a quarterback controversy-gone-right at Georgia was 1959. Senior Charley Bitt started every game that season, but Fran Tarkenton earned a lot of playing time and even had more pass attempts than Britt. Together they led Georgia to a 10-1 season and a SEC Championship.

A week-three loss to a no. 16 South Carolina team on the road was the 59′ team’s only blemish. Somehow, the AP Poll had Georgia ranked no. 5 at the end of the regular season behind two SEC team’s that had losses and didn’t win the SEC.

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Clearly, in these three cases, history is on Georgia’s side for dealing with competitive quarterback battles. Hopefully that’s a good sign for this season as Jake Fromm competes with Justin Fields for starting quarterback and playing time this season. Maybe, like coaches Wally Butts, Vince Dooley and Mark Richt before him, Kirby Smart can find a way to manage having two great quarterbacks and bring home another championship to Athens.