Georgia Football: Jake Fromm-Justin Fields Is The Song That Never Ends

When Justin Fields and Jake Fromm locked horns in the 2018 battle to be QB1 for Georgia football, Jim Chaney occupied the booth as the Dawgs offensive coordinator.

Of all the factors that contributed to Jake Fromm being the Georgia signal-caller during the 2018 season, Chaney being the offensive coordinator may be the most important, yet undercited factor in the entire equation.

Think an offensive coordinator is inconsequential in this discussion? Ask Georgia fans about Brian Schottenheimer and then take a seat. Just make sure your drink has a fresh pour beforehand.

Chaney rose to prominence during his time at Purdue with Joe Tiller and future Saints legend Drew Brees, running a spread offense later termed “basketball on grass” for its fast-break style and verticality.

After a stint in the NFL with the Rams, he went on to have success utilizing the same spread concepts as the offensive coordinator Tennessee from 2009-2012.

No doubt innovative, Chaney’s spread offenses were not the zone-read spreads that rose to prominence by the time Fromm and Fields competed for the quarterback job at Georgia.

Let’s look at the list of quarterbacks that found success while Chaney held the play-call sheet at Purdue and Tennessee: Drew Brees, Kyle Orton, Curtis Painter, Matt Simms, Justin Worley, and Tyler Bray. That list doesn’t exactly scream – “ability to make plays with arm and legs”.

Jake Fromm spent his prep career playing for Von Lassiter and the Houston County Bears, running a pocket-based spread offense akin to the one employed by Jim Chaney throughout his career.

For a guy who ended up playing his entire true freshman season at Georgia, Fromm couldn’t have walked in to a much easier transition from a scheme perspective.

The results of the 2017 season reflect that seamless transition. Fromm led Georgia to an 11-1 regular season with a nationally televised road win over Notre Dame and a coveted victory in the World’s Largest Outdoor Cocktail Party.

His magical freshman campaign ended with an SEC title, a thrilling Rose Bowl victory over Oklahoma in the CFP semis, and an appearance in the Game That Shall Not Be Named.

Fromm equipped himself well, completing 62% of his passes en route to throwing for 2,600 yards. Probably most importantly, he protected the football, throwing 26 touchdowns and only seven interceptions.