Georgia football Smart vision revealed in Lexington

Kirby Smart could see his Georgia football vision from day one. Georgia football fans saw it for themselves Saturday.

In a one-on-one match up for the SEC East title, Georgia football head coach Kirby Smart’s vision for Georgia football came into focus.

The Bulldogs took the field against a veteran Kentucky football team to play for a trip to Atlanta with 68% of its team sophomores and freshman. That makes this Georgia football team the youngest in the SEC and 15th youngest in the nation.

These youngsters are the players Kirby Smart brought to Athens. It may very well be the deepest and most talented group of first and second year players in the country.

Georgia football stacking talent

If you don’t have your Rodrigo Blankenship specs on let me describe it to you. Talent on top of talent. Then more talent. Then go get some more talent. Then do it again. Put this talent on the practice field and ask the same question every day. “Who wants to play?”

Georgia started only one senior against Kentucky on offense, center Lamont Gaillard. Gaillard was lost to injury on the first offensive series and replaced by freshman Trey Hill. Freshman starter Cade Mays – starting for injured guard Brian Cleveland – was lost in the second half. Georgia still pounded the seventh ranked Wildcat defense for 444 yards and 34 points .

If not for two turnovers credited to the group of sophomore Jake Fromm, freshman center Trey Hill, and sophomore D’Andre Swift, the Dawgs would have surely tallied over 40 points.

Youth verses talent

You get mistakes when you play youngsters, but the talent Georgia amassed the last two recruiting seasons along with the support provided by a massive staff, allowed the Dawgs to cruise to victory over the best Kentucky football team in nearly 50 years.

The matchup between a Georgia offensive line of freshman and sophomores against Kentucky defensive end Josh Allen exemplifies the elevation of the Georgia program.

Playing two backups and no juniors and seniors, the Georgia football kiddie-corp held SEC sack leader Allen to no sacks and three tackles, less than half his average for the year, and Georgia left tackle sophomore Andrew Thomas garnered SEC offensive lineman of the week honors. Georgia sophomore tailback D’ Andre Swift, not Kentucky’s SEC rushing leader junior Benny Snell, was named offensive player of the week.

Embracing youth

Rarely is youth an asset for a football team, but the Georgia defense has embraced it as well.

Kirby Smart put it in perspective for Dawgnation’s Mike Griffeth.

“I was sitting in a meeting last night and I’m sitting there thinking Mel (Tucker) is going to call out three guys in what we call signal callers,” said Smart this week. “Jordan Davis stands up and goes over short yardage goal line. (Outside linebacker) Brenton Cox stands up and goes over the pass rush plan. (Cornerback) Tyson Campbell stands up and goes over the tricks and gimmicks and I’m about to have a heart attack back there with these three guys.”

You can understand the defensive minded Smart’s angst. All three are freshman.

That’s the Georgia football team in 2018 – young and talented.

The talent is beginning to supersede the youth, and the Georgia football faithful can now see the Smart vision for Georgia football.