ATHENS — Mike Bobo is all about results, and the 27-8 win over Florida represented success in what Bobo considers a “results business.”
The No. 2-ranked Bulldogs look to take another step toward defending their SEC title and securing a College Football Playoff berth when they play No. 12 Ole Miss at 7:30 p.m. Saturday.
Bobo’s UGA offense leads the SEC in scoring (41 points per game) and passing efficiency (171.46 rating), and is second in the league in third-down conversion rate (51.6%) and third in rushing (200.1 yards per game).
Statistics, however, can sometimes be circumstantial, and that was the case for Georgia in at least two games, when the defense forced turnovers that led to a 28-0 halftime lead against Oklahoma and a 24-0 lead against Florida.
It didn’t take an expert to figure out that the only way the Bulldogs could lose games with significant leads of this nature would be to turn the ball over, hence more conservative game plans for the second half in both contests.
Against Florida, this fit right into the physical, down-field-oriented game plan Georgia had for the Gators from the start.
It wasn’t perfect for us at all on Saturday,” Bobo said in his interview with UGA’s NIL-media website, Glory Glory, “but it’s about the outcome and our defense played outstanding and we were able to pass the ball.”
Georgia managed 217 yards rushing, averaging 5.2 yards per carry, while passing for 101 yards as Gunner Stockton attempted just nine passes in the second half while protecting the lead.
“It’s tough to run the ball in this league, but I felt like we got those guys moving early,” said Bobo, whose 2014 UGA offense still holds the school mark for scoring (41.3 points per game).
“We didn’t make some of our shots downfield, but I felt good about the way we handled the ball. Our guys take pride in running the ball…”
That includes Stockton, whose grit and efficiency fit the makeup of this team even if he’s not destined to be the No. 1 pick in the NFL draft like Matthew Stafford was under Bobo, or the SEC’s all-time leading passer like Aaron Murray was playing in a Bobo offense.
“He had some dirty yards that were huge in the (Florida) football game … he’s always a threat, and the bigger the game, we’ll probably run him a little more,” Bobo said of Stockton, who had 45 rushing yards on 12 carries in the win over the Gators.
“He does a good job protecting himself when he goes down and goes headfirst. He protects the ball and he protects himself with his shoulder pads.”
Bobo said Ole Miss’ defense will present a challenge because of the nature of its scheme.
“They do a lot of things defensively, they do a lot with their front, they’re not afraid to move their front,” Bobo said of the way coach Pete Golding’s Rebels complicate blocking schemes.
“He plays fullback coverage blitzing a lot, so he doesn’t give up the explosive play, and he forces you to beat him, and it’s tough offensively to have 8- and 10-play drives and score touchdowns.”
Indeed, Georgia was just 3 of 13 on third-down conversions when the teams last met in the CFP Sugar Bowl quarterfinal on Jan. 1 in New Orleans.
The Bulldogs ran five offensive drives consisting of seven plays, 12 plays, 10 plays, six plays and 12 plays, needing to go for 56 yards or more on each.
The Georgia offense produced only two plays of 25+ yards, both to players no longer on the team (Cash Jones, 26 yards, Colbie Young, 31 yards).
“They don’t drop a lot of explosives,” Bobo said, “and they save you money.”
Ole Miss has won 16 straight home games at Vaught Hemingway Stadium, and Bobo expects the venue to present the biggest challenge of the season yet.
“I’ve been watching tape and a lot of people are false starting against these guys, especially at home,” Bobo said. “We have to do a good job of managing this, communication is key.
“We need to simplify some things so we can play fast and not let the crowd stop us from executing our offense.”
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