Georgia football's Mike Bobo goes from feeling heat to Broyles finalist
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Georgia football is gearing up for another College Football Playoff trip.
That means Mike Bobo was holding court for a press conference for the first time since August.
Bulldog assistant coaches only are made available in the preseason and ahead of bowl games.
The perception of Bobo since his last press conference has changed for many. That’s because Georgia’s offense has flourished under first-year starting quarterback Gunner Stockton and an effective ground game.
Bobo could have told those who were taking shots at him in the offseason to stick it when he met with the media on Sunday Dec. 28 after a Sugar Bowl practice on campus but he didn’t when asked if the offense’s success made it more satisfying.
After all Bobo is one of five finalists for the Broyles Award (the only offensive coordinator along with four defensive coordinators) for nation’s top assistant.
“Nah, it’s satisfying to coach a group of kids that we have this year that have come in and gotten better every week and worked extremely hard,” he said. “We carry a lot of offense and put a lot on them each week.”
When a follow up question was asked if he needs a national title as a play-caller to shut up the critics, Bobo was more revealing.
“No, I don’t listen to the noise,” Bobo said. “I’m not going to sit here and say, hey, you don’t hear noise or you don’t pay attention to it. You hear it, but you don’t listen to it. You focus on what’s important. What’s important is those coaches and those players and me doing my job here at the University of Georgia for our head coach, Kirby Smart. As a competitor, you want to win every game you play. If there’s a championship to be won, you want to go win.”
He’ll be calling plays Thursday in a CFP quarterfinal in New Orleans against Ole Miss.
Bobo said he thinks more about just winning games because as the son of George Bobo, a former high school coach, he wants to impact his players and help them grow as men like he did.
Mike Bobo, 51, is a three-time Broyles finalist. He also was selected in 2012 in his first stint as Georgia offensive coordinator and in 2023 when he started his second.
Bobo had an overhauled offensive line that lost four starters to the NFL and played two true freshmen and quarterback Gunner Stockton replaced two-year starter Carson Beck and finished seventh in the Heisman Trophy voting.
“I think he’s done a great job,” coach Kirby Smart said. “I think he would give a lot of credit to his staff. And what he’s done with our offense, where we’re not a stat-padded, hurry up, take a lot of snaps, get a lot of plays. He doesn’t chase numbers.”
Some of the stats don’t jump out as markedly improved over a year ago.
The Bulldogs yards per game moved up a tad from 405.4 to 406.9 (51st nationally to 43rd) and scoring from 31.5 to 31.9 (38th to 31st) while passing efficiency improved from 33rd to 27th.
Where the Bulldogs have seen big gains are in its rushing offense going from 102nd nationally to 31st at 186.6 yards per game, third down offense where they’ve risen from 78th to 29th (45.2 percent) and turnovers lost, from 87th to 18th (12 total) and time of possession from 69th to 3rd (33:59).
“Look at what they’ve done in the red area,” Smart said. “It’s been incredible. The ability to run the ball has been really well.”
Georgia is second in the nation in percentage of red zone touchdowns, according to cfbstats.com, at 79.3 percent. That’s up from 70 percent last season.
“I think he’s a credit for that, because he puts the game plan together,” Smart said. “Ultimately he has to decide what’s in and what’s called. He’s done it with a really tough schedule and two freshmen O-linemen and a lot of O-linemen out, that have been injured in and out.”
That includes center Drew Bobo, his son, who is expected to miss his second straight game with a foot injury.
Bobo didn’t address Drew’s injury, but On3’s Chris Low, who talked separately with Bobo and Smart, reported Bobo isn’t expected to play again this season.
The retooled offensive line has helped the Bulldogs emphasis on running the ball better pay off.
“We went back to square one,” Bobo said. “We went back and talked through every run, our alignment, our steps, our aiming points, we took nothing for granted.”
Tight end Oscar Delp sees value in Bobo, a former Georgia quarterback, being a former player in the red and black.
“He’s been in the same shoes as us,” he said. “He trusts his players and we trust him. When we’ve got an offense like we have and all the talented guys we have on the team, everyone kind of makes it all possible to call the plays that he calls and have them execute the way they are.”
The most important games, of course, are still ahead for Georgia in the CFP.
“We’ve had an outstanding season to this point, but we’ve got to finish,” Bobo said. “That’s our mindset right now.
This article originally appeared on Athens Banner-Herald: Mike Bobo’s offense shined after offseason ‘noise’ about Georgia OC
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