Getty Images Jake Fromm will spend some time on the bench to watch Justin Fields take reps on Saturday.
The Georgia Bulldogs have a tough matchup on the road this weekend, as they face the LSU Tigers. Knowing that the Tigers are coming off of a tough conference matchup against Florida, Georgia knows that they are looking to get back on track with a victory against the Bulldogs. Therefore, Georgia is doing all that they can to mix up their game plan to keep their opponents on their toes.
It doesn’t happen too often when a team uses two quarterback’s in the same game. Aside from injuries, and blowouts, it’s a rare occurrence. Not that we have never seen this before in college, because it’s been done. But it usually isn’t necessary. This week, Georgia has put it in the gameplan. They are not only going to use Jake Fromm under center, but they will also implement their freshman quarterback, Justin Fields as well.
Why Two QBs?
Georgia may be ranked No. 2 overall in the country, but they haven’t mastered everything on game day just yet. The offense is trying to find a spark. And although the Bulldogs know that they have some stellar talent under center with Jake Fromm, they want to change things up to bring a new look to the offense.
Fromm is not heading to the bench, but Fields is going to get some opportunities. Georgia recognizes that with having a talent as stellar as Fields on the sideline, you have to implement him in any way that you can in order to win games. As Fromm gives Georgia a true, pro-style look, Fields brings a speed to the position that Fromm simply cannot match.
As ESPN pointed out this week, the Bulldogs have struggled on third-down. Knowing that they need to be able to convert as much as possible, they need to fix the third-down issue immediately. And the solution just so happens to be Fields getting on the field.
The Answer to the Problem
“As a result, using Fields in short-yardage situations might be a quality solution. This could enhance the run-pass option game as well as force LSU to account for an extra runner on offense. Below are some clips that show some of the strengths and weaknesses of both players and why they will need to complement each other to keep LSU on its heels.”
Nowadays, a college team without a dual-threat quarterback is very rare. That’s not a knock on Fromm who is having an impressive season. But with the way defenses run in college, a quarterback that threatens the run defense becomes highly effective during big-time situations on third-and-short, or even in the red zone.
Throwing Fields into the mix will take some of the pressure to convert off of Fromm. During third-down situations this season, Fromm has been surprisingly disappointing. As ESPN highlighted, Fromm’s QBR on third-down is a whopping 24, which is a massive drop off in comparison to his numbers on earlier downs.
Also, his only two interceptions on the season came on third down as well. So, while Fromm may be impressive overall, third-down becomes his biggest struggle in 2018. That’s where Fields is going to help to put Fromm, and the rest of the Georgia offense is a good position to win on Saturday.