Well, we outplayed the most dominant team in the 'history of college football' last night for most of the night. That inexplicable fake FG call was devastating. But one thing that's gonna have to get fixed before next season is the use of Fields.
It's just ridiculous right now what's going on with him. They put him in for one or two plays. He runs for a play, gets 2 yards. They take him out and in comes Fromm. It's almost as if they are just sticking him in there so they can say, 'He, remember, we did let you play this season!'
This is just....bad. Fromm is good enough that it doesn't seem to mess up his groove. But it's just, non-productive. The D knows that there is a %90 there is going to be a QB run. We don't run the option, and we don't seem to want to learn the effective read-option. So, it's just a snap to the QB and take off. And my wife could guess that it is what is about to happen.
Fields proved he's good against UMASS, and that is sorta a ho-hum thing in my opinion. I think he can end up being that good against the big boys as well. But they're going to have to figure out how to get him in the game with some kind of real package that works and let him stay in long enough to master it. That's just my humble opinion.
thoughts?

I agree. He needs scripted series each game that maximize his immense skillset. His usage at times is mind boggling and doesn't facilitate him getting into a rhythm.

So, the real question AFD....you and I can see this, and you know more about football than I ever will, but why can't Chaney and Smart see this. Even my wife was sitting there saying, 'Why don't they leave him in there longer than a play or two?'

Darindawg said:

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So, the real question AFD....you and I can see this, and you know more about football than I ever will, but why can't Chaney and Smart see this. Even my wife was sitting there saying, 'Why don't they leave him in there longer than a play or two?'

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In high school Jake played in 46 games and completed 827 of 1,360 (60.8%) passes for 12,745 yds w/ 116 TDs & 25 INTs. At UGA he's played in 28 games (w/ 27 starts) and completed 367 of 563 (65.2%) passes for 5,152 yds w/ 51 TDs & 12 INTs.

In comparison, in high school Justin played in 19 games and completed 267 of 406 (65.8%) passes for 4,187 yds w/ 41 TDs & 8 INTs. At UGA he's played in 12 games (w/ 0 starts) and completed 27 of 39 (69.2%) passes for 328 yds w/ 4 TDs & 0 INT.

Since Fromm is relatively slow (i.e., 4.96 40-yd dash) and a more experienced passer, he's used to staying in the pocket and going through his reads (i.e., from primary to secondary to tertiary receiver) before throwing the ball.

In comparison, since Fields is relatively fast (i.e., (4.51 40-yd dash) and a less experienced passer, he's used to making one read (i.e., primary receiver) and if it isn't open then will tuck the ball and run.

Despite slow starts vs. South Carolina/Missouri/LSU, Fromm has been given a long leash by Kirby/Chaney/Coley to work things out. In contrast, the coaches seem impatient w/ Fields and pull him after mistakes.

As we saw in the 2018 SEC Championship game, a mobile QB that can buy time for receivers to get open or outrun defenders is a weapon. Hopefully UGA's coaches will put Justin in situations where he can excel. IMO, inserting him for one play to hand off/run/throw then pulling him for Fromm doesn't engender confidence or promote Justin's development.

Hopefully Fields gets more reps going forward so that he's ready once Fromm departs or is injured (like when former UGA QB Jacob Eason went down vs. Appalachian State in the 2017 season opener).

Yes, Fields has been POORLY used, you give him a series not a play, and you let him run the full offense during that series. That being said, the stats AFD brings is why you can't compare Fields to Lawrence at Clemson-who started from day one in HS. Fields is still learning the position and you can see that he is indeed a one look and then look to run, meaning if his primary is covered, he is not able YET to progress to the next man and has yet to learn pocket presence, he doesn't trust or even have an internal clock to use to know he has more time to survey and find the open man. I suspect (and I do believe he stays for sure) that he will be used better next year-and I also think now that Jake Fromm might very well leave after next year if he progresses as he has from year one to year two. You look at the NFL right now, and you can't tell me that Jake can't have at least a backup job there after I see that a kid like Chase Daniel is currently starting for the Bears.

I guess hind site is 20/20, but it would have been nice if they could have just played Fields in 4 games and redshirted him. Then he'd be a freshman next year and if Fromm goes pro, we'd have him for 3 years instead of 2.

As it turned out, yes Darin, that would have been the best thing for the program but with the way Kirby recruits, I feel pretty good that we will find more than Fromm/Fields when it comes to QB's in the future, meaning, after both are gone, I am sure we will have another good one ready to go. Years ago, it was unheard of for FR QB's to start or even take snaps at most programs-QB's waited their turn and that was usually their JR/SR years. Everything has changed now it seems.

That's true Haney....seems like all of these boys are starting as freshmen, especially if they enroll early. I'll say this much, not much is being said about Rhys Plumlee, our QB recruit in the upcoming class, but holy cow, that kid is an ATHLETE. He seems to be a bit under the radar, and seems to be a little smaller guy (6'1" 190 or somewhere in that vicinity, but daaaaang, he can throw and run and jump and if he had freakun wings, he could fly. He's gonna be a pretty good QB.

MHO is that our coaches need to figure out a way to learn how to coach, period. Stupid plays that leave everybody perplexed have to go and stick to pure football and then some. Stop the BS and play ball coaches!!

Wonder what the coaches will feed Fields to stay. But...., he has choices right now. The kid is being hurt in not being developed like he should, but he could be developed elsewhere, if not careful.

Sure, he can go if he wants but he has to sit out next year and not getting any snaps and if you watch him, he needs work to learn how to play QB in college. In HS, he had a primary WR, if that kid was open he threw it to him-the kid is accurate and has a strong arm-that much we all can see. BUT, in HS, if the primary read was covered, Justin was such a freak athlete, he could take off running and score or have a long gain. In college, you see him doing the same things, he looks and if it is covered he immediately is in scramble mode but he is not bigger and faster than defensive players in college. He has not yet learned to trust his progression and trust his protection. BUT, that is why he has to play in a series, the NORMAL offense to learn that, not one snap here or one snap there. I suspect he will stay and I suspect he will get more PT next year, and will take over from Fromm after next year. If he has a great JR year, he will go pro. All you have to do is look at Trubisky as a perfect example, he played ONE season of college football and was a top 10 pick. If Fields transfers, he could go somewhere else and play one season, why not stay and play that one season here. I do believe that Fromm is playing his way up to being drafted next year. He is smart, has a strong arm and is big enough, he is bigger than Brees, bigger than Russ, he might not get drafted 1st round but he might go 2nd-3rd round.