People Still Misunderstand the Role of Jake Fromm
ATHENS - I’m still not sure folks understand what Jake Fromm is supposed to do for UGA.
This is anecdotal (and starting an article off with the word “I” isn’t really what you are supposed to do in journalism), but during my conversation today with someone they advocated Fromm throwing more.
“I just don't understand why they don’t let him throw more often,” he said.
This person isn't a UGA person, but he brings up a question a lot of folks ask. Plenty of UGA folks feel the same way - or at least they ask the same question. Some folks use Fromm’s lower passing numbers as a way to criticize him - saying he can’t do what needs to be done to get the job done for UGA.
Some folks are tentative about Fromm throwing it at all - probably because they are from the Vince Dooley school of thinking that only three things can happen when you throw the ball, and two of them are bad.
But the truth is that Fromm is the most successful UGA quarterback since the 1950s when you combine success on the field with skill at the position. If this was only about winning Buck Belue would be the most successful. If this was about skill at the spot it would be Matthew Stafford.
Jake Fromm’s job, in UGA’s offense, might be complex, but at the end of the day it boils down to this: position the offense in a way that is most likely to result in a positive play. That’s not necessarily Trevor Lawrence’s job at Clemson, or Tua’s at Alabama. In those cases the Tigers and Tide heavily rely on the throwing performance of their signal callers to win.
That can be risky because one particular player, particularly a quarterback, can always have a bad game (that’s certainly the case when you are going up good defenses like Alabama, UGA or Clemson - and even, in the case of Lawrence, against lowly Tech in the season opener; 13 of 23 with two picks).
You can play poorly as a quarterback because you are human, and one person can always have a bad day. Tua has had two not-great days against UGA, but his never-forget moment ended the 2017 season and made him a legend. But his game against the Dawgs in 2018 was completely forgettable (10 of 25 for 164 yards with one TD and two picks).
If Tua doesn’t play better in 2019 than he did in 2018 Alabama will lose to Georgia if both teams get to the SEC Championship Game this December.
Fromm isn’t those guys. He’s not designed to be those guys. He’s different. His role is different. That’s the part that so many folks seem to have a difficult time grasping. Having Fromm chunk the ball all over the place like he did at Houston County would be like asking the Boston Celtics to play like the Showtime Lakers.
That’s not playing to the biggest strength of the program.
He doesn’t have to throw 20 times a game to win, but he’s 14-5 in those games. That he’s undefeated throwing 19 passes or fewer sort of misses the point - nearly all QBs have amazing records when throwing 19 passes or fewer.
Would UGA have beaten Oklahoma without Fromm’s 29 passing attempts at the Rose Bowl Game?
Would UGA have beaten Auburn in the 2017 SEC Championship without Fromm’s 22 passing attempts?
Does UGA take out the Gators again in 2018 without some of Fromm’s 24 attempts?
What about the 26 passes against the Irish in 2019, or even the 29 attempts in 2017?
After ending the game going 25 for 39 with 301 yards and three TDs, did Fromm do enough to win the 2018 SEC Championship Game against Bama? Does he have to throw for over 400 with four touchdowns?
The point is that Fromm can give you super-charged games when he has to, but that’s not the way UGA plays. They want to grind you down - wear you out. The only teams who have survived that since 2017 have been Alabama, Texas and LSU. The Tide barely did so twice.
You have to be what you are. Yes, Larry Bird could run the fast break, but he wasn’t Magic. And trying to be something you are not is a great way to lose.
Kirby was asked on Tuesday about being quicker in the passing game. Then he spilled into the run-pass option aspect of UGA’s offense - something a lot of other colleges run a lot - before getting to the point.
“The RPO game is something that we’ve had. Jake does a good job with it. You always have it,” Kirby said. “It’s nice, but it’s not always there. When the RPOs get taken away with leverage and press - it’s not really who we are. We can do it, but it’s not who we are.”