Can Hugh Freeze Match UGA HC Kirby Smart’s Gameplan?

While familiarity can breed contempt, Georgia head coach Kirby Smart greatly respects the Auburn Tigers and head coach Hugh Freeze.

Few active college head coaches walk the sidelines boasting Smart's resume.

Currently halfway through his tenth season in Athens, Smart's 84.5 percent winning percentage sets him apart. Add in two national championships and a historical roster filled with first-round draft picks and standouts, and you can see why many hold him in high regard.

While Smart has had nothing but success at Georgia and Freeze battles job security talks, the longtime Georgia head coach holds Freeze's Tigers in a higher regard than most. This week, he broke down Freeze's offense.

"Every offensive coordinator, they take plays that work against other people, and they use those plays. He's (Freeze) done the same through time. He was one of the first to really start using the RPOS's. They still use those," he said.

“They say it maximizes your skill on the perimeter. and it forces the hand of the defense to make decisions on how you want to play the run game or the RPO game, which most people think of as a pass game, but it's really an extension of the run."

Smart and Freeze know each other well from the former's days as the defensive coordinator of Alabama competing against the latter's time at the University of Mississippi. Smart knows what it takes to slow Freeze's offense.

Pre-Snap Look

From a talent base, Jackson Arnold can effectively run Auburn's offense. The question remains if he can focus and make smarter decisions. One of the simplest ways to rattle a defense is to change what they see pre-snap and force them to adjust. For instance, shifts and motions may not tell Freeze much about what Georgia wants to do to counter that play.

However, shifting and motion can open up space. If Auburn sends a wideout across the formation, it opens up where the defender vacated. While Georgia's defense maintains a 4-2-5, they flare out the outside linebacker, creating an occasional 3-3-5 look.

In all honesty, after their last two performances, Freeze cannot trust the offensive line to keep Arnold vertically consistent. For instance, establishing a rhythm among 12 personnel solves several problems. It slows down boundary penetration, making life easier for tackles Xavier Chaplin and Mason Murphy. Similarly, a two-back set, or 21 personnel, would give him options on the perimeter as well as the gaps.

Overview

Tennessee threw for 371 yards against UGA because the Vols made the Bulldogs play catch-up. While some of the responsibility does fall upon the defense, dictating the pace is the offense's dominion. Taking the fight to Smart's defense is a rarity, as many teams will avoid challenging Georgia. Instead, Auburn needs to take what they want by playing at their pace, unconcerned about what UGA shows.

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