Georgia Bulldogs

Georgia Football: Three stats that tell the story of the 2016 season

Published Jun. 30, 2017 6:28 p.m. ET

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Georgia football ended the 2016 regular season this past Saturday with a 7-5 record.

2016 did not go the way Georgia football would have liked for it to. The Bulldogs lost five games, including three to some of their biggest rivals. And they are sitting at home today watching Florida play in the their second straight SEC Championship game.

The combination of a  few key statistics paints a clear picture as to why Georgia had a lack of success in 2016.

Nick Chubb and Sony Michel’s rushing yards

Chubb and Michel are the classic one-two punch. Chubb is the powerful, bowling ball that’s unstoppable with momentum. Michel is the quicker back with a knack for finding open space and launching himself through it.

They’re a dream combo, and yet neither of them had the stats you would expect in 2016. Chubb ran for over 1,400 yards in eight starts as a freshman. In 2015 he had over 700 yards before getting injured five games into the season. This 2016 he’s appeared in 11 games and he has just 988 yards. Not bad, but not expected.

Michel ran for over 1,100 yards in 2015, but in 2016 he has 753. He did miss the first two games of the year, but still, you expect more.

Their lack of production comes mostly from a horrible first eight games where the offensive line struggled to get a push against every opponent Georgia played, including Nicholls State. Against Florida the duo couldn’t even get past 50 yards.

After that they both went to offensive coordinator and asked to focus on the run game more. In the final four games both Chubb and Michel had their best month of 2016 to bring their season totals to more respectable numbers.

It’s not a stretch to associate the duos low rushing totals with most of Georgia’s losses in 2016.

Sep 10, 2016; Athens, GA, USA; Georgia Bulldogs linebacker Lorenzo Carter (7) returns a fumble for a touchdown against the Nicholls State Colonels during the second half at Sanford Stadium. Georgia defeated Nicholls State 26-24. Mandatory Credit: Dale Zanine-USA TODAY Sports

Only four non-offensive touchdowns

Defensive and special teams touchdowns aren’t a necessity, but they certainly help. They especially help when the offense struggles to score points (we’ll get to that).

The defense was great at keeping Georgia in ball games and putting the offense in good positions to win. But they rarely took the game into their own hands. They did so in only two games this year. A fumble recovery for a touchdown by Lorenzo Carter was the difference against Nicholls, and Maurice Smith’s pick-six was the difference in the Auburn game.

But in other close games, the defense and special teams were unable to make the plays to win in the offenses absence. There was no pick-six in the loss to Tennessee. No fumble return for a touchdown against Georgia Tech. No kickoff return versus Vanderbilt or punt return versus Florida.

The 2016 Bulldog defense was solid, but they weren’t the play makers that past defenses were.

Nov 12, 2016; Athens, GA, USA; Auburn Tigers defensive tackle Montravius Adams (1) and defensive lineman Carl Lawson (55) sack Georgia Bulldogs quarterback Jacob Eason (10) during the second quarter at Sanford Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Dale Zanine-USA TODAY Sports

Only 24 points per game

Here’s the big one. Football is largely a scoring contest, obviously you must score more than your opponent. In five times this year Georgia did not do that. But in most losses it was not a case of getting outscored despite playing well on offense. In 2016, Georgia football failed to score in spite of their defense holding opponents to 24 points per game.

The Bulldogs scored 30 points only three times in 2016. Compare that to 2015 where Georgia scored 30 points five times. Or 2014 where Georgia scored 30 points in 12 of their 13 games.

More from Dawn of the Dawg

Georgia’s once maligned defense used to struggle to keep teams below the 30 plus points the offense was scoring. But as they’ve improved, the offense has digressed.

Is it a lack of talent? Bad coaching? Youth and inexperience? Or a combination of the three? That’ll take more analysis, but obviously whatever deficiency the offense is facing, it is the root for Georgia’s lack of success in 2016.

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