Mike Bobo Interview - August 08, 2024

John and Alice s's offensive coordinator quarterback's coach uh please raise your hand when you have a question he has no open statement today all right good to see y'all I I'll just open it up for questions oh yeah coach to your right right here I believe it's your 15th season being the primary play caller for an offense I'm curious how or who you go to to study or what you go to to study to remain Innovative as a player call oh well that's a good question uh we've all got friends in this business that we talk to on a on a regular basis that are that are coaching uh trying to stay uh fresh and new with with how you do things uh football's football uh you know we're really running very similar plays that we ran 27 years ago when I when I started coaching uh might be just out of different formations and different personnels and using different guys uh then i r on uh coaches that have coached me uh that they've had a lot of experience uh you know Coach Rick and Coach Don uh coach Don who I played for uh and then worked for and then Coach Rick who I worked for for a long time I've got a lot of experience so you lean on guys with experience my own my own dad will be at practice today was a coach a long time you know I ask his opinion about how things looked and what we're doing but uh you know I tell the players all the time you know you've never arrived you're always learning uh and that goes for us as coaches too we're always trying to find new ways to do things uh uh not necessarily new uh but ways to do things better where we can be efficient on offense by kind of following all those same lines every coach as they as they go along the business adapts you know as they go along you surprised there some of the ways you've adapted over time uh you know me and Coach trod were talking about it uh you know earlier uh you know about you know back back in the day the game may have been a little bit simpler it was a little more physical uh but uh you've got to adapt the game is played in space uh nowadays uh but you still you know I don't want to adapt so much that we don't lose our physicality as offense and and what this program's built on and what coach Smart's builing on his toughness and physical and offense so you know you want to be you know Innovative and and play the game in space and and try to be explosive uh you got to be explosive on offense nowadays but at the same time you don't want to lose your physicality as an offense of unit and that's something we proud ourselves on and uh it's a staple of what coach Mar's been here since been here at University of Georgia Mike looking at Carson what is the biggest difference you see in him right now compared to this time last year going through fauling uh i' see a guy that that's trying to have a sense of urgency uh every day um about everything he does and and not taking anything uh for granted uh you know he wrote a bunch of things on our board in our meeting room uh of what we need to do as a quarterback and number one was be where your feet are and you hear that a lot uh but here's a guy that you know had a good season his first season and there's a lot of noise outside you know this building uh you know about the future but he can't control that what he can control is you know being where his feet are every day and in in the meeting that we're going to go to uh here in in less than an hour uh it's going to be a install but it's not going to be a new install for him it's going to be a lot of things that he's heard over the four years four to 5 years that he's been here but he's going to be locked in being where his feet are paying attention there might be one little nugget today that is it's a little bit different than last year something that's going to help him be better at whatever play We're installing so I think he's got a really really good mindset of of focusing every day and controlling what he can control uh and getting better uh because last year's last year tomorrow's tomorrow uh the most important thing is today and that's a hard thing to do that's a hard thing to do for me and I'm 50 but you know we've got a head coach that's going to stress that daily of the most important thing is is our meeting here in a minute with the players uh and then how we go out there and walk through how we go out there and do stretch how we do everything on a day-to-day basis uh and he's doing a good job of that how you doing Mike thank you can you uh can you tell us about the progress of your backup center I think his name is Drew Boo he's hell he's Hell on Wheels is he and uh I you know kind of on on the end of that I mean understand uh maybe your starters had some issues here lately can you update us on that but sincerely coaching your son that's uh I'm sure that's there's an interesting Dynamic there yeah uh you know you know Jared Jared has has missed some things uh but he's got to do as much as possible uh it's it's always you know uh that's a very important position offensive line in the offensive unit uh they communicate uh you know really to everybody what goes on up front um and you know Jared's still being able to do that a large majority of what we're doing uh we're just being careful uh with Jared uh but it also gives guys more opportunities uh to work at Center and make those calls we lost a four-year starter in said van brand that has made the calls a 100 times and confident making those calls and communicating uh so everything we do from walk through to practice is an opportunity for those centers if Jared's not getting work uh to make those calls and communicate with those other guys and it's probably more important this year because we've got so many young linemen uh that you know might not be able to hear the call and know what they got and a lot of times you know that Center's got to pass everything down the line and make the call front side and backside for those guys and you know it's a little bit uncomfortable for guys like Drew uh but the only way they're going to get comfortable is keep doing it and putting them under of those pressure situations hey Mike all right looks like uh you should have a really good offense if you base it on this college football playoff uh or college football video game is that is that a good indicator of what you guys are going to do this year I don't know the only video game I ever played was techmo bow and super techmo uh Bowl which is a lot better I play a couple times I sat down with my son and and Jake and Drew and they were playing when we had some time off over the summer and and and it's it's amazing you know the plays and concept of defense and uh there's a lot of there's a lot of good things in there of of my son's trying to you know play bid for the quarterback job at Prince and sitting down and seeing you know what the defense does and making decisions but uh I you know go with techmo and super techmo bow um you know I always play with the Oilers War moon was hell and then Chris Dishman on defense he could pick him off about anything on techmo bow with a player who's got a skill set like Aran does unique skill set there just what are the different things you do on a daily basis on game days to best utilize that well on on a daily basis uh I get to spend a lot of time with with Arion uh he's definitely a big special teams player uh for us and that's been a big role for him but a lot of times he's reped so many things in special teams I get to have him during those special teams uh periods and really work on uh techniques of running certain routes uh you know we're not running full speed all the time but talking about routes and body control uh working on the Deep ball adjusting uh to the Deep ball with our eyes not necessarily running you know a full speed post or a full speed go uh but you know anytime you got a guy uh like Aon or anybody that's got speed uh track speed when they're on the field sometimes you know you don't might not see the impact they have uh on a play because we might not have gone to but but I guarantee that defense knows when number 11's on the field because of the speed and the ability to to make not just a 20 yard explosive but he's he's a guy on your team that could have a 70 yard explosive uh at any time uh and the thing with a they were just trying to be consistent every day uh here's a track guy that you know played track I believe his first two years was injured a lot before I got here uh knock on wood is trying to be consistent and being a an overall receiver uh he's you know he's a really good kid and works extremely hard and we're excited he's back this year yeah coach over here to right you're right coach Smart's mentioned a couple times how you've kind of challenged Carson to be a little bit more excitable when good things happen on the field why was that so important for him to grow in that area this offseason well first of all I want Carson to be to be himself okay Carson can't be coach Bobo he can't be coach smart uh but the nature of the position and what you play you know you're the leader of the offense and a lot of times a leader of the team uh and his his actions and his body language speak volumes to guys it could be getting on somebody's ass or it could be encouraging somebody uh I still wanted to be him he has a great trait that he you know he has such an even temperament you know whether you know we score a touchdown or we go three and out or he happens to throw a pick or something you know his his temperament does change he's an that allows him to stay calm in the moment uh and that's one of our core DNA traits his composure and I think he has great composure uh but also he you know the his position and his job is enhance the play of others you know he's going into his second year you know last year is the first year starter we're trying to get him off uh On Solid Ground you know as the season went on again confidence confidence confidence and he has he has confidence there's things he's got to work on but he's a confident young man he's and steal that confidence in the players that are around him uh you know and it could be about you know it could be a word to them it could be putting their arm around them uh you know just you know knowing the impact that he has on guys because you know these young guys that are coming in are first guy that walks on that field for the first time they're looking at a guy Carson Beck that has done it uh done it in SEC games done it on a big stage and they're going to look for him to how to act and how to respond and he what he says and what he does uh goes a long way and build believe in our football team Mike yes curious about uh tight ends and how you think they've evolved is it more the the way they are themselves Personnel or is it more the usage CU I obviously when you were here you know yeah Charles Aaron white already Lynch guys like that is it more how they're being used or is it that they're they are different no I I think it's a little bit more how how they're how they're being used in in today's game you see more tight you know those oron Charles he was he he he he didn't know how to get in a stance when he got here Aaron white was a receiver in high school so a lot of these kids it was 20 years ago or now these guys were big receivers in high school and their frames going to allow them you know to put on weight and be a tight end uh so you know and again the game is face so they're probably playing his face more uh using tight end to you know the last guy we had I mean we're handing him the ball on jet sweps you know putting him in the back field you know put him down you know throwing the screens to him and obviously using downfield vertically and and running option routes and stuff like that uh I just I think I think they become valuable because of matchups that that they can create um your running backs and your tight ends create matchups on linebackers and safeties that gives you an advantage some now you know uh I think football's evolving more and more where where where tight ends are getting more and more into the core uh when you look at the game at the next level you know you see them playing 12 13 Personnel tights his hands in the dirt you know and they're running they're running ERS and and Powers not just cutting off on the backside and our offense is a little bit more where we're going to ask the guy to do everything where some offenses nowadays they just totally spread guys and I think here at the tight end position you know you're going to learn how to play in the core you're going to learn how to move uh is to be an HB so to speak and you're going to learn you know when we split you out and how to run routes uh so we try to do it all and have a big volume of offense and you know all positions for us offensively you know it it it takes a lot of learning we put a lot on them but that position in particular you know because it's the Run game and the pass game that they're heavily involved in you know takes it takes a guy that's extremely bright hey M uh can you talk to us about your backup quarterbacks how did the Jaden Rashad a transfer come about what we what you seen the Gunner ston and Ryan mcy you know a few days in the camp you talked about those guys yeah and then what do you also mentioned your uh three transfer wide receivers what you seen from those guys okay uh well quarterback position how Jaden came about I mean y coaches on record that we wanted four four scholarship quarterbacks and you know we've been looking for four scholarship quarterbacks and we had to you know because of the portal uh we were able to get Jaden uh you know would' love to got Jaden or portal qu Jaden in here before spring uh it didn't work out that way uh but he was here able to get here early May uh and start try to learn the Playbook and he's in process of learning it now uh all those guys are doing a doing an outstanding job you know every day of coming in and controlling what they can control okay and you know uh Carson made a great statement in our first meeting and we try to set the tone you know he said I want to say something to you guys I want you you know you need you need to take this camp like you're getting ready to play Clemson the first game you know I I didn't do that when I was young you know I wouldn't I wasn't taking advantage of every opportunity you know to get ready to be the starter and that's an easy thing to say you know uh rather than do and I've been saying it for 27 years coaching quarterbacks you're getting ready to play your opportunities every practice but then Carson to step up and say that in the meeting and stop the mid meeting and say that to those Young quarterback said Hey guys you're getting ready to play Clemson in that first game that's you how you should approach it and those guys have doing doing done a great job of that this Camp I don't I don't even know what practice we're I think seven but uh you know they're doing a great job of preparing every day and going out there and you know uh learning from their mistakes and uh learning from the things that they do well uh the receivers you know Kobe young uh London and and Michael Jack uh have done a nice job all three were here in the spring uh so that helps the transition when you're were able here to go through the spring and you know 30 plus days of a practice and then a walk through a practice then a walk through and then all summer these guys are now at the at the place in in in their job where they can actually compete in Spring they're just trying to figure out how to line up you know what you know you know I'm running this route it's kind of they're running it like it looks on the Playbook now they're able to line up faster and they're able to be coach more on technique of what we're trying to do on each each particular each particular play M why don't you recall that the first time you saw Ben your home hous what you saw then kind of trans football uh you you saw Ben uh make plays uh on the perimeter you saw Ben make plays downfield uh you know what I've seen of him now I've seen those things I see him get another guy that didn't go through spring practice ractice uh that got here uh in May but he didn't go through spring practice so he's a little bit behind but he he he's very intelligent he's done a great job of uh continuing to get in a Playbook and we're asking him to do things that maybe he didn't do at Stanford I've seen him accept that accept that challenge uh he's not worried about getting uncomfortable meaning you know if he does do do something well he's going to work at it and and and you don't see him making the same mistake twice uh which is a good thing and you know anytime you had to your program is a good thing and you know here's a guy that's played a lot of football he's just you know he's here trying to figure out how we do it the Georgia way now I've done a nice job so far like what have been your impressions to this point of this running back room what seems out to you about well we have more depth than we had last year at this time we were dealing with a couple injuries in Camp uh we've got we've got more depth at that position uh which is allows you know one uh we're not wearing down our guys we're able to face out the Reps which you you got to always be careful of but you see you see a group of guys uh that that pay attention uh to coach Crawford uh they don't mind being coached hard uh and they're picking it up day by day but you see guys that that do a good job in the Run game but have traits in the passing game which which what you look for in a running back so all those guys have done a nice job and continue to work and please with that crew yeah with Dylan Bell and him you know not having to move around to help you you guys at at running back as much this year how have you seen him grow this off season as he's been able to focus more on playing wide receiver yeah really you don't you don't really get into your personnel and and moving guys around until really you're through Camp mode you know right now we're still installing we're on day seven of our install and and human nature you want to start moving guys around to try to you know you know maybe win the drill or put your guys but the end of the day we're trying to teach offense and Dylan has has you know nearly Almost 100% been working at the receiver position uh and you know coach Coy has has really done a nice job teaching him the final points of rout running and execution you know this little things playing with pad level working working your releases off press and just becoming a complete receiver uh Dylan did a great job for us last year making contested catches uh which is awesome but we're now working on trying to create more space and how do I create more space cuz he's lot of times he is our our our ex receiver and he's in the boundary and you're the boundary uh in this league you're not going to get any off coverage you're going to get press and how do you handle press how do I beat press uh really working on the fin points of uh winning one-on-one battles yeah coach I know it's only seven practices through camp but what's something about this offense that you feel comfortable about or you feel positive about that you are going to be really good at and maybe what's an area of this unit that you feel needs you know Improvement before the opening week well not necessarily not necessarily skiing but our our identity yet I think that's we're still forming our identity as an offense but one thing I feel really good about us as an offense I think we we have connection as an offense and I think that's important uh we've been connected when practices or drills have gone good or they've gone bad uh We've addressed it and nobody's flinched in that room uh when they've been challenged uh to to to respond whether it's during the practice or in the meeting the next day uh there hadn't been any any pointing fingers and I I think that's always good because you want Connection in that room it's going to take everybody in that room uh so that's something obviously another DNA of ours of coach smrs is connection but it's one thing to say it it's another thing to live it uh and and the leadership in that room has has done that uh and I think our offensive line you've got so many guys coming back that have played so much ball and have been through so many camps uh they're leading the way of showing these guys not necessarily Lan but the whole team how to how to come to practice you know every day ready to go um I mean there's there there's a ton of things folks that you know we got to continue to improve on uh we're not near ready to play that's that's okay that's part of Camp uh we're still trying to form our identity and you know that will shape out even more after we have the first scrimmage you know and coaches are kind of back and guys are out playing ball and then then we'll go through the second scrimmage and we kind of you know we're going we're going to have a big volume of offense and we're going to install it and then we're going to shrink it down and and figure out you know what we do best and maybe we're not as good as is at this as we were last year you know so not mean we take it out we're going to put it to the side continue to work on that but I'm we're still trying to figure that out as an offense what we do really well and what we got to work on you know right now in my mind and those players Minds we got a lot to work on every day there's nothing we do well got time for one more question um to go back to Carson you mentioned there are some things he can improve on going back to like even in the last Seas or the spring what are some things that maybe you identified that he can get better at and how did you work on them well I mean one he he he does a great job of processing getting the ball out quickly and I don't remember what his completion percentage was it was extremely high last year uh the one area you know that we addressed in Spring and and the beginning of fall Camp is you know the Deep ball you know and not necessarily the Deep ball doesn't NE necessarily always need to be the perfectly thrown ball when you hit the guy in stride sometimes we want to be that way as a quarterback uh but it's a lot just giving the guy a chance you know not throwing the ball so far we don't have a chance or throwing it out of B give the guy a chance to make a play uh and he's done a better job of that and you know every every time we complete a deep ball it's you know he's looking at me or looking at coach gummy because he knows that's what he's focused on giving those guys a chance and then sometimes when you struggle hitting something or doing something as a quarterback you start to aim and and thinking about it too much take your job read your progression throw the ball uh and play football and not get your head of I can't hit it I'm trying to aim it or throw the perfect ball you know throw it and get give the guy a chance thank you go thanks guys