re: How did Les always do so well in opening games?

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I feel like he became ultra-conservative passing the ball after Jarrett Lee's freshman year. It wasn't until he trusted Zach Mettenberger to open the playbook for a short time.

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I think Les and Kelly share one key idea- they want a dual-threat QB, instead of a pocket passer.


The concept is pretty simple; there is an Alabama (or now, a Georgia) that will have elite talent, and at best you can only match them.
We won't be able to dominate the line of scrimmage, our WRs won't run free on their secondary. It will be a stalemate.
A pocket passer will stand back there and not have an open guy, and either the protection breaks down and you get sacked, or he forces a throw and gets picked. That's if both teams play to their peak. The run game won't open things up, because their line cancels ours out, and their linebackers make the tackle before a gain. That's because they're equal in talent, and playing 11-on-10.

That's what happened in 2011. Neither team could move, you went back and forth in field position. Even in the rematch, the game everyone cries about, we only gave up 5 FGs most of the game, when we couldn't do a damn thing on offense all game long. That game was still in the balance, if our offense could have done anything at all. If you doubt that, consider this: we dominated time of possession and plays on the plus side of the field for the first half against Fla State, but couldn't score and pull away. Bama also couldn't pull away back then, and if we had an offensive answer that game could have blown open late.

That true DT qb makes the game 11 on 11, and twists the defense around. Even if he can't run wild, he can move and create open lanes, force defenders to spy on him to open up routes and ease the rush.