Georgia’s Arian Smith doing it all for Bulldogs

ATHENS — Who was Georgia’s offensive MVP in the season opener?

If somebody said quarterback Carson Beck or running back Nate Frazier, they’d get little argument. In fact, Beck was named the co-offensive player of the week by the SEC on Monday. And Georgia’s offensive line certainly played well enough for the Bulldogs to roll up 447 yards against a stout defense.

But a closer look at what transpired in the Bulldogs’ 34-3 win over Clemson on Saturday reveals that Arian Smith proudly could carry the MVP mantle for Week 1. The senior wideout’s imprint was all over the field as well as the game plan as No. 1 Georgia used a second-half surge to distance itself from the scrappy Tigers.

The Bulldogs’ first play from scrimmage Saturday went to Smith. Officially it was a pass as Beck delivered the ball to him via a forward flip. But in design the play was a traditional jet sweep, and it was good for 11 yards and a first down.

Later, Beck would hand the ball to Smith on a similar counter play that went for 7 yards. Smith also caught four other passes on traditional receiver routes, including one that went 32 yards. In all, Smith was targeted five times, caught all five and finished with 63 total yards.

When it was over, Smith was on the field for 50 of the Bulldogs’ 62 offensive plays. Among skill players, only Beck had more (59).

“Arian’s become a more complete receiver and route runner,” coach Kirby Smart said Monday as the Bulldogs gathered to prepare for Saturday’s home opener against Tennessee Tech. “I thought he made some plays out on the perimeter. Besides the rocket sweep things and the edge runs, he made some plays catching the ball outside. And that’s big for him. That’s growth for him. We need more guys to step up and be able to do that.”

To date, the primary way Smith has been utilized has been to run a fly pattern down the sideline or the hash marks. Who will ever forget the 76-yard touchdown he caught to spur a fourth-quarter comeback against Ohio State in the 2022 College Football Playoff semifinals.

That kind of deployment has served Smith well. A lifelong sprinter who competed in the NCAA Track and Field Championships for Georgia, it’s rare to find a defensive back who can run with him. So Smith entered the 2024 season with an uncanny career reception average of 27 yards. Of the 20 catches he’s made as a Bulldog, six have gone for touchdowns – or 30%.

But as Smith shared during preseason camp, he came back for his fifth season of college football eligibility to become more than a one-trick pony. He wants to become an every-down offensive force.

“I felt like I had to step up and step into that category and be that person for my team,” Smith said. “We have a lot of young guys on this team. Losing Marcus (Rosemy-Jacksaint) and losing Ladd (McConkey), I’m the last (wideout) of that class. So, I’ve been here for a while. I know the ins and outs of the program and know what to do and know what the standard is and how to win.”

The past couple of seasons, tight end Brock Bowers was the Bulldogs’ primary offensive target. While there’s only a one-game sample size from which to judge, there doesn’t appear to be a similar type of go-to player for Beck this season.

Against Clemson, the senior quarterback targeted 11 players. Senior slot receiver Dominic Lovett had the most targets at six, though he caught only three. Smith and Dillon Bell each were targeted five times. Nine players had the ball come their way two or more times.

“That wide receiver (group) has so much depth,” Beck said after the game. “Everyone wants to say guys left and there’s no talent there, but there’s so much talent. We have so much confidence in every single guy that goes out there.

Two of Beck’s passes landed in the hands of Vanderbilt transfer London Humphreys, who, like Smith, is lining up at flanker. Humphrey caught both passes, one going 40 yards for a touchdown, and the other was a 23-yard gain in a key third-and-long situation in the second half.

Bell, Lovett and tight end Oscar Delp, all of whom will play significant roles in the passing game this season, had relatively quiet afternoons at Mercedes-Benz Stadium in the opener. That’s doesn’t mean they will in the next game or the one after that.

“We want to depend on everybody because you don’t want to be a one-dimensional team,” Smart said. “The idea ever since we’ve been here is spread the ball around. We’ve had a lot of guys with a lot of touches, but nobody with a ton individually. And Arian’s been a great case study in that because he’s touched the ball vertically. He’s touched the ball sideways. We’ve got to be innovative in ways to get touches that make us hard to defend.”

Smith’s speed always has been the trait that made him hard to defend. It was the other aspects of playing the receiver position that tended to limit his time on the field.

Not any longer. That stat from Saturday that made Smith most proud was his run-blocking number. He graded 79.0, according to Pro Football Focus, top among Georgia’s wideouts.

Smith also is one of the Bulldogs’ main special-teams weapons. He’s one of the gunners on the punt team and downed one of Brett Thorson’s punts on Clemson 5-yard line.

“I just want to do whatever I can to help us win,” Smith said.

On Saturday, that was a lot.

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