ESPN analyst Booger McFarland: Kirby Smart’s team ‘looks like Alabama’ and is a national contender
People start to take notice when you beat Tennessee 41-0 on the road. Count ESPN’s Booger McFarland among those paying close attention to the Georgia Bulldogs these days.
On the morning following a blowout win at Neyland Stadium, the ESPN analyst was pouring the love on the Bulldogs. And making that comparison that makes everyone a little excited and a little uncomfortable.
“Kirby Smart has a team that– dare I say– looks like Alabama,” McFarland said during a Sunday morning airing of ESPN’s SportsCenter. “A quarterback that doesn’t turn the ball over, running game that will run you into the ground and a defense that will choke you out.”
“They are a legitimate contender. Not just a SEC contender, a national contender.”
Wow. The compliments don’t get much higher than that one after a 5-0 start that includes wins against Notre Dame, Mississippi State and Tennessee.
“They’re playing very, very good complementary football,” McFarland explained. “They’re lining up that offensive line and running the football downhill. That dynamic duo running down hill allows ‘Jake from State Fromm’ to not have to throw the ball 40 times a game. He’s only throwing it 18 or 19 times a game.”
As long as Fromm, a freshman who took over for injured starter Jacob Eason during Week 1, keeps teams honest with those 18-20 passing attempts, the Bulldogs have a great chance to make a run at the SEC East title.
Vanderbilt is next on the schedule for the Bulldogs. The Commodores beat Georgia in Athens last season.