Former UGA QB calls Mike Bobo ‘a heck of a play-caller’ who should excite Gamecock fans
In Mike Bobo’s time at the University of Georgia, he developed more than a few successful quarterbacks, including several after he took over play-calling duties. That included the likes of D.J. Shockley and David Greene before he called plays, and Matthew Stafford and Aaron Murray after that.
And his final offense, one of the best in his time in Athens, was run by Hutson Mason.
Mason was on 107.5 The Game on Thursday to talk about his former offensive coordinator. According to Mason, contacts in the coaching world linked Bobo to the offensive coordinator job in Columbia over the past few weeks as well as a potential return to UGA.
And he explained the challenge for Bobo going to either program.
“I’m not for sure Bobo wants to come back to Athens,” Mason said. “You know he is very good friends with Kirby Smart, and obviously he has deep roots and deep ties at Georgia, but you know he left Georgia, and this was something he told me specifically is, he needed to kind of spread his wings and get away.
“I don’t know if you’ve ever had a family dynamic where you’ve done business with a family member, but I have. It didn’t turn out well. And I think part of that is in play here with Kirby (Smart) and Bobo where they’re like, you know, if something did go wrong, do we want to go down that route?”
Smart and Bobo are former teammates and Mason said their families are close.
South Carolina is in the market for the third offensive coordinator of the Muschamp era, as Bryan McClendon had replaced Kurt Roper following the 2017 season. There’s been no timetable reported on when the Gamecocks will make a move to fill the position. Bobo is an interesting option, fitting the mold of a seasoned coach with a style that could mesh well with his coach.
The school has yet to publicly acknowledge the demotion of McClendon and the dismissal of QBs coach Dan Werner, two moves that were made last weekend in the wake of the season’s conclusion.
Mason pointed out that anyone coming to Columbia will be stepping into a high-pressure situation right from the start. Whoever takes over as Will Muschamp’s offensive coordinator will have to jump-start a listless attack in Year 1, as Muschamp’s seat is plenty hot after a 4-8 year.
Mason invoked the phrase “career suicide” as a potential outcome for USC’s hire. But he also spoke highly of the kind of coach Bobo is at the helm of an offense.
“If coach Muschamp can convince him to get to South Carolina, South Carolina fans should be excited,” Mason said, “because he is a heck of a play-caller. And he’s a heck of a recruiter.
“I just think he’s an incredible schemer. I think he understands football.”
Mason pointed out that Bobo has moved away from using a fullback in his scheme, shifting more to three-receiver looks. His scheme has a pro-style spirit and can run the ball, but it also moves along with modern trends and spread elements.
Bobo built several very effective offenses at Colorado State before a health issue impacted him in 2018. In Athens, he had plenty of talent and closed his tenure with four top-10 quality units (per the S&P+ ratings) in his final five seasons.
The last of those came with Mason at the helm, replacing Murray. Mason might not have been the most touted UGA quarterback to come through the program, but the three-star recruit was efficient, throwing for 2,168 yards, 21 touchdowns and four interceptions.
But he also was in command of an offense that got the ball to its backs and got a lot from them. Todd Gurley was limited by NCAA issues and a knee injury, but he, Nick Chubb and Sony Michel combined for 2,868 yards at 7 yards per carry.
The team overall ranked seventh nationally in yards per play and eight in points per game.
Bobo’s not going to have that kind of talent in Columbia, but his skills could provide something for a staff one again looking for direction on offense.
“He is a proven commodity,” Mason said. “He is going to have a lot of options, a lot of people are going to be called his phone in the SEC.
“I’m biased. I would obviously highly recommend Mike Bobo, but it’s got to be a fit for everybody.”
This story was originally published December 6, 2019 at 5:00 AM.
