UGA tight end Eli Wolf discusses the upcoming SEC East home game versus Missouri, competing for championships, playing in the Georgia-Florida game in Jacksonville, and more during his post-practice interview on Wednesday evening. One of the questions and topics Wolf discussed can give us a peek into the mentality and philosophy behind the Bulldogs’ offense.

Most college football fans are aware that what separates the Southeastern Conference from the others is the battle in the trenches between the offensive and defensive lines. In Georgia’s offense, the tight ends are often called on to help block on the perimeter where they are often matched up against some of the most athletic players on the opposing team.

“Yeah. Again in the SEC, there’s a lot of tough guys there on the edge. Sometimes, the most athletic guy on the team is sitting there on d-end,” said Wolf. “But we’ve got a good offensive line with us, good wide receivers and good quarterbacks that put us in good situations.”

And that Georgia o-line tends to wear down their opponents over the course of the game, especially via the ground game. It is philosophy that Head Coach Kirby Smart has repeatedly talked about in press conferences.

“It loosens you up when you have to go against our offensive line repeatedly for four quarters. It just wears you down,” said Kirby during the bye week press conference on Tuesday, October 22nd. “There were a lot of plays that were called in the third and fourth quarter that were successful. There was some good inside zone plays. There was more movement in general. I’ve said it here for four years. You don’t just walk in the SEC and move people early in the game. It just doesn’t happen. You’re not just road grading folks out of there. It’s a cumulative effect that it takes. We certainly had a cumulative effect because we ran it better later than earlier.”

While running the ball and the offense The way Kirby Smart has his staff running the ball and the offense may not be the most exciting show on the gridiron, especially early on in games, it is something to behold when the Bulldogs start to impose their will in the third and especially the fourth quarter.

“If you don’t run the ball in this league, pass rushers will chew you up. When they see pass every play, they’ll feast. It’s like sharks in the water. They’ll attack you. You’ve got to keep them honest. You’ve got to wear them down,” said Kirby during the post-Georgia-Florida game presser on Saturday. “I know y’all don’t believe in it and y’all think it’s boring and y’all hate it and it’s not explosive, I get it, okay. But in this league, you’ve got to have the threat of that in order to sustain.”

And the players definitely take pride in doing so.

“That’s our main goal is to win the fourth quarter and wear them out. We take pride in being tough and well-conditioned,” said Wolf. “It is awesome when you can feel yourself still have energy and they start to give out a little bit.”