Sunday, September 4, 2011

Breaking down the Breakdown - Quarter 1.

I had planned to fly back to Georgia to be at The Dome in person when UGA dismantled Boise and crushed their BCS dreams. I wanted to take in the game-day atmosphere and watch little children cry when we dashed their hopes. I was really looking forward to explaining to some ignorant WAC-turned-MWC fans what "Big Boy" football was all about.

Man, am I glad I had to stay in LA.

Last night was woeful. That's really all there is to say about it. Followers of this blog know me to be nothing if not honest - though often that honesty isn't as brutal as it could be. My scathing commentary has been tempered by hope and by a love for our team. Well, hogwash. Here's what I'm gonna do...I'm gonna go through this game and point out some obvious errors that need correcting. I don't know that any of YOU will care, but I know I'll feel better once I've studied this thing a little.

Opening kick - Sir Talks A Lot comes out of his shoe, nullifying any chance at making good on his "Dare" to Chris Petersen. Way to go, Nike Pro Combat.

First drive last night - absolutely horrible. Justin Anderson jumps early on UGA's first play from scrimmage. This gives us 1st and fifteen. On 1st and 15, we go with a handoff to Samuel - which doesn't anger me, because I want us to pound the ball. Why we decide to do it from Shotgun is anybody's guess. Still, the play lined up not too horribly. At the snap of the ball, I see high pad-level for our offensive line. We are met at the line, or on our side of it. We aren't driven off the ball, but we aren't driving the undersized line either. Initially, there is a large hole between RG and RT with the play-motion going to the left, because this is a Counter. Cordy Glenn (LT) pulls around and into the hole, where I expect him to block the oncoming linebacker. He doesn't. He piggy-backs another block, and Samuel makes an ill-advised cut into two defenders. We get two yards.

Then, the quick screen out to Tavarres King, who isn't going to out-speed many to the corner. Gain of 3.

Third and ten. Bean jumps again. Orson Charles let's Murray's pass go through his hands. We punt. The Defense comes out, and punches Boise off the field in three plays. Of course, Boykin drops an interception on 3rd and 11, and Georgia avoids what appears to be it's enemy - good field position.

Crowell's first play - We fake it to him, then hit Marlon Brown. The fake is so good, it fools two blitzers. The throw is so bad, it's nearly knocked away by the BSU corner, forces Brown to retreat to catch it, Brown slips, then has to struggle to pick up four yards.

2nd and 6 - Crowell's first carry - a slip to the turf. Had he not slipped, he would have been creamed. Boise's DE #90 crashes in on Bean, who isn't quick enough to get in his way, and simply rides him to the tackle. Also, we have #68 pulling on the play, and he flat-out misses their LB #94 who would have blown the play to pieces.

3rd and 8 - Orson slips coming out of his break, and Murray misses him. Orson was wide open.

We punt. Defense comes out humming again. 3 and out. We get the ball on our 19.

1st and 10, #90 whips a double team and stuffs Samuel. Second and 9, Brandon Boykin takes a sweep 80 yards to the house....but something else happened - something important to note. Their CB #4 almost catches him. #4 was running Boykin down. That's something Bobo and CO. have to file away in their collective brain. Boise's #4 is VERY fast. They need to know that. They don't seem to pay attention.

1st down Boise - Christian Robinson gets fooled on a Play Action, doesn't get depth. Pass goes for a first down.

They try a play-action rollout...Jarvis Jones is in perfect position. 2nd and 7, our defense doesn't get much movement, but makes a stop. 3rd and 3 - we run a LB twist, smack Moore in the mouth. Incomplete pass.

First down, I-Formation (FINALLY)...we go play-action, deep pass to Tavarres King (who is covered by #4). The pass is too long for King, and would have been intercepted, had King not knocked it out of #4's hands. So, again, we learn that #4 has speed....and now we add "He's good in coverage"

2nd and 10 - I-Formation - We get little movement on the line. This is an ISO play to the right, and it is stuffed because our play-side guard gets whipped. This forces Isaiah to cut to his left, into defenders. Gain of 2. Third and 8.

Both of our tackles get whipped by the defensive ends. Glenn gets speed-rushed, and Bean gets outsmarted by a guy who pretends to pull up, then blows past him. Our Center and two guards, however, do a good job of blocking one man. Best block? Crowell takes his man off his feet. We punt. Again.

We pressure Moore, but he moves just enough to buy time. First down. Martin runs a sweep left. Our D penetrates, but misses 4 tackles. First down. Ogletree doesn't keep up with Tyler Shoemaker on the post route. First down. Then, an inexplicable play. Boykin absolutely BLOWS a coverage, and it goes for a TD. You'd have to see this to believe it. He makes a coverage audible of some sort just before the snap, and you see him drop into zone. Smith steps into the flats. It looks like Boykin had a Buzz responsibility. He's watching Moore all the way, and actually steps back and AWAY from where the ball is thrown. My only guess is that Robinson was suppose to play a short hook-zone in that area, instead of covering his TE man-man to the endzone like he did. Still, it was an obvious bust.

7-7

1st and Ten, Bean Anderson gets blown up. This forces Crowell to again slow his cut and make a move he shouldn't have to. What happens? Their nosetackle, who had been blocked to the GROUND by Ben Jones, gets up and gets enough of Crowell to slow him. Crowell gets about 5. It also appears that Crowell does not see open space to his left. Had he gone that way, there was a bunch of green. 2nd and 4, we finally get some push on the line. Their guys cave in, and we get a first down.

At this point, I think maybe we're starting to get it. We go shotgun-handoff...it's being blocked like a sweep, but Crowell seems to want to cut back - directly into three guys. Glenn got beat by the linebacker on the edge, but this was after Crowell had already made the decision he wasn't going around the edge. Figgins should have chipped the LB as well. Still, I have to pin this one on Crowell. 1 yard. 2nd and 9. We go shotgun-trips-left. Man in motion, fake the handoff to him. Looks like we're trying to get some movement out of the LBs on that, based on Boykin's big run earlier. Problem with that....man in motion isn't Boykin, and Boykin didn't do his run out of motion. He shifted to the HB position then ran a simple sweep. The LBs don't bite. At the point of attack, we have a double-team on the nose, and then the guard leaves to block the Linebacker. This is designed. The idea is to get the nose moving to the left, then let Jones wash him out as the G covers up the LB. The problem? We get basically no movement out of the nose, and when the G comes off, he steps right into the hole and makes the stop. 3rd and 8. Murray throws a 2-yard out under pressure. Marlon Brown turns it into an 8-yard gain and a first down. Still, the offensive line was fooled and Murray had no choice but to get rid of the ball. If he had another second, he may have faked that throw, and hit his man coming open over the middle.

1st and 10 - we run a sweep to the right with Samuel. They bring a Corner blitz which kills the blocking scheme and blows the play in the backfield. Samuel is able to make a gain of two. The biggest problem I have with this play is our OG, #68. He dives at the feet of a corner. WHAT? He's pulling, he's running..if a corner shows up, he should blow that kid into the sideline. Instead, he makes a diving push towards him, effectively placing his 300lb body on the ground for Samuel to leap over. Basically, our Guard makes the play for Boise.

That's it for quarter one.




No comments: