tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6668303417231062245.post7331860120789965975..comments2023-09-22T10:29:26.208-07:00Comments on This Dawg's View: The great signing day falloutBen Dukeshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08461781656555739470noreply@blogger.comBlogger18125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6668303417231062245.post-7712146212391449792010-02-25T20:45:56.368-08:002010-02-25T20:45:56.368-08:00They're teenagers...most of them always feel l...They're teenagers...most of them always feel like somebody's out to get them.<br /><br /> <a href="http://www.sportsvideo.me" rel="nofollow"> sports video </a>sanjeethttps://www.blogger.com/profile/04043304632873778108noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6668303417231062245.post-84789722478655771372010-02-09T09:45:48.431-08:002010-02-09T09:45:48.431-08:00My, my, you're a pessimist... let me know when...My, my, you're a pessimist... let me know when you'd like a refill on that half-empty glass, MarkD.<br /><br />200 rushing yards in a game is an awful lot. It doesn't happen very often against good competition, unless you're a rush-oriented offense (like Tech, Navy, Nevada, etc). Gerogia is a balanced offense. I'd expect to see something along the lines of 150 rushing yards and 250 passing yards each game.<br /><br />Back to stats... if you look at King and Ealy's stats for the last half of the year (taking out the games they didn't play or had very few carries), they both would be on pace for a 1,000 yard season over the course of a full season. Now, I know we expected more out of Knowshon than a 1,000 yard season... But, two is more than one! And that's from a balanced offense.ThePetishttps://www.blogger.com/profile/16240942024279018380noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6668303417231062245.post-4980380144280273912010-02-05T12:12:55.136-08:002010-02-05T12:12:55.136-08:00I wasn't at ASU so I'll just take your wor...I wasn't at ASU so I'll just take your word for it - If we're undisciplined, that's an issue for sure. But we might be talking about two different things: It's wholly possible to be emotional and still be disciplined. Pete Carroll and Nick Saban's teams prove that. Trying to enforce unemotionality (if that's even a word) yet having a lack of discipline is not a good combination.<br /> <br />With regard to your runningback response, it's hard to accept any defense of an 8-5 season. You said that the running game "came on at the end of the season." Try the VERY end of the season... as in the very last game of the regular season. Is that even acceptable? Before that game and aside from Tenn. Tech, UGA didn't break 200 yards rushing in a game, we had three consecutive games with total rushing yards of 92, 45 and 89 yards, respectively, and we were only able to score THREE rushing TDs in the first EIGHT games of the season--That's 2/3 of the season! By year's end, we had 12 rushing TDs, as opposed to 24 the year before. Say what you will, but neither by statistic nor by performance, I didn't see any equal replacement for Knowshon on the field last year. No one stood out. And we only have one RB on the recruited class this year.UGAMarkhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/01086521561518876434noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6668303417231062245.post-61864792585590217832010-02-05T10:04:27.556-08:002010-02-05T10:04:27.556-08:00I'm trying to figure out what the hell MarkD i...I'm trying to figure out what the hell MarkD is talking about. I don't think the problem is Richt not letting the kids have fun. I was at the ASU game this year. With the score tied in the fourth quarter, half our team was dancing on the side lines like a bunch of idiots who weren't into the game. If anything, Richt needs to be demanding more discipline from the team, not less.<br /><br />On another note, I don't think a lack of talent is an excuse for not beating FL. In my estimation, we have approximately the same level of talent. Coaching has been the issue. And as far as the WR, Richt also said that the wealth of TEs should make up for some of the shortfall and I agree. GA has always been best offensively when we have had active TEs. I also don't know what Mark is talking about with the running game. It really came on at the end of the season, culminating in the complete distruction of tech. I think the running game will be a source of great strength next season.Dr_Joneshttps://www.blogger.com/profile/13874806896972441946noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6668303417231062245.post-19277379381872459452010-02-04T22:59:21.820-08:002010-02-04T22:59:21.820-08:00Again, last year's class has little to do with...Again, last year's class has little to do with success and failure of last season. You have to go back two or three classes to talk about "what these kids have done." Nine of UGA's signees last season were redshirted. The others (except Marlon Brown) contributed, and a few were gamebreakers in two seasons, (2011), those kids will ALL be seasoned, and we'll know how that class actually shook down. <br /><br />As for the TCU and BSU comparison, I won't make it. Here's the thing...if either one of those teams was playing against Auburn, FL, Alabama, TN and LSU, they wouldn't have had nearly the success they did. I'm not saying they couldn't beat one of those teams in a bowl...I'm saying they wouldn't beat them all in a season, not even close.<br /><br />We face the BEST the country has to offer, and if we're not going to do it with superior Athletes, we're going to have to do it with Superior Coaching. THAT is how Saban did it so fast at AL, and that is how Richt will have to do it.<br /><br />Getting rid of Willie was the first good move. We'll see how well Grantham's D does.Ben Dukeshttps://www.blogger.com/profile/08461781656555739470noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6668303417231062245.post-21092931200028011372010-02-04T20:51:12.325-08:002010-02-04T20:51:12.325-08:00Paul, I agree with you that there is validity behi...Paul, I agree with you that there is validity behind star rankings (otherwise, why have them at all), but, just to throw in a counterpoint, neither Boise State nor TCU nor GaTech had Top 15 classes last year, yet they landed in BCS Bowls and we didn't, and USC was ahead of us in the class ranking last year, yet they barely held on to a Top 25 finish by the end of the year. And, to be frank, we recruited the #6 class but finished 8-5. So just as an engine is only as fast as its slowest part, so also is a football team only as good as the coaches who develop them.UGAMarkhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/01086521561518876434noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6668303417231062245.post-85451692879905444032010-02-04T14:41:56.324-08:002010-02-04T14:41:56.324-08:00Recruiting stars mean something. Sometimes they ca...Recruiting stars mean something. Sometimes they can be wrong, but, in general, 5-star kids > 4-star kids > 3-star kids, etc.<br /><br />I want us to do well, and I think we're really only appreciably behind Florida in the stars per recruit rankings. But let's not kid ourselves into thinking that good coaches can turn a bunch of Vandy recruits into an SEC championship team.Unknownhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/09783943653809572733noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6668303417231062245.post-26300311324717216692010-02-04T13:22:00.333-08:002010-02-04T13:22:00.333-08:00RE: the record against Florida, especially recentl...RE: the record against Florida, especially recently. <br /><br />The 2007 GA-FL game was also not determined by stellar defense on Georgia's part.Cousin Pathttps://www.blogger.com/profile/04445894373136726700noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6668303417231062245.post-50243248488534142222010-02-04T11:47:56.698-08:002010-02-04T11:47:56.698-08:00Great insight as always - GO DAWGS AND COACH RICHT...Great insight as always - GO DAWGS AND COACH RICHT!REVEREND THOMAS JOHNSONhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/14693425515459382643noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6668303417231062245.post-55111811479772640972010-02-04T11:40:35.906-08:002010-02-04T11:40:35.906-08:00In response to the above post about the coaching c...In response to the above post about the coaching change, more than anything, I hope that Grantham + Lakatos, coupled with Richt's newfound "resolve," will light a fire under Richt's rear-end and put an end to this whole, "Let's act kosher and unemotional and kill em with kindness" bit. His stoic demeanor, from what I've seen, really hasn't raised the emotion or excitement levels of the team. In my opinion, it all came to light when, just before we beat Tech, Richt yelled at his players for dousing him with Gatorade. Premature as the dousing may have been, an overwhelming part of me realized why the team hasn't been energized at all. All of me wished Coach would just allow his players to have fun. There's a reason the teamwide celebration worked a few years ago in Jax. Richt should re-read his own notes. Succumbing to ensuing criticism was not the correct path.<br /><br />If nothing else, can we just get Van Gorder's crazy "double thumbs up" back? Such a small gesture yet sign of emotion and approval really did wonders for the defense during his tenure.UGAMarkhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/01086521561518876434noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6668303417231062245.post-69648417022623077222010-02-04T11:38:51.541-08:002010-02-04T11:38:51.541-08:00This comment has been removed by the author.UGAMarkhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/01086521561518876434noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6668303417231062245.post-72623345238328595482010-02-04T11:30:59.105-08:002010-02-04T11:30:59.105-08:00Nice post, Dukes. I read some interesting comment...Nice post, Dukes. I read some interesting commentary on Rogers that makes his defection a little easier of a pill to swallow: Apparently, despite his high-rating, opposing h.s. coaches have said his ethic is tragic (he gives up very quickly on plays in which he's not directly involved), and there's a strong possibility that he'll become academically ineligible. Someone with that much liability isn't worth a scholarship at UGA.<br /><br />That said, I am troubled that even Coach Richt said he's worried that we don't have enough quality guys to qualify as a strong receiver corps. Couple that with the lack of a strong QB going into spring training (All the hooplah about Logan last year yet he was lackluster when he did get to play), and it's going to be an offensive struggle again next season. <br /><br />To me, that frustratingly means we revert back to the Lean-on-the-Defense strategy, but when you consider the greater speed and distance that the 4th and 5th men have to cover in 3-4 blitz packages since they're not on the line, that means we're going to have an exhausted defense by the end of every game. Forget it if we lose anyone to injury.<br /><br />So I agree with you wholeheartedly that we needed a high-recruit QB - Although, as a counterpoint, there is consensus among prognosticators that this class overall had no strong QBs, and some consider the QB we DID get, Hutson Mason, to be a potentially overlooked gem. We also needed strong guys at the skill positions - another WR to balance AJ. With just 1 strong receiver, Green will get smothered in coverage and we'll have to rely on a running game that wasn't that strong last year (and won't be supplemented much by the incoming class). The most difficult pill for me to swallow is the thought that UF's incoming class has more talent than our seasoned and current starting offense.<br /><br />As a die-hard UGA alum, I am hoping for the best and anxious to see just how talented our incoming coaches are, but I'm admittedly expecting to say "There's always next year" yet again by season's end.UGAMarkhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/01086521561518876434noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6668303417231062245.post-87854406916581542042010-02-04T10:46:19.127-08:002010-02-04T10:46:19.127-08:00I really shouldn't have to tell you why player...I really shouldn't have to tell you why players would choose to go with the teams that have dominated play in the SEC for the past two seasons. FL lost a coach to be a head coach of another team, that's not a firing. Students don't get bent out of shape about that. They say "well, he had to do what was best for him." But, when the guy a kid has built a relationship with gets canned, he can feel a bit slighted. They're teenagers...most of them always feel like somebody's out to get them.<br /><br />Have we made up ground on FL? Well, we were 1-4 against them under Willie's tenure, and 1-3 in the years prior. So, I'd say no. BUT...I'll also say that we were blown out of the water more recently. Through the first seven years of Richt's coaching in Athens, the GA-FL game was a good game, a tight game. We won two of them, and lost the other five by a maximum of 14 points, with a low of 3. I'm not one who believes in "moral victories," but the game was generally a good game that would slip through the Dawgs' hands (Lito Sheppard INT, Injured DJ Shockley, etc). However, these past two seasons, when Martinez has been at his worst, we have seen just how much those athletes in FL can do when given opportunities. <br /><br />I'm not saying Grantham will close the gap completely and guarantee a win against FL, but I do believe he will do a better job of coaching the kids up and putting them in position to make plays. Once you do that, it's Athlete-on-Athlete...and I like to side with the kids who have a chip on their shoulder.<br /><br />That's us.Ben Dukeshttps://www.blogger.com/profile/08461781656555739470noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6668303417231062245.post-36211324829543003222010-02-04T10:21:08.275-08:002010-02-04T10:21:08.275-08:00I agree. BUT...seeing as how we keep finishing be...I agree. BUT...seeing as how we keep finishing behind FL at the end of the season, we are getting tired of finishing behind them in Feb. If Coach would have shown some secret ability to evaluate talent better than the "stars" we would all trust him completely. But it still seems they need to work harder or SOMETHING. FL has new coaches/no tebow and they locked down their guys. Saban just seems to out work everyone. What is going on? Heck Dooley kept the team from imploading in just weeks. What do we need to do? Can we talk to some kids who have been recruited and find out what it is about them? Don't get me wrong...I love CMR. There is no hot seat. Someone needs to do anything.Unknownhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/13167987625926024865noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6668303417231062245.post-90489915442652950082010-02-04T09:45:15.017-08:002010-02-04T09:45:15.017-08:00I don't actually read your blog much but I see...I don't actually read your blog much but I see I'll have to change that habit. Anyone with this much sense deserves my look.Unknownhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/01770397652054591177noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6668303417231062245.post-907250258887709592010-02-04T09:37:46.775-08:002010-02-04T09:37:46.775-08:00For every 5 star Marlon Brown, there is a 5 star A...For every 5 star Marlon Brown, there is a 5 star AJ Green that kept us from being 6-7 last year.burthttps://www.blogger.com/profile/04639804686815809270noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6668303417231062245.post-41066149867349197482010-02-04T08:13:45.308-08:002010-02-04T08:13:45.308-08:00Fantastic post.Fantastic post.Cousin Pathttps://www.blogger.com/profile/04445894373136726700noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6668303417231062245.post-35094368988283337402010-02-04T05:18:27.719-08:002010-02-04T05:18:27.719-08:00(standing up and applauding)(standing up and applauding)BulldogBryhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/08278897630475820366noreply@blogger.com