A few years back, just after I graduated UGA and left my beloved Dawgs behind in GA as I headed west, a challenge was laid before the Bulldogs. It was said that they weren't "Man Enough" to beat Alabama. All they did was go out and whip the Alabama Crimson Tide.
I am a Bulldawg. I am Man Enough to admit that I was wrong about the game this past week. There is no way I could have foreseen the level of ineptitude I witnessed on the part of our defense on the first half. That's not to suggest I was happy with the play of our offense, but it was the total collapse of defensive technique from week one to week two that overshadowed it all. Don't get me wrong - I'm going to get to the 6 points scored total later in this blog - but the lack of fire and fundamentals on defense were far more disappointing to me.
Marcus Lattimore is a good back. He is strong, he has great balance, he has great low-end torque. He's everything you want in a Jeep. Our defense made him look like an M1 Abrams tank on Saturday. For the entire first half, and for the final drive of the game, our boys were just that - boys - playfully batting at an iron beast rolling down the main street of our town. This is unacceptable.
"But Dukes...isn't Grantham's 3-4 to blame? If we had four guys on the line..." Shut up. No. Grantham used a variety of sets with both three and four down linemen. Neither slowed Lattimore considerably. The problem wasn't in the positioning of our players. The problem wasn't in the scheme. The problem was in the fact that we didn't wrap up on tackles. The problem was that when we hit the guy in the backfield, he'd gain nine POSITIVE yards. That has NOTHING to do with scheme. It was a total role-reversal from week one. In week one, our defense went out to kill someone. In week two, it was like we were trying to feel them out - and got punched square in the jaw.
Now, let's not forget, even with the success of ML running the ball, he didn't gain every first down on their two first-half scoring drives. He chewed up real estate, he chewed up clock, but our defense had opportunities to get off the field on 3rd down and didn't accomplish that task. There was a screen pass where Brandon Smith dove to make a hit instead of running through the tackle. If he ran through the tackle, they don't get the first. There was the "phantom spot" first down, which was an absolutely AWFUL call both on the field and by replay, but those happen. There were a couple of third downs where we simply fell off tackles that would have stopped the Cocks short.
Bacarri Rambo was driven into the endzone on Lattimore's first TD. Then, on Lattimore's second TD, Rambo didn't even make a play on the ball. He stood behind the pile as Lattimore bounced off to the right and scored.
I imagine Todd Grantham had just about enough of that crap in the first half, and tore the defense a new one in the locker room. There is no denying that when they came out in the second half, they looked quite different. Our defense stuffed them for two straight plays after our opening half fieldgoal. Then, someone jumped offsides. That's an annoying penalty...but it shows they weren't resting on their heels. The next play was something they hadn't done all day - Garcia went deep and hit a man in triple coverage. It was an excellent pass, there's just no other way to put it. But then, Justin Houston picked up another sack and a fumble. UGA had the ball.
On their next two drives, our defense threw up stops, giving our offense the ball with a chance to do something. Then came the final drive when SC again relied heavily on Lattimore, and our exhausted defense couldn't buck up and stop him - until they were already in fieldgoal range to seal the win.
The fire of the defense in the second half gave us a chance to win. The lack of points by the offense prevented it.
Now, do I mean the offense was BAD? NO. I mean it didn't get the job done when it had to. Murray looked very solid again. He completed 67% and threw no interceptions. We're 1-1, and that sucks. I'm not happy about it. I find an interesting similarity to 2001, when a Redshirt freshman was QB, and our team was 1-1 coming out of the UGA-USC game, with a 14-9 loss. That season, we didn't go on to greatness...we were 8-4. The next season, we went 13-1 and won the SEC. Had the rest of the college landscape behaved, we would have run for the title.
Does that mean I want to wait until next year to be good? No. But I also don't believe Saturday's performance was portents to the end of the world in Athens. I'll be back to blog about the Offense later.
Go Dawgs.
Monday, September 13, 2010
Friday, September 10, 2010
Dawgs will thump the Cocks.
Everyone is saying this game is going to be tight. Everyone is saying the vegas line of Cocks by 2-3 points is dead-on. Everyone is saying the Dawgs only rolled last week because the competition was so far inferior. Well, I'm here to buck that trend. I'm not going to say the Dawgs will run away with this game by seven touchdowns, but I fully expect a 14 to 21 point victory. Now, why in the world would I say something like that? What would possibly get into my brain and make me believe that suddenly UGA should be a two to three touchdown favorite over South Carolina?
Well, in order to log such a win, UGA needs two things to happen. We gotta shut them down, and we gotta light them up.
Can we shut them down? Yes. Grantham's new defense is far and away better than what Martinez fielded last season. The pressure he will send at Garcia will be something he hasn't seen in some time. This defense is more complex, with more movement, and more blitzing from multiple sources. Grantham will gameplan better than Martinez did. If you watched the game last week, you should remember that for the majority of the game, we always had players in the area where the ball was going. That's not coincidence, people. That's game study.
Do you know when the Gamecocks last faced a defensive coordinator who had just come from the NFL? That would be in their 13-31 loss to Tennessee a season ago. Monte Kiffin was not confused by Spurrier, and Grantham won't be either. Now, this SC team is definitely better than last year's. But, they aren't going to be significantly better than last week's. Last week, Garcia was hitting wide open receivers. He was hitting receivers who greatly overmatched the coverage guys. Also, he had the benefit of rarely being under pressure. In fact, Garcia was not sacked. He was rarely hit. The Golden Eagles seemed to only blitz hard when Connor Shaw was in the game. That resulted in three sacks. Something tells me Grantham is going to blitz a good bit more than that.
Don't get me wrong at all. Garcia is a seasoned quarterback. He's not going to crumble immediately under pressure. He's been playing in the league for years, and has seen his share of punishment. But, he does have a hot head. Once we start hitting him, he will become more aggressive. He will become more risky. This will result in turnovers.
In last week's game, South Carolina had over 200 yards rushing. 53 of that came on end-around by Ace Sanders. Now, I'm not saying it's impossible to pop that run against us, but our speed on defense is somewhere in the neighborhood of 8,000 times faster than that of Southern Miss.
Will USC score? I believe they will. But I also believe they will score less than 14 points. Their kicker is too good to imagine he won't hit if they can get the ball inside the thirty...and I think they will play well enough to do that.
NOW
What about OUR offense against their solid defense? I think we're remembering defenses past. Yes, Stephon Gilmore is a man. He's a very very good corner. He'll be locking down whoever is our #1 for most of the night. However, USC doesn't have 4 of him on the field. He can't cover all of our receivers alone. The LBs are going to have to lock down our tightends and runningbacks, and I don't like their chances on that one. Norwood and the Brinkleys are long gone. They do not have the talent at that position like they have in years past. This was evident last week when slants, quick outs and screen plays were hitting for good yardage and first downs. Also, the pressure on Southern Miss's QB wasn't nearly what I expected it to be. True, they were playing a bit more Vanilla than they will this week, but still.
I do not expect USC to bring 8 in the box all game as ULL attempted in order to slow our running game. I believe this for two reasons. First, I believe they will think they don't need 8 guys in the box to slow our running game. They will believe that they can shut us down with four down linemen, and the reading skills of their linebackers. Secondly, Spurrier will respect Aaron Murray. He knows how good this kid is going to be. He knows how good this kid already is. He isn't going to risk this kid having a "coming out party" against his defense by trying to simply blitz his tail off. He knows that if he does that, Murray will make the reads, make the throws, and slice his defense up.
So, what does this mean? This means the running lanes that were so "hard to come by" (even though our backs averaged almost 5 yards per carry) will be a little more plentiful.
Murray is getting a few weapons back this week as well. Our offense is in good shape. Do we have AJ Green? No. Last year, he had 6 catches for 87 yards and a touchdown. Hardly a gamebreaker. Plus, our receivers have come out much better than they did last season.
Here's the skinny on it kids....UGA won this game 41-37 last season, and it took a last-second pass deflection by the smallest linebacker on the planet to secure that victory. In the year since that game, our offense has improved, our defense has improved. Their defense is not better than it was last year. Their offense looks to be a bit better, but I'm not falling all over it. They have a very solid runningback in Lattimore, but I don't think he changes the game for them. Garcia looks better than he did last season, but I don't think he lights us up without a Willie Martinez soft-zone look in front of him. Do you remember last season? He was throwing to a wide open Wesley Saunders all night.
It was too easy for Garcia. Tomorrow, it won't be easy.
Dawgs roll in Columbia. Go Dawgs!
Well, in order to log such a win, UGA needs two things to happen. We gotta shut them down, and we gotta light them up.
Can we shut them down? Yes. Grantham's new defense is far and away better than what Martinez fielded last season. The pressure he will send at Garcia will be something he hasn't seen in some time. This defense is more complex, with more movement, and more blitzing from multiple sources. Grantham will gameplan better than Martinez did. If you watched the game last week, you should remember that for the majority of the game, we always had players in the area where the ball was going. That's not coincidence, people. That's game study.
Do you know when the Gamecocks last faced a defensive coordinator who had just come from the NFL? That would be in their 13-31 loss to Tennessee a season ago. Monte Kiffin was not confused by Spurrier, and Grantham won't be either. Now, this SC team is definitely better than last year's. But, they aren't going to be significantly better than last week's. Last week, Garcia was hitting wide open receivers. He was hitting receivers who greatly overmatched the coverage guys. Also, he had the benefit of rarely being under pressure. In fact, Garcia was not sacked. He was rarely hit. The Golden Eagles seemed to only blitz hard when Connor Shaw was in the game. That resulted in three sacks. Something tells me Grantham is going to blitz a good bit more than that.
Don't get me wrong at all. Garcia is a seasoned quarterback. He's not going to crumble immediately under pressure. He's been playing in the league for years, and has seen his share of punishment. But, he does have a hot head. Once we start hitting him, he will become more aggressive. He will become more risky. This will result in turnovers.
In last week's game, South Carolina had over 200 yards rushing. 53 of that came on end-around by Ace Sanders. Now, I'm not saying it's impossible to pop that run against us, but our speed on defense is somewhere in the neighborhood of 8,000 times faster than that of Southern Miss.
Will USC score? I believe they will. But I also believe they will score less than 14 points. Their kicker is too good to imagine he won't hit if they can get the ball inside the thirty...and I think they will play well enough to do that.
NOW
What about OUR offense against their solid defense? I think we're remembering defenses past. Yes, Stephon Gilmore is a man. He's a very very good corner. He'll be locking down whoever is our #1 for most of the night. However, USC doesn't have 4 of him on the field. He can't cover all of our receivers alone. The LBs are going to have to lock down our tightends and runningbacks, and I don't like their chances on that one. Norwood and the Brinkleys are long gone. They do not have the talent at that position like they have in years past. This was evident last week when slants, quick outs and screen plays were hitting for good yardage and first downs. Also, the pressure on Southern Miss's QB wasn't nearly what I expected it to be. True, they were playing a bit more Vanilla than they will this week, but still.
I do not expect USC to bring 8 in the box all game as ULL attempted in order to slow our running game. I believe this for two reasons. First, I believe they will think they don't need 8 guys in the box to slow our running game. They will believe that they can shut us down with four down linemen, and the reading skills of their linebackers. Secondly, Spurrier will respect Aaron Murray. He knows how good this kid is going to be. He knows how good this kid already is. He isn't going to risk this kid having a "coming out party" against his defense by trying to simply blitz his tail off. He knows that if he does that, Murray will make the reads, make the throws, and slice his defense up.
So, what does this mean? This means the running lanes that were so "hard to come by" (even though our backs averaged almost 5 yards per carry) will be a little more plentiful.
Murray is getting a few weapons back this week as well. Our offense is in good shape. Do we have AJ Green? No. Last year, he had 6 catches for 87 yards and a touchdown. Hardly a gamebreaker. Plus, our receivers have come out much better than they did last season.
Here's the skinny on it kids....UGA won this game 41-37 last season, and it took a last-second pass deflection by the smallest linebacker on the planet to secure that victory. In the year since that game, our offense has improved, our defense has improved. Their defense is not better than it was last year. Their offense looks to be a bit better, but I'm not falling all over it. They have a very solid runningback in Lattimore, but I don't think he changes the game for them. Garcia looks better than he did last season, but I don't think he lights us up without a Willie Martinez soft-zone look in front of him. Do you remember last season? He was throwing to a wide open Wesley Saunders all night.
It was too easy for Garcia. Tomorrow, it won't be easy.
Dawgs roll in Columbia. Go Dawgs!
Sunday, September 5, 2010
Good Scrimmage, Dawgs...now, about that SEC game...
The first game has come and gone, and there were many things to be excited about. Aaron Murray looks everything the part. He'll grow into a very good quarterback. He's a playmaker to be sure. Do I expect him to play lights-out all season? Nope. I saw a few tosses yesterday that may have been going the other way if he threw them against a decent defense. Also, much like I said about Garcia's scamper to the endzone against Southern Miss, I don't think Aaron Murray makes it to paydirt on that run if the defense is an SEC defense. He's quick and evasive, but I have a strong feeling that an SEC linebacker or Safety would have closed on him and knocked him off into the hedges on that one. Our defense played very solid, very sound. There were a few missed assignments, which will happen - especially in game one, but when you hold ANY opponent to just over 100 yards total production, that's pretty good.
The game went very much like I predicted. Some of my details were off, but all in all we scored like I said we would, we shut them down like I said we would, and we gave up a garbage score - like I said we would.
More imporatantly, we accomplished something that has been far removed from Georgia football for a while. We stomped a lesser opponent into the dirt. There was no doubt about who was winning this game - but in recent years, our teams have been less than dominant against these cupcakes. We haven't been able to get the younger, less experienced players on thef field nearly as much as we'd like to. In this one, our second and third teams were making plays in the third quarter.
Now, let's not pretend our team is a National Title winner just yet. We did what we were supposed to. Now, on to the next test.
I've read articles this morning that said we need to be running the ball better. Well, we averaged nearly yards per carry - without the benefit of a huge 60 or 70 yarder to pad the average. Was our running game as dominant as many expected it would be? Possibly not. But, it definitely served our team to get the passing game going as well. This game was nothing more than a tune-up. It was a glorified scrimmage against an opposing force - against guys we don't see in the locker room on a daily basis. It was a chance to let Murray get his feet wet in front of 94,000 people.
Grantham called only a few basic blitzes - nothing even as interesting as what I saw from him at G-Day. The offense was very basic, and by the fourth quarter we had ratcheted completely down. Now, this is something that bothers me a bit. Don't get me wrong. I'm not of the opinion that we need to run the score up on a lesser opponent to improve season stats or impress voters. Scoring 72 against ULL won't get you any more credit with the voters than scoring 55 will. They'll think, "Well, Georgia whooped a team they should whoop. No big whoop." But, I don't understand the logic in putting Munzenmeier in at tailback and handing to him three times, then punting. The kid's a senior and has been a contributing player for quite some time. He's not getting new experience that will help him as the year goes along. Mason had what, five pass attempts? I'm not saying he needed to light people up...but I'd have prefered more than five pass attempts in a quarter and a half of work. I just think that when you get the 2's and 3's into the game, you let them run the offense. That's how they're going to learn. Let them run real plays, something they might have to run if the guy in front of them gets hurt next week. But no, we err on the side of class.
I'll never understand the concept that "scoring is classless." What are doing, protecting the ego of a team that can't stop us? That's senseless. I'm not saying that we put Aaron Murray back in the game at the tail end, but I'm saying let that Van Dyk kid run the ball on a toss or something. Send Arthur Lynch down the field on a seam route and let Mason try to fit one in there. If their defense can't stop our two's or three's, then that's on them. These kids likely won't get much game-time experience once we get into the meat of the season (6 days), so why not give them functional snaps in the opener?
At any rate, what's done is done and we look forward to South Carolina. This one's going to be fun to watch. Spurrier's offense finally looks like Spurrier's offense, and the SC defense is REAL. Then again, so is Grantham's D, and Murray looks to have a good handle on the limited playbook he's been developing. It'll be intersting to see how the depth charts shape up this week as players on both teams return from suspensions and injuries. UGA - USC has become quite the little rivalry in recent years, with a loss to USC costing UGA the SEC East crown, and a shot at a national title in 2007. It's going to be quite the step-up in competition for both teams...can't wait to see it!
GO DAWGS!
The game went very much like I predicted. Some of my details were off, but all in all we scored like I said we would, we shut them down like I said we would, and we gave up a garbage score - like I said we would.
More imporatantly, we accomplished something that has been far removed from Georgia football for a while. We stomped a lesser opponent into the dirt. There was no doubt about who was winning this game - but in recent years, our teams have been less than dominant against these cupcakes. We haven't been able to get the younger, less experienced players on thef field nearly as much as we'd like to. In this one, our second and third teams were making plays in the third quarter.
Now, let's not pretend our team is a National Title winner just yet. We did what we were supposed to. Now, on to the next test.
I've read articles this morning that said we need to be running the ball better. Well, we averaged nearly yards per carry - without the benefit of a huge 60 or 70 yarder to pad the average. Was our running game as dominant as many expected it would be? Possibly not. But, it definitely served our team to get the passing game going as well. This game was nothing more than a tune-up. It was a glorified scrimmage against an opposing force - against guys we don't see in the locker room on a daily basis. It was a chance to let Murray get his feet wet in front of 94,000 people.
Grantham called only a few basic blitzes - nothing even as interesting as what I saw from him at G-Day. The offense was very basic, and by the fourth quarter we had ratcheted completely down. Now, this is something that bothers me a bit. Don't get me wrong. I'm not of the opinion that we need to run the score up on a lesser opponent to improve season stats or impress voters. Scoring 72 against ULL won't get you any more credit with the voters than scoring 55 will. They'll think, "Well, Georgia whooped a team they should whoop. No big whoop." But, I don't understand the logic in putting Munzenmeier in at tailback and handing to him three times, then punting. The kid's a senior and has been a contributing player for quite some time. He's not getting new experience that will help him as the year goes along. Mason had what, five pass attempts? I'm not saying he needed to light people up...but I'd have prefered more than five pass attempts in a quarter and a half of work. I just think that when you get the 2's and 3's into the game, you let them run the offense. That's how they're going to learn. Let them run real plays, something they might have to run if the guy in front of them gets hurt next week. But no, we err on the side of class.
I'll never understand the concept that "scoring is classless." What are doing, protecting the ego of a team that can't stop us? That's senseless. I'm not saying that we put Aaron Murray back in the game at the tail end, but I'm saying let that Van Dyk kid run the ball on a toss or something. Send Arthur Lynch down the field on a seam route and let Mason try to fit one in there. If their defense can't stop our two's or three's, then that's on them. These kids likely won't get much game-time experience once we get into the meat of the season (6 days), so why not give them functional snaps in the opener?
At any rate, what's done is done and we look forward to South Carolina. This one's going to be fun to watch. Spurrier's offense finally looks like Spurrier's offense, and the SC defense is REAL. Then again, so is Grantham's D, and Murray looks to have a good handle on the limited playbook he's been developing. It'll be intersting to see how the depth charts shape up this week as players on both teams return from suspensions and injuries. UGA - USC has become quite the little rivalry in recent years, with a loss to USC costing UGA the SEC East crown, and a shot at a national title in 2007. It's going to be quite the step-up in competition for both teams...can't wait to see it!
GO DAWGS!
Friday, September 3, 2010
Mettenberger to LSU?
All of the Georgia fans out there who call for Mark Richt to be a strict coach and punish kids and toss them off the team need to remember their fervor for such discipline in the years to come. Les Miles has offered a scholarship to Zach Mettenberger, and I personally hope he takes it. Further, I hope we see him in the SEC title game.
Why?
Because I'd love to read the comments by people saying "We never should have gotten rid of him. Richt was an idiot."
That's the life of a head coach, damned if you do, damned if you don't. Ask yourselves - would you rather Richt have kept the kid on the team after showing bad judgment (what he did on vacation) and a lack of character (lying about it)? I know, I'm giving him alot of credit in suggesting his potential move to LSU could possibly be detrimental to UGA. We won't see LSU in seasonal play over the next four years, so the only chance we'd see Metts would be at the title game - and if we're there, then there's no evidence to support the thought that keeping him would have been a better choice than getting rid of him (Unless he beats us in that game).
I don't know...I'm just already looking forward to the potential storylines...and the blogosphere finding another reason to dig on Richt.
Good luck to Zach if he takes the scholly. It's easy to damn a kid who makes a mistake...it'll just be interesting to hear what UGA fans have to say should he prove to be a very successful qb elsewhere.
Go Dawgs.
Why?
Because I'd love to read the comments by people saying "We never should have gotten rid of him. Richt was an idiot."
That's the life of a head coach, damned if you do, damned if you don't. Ask yourselves - would you rather Richt have kept the kid on the team after showing bad judgment (what he did on vacation) and a lack of character (lying about it)? I know, I'm giving him alot of credit in suggesting his potential move to LSU could possibly be detrimental to UGA. We won't see LSU in seasonal play over the next four years, so the only chance we'd see Metts would be at the title game - and if we're there, then there's no evidence to support the thought that keeping him would have been a better choice than getting rid of him (Unless he beats us in that game).
I don't know...I'm just already looking forward to the potential storylines...and the blogosphere finding another reason to dig on Richt.
Good luck to Zach if he takes the scholly. It's easy to damn a kid who makes a mistake...it'll just be interesting to hear what UGA fans have to say should he prove to be a very successful qb elsewhere.
Go Dawgs.
Mason impresses in Debut.
I just wanted to get a head-start on the Lassiter newspaper's headline. Do I think Hutson Mason will play tomorrow? Yup. Do I think it will be in the first half? Yup. Do I think it will be because Aaron Murray is hurt? Nup.
Mark Richt isn't deaf to criticism. He's well aware that many around the nation have been questioning his decision to not play Aaron Murray for a single down in 2009. He also knows that his backup, who is a play away from being a starter, needs experience just as badly as his starter. Logan Gray is, for all intents and purposes (and much to the delight of this writer) out of the picture as QB at UGA. So, it's Murray, Mason, and a couple of walk-ons.
Now, people are quick to dismiss walk-ons...but I'll have folks remember that it was a one-time walk-on named Corey Philips who tossed the ball for over 400 yards and four touchdowns. Again, not saying either of these guys are stars...but to dismiss their ability simply because they didn't receive a scholarship is folly.
At any rate, it wouldn't surprise me to see three quarterbacks over the course of the game tomorrow. It also wouldn't surprise me in the least if Mason is getting snaps with the first team before half is out.
"Oh come on, Dukes. You're just saying this because Connor Shaw was playing last night for Spurrier." No, I'm not. I'm saying this because I believe Richt knows he needs to get kids experience, and this is the game to do it. Going into South Carolina, you don't want a situation where a kid gets his first meaningful snap - you really don't. South Carolina is a good team. First-snap jitters will be a factor. If you add to that the idea that it's a kid's first snap EVER, you're compounding the problem. Huton Mason does not provide a "change of pace" from Aaron Murray, so using them as a dual-quarterback system does not make sense. But, Richt sending Mason in to get some snaps with the ones - just in case - certainly does. I envision a game tomorrow where Georgia runs the ball early and often, and throws some early screen and swing passes to get Murray's confidence up.
Of course, Bobo is rather taken with the idea of the "big hitter" to open the game. So, don't be surprised if a call along the lines of "off-tackle x-go check-with-me" comes in. This isn't an actual name of a play in UGA's playbook - or if it is, then it was a lucky guess - but rather a concept. The coach calls in a run-pass option. If you read your big, tall, fast, star receiver is in man-man coverage, you go with the pass play, lay it up and let him go get it. If you read double or zone coverage, you make the run call, hand off to one of your solid runningbacks, and let him get five or six yards, opening your playbook WIDE for a second and medium-to-gain play.
Either way you slice it, we should have a good deal of success provided Murray keeps the ball out of the defense's hands. I don't know that I think Mason will see action in the first quarter, but I definitely believe we will have a comfortable enough lead for him to come in before the halftime whistle blows.
"DUKES! Are you not giving ULL credit? Are you letting them lull you to sleep? These guys beat Kansas State last year."
So?
Look, I'll give ULL all the credit in the world. They're coming in as David trying to slay Goliath....but we're not really Goliath. Right now, we're Goliath's sickly little brother. We have much to prove to take the "Goliath" mantle. Still, we are grossly more talented and DEEPER than ULL. There will be less than 1,000 ULL fans in the stands. Our guys are bigger, faster, stronger. Every card in the deck, both jokers, and the poker rules are stacked against ULL, and this isn't a game when they're going to shock the world.
What then am I looking forward to? I'm looking forward to a GLIMPSE of what this year's squad is all about. I say a glimpse because I know Grantham ain't gonna tip his hand completely. He'll show a couple blitzes, he'll show a few different coverages...but we won't see anything close to what we'll see against, say, FLORIDA. Why? We won't need to. Bobo will be very similar. He may show a wrinkle or two, but not a great deal. The game will be fairly Vanilla, with the exception of a few possible trick plays. "Trick plays, Dukes? Come ON!" Yeah, I think there may be a trick play or two. Why? Because it's easier to pull them off against inferior competition, and if you show them, other teams have to prepare for them. End-arounds are going to work better against teams without great speed on defense. Flea-flickers are going to work better against DBs who won't be able to recover as well. I'm definitely not saying the UGA offense will be gimmicky...but I do think we'll see some kids get to do some out-of-the-ordinary things.
The last I saw, the betting line on this game was 28 points, with the over set at 41. I definitely say bet the over. Here's my best guess - King has two scores on the ground, add one by Munzenmeyer. Murray tosses 3 TDs - two to AJ Green and one to Orson Charles. I think Hutson Mason tosses a TD to Arthur Lynch late in the game, and Brandon Boykin returns either a kick or a pick for a TD. That puts UGA at 56 points. Is that crazy? Could be. I mean, I'm calling for some truly extraordinary circumstances. But hey, that's probably gonna be M.O. this season. Here's what I've learned - all the resarch and prognosticating and "trying to get it right" gets tiring and annoying. Besides, this is game 1. I have nothing to draw on. There are no "trends" for our defense. There are no "tendencies" on our offense. It's a blank slate. So, perhaps I'll just say what I want to see, and if it happens, AWESOME.
I want two things - 50 points on offense, and less than 10 surrendered on Defense, preferrably none (but I generally assume a garbage score of some sort).
Can tomorrow just get here already? Let's get it here, get it won, and move on to South Carolina....because THAT is gonna be a game!
Go Dawgs!
Mark Richt isn't deaf to criticism. He's well aware that many around the nation have been questioning his decision to not play Aaron Murray for a single down in 2009. He also knows that his backup, who is a play away from being a starter, needs experience just as badly as his starter. Logan Gray is, for all intents and purposes (and much to the delight of this writer) out of the picture as QB at UGA. So, it's Murray, Mason, and a couple of walk-ons.
Now, people are quick to dismiss walk-ons...but I'll have folks remember that it was a one-time walk-on named Corey Philips who tossed the ball for over 400 yards and four touchdowns. Again, not saying either of these guys are stars...but to dismiss their ability simply because they didn't receive a scholarship is folly.
At any rate, it wouldn't surprise me to see three quarterbacks over the course of the game tomorrow. It also wouldn't surprise me in the least if Mason is getting snaps with the first team before half is out.
"Oh come on, Dukes. You're just saying this because Connor Shaw was playing last night for Spurrier." No, I'm not. I'm saying this because I believe Richt knows he needs to get kids experience, and this is the game to do it. Going into South Carolina, you don't want a situation where a kid gets his first meaningful snap - you really don't. South Carolina is a good team. First-snap jitters will be a factor. If you add to that the idea that it's a kid's first snap EVER, you're compounding the problem. Huton Mason does not provide a "change of pace" from Aaron Murray, so using them as a dual-quarterback system does not make sense. But, Richt sending Mason in to get some snaps with the ones - just in case - certainly does. I envision a game tomorrow where Georgia runs the ball early and often, and throws some early screen and swing passes to get Murray's confidence up.
Of course, Bobo is rather taken with the idea of the "big hitter" to open the game. So, don't be surprised if a call along the lines of "off-tackle x-go check-with-me" comes in. This isn't an actual name of a play in UGA's playbook - or if it is, then it was a lucky guess - but rather a concept. The coach calls in a run-pass option. If you read your big, tall, fast, star receiver is in man-man coverage, you go with the pass play, lay it up and let him go get it. If you read double or zone coverage, you make the run call, hand off to one of your solid runningbacks, and let him get five or six yards, opening your playbook WIDE for a second and medium-to-gain play.
Either way you slice it, we should have a good deal of success provided Murray keeps the ball out of the defense's hands. I don't know that I think Mason will see action in the first quarter, but I definitely believe we will have a comfortable enough lead for him to come in before the halftime whistle blows.
"DUKES! Are you not giving ULL credit? Are you letting them lull you to sleep? These guys beat Kansas State last year."
So?
Look, I'll give ULL all the credit in the world. They're coming in as David trying to slay Goliath....but we're not really Goliath. Right now, we're Goliath's sickly little brother. We have much to prove to take the "Goliath" mantle. Still, we are grossly more talented and DEEPER than ULL. There will be less than 1,000 ULL fans in the stands. Our guys are bigger, faster, stronger. Every card in the deck, both jokers, and the poker rules are stacked against ULL, and this isn't a game when they're going to shock the world.
What then am I looking forward to? I'm looking forward to a GLIMPSE of what this year's squad is all about. I say a glimpse because I know Grantham ain't gonna tip his hand completely. He'll show a couple blitzes, he'll show a few different coverages...but we won't see anything close to what we'll see against, say, FLORIDA. Why? We won't need to. Bobo will be very similar. He may show a wrinkle or two, but not a great deal. The game will be fairly Vanilla, with the exception of a few possible trick plays. "Trick plays, Dukes? Come ON!" Yeah, I think there may be a trick play or two. Why? Because it's easier to pull them off against inferior competition, and if you show them, other teams have to prepare for them. End-arounds are going to work better against teams without great speed on defense. Flea-flickers are going to work better against DBs who won't be able to recover as well. I'm definitely not saying the UGA offense will be gimmicky...but I do think we'll see some kids get to do some out-of-the-ordinary things.
The last I saw, the betting line on this game was 28 points, with the over set at 41. I definitely say bet the over. Here's my best guess - King has two scores on the ground, add one by Munzenmeyer. Murray tosses 3 TDs - two to AJ Green and one to Orson Charles. I think Hutson Mason tosses a TD to Arthur Lynch late in the game, and Brandon Boykin returns either a kick or a pick for a TD. That puts UGA at 56 points. Is that crazy? Could be. I mean, I'm calling for some truly extraordinary circumstances. But hey, that's probably gonna be M.O. this season. Here's what I've learned - all the resarch and prognosticating and "trying to get it right" gets tiring and annoying. Besides, this is game 1. I have nothing to draw on. There are no "trends" for our defense. There are no "tendencies" on our offense. It's a blank slate. So, perhaps I'll just say what I want to see, and if it happens, AWESOME.
I want two things - 50 points on offense, and less than 10 surrendered on Defense, preferrably none (but I generally assume a garbage score of some sort).
Can tomorrow just get here already? Let's get it here, get it won, and move on to South Carolina....because THAT is gonna be a game!
Go Dawgs!
The Game
Today is a day unlike any other day a Georgia Fan will face in 2010. This is the day when all of last year's disappointments are at their most distant. This is the day when optimisim for a coming season is at its highest. The unknown stretches out before us, and we are on pins and needles for that first kickoff.
But let us pause.
Tommorrow the libations will be flowing, tailgates will empty, fans will rush into Sanford Stadium and get their first glimpse of a brand new team, and reality will set in.
But today, today we can project. Today we can use memories of former greatness to spark excitement and hope for the upcoming season. Some will look back to 2002, the last time Mark Richt was coming of an 8-win season. Some will think back to 2007, when a pair of solid runningbacks was set to share carries. Some memories will drift back even farther, to a time when a three-down lineman set on defense was the norm for Georgia. People will remember these days for far more than what they were - saturdays of entertainment. They will remember these days as days that made their lives better. Excitement will rush in today, and hope will be at its highest. Memories of the past and and unknown future will build in Georgia Fans everywhere until it reaches a crescendo, just at the moment when the kicker's foot hits that pigskin for the first time, and the crowd yells "DAWGS! Sic 'Em! WOOF! WOOF! WOOF!"
In that moment, it will all be lost. In that moment, we will hang in the air just as that ball does...and when it finds its way to the hands of a waiting player, The Game will be ON.
By The Game, I'm not referring to the UGA-ULL matchup. Though the scene I've just painted does tie directly to it. No, by The Game I mean the season we've waited for - when all of the offseason moves and all of the player prospecting and all of the speculation finally plays out. This game began in earnest over a year ago. Mark Richt decided to keep Willie Martinez aboard to give his defense a shot at redemption. The 2008 campaign was very sub-par, but injuries and inexperience made for a fitting excuse. That excuse would vanish in 2009. So would Willie. Richt chose last year not to burn a red-shirt on his Blue Chip 5-Star Freshman Quarterback. He chose to stick with a fifth year senior, who had statistically one of the better seasons for UGA quarterbacks - if not for that pesky interception column which completely undid much of the positive work. Over the course of the season, Murray was never thrown into the fray - never given snaps which would have yielded vital experience. This was Richt's Game. He simply bet that a year of learning the system would be more beneficial than taking his lumps.
Those who believe Richt is too conservative and not a gambler should think twice. Richt has gambled quite a bit on this season. He has put the fate of his team in the hands and head of a redshirt freshman quarterback. Can this kid make the right decisions - or better, keep from making the wrong ones - and lead his team to victory in the toughest conference in America? He has put the fate of his team into the hands of an unproven defensive coordinator - though Grantham had limited success in some areas with the Cleveland Browns, his defense was not seen as high-quality. These are big gambles, and I believe they're going to pay off.
Many of the Georgia faithful out there have lost their way. They are no longer faithful. They are bitter, cold. They talk of Richt being on a hotseat. They say he'll never be on par with Miles, Meyer and Saban. They do not see how this team can be successful. But today, even they are excited...because tomorrow is brand new. Tomorrow is what we've been waiting for. Tomorrow, The Game is On.
Go Dawgs!
But let us pause.
Tommorrow the libations will be flowing, tailgates will empty, fans will rush into Sanford Stadium and get their first glimpse of a brand new team, and reality will set in.
But today, today we can project. Today we can use memories of former greatness to spark excitement and hope for the upcoming season. Some will look back to 2002, the last time Mark Richt was coming of an 8-win season. Some will think back to 2007, when a pair of solid runningbacks was set to share carries. Some memories will drift back even farther, to a time when a three-down lineman set on defense was the norm for Georgia. People will remember these days for far more than what they were - saturdays of entertainment. They will remember these days as days that made their lives better. Excitement will rush in today, and hope will be at its highest. Memories of the past and and unknown future will build in Georgia Fans everywhere until it reaches a crescendo, just at the moment when the kicker's foot hits that pigskin for the first time, and the crowd yells "DAWGS! Sic 'Em! WOOF! WOOF! WOOF!"
In that moment, it will all be lost. In that moment, we will hang in the air just as that ball does...and when it finds its way to the hands of a waiting player, The Game will be ON.
By The Game, I'm not referring to the UGA-ULL matchup. Though the scene I've just painted does tie directly to it. No, by The Game I mean the season we've waited for - when all of the offseason moves and all of the player prospecting and all of the speculation finally plays out. This game began in earnest over a year ago. Mark Richt decided to keep Willie Martinez aboard to give his defense a shot at redemption. The 2008 campaign was very sub-par, but injuries and inexperience made for a fitting excuse. That excuse would vanish in 2009. So would Willie. Richt chose last year not to burn a red-shirt on his Blue Chip 5-Star Freshman Quarterback. He chose to stick with a fifth year senior, who had statistically one of the better seasons for UGA quarterbacks - if not for that pesky interception column which completely undid much of the positive work. Over the course of the season, Murray was never thrown into the fray - never given snaps which would have yielded vital experience. This was Richt's Game. He simply bet that a year of learning the system would be more beneficial than taking his lumps.
Those who believe Richt is too conservative and not a gambler should think twice. Richt has gambled quite a bit on this season. He has put the fate of his team in the hands and head of a redshirt freshman quarterback. Can this kid make the right decisions - or better, keep from making the wrong ones - and lead his team to victory in the toughest conference in America? He has put the fate of his team into the hands of an unproven defensive coordinator - though Grantham had limited success in some areas with the Cleveland Browns, his defense was not seen as high-quality. These are big gambles, and I believe they're going to pay off.
Many of the Georgia faithful out there have lost their way. They are no longer faithful. They are bitter, cold. They talk of Richt being on a hotseat. They say he'll never be on par with Miles, Meyer and Saban. They do not see how this team can be successful. But today, even they are excited...because tomorrow is brand new. Tomorrow is what we've been waiting for. Tomorrow, The Game is On.
Go Dawgs!
Saturday, August 21, 2010
The Writers have no Allegiance to UGA.
Many people are making a big deal out of the Dawgs' Preseason #23 ranking.
"WHOA WHOA...Hold up, Dukes! Where have you been for the past few months?"
It was summer, nothing was happening. Get over it.
Now, as I was saying, Many people are making a big deal out of the Dawgs' Preseason #23 ranking. They're using that ranking to suggest that Georgia Tech is now somehow a better football program than Georgia. They're using that ranking to say Richt should be on the hotseat. They're using that ranking to say the wheels have really fallen off with talent level and ability at UGA.
These people are idiots.
College football is a "what have you done lately" entity. The answer, in UGA terms, is "not much." Georgia hasn't won the SEC since 2005. We haven't won a national title since 1980. We haven't beaten Florida since 2007, and before that, 2004, and before that, 1997. Soooo....what are UGA fans expecting? Do you expect that the national writers have been reading all the UGA blogsites and are in a fervor about the "potential" of this year's team?
No.
They are voting for proven teams. UGA has shown a decline in performance over the past two years. After a lofty #1 ranking before 2008, UGA lost 8 of its next 26 contests. That's a 69% winning percentage. Think that's gonna rank you very high? Nope.
You and I know that this team is going to show addition by subtraction. The defense will be better. How do we know this? Well, could you imagine it being any WORSE? The defense is taking on a "playmaker" mentailty - and I'm all for that. I want those guys to turn it up, and turn it loose. Will that result in a few burns? Most likely. But, in the long run, I think it will result in a far greater overall defensive performance.
The QB play will have to be better. Murray has an armory of weapons around him. He has a great offensive line. He has solid running backs. And, he has a coach who is going to let the game come to HIM instead of forcing him to go out and win games.
Of course, this is all information that has been trumpeted around for the whole summer. This is what every UGA-Red-Blooded blogger has told you. This is not news. Still, some of you seem to believe that the writers-at-large should agree with this. They shouldn't. It's not their job to believe in the potential. It's their job to believe in results.
Then, after the results are in, and the Dawgs are on top in the SEC, it's their job to pretend they were with the us the whole time.
Go Dawgs.
"WHOA WHOA...Hold up, Dukes! Where have you been for the past few months?"
It was summer, nothing was happening. Get over it.
Now, as I was saying, Many people are making a big deal out of the Dawgs' Preseason #23 ranking. They're using that ranking to suggest that Georgia Tech is now somehow a better football program than Georgia. They're using that ranking to say Richt should be on the hotseat. They're using that ranking to say the wheels have really fallen off with talent level and ability at UGA.
These people are idiots.
College football is a "what have you done lately" entity. The answer, in UGA terms, is "not much." Georgia hasn't won the SEC since 2005. We haven't won a national title since 1980. We haven't beaten Florida since 2007, and before that, 2004, and before that, 1997. Soooo....what are UGA fans expecting? Do you expect that the national writers have been reading all the UGA blogsites and are in a fervor about the "potential" of this year's team?
No.
They are voting for proven teams. UGA has shown a decline in performance over the past two years. After a lofty #1 ranking before 2008, UGA lost 8 of its next 26 contests. That's a 69% winning percentage. Think that's gonna rank you very high? Nope.
You and I know that this team is going to show addition by subtraction. The defense will be better. How do we know this? Well, could you imagine it being any WORSE? The defense is taking on a "playmaker" mentailty - and I'm all for that. I want those guys to turn it up, and turn it loose. Will that result in a few burns? Most likely. But, in the long run, I think it will result in a far greater overall defensive performance.
The QB play will have to be better. Murray has an armory of weapons around him. He has a great offensive line. He has solid running backs. And, he has a coach who is going to let the game come to HIM instead of forcing him to go out and win games.
Of course, this is all information that has been trumpeted around for the whole summer. This is what every UGA-Red-Blooded blogger has told you. This is not news. Still, some of you seem to believe that the writers-at-large should agree with this. They shouldn't. It's not their job to believe in the potential. It's their job to believe in results.
Then, after the results are in, and the Dawgs are on top in the SEC, it's their job to pretend they were with the us the whole time.
Go Dawgs.
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