The Georgia Bullblawg

Possibility of Dawgs being overconfident? Good.

2011-10-25T07:22:00.002-04:00

Sure, a 5-2 record and being ranked in the 20's in the polls is not the end game of Georgia's aspirations, either this season or any other. Even though it marks a return of sorts to normalcy compared to the past couple of years, most will acknowledge that there's still a long way to go before being considered among the elite in the SEC or college football as a whole.

So, it may sound strange to consider that the Bulldogs should be feeling supremely confident heading into the WLOCP this Saturday against a team that has dominated the Dawgs for the better part of the last two decades. By the way, I've taken to saying the word "decade" like Kennedy did when he said "we choose to go to the moon in this d'cade..." I just like the way it sounds.

Anyway, this confidence could stem from the fact that the Bulldogs have reeled off 5 straight victories, albeit against lesser competition, while the Gators are scuffling, and have lost 3 straight. Add to that the fact that the only viable QB for the Gators should be hobbled and rusty, if indeed he does take the majority of the snaps.

It's needed, this confidence. The Bulldogs need a real sense of superiority for a change, and not one that's conjured by some nifty motivation, new uniforms, or celebrations. Those ugly uniforms and goofy gator head on those helmets seem to bring out ineptitude, and even fear in the Bulldogs almost every year.

Let's face it. Georgia has a better team than Florida. Despite several missteps, the Dawgs are finding ways to win the close games instead of finding ways to lose them. The only thing that can stand in their way of beating the hated Gators this time around, barring injuries and such, is that deer in headlights look that seems to grip the team 'round Halloween each season.

If Georgia is carrying around a feeling of confidence, even arrogance this time around, then that is a welcome change, and it could help keep the Dawgs riding high.

Actually like Georgia Football? Enjoy this week.

2011-10-04T09:54:00.003-04:00

Nobody with any objectivity in his makeup is suggesting that beating Coastal Carolina, Ole Miss, and Mississippi State means that the Dawgs are "back." They may not be back to being an SEC title contender, or even a candidate to win 9 games this year. However, they are back in the SEC East race for now.

Losses by Florida and South Carolina mean that the Dawgs have no more SEC losses than any other team in the East after 3 games. No matter what happens, this week the Bulldogs are in the thick of things. This week, the game has division title implications for both teams. This week, Georgia can make a statement that they're in this thing to the end, or they can meekly bow out, leaving only the faintest of hopes for a good season.

The point is, this week, Georgia's game at Tennessee means more to the standings and SEC East title aspirations than any game in quite some time. The Dawgs can move to 3-1 in the conference for the first time since 2008, and only their second time since 2005 (when they started 5-0 in the conference).

I have no idea what will happen Saturday. I hope that the defense has truly rounded into form, that Crowell will continue to impress, and that Murray is ready to get over the turnover bug. But, I don't know, and neither do you.

I can tell you this: It's been a rough couple of years, and I am excited to have a meaningful game in October again.

Richt is 100% dead on about Crowell, but...

2011-10-03T08:28:00.002-04:00

As we watched Georgia jump out to a 21-3 halftime lead, only to see the offense sputter to 3 lousy points in the second half, many noticed the absence of Isaiah Crowell in the backfield for much of the second half.

Head coach Mark Richt was forced to address this afterward, given the fact that, without the dynamic freshman in the game, the Bulldogs lacked rhythm and cohesiveness for much of the time. In doing so, Richt makes perfect sense. He's "not interested" in getting Crowell 30+ carries a game. This is completely understandable. It's a long season, and Crowell is still getting into SEC condition. The tolls of running the ball that many times takes on the body, particularly a freshman, cannot be overstated, and despite limping across the finish line, the Dawgs were never really in any danger of losing the game.

Having said all that, I wonder if it might be a bit more advantageous to the Georgia offense if Crowell's carries and general workload was spread out a bit more. If you're going to put a general limit, almost like a pitch count, on his carries/touches, then why not pull him out for a play or two during multiple series rather than "use up" half his touches on one drive? Hell, if he's capped at, say, 35 total snaps for the game, and you have him in on 12 snaps of a 15 play drive to start the game, then he's already 1/3 done for the day. (that's obviously a bit simplistic, but the point remains)

This much is clear: The offense just "goes" when he's in the game, and it has a tendency to sputter when he's not. I understand the idea of getting running backs into the proverbial rhythm, but I think the Dawgs might be better off in the second half if he's not sitting on the shelf for 15 minutes at a time, having reached 20 carries halfway through the 3rd quarter.

Bulldogs dominating, yet, not...

2011-09-27T08:42:00.002-04:00

Most coaches, players, and fans alike will tell you that statistics can be a good indicator of trends, but are by no means gospel.

This proved to be no truer than after looking at the box score of Georgia's 14-point win over Ole Miss. With a few missed field goals (and having to settle for field goals in general), what looked like a would-be blowout was really just a TD (and 2-pt conversion) and field goal lead until the final few minutes.

The Dawgs outgained Ole Miss by nearly 300 yards, and held the ball for nearly twice as long. Yet, for one reason or another, Georgia was unable to truly put Ole Miss away.

That's not to say the game was really ever in doubt, but again, with those kinds of numbers, you would have expected the game to be over, for all intents and purposes, by the time the 4th quarter rolled around.

What's interesting is that, if you look at Georgia's other "real" games, the trends don't necessarily equate. Georgia outgained South Carolina by 40 yards in a loss (that one is kinda hit or miss, granted). And, the Dawgs were outgained by a mere 17 yards in what was essentially a blowout 21 point loss to Boise St.

Somewhere along the line, the Dawgs are having trouble turning solid statistical play into real-life victories/easy victories.

Without getting too in-depth, the Bulldogs aren't having trouble scoring TDs in the Red Zone. In fact, their 67% TD rate in the Red Zone is better than Florida and Alabama, for example, who are converting at around the 50-55% range. And, while Georgia's 15 trips inside the Red Zone is certainly not among the best in the nation, it's certainly not at the bottom.

Missed field goals and other poor special teams play has accounted for some issues, to be sure. However, you'll find about as many undefeated teams in the bottom half of the rankings of those categories as you will the top.

In fact, when looking at statistics and box scores, it's hard to grasp just where Georgia is coming up short right now.

All that is a convoluted way of saying that, to me, it still is coming down to Georgia being unfamiliar with how to win the close ones, and how to put away the ones that shouldn't be close.

If Saturday's game against Mississippi State is anything like last year's, the Dawgs will have yet another chance to learn.

Determining whether to keep Richt or fire him

2011-09-13T10:10:00.002-04:00

By and large, when you talk about firing someone, regardless of his profession, it is done because of one of two things, or a combination of the two.

First, you can fire someone because of past failings. A salesman may be fired because he has failed to achieve a particular quota set forth. Donnan was fired for his inability to beat any of Georgia's rivals with any real consistency. Damon Evans was fired for basically disgracing himself and the university.

Second, you can fire someone due to a lack of confidence in future success. While this obviously feeds off of the past failings idea, it is still a choice made independently of that in many cases. You may choose to keep a salesman who's come up short of his sales goals, because you know that he has talent and ability, his numbers have improved, and you know that this is a struggling economy. Or, you may fire him because you have not seen any noticeable improvement, and you simply have no confidence in his ability to get on track.

When you hear Athletic Director Greg McGarrity talk about evaluating everything on a week-to-week basis, he's taking both scenarios into account. It's a balancing act, and one to which a great deal of thought must be given. Certainly, the fact that Georgia has had great success under Richt shows that great seasons are a possibility. Yet, the last 2+ years show that continuing to lose is also a conceivable eventuality.

Many fans want to see a number of victories or an SEC East/SEC Championship labeled as the low-end threshold for keeping Richt. Putting aside the ridiculous amount of scenarios that would create a problem with this, it's still more about the confidence McGarrity ends up having in future performance.

Everybody is past having to accept that we saw some "good signs" in a loss. What must be decided is this: Are those good signs going to lead to actual wins, or is Georgia destined to continue to show good signs while mired in ~.500 seasons under Richt?

It would take a complete debacle by Georgia for this decision to be made mid-season. So, barring that, fans are just going to have to play along. While you may have made your choice already, McGarrity has not.

Keys to beating South Carolina

2011-09-09T08:37:00.002-04:00

In revisiting my 3 keys to beating Boise St, I see that we failed miserably on two of them, and third (size advantage) never really came about because of the putrid offense (3 and outs).

See, if the Dawgs would've just read my blog, they would've known how to win.

Moving on to South Carolina, there are some key things that Georgia must do.

1) Get into 2nd and short/medium, and 3rd and short situations. This should be Bobo and Richt's primary offensive concern. I'm not saying never go downfield or look for a big play on 1st down, but by and large, they need to be looking for their best chances to get 4 or 5 yds on first down, even if the possibility for more than that is minimal. When you're looking at 2nd and a long 5, the world is your oyster, so to speak. You can pretty much call any play you want.

2) Don't let Lattimore build momentum. He's one of those backs that tends to get better as the game moves along (as many bigger backs do). One "easy" way to do that would be to get up big by halftime, but obviously that's nothing more than wishful thinking. So, the key is to gang-tackle early and often. Don't worry about making a highlight reel with a big hit on him. Wrap him up and wait for your buddies to arrive.

3) Win Time of Possession. This is a very hit-or-miss statistic. Last year, in Georgia's 7 losses, the Dawgs won ToP 3 times and lost 4 (and one of those was by a mere 30 seconds or so). However, last year's contest against the Cocks saw a 10 minute ToP advantage for South Carolina. Georgia's defense is not going to have the depth to contain the Gamecocks if the offense doesn't help them out.

As was the case before, I'm not bothering in touching on things like turnovers and penalties, as those are fairly obvious.

Georgia is going to have to get some early small victories in this game. It is a team whose confidence is hanging by a string right now, no matter what they might say. But, it can be quickly restored if some folks can step up and play their best football.

Above all, Georgia has forgotten how to win

2011-09-06T08:07:00.002-04:00

Right now, there are a million and a half reasons, suppositions, and theories as to why Georgia got more or less blown out by Boise St., and why they've had a mediocre (and now tending toward downright bad) run over the past few years. They typically have two things in common:

1) They are rooted in truth, to one degree or another

2) Their importance is overstated

To me, though, it comes down to an inability to stem the bleeding.

If you were to take every single problem that has been cited over the past few years by analysts, bloggers, fans, experts, etc. and related them to what you saw Saturday night, you'd have a litany of issues so long that the Dawgs should have theoretically lost 63-3.

Obviously, while it may have felt that way, that was clearly not the case.

What was the case was that, as things began to go south, the Bulldogs simply didn't have the ability to stop the slide, much less turn it back around.

People love the word "adjustments." They made adjustments, and we didn't. I don't want to dismiss this by any means whatsoever. That being said, I consider it a bigger issue that a team of 20 year olds has nobody left to look to, and no experiences to draw upon to right the ship.

It is a trademark of good or great teams, that even when things are going about as badly as they can, they settle back down, make a few big plays, and get back to doing what they're good at. This used to be the biggest trademark of all for Richt's teams, even playing in some of the most hostile road games in all of college football.

Alas, it's not there right now. A turnarond, if it is to happen, is not going to come from a single game where everything goes the Dawgs' way. It's going to come from a hard-fought game where the players come together when things are at their darkest, put all their faith in each other, and demand a victory.

3 Keys to beating Boise St.

2011-08-31T09:19:00.002-04:00

Aside from the usual items, such as winning the turnover battle, as well as the super smart-assed "score more points than them," let's take a look at three things that would go a long way toward "upsetting" the #5 Boise St. Broncos on Saturday night.

Hit QB Kellen Moore early

Moore was sacked just five times last year. That's just over a third of a sack per game. 2 of those sacks came in the game against VA Tech, not surprisingly. Equally unsurprising was the fact that Moore had one of his poorer games that day. The Dawgs will need to do all they can to rattle the Heisman candidate early. Sacks could be tough to come by, given Moore's quick release, but Georgia can still do well by (legally) hitting Moore and taking him to the ground as often as possible.

Keep Boise State's defense on the field

I'm not always the biggest proponent of the importance of time of possession, but the Bulldogs could set themselves up for a strong finish here by at least having some sustained drives. Even if they only end up in 3 points, or even no points, putting together some nice 4 and 5 minute drives will pay huge dividends as the game goes on. Boise State matches up ok with their first-stringers, but if the Dawgs can wear them down, the Broncos simply won't have the athletes at backup spots to compete.

Take advantage of size mismatches

This goes for the running game, primarily. Boise State has a solid and experienced center in senior Thomas Byrd. Be that as it may, he is 5'11" and 288lbs. Georgia will be rotating in a pair of 350 pounders at nose, so there will be virtually no chance for Byrd to block either one on one. Boise's starting right tackle is 278 pounds, so you would figure on him getting the majority of help with DeAngelo Tyson or Abry Jones, while leaving their NFL caliber LT, Nate Potter, to fend for himself. The Dawgs shouldn't have to worry too much up front, if they'll concentrate on getting a solid, straight-ahead bull rush and crash down on running plays.

On the flip side, Boise State's 4 down-linemen are definitely not small. But, again, Georgia has a huge size advantage. Georgia's smallest O-Lineman, Chris Burnette (6'2", 313) still outweighs BSU's biggest starting D-Lineman by 17 pounds. On average, Georgia's O-Line weighs 327.4 pounds, versus the Broncos front four averaging 281 pounds. It's never as simple as that, but frankly, a 46 pounds-per-man advantage is pretty ridiculous. Then, you throw in a 272 lb. fullback who outweighs BSU's biggest LB by over 30 pounds, and you've really got something.

So, don't worry about getting too cute, at least early on. Push on forward, and wear them down on the LOS, and then take your shots later when some of their quickness has been taken away.

Of course, there's so much more to winning than just these three elements. However, if the Dawgs can start off being successful with these, and avoid the big mistakes, will hopefully work out.

Boise St got plenty of help in beating VA Tech

2011-08-30T16:17:00.002-04:00

Because I know how some people can get out there in the innerweblogosphere, I will preface this by saying two things: First, the following is not meant to suggest that Boise State wouldn't have beaten VA Tech otherwise. Second, the following is not a reason why Georgia will or will not win on Saturday. It's just a little food for thought...

Being that just about everything else has been discussed ad nauseum in leading up to the 2011 season, I figured I might as well revisit the crowning achievement of Boise State's 2010 season; the victory over future James Madison victim, Virginia Tech.

Boise St. was able to build up a 17-0 lead over the Hokies out of the gate. This was accomplished via 3 key plays. First, the mishandled snap to Tyrod Taylor which BSU recovered. Second, a blocked punt by Boise St. Third, a roughing the kicker by VA Tech resulting in a first down. I'll give BSU some credit for blocking a punt, even though there is a reason that this happens so infrequently (because it shouldn't be allowed to happen). The other two are just blind luck.

After the dust had settled and the Hokies gathered themselves, they outscored the Broncos 30-9, until a late, albeit poised and impressive TD drive by Kellen Moore and BSU pulled out the game in the waning seconds.

Again, this is not to suggest that Boise somehow didn't deserve to win. Besides, that was last year, and this is this year. I do, however, think it's worth noting that the Hokies had a nightmarish first quarter, and were still able to more or less dominate for the next 40+ minutes, before finally wearing down.

Richt is nothing if not unpredictable

2011-08-27T10:27:00.002-04:00

What do a couple of years falling short of expectations lead to? Some changes in the coaching staff? Sure. A new style and attitude in strength and conditioning? Check. But, these days, you're seeing a bit more of a rogue attitude, with apologies to Sarah Palin.

Take this latest issue/non-issue with CB Branden Smith. He was seen in a walking boot and crutches the other day. That much has been deemed certain. Beyond that, though, there has been no addressing of it by Claude Felton or the coaching staff. Not even so much as an acknowledgement that he was in a walking boot, thereby suggesting he hurt his ankle or foot, at least in some capacity.

We add to that the whole "Who's #1?" issue/non-issue with him and Isaiah Crowell. It has been assumed, given Smith's role in past years and during G-Day that he will continue to see limited action on offense. Obviously, he and Crowell couldn't be on the field at the same time if they're both wearing #1. Yet, the players and staff elegantly dance around it with Baryshnikovian skill.

That's not to suggest that jersey numbers are the most important thing in the world, but you'd think there'd have been a decision made known unless there was something behind it.

There are also rumors swirling about former starting safety Baccari Rambo. After being penciled in (at least by everyone outside the program) as the starter up until fall camp, he's slowly being mentioned less and less, and coaches are reticent to even mention his name now during post-practice pressers. He's like a gridiron Beetlejuice.

Some think he may have gotten himself into some hot sauce and will be suspended for a game or two, or more. Others have either heard, or just flat-out made baseless claims that he's being integrated into a "wild-dawg" package. I know, I know. The Internets have never been a place for rumors, and shame on me for suggesting such a thing.

Ultimately, it could be as simple for Branden Smith as he did hurt his foot a bit, and there is not enough to go on to make any proclamations as to its severity. And, it could be that there are no real plans to integrate him into the offense any more than once or twice a game, and they'll just do that with Richard Samuel in the backfield (or nobody else in the backfield) to avoid any number conflicts.

Further, it could just be the case that Rambo has been outplayed by Sanders Commings and/or Shawn Williams (Commings has been playing just about every DB position under the sun).

Whatever the case may be, Richt seems perfectly happy to let the rumors swirl. After all, the more Boise State, South Carolina, and everybody else has to consider, the better off Georgia will be.

Kellen Moore is SuperPoised, Crazy Leslie, and other things

2011-08-25T11:04:00.003-04:00

We're officially one week away from the beginning of the 2011 college football season (FBS, Div I-A, Etc). There are some real titanic match-ups slated for next Thursday, too. Villanova at Temple in a battle for the Keystone State is particularly intriguing, as New Hampshire at Toledo. Or, maybe Mississippi State will be upset, traveling to a team that won one game last year. Seriously, though, I am ready to see some football that counts.

Was doing some thinking, and while I hope Georgia stomps a hole in the all-time-win-leader-to-be Kellen Moore's hiney, I am looking forward to seeing his biography hit the silver screen.

"6 Feet of Grit: The Kellen Moore Story" had a nice ring to it, with Jake Busey, progeny of the legendary Gary Busey, playing the title role.

The physical similarities are striking, and Busey proved he could "tackle" an action role with his turn in "Starship Troopers."

Alas, I'm not sure the Hollywood suits will go for it. So, Moore will have to make due pursuing his NFL dreams. Though listed at 6', most suspect he's closer to the 5'10.5" range. Good luck to him, but if he does make it in the NFL, it will likely be as a clipboard holder on the sidelines.

Of course, I don't mean to disparage him. He's put up some amazing stats during his time, as he moves up the list in various categories. He's still got a ways to go before catching the likes of Colt Brennan, who faced the Dawgs in '08 and...Moore's put up some ridiculous numbers. Also, Moore is majoring in communications, as evidenced by his skills in this interview clip.

Moving on, LSU coach Les Miles has certainly got his hands full of late. A drunken brawl outside a bar has left the status of his would-be starting QB, Jordan Jefferson, in doubt. He's also compiling quite a list of "Lesisms" during his time in Red Stick. Regarding the fact that players were out past curfew, Leslie stated that "first of all, they should not have been there. So first and foremost, I take discredit for that." Either way, it's enough to drive a coach mad.

At any rate, again, we're just a week away. Boy, it's funny how perspective affects time. This next 7 days will likely seem like an eternity. However, I'm sure if I had a spinal tap or full body cavity search scheduled for next Thursday, it would be here in no time. Yay.

"Worried" about Johnathan Jenkins?

2011-08-24T08:09:00.002-04:00

It's a safe bet that coaches and fans alike expected Johnathan Jenkins to take over the starting nose tackle job when he transferred from junior college earlier this year. After all, he had the type of size (currently listed at over 6'3" and about 350 lbs.) and athleticism that you look for when running the 3-4 defense. Further, the only other viable option was Kwame Geathers, who'd looked a bit out of shape and lost during his first couple of seasons with the Bulldogs.

Now, though, after both great improvement by Geathers and some minor injuries/setbacks for Jenkins, it appears that Kwame is set to open the season as the starter. But, does this mean fans should worry that Jenkins is not going to live up to the hype? Hardly.

We need to remember that Kwame Geathers is, himself, still just coming into his redshirt sophomore season. It's not as though he was just lazing around, and is now the starter by default. He was still in a learning process, and had seemed to break through during the spring, even before Jenkins arrived on campus.

As you break it down even further, you realize that this is the perfect scenario for the Dawgs at NT. First, you allow Jenkins to ease into the role, gaining valuable experience one piece at a time. Second, and more importantly, though, you've got two gargantuan players who can substitute in and out and remain fresh. Imagine offensive centers and guards who've been battling a 350 pounder all day, and yet he never gets tired, because there are two of him. That's just a lot of weight to carry around, so the fresher you can keep both Geathers and Jenkins, the better off the defense will be.

Assuming the minor hamstring pull doesn't keep him out too much longer, you can expect to see Jenkins playing some significant minutes against Boise St. next Saturday night. I think coaches and teammates still expect great things from him. So, don't worry that he's not starting right now. Be excited that Kwame Geathers was able to beat him out.

No news is good news on the Offensive Line

2011-08-23T08:17:00.002-04:00

Let's face it. The big hogs up front on the offensive line are typically not the center of attention when it comes to the football news of the day, especially in the preseason. Sure, if you've got a 3-time All-American Left Tackle, or a unit that is recognized the country over as one of the most dominating in history, then you might get a few blurbs on "The Worldwide Leader." Beyond that, though, you're not likely to hear too many glowing points.

So, with Georgia's depth on the O-Line hanging by a thread, it has been a welcome thing that the starting 5 have not been in the headlines due to injuries, missteps, or any other such negatives.

New O-Line coach Will Friend, whose now-famous switch from a zone-blocking scheme to a more straight ahead drive blocking practice, is not given to hyperbole. He has, however, made some comments that lead you to believe he's not, at the very least, disappointed with what he's seen so far.

“Those guys have done nothing to lose their spot and have performed pretty good,” he said recently.

Despite the slight grammar faux pas, that's not the worst thing in the world to hear. With the exception of maybe opening a few larger-than-normal holes (wait, what?), the offensive line is, by nature, a unit whose goal is to not be noticed.

Don't get noticed by committing false starts, holds, etc.

Don't get noticed by getting burned off the edge and getting your QB killed.

Don't get noticed by getting completely blown up through the middle.

So, with just over a week left before the season opener, I am quite content to not hear much of anything about any of the offensive linemen from here on out.

Terrelle Pryor ruling is right on

2011-08-19T07:59:00.002-04:00

With the news coming down this week that former Ohio State QB and tattoo connoisseur Terrelle Pryor would be required to serve a five game suspension after (presumably) being taken in the NFL's supplemental draft, many have spoken out both in favor of and against it. The truth, as I see it, is that he absolutely deserves this suspension, even though his transgressions occurred during college.

The primary concerns voiced by those opposed to the ruling are as follows. First, that a player's wrongdoings in college should not affect him after college (those being NCAA violations). And, secondly, that NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell has been wielding too much power lately, and this is the latest example of him doling out punishments in situations where precedents don't exist.

While the second point might be a bit more reasonable from a general practice standpoint, the first is completely out of order.

Face it. College football is the lifeblood of the NFL. That is where players are groomed, both mentally and physically, for what is the single largest grossing professional sport on the planet. The two are inextricably linked, and what affects one will, in one way or another, affect the other.

Think of how many underclassmen jumped ship on the NCAA last year when it was learned that rookie salaries would likely be lowered (to a reasonable level, by the way) in 2011. Also, consider the rules in place for how long a player must wait after graduating high school before he is allowed to apply for the NFL draft (3 years). Just two examples of how the NFL has already been involved with college football on a fairly direct level.

This latest ruling may, in fact, set a precedent, but think of the precedent that would be set if no action was taken by Goodell, and accepted by the NFLPA. Any player who was projected as a future draft pick would have little other than his own conscience (and we've seen how well that works for some players) to keep him from breaking every NCAA rule under the sun. He would know that, if he did get caught, he could simply just jump ship and be picked up by any team looking for a man of his talents.

Quite honestly, Pryor should have been made to sit out a year. I'm not particularly worried about Ohio State's immediate future, as the program has gotten itself into a plethora (what is a plethora?) of other messes; I certainly don't feel bad for them. But, in general, you have a starting QB who broke some rules, and then gave his word that he would accept punishment and return for his senior season. Then, when more issues arose, he thought he'd just say, "To hell with this," and bolt for the NFL. He, in essence, gets of scot-free, while leaving his former team in a lurch.

If Goodell's suspension of Pryor is opening a can of worms, then not suspending him is opening Pandora's Box.

Tavarres King, where are you?

2011-08-18T13:08:00.002-04:00

Worried about the lack of supposed catches by Tavarres King o'er the first two scrimmages? Don't be.

I don't profess to know what exactly is going on at Georgia's scrimmages. I only know what I read and hear like 99.9% of the rest of the Bulldog Nation. What I'm hearing is that "TK" hasn't caught more than a ball or two over the course of the two scrimmages.

I've also heard that Bacarri Rambo has not been practicing with the first team defense, among other things.

Want to know how to tell how much of this is just the coaching staff trying to get a look at some unknown commodities? Just look at the starting lineups come the season opener.

There was a running joke that former Georgia RB Ronnie Powell was an All-American on G-Day and fall scrimmages, yet, he rarely saw significant action during the regular season. This is not meant to dump on Ronnie at all. He busted his hump and made it farther up the football ladder than most who play the game. I'm just making the point that you can't go by simple stats and recaps of a fake "game" with made up scenarios played behind closed doors (or gates, as the case may be).

So, I'll go on record as saying that, barring injury, I'll be absolutely stunned if #12 isn't lined up at wide out for the Dawgs on opening night, even if he's been the invisible man during the all important scrimmages.

South Carolina is going to win the SEC East because of returning starters

2011-08-17T08:50:00.002-04:00

That would be the conventional wisdom speaking.

Sounds, well, sound. After all, if you have a decent year in 2010, and you get a lot of those guys back, particularly the more impactful (which is actually not a word) players, it might stand to reason that you'll be better in 2011.

But, let's think about this for a second, and use South Carolina as an example. Who's returning? Let's take some key players and look at their situations, starting from the top.

QB Stephen Garcia returns for his senior season. He definitely took a step forward in 2010, with a solid QB rating, though he still was prone to throwing the ball to the other team. We're told we're getting a Stephen Garcia who's turned his life around, but dollars to donuts something else will arise. Even if it doesn't, is he really expected to be better than last year? Not really.

Then we look at WR Alshon Jeffrey. With over 1,500 yds and 9 TDs last year, he had about as good a season as a WR can have in college. He's an absolutely known quantity (a damn good one) that teams will scheme against. He'll get his yards and TDs, but honestly, is he going to have a better year than 2010? It's almost a statistical impossibility. Oh, and it becomes even more of an improbability when you look at his current physical conditioning...

Moving on to RB Marcus Lattimore. Tallying over 1,600 yds of total offense and 19 total TDs, he was who many consider to be responsible for uSC's surge offensively last year. He may actually do even better this year, but that will be more in the pass-blocking category. Still, moving from your freshman to sophomore year could yield some benefits, even after such a great rookie campaign.

On defense, the Gamecocks were very average last year, and they may actually improve under DC Ellis Johnson this season, especially with the addition of all-everything freshman DE Jadaveon Clowney. The Cocks return ~7 starters (always a wishy-washy number anyway, considering some guys don't start every game for various reasons).

Without getting into too much more detail, though, let me make my point. The Gamecocks lost 5 games in 2010, and they showed little to no improvement as the season went on. Each good thing was followed by a bad. They failed to handle any amount of success with more success.

You can talk about Georgia losing to UCF all you want, but getting outscored 82-34 over the last two games is hardly reason to be excited about the next year.

So, what is really so exciting and alluring about South Carolina returning a bunch of guys that, quite frankly, weren't all that spectacular as a whole in 2010?

Good teams can definitely take a step back if they lose a bunch of key starters (even though those key starters were not always key starters, either). However, returning a bunch of starters from a slightly above average team does not a championship season make. Just ask the 2000, 2004, and 2008 Georgia Bulldogs, and those teams were far better than the 2010 Gamecocks could ever dream of being.

Writing off Marlon Brown, others?

2011-08-16T08:21:00.002-04:00

Any time a highly touted freshman arrives on campus, he of the 4 or 5 star ranking, he's almost always expected to be an all-conference performer right out of the gate. I won't broach the topic of the importance of star rankings here, as that topic has become as heated as abortion or the ending of The Sopranos.

Fairly or unfairly, many fans expect that, because the AJ Green's, Eric Berry's, and Marcus Lattimore's of the world exist, that all such high school phenoms should be able to waltz right in and put up similar freshman performances.

The fact is, these types of situations are the exception, not the norm. Not everyone is on the same timeline, and not every situation is the same.

Take Marlon Brown. After a dominating senior year in high school, he turned in a brilliant performance which included a 71 yd TD reception in the 2009 Under Armour All America game, sending his already high stock skyrocketing.

After he committed to Georgia, many believed he would be a mirror image of AJ Green, given his size, speed, and athleticism. But, things didn't turn out that way.

In the fall of 2009, Brown failed to make any significant move up the depth chart, catching just 2 balls (which came in a blowout at Tennessee, and were seemingly force fed to him just to let him catch a couple in his home state).

Then, last year, Brown slowly began to emerge from the shadows, notching his first TD reception in Colorado, though he still was largely unable to earn significant playing time. Of course, settling in behind Green, Durham, and Tavarres King can do that to a player.

Now, in 2011, Brown has worked his way atop the depth chart. While tenuous, it speaks volumes of a player who really does have the skills and attitude to be successful in the SEC, even though the road to the top of this hill (again, for the time being) may have been traveled by rickshaw, not rocket ship.

I'm certainly not saying Brown has "arrived." After all, he still has yet to make consistent positive contributions offensively. The point, though, is that many had written him off as a bust, saying he only appeared to be a special player because of the talent, or lack thereof, he played against in high school.

I personally am looking forward to seeing how he fares this season, and hoping for the best for him, and all others who've kept their noses clean, showed up every day, and practiced hard. It's not his fault that a couple of recruiting services saw some game film and a 71 yd catch in an all star game, and decided that he should be the next Randy Moss.

Bulldogs "Man Up"

2011-08-15T08:26:00.002-04:00

One of the hot topics in the blogosphere during fall camp was the issue of practicing 1's vs. 1's; the idea that pitting your first-string offense against your first-string defense created better competition and preparedness for both.

It's a simple enough concept to grasp. After all, it makes sense that if you're a receiver going up against a top cornerback, you're going to better know where you stand, and what your strengths and weakness might be.

So, when Richt clarified the Bulldogs will typically go 1's vs. 2's on both offense and defense, many, particularly those that love to question the coaching staff's methods, got a little antsy. After all, how could we possibly be prepared for Boise St. and South Carolina 1st stringers if we're not practicing against our own?

What those people may fail to grasp is that both offense and defense are predominately working on technique, communication, execution, and specific plays. In order to that, the coaches need to set up various scenarios. Hence, you're not getting the most out of each practice because either the offense or defense is constantly running "bogus" plays. Or, you're not getting the most out of practice because you're not concentrating on specific goals and improving where you're weakest. Either way, going 1's vs. 2's is a necessity.

But, fear not, armchair QBs and coaches. The Dawgs held what Richt deemed a "competition day" on Friday, in which several scenarios (down and distance) were set up, and the #1 offense and the #1 defense went at it (The offense won the day 3-2). The coaching staff, much more often than not, knows what you know (and plenty more). They do see the value in each side of the ball getting the others' best shot, at least every once in a while.

The point is, the ol' coach sees a far greater value in getting down plays, signals, techniques, reps, and every other what-have-you more. Besides, it's not as if the second team is composed of the little angels in Sister Mary Catherine's Little Fireflies Dance Troupe.

Jenkins' attitude contagious

2011-08-12T08:13:00.002-04:00

Aside from maybe Isaiah Crowell, the first-year man most expected to contribute this year (at least by the Georgia fan base) would have to be Johnathan Jenkins. Even though Kwame Geathers turned some heads as the big anchor of Georgia's 3-4 defense at nose tackle in the spring, Jenkins was still thought to be the missing piece.

After arriving on campus at nearly 360 lbs, Jenkins has already shed some weight in the Georgia heat, dropping down to a reported 342. Almost as important as the weight he's dropped, though, have been the quips and slogans he's dropped.

The mantra of fall practice, especially from a die-hard fan's perspective, is to not read too much into what you're hearing from coaches and players. 98% of the questions (that's a documented stat, by the way) are loaded, and so we often get canned answers and coach-speak.

Example: How have fall practices been going?

Answer: They've been going great. Everybody has been working hard, and you can tell guys are really dedicated.

Yay.

But, with Jenkins, you can definitely tell he's answering from a more personal experience.

When he was recruited, you can bet Georgia coaches pitched the absolute need for a gargantuan nose tackle with Jenkins' athleticism. In fact, while they certainly wouldn't have actually promised him the starting job, they most likely came as close to doing so as they ever have with a recruit. Nonetheless, John Jenkins truly understands that he has to prove himself. He doesn't seem to be moping around wondering why he's currently with the second-team defense.

Beyond that, though, is something Dawg fans have to truly love above almost anything else. Jenkins has effused pride in the Georgia "G." He genuinely understands how much the University of Georgia means to hundreds of thousands of people, and he appreciates the history of Georgia football. It's as if he considers it not only an honor to represent Georgia, but also a responsibility.

Remember the old knight in "Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade?" Of course you do. He spoke of how the honor was his to guard the Grail. Well, hopefully Georgia football is a little more fun and exciting than sitting in a dusky room penitently kneeling for a thousand years, but it's as if that's how Jenkins views his "job." I may have derailed a bit there.

At any rate, I say again that talk is talk, so we'll just have to wait and see what kind of impact Jenkins has on the field. But, if his talent in any way equals his attitude, enthusiasm, and outlook, I think it will be a lot of fun watching him play this fall.

Now, enjoy viewing the proper way to address a stare-down...

Jarvis Jones a perfect leader for the defense

2011-08-11T09:56:00.002-04:00

As is the case with many players at UGA, Jarvis Jones came out of high school with all the accolades and accomplishments you'd expect. So many, in fact, that then-powerhouse USC came calling from 3,000 miles away and convinced Jones to be a Trojan.

Then, just as the freshman linebacker was beginning to make his mark on the field, disaster struck. A freak neck injury left him wondering if he'd ever play football again. It left the USC medical staff wondering as well, and they refused to clear Jones to play.

Fortunately, other medical opinions were formed to the contrary. Jarvis Jones was granted a second chance to pursue his dreams at the University of Georgia. NCAA rules dictated that the now red shirt sophomore had to sit out a year, which was probably for the best anyway, as it gave him time to continue to heal and regain confidence in his spine.

Now, the former top-5 ranked linebacker/defensive end out of Columbus sits atop the Dawgs' depth chart at "Sam" linebacker, ready to announce his return in front of 70,000+ at the Georgia Dome on September 3rd. But, for a Georgia defense that struggled to find its identity in 2010, Jones represents more than just the position he plays.

There's something about getting a second chance. Football has generally come easy for every player on Georgia's squad until this point. Often times, these 18-22 year olds don't really know what it would be like to not have football. Jones does. He knows from 1st hand experience that nothing is given, and in fact, it can easily be taken away. He knows that it's nothing to be squandered.

Even after his return to the field was eminent, there was a new situation that threatened his playing time, as the NCAA began to look into potential improprieties stemming from a slush fund tied to his AAU team. There again, Jarvis Jones was in danger of having football taken away from him, if even for just a few more games.

So, you can bet that when Jones is calling for his teammates to push a little harder, or to work a little more, his words carry weight. Someone who has been through what he's been through, and has unquestioned talent and ability, has the potential to lead like few others.

Hopefully, it's a success story that's only truly beginning to play itself out.

Relax, it's just a scrimmage

2011-08-10T13:36:00.003-04:00

You've likely heard/seen the initial stats from Georgia's first scrimmage today. If not, I bet you can find them. You seem like a pretty resourceful person.

The key takeaways, for those of you used to business meeting jargon, are that there were a lot of sacks, Crowell and Samuel were effective on the ground, Murray was efficient through the air, and Samuel fumbled once.

In reality, though, these are not important at all. They are interesting to see from the standpoint of finding out what guys were out there running around and making some plays, but for the love of all that is good and holy, I implore you to not read into these numbers any more than to say, "Neat."

We don't know the circumstances of any of the plays, we don't know how or why a play ended up the way it did, and beyond all that, it's a week into fall camp. If Georgia's starting O-Line gives up 10 sacks against BSU, then we might be in some trouble. I'm as interested as the next fellow regarding the stats from a general curiosity standpoint, but before any stats are officially entered for the 2011 season, consider them next to worthless.

Bulldog WRs' stock rising

2011-08-10T08:22:00.002-04:00

Obviously, the 2011 season has yet to begin, so we're not going to act like anything has been accomplished yet. Further, we don't want to pretend that talk and glowing comments about Georgia's WR corps are anything more than that. However, it's encouraging to know that a couple of guys have been singled out for their performances and effort thus far.

At SEC Media Days, the talk was about Malcolm Mitchell, the highly touted (how many times have you heard that phrase lately?) incoming freshman who not only possesses elite quickness and speed, but also an incredible work ethic.

Now, over the past day or two, QB Aaron Murray has been singing the praises of junior WR Marlon Brown, who was likewise highly regarded coming out of high school, and whose 6'5", 220lb. frame and sheer athleticism suggest he has the tools to be great.

And, of course, there's the "old man" of the group, Tavarres King. Don't look now, but TK has put together a very solid first couple of years, and could easily end up eclipsing the 2,000 yd receiving mark by the time he's done.

Nobody is suggesting that losing AJ Green is going to be easy to weather. He was probably the most dynamic and game-changing WR to ever play at Georgia. However, a lot of these younger guys are no slouches in the athletic department, and appear ready and willing to make their own mark.

Bringing up the name Herschel can lead to a lot of emotions for Dawg fans, but just to point out that losing an elite player does not a season ruin...

In Herschel's Heisman campaign of '82, he rushed 355 times for 1,752 yds and 16 TDs, an amazing season to be sure. The year following, though, the Dawgs went 10-1-1, and had their top 3 rushers (the dreaded running back by committee) rush 327 times for 1,383 yds and 16 TDs. Granted, there's a whole lot of other factors and effects to consider with a guy like #34 in the backfield, but from a sheer production standpoint, the dropoff was limited.

So, again, we'll have to wait and see what actually happens on the field throughout the season, but there's at least hope that AJ's departure simply means an open door for others to step through.

Is Boise State's defense really dominant?

2011-08-09T08:34:00.002-04:00

Normally, this would be the type of subject I would not broach until game-week, or there about, but it was something I looked into and had been thinking about.

While the Broncos' offense gets the most notoriety, you've doubtless read by now that their defense is also an immense strength, having ranked #2 in the nation in both scoring defense and total defense in 2010. That alone means that, any way you slice it, they are talented and well coached.

Having said that, it must be stressed that many of their gaudy (or in the case of defense, miniscule) stats are the product not only of Boise St. being very good, but their competition being very bad.

In the 2010 regular season, the Broncos basically played 3 games that an objective football fan would consider to have been against decent competition: Virginia Tech, Oregon State, and Nevada. Against those three teams, BSU gave up an average of 29.3 points per game. Hardly dominating.

As you sift and search through the various scores of the rest of their cupcake schedule, you'll find that the same teams the Broncos were beating up on, other BCS conference teams whipped as well. Cases in point...BSU beat LA Tech 49-20, Texas A&M beat LA Tech 48-16. BSU beat Toledo 57-14, Arizona beat Toledo 41-2.

Look, I'm not trying to get into the "Team A beat team B, and team C beat team B, so this and that would happen" type of scenario. I'm simply supporting the idea that Boise St is a good team that padded its national rankings via the sisters of the poor, and was completely lack-luster from the defensive side of the ball any time they went up against solid (not even top-rate) competition. You'll find it's a trend. Virtually every team in the WAC last year that BSU pummeled was similarly beaten by pretty much every out of conference team they played.

It's pointless to sit here and say that Georgia (or any other team) "would have" run through BSU's schedule, so I won't do that. I will, however, point to what actually did happen last year, and recommend that everyone just pump the brakes a bit with regards to the suffocating, dominating, punishing, stingy, or otherwise dominating defense of the Boise State Broncos.

Freshmen nearing tipping point for significant playing time

2011-08-08T09:40:00.002-04:00

Although the Dawgs are just 4 practices into the fall schedule, you can bet coaches and players are already forming opinions on who will play a significant amount, who might get some special teams and mop-up duty, and who is looking like a redshirt candidate.

Mark Richt and Mike Bobo have become especially enamored with the phrase "their heads are swimming (or spinning, depending on the day)." Makes sense, because the college game is simply so much more involved with regard to responsibilities and reads on dozens upon dozens of plays. Then, there's the fact that they're adjusting to being away from home, not being the big man on campus, the speed and toughness of the college game, and numerous other factors. It's tough.

That being said, teams can't afford to slow up the pace of getting ready for both the season and the first opponent for the sake of bringing certain freshmen along slowly. It's a "throw 'em in the water and see if they can swim" mentality. Although, necessity and lack of depth can sometimes dictate whether a few select guys get a little more attention.

Ultimately, a guy like Isaiah Crowell is not going to redshirt unless he is just completely lost out there (which all reports indicate is coming along nicely). The need is just too great, and the upside is too appealing. But, for others who are waiting in line behind several veterans, they are nearing a point where coaches are looking at them and saying, "he's just not ready."

Taking all that into account, though, it's interesting to note that the Dawgs have precious few positions where depth is a non-issue right now. Cornerback (and nickel) are looking pretty full, and there will be one or two candidates for a redshirt at WR (though most expect Malcolm Mitchell to play early and often).

Put simply (too late, right?), the Bulldogs may be forced to play a few guys who, in another year, would be redshirted.

What do we want to hear (or not hear) out of fall practice

2011-08-03T06:54:00.002-04:00

After a test day and general acclimation period today, the Bulldogs begin preparations for the 2011 season in earnest on Thursday. While there will doubtless be reports of which incoming freshmen are standing out (which will lead to speculation that anyone not mentioned is struggling), who's improved the most, and who has stepped up as a leader, there are a few other things to look for. Bear in mind, you can't always believe what you read, and more than that, there are simply going to be a lot of things that fans and reporters simply aren't privy to.

1) No injuries, particularly on the offensive line. This goes without saying about as much as you don't want to hear about an injury to your starting QB. Dawgs simply can't afford it.

2) Richard Samuel hasn't missed a beat, and has improved, since he last played running back in 2009.

3) Crowell is challenging Samuel for the top spot. If Samuel is actually competing and looking good at running back, then this will be a welcome sign.

4) Nobody can block Johnathan Jenkins. As good as Kwame Geathers looked in the spring, if the Dawgs O-Line (particular Ben Jones, one of the best centers in football) can't take JJ one on one, then that will bode well for the Bulldogs defense.

5) Alec Ogletree is tackling everybody. It's funny, but Ogletree's move has been a two-sided coin during the off-season. It seems as though nobody's particularly worried about the move, and yet there's only been minimal talk that he's going to shine (which I think he will). He's currently listed at 236lbs, and presumably can still motor. Dawgs are hoping he's a bit taller version of Patrick Willis (I realize this is still wildly premature).

Of course, there are several other thing we hope to hear, but they tend to be part of a zero-sum game. For instance, you don't want to hear that Aaron Murray is throwing any picks, but yet you don't want to hear that the defense isn't making any interceptions. You don't want to hear the the D-line is getting blown up up front, but you don't want to hear that the O-line can't open any holes, either.

Aaah, the fun of fall practice. In the end, I guess you just want to hear that everybody's working their butts off, and nobody's getting hurt.

Can Orson Charles really be a premier weapon?

2011-08-02T08:06:00.002-04:00

During his recruitment, Orson Charles had as much fanfare surrounding him as any tight end you're likely to find. Part of that was that he had all the quickness and ball skills of a wide receiver, built into a tight-end's body and mind. It also didn't hurt, especially in the eyes of Georgia fans, that he accidentally busted Florida's BCS National Championship trophy (Still holding out hope that maybe, about 20 years down the road, he'll tell us he did it on purpose).

Make no mistake. Charles has made an impact. In just two years, he's amassed about 50 catches and 800 yds, including 5 TDs. He's also averaged over 16 yds per catch, a lofty number for a tight end.

But, despite the accolades, achievements, and numbers, I'm still left wondering just how much impact a tight end can really have, particularly in the passing game. After all, he's not even running a pattern on all passing plays, and it's just not something you see all that often (it does happen, though. Antonio Gates has basically been San Diego's leading receiver for the past 5 years).

That is why it's heartening to hear that the Dawgs may try to move Charles around a bit. He was described by Richt as being the best receiver the Bulldogs have right now, bar none. He's also seemingly taking on much more of a leadership role, and he'll need to have some numbers and big plays to back that up.

So, what do you think? Can Orson Charles really be a big-time weapon overall, or will he just be a big weapon for a tight end?

5 reasons Dawgs could be better, and 5 reasons they could be no better

2011-07-29T08:05:00.004-04:00

With the beginning of fall camp now less than a week away, most of the preseason prognostications and predictions have been strewn about the innerwebs like dirty socks and beer cans in dorm room. Most of these proverbial palm readings include actual predictions on a final record, place in the polls, and so on.

Instead of pulling a number out of my buttocks, I thought I might list a few reasons why Georgia could end up being better (or having a better season), and a few that could lead to the Bulldogs being no better than they were in the dreadful and forgettable '10 season.

First, let's get the bad out of the way.

1) The Bulldogs lost their best playmaker - The difference between Georgia's offense from missing WR AJ Green for four games and his return was night and day. In fact, against BCS conference opponents, the Dawgs averaged 16 pts per game without him, and nearly 31 pts per game with him, excluding the phone-it-in bowl game.

2) The offensive line has zero depth - As it stands right now, there's not a whole lot wrong with the O-Line, from a starter perspective. Lose just one of those guys, though, and Georgia will be relying on players who've never played a down, or only seen mop-up duty.

3) Inexperience at running back - This one has gotten more airplay than any other for the Dawgs of late, but it rings true. Of the four running backs on scholarship, 2 have never played a college down, one is suspended for at least the first game and was relatively ineffective when he did play, and the fourth (listed atop the depth chart for now) was set to play linebacker just a couple of weeks ago.

4) Possibly no Jarvis Jones - OK, this one's still up in the air, but the Dawgs' defense was set to rely heavily on the USC transfer's speed and strength coming off the edge, as well as his leadership qualities and tenacity. We'll have to wait on the final word, but these things rarely turn out well...unless you're Auburn.

5) Tough beginning to the schedule - There are always varying thoughts to starting out the season with a tough opponent. On the one hand, it's the other team's first game, too, so everybody might be a little rusty. But, for the Dawgs, coming off a bad year, losing two games to start out the season could be a mental blow from which there is no recovering. Starting out with a team that was a missed chip shot field goal away from going undefeated, and following up with the SEC East champion will be a challenge.

Those are the biggest obstacles as I see them, though there are obviously more uncertainties. But, what about the reasons Georgia could be a better team and/or end up with a better record.

1) QB Aaron Murray has a year under his belt - The magnitude of this cannot truly be grasped, given his splendid freshman campaign. He should be better himself, this being his 3rd year in the system, knowing the game better, and being far more accustomed to the SEC. Then, there's the fact that Bobo will not feel nearly as hamstrung in play designs and calls. Further, the QB really needs to be the leader of the offense, and Murray should feel more comfortable leading, while the surrounding players should feel more comfortable looking to him to lead.

2) It's the 2nd year in the 3-4 - Revamping the majority of the defensive coaching staff is change enough, but the Dawgs also switched to an entirely different defensive scheme. While Georgia was statistically better in '10 than in '09 anyway, it was evident that guys were still kind of feeling their way, and either blowing assignments altogether, or playing a step slower because of some uncertainty. That should be gone this year.

3) Better pieces in place to support the 3-4 scheme - A huge key for the 3-4 defense up front is having a big, yet still athletic nose tackle. Last year, Deangelo Tyson played admirably, but at 300lbs, he was just not big enough to demand a double team (it will always sound strange to me that a 300lb. man is not big enough). Now, with "Big Daddy Jenks" John Jenkins coming in from junior college, and Kwame Geathers emerging during spring, it seems the Bulldogs will have that big push up the middle, allowing defensive ends and linebackers to come around the outside a bit more easily.

4) A much easier schedule - Despite the aforementioned tough start, the Bulldogs have what should be one of the easiest schedules in the SEC. Boise St. might as well be a home game, and the Dawgs get what should be the rest of the toughest opponents at home as well, with South Carolina, Mississippi State, and Auburn coming to Athens. The road games are generally against the weaker teams (Tennessee could be improved, but the Dawgs absolutely slaughtered them last year). And, as for the Cocktail Party, both Georgia and Florida get a bye the week before, but the Gators have to play Alabama, LSU, and Auburn leading up to the game in Jacksonville, while Georgia gets MSU, Tennessee, and Vandy.

5)Positive attitude - I don't want to put too much emphasis on this, because there is always plenty of positive talk and thinking going into a season. We're always hearing how this has changed, and that is better, especially after a disappointing season. More to the point here, though, is that players and coaches genuinely feel that certain bad elements have been cast out. Moreover, it seems the players are feeling better about themselves, having been through a grueling new strength and conditioning regimen (not a "regiment," which is a military unit). There seems to be more of a sense of urgency, cohesiveness, and purpose.

So, there you have it. I'll take the baseball approach here and consider myself having done extremely well if I've 'hit' on 30% of these and bat .300. As with many teams, the key is to win a few close ones early, and get some confidence going. If Georgia can get those wins to begin the season, then look out, because there's plenty of reasons to be excited about this team. If they come up short, though, there are reasons to believe it could be another long year.

Running Backs from Georgia failing to make a splash

2011-07-28T08:08:00.003-04:00

Seems like it used to be, if you were a college program looking for a running back, you could just cherry pick from the state of Georgia. That hasn't been the case of late, though, regardless of a player's college choice.

Washaun Ealey, Dontavious Jackson, Caleb King, Jonathan Dwyer, Carlos Brown, Cameron Smith, James Davis, and DJ Adams were basically rated the top running backs over the past several years (prior to 2009; still reserving judgement before writing off the likes of Storm Johnson, Ken Malcome, and Mack Brown).

Of the aforementioned backs, James Davis had a terrific freshman year, but his production and overall playmaking ability dwindled after CJ Spiller arrived. Jonathan Dwyer was extremely prolific, but it could be argued, and rightfully so, that he was a product of Paul Johnson's triple option (that's the perfect option, for those of you who don't know). Any back they stick in there at the "A" is going to run for a ton of yards. Both were taken in the 6th round of the NFL draft, hardly hot property.

It should be noted that "Hot Property" was a faux kid's dance troop on Star Search, as created by Norm McDonald.

Interestingly, UGA has not been without highly productive backs. They've just come from other states. Knowshon Moreno and Musa Smith have been the only backs to eclipse the thousand-yard mark in a season over the past decade and be "1st Day" NFL draft picks. That's not to diminish the contributions of backs like Thomas Brown and Danny Ware, who are great people and bled Red and Black.

Which brings us to Isaiah Crowell. Of all the running backs mentioned, Crowell would seem to be the can't-missest of the bunch (you may recall Caleb King was as highly touted before transferring to GAC and injuring his leg his senior year). The team and coaching staff are doing their best not to put the weight of the Georgia program on the freshman's shoulders, and that's how it should be. Hopefully, he can live up to expectations and put running backs from the state of Georgia back on the map.

Will Ray Drew be a vocal leader as a freshman?

2011-07-27T08:05:00.002-04:00

He's known as the Pastor of the Pass Rush. The Bishop of the Blitz. The Deacon of Defense. The Abbot Assassin. He's Ray Drew. (OK, he's not known by any of those things, but feel free to start a grassroots campaign to get one or all of those rolling)

His chipper, happy-go-lucky attitude off the field is matched only by his intensity and effort on it, according to most. And, early scuttlebutt is that he's not letting his status as a true freshman who's never played a down in college stand in the way of being who he is.

Despite being a 5-star defensive end coming out of high school, Drew is not expected to be an every-down outside linebacker (where he'll likely play for Georgia) this season. Though most expect him to contribute in 2011, it will probably be more on special teams and as a third-down pass rush specialist later in games and as the season wears on.

So, the question becomes, can a true Freshman, albeit one of such character and charisma and future greatness, be a vocal leader for the Georgia defense?

It seems that lately, the few real leaders the Dawgs have had on the defensive side of the ball have been more of the 'walk softly and carry a big stick' variety. Don't get me wrong, those types are great in their own right, but of the many little things that Georgia's been missing of late, a real vocal motivator in the ranks is certainly on the list.

We'll see if the "Saint of the Slobberknocker" is ready to lead, and if the rest of the defense is willing to follow.

Crowell protected from up on high?

2011-07-26T12:26:00.002-04:00

By now, most of you have heard the varying quotes, tidbits, reports, and anecdotes from Georgia players and the coach at SEC media days.

While most of this tends to be coachspeak, with the odd factoid and interesting revelation thrown in, I did think it was interesting how QB Aaron Murray mentioned that he, center Ben Jones, and linebacker Christian Robinson visited Isaiah Crowell the day he got on campus to talk with him and even work out a bit.

It wouldn't be anything out of the ordinary to hear that Murray and Jones were getting acquainted with the young running back. After all those will be the two guys he works most closely with out on the field, save maybe the fullback. The interesting thing to me is that Robinson was mentioned as part of the group, being on the other side of the ball, and about to be laying out hits on the new guy in a matter of days.

Looking at it that way, and knowing in what high regard all three of those 'veterans' are held by the coaching staff and Mark Richt in particular (possibly more so than any other player, save Orson Charles), one has to wonder if they were directed by the head coach to see to it Crowell feels as comfortable and looked after as possible; that he's shown right off the bat what it is to be an ideal student athlete.

It could be that, after seeing the last two prized running back recruits go by the wayside for off the field issues, Richt has sent his captain and lieutenants out to keep it from happening again.

Or, it could be that these players simply realized that things have to be different, and that if Crowell follows the straight and narrow, then he's got the ability to help the whole team get back on top.

Whatever the case, it's nice to hear that the leadership of this team is taking a proactive approach to, well, lead.

Georgia could be better because they could've been better

2011-07-25T08:01:00.002-04:00

Make no mistake, I'm not going to sit here and tell you the Dawgs "could" have been 10-3 last year. They won some close games and lost some close games, and that's often what makes the difference in having a good season and a lousy one.

What I will point to is that Georgia rarely seemed outmatched in any game last season. Granted, Auburn did end up running away against the Dawgs, but you've got to keep in mind they got an easy score late when Georgia was forced to go for it on 4th down.

I will also acknowledge that there were some games that Georgia should not even have to worry about coming down to the wire, such as Colorado or Central Florida. The Bulldogs should really just be flat-out better.

So, what's the point (as if I have ever one)?

The point is that the Dawgs really never just came out looking completely clueless.

Believe me, Georgia should not be at a point where fans are hanging their hats on such a statement, but 2010 is in the past. Everybody, from the most pessimistic doomsday nay-sayers to the most upbeat, kool-aid drinkin' superfans can rationalize why the Bulldogs will be good, bad, or anywhere in between. Ultimately, it doesn't matter what people think. Otherwise, we wouldn't even bother to have a season.

Having said all that, there is at least a baseline that the team is not so completely discombobulated and confused that entire football methodologies and ideologies have to be scrapped. This hasn't turned into a reclamation project. Georgia is still at a point where some tweaks, toggles, and improvements can still put the Dawgs back atop the SEC East.

Are these Dawgs ready to turn things around?

2011-07-22T07:00:00.001-04:00

Time flies when you're having fun. Not so much when you're not.

When the Bulldogs won 74 games from 2002 to 2008, with really just the one 2006 season being a "bad" year, it didn't really seem like there'd ever be a stretch where Georgia would struggle. It certainly didn't seem like head coach Mark Richt would possibly leave Georgia on anything other than his own terms.

Sure, there were signs here and there. Georgia's defense showing up clueless in games against Tennessee and Alabama. Needing a late fumble recovery in 2007 to beat lowly Vanderbilt before ultimately finishing #2 in the nation. Still losing to Florida more often than not, even when it seemed Georgia had the superior team.

But, after a string of some bad luck, perhaps some bad decisions, and a sort of malaise that slowly seemed to descend upon the program, Georgia finds itself having won just 2 more games than it's lost over the past two seasons, going 14-12. Georgia finds itself coming off its first losing season since 1996. Georgia finds itself having to prove that it's not falling into the pigskin purgatory that teams like Michigan and Miami, two proud and winning programs themselves, have fallen into.

There's plenty to be concerned about going into the 2011 campaign, and while it's the job of the coaches and players to downplay those concerns in the pre-season interviews, nobody else is denying that.

The offensive line is a torn ACL away from becoming a patchwork quilt of freshmen and walk-ons. The most experienced running back redshirted last year so he could learn how to play linebacker. The best receiver in school history left for the NFL, and the Dawgs failed to beat a BCS-conference opponent last year without him.

Yet, despite all the negatives coming into 2011, there's still a sense that this season has possibilities.

Perhaps it was the assembling of the "Dream Team" recruiting class in February that seemed to remind folks that this is still Georgia, and we can still be great.

Or, perhaps it's the new old-school attitude coming from the strength and conditioning program, announcing that the Bulldogs will once again play with the tenacity and ferociousness of their namesake.

Then again, it could just be that football fans are football fans, and everybody's undefeated until September 3rd.

And, while many choose to concentrate on the negatives and soak in the tepid bathtub of pessimism and low expectations, it's important to point out that it was just a couple of years ago when the Dawgs were finishing up a 7 year run that saw them average 10.5 wins per year, win 3 SEC East crowns, and 2 SEC Championships.

Funny, though. Those 7 years sure seemed to pass by a lot quicker than the last 2. Here's hoping Richt and the Dawgs can speed up time once again.

Are these Dawgs ready to turn things around?

2011-07-21T15:46:00.003-04:00

Who do Dawgs NEED to step up?

2011-07-20T08:25:00.004-04:00

Everybody loves the new guy, at least in college football. We all get super excited about how well the new 5-star running back is going to do, or how big the new nose tackle is. However, a huge deciding factor in how well a team is going to do rests on the extent to which the redshirt freshmen and former 2nd stringers end up contributing, or hopefully starring.

With that in mind, here are some of the players who were on campus last year that Georgia needs desperately to step up.

1) WR Marlon Brown - The former 4 or 5-star WR (depending on what site you look at) came to Georgia with an NFL-ready body; a lethal combination of size and speed. There is no shame in having been an understudy to guys like AJ Green and Kris Durham, who are now both in the NFL, but if Georgia is to be successful, he's going to have to take a step forward and, at the very least, take some pressure off of Tavarres King and Orson Charles.

2) S Shawn Williams - It's become a pretty standard idea of late that Georgia has lacked that heavy hitter in the secondary; a guy who can be an asset in run support, not be a detriment in pass coverage, and scare the bejeezus out of any WRs coming across the middle. While Bacarri Rambo has become a ball hawk of sorts (5 INTs in his first two season), Williams will need to be the enforcer at strong safety, especially with the move of Alec Ogletree to LB. You've got to assume that the coaching staff thought enough of Williams' abilities to make that move, so he'll have to be ready to prove them right.

3) OLB Cornelius Washington - I expected him to have a breakout sophomore year in 2010, not just because I figured teams to concentrate more on Justin Houston, but also because I view him has having that kind of potential. But, after amassing only 3 tackles for loss and 1 sack in 2010 (he had 4 in 2009 in limited playing time), Washington must step it up this year. Opposite him will be Jarvis Jones, who, while much is expected of him, remains an unknown commodity who may be forced to sit out a game or two, or three, or four. At 6'4, 270lbs, Washington is still fleet afoot, and has freakish athletic ability. He'll have to turn the corner this year if the Georgia defense is going to make strides.

So, those are three guys that have been around for a little while, and whose time it is to shine. Don't forget, they were big-time recruits (possible exception being Williams) at one point, too.

Who are some other "veterans" that are just now going to really get their shot, and who the Dawgs truly need to become key players?

Jarvis Jones' "eligibility" another NCAA stupid-go-round

2011-07-19T07:07:00.004-04:00

The latest on the "is he going to be suspended or isn't he" saga regarding starting outside linebacker Jarvis Jones is that he is going to be eligible...until he isn't eligible.

While not on as grand a scale, it's similar to what's going on at Auburn, when a week ago, head coach Gene Cizik was told by the NCAA that the investigation of recruiting improprieties regarding Cam Newton was ongoing.

Another situation it can be likened to that hits closer to home is the AJ Green issue last year. For weeks leading up to the Dawgs' season opener, the implications of Green selling a jersey to an agent of an agent were seemingly going nowhere. Georgia was mum, except to say they were practicing as if Green would start. Then, even as the season got underway, the Bulldogs (who did the smart thing) held Green out, still waiting for the NCAA to levy a decision. It eventually came a couple of weeks in, and Green still had to sit out two additional games.

So, we wait while the NCAA continues to drag its collective feet on the Jarvis Jones situation. The difference here is that, if you believe everything that's been printed thus far, we already know exactly what he did (basically, he took a flight with an AAU team out west, and the flight was paid for using "inappropriate" funds by the director). All we need is for the NCAA to determine if it's an offense worthy of suspension, and if so, how long of a suspension.

There are still about 45 days until kickoff. This story has been circulating for about a month. It didn't take 75 days to put a case together and convict Al Capone. But, something tells me the NCAA will just leave this hanging over Georgia's head, as they neither absolve Jarvis Jones, nor "indict" him.

It'll just be "out there."

Richard Samuel and musical chairs

2011-07-15T08:09:00.002-04:00

Good morning, and a very happy Friday to you, unless, of course, you have to work on Saturday, in which case you probably don't give a crap that it's Friday.

By now, it's day-old news to most that the Georgia coaching staff asked Richard Samuel to move back to running back, and "Dicky Sams" (it would seem) enthusiastically accepted.

Georgia fans are no strangers to seeing a highly-touted recruit get shuffled around between various positions throughout his college career. Brandon Miller moved from various LB spots before ending up at defensive end, and never really making his mark. Kiante Tripp came in as an offensive tackle, and was moved to TE and DE, also failing to truly make a name for himself at the college level.

Now, many are wondering if the same fate, that of an ineffectual journeyman, will befall Sir Richard (he's not really a knight).

Who can say for sure, but it should be noted that he's moving back to running back due to a dire need by the team, and the fact that the coaching staff seems to think he can be productive there. In the other cases, I think it was more a situation of "well, you're not helping us here, so maybe you'll have better luck at another position."

Samuel's physical tools can't be denied. Though he'll likely need to shed at least 10 lbs., his 6'2 240lb. frame and blazing speed should allow him to, at the very least, be an adequate solution to go along with Crowell, Malcome, and Frostproof Thomas. In addition, folks maintain he's as smart, selfless, and hard-working as they come.

The bottom line is, Richt and the rest of the coaching staff must have come to the conclusion that the team was far better off with him at running back vs. battling for back-up snaps at linebacker, which is where he was situated heading into fall practice. It appeared he was in line for spot duty behind Alec Ogletree, who defensive coordinator Todd Grantham basically seems the highest on of any defensive player.

So, event though for his own sake, I had hoped Samuel was left alone to learn and improve at one position, I can't fault the move as a whole. If he is really expected to be in a position to help Georgia win games, then perhaps things will work out for his own career as well.

Leave Samuel alone, people!

2011-07-14T08:15:00.002-04:00

He's 6'2", 240lbs, and runs a sub 4.5 forty, and he's played running back before. So, given the ridiculous inexperience and lack of depth at running back, it might make sense to at least entertain the idea of moving Richard Samuel back to running back. If you missed it, he apparently tweeted earlier that he "has a tough life changing decision to make," and that has most wondering if the coaching staff has asked him to move back to his original position (original meaning the position he first played at UGA).

Best to just leave him be.

First, although he showed a couple of glimpses of what could be (a long TD run against Arkansas in 2009 was something to watch), it never seemed like he really had the vision nor the balance to play running back in the SEC. He was moved from RB to LB due, in part, to this fact, although he was also likely to be behind Washaun Ealey and Caleb King anyway.

Second, while I'm usually in the camp of having players do what's best for the team, I think doing what's best for Richard Samuel is OK in this case. He's got a chance to really settle in (remember, he's just a junior) and put his incredible size and speed to use at linebacker. He would seem to be just too talented to be a guy you move around in order to create a little depth.

It's a tough situation, and if the coaching staff did indeed ask him to make the switch, it couldn't have been easy for them. I imagine it was sort of a hat-in-hand approach.

"Ummm, yeah, remember that thing a couple of years ago, where we said your future was on defense? Soooo, we need you to forget that ever happened and move back to running back."

I suppose the bottom line is, if the staff feels that there's no way the Dawgs can have an effective offense with Samuel at RB, then I suppose you've got to move him. However, if they're main impetus is to move him in order to feel just a little better about things, then leave poor Richard alone.

When you get that notion, put your backfield in motion

2011-07-13T08:06:00.002-04:00

A little "Da Butt" for your Wednesday morning, but apropos for Georgia's offense this fall, given a potential problem at O-Line and inexperience at RB.

Under Richt and Bobo, Georgia has been one of the few schools to really make use of the fullback position over the past several years. In an era of spread offenses and wide open passing games, the fullback has become sort of a forgotten position for many teams, where the need for a bruising lead blocker is not needed. In addition, the Dawgs have gotten many a first down by calling the fullback's number out of the backfield on a quick screen or swing pass.

The switch of Bruce Figgins from the ridiculously deep tight end position to fullback presents some interesting possibilities, as well as some solutions for the aforementioned (potential) issue at O-Line and RB.

Figgins could be a huge asset in 3rd and long situations, as the former tight end was known for his blocking. And, at 6'4, 272 (we'll see if that sticks by the time kickoff rolls around), he'd be nearly impossible to simply run over en route to the QB. Further, as a 5th year senior whose primary responsibility has been blocking, Figgins ought to have various blocking techniques down pat. He also has plenty of experience catching the ball. For, despite having only 9 career receptions, he's spent a significant portion of practice time in pass-catching drills.

That's not to discount Zander Ogletree. The sophomore played sparingly last season, but coaches really like his effort and enthusiasm. At 5'9, 224lbs, he's not exactly the prototypical size for a FB. However, generally speaking as a lead blocker, the FB only need hit the hole, pick out his assignment, and engage him in a stalemate long enough for the ball carrier to speed by.

Whoever the personnel, expect Georgia to continue to utilize the fullback, and possibly to expand his role.

Where does Georgia's O-Line (lack of) depth come from?

2011-07-12T08:57:00.003-04:00

It's no secret that Georgia's offensive line depth chart is about as barren as the Best Buy in Pennsylvania Dutch country.

I was curious what our luck has been like regarding the OL recruits going back to 2007 (that would be the year that Justin Anderson, who's penciled to start at RT, signed, among others).

Here's a list of O-Linemen we signed from 2007-2010 that are no longer with the team. I've ruled out those that have either graduated or left early for the NFL, and focused solely on those who didn't make it to the end of their college careers in a 'normal' way.

Ben Harden
Chris Little (was thought to be the stud of the OL class)
Tanner Strickland
Trinton Sturdivant (would have been starting LT)
AJ Harmon
Jonathan Owens
Kwame Geathers (moved over to DL pretty quickly, so a bit different situation)
Brent Benedict

So, basically, if the Dawgs even had 1/2 of those guys, the O-Line depth wouldn't be a non-issue.

Everybody has attrition, bad injuries, and so forth, but this is borderline ridiculous. At any rate, that's where we are.

If Richt manages to survive this season and beyond, the staff is going to be forced to up the ante on O-Line signees. Simply put, until their luck starts turning around, they're just going to have to offer more linemen, and probably even offer some linemen that would, in an ordinary situation, be considered "borderline" talent-wise, which could work out anyway. After all, there are a LOT of linemen in the NFL that played at places like Nevada-Reno, Fresno St, and Wake Forest.

If losing CK4 is a big problem, it's only because there are bigger problems

2011-07-11T14:41:00.002-04:00

Apologies for the somewhat cryptic title. Allow me to hash this out a bit.

I certainly don't mean to trivialize the role of a running back, be it running the ball (duh), catching the ball out of the backfield, or in pass protection. A back who can do all three effectively can have a significant impact in improving the fortunes of his team in a game or season.

The problem is that Caleb King never consistently proved that he could do any of those things well, and that's what you look for out of your veterans. Consistency. It's the reason why you often see a less talented senior starting over an extremely talented freshman or sophomore.

But, if your would-be senior has never demonstrated that he can stay healthy, stay out of trouble, and play at a high level on a regular basis, well then he's just not much more valuable than a few underclassmen, is he?

The point of this is not to dump on Caleb, though. It's really not. It's simply to point out that I don't believe his presence or lack thereof was ever going to determine the way this season goes for the Dawgs. It's going to come down to Aaron Murray, the performance of the Offensive Line, and the degree to which the defense has progressed.

We'll see shortly what Crowell wants out of his college career

2011-07-08T14:23:00.002-04:00

It has become seemingly more certain by the hour that Caleb King has been ruled academically ineligible for the 2011 football season (we'll wait until we see official word from the University). If so, then Isaiah Crowell has a couple of distinct routes he can choose.

First, he can take the approach that there is basically nobody standing in his way of being the starting tailback. With apologies to Carlton Thomas, Ken Malcome, and Brandon Harton, if Crowell's abilities were gauged even remotely accurately, he should be able to win at list a co-starting job if he simply puts in an adequate amount of work.

Or, he can take the approach that this can really be his chance to shine from the get-go. Take a cue from Aaron Murray, Orson Charles, and others that have been singled out as having a phenomenal work ethic, never being satisfied, and always trying to improve.

Without King and Ealey ahead of him, Crowell has a chance to truly be the type of #1 back that many Georgia fans have been clamoring for. A running back who doesn't leave the offensive backfield until the game has been put away.

Is Boise St. still a no-win situation for Dawgs?

2011-06-17T08:27:00.002-04:00

When the Broncos visited Athens in 2005, they were considered a very good mid-major conference opponent, and a few prognosticators even went so far as to predict their upset of Georgia that year. After all, they'd gone 11-1 the year before. The result was a 48-13 thrashing by Georgia. Nonetheless, Boise St. went on to go 13-0 in 2006, and have generally continued the pace year in, year out since that fateful day.

Last year, more writers, coaches, etc. were seemingly ready to give them their shot at the BCS title, until the Broncos were derailed by a solid Nevada team late in the year.

But, despite a couple of undefeated seasons and victories over perennial Top-25 teams like Oklahoma and Virginia Tech, there is still the issue of Boise St. having what amounts to a cupcake schedule year in, year out.

Nonetheless, BSU is, at last view, bouncing around between a 3 and 6 point favorite against Georgia on a technically neutral field, but one that should amount to a home field for the Dawgs.

I pose the question: Is this still a "no-win" situation for Georgia? That is, if the Dawgs beat up on the Broncos, will the majority of the college football world simply shrug and say, "that's what they should have done?" Likewise, will it be a total embarrassment for UGA if they lose to the Broncos, regardless of the score?

Or, do you think that the Dawgs will get some props for beating a team that's been in or around the top 10 for the better part of 5 years?

Many weary and wary of talk during Dawgs summer workouts

2011-06-15T08:17:00.002-04:00

"Last year, I think we kinda just went through the motions."

"We didn't push ourselves as hard as we could have."

These are but a couple of examples of what we tend to hear from players following a relatively disappointing season. It can get old, and most fans, particularly the more disgruntled ones, don't want to hear it.

The most obvious and instantaneous response to the aforementioned statements is, "Well, why the hell weren't you pushing harder last year?"

True enough, as it seems coaches and players alike would realize by now that champions are not made by just "getting by" in the seemingly endless number of drills and workouts.

At the risk of sounding like an apologist, though, I'll point out a little thing called perspective.

The workouts and regimens put forth by any football program out there is bound to be grueling and a test of the will. While you're in the moment, with coaches and teammates yelling at you to do better, go faster, etc., you could easily feel like your giving every last bit of effort you can. It's only after a loss or a disappointing season that you might look back and say, "You know what? I think I really could have given more."

There's also the problem of a lack of a better response when asked what is different about this year's practices and workouts. Certainly, after a 6-7 season, nobody's going to say, "We're just doing what we've been doing." For, as football legend Albert Einstein once said, the definition of insanity is doing the same thing over and over, and expecting different results.

So, try not to blame the players for saying they're doing things better, working harder, staying more focused, holding each other accountable, having higher attendance at voluntary workouts, or otherwise changing things around. They probably are, and they've got to believe that they are.

Best to cut bait now

2011-05-18T08:52:00.002-04:00

Make no mistake, with all else being equal, the Dawgs would be better off entering the '11 season with last year's leading rusher, and the guy penciled in to either start or provide significant back-up playing time on an already thin O-Line. But, all else isn't equal, and each player had shown signs of unreliability in the past.

I am big on second chances. We all make mistakes. However, both Washaun Ealey and AJ Harmon ran afoul of team rules, academic obligations, etc. last year, and indications were they were heading down similar paths this year. This is too important a year for Richt to let these guys find their way through life like my Roomba robotic vacuum cleaner finds its way through my living room.

In the end, the Bulldogs are better off knowing what cards they hold going into summer, fall practice, and the season, rather than hoping a couple of guys get their heads on straight and pan out.

Bulldogs defense coming along

2011-04-11T09:55:00.003-04:00

While hardly giddy, Georgia defensive coordinator Todd Grantham sounds noticeably more optimistic and assured about his work-in-progress 3-4 defense this spring than he did at any time last year.

To hear your average Bulldog fan tell it, last year's defense was a broken levee. Although it was far from dominant, it wasn't nearly as bad as some would lead you to believe, especially given where it was the year before, and factoring in an entirely new scheme and new terminology.

The Dawgs finished in the middle of the pack in ppg allowed, and 4th in total defense. Improvement is most certainly needed, but that's not a bad jumping off point.

One thing lost in the shuffle of a new staff and scheme, though, is how much better all the defensive coaches (remember, except for Garner, the rest of the staff was new as well) will be at identifying the various strengths and shortcomings of their personnel. As a coach, there is a fine line between teaching a guy to do everything he needs to do (and do it well), and getting to a point where you say, "That's just not a strength of our team, so we need to find other ways to be successful."

Grantham has begun to echo a prevalent idea last year, which was that there definitely is a learning curve in switching to a new defensive philosophy, but the players are starting to play faster and with more confidence.

When you know what you're doing and how to do it, you can really let your ability come to the forefront. Hopefully, the Dawg "D" will begin to reflect the talent that has supposedly been assembled in Athens over the past few years.

Talk is cheap, but lack of talk is refreshing

2011-04-01T08:29:00.003-04:00

Now that spring practice is in full swing for the Bulldogs, this is usually about the point where we start hearing how such-and-such is looking phenomenal, how nobody can block what's-his-name, and how nobody can cover Whositz (though, in AJ Green's case, that was actually true).

To be certain, there are far fewer known commodities on this year's squad than in years past, but in general, we've seen far less in the glowing comments department so far this spring. In fact, the best comments from coaches have basically peaked at lukewarm.

I suppose going 6-7 the previous year will have that effect. After all, it would be kind of silly to start talking about how great everyone looks, especially when your best offensive and best defensive players have left for the NFL.

It could also be the case that nobody really has looked particularly impressive thus far, though I hope that's not it.

I just can remember far too many seasons where this guy or that was tearing it up, only to flame out when the season came along. Remember Cedric Heyward? Heck, even Richard Samuel, who I hope gets a chance to reinvent himself as a linebacker, was the talk of the town two springs ago, when every day he was 'taking it to the house.'

In an off-season of changes across the board, it's my personal feeling that the coaching staff is (and should be) taking the approach that nobody deserves praise in the spring. Even if an individual is doing exactly what should be 96% of the time, there's still no reason to not get him up to 98%, to throw out some random stats that have absolutely no meaning in the real world.

Georgia was a model of inconsistency last season. The second you heap praise on someone, particularly a 20 year-old star athlete, he can easily begin to rest on his laurels and think that he's arrived.

So, maybe it's best that, in the season of renewal, the attitude, and maybe even the staff's mantra, be "Not Good Enough." Because, let's face it, "good enough" simply wasn't last year.

Georgia could find itself in Hewitt/Longoria spot with Mark Fox

2011-03-15T08:40:00.002-04:00

Despite a couple of questionable late-game strategies, or lack thereof, Mark Fox's first two years have gone according to script. He's taken a team that was generally a bottom dweller in the SEC East under Dennis Felton, and promptly turned it into a 10 seed in the NCAA Tournament. Moreover, it's been a team that has proven it can take virtually any team in the country right down to the wire (you'll recall a heart-breaking double OT loss to 2-seed Notre Dame earlier in the year).

As is the case with all successful coaches at schools not rich in tradition (at a particular sport) "big-time" schools and schools that consider themselves bigger-time than UGA are bound to come a-callin'. It's already rumored that NC State could be looking into making a play for Fox, though I don't know too many folks that consider NC State to be some giant leap up from Georgia basketball.

Whatever the case, UGA basketball doesn't have the same cache as UGA football (yet). So, Greg McGarrity and the Georgia athletic department could have some decisions to make.

Although for more monetary reasons than anything else, Georgia Tech was more or less forced to give Paul Hewitt a ridiculous contract based upon his early successes at the school. After all, he was recruiting well, and took the school to its first Final Four appearance in 15 years. As it turned out, he and his teams gradually slipped into mediocrity, even in a less powerful ACC. Basically, they felt they needed to do everything they could to ensure Hewitt would stay, rather than lose him to a school like Texas, Kentucky, etc. It bit them in the ass.

Conversely, much was made of the long-term, big-money contract given to Tampa Bay 3rd Baseman Evan Longoria when he'd accomplished little more than being named the organization's top prospect. Being a smaller market team, though, they knew they'd lose him to free agency as soon as he was eligible if they didn't. In their case, it worked out splendidly, as they're now paying him well below market value.

Sure, two different situations, and different to Georgia's, but the underlying concept is the same. Georgia will have a tough time convincing its head basketball coach to stay if he's courted by a traditional power. We saw it happen when Kentucky came for Tubby Smith, and don't forget that the Duke job will likely be opening in a few years.

So, Georgia may be forced to give Fox a big, long-term contract based upon a relatively small, albeit impressive body of work.

Is there a problem with Richt's statements regarding Crowell?

2011-03-01T08:17:00.002-05:00

Even the most casual of Georgia fans have, by now, heard of Isaiah Crowell, the 5-star all-world running back set to enroll at UGA and play for the Dawgs this fall. If you've seen any of his highlight reels or read any of the comments made by those in the know, then you can understand the excitement surrounding his eminent arrival on campus. The Bulldogs are in need of another superstar back like Charlie Sheen is in need of a ball gag and about 20 new publicists.

However, as we've seen time and again, high school accolades and highlight reels don't always translate to success at the collegiate level, so it was surprising to read and hear coach Mark Richt saying that he wouldn't be surprised to see Crowell toting the rock on that first play against Boise St. this fall. Lest we get ahead of ourselves, he did include the caveat "if he does what he's supposed to," which could mean any number of things from just being academically eligible to actually having to be the best running back on the team. Still, to the best of my recollection, he's never come out with such a strong statement regarding an incoming freshman who's yet to step foot on campus (as a member of the football team).

The question becomes, was this some calculated statement that Richt felt would help motivate Crowell that much more? Was it something he used to actually try to motivate incumbents Washaun Ealey and Caleb King, whose careers have been somewhat lacking, at least in comparison to what was expected? Or, was it just something he was using to up the excitement from a deflated fan base after a poor 2010 campaign?

One thing is for certain. If Richt truly believes Crowell will be 'the guy' come September, then, to quote Clark W. Griswold, Jr., I think we're all in for a real treat.

Influx of new talent can pay off in both short and long term

2011-02-03T09:44:00.002-05:00

With Georgia pulling in one of the top recruiting classes in the nation (which could be a consensus top 5 class should Junior College DT Jonathan Jenkins sign on Saturday), some of the heat has been turned down on Mark Richt and his staff. And, while the majority of the class will only see limited playing time in '11 if any, this class could prove valuable in other ways.

Many expect top RB signee Isaiah Crowell to make a strong push for the starting tailback spot barring any setbacks, and a guy like WR Malcolm Mitchell should vie for significant playing time given Georgia's relatively thin and inexperienced receiving corps. Beyond that, though, it's really anybody's guess as to who will arrive on campus with both the mental and physical maturity to compete at college football's highest level.

That being said, there's little debate regarding the overall talent coming in, and Richt has already said that starting jobs and significant playing time at nearly every position will be opened up this spring and into the fall. Where, in the past, you almost got the sense that if a returning starter had done even an adequate job, he was virtually assured of keeping that spot, now it seems that nobody's job is safe (except probably Aaron Murray's and Blair Walsh's). Just stoking the fire a bit by letting everybody think, "Hey, this guy coming in is pretty darn good, and he'll take my spot if I'm not busting my butt" could prove to be a catalyst for improved effort and play all around.

Nobody REALLY knows who is 'college ready' until they put on the pads and go through drills and practices, but this class seems to have fewer 'project players' or guys that need a year or two to develop. The simple experience factor and learning curve is going to be there for most everybody, but if all these kids can have their academics in order and avoid injuries, it should help to elevate everyone's play, even if just a few make a direct impact on the field next season.

Annual argument over "Rank Bank" building again

2011-01-21T08:44:00.002-05:00

"Stars don't mean anything in recruiting," says one man.

"Then why are the top teams in the country always loaded with 4 and 5 star guys?" replies another.

And so it goes, like a never-ending story, but without Falcor. Too arcane a reference this early in the morning?

After nabbing two more of the top players in the country last night, and with two or three more 5-star players within reach, the Dawgs could easily end up with a top-5 recruiting class when it's all said and done.

As we know, statistics can always be bent to the will of the person wielding them, and I'm sure there are percentages, records, draft stats, and any number of other categories that will bear out the importance of highly ranked recruits.

Go up and down NFL rosters, and you're likely to find as many 2 and 3 star players as you are 4 and 5 (granted, there are far fewer 4 and 5 star players in a given year, but still). That being said, it's always nice to get guys that were heavily recruited by the Alabamas, Floridas, and LSUs of the world.

Richt's public lack of fire

2011-01-06T09:14:00.002-05:00

I'm not sure anything can really be said after a 6-7 season to sate a ticked-off fan base, at least half of which wants blood (that of Richt's and/or Bobo's, among others). However, somebody really needs to get in the head coach's ear about at least playing to the fans just a little bit.

I may be in the minority at this point, but despite Georgia's poor offensive effort in the Liberty Bowl, I'm not hell-bent on ditching Bobo (that's not to say I think he's doing a superb job, either). Outside of that, though, I think most fans' disgruntlement stems from a perceived lack of toughness throughout the program, and the inability to put away close games, or come from behind to win close games lately.

Richt did make the change on the strength and conditioning front, but he really didn't express the overall disgust with Georgia's "soft" play (particularly on both sides of the line) that I think most fans would have appreciated. He continually used words like "upset" and "disappointed." There's just something different there. I'm 'disappointed' when I ask for extra mayonnaise on my burger, but find that no mayonnaise has been added to the burger at all. I'm 'upset' when people tell me that Maggie Gyllenhaal is a beautiful leading woman, because she's just not.

Folks would have liked to hear Richt say something along the lines of "I'm ticked off about how the season went. We have not played with anywhere near the attitude, tenacity, and toughness it takes to win in this league, and it's our primary goal this off-season to get that back. That's how we won two SEC Championships, and that's how we're going to win again. We're going to take back the line of scrimmage, and start playing football the way Georgia teams should play. Hard."

Talk, as they say, is cheap. At the end of the day, Richt could have said he was thrilled with the way the season went; it doesn't really affect how next season will go. However, he could have saved himself some criticism and question-answering with just a few more well thought out words.

Richt, staff did nice job keeping team together

2010-12-07T07:37:00.001-05:00

OK, before you lambaste me with insults and cries of "Disney Dawg," let me be perfectly clear: A 6-6 season is wholly unacceptable for a Georgia team, and more so when it follows an 8-5 season. We fully agree there.

Having said that, there never appeared to be a time, at least not publicly, where players were yelling at each other, coaches were pointing fingers, and most of all, a time when the team appeared to quit. Further, this was not a team that looked altogether clueless in any facet of the game (even the defense, which was giving up a busted play or two each game early on seemed to, at the very least, improve on that aspect).

I agree that I am looking for moral victories, a practice normally reserved for Carolina fans, but unfortunately, that's where we are this year. Obviously, there are going to be those who believe that a 6-6 season is a 6-6 season, regardless of effort or having the team look like a bunch of monkeys having relations with, well, a football. But, to me, there is something to be said for a coach that never "lost" his team nor his coaches.

Again, there's no room for a .500 football team at Georgia. The record must vastly improve next year, moral victories or not. However, when I look at a team like Texas, which lost 7 of its last 8 games vs. BCS conference opponents (including a pasting at the hands of Kansas St.), I do see a team that phoned it in, and to me, that's a whole lot worse.

A Georgia win over the Gators hinges on mentality, key plays

2010-10-29T09:28:00.002-04:00

During their ridiculous 17-3 record against the Dawgs over the last 20 years, the Florida Gators have certainly trotted out their share of teams that were just flat-out better. However, it's been far more common to have two relatively evenly matched teams, and even a few editions of Bulldogs teams that were probably better than the Gators.

After Georgia had pretty much dominated the series prior to the 1990s, something changed. Where once Florida would make the key mistake or give up the big play, now it was Georgia that was dropping a key pass, committing a big penalty, or turning the ball over at the most inopportune of times. It's just something that changes mentally, and there's not a whole lot you can do to change it...except win. A bit paradoxical or catch-22-ish, but there it is, because Georgia has wilted at the earliest signs of adversity in most cases. It's as if the Dawgs come in fired up and ready to play, but when a play or two doesn't go their way, it's "Oh boy. Here we go again."

This year, aside from Florida having an extra week to get some of their own issues sorted out, and getting back into the fold a very talented young RB/WR adept at avoiding tackles and issuing death threats via text, Georgia would seem to have the upper hand. The Dawgs seem to be hitting their stride in virtually every aspect of the game (one of the scariest things could be that kicker Blair Walsh has hit a bit of a rocky patch lately). Meanwhile, the Gators' clunky offense has caused things to really come to a head.

The Bulldogs should be coming into this one with about as much confidence as any Georgia team has gone into GA/FL week in recent memory. We'll find out Saturday how long that lasts.

Keep the dawg in the dawghouse or, The case for keeping Richt

2010-10-14T08:43:00.002-04:00

Many Georgia fans have seen enough out of Mark Richt-coached teams over the past few seasons to have delivered a verdict of guilty, and levied a punishment of termination. To those, I can only say that I feel ya, Dawgs. Several editions of his teams of late have not lived up to the standards we expect for a University of Georgia football team, both on the field and off.

That being said, if the Bulldogs are able to finish the '10 season stronger than they started (i.e., show improvement across the board), I submit that head coach Mark Richt should be given another season to turn this thing around, and here's why...

First, this was going to be a transition year. New (freshman) QB, new defensive coordinator AND defensive scheme, and in addition, unfortunate incidents leading to suspensions. Sure, the losses to MSU and particularly to Colorado should not be simply explained away by the transition period, but to think that the 2010 Bulldogs should have been National Title contenders is a bit much.

However, I'm not using that so much as an excuse for Richt this season as I am saying that I'd like to see what happens when QB Murray comes back for his sophomore year, and what happens when Grantham's had a year to not only coach, but to better evaluate his players and get some of his own players in here. If you get rid of Richt after the season, you risk disrupting all the knowledge and confidence Murray will have built up, and depending on who comes in, he may have to learn a whole new offense to boot. If you get rid of Richt, then Grantham will likely be gone as well, and not only will we never know how good he may have been, but all the defensive players may have to go back and switch to the 4-3 again.

There doesn't seem to be any big name coach out there that would necessarily be available to Georgia next year anyway, so I would suggest backing off Richt for just a little while longer. Georgia has more to gain by keeping him then it has to lose.

Mark Richt's Proverbial "Lid" Back on at Georgia

2010-09-21T08:43:00.002-04:00

When Richt talked about UGA's 2002 SEC Championship, its first in 20 years, he repeatedly mentioned 'blowing the lid off' the program.

He discussed the idea that Georgia had several quality teams under both Goff and Donnan, and had come very close to being an SEC Champion, but could just never quite get over the hump.

He talked in retrospect about the '01 Tennessee 'hobnail boot' game, in which it was looking like another "not quite" game for the Dawgs, until David Greene, Randy McMichael, and Vernon Hayes (sic) changed the fate of the Bulldogs, not only for that day, but for the next few years.

He spoke of the all-important '02 Auburn game, in which Georgia was against the ropes; its chances of finally winning the SEC East looking dim after falling behind and getting physically outmatched for the first 30 minutes, but rallying to come from behind in dramatic fashion to clinch the division.

When we look at the Georgia program now, it's obvious that there are some X's and O's issues, probably a couple of talent issues, and a litany of other things that have just added up to Georgia's less-than-successful past 15 games. Certainly, the Dawgs have been asleep at the wheel for entire halves of games, and that's something to consider. However, the biggest difference I see right now is that Mark Richt's teams of late haven't shown that same confidence, drive, or determination that says, "Hey, I don't care what's happened for the past 40 or 50 minutes, we're in this game, and we're going to win."

Everybody with an opinion on Georgia has got their reasons for the Dawgs 1-2 start this year, and 2-6 record over their last 8 SEC games. Some label Bobo's play-calling far too conservative. Others cite a dip in elite talent, while the rest talk about an overall lack of effective coaching. These reasons certainly range from the plausible to the probable, and everywhere in between.

In the end, though, you've got to win in the end. Georgia has been losing more close games than it's been winning lately, and that's the biggest difference. The program's lid has been screwed back on, and if Richt can't figure out how to once again blow it off, he too may be screwed.

Preview: UGA vs. Arkansas, & Sit-Rep

2010-09-17T07:04:00.001-04:00

Rather than a straightforward preview of Saturday's game vs. the Arkansas Razorbacks, I thought I'd spend a bit more time to assessing the general state of Georgia's team as it is after two games.

Let me begin by stating that I am in no way absolving Georgia's coaching staff from the many lackluster performances over the past couple of years. It is the job of the coaches to prepare their team as well as possible to give the Dawgs the best chance to win each week that they possibly can. Whether you're talking about scheming, mental preparedness, fundamentals, or any other aspect that falls under the wide umbrella of coaching, a coach is ultimately responsible for what happens on a given Saturday.

Having said that, the players are the ones who must step on the field, apply what they've learned, and execute (as if that wasn't obvious). What I think we've seen, and what was thrown into sharp relief at Williams-Brice Stadium last weekend, was not so much about playcalling, defensive alignments, or even preparation as it was that Georgia's players simply didn't make plays.

A few examples....

Many fans were not particularly happy with offensive coordinator Mike Bobo's (and/or Mark Richt's) conservative play-calling. Hard to fault them for that, going on the road for the first time with a freshman QB, a defense that looked superb (against lesser talent, I grant you), and an offensive line that in everybody's eyes was pegged to be one of the nation's best. When the Bulldogs were in the midst of a burgeoning drive facing a third and two, Bobo called for a simple trap (I believe it was a trap; apologies, but I've not seen a replay of the game, but it's relatively immaterial). His thinking, I'm sure, was that "our guys can push your guys off the line, and our 215 lb. running back can drive for 2 yards." Obviously, it was unsuccessful, but I refuse to fault the play call. It was pure smash-mouth football, which I'll remind many Georgia fans that that's what they would love to see, and the line didn't move a soul, and RB Washaun Ealey was unable to drive the tackler back.

Another example...

The Dawgs did make "a play" when, behind just one score late, QB Aaron Murray connected w/ WR Kris Durham on a long pass play after he'd gotten behind a South Carolina CB. There wasn't much special about it, the guys just made the play. Then, what happens? 1st and goal from the 10, and Georgia rushes for a few yards, setting up 2nd and goal from the 6, but before they run the next play (keep in mind, they're going for it on 4th down if it comes to it), WR Israel Troupe commits a false start penalty. A WR should NEVER commit such a penalty. The Dawgs are backed up to the 11, and forced to get a few yards back to take a couple shots at the end zone, and Washaun Ealey fumbles. Both things (false start and fumble) are, I have zero doubt, drilled into these players' heads from the start of camp. They just flat out screwed up.

Finally...

Again, apologies for not knowing the exact situation, but Georgia's defense had SC 2nd and 8 around mid field. They bring what equates to a run blitz, and hit RB Marcus Lattimore about 4 yds behind the line of scrimmage. No doubt, that kid is going to be a star, but the call was sound, and really, the form was fine (this was no hockey-style body check), but Lattimore slipped away, and picked up a first down. Georgia's players just didn't make the play. Plain and simple. If/when something like that happened in fall practice, I can promise you Georgia's coaches lit into that player and made sure he knew exactly what happened.

What's the point of all this? Hell if I know. But, it seems to me that, for whatever reason, very few players (Houston, and AJ Green if he is ever allowed to play again are exceptions) seem to have that "swag" or the "it" factor. At least, right now they haven't got it.

If the Dawgs are going to rebound and make this season a successful one, Georgia's coaches need to shore up a lot of things in a lot of areas, but they're gonna need some help from the guys who actually suit up for 10 of the next 11 (hopefully, 11 of the next 12) Saturdays.

Now, briefly on the Arkansas Razorbacks.

Great offense, pitiful defense.

Thanks for reading, and Go Dawgs!!!

Preview: Georgia at South Carolina

2010-09-09T11:36:00.002-04:00

Offensively, QB Stephen Garcia is one of those players that seems to have been at a school forever, and yet he’s just a junior. While considered to be a physically gifted quarterback, his two years at South Carolina have been marred by questionable behavior off the field, and questionable decision-making on it. Steve Spurrier has long been known as a coach with little patience for inconsistent QB play, and has seemingly held the threat of taking the starting job away over Garcia’s head since he arrived on campus. To his credit, Garcia has battled and stayed out of trouble lately, and entrenched himself as the unquestioned starter…until he screws up and Spurrier replaces him with freshman QB Connor Shaw (who will probably see a few snaps with some plays designed to take advantage of his athleticism).

The Gamecocks scored a major recruiting victory earlier this year when they were able to keep RB Marcus Lattimore in-state. Lattimore was regarded by many to be the top RB prospect in the nation for 2010, and he immediately assumed the starting role. At 6’ and 220lbs, he’s a great combination of speed, power, and agility, though it’s safe to assume his blocking ability has not yet caught up to his running prowess. He’ll be spelled by sophomores Kenny Miles and Jarvis Giles, who are a bit smaller in stature, and are used more in a change-of-pace capacity.

At WR, South Carolina has had some good ones over the past several years (Troy Williamson, Sidney Rice), and this year looks no different, with standout WR Alshon Jeffery leading a young, but physically imposing group of wideouts. Jeffery, D.L. Moore, and Tori Gurley stand 6’4, 6’4, and 6’5 respectively, with 5’7 freshman Ace Sanders providing a smaller, quicker option off the bench (he’ll also get some carries on end arounds, reverses, etc). Still, it’s Jeffrey who has emerged as the go-to guy for Garcia. Senior TE Patrick DiMarco gets the start, as Weslye Saunders (who killed Georgia’s secondary last year) has been suspended indefinitely.

The Gamecock O-Line, while not quite as experienced as Georgia's, is seasoned, and features only one underclassman out of the starting five, though that is at center with T.J. Johnson. Johnson moved from guard after last year, and while he's expected to do fine, you never know until he actually does it.

As you might have heard, Georgia unveiled it's new look 3-4 defense under Todd Grantham, and met the "challenge," giving up just 14 yds rushing, and 128 yds overall. A new defensive coordinator and a new scheme is something of a double-edged sword. On the one hand, the Dawg defense is still getting acclimated to a new scheme and style, so it's likely to encounter some growing pains. On the other hand, teams have very little to go on as far as devising an offensive game plan. That's not to say that they've never seen a 3-4 defense before, but they simply haven't seen film of Georgia running it. The Dawgs' primary goal here will be to make Garcia uncomfortable. In his 2 years as QB (albeit, his freshman and sophomore years), he has shown that he can pick apart a defense if he gets in a rhythm, but he has a veryhard time righting the ship if he's knocked off his game. Georgia showed a great ability to crash the line and fill the gaps against ULL's running game, and while the SC offensive line will be better than that of ULL, the practice remains the same.

For the Cock's defense, injuries and NCAA limbo could play a huge role in the game. SC is already without last year's leading tackler in LB Shaq Wilson. Defensive Coordinator Ellis Johnson (one of the better DC's in the country) has also stated that starters DT Ladi Ajiboye (Hey Lady!!), and Spur (kind of a LB/DB hybrid) Antonio Allen will be extremely limited in playing time/effectiveness, while starting CB Chris Culliver's status for the game is unknown as of now.

Carolina's recruiting philosophy, especially for the front 6/7, has been to go quick and agile. They've sacrificed a bit of size in the middle in favor of linemen and LBs adept at penetrating gaps and getting around blocks (which is not to say they're small). DE Cliff Matthews led the team with 7 sacks last season, as is probably the Gamecocks' top pro prospect on D.

The SC Secondary is the strength of the defense. While they were not particularly adept at intercepting passes (amassing just 6 all of last year), they were in the top 1/4 of teams in pass efficiency defense, a credit to their cornerbacks' and safeties cover skills. Returning most key components to what was a young secondary should lead to an improvement in both these categories.

For Georgia offensively, I don't think anyone will be surprised if the Dawgs' primary game plan is to run the ball as much as possible. To do this, the O-Line will have to run-block better than it did last weekend. With an extra week under their belts, the reunited unit (is that redundant?) should be much more cohesive, and much stronger physically (continuing to recover from various ailments and infirmities). It will be a recurring theme, but nonetheless appropriate that not too much will be asked of Aaron Murray, particularly in this, his first SEC road game. That being said, where Richt seemed irked, even downright mad about Murray tucking the ball and taking off in week one, I wouldn't be the least bit surprised to see some designed runs, and even a halfback option pass back to Murray to take advantage of his speed. The ultimate key will be for Murray to understand that even several three-and-outs are better than one bad turnover. He can't be out there playing scared, but he must be adept at assessing risk/reward situations.

So, what will happen?

Obviously, the AJ Green sitation (suspended for the next 3 games, pending an appeal in case you are new to the Internets) is not a good thing, and I think everybody would like Georgia's chances better were he playing. But, sometimes these types of things can actually galvanize a team into playing better as a whole, because everybody knows that this guy isn't there to lead, or that guy isn't there to make the big play. I won't use the term "vanilla" (other than to let you know that I wont use the term "vanilla"), but Georgia certainly left plenty to the imagination against ULL, and I expect the Dawgs to open things up a bit more offensively this week.

The Dawg D seems be eating up the new scheme and ideology of Todd Grantham like a fat kid eating free cake. That analogy may not work so well, but I really wanted to get a fat kid reference in here somewhere. More than anything, they'll need to avoid those one or two big mistakes that lead to early scores. If they do that, I think the South Carolina offense will have a hard time going 70 or 80 yds every drive to score. Punter Drew Butler and kicker Blair Walsh could very well end up being the keys to victory, as the Dawgs take another close one in Columbia, 24-20.

Offensive Player of the Game: The Dawgs welcome back Washaun Ealey in a big way. My gut tells me the Dawgs are up mid-way through the 4th quarter, and burn out the clock with a steady diet of #3.

Defensive Player of the Game: Darryl Gamble had been the talk of the preseason, so hopefully he'll be in Garcia's face much of the afternoon.

Thought for the Game: It's no secret that the loser of this game is instantly behind the 8-ball in the SEC East. With all the problems the team has encountered/brought upon itself during the off-season, it would really say something about the intestinal fortitude of the Dawgs to put all that behind them and get a leg up in the SEC East.

So, that's what I got this week. Looks like it will be warm, but not brutally hot in Columbia, and it should be a real battle 'til the end.

Go Dawgs!!

South Carolina game most important for the Dawgs in '10

2010-08-24T08:44:00.002-04:00

OK, we all know the importance of beating Tech, for, as a decorated Georgia alumnus once said, "if you don't think beating Tech is important, try losing to them." Nor is there any reason to pretend that a victory over Florida wouldn't be huge.

I'm not sure what it says about where Georgia is or where South Carolina is when I find myself realizing that the Carolina game is, in fact, the most important game of the season for Georgia, but here's why.

Assuming the Bulldogs handle LaLafayette in the opener, South Carolina becomes the tone-setter for what Aaron Murray is to become, and what Todd Grantham's new 3-4 defense will be. That game is usually important anyway, because, as Richt so often mentions, the winner typically goes on to have a good season (last year notwithstanding), while the loser is immediately fighting an uphill battle just to finish 2nd in the SEC East, never mind having a realistic shot at the SEC Title (well, the Gamecocks really go into every season without a realistic shot at the SEC Title).

This game's been unnaturally close for most of the past 10 contests, and this year figures to be no different. Carolina usually has a steady defense, and unless QB Stephen Garcia pees the bed in their opener, so to speak, he will not yet have drawn the full ire of Coach Spurrier. Furthermore, the 'Cocks haven't realized that they're not a good team when Georgia comes a' callin' in week two.

So, if the Dawgs want to earn the right to treat the 2010 season as anything more than a 'reset button' year, they must beat South Carolina.

Reading Into Fall Practice Reports and Comments

2010-08-05T20:53:00.002-04:00

With the anticipation of a new season that's now just a month away, most every Georgia fan is gleaning every last bit of information he can on the 2010 Bulldog football team. Practice reports, player bios, and even the most trivial of anecdotes (I found the "story" of a young Ben Jones catching a snooze atop a potentially prize-winning pig to be particularly enthralling).

Every pre-season period has its story lines, and this year is no different, with a new quarterback, position changes, and the unfortunate off the field issue or seven. But, when it comes down to it, what we're really interested in is hearing about who's made the biggest strides since last season, and what the new recruits and redshirt freshman seem to be making waves. After all, with a champagne cork popped for every 5-star recruit signed, these are the kids that are going to determine the future of Georgia football.

Having said that, it can be easy to put a bit too much stock in what various reporters, coaches, and players are saying about what's going on at the 110 degree practice fields. If I sat down and thought about it, for every player that was going to be "the next big thing," I'm sure I could find at least 50% of those mentioned who ended up making little, if any significant impact when the lights were on.

Seemingly every summer during his time here, when asked who was going to be the impact receiver, quarterbacks unanimously named Bryan McClendon. Later, I can recall both Michael Moore and Mohamed Massaquoi arriving on campus, and though MoMass was the more highly touted recruit, "everyone" was saying how it was Moore that was looking better. That is not to say anything disparaging of McClendon or Moore, but neither was ever an All-American candidate.

Conversely, who really remembers hearing all that much about David Pollack during the fall practices leading up to the 2002 season? Obviously, he was the starter and had a monster game against Clemson right out of the gate, but there was little, if any, talk of "watch out for #47. We can't block him in practice."

In the end, we all like hearing how AJ Green made an impossible catch over three defenders, how Caleb King had two long runs during yesterdays scrimmage, and how Justin Houston and Cornelius Washington have been dominating off the edge. However, I wouldn't place my expectations on what kind of season Aaron Murray's going to have based on his scrimmage stats, and would automatically put a redshirt on Ken Malcome just because his name has not been mentioned yet.

It's still just practice.

Richt's "The Right Stuff" Comments Not Surprising

2010-06-29T08:39:00.002-04:00

For most Dawg fans, any glowing comments made by head coach Mark Richt about the upcoming season are reminiscent of Jim Donnan's infamous "I've waited 158 years to coach a team like this."

During all the Bulldog Club meetings, preseason interviews, and general off-the-cuff statements, head coaches typically walk the very fine line between tempering expectations while still drumming up enthusiasm in anticipation of the season to come. Some, like Vine Dooley, erred on the side of temperance, while others, such as the aforementioned coach Donnan, went a bit too far on the enthusiasm side.

With Richt and the Dawgs coming off their worst season during his tenure, it really only made sense to fire up the Bulldog Nation this time around. While a new season, regardless of the previous year's record, tends to bring new excitement (just ask South Carolina fans), spirits and hopes of Dawg fans have been noticeably lower. Furthermore, if Georgia turns in another 7-5 season (or worse), a little verve and garnish during some summer speaking engagements really isn't go to make things worse for Coach while he's answering for his crimes, so to speak.

The bottom line is that, this time around, Richt really has nothing to lose and, not everything, but some things to gain by pumping up the various Bulldog Club crowds. Besides, this team might really have "The Right Stuff."

What the heck is a "hot seat" anyway?

2010-05-19T10:59:00.002-04:00

Been saving up my earnings from publishing this blog for a while, and while I'm still a couple pennies short, I figured I'd throw in my two cents to this "discussion" about Mark Richt possibly being on the proverbial hot seat.

At this point, you doubtless know the various numbers and percentages of Richt during his tenure at The University of Georgia, so I won't rehash them here. Suffice it to say, he's among the top 10 of active coaches in virtually every important category. Whether Georgia fans and the administration have a right to expect more is a topic for another day.

What seems to be going unchecked on these Internets is the frivolous, profuse usage of the term "hot seat." It used to be, a head coach would be on the hot seat toward the end of (yet another) disappointing season. If he finished up poorly, it probably meant he was getting canned. This made complete sense insofar as we, the football fanatics, are in constant need of something with which to occupy our time when not hanging on every word out of a 17 year old QB's mouth, or photo-shopping pics of Tim Tebow's head on an apostle's body.

Then, the usage of the term slowly migrated toward the beginning of an actual season. Such and such would be on the hot seat if fans, GM's, AD's, etc. perceived him to have underachieved for a few years, or grossly underachieved the previous year. A little bit of a stretch, being that the season had either just begun, or was only a game or two old.

Now, though, the term has taken on a life of its own. We've got every blogger, columnist, and joker with a keyboard (like me) debating whether a coach will be on the hot seat in the upcoming year, or if another lackluster season will land said coach on the hot seat.

What? Did I miss something (again)? The hot seat itself is enough a position of conjecture enough as it is, since it's basically used to describe someone who is potentially in danger of losing his job. So, by trying to predict if a coach might possibly be on the hot seat, we're suggesting that he's in danger of being in danger (of being in danger) of being fired.

Imagine a married couple, and the gossip queen says, "Uh oh. If Peter and Lois have a couple more arguments, they could be 'having problems.' If they start having problems, and continue to have problems, they could get divorced."

What's the point of all that?

I'm not going to address Richt's hot seat status in particular. There's still a season to be played (and it's 4 months away).

G-Day Intriguing, but Hard on the Fan's Psyche

2010-04-06T07:42:00.002-04:00

If the weather people are right, and they rarely are, we're looking at a picture perfect day Saturday in Athens for the annual G-Day Spring Game, with the forecast calling for sunny skies, and temps in the low to mid 70s. Fans who attend the game (or watch on TV) will also be hoping for some picture-perfect play out of the 2010 Bulldogs. You see what I did there? I brought 'picture-perfect' back around, describing the weather and the play of the Dawgs.

It's always an interesting thing, trying to decide what you want to see out of G-Day, being that it's your own offense going against your own defense, particular if/when it's 1's vs. 1's. Obviously, with a new QB taking the reins in the fall, you'd like to see Georgia's offense have success, particularly in the passing game, and definitely don't want a stagnated, clueless, and otherwise inept aerial attack. You'd also prefer some of the younger guys, like Tavarres King and Orson Charles, continue to grow into key roles, and not just have AJ Green catch a few deep jump balls.

On the other hand, with a new (and hopefully improved) defense taking the field, it might be a little scary if the offense racks up 400 yds (given a running clock, i.e. a shorter game), suggesting the defense is far from where it needs to be. If, say, Caleb King breaks a few tackles and outruns the secondary for a 70 TD run, that's where we as fans are kind of at odds with ourselves. Do you think, "wow, Caleb looks unstoppable," or do you say to yourself, "man, our defense just got embarrassed?" It's the one time we get to see both sides of the coin, because during the regular season, it's all about us. If Arkansas throws up 45 pts, it's only going to be because our defense was lousy. If the Dawgs pile up 530 yds of offense, it's definitely because we are so balanced and dangerous.

I suppose that, after it's over, you want to see a 23-20 kind of game, where both sides of the ball, 1's and 2's, have their moments. You'd like maybe one or two INT's coming, but only by way of a terrific play by one of our DB's. And, of course, you hope there are minimal penalties and no serious injuries.

At the end of the (G) day, though, it's really just a chance to get your Sanford Stadium fix; to get out there, show your support for the Dawgs, see a few of the younger guys running around making plays, and get a vague, ridiculously premature idea of what to expect come late summer.

Spring Scrimmages More About Not Screwing Up

2010-03-29T09:24:00.002-04:00

If you've been following Georgia's spring practices with any regularity (cue Fiber One jokes), you've doubtless come across the statistics from the Dawgs' first official scrimmage.

All eyes/ears/etc. are focused primarily on the Bulldogs' overhauled defense, and the QB battle between Aaron Murray, Zack Mettenberger, and (supposedly) Logan Gray. Statistically speaking, Murray and "Mett" had the most impressive games, with Gray trailing far behind.

I think that, in the early going here, a 'big' game is far less important on the positive side than laying an egg is on the negative side. Right now, coaches would seem to be looking more at who's picking things up, giving consistent effort, and protecting the football. If you'll recall, former QB Blake Barnes had a near perfect G-Day a few years back, but really never saw the field for Georgia. Just last G-Day, Logan Gray looked very impressive, but when live bullets were flying in the fall, he was hardly an option at all behind Joe Cox.

So, sure, it's nice to see a guy like WR Rantavious Wooten have a big game, and it's a good thing that Mettenberger appears to be pushing Murray for the top spot. However, keep an eye out for those statistically awful numbers. Fumbles, holding penalties, interceptions, drops, and so forth. That, to me, is going to tell the story of who's got the top spot at various positions heading into the fall.

Secondary a Primary Concern During Spring Practice

2010-03-26T07:02:00.002-04:00

[First, sorry for the hiatus (for those of you who noticed)]

With Georgia's overhauled defense, both in scheme and coaching, one of the main improvements on the field will need to come in Georgia's secondary. The Bulldogs' pass defense was porous, and just as importantly, showed little in the way of play-making ability (Brandon Boykin and Reshad Jones had a few nice moments).

The big buzz over the last week or two was the line from one returning DB, who basically said that, under Willie Martinez, defenders were taught to generally shield the receiver from the ball, rather than turn, locate the ball, and make a play on it. This was evident even to the casual observer over the past few years, and it will be interesting to see how Georgia's corners and safeties adapt to new secondary coach Scott Lakatos' approach of playing the ball as much as the receiver.

However, tantamount to being more aggressive and forcing more turnovers is the back-to-basics (or, sadly, the first visit to basics) mentality when it comes to hard-nosed, sure-handed form-tackling. I seem to be wearing out my "-" key.

Let's face it, you need guys who play with consistency within a given system. That being said, it seemed Georgia's defense was far more concerned with a guy "knowing what to do" than playing a guy who was perhaps a little less experienced, but simply made plays (I'm looking at the Bacarri Rambo v. Bryan Evans situation). The VERY early returns on spring practice suggest that, while playing time will ultimately be earned based on the complete package, guys who are hitting, tackling properly, and making plays will be favored over guys who "know the system." That's one of the many great things about a new philosophy. Because nobody really knows what they're doing, from the 5th year seniors on down, a lack of superior talent or playmaking won't be camouflaged by a few years of experience.

What do Georgia Fans Have a 'Right' to Expect?

2010-02-09T08:41:00.002-05:00

The Georgia Bulldogs have now gone four consecutive seasons without winning the SEC, or even just the SEC East (although, they finished the 2007 season ranked #2, which is not too shabby). They've also had what should be considered below-par years for two of those four seasons. After finishing out a recruiting class that was less than stellar according to the 'experts,' there continues to be a slow and steady increase in the volume and pervasiveness of rumblings around Athens that Georgia is not where it should be in the overall conference/national pecking order of college football programs.

While last season would not be considered a great success by any measure of Georgia football, the overall performance of Richt's teams begs the question, "How good is Georgia really supposed to be?"

Looking at it from a competition standpoint, there are, in my estimation, six teams that have a "right" (the quotes imply a bit of sarcasm, in that many fans of many schools believe it's their right) to win the SEC: Alabama, Auburn, Florida, Georgia, LSU, and Tennessee. By that rationale alone, Georgia should average one SEC Championship every six years. They have two in nine years under Richt, so they're still ahead of the game there. Georgia should also average one SEC East Championship every three years. With three in nine years, they're right on pace there.

Obviously, there's an ebb and flow of the overall strength of competition throughout the SEC in a given year, and teams go through both upturns and downturns (clearly, Tennessee has not been a powerhouse the last few years). On the flip side, Georgia hadn't won the SEC in 20 years before Richt arrived, a fact his proponents are happy to acknowledge.

Look, the Bulldogs had one of the all time greatest 4 year runs from '80-'83 of any program in history, but to suggest that two SEC Championships, three SEC East Championships, and six top-ten finishes since 2002 is below Georgia standards is completely ridiculous.

People have also cited the pattern or trend that seemed to be forming lately, but with a revamped defensive coaching staff, and one of two highly touted redshirted freshmen quarterbacks taking the reigns this fall, there is at least a reasonable chance that the Dawgs will be competing for more SEC Championships and top 10 finishes very soon.

The bottom line is, Georgia is as good (probably better) than they have been during just about any time during their storied history. More to the point, either live in the past or don't. If you think the 'real' Georgia is the incarnations of the early 80's, then acknowledge the successes of the past 10 years.

Whatever the case, tempering expectations as a Georgia fan does not a loser make. The fans aren't playing anyway.

Recruiting, She's Over or, Put Away the Hemlock

2010-02-05T07:51:00.002-05:00

OK. Georgia's overall recruiting class could have been better, and it appeared it was going to be until about the last week leading all the way up to Wednesday morning. A few highly regarded defensive players and possibly the best WR prospect the state of Georgia has had in over a decade all left the Dawgs standing at the altar. You always want to sign the best and most complete class you can every single year, and there is no two ways about it: Georgia's class looked like it was going to be better than it turned out.

Having said all that, it's really not that big a deal. Again, I want to reiterate that it could have been better, but let me also repeat...It's really not that big a deal.

Georgia needed to get some depth on defense, and that's what they did. They also needed to make sure to get about 3 solid offensive line prospects (something I think we'll see each and every year to avoid past issues along the O-Line). Obviously, any time you have a chance to get one of the elite players at a position, you want to try to do that, but wide receiver was really not an area of absolute need this year. Georgia filled out the D-Line, and got some "flex" guys that could end up at DE/LB, or S/LB, and got one of the better true safeties out there. I would have liked to get one more top-tier CB, but that is really the only true shortcoming I saw.

Recruiting, at the end of the day, is a bit of a crap shoot. Like craps, it's predicated on a degree of odds. So, yeah, you want to give yourself the best odds possible that a particular class will grow into a junior/senior class of All-SEC caliber players. You do that by signing as many highly rated kids as you can. However, those are still just odds, and there is still a very good chance this class will be as solid as any Georgia's had when it's all said and done.

To put it in perspective, and without calling out any Bulldogs of years passed, but say Georgia had signed one more 5 star and one more 4 star. The class would then have been ranked in the top 10 in most lists. Well, it's no secret that we've had more than one 5 star, and plenty of 4 star kids that, due to injury or simply never blossoming, never even started a game.

I don't want to get into a debate about the value of the rankings system, and am certainly not suggesting that rankings don't matter. I'm simply making the point that there is an extremely fine line between being ranked 15th, and being ranked 9th, and one year of 15th is far from a death sentence for Georgia. So, just relax, breathe, and get ready for spring ball. You might not have heard, but there's supposed to be a pretty decent battle for QB lined up.

Recruiting Limbo

2010-02-01T08:38:00.002-05:00

National Signing Day fast approaches. That day of days when National Championships are won with the signing of a 5 star Offensive Tackle, and entire families are burned in effigy with the last minute switch of a 4 star Tight End.

While entirely too much importance is often placed on a single player or ranking, the process as a whole is obviously crucial to the success of a program. After all, teams that consistently finish in the top ten in recruiting have consistently finished in the top ten in rankings during the actual season (yes, Georgia has fallen off a bit in the actual rankings the past couple of years).

Barring a complete meltdown and mass exodus of the supposed verbal commitments Georgia has lined up for the 2010 recruiting class, the Dawgs will finish with what would seem on paper as, at the very least, a solid recruiting class. Further, the coaching staff has once again put together a very well-rounded class with some players that could potentially play more than one position.

There have already been a couple of defects after the firing of Willie Martinez, coupled with the hire of Charlie Strong at Louisville, oddly enough. There are also rumors swirling about Georgia's prized WR recruit switching to Tennessee on National Signing Day. Regardless of what happens, this blogger/expert is here to tell you that an SEC Championship is not made by the signing of one or two Blue-Chippers, nor does a decade of .500 football become Georgia's fate with the loss of a couple.

"Busts" are equally as common as those diamonds in the rough, and while hardcore recruitniks get inappropriately aroused by the prospect of prospects, the rest of us will be fine with whoever we sign.

As Norman Dale said in Hoosiers, "I was hoping you would support us for who we are, not who we are not."

Hoop Dawgs, and "What If"

2010-01-26T07:50:00.001-05:00

With Georgia's dominating performance over then #8 Tennessee in Athens over the weekend, the Bulldogs climbed back over .500 at 9-8. Interestingly, 9-8 was the last time Georgia would sniff a winning record last season, which proved to be Dennis Felton's last. The Dawgs would go on to lose 7 in a row after being 9-8 (they had already lost 4 in a row to fall to that record). While it's easy to harp on the narrow losses for Georgia early in SEC play and ask "what if they'd just managed to pull a couple of those out," there's reason to ask, "what if the Dawgs can put together a nice little run over the final 12 games and make the Tournament?"

Georgia is obviously not ready to be counted amongst the Kansas, Kentucky, Duke, etc. type teams, but they've already proven they can play with that caliber of team. Georgia currently ranks 68th nationally in the RPI, which is very heavily utilized in selecting non-automatic qualifiers for the NCAA Tournament. Their strength of schedule ranks as high as 4th according to some formulas, and with the SEC looking a bit tougher than it did earlier in the year, that number doesn't figure to drop too far throughout the season.

So, I ask, "What if?"

What if Georgia can go, say, 8-4 to finish out the SEC schedule? Well, you'd then have a Bulldog squad that finishes at 17-12, and a 9-7 SEC record, again, with one of the toughest overall schedules in the country (that is going to be key). In that scenario, the Dawgs would likely have to make a strong showing in the SEC tournament to get a bid.

What if Georgia can go, say, 9-3 to finish out the SEC schedule? This would certainly not be easy, but with Georgia's toughest games seemingly being a home game against Kentucky, and road games at Florida, Tennessee, and Vanderbilt, then winning one of those and taking care of business for the rest would at least be fathomable, however unlikely. Ending up at 18-11 (10-6), and maybe winning at least one game in the SEC tournament, I think, would get Georgia in.

Don't get me wrong, this is extremely premature, and though the Dawgs have played some very good teams right down to the wire, they are still just 1-3 over their last four. However, Georgia already has two victories that are more impressive than any they had last year, and bigger and better things appear to be on the horizon.

With Georgia's strength of schedule, this team has been battle-tested, and a climb up the RPI could be in their future.

Now, just gotta go beat the Gators in Gainesville...

Dawgs Finally Have A Grantham Defensive Coordinator

2010-01-15T11:21:00.002-05:00

Just as Steve Perry was right in singing "I'll Be Alright Without You" regarding the failure of Georgia to lure away Kirby Smart from Alabama, Bud Foster from VA Tech, and John Chavis from LSU, so too was he right in singing "The Search Is Over."

Mark Richt has found his defensive coordinator, and it's Dallas Cowboys defensive line coach Todd Grantham. Although it would have been nice to have been able to hire one of the aforementioned "Big Three," this could very well be the best case scenario for Georgia in several ways.

First off, he's spent a lot of time at both the college and NFL levels, and gained a lot of experience under some good defensive coaches (Nick Saban, Wade Phillips), and yet he's still young and energetic. It should be noted that Saban had actually asked Grantham to be his defensive coordinator in Miami a few years back, but Grantham ended up taking the DC spot in Cleveland.

Second, although he's achieved some recognition for his successes, he's still a guy building his name and reputation. With some of the other folks, I almost got the idea that they would feel they would be doing Richt/Georgia a favor by coming here.

Third, and this is based on very little, but it seems he has a solid combination of fire and X's and O's smarts. A lot of people will tell you that good defense is due in large part to emotion. While that's true, it in no way means that your defensive coordinator MUST be all piss and vinegar to be successful. The point is that, when you have a defense like Georgia's that has shown steady decline, it's a good time to bring someone new in that has the personality to really light a fire and challenge his personnel right off the bat.

The Dawgs are going to be losing a lot in terms of the two-deep line-up on defense. Some of that, fortunately, will result in addition by subtraction, as there are a couple of seniors leaving that drew the ire of Georgia fans on more than one occasion. However, that, plus the fact that there will be a new scheme implemented, means there could be some growing pains. That's not to say that Grantham won't have the defense playing better from the word "go," but I think the most important thing to look for in the '10 season will be steady improvement.

Todd Grantham, although not Richt's absolute first choice, was apparently near the forefront of the search for several weeks. I like his personality, his age, and his credentials, but only time will tell if we like his results.

When Georgia Gets a New Defensive Coordinator

2010-01-03T10:17:00.002-05:00

There are still several names popping up as potential candidates to replace Willie Martinez as Georgia's new defensive coordinator (I suspect local sports writers have had a "rumor mill" button installed on their keyboards). Although Mark Richt has been tight-lipped regarding those with whom he's spoken or considered, it would seem that the two highest profile candidates, VA Tech's Bud Foster and LSU's John Chavis, have simply used the possibility of going to UGA as a bartering chip.

Whoever ends up with the job, though, it's important for fans to be realistic about a few things. Of course, staying realistic has never been a strong suit of the rabid SEC fan.

First, and I don't say this lightly, trust the coach. The general feeling out there is that 'everyone' wants either a big name, or the flavor of the month. The two things to keep in mind here are that the big names weren't always big names, and that the big names aren't always all their made out to be. Brian Van Gorder was a 'nobody' in the eyes of many when he came with Richt to Georgia in 2001. He left as one of the most respected DC's in the nation. And, while I'd personally like to see Kirby Smart (or another up-and-comer) come to UGA, keep in mind that he's been learning the ropes under one of the best defensive minds in college football in Nick Saban. While all signs point to his being the real deal, there's no guarantee he'll be successful when he's out on his own.

Second, and I may be in the minority on this, but schemes and calls can only go so far. Sure, some defenses are generally better prepared week in and week out than others (which is why Martinez was fired), and some DC's have a knack for calling the odd blitz at better times, etc, but at the end of the day, players have to make plays. Case in point: The 2007 Florida defense was atrocious. This was due, in large part to youth and inexperience, but they were not good as a unit. In '08 and '09, they ranked among the nation's elite in most important defensive categories. What got Willie fired was that there was a general trend of ill-preparedness for random quarters/halves/entire games for the past several years. The point here is that fans shouldn't expect someone to just walk in and be in the top 10 in defense every year. What should be expected is that allowing 30+ points in a game goes back to being a rare exception as opposed to a common occurrence.

Finally, Georgia's offense and special teams are going to play a big part in the resurrection of its defense. Let me be perfectly clear when I say that Richt was absolutely justified in firing Martinez. Having said that, I'm not sure any defensive coordinator would have had what could be considered a great season given all the turnovers committed by Georgia over the last couple of seasons, particularly on its own side of the field. The problem with Martinez (and Richt's take, at least publicly), was that these turnovers were treated as Get-Out-Of-Jail-Free cards, as if they just shrugged their shoulders and said, "What are ya gonna do?" That attitude does need to change.

I'm pretty confident that Coach Richt is pouring over tons of game film and statistics, and talking with everyone in the business to get the best person available. He knows his own job could ultimately be tied to the success of his new defensive coordinator. So, whoever Georgia gets should be welcomed with open arms, big name or not. Hopefully, all the tangibles and objective, qualitative, quantitative, and otherwise immeasurable attributes will translate to a return to dominance for the Bulldog defense.

Florida Remains "Un-Perfect"

2009-12-06T10:00:00.002-05:00

Sure, the Gators of the past five years have been the best of the best in college football. This is especially impressive, given the landscape of college football, where more teams than ever have the funds, facilities, and fan base to compete on a very high level. They've also had one of the greatest players of all time at QB for the past four years (starting for three). The two National Championships, two SEC Championships, and three SEC East Championships since 2006 are simply remarkable. Having said all that, and given credit where credit is due, Gator-haters will be able to take comfort in the fact that Florida has still never had a perfect season. Obviously, a small bit of comfort in an otherwise tough pill to swallow for Dawg fans.

Searels Proves His Worth

For much of the season, Georgia's offensive line struggled to open up holes for Georgia's young running backs. When starting offensive tackle Trinton Sturdivant was lost for the year, Searels was forced to play musical chairs in an attempt to find a lineup that would function as a cohesive unit. The line's ineffectiveness had some instant-analysis Georgia fans wondering if Searels was all he was cracked up to be. In its last four games, however, Georgia averaged 252 yds on the ground. Granted, that included a game against lowly Tennessee Tech, but clearly there was a marked improvement from Georgia's first 8 games, during which Georgia topped the 125 yard mark only once.

Timing Of Martinez Firing Good From Personnel Standpoint

Putting all the specific reasons why defensive coordinator Willie Martinez was let go, the timing of it could work out nicely from the viewpoint that Georgia's defense is going to lose several starters after this year. If you assume that both Rennie Curran and Reshad Jones will leave for the NFL, the Dawgs will lose 6 starters on defense. A good time for a new coordinator and new position coaches to not have to break the colts, so to speak.

Every Program Has Its Down Years

Just take a look at USC. The mighty Trojans, with their consistently ridiculous recruiting classes, and playing in a traditionally weak conference, finished 5th in the Pac-10 this year, and showed no improvement over the course of the season, losing three out of their last five games. You never want to "accept" a down cycle, and coaches/athletic departments need to be mindful of any trends and changes that may need to be made, but the bottom line is that it happens. The really good programs can get it turned around. Florida was average under Zook, and Bama was below average during the coaching merry-go-round of the late 90's/early 00's. With the Dawgs bringing in a new defensive coordinator, starting a reshirt freshman QB next year, and boasting a solid base of young talent at other skill positions, there is reason for optimism. Changes are a'coming, and hopefully they'll turn out for the better.

Looking Back, With Fabris and Willie and the Boys

2009-12-04T07:40:00.003-05:00

Sorry for the poor country music reference.

To the delight of many Bulldog fans around the globe, defensive coordinator Willie Martinez exited stage left earlier this week, taking with him several years of a defense in decline.

What was so astounding about Georgia's defense was the general feeling it gave the fans and, presumably, the opposing offense on a given day. Where it used to be nothing short of surprising when an opponent put together a 12 play, 85 yd TD drive against the Dawgs' D, it had now become surprising for Georgia to get a 3-and-out, never mind a turnover.

To channel my inner Christopher Walken (no, not another stinkin' cowbell joke), do you know why the New York Yankees always win? It's because of those damn pinstripes.

Clearly, they've got great players, coaches, etc, but there's just something so key about the intimidation factor. Where teams used to fear the Bulldog defense, and knew they would be lucky to score 20 pts, they could now be confident that they would have a field day.

That is a big reason a change was necessary. Ostensibly, a new DC equals a new defense. Even if Willie was on the right track toward improving the D, it would still be difficult to get that fear factor back.

I'll also go on record as saying that I don't believe Willie was an idiot, a fool, a moron, a clown, or any other expletive-laden disparaging word he may have been called. That's not to say he wasn't out-coached on occasion, but the main problem was not that he didn't know how to stop opposing offenses. The main problem was that he wasn't able to convey his knowledge and ideas down the line to where they would translate to on-the-field success.

I think that, beyond loyalty and not wanting to fire people that he's worked tens of thousands of hours beside, that's why it took Richt so long to let Martinez go. I just get the feeling that Martinez would sit down and do a heck of a job explaining why a game plan will work, and in too many cases, why it should have worked.

In the end (which is where Georgia's defense took it too many times), there just needed to be some new voices shouting on the practice field and from the sideline. Talent is important, and maybe Georgia did not have the talent to be a top 10 defense this year, but they'll always have enough talent to finish better than 10th in the SEC in scoring defense.

Win Over Georgia Tech a Microcosm of What Could Have Been

2009-11-30T08:26:00.002-05:00

OK, so Georgia was not going to finish 11-1 this year, earn a trip to the SEC Championship, and play in a BCS bowl. There simply wasn't a strong enough combination of experience and talent. Nonetheless, beating a very good Georgia Tech team on the road (well, "The Flats" may not be the most intimidating place to play) in such a physically impressive fashion showed that there was enough to work with to mount better than a 7-5 season.

For all the innovations, fads, and rule changes football has seen over the years, the basic formula is still quite similar to what it was during the time of leather helmets and goal posts placed in the middle of the end zone: Run the ball, play solid defense, and win the turnover battle.

The Dawgs haven't rushed so effectively or so often in years. RBs Washaun Ealey and Caleb King both topped the century mark for the first time in years. The defense, while still giving up a couple of big plays and, quite frankly, catching a break with a dropped pass late in the fourth quarter, shut down the Tech attack in the first half, and played well enough in the second half. However, it was winning the turnover battle that was the most astonishing thing to see.

Georgia was on the plus side in turnover margin in a game for the first time this year. In most other games, Georgia was in the red in this department (and often by more than one), and only managed to break even a couple of times.

Turnovers happen, and sometimes the ball just doesn't bounce your way. But, in a year when the Bulldogs were not quite as far ahead of the curve in terms of overall experience and talent, not turning the ball over and causing turnovers were the two things that Georgia could have benefited from the most.

Georgia vs. Florida: Preview

2009-10-29T07:40:00.002-04:00

Despite Florida's dominance of the series over the past couple of decades, the annual border war between the Gators and the Dawgs remains one of the best rivalries in college football.

The two squads enter the contest in vastly different situations. The Bulldogs, already in the throes of a disappointing season, are coming off a much-needed bye week after putting together their most complete game of the season, albeit against a very weak Vanderbilt team. Meanwhile, the Gators come in as perhaps the most embattled #1 ranked undefeated team we've seen in quite some time.

Florida struggled mightily during the past two weeks against a couple of mediocre teams in Arkansas and Mississippi State. While the defense remains outstanding (they are "the superb defense" in the SEC in both scoring and total defense), the offense has been largely ineffective, and has been turning the ball over like mad.

QB Tim Tebow is obviously the Alpha and the Omega of the Gator offense. Although still one of the best players in all of college football and on the verge of setting the SEC's all-time rushing TD record, the phenomenal senior has seen his production dip since his Heisman-winning sophomore campaign. ESPN correspondents and sportscasters around the country are on suicide watch as we speak. He's already equaled his interception total from last year in fewer than half the pass attempts, and has seen his passer rating drop by more than 20 pts from his previous two seasons. The culmination of this, if there can be a "culmination" half-way through the season, came last week against the MSU Bulldogs, when he threw for just 127 yds w/ 0 TDs and 2 INTs. All that being said, it would be fool-hearty to even suggest that he's no longer capable of putting the team on his shoulders the rest of the way.

The Tim Tebow Collectible Figurine

For all the disgruntlement with the UF offense, the Gators still lead the SEC in total offense, due predominately to the potent rushing attack. While Tebow has been keeping the ball on the read-option a bit more than in the past, Florida still spreads the wealth on the ground as well as ever. Speed is the name of the game with tailbacks Chris Rainey and Jeff Demps. Both are in the 5'9, 180 lbs. range, and both can take it the distance at any time. They'll also utilize USC transfer Emmanuel Moody as a more traditional running back (6', 210lbs). Demps, Rainey, and Moody are averaging an obnoxious 7.9, 6.9, and 8.4 ypc respectively.

The passing game has been a bit less explosive this year for the Gators. With WRs Percy Harvin and Louis Murphy gone to the NFL, Florida has been unable to find a consistent deep threat to replace them and loosen up defenses. Riley Cooper has been fine, but far from dominant. TE Aaron Hernandez, who is also used on some inside shovel passes, is outstanding at his position, but averages just 11.9 yards per catch. David Nelson just hasn't improved upon a nice junior year, and Deonte Thompson, while considered a deep threat, seems to disappear during games.

The Gator offensive line, as always, is big and athletic. They've done a marvelous job controlling things in the running game, but have come under fire of late in their pass protection. Led by the Pouncey brothers in the middle (two of those players who seem to have been at Florida for 8 years already, but still only juniors), and the mammoth Carl Johnson at left tackle, they are very experienced, and know coach Urban Meyer's system to a tee.

For Georgia defensively, it's sadly become a running joke that the Georgia D is a career day waiting to happen for opposing QBs. Three of the five SEC QBs the Dawgs have faced this year have had their best days against Georgia. With the Gators out of sync in the passing game lately, the Bulldogs absolutely cannot afford to allow them to dink and dunk their way down the field all day. Pressure is always a key, but the Dawgs will need to play more press coverage than they have in the past. Tebow has not thrown the deep ball particularly well this season, so if Georgia takes away the underneath stuff and gets beat deep, so be it. The Florida QB is as good as there's ever been at picking up 3rd and 4th and less than 2 yds, so forcing 3rd and 4+ yds will be a must. Turnovers were also the main reason why both Arkansas and Miss. St. were able to make things close, so the Dawgs will need to be on the lookout for errant passes and loose balls (mind out of the gutter, folks), and not miss takeaway opportunities.

The Gator defense led the SEC in scoring defense last season, and is even better in 2009. They're able to get pressure off the edges with DEs Jermaine Cunningham and Carlos Dunlap, and will rotate DTs in and out with no drop-off.

LB Brandon Spikes is an All-American, and while he's been hobbled the past couple of weeks, he's expected to be back at full-speed this Saturday. While there's no single linebacker that just racks up tackles, they can all run and defend the underneath passing game as well as any corps in the country.

As good as Florida's front seven is, what makes the defense so exceptional is really the secondary. CBs Joe Haden and Janoris Jenkins represent the best cornerback tandem in the country. They're both decently sized at 5'11, 190lbs, but their quickness, hips, and ball awareness are second to none. Florida is able to play man coverage whenever they choose, which is a huge advantage for the linebackers and safeties to play the running game and short underneath passes. The Gators will also leave S Will Hill or Major Wright about as deep as you will see, often positioning one 15+ yds down field, making it difficult for opposing offenses to throw deep.

For Georgia offensively, just get #8 the damn ball. You can bet Florida will be doing what they can to limit that, but AJ Green is so good that it often doesn't matter. Florida is 12th in the nation in rushing defense, and the Bulldogs haven't run the ball with any consistency anyway (103rd in the nation), so while you still have to try to run the ball a bit, it would be foolish to expect to have success on the ground. The Dawgs have done a nice job protecting Joe Cox in the pocket (10th in the nation in sacks allowed, w/ just 6), so they'll need to take their chances through the air. This will be especially true when looking at 3rd and longs, which Georgia often finds itself in. No team this year has really had any sustained 70-80 yd drives against Florida, so the Dawgs' best shot will be hooking up for some big plays, and AJ Green has shown that he can make plays that basically no other receiver can.

Overall, it would be silly for me to sit here and actually predict that Georgia will win. That being said, a lot of things have set up nicely for the Dawgs to potentially pull off the upset.

First, the bye week is no joke. In the UF-UGA series, the last 8 times one team had a bye when the other didn't, the team with the bye is 8-0 (UGA is 2-0, UF is 6-0). Meanwhile, the Gators were just involved in two slug-fests, with last week's being a late game on the road. The rest and the added time to prepare gives the Dawgs a decided edge.

Second, Florida has been struggling, at least offensively. Since Georgia will most likely have trouble putting together long scoring drives, turnovers and short fields will be a must if the Bulldogs are to have any shot. Florida has obliged opposing teams in this regard lately, so hopefully that will continue.

Last, there really should be a "nothing to lose" attitude for Georgia. Typically, this game goes a long way toward determining Georgia's fate in the SEC East. This year, though, they lost the ability to control their own destiny with the loss to Tennessee. Where Georgia often shows signs of being tight and even nervous, this year they can go in knowing that a loss doesn't really have an effect on their SEC championship hopes. Just let it all hang out and see what happens.

Again, a win by the Dawgs would be a long shot, but ruining the Gators' season would sure take some of the sting out of an otherwise disappointing year. I think that if Georgia gets a few breaks and makes a few big plays, they could pull this one out on the order of, say, 23-20. Here's hoping...

Can the Dawgs "Man Up" Against 'Dores?

2009-10-17T09:38:00.002-04:00

Forget about a supposed dip in talent level. Forget about being out-schemed. When the Bulldogs take the field in Nashville against the Vanderbilt Commodores, many a Georgia fan would simply like to see them just be plum nasty (until the whistle blows, that is).

I like kickoff returns for TDs and 50 yd bombs through the air as much as the next out-of-the-arena guy, but this Saturday, I'd most like to see the Dawgs show just a modicum of the old junkyard dog, "we're better than you" attitude, if even for only a few hours. It's "just" Vanderbilt (granted, UGA has hardly dominated the 'Dores recently, losing once and escaping by the skin of its teeth a couple of other times). A strong performance, especially on the lines of scrimmage, is not going to erase the shortcomings this team has, nor will it put out of mind the embarrassing loss to UT last week. But, for me at least, it would offer a bit of escapism in a thus far disappointing season.

Look, if you're half as fanatically rabid about Georgia football as I, you've got to realize that we start counting down the days to football season the day after the G-Day game. Cliched though it most certainly is, the players are taking the rest of the season one game at a time. It's a good idea to do that as a fan, too. So, when the Dawgs and 'Dores tee it up at 12:21 EST, let's see some real passion and pride, but more importantly, let's see that mean, nasty attitude that the better Georgia teams over the past half-century have displayed. Just for this afternoon, regardless of the opponent. Then we can go back to deciding who should have a job next year.

Excogitations on Where Georgia is, Where it's Going

2009-10-15T09:31:00.002-04:00

Georgia is just not very good right now. There are certainly plenty of worse teams out there, but I don't think anybody would suggest that the 2009 version of the Bulldogs measures up to what we as fans are used to thus far, nor what we expect.

To quickly hash out some basic, yet telling statistics, the Dawgs are just 9-6 going back to the 2008 Alabama game (a somewhat random place to begin, but nonetheless indicative). Out of those 15 games, Georgia has given up 37 or more points 8 times. The offense has been a bit better, but has still failed to score more than 20 points 5 times during that stretch.

These numbers represent what can only be described as an overall lack of preparedness on the part of the offense and/or defense in a given game, but it goes deeper than that.

Offensively, Joe Cox has had his problems, but right now, way too much is being put on his (weakened) shoulder. Primarily, the complete lack of a running game, where the Bulldogs rank 104th in the nation (ahead of only some downright terrible teams, and some pass-happy offenses like Bowling Green, Hawaii, and Texas Tech), has led to numerous 3rd and long situations. In the passing game itself, outside of AJ Green, there is only one WR/TE with any meaningful playing experience whatsoever.

On defense, well, what more can be said? I've often maintained that the unit coached by Willie Martinez has been put in far too many bad spots by the offense and special teams. Regardless, Georgia's best defensive efforts have come against only the most offensively inept teams around. For example, what looked to be a nice job against LSU was thrown into sharp relief when the Tigers managed just 3 points at home against Florida, where they managed just 162 yards of offense. The run defense has been OK for the most part, but the lack of a consistent pass rush and a secondary reminiscent of the old vibrating electronic football games has been cause for concern for quite some time.

Running to Stand Still

Beyond coaching, there seem to be precious few "difference makers" on either side of the ball, and some downright poor play as well. Obviously, AJ Green is one of the best WRs in the country. Beyond him, there's not a single player with any experience that would seem to have that "it" factor. Some true freshmen and redshirt freshment may yet become stars, but by and large, injuries and simply "missing" on some recruits has left Georgia in a hole.

Likewise on defense. Where there's experience, there's little talent/playmaking ability, and where there is talent, there is little experience. Georgia's best CBs would seem to be a true sophomore and a true freshmen at these point as far as talent goes. Then there's the Bryan Evans/Baccari Rambo situation at safety. Rambo has already shown a penchant for making plays (2 int's in limited time thus far), but is a reshirt freshman. Senior Bryan Evans, supposedly one of the fastest players on the team, has just never figured it out, either as a corner or a safety.

As far as personnel goes, there's some reason for optimism. As I mentioned, many of Georgia's best players on both sides of the ball are freshmen and sophomores, and others, such as WRs Marlon Brown and Rantavious Wootentheballcarrier may be good ones.

So, what happens going forward?

First, it would make little sense to start handing various coaches their walking papers in the middle of the season. Georgia is not as bad as its performance against Tennessee might indicate. While there's likely no SEC East crown in store for the Dawgs this season, a 9-4 or 8-5 year is still well within the realm of possibility (which is not to say that that's what I'm predicting). At year's end, though, Richt is going to have some tough decisions to make.

There are some questions that need asking.

"Which coaches have done as well as anyone could expect given what they had to work with?"

"Which areas of our team have either declined or been mired in mediocrity over the past few years?"

Lastly, and this is a dangerous question, because you never want to settle for being average, but "Is this just one of those years?"

The bottom line is, nothing lasts forever. Perhaps the various coaching techniques and types of players recruited just don't work as well as they used to. Perhaps the Dawgs just need some new voices and attitudes around the practice field, in the gym, etc.

Whatever the case, I implore you to remember the success Georgia has enjoyed up until this season under Mark Richt. High expectations usually come as a result of great success in previous years.

In the short term, I believe the Dawgs will work their tails off to win as many games as possible this year, but the coaches will need to take a good look at which younger players they can build next year's team around.

At season's end, Richt may be forced to come to grips with the fact that friendships, loyalties, and trust are not always in the best interests of a major college football program.

Dawgs' Reputation for Undisciplined Play Home to Roost?

2009-10-06T08:26:00.002-04:00

It's no secret that, particularly over the past few years, Georgia has been one of the most penalized teams in the country. Although I don't suspect officiating crews actually concern themselves with exactly where Georgia ranks consistently, there's little doubt that they are aware of Georgia's penchant for committing the odd late hit, or excessive celebration.

I'm not going to sit here and complain that the "celebration" penalty against LSU cost Georgia the game, nor will I say that the "illegal hit" by Reshad Jones against OSU cost them that game. I can tell you that what those penalties did do was seal Georgia's fate in those games. Neither was a legitimate penalty.

Neither am I going to tell you that there is a conspiracy against Georgia. There's not. Officials screw up sometimes because they're still human beings. That doesn't make the atrocious penalties called against the Bulldogs any easier to stomach for fans, but c'est la vie.

Going back a few years, Georgia has had many a text-book personal foul or celebration (see the GA-FL game in '07) penalty called against them. Add that to the over-abundance of in-game penalties such as offsides, false starts, etc, and the Bulldogs had become known as a team that did not follow the rules, so to speak. Because the refs are human beings, no matter how hard they might try to take each game as it comes regardless of who's playing, they're going to drop hankie on Georgia any time they're on the fence about a call. It's a predisposition borne of Georgia's recent past.

Penalties breed penalties, and however unfair it may be, Georgia made its own bed. It's imperative that the Dawgs play a cleaner brand of football starting right now, not just for the disadvantages it causes directly, but also to rid themselves of the stigma with which they seem to have been branded.

What Georgia Is, And What Georgia Is Not

2009-10-05T10:07:00.003-04:00

Almost halfway through the 2009 season, it's relatively safe to identify trends and arrive at certain conclusions. Here are a few...

Georgia is a pretty good team that cannot overcome opponents and refs alike. You always hear "Great teams overcome bad calls and bad situations." Exactly. Georgia is not a great team. The bogus unsportsmanlike penalty called after scoring the go-ahead TD Saturday against LSU is a microcosm. A great team would have still stopped LSU around the 35 yd line on the handicapped kickoff, and would have slowed down LSU enough to at least force them to try a desperation 60 yd field goal as time expired.

Georgia's offensive line is a dichotomy insofar as its pass-blocking is above average, and its run-blocking is below average. Without hashing out the x's and o's, the skills and techniques for each varies quite a bit. You've also got to credit some of the D-Lines the Dawgs have faced for making things difficult in the running game, no doubt. Nonetheless, Georgia's inability to consistently create space to run the ball is probably the number one reason for the offense's inconsistent play. Very few offenses are going to have many sustained drives when they're looking at 2nd and 10's and 3rd and 9's all day long. (Note: this is not intended to grand absolution to other players or coaches)

By and large, Georgia is most talented where they are least experienced. There are a few exceptions (Rennie Curran is both talented and experienced, for example), but you see it all over. CB Brandon Boykin, Georgia's best corner right now, made a great interception, and then foolishly tried to run it out of the end zone amidst traffic. That's something he probably doesn't do, except that he's only started a few games in his career, and still has that mentality that he has to score a TD every time he has the ball.

Finally, Joe Cox is Joe Cox. A few bad balls notwithstanding (missing AJ Green for what was a sure TD early on was flat-out awful), he's more than serviceable when he's got options down field. It's difficult for any QB to consistently pick up 3rd and longs, but more so for one that does not have a particularly strong arm or innate play-making abilities.

Make no mistake, there is still plenty to play for this season (TECHNICALLY SPEAKING the Dawgs still control their own destiny in the SEC). But, Georgia is no longer a team that can afford to trust experience over talent. There's not been anywhere near enough consistency, and certainly not enough plays being made by most of the experienced guys. Slowly but surely (we're seeing this happen already), more young players must be given a chance to learn on the job. At this point, it's better to have someone who can make a game-changing play for the good, even if he might make a game-changing play for the bad.

Preview: Georgia vs. LSU

2009-09-30T09:18:00.001-04:00

The Dawgs host the 4th ranked LSU Tigers this Saturday at 3:30 in Athens, in a nationally televised game with national ranking implications. First, though, we'll take a look back at Georgia's 20-17 over Arizona State last Saturday.

By and large, the Bulldogs had the Sun Devils out manned and outgunned, and through a soggy first half, the score generally reflected as much. Georgia was hardly perfect, but given the conditions, a 14-3 lead at the half seemed comfortable. And, guess what? The Dawgs did not turn the ball over in the first half. AJ Green was unstoppable, and the defense was certainly competent.

Then, Georgia's old friends, turnovers and penalties, reared their ugly mugs.

A fumble by Caleb King (who appeared to really be asserting himself) and a pick six thrown by Joe Cox led directly to 14 points for ASU, and the Bulldogs found themselves down by 3 heading into the fourth quarter.

The Dawgs quickly answered to tie the score early in the 4th quarter, but a 2nd interception by Cox seemed like it would doom Georgia. As it had the previous two games, though, the Dawg "D" made a late stand, culminating in a clutch blocked field goal by AJ Green, who was inserted on the play on a hunch by coach John Jancek.

Georgia converted a huge 3rd down to freshman Rantavious Wooten, and on the next play, Cox found AJ Green for an acrobatic 36 yard grab down the sideline to set up a game-winning field goal. Blair Walsh nailed it as time expired to remain perfect on the season, and the Dawgs moved to 3-1 on the not-so-young season.

Offensive Player of the Game: I said Caleb King to try to be somewhat original. He looked good outside of the fumble, but AJ Green saved the day in more ways than one, with a blocked FG, and 8 catches for 153 yds and a TD.

Defensive Player of the Game: I thought Cornelius Washington would continue his good work, but we saw Justin Houston get off the schneid in his 2nd game back from suspension. The Statesboro native was everywhere, recording a sack, 2 tackles for loss, a pass break-up, and just generally being a disruptive force for most of the night.

Thought for the Game: Despite being 3-1, Georgia has only outscored its opponents by 4 points. I'll take it, but I'm not sure my heart can.

So, on to this week's match-up between #4 LSU, and #14 Georgia.

Dating back to 2002 and including this year, these two programs have won the most games in the SEC, with Georgia holding a slight edge, 77-76. Credit current Bama coach Nick Saban for righting the LSU ship and returning the program to national prominence. Coach Les Miles has certainly continued the school's success, although his arrogance, eccentricities, and lackluster 2008 season have left some wondering just how good he really is. Last week, the Tigers had to stop Mississippi State four times at the goal line to pull out a victory against the improved, but still mediocre MSU team. That, despite getting four turnovers and a punt return for a touchdown.

How Many Corn Dogs Can You Spot?

Offensively, the Bayou Bengals have settled on Jordan Jefferson as the starting QB after a bit of a merry-go-round last season. The sophomore has been inconsistent at times, but he's done a fine job of distributing the ball to his play-makers, and more importantly, not turning the ball over, throwing just one pick in 101 attempts on the season. Jefferson is mobile enough, and while he'll have perhaps a couple of designed runs, he's more adept at scrambling for yardage if nothing's open down field. LSU has also been using freshman QB Russell Sheppard out of the ubiquitous "Wildcat" formation. He's yet to throw a pass, but has rushed for 74 yds on 11 carries, and both he and the staff are growing more confident in his abilities with every passing game.

The Tiger running game has been somewhat enigmatic so far this year. LSU always features a plethora of talented backs, but they've yet to get untracked thus far. No untracked backs in the rushing attack. Charles Scott was a beast last season, and while he still leads the team in attempts, he's also being used as a fullback when RB Keiland Williams' number is called. Also, keep an eye out for Trindon Holliday. The diminutive speedster (5'5, 164) is used at pretty much every skill position on offense, and is easily one of the fastest players in the country.

At wideout, LSU boasts great size and athleticism. WR Brandon LaFell is perhaps the SEC's best possession receiver (though he can certainly burn you deep), and led the SEC in receptions a year ago. Terrance Toliver (6'4, 200lbs) has emerged as a big-play threat. TE Ricard Dickson (yes, Dick Dickson) is steady, if not flashy. While I wouldn't expect too much out of him in this game due to his inexperience, freshman WR Rueben Randle will be a star before his career is done.

The Tiger O-Line, as always, is big and experienced. Tackle Ciron Black has seemingly started for 17 years, as has right tackle Joseph Barksdale. As big and athletic as the line is, it's curious that they've not had quite the success running the ball as they probably envisioned. Perhaps the reason is on first-year starting center T-Bob Hebert. He's the son of former Atlanta Falcon QB Bobby Hebert, and clearly has one of the greatest names in the SEC.

For Georgia defensively, the Dawgs have been relatively stout against the run. More importantly, though, it's the one area on defense where they've at least been consistent. LSU is more than likely going to try to establish the run early, and while they've only had limited success, they are still dangerous. Mississippi State crowded the box last week, and held the Tigers to 30 yds net rushing. LSU QB Jordan Jefferson is still relatively inexperienced, and his most erratic games this season have come on the road. Early on, it's okay for the Bulldogs to give up some underneath stuff, but they need to avoid any big plays. We've been seeing hints of Georgia's D-Line coming around, both inside and off the edge. They'll need to get after Jefferson early in the hopes of rattling the young QB.

The Tiger defense, typically one of the finest in the land, has not been overly impressive the past two years. This year, they brought in former Tennessee Defensive Coordinator John Chavis. They do rank 23rd in the country in scoring D, and 49th in total defense, but given the completely inept offenses they've faced to this point, that's not particularly impressive.

Up front, Al Woods is a monster at defensive tackle, and DE Rahim Alem (formerly Al Jones; Rahim Alem means "Merciful Leader," just so you know) is a force off the edge. It's surprising, given the talent up front, that LSU, like Georgia, has struggled lately to apply consistent pressure in the backfield. The Tigers are actually tied with the Dawgs for 89th in the country in sacks.

The LSU linebacking corps can certainly run, but it's their size that makes them so formidable. At an average size of 6'3, 240lbs, they're big even for NFL standards. Senior Perry Riley leads the group, along with Kelvin Sheppard. They both hail from Stephenson High School in Atlanta, in the "ones-that-got-away" category.

Although only average against the pass statistically speaking, the LSU secondary is up there with Florida as the most talented Georgia will face this year. Sophomore CB Patrick Peterson has really asserted himself this year, and is as big a pure corner as you'll see in the league, at 6'1, 211 lbs. Safety Chad Jones (brother of Rahim Alem) is not the fastest safety in the country, but he has a nose for the ball, and is really built like a linebacker. Their main problem (when they've had problems) has been caused by lack of pressure up front.

For the Dawgs on offense, well, you know the drill. Stop turning the dang ball over. Georgia is averaging a perfectly respectable 30.75 ppg against solid competition, despite giving the ball up 3 times in every game this year. Not to play the woulda, coulda, shoulda game, but last week, MSU lost the turnover battle 4-0, and still was within a foot of beating the Tigers. Just imagine what might have been had they held on to the ball. Offensive Coordinator Mike Bobo was somewhat conservative in his play calling last week, but given the first half conditions and the fact that ASU's offense couldn't do much before Georgia starting turning the ball over, you can understand it. This week, don't expect him to hold anything back. LSU will certainly try to bottle up AJ Green, so other receivers will need to be ready to play. I have a feeling RB Caleb King will be the go-to back early, and if he can get off, the Dawgs will be in good shape with some play action passing. Also, TE Orson Charles was basically an afterthought last week. He's a mismatch for pretty much any linebacker out there, and I expect him to be an integral part of the offense this week along with TE Aron White, as Bobo looks for ways to take advantage of the double-coverage Green is likely to see.

Overall, Georgia has dominated the Tigers of late, going 3-0 over the last three, all games that weren't really even close. As a matter of fact, Georgia is the only SEC team that LSU has not beaten under Les Miles (if you subscribe to the law of averages, that does not bode well for the Dawgs). Even if Georgia is simply turnover-prone, you've got to believe that they'll have a clean game sooner or later. I refuse to predict that they will until I see it, so this one should remain close. I think the Dawgs take it on a late field goal, 31-30.

Offensive Player of the Game: I'll go with Tavarres King. He, Mike Moore, and Orson Charles need to step up. I think King, with his exceptional speed, makes a couple of big plays.

Defensive Player of the Game: DT Jeff Owens has been a bit slow to return to form after recovering from a torn ACL. He's been solid, but I think this is the game where he looks more like the Owens of old.

Thought for the Game: Hey, look at that! Georgia's got a day game! As good as LSU usually is, they are one of the few teams that tends to play more games under the lights. They often don't play their best ball during the day, so we'll see if that holds true this Saturday.

Well, that's what I've got for you this week. It's getting to be that time of year when polls and style points begin to count less and less. Winning this one, no matter what it looks like, would be huge for either team. The forecast calls for an absolutely picture-perfect day for football. See ya Between the Hedges. Go Dawgs!!

Turnovers, Penalties the Norm for Dawgs

2009-09-29T08:38:00.002-04:00

You gotta coach 'em up.

A true enough statement. The ultimate responsibilities of coaches are to get the most out of available talent, and to get all 11 players on the field to function as a unit on every play. Beyond that, penalties and turnovers are going to happen, and it's on the coaches to do everything within their power to minimize them...but to what extent?

There's the age old saying, "I am as God made me," which was later, and perhaps more eloquently echoed by Popeye's "I yam what I yam." As a coach, to correct and/or limit foot-shooting mistakes like turnovers and penalties, you can basically do two things: Teach fundamentals and technique over and over, and you can offer up punitive responses ranging from running stadiums and gassers to limiting or denying playing time for a player. I have no doubt Georgia coaches are doing both these things, short of completely denying playing time (they've only got so many players to work with). It seems, to this point at least, that Georgia's most talented and capable players are somehow innately prone to turning the ball over or committing foolish penalties.

Take starting right tackle Clint Boling. Here's a two-year starter that was even named the SEC's offensive lineman of the week after the Arkansas game. He was simply out of sync on Saturday night, committing an unforgivable false start that really hamstrung a drive for the Dawgs. He knows what to do and how to do it, but it didn't stop him from having simple lapses in concentration a few times. As a matter of fact, the whole offensive line was "starting falsely" for seemingly the entire night, after committing 6 such infractions the week before against Arkansas. This from a unit coached by Stacey Searels, who is widely regarded as one of the finest O-Line coaches in the nation.

Then there's RB Caleb King. He was well on his way to earning even more playing time, as RB Richard Samuel was less than impressive, and King was running with quickness and determination. Although one of his own linemen got pushed into him, King allowed the ball to get away from his body, resulting in a fumble.

Should Georgia bring on Jimmy Caan as
an anti-turnover consultant?

It begs the question, can anything really be done to correct it?

The only possible solution I can see would be to immediately bench a player for the ensuing series if he commits a foolish penalty (false start, lining up in the neutral zone, illegal formation, etc), or turning the ball over. The issue here is that coaches would be forced to implement a double-standard of sorts. If AJ Green happened to commit a false start (for argument's sake), would you really want him riding the pine for the next series in a tight game? Suppose two different offensive linemen committed false starts on a series. Would you really want a walk-on or two playing the next series?

Georgia has been both lucky and unlucky to have escaped with wins the past three weeks in spite of all its turnovers and penalties. Lucky, because, well, the Dawgs are 3-1, and 2-0 in the SEC. Unlucky, because a lack of lessons learned could be resulting.

With LSU looming, and by barely escaping against a team that, I think, Georgia's players and coaches felt they should have easily handled, last week was the final straw. If we see another penalty and turnover-laden game, you pretty much just have to say, "This is what these guys are."

Preview: Georgia vs. Arizona St.

2009-09-23T10:29:00.001-04:00

Georgia plays the back-end of a home-and-home series with Arizona St. in what should be an exciting, albeit soggy Saturday night in Athens. First, though, let's take a look back at the Bulldogs' 52-41 victory over the Arkansas Razorbacks last weekend in Fayetteville.

The Bulldogs entered the game at 1-0 in the SEC, but with several questions still lingering on offense, defense, and special teams.

QB Joe Cox certainly did his part to answer some offensive questions. In just his 4th career start, the Red Knight completed 72% of his passes for 375 yds and 5 TDs, good for a passer rating of 256. WR AJ Green had his best game of the season despite some double coverage by the Hogs, but we got to see several other WRs and TEs step up and contribute mightily to the cause. On the ground, Richard Samuel ran through a gargantuan hole and showed the speed we've heard so much about, while Caleb King looked impressive, getting his first carries of the season after sitting out the first two games with a bum hamstring. Although Arkansas is still known for a porous defense, the Dawgs basically scored at will.

As for the bad...Georgia still continues to get smoked in the turnover battle, and continues to put the defense in bad spots. After thwarting the Razorbacks on their initial series, the Bulldogs appeared to be running a Chinese Fire Drill on the punt return, muffing the punt and giving it right back to Arkansas. A botched pitch by RB Richard Samuel a couple of series later gave the Hogs great field position again. Then, there was the issue of absolutely horrid play by the secondary. A combination of simply getting burned by Arkansas WRs, and just plain not covering receivers at all resulted in some huge gains through the air. Give credit to Arkansas QB Ryan Mallett, though, as he'll be playing on Sundays.

In the end, the Dogs were able to put enough points up to secure the victory late, and despite a pitiful game over the first three quarters, Georgia's defense was able to hold Mallett to just 2-8 passing in the fourth quarter, and held the Razorback defense to just 6 points over the final 20 minutes of play. Not pretty, at least defensively, penalty-wise, or turnover-wise, but any road win in the SEC is a good win.

Offensive Player of the Game: I said Richard Samuel. While he did show his speed and get a quick TD early, the two fumbles (one lost) nearly negated that. QB Joe Cox tied the school record w/ 5 TDs, and earned National Offensive Player of the Week honors. Being named Georgia Bullblawg's Offensive Player of the Game surely eclipses that for Mighty Joe Cox.

Defensive Player of the Game: Is there one? I said DE Justin Houston. While he had a solid game (7 tackles, .5 TFL, QB Hurry), I'm going to give it to Kade Weston. The mammoth senior DT really began to assert himself in the second half, finishing w/ half a sack, but an impressive 5 QB hurries.

Thought for the Game: The defense is not good right now, to put it mildly. That being the case, the turnovers are putting an already weak unit in terrible positions, which is making a bad defense even worse. Just once (well, more than once), I'd like to see how the defense looks when it's able to defend 65-85 yard fields all day vs. 5-25 yard fields. It still might not be pretty, but it couldn't be any worse.

On to this weekend's match-up with the Arizona St. Sun Devils, who, surprisingly, have not been forced to change their mascot's name to the Sun Warriors, Sun Storm, or Sun Rays.

In 2008, this game was a trendy upset pick, being that the Dawgs hadn't been that far west in decades, and ASU Head Coach Dennis Erickson had assembled some solid talent. However, the Bulldogs calmly and steadily built a comfortable lead, and beat the Sun Devils 27-10, though the game really wasn't even that close.

Dennis Erickson's squad is at a fork in the road.

For the Sun Devils offensively, they, like the Dawgs, have had to replace one of their most prolific passers in school history in Rudy Carpenter. And, like the Dawgs, they've done so with a 5th year senior in Danny Sullivan. At 6'5, 238lbs, he's a big kid with an above average arm. He's been effective, though not particularly accurate in his limited time over the years.

At tailback, the lion's share of the carries will go to Dimitri Nance, who I don't believe is of Russian descent. He's an absolute load at about 5'10, 220lbs. He doesn't possess great speed or quickness, but runs with exceptional balance, and is tough to bring down once he gets going.

ASU's WR corps is very experienced and talented. Kyle Williams is their main play-maker (he's also leading the Pac-10 in punt return avg). Chris McGaha is a bit more of a possession receiver, but he compliments Williams nicely, and should not be overlooked on underneath routes by the Georgia secondary (read: Uh-oh).

The ASU offensive line returns 4 of 5 starters from last year. They will, perhaps, be the smallest line Georgia will face this season. However, although size is nice (no "that's what she said" jokes, please), O-Line play is much more about cohesion and proper technique, which the Sun Devils have in spades.

For Georgia defensively, it's time to just hit the reset button. In the last two games, Georgia has been both dinked-n-dunked to death, and burned deep. There have been some signs of improvement, though, on the offensive line. The Dawgs continue to play the run well, and play makers are beginning to step up at the DE position. Cornelius Washington, after seeing minimal playing time in game 1, now leads the Dawgs with 2 sacks and is second with 6 QB pressures. DE Justin Houston has had a game to get his feet wet, and should only become more of a force as the season progresses. Georgia should have an easier time covering the ASU receivers, and against the smaller ASU front five, the interior ought to be able to collapse the pocket against a relatively inexperienced QB. Backup CB Vance Cuff is currently listed as probable after straining an MCL, so hopefully he'll be ready to go.

On Defense, Arizona State has a legitimate threat off the edge with DE Dexter Davis. Davis is quickly moving up the all-time sack list at ASU. They'll rely on quickness and stunts up the middle with Lawrence Guy and Saia Falahola at the DT positions. Guy is still a bit undersized, but he's just a sophomore, and has shown monumental improvement from last year.

Their LB corps is perhaps not the fastest Georgia will face this year, but they are big and physical, and have shown a penchant for making big plays. LB Mike Nixon already has 3 interceptions on the year, after finishing with 5 in '08.

The secondary is led by CB Omar Bolden, who also handles kick returns for the Sun Devils. Safeties Jarrell Holman and Ryan McFoy are not exceptionally quick, but have excellent size, and can really hit when they get a receiver or running back in their sights.

Georgia's offense just needs to keep on keeping on, with the exception of turnovers. The Sun Devils haven't been tested yet this season, so Georgia can really look for the opportunity to go for the throat early and often here. The key will be making sure that Dexter Davis doesn't take over the game for ASU at D-End. That's not to say the ASU defense is weak by any means, but as we've seen throughout college football already this season, teams that have already been battle-tested tend to be more prepared than teams who've not. QB Joe Cox needs to make sure he doesn't let his newly found stardom and success go to his head. I don't expect he will, but if he starts worrying about throwing for 375 yds again, it may lead to some forcing of passes and some inaccuracy. Although RB Richard Samuel is expected to start again, it will be interesting to see how the Bulldogs go about rotating in Caleb King.

Overall, Georgia needs an easy win in the worst way. With LSU coming to Athens next week, the Dawgs could really benefit from being able to relax a bit in the fourth quarter for a change. As always, statistics can be spun to prove or disprove just about anything. Right now, Georgia is near the bottom in all of college football in turnover margin, at 2:0. Conversely, ASU is leading the country in the category at 8:0 (just two games). So, you can say that that bodes ill for the Dawgs, given their early season performances, or you can surmise that the odds dictate this all should even out a bit. I think/hope that Georgia finally turns the ball over fewer than 3 times, and ASU finally turns the ball over. Dawgs take this one relatively easily, 37-17.

Offensive Player of the Game: Really, one could either say AJ Green or Joe Cox from here on out. To be a bit different this week, I think we'll see Caleb King get his first 'great' run as a Dawg.

Defensive Player of the Game: I'm going to stay on the Cornelius Washington bandwagon. I think the redshirt freshman DE has the talent, and now he's starting to get the confidence.

Thought for the Game Last year was supposed to be Dennis Erickson and ASU's giant leap forward with regard to being a quality program. A 5-7 season that included a 6-game losing streak clearly indicated that they weren't there yet. They'll be looking for a signature win to prove that they've arrived, so Georgia better be ready for their best shot.

OK, that's what I've got for you this week. The possibility of a rain-soaked field still looms in Athens, but hopefully that will work in Georgia's favor at home. As always, thanks for reading, and Go Dawgs!!

The Willie Martinez Question

2009-09-17T08:34:00.003-04:00

"Fire Willie Martinez!"

"Martinez is a $?!&$ idiot!"

The cries of much of the Bulldog Nation leave little to the imagination regarding opinions of the embattled Georgia defensive coordinator. It is, after all, incumbent upon him to hold opposing offenses to as few points as possible.

If you're not familiar with the statistics, you're at least familiar with the trend. Georgia's defense has gotten progressively worse since former UGA defensive coordinator Brian Van Gorder left after the 2004 season to become the LB coach for the Jacksonville Jaguars, and then left to become the head coach of the Georgia Southern Eagles, and then left to become the DC of the South Carolina Gamecocks, and then left to become the DC of the Atlanta Falcons.

So that you're aware, in 2005 the Dawgs yielded 16.4 ppg (.1 ppg less than they did in '04, Van Gorder's last year). Most people figured that the system was in place, and Martinez (CWM for short) had worked hand in hand with Van Gorder (BVG for short) enough to where there would not be any drop off. However, the first half against West Virginia in the Sugar Bowl was a harbinger of defensive misery. In 2006, Georgia's defense began the season just fine. Then the second half came against a mediocre Tennessee offense, when the Vols scored a ridiculous 37 second-half points. Georgia finished giving up 17.1 ppg that year, 20.2 in '07, 24.2 in '08, and have given up an avg of 30.5 in two games this year.

Somebody Tackle That Man!

OK, those are the statistics. But, as we all know, stats are a good at-a-glance indicator of a performance or trend, and don't always tell the real story.

Certainly, there have been times where offenses have painted CWM's face white, put a big red wig on his head, a big red nose on his face, and big red shoes on his feet. Many times, Willie's been a clown. Be that as it may, one can choose to simply look at the stats and say, "We gave up 44 points. CWM is terrible," or one can peer deeper into the circumstances of a game or season, understand the facts, and then formulate an educated assessment. I prefer the latter.

The Case in Defense of Willie Martinez

If I told you that, in a particular game, Team A throws three interceptions, loses a fumble, and has a punt blocked and recovered for a touchdown, and Team B is a solid team with respectable talent, who would you suspect wins that game? That's what happened in the 2006 Tennessee game, and is a microcosm of a significant aspect of Georgia's troubles in limiting the opposition's scoring. Obviously, every team turns the ball over from time to time, but in Georgia's worst games points-wise, problems like these have been prevalent.

Then, there's the actual player performance issue. During the BVG years, the Dawgs had their best Defensive End ever (and one of the top 3 SEC DE's ever) playing on Saturdays in David Pollack. They also had some of the best safeties to ever play for Georgia in Jermaine Phillips, Sean Jones, Thomas Davis, and Greg Blue (though Blue's weaknesses were brought to the surface when he became the undisputed leader of the secondary). The BVG, and by extension, CWM style of defense relies heavily on contributions by the DE's and Safeties (according to the coaches themselves). Georgia has gotten less and less production over the years, particularly in '08, from its DEs. As for the safeties, though they busted their butts and got the most of their talents, the Bulldogs started an undersized former walk-on, and a two-star (if you care about such recruiting ratings) safety whose only other offers were to Southern Miss and Troy. Not to call those players out by any means, but there's been an obvious drop off after having several safeties who are now playing on Sundays.

The Case Against Willie Martinez

Despite being put in several bad positions, there have been several occasions where opposing teams pulled his pants down in front of the whole class and laughed at him.

The first half of the West Virginia game was embarrassing. Although the Mountaineers had been a prolific offense for much of the year, Georgia still had plenty of talent, and was simply carved up. There was no inkling of preparation for what was being thrown at them (with nearly a month to game-plan). The same thing was true in the first half against Alabama last season, against a Crimson Tide team that made its reputation on ball control and defense, and certainly not being an explosive offense. Even just last week against South Carolina, a tight end was left wide open in a soft zone repeatedly, with no apparent desire by Martinez to make any changes. Scheme and preparation issues abound.

To counter the lack of talent-at-certain-positions argument, well, Georgia DOES have talent at certain positions, even if they're not at DE and Safety. A key job of an offensive or defensive coordinator is to find ways to get your best players involved and in positions to make plays. It seems as though CWM is running the same exact type of base defense that was successful with great DEs and Safeties, only he hasn't exactly had great DEs and Safeties. It's not my job to suggest what might be a better plan of attack, but if something is clearly not working, and if a defensive coordinator is worth his salary, he'll at least attempt to devise a different plan of attack that has a chance.

Then there's the fact that no other teams, that we know of, seem to be calling CWM on his mobile phone, or Twittering him to get him to come coach for them. Lesser schools are constantly hiring former offensive and defensive coordinators from bigger, more successful programs as head coaches. I can't foresee CWM becoming the head coach of, say, New Mexico St. anytime soon.

The Bottom Line

Ultimately, it comes down to this: CWM has caught quite a bit more flack from the Georgia fan base than perhaps he deserves.

Anti-CWM'ers label all the bad spots his defense has been put in as "excuses." An excuse is simply a word that those opposed to a thing use instead of using the word "reason." To the critical eye, it's clear that the lack of success that has befallen Martinez is due to factors beyond his control.

That being said, at some point, no matter whose fault it is, a change in management becomes necessary. Picture a manager of a sales team. There's a recession, he's had half his sales force quit, and there have been several production issues. Sales are waaaaay down. None of those things may be his fault, but he may get canned just the same.

I suspect that, if there aren't some major improvements seen as this season goes on, and if (this part is huge) Richt, Evans, et. al. can identify a potential replacement that they really feel good about, we will have seen the last of Willie Martinez. Just realize that the end of his run may not have been his fault.

Preview: Georgia at Arkansas

2009-09-16T08:49:00.002-04:00

The Dawgs travel to the western-most SEC locale to battle the Arkansas Razorbacks this Saturday night in what looks to be a shootout. Georgia will be the first true test for Bobby Petrino's Hogs, as they have only played Missouri State and Bye State U thus far. First, though, let's take a look at last week's 41-37 win at home against the South Carolina Gamecocks.

What on paper shaped up to be a defensive battle (or offensive struggle) was anything but, as the two teams combined for the second most points in the series. After scoring just 17 points between them in week 1, the Dawgs and Cocks used several big plays to run the score up in a hurry, blowing the 39-point over/under out of the water in the first half.

The Bulldogs continued their appalling trend of turning the ball over deep in their own territory right off the bat, when WR AJ Green coughed the ball up, giving the Cocks possession at the Georgia 23. SC scored a TD six plays later, but on the ensuing kickoff, Brandon Boykin set a school record by returning it 100 yds to even up the score at 7. Then, after scoring a second TD, SC kicked off to Branden Smith, who you'll recall ill-advisedly returned two kicks out of the end zone against OSU. He took a vicious hit from a 3 mph breeze, and fumbled at the Georgia 8. Fortunately, the Dawgs' D stiffened and held SC to a field goal.

With all this happening inside the first 10 minutes of the game, the stage was set for a wild final 50 minutes. Georgia got some spectacular plays from the usual suspects like AJ Green, and we got to see why the Bulldog coaches were so insistent on getting Branden Smith involved on offense. The true freshman took a reverse on his own 39, found a seam, and blew by Cock defenders like the mob had fitted them with cement loafers. Still, the Dawgs were not content to break the trend of close games with SC. A pick six and a safety later, and the Gamecocks were within striking distance for a game-winning TD. Rennie Curran would have none of it, though, swatting a would-be TD pass away at the last second to seal the victory.

There are a few things to take away from this victory.

First, it's evident that the Bulldogs are reloading and rebuilding at the same time. For all the talent on both sides, there is precious little experience at some key positions. Heck, even AJ Green has started less than a season's worth of games. When you have talent and inexperience, you get a great play followed by an atrocious play, and you have to hope the bad plays don't cost you the game. They did in week 1, and didn't last week.

Second, the defense had its problems. Primarily, the Cocks were able to find tight ends sneaking out over and over. Although I've not been nearly as critical of Willie Martinez as some, we've seen too many times where an opponent will find a few plays that are wildly successful (that's going to happen), and they'll run them until Martinez figures out how to stop them. Often times, he doesn't. Having said that, you have to realize just how terrible are the spots his defense finds itself in. Three turnovers (two deep in UGA territory, another a INT return for a TD), a fake punt by SC, a safety, and a big return by SC off a kickoff all skewed the score with respect to how the defense played. There are some who would say, "well, how do you explain the 427 yds of total offense?" I just did. Georgia's offense had so many shortened possessions (the Boykin KO return, while obviously a good thing, also put the SC offense right back on the field), that SC simply had more opportunities than normal to rack up the yardage. (I'll have a more in-depth feature on Willie Martinez later this week)

Finally, Joe Cox and Richard Samuel are coming along. Yes, the Cox interception was pitiful, and came at a horrible time, but aside from that one pass, he was remarkably efficient. Even with the pick, his passer rating was 160.4, and you'll take that all season. Samuel looked quicker this week, and more importantly, he was running with more balance and power than I've ever seen him.

Offensive PotG: I said AJ Green. Despite a very costly fumble, I'll still give it to him. He made an amazing leaping/diving grab to keep one drive alive showing his athleticism, and a beautiful leaping catch in the back of the end zone displaying his body control and concentration. He finished with 6 receptions for 86 yds and a score.

Defensive PotG: I thought Reshad Jones might get a pick or two. Clearly, Rennie Curran gets the coveted award, finishing with a career-best 15 total tackles, and the aforementioned game-saving pass break-up.

Thought for the Game: Progress was made from week 1 to week 2. For the most part, individual acts of stupidity caused this game to be close, and not a general problem with offensive or defensive production, although QB containment was an issue. It will be interesting to see what this team can do if/when a few players aren't just flat-out screwing up. "Coach 'em up!" yells the peanut gallery armchair Monday morning QB. The two fumbles, the INT, and the safety were not results of a lack of or bad coaching.

So, on to this weekend's contest in Fayetteville, ArKansas.

The Razorbacks have been a somewhat enigmatic program since joining the SEC in 1991. Possibly due to lacking a solid recruiting base, thereby having to rebuild every few years, the Hogs seem to repeatedly have a few good years followed by a few bad years. When Houston Nutt resigned at the end of the 2007 season amidst a recruiting controversy and cries for his termination from a fan base with unreasonable expectations, he did so compiling the second-best record behind the legendary Frank Broyles. He was replaced by a grade-A slimeball.

Bobby Petrino took over the Arkansas program before finishing out his first season as the head coach of the Atlanta Falcons. Some apparent clandestine meetings, lies, and unsavory agreements were all part of his midnight escape. All this after being involved with some undercover talks with Auburn about possibly replacing then coach Tommy Tuberville. Whatever the case, he has always produced prolific offenses, with his Louisville teams consistently being among the tops in the nation.

Jerk.

Offensively for the Hogs, Petrino has typically used the pass to set up the run, and he's got a QB who's more than willing to do his part. Ryan Mallett was named the starter this season after transferring from Michigan prior to the '08 season, and subsequently sitting out a year per NCAA rules. One of the top recruits in the country out of HS, Mallett has perhaps the strongest arm in the SEC, and is also the biggest QB in the SEC at 6'7, 240lbs. The only real "knock" on him thus far would be his experience. He played a fair amount toward the end of his freshman year at Michigan, but because he sat out all of last season, the only recent film on him is of his performance, albeit an impressive one, against Missouri St. last week.

The Razorbacks have always had some gifted running backs, and while this year's top two are not considered to have quite as much NFL potential, they can still get the job done. Michael Smith is a small, shifty back at 5'9, 180lbs. Used primarily as a third down back until last year, he's averaged 5.7 ypc for his career. He's backed up by freshmen and sophomores who'll play as well, and each brings a different style to prepare for.

The receiving corps for the Hogs is led by Joe Adams and Jarius White. Neither is particularly big, but they were both highly recruited and can run. Petrino's offense has always been defined by his willingness to get everybody involved in the passing game, so look for the backs, receivers, and TE DJ Williams to all be utilized. As mentioned, the Razorbacks played the sisters of the poor in week 1, so they were afforded the opportunity to play a lot of reserves. Nonetheless, completing a pass to 13 different players in just one game is impressive, and indicative of what Arkansas likes to do.

The Arkansas O-Line is big, with not a single starter under 305lbs. That being said, they are more adept at pass blocking and zone blocking, versus past Razorback lines that were geared more toward playing power football. From a pure talent perspective, this could be the Achilles Heel for the offense. I say "could," because they looked just fine last week, but against a vastly inferior opponent.

For Georgia defensively, overall pressure on the QB has improved somewhat, but the Dawgs need to do a better job of collapsing the entire pocket. A good rush from the outside is easily negated if the QB is allowed to step up in the pocket, and a good push up the middle doesn't mean much if the QB is allowed to take a few steps to the side. Although Georgia's DE group took a hit when Rod Battle tore his ACL, it does get back DE Justin Houston from a two-game suspension. The redshirt soph. was hell on wheels in the Georgia spring game, and is considered the most talented DE on the team currently. Given SC's success in the short passing game to the TE last week, the Dawgs better be ready to get away from a soft zone early. The name of the game here is alertness. Georgia needs to be aware of all potential receivers at all times (this includes TEs, RBs, and WRs). Beyond that, Mallett is still young with respect to game experience, and he's not been really touched in over two years. A good hit or two could go far in rattling him, and his mobility has not been tested.

On defense, Arkansas is led up front by senior DT Malcolm Sheppard. The All-SEC DT is a nightmare in the middle, with adequate size (6'2, 291) and exceptional strength and quickness. He tallied 6.5 sacks last year from the inside. Beyond him, the line is looking for some playmakers to step up, w/ DE Adrian Davis being the primary candidate for pressure off the edge.

LB Jerry Franklin is solid, and looks to really come into his own this year. Outside of him, seemingly every Arkansas LB has faced off the field issues of some sort. Freddy Burton got himself a DUI last year, and Wendel Davis started some static with a driver who bumped his scooter. They are none of them particularly fast, but Arkansas has always managed to find LBs that overachieve, so we'll see how this year's group looks.

The Arkansas defensive backfield took a major hit when starting CB Isaac Madison tore his ACL prior during fall practice. He was replaced with JuCo transfer Rudell Crim, leaving CB Ramon Broadway as the only known commodity in the secondary. Safeties Tremain Thomas and Matt Harris aren't particularly big or fast, and will have to rely on their moxie and knowledge of the system to be effective.

Overall, Arkansas was absolutely pitiful last season. They finished dead last in the SEC in total defense, scoring defense (by a LOT), and rushing defense, and 10th in passing defense. Sometimes, it can take a while for a new defense to gel, but the Hogs didn't get a whole lot better as the season went along. However, they have had an extra week to watch and plan for Georgia (probably more, since they knew Missouri St. would not present much of a challenge), the stadium will be rocking for the first home game against a ranked SEC opponent this year.

For the Dawgs offensively, it's time to see what they can be when guys aren't literally and figuratively dropping the ball. QB Joe Cox looked far more comfortable in his second start, and receivers were making plays for him. I'm all for inventive play-calling, and definitely want to see more of Branden Smith, but against a defense that got pushed around a good bit last year, Bobo needs to first see if the Dawgs can line up and hit Arkansas in the mouth. Richard Samuel got a dose of confidence last week, and I think he's poised to have a breakout game (as long as McClendon and/or Bobo don't decide to yank him just when he's getting warmed up, like they appeared to last week). The bottom line is this: Arkansas does not present much of a problem, and the Dawgs must not continue to turn the ball over. A 3 turnovers-per-game average is ridiculous, and a repeat of that will be the only thing stopping Georgia's attack this week.

Overall for this game, it's not the known quantities that scare you, but the unknown. QB Ryan Mallett is super-talented but unproven. Bobby Petrino is a respected offensive mind, but has only had his system in place for a year. What makes this game tough is not just the opponent, but the fact the overall environment the Dawgs are playing in, the relatively long trip to Arkansas, and the extra time the Hogs have had to prepare. Georgia has been mistake-prone so far this year, and this is just the type of game that can unravel on them if those mistakes continue. I think our inexperience continues to diminish, and the Dawgs get a comfortable win, 34-24.

Offensive PotG: Richard Samuel finally breaks a long run (Caleb King is still questionable to doubtful), and gets tough yardage behind a quickly improving offensive line.

Defensive PotG: DE Justin Houston announces his return with some consistent pressure, and maybe a sack or two.

Thought for the Game: Georgia has not lost two true road games in a season under Richt. Obviously, they've already lost one this year, so hopefully that trend continues.

So, that's what I've got for you this week. Every game is important in SEC play. While it's always great to beat the top teams in the league, it's these games that often make or break your season. A "swing" game on the road at night against an improving team. Win it, and the Dawgs are 2-0 and building momentum atop the SEC East. Lose, and you pretty much have to win out to control your own destiny.

As always, thanks for reading, and Go Dawgs!

Preview: Georgia vs. South Carolina

2009-09-10T07:33:00.001-04:00

The Dawgs host Steve Spurrier and the South Carolina Gamecocks this Saturday under the lights in Athens. This one is almost always close, and judging by the woeful offensive performances of each team in week 1, it would seem to be heading that way again. But, before we run down what to expect this weekend, we'll briefly revisit last Saturday's 24-10 loss to the Oklahoma State Cowboys.

To quote Kramer after pushing a giant ball of oil out the window, "Well, that didn't work."

The Bulldogs received the opening kickoff and, against a defense that was downright pitiful last year, marched 80 yds for a quick and easy TD. RB Richard Samuel ran effectively, and Joe Cox was poised and precise on 3rd downs, with the drive culminating in a seeing-eye TD pass to WR Mike Moore.

After Georgia's defense held the potent OSU offense and forced a punt, it appeared this one was going to be an easy win. But, as the first half wore on, the Bulldog O seemed to get more and more discombobulated, or less and less combobulated, if you prefer. Play calling seemed to lack purpose, players failed to make plays when opportunities did arise, and the Dawgs found themselves on the short end of some questionable calls and spots by the officials.

In the end, the Dawgs lost the turnover battle 3-0, gave up a big kickoff return resulting in a score, blew a punt return for a TD of their own with an unnecessary penalty, and simply couldn't reestablish the rhythm they had offensively on their first drive.

Georgia fans are blaming just about everybody involved with the loss, including Uga VII, the canine, non-funny version of Steven Wright. Although offensive coordinator Mike Bobo and Cox are catching the brunt of the Bulldog Nation's ire, I rather believe it was a case of way too many smaller mistakes and miscues from the coaches on down that kept the Bulldogs from scoring more than a 54 yd field goal over the final 55 minutes. If you watch the game and keep a running list of all the things that went wrong, you really can't point to one thing and say, "If that doesn't happen, we win the game," but you'll definitely have a nice tally by the end.

So, on to Steve Orr Spurrier and the Fighting Fowl from Fresno. OK, the Gamecocks are from Columbia, but it would have been better if they were from an "F" town.

The moniker "Evil Genius" used to strike fear in the hearts of SEC defenses, and nausea in the stomachs of fans. However, the effectiveness of his offenses has faded of late. The Cocks have finished no better than 7th in the SEC in scoring since his vaunted arrival, and Spurrier has yet to develop what could even be considered an above average quarterback out of anyone during his tenure. Having said that, the Gamecocks are, sad though it may be, in the throes of perhaps their best 4 year run in the school's history. This is due, in large part, to a defense that has traditionally started well over the past several seasons. Whatever the case, South Carolina typically plays Georgia tough, so let's see what we've got.

For the Gamecocks offensively, things were 'supposed to' turn around when they signed QB Stephen Garcia, a highly regarded talent out of Florida in 2007. After starting his career by breaking numerous team and societal rules, he's assumed the starting role in this, his redshirt sophomore year. He's strong-armed and mobile, but has yet to put it together in his head. Now, on his head is a different story (see below). Although many young quarterbacks tend to throw the odd interception, Garcia threw an astronomical 8 picks in just 122 attempts in '08. While reports suggested that he'd made some progress during the off-season, his interception and 106 passer rating in week 1 against NC State did little to support that.

Bask in the awesomeness.

At tailback, the Cocks will rely heavily on RB Brian Maddox. Seldom used in '08, Maddox is a powerful, low-to-the-ground runner at 5'11, 225lbs. He wasn't really able to get off the schneid against the Wolfpack, averaging just 2.9 ypc, and you can expect that backup freshmen RBs Jarvis Giles and Kenny Miles, the "iles" brothers, will be used a bit more as quicker, change of pace backs.

South Carolina lost its top two receiving threats last year to the NFL in WR Kenny McKinley and TE Jared Cook (Cook, you may recall, nearly beat Georgia by himself in '08). There is no shortage of experience or ability, though, with WRs Moe Brown and Jason Barnes, and Weslye (correct spelling) Saunders at TE. RS freshman WR Tori Gurley had a solid performance in his first game, and at 6'5, 230lbs, he could be one of the SEC's best before his career is through.

The O-Line is not particularly big, and has been considered problematic for the Gamecocks over the past few years. Spurrier brought in O-Line coach Eric Wolford from Illinois to try to shore things up. After shuffling things around a bit, it seems he's settled on a starting rotation. It should be noted that the Gamecocks have three French-sounding names amongst their two-deep on the line, with Pierre Andrews, Lemuel Jeanpierre, and Rokevious Watkins.

Overall, since the arrival of that little dickens of Gator legend, each year has been met with great expectations of the offense. But, sure as a sequel fails to live up to the original movie, the offense has sputtered. Last week, the Steve Sputterer offense failed to put together a scoring drive of its own, relying on a turnover deep in NC State territory for its only score.

For the Dawgs defensively, giving up 24 points is usually not considered a major triumph, but given the offense it was facing, and given the ridiculously short fields it was trying to defend, a major triumph it was. The key to this game, even more so than in any other, will be to take advantage of turnover opportunities, because they are going to present themselves. I also expect the Dawgs to make Garcia beat them, as they did with QB Chris Smelley a year ago. Georgia's interior D-Line was stout against OSU, so they should be able to more or less shut down the run against the Cocks. Having said that, after one game, the Bulldogs are no better at generating a pass rush without blitzing. Garcia is as Garcia does, but they cannot afford to make life easy for him by allowing him to watch Lonesome Dove in its entirety in the pocket.

Defensively for South Carolina, they are once again big, fast, and can hit. The Cocks get DE Clifton Geathers (brother of former Bulldog Robert Geathers) back from a one game suspension, although he may not be at 100% physically. With him and Cliff Matthews on the ends, the Gamecocks feature one of the best pass rush tandems in the SEC. With standout DT Nathan Pepper, and a more than serviceable Travian Robertson in the middle, the Cock line is a tough nut to crack.

As for linebackers, NFL scouts will be drooling over GA native Eric Norwood. His 9 sacks last year were the most amongst linebackers in the SEC. At 252lbs, Norwood also has plenty of speed, and is the cornerstone of defensive coordinator Ellis Johnson's 4-2-5 defense. Shaq Wilson holds down the other starting spot, and is almost more like an extra safety than a linebacker.

If there is a chink in the proverbial Cock armor, it is the secondary, but that might be a reach. What they may lack in pure athleticism, they make up for in toughness and fundamentals. Safeties Darian Stewart and Chris Culliver anchor a unit that gave up just 74 yds through the air against NC State.

Overall, this is an extremely well coached defense, and has been for years. Everybody knows their roles, and they work in concert as one unit. They will make you beat them with long, sustained drives, and punish you over the middle. They'll make you get bored, frustrated, and you do something stupid, and they've got you. Just like Iceman in Top Gun.

The Iceman Eateth.

For the Bulldogs offensively, they've got to forget last week, but at the same time remember last week. Hmmm, paradoxical. Bobo and Richt need to come up with a game plan that involves more than one drive and stick with it. For this game, it's got to be a commitment to the run. Obviously, that doesn't mean running on 3rd and 8, but teams that have been most successful against South Carolina's defense have worn them down on the ground. RB Caleb King was expected to return, but now there are reports that he's re-injured his hamstring to the point where he'll be extremely limited (if he is able to go at all). Georgia also got mildly inventive by putting freshman CB Branden Smith in for a few plays on offense last week. That's a good thing, as he is possibly the fastest player on the team, and a threat to break a long gain at any moment. However, Bobo needs not to force things. Pound the ball, throw when you have to, and take the occasional play-action pass shot down field to loosen up South Carolina's defense to allow WR AJ Green to make the sensational play. He is, after all, the best player Georgia has on offense (you'll also see an end-around, a reverse, or an end-around/reverse option pass to/from AJ in this game. I will guarantee it).

In the end, we need to see from Joe Cox what we've been told he's good at. He needs to be accurate, and he needs to know where to go with the football. If Georgia's running the ball as they should, then Cox shouldn't have more than 25 pass attempts (unless SC somehow gets up by several scores before the 4th quarter). Play the blame game all you like, but I don't believe there was a single player on Georgia's offense, not one, that played up to his potential last week. I think the players realize that, and come up with the W here, 20-13.

Offensive Player of the Game: While I said that Georgia needs to have a strong running game, AJ Green needs to get as many chances as the Dawgs can give him. What's more, I think he truly believes in Joe Cox, and the two need to become a viable connection.

Defensive Player of the Game: Safety Reshad Jones got completely hosed on a helmet-to-helmet call last week, but he also missed a sure interception. He won't again this week.

Thought for the Game: Under Mark Richt, Georgia hasn't lost to South Carolina when they've scored at least one touchdown. They've lost twice to SC under Richt, so it's kind of pathetic that they've gone 'touchdownless' in more than one game, but there it is. If the Dawgs score a TD early, g'head and put this one in the W column. That is, unless, they don't score but three points for the final 55 minutes or so, which couldn't possibly happen.

Well, that's what I've got for you this week. While it's easy to think that this is going to be a tough year based on last week's performance, there's not really any point in worrying about all that with 11 games to go. I suggest saving that for week 3 if the Dawgs are 0-2.

As always, thank you for reading. See ya between the hedges. Go Dawgs!!!

The Importance of Confidence, or the Lack of Knowing You're Mediocre

2009-09-03T09:17:00.001-04:00

When division I-A college football gets started Thursday night, most fans will be watching the nationally televised game between NC State and South Carolina. SEC fans, and particularly Dawg fans, will take an interest in this, if for no other reason than to gauge a future opponent.

For the most part, since South Carolina football saw a resurgence (or "surgence" as the case may be) during the end of the 20th century, the Gamecocks have played well to start the season. Additionally, they've given Georgia fits, even managing to steal a few wins here and there. However, they've almost always finished their seasons with the ineptitude usually associated with South Carolina football (see This is South Carolina Football). When Darth Visor took over, you know the whole Gator nation would have been in heaven if Florida went undefeated every year, and South Cackalackee lost but one game every year...to Florida. Those of us not decked in jorts knew better.

One could argue that part of the reason is that, while South Carolina's front-line talent is comparable to the talent of the SEC big boys, they simply don't have the depth to compete on a high level as the season wears on. It could also be argued that their talent is marginal to the point where it's good enough to present a problem up until offensive and/or defensive coordinators have had a few games' worth of film to divine holes and weaknesses.

While both are valid, I really believe that the Cocks simply haven't figured out that they're just not that good by the second game of the season.

When the late, great Jack Palance was hawking stinky aftershave, he coined the phrase, "Confidence is very sexy. Don't you think?" Why, yes Jack, it is. It's also incredibly important for an individual in a contest or competition. If you've ever played any sport, or golf, you know that you fared far better when you pretty much knew you could hit a pitcher's fastball, or take a guy off a dribble. It didn't really matter if it was the truth; you were going to perform at or near your potential.

Mark Richt often spoke of how Georgia needed to "knock the lid off" the program, a feat more or less accomplished when Greene found Haynes on the famous Hobnail, P-44, awesome. What was he really talking about? He was talking about everybody involved with the program really, truly believing that you can accomplish great things, even when the situation is ostensibly dire. They were not going to mutter, "Here we go again" when things went south.

South Carolina is, record-wise, about where Georgia was mired during the mid-late 90's. They beat most of the teams you'd expect them to beat, and maybe even jump up and bite somebody on the keister here and there. But, as each season moves along, and they inevitably lose two in a row, or maybe three out of four, they return to that mindset of, "Hey, we just can't hang with these guys."

Save 2007, and maybe 2002, the Dawgs haven't simply improved so vastly (in comparison to the improvement made by most good teams during the year) as the season moves along. But, something tells me that if an 8-2 Georgia team played a 7-3 South Carolina team in November, the Dawgs would own that Cock. Not because of personnel or coaching, but because South Carolina would have begun to realize that they are once again playing 3rd trombone in the SEC orchestra.

So, while I personally expect South Carolina to beat the Wolfpack on Thursday night, Dawg fans should hope they lose, so they'll arrive a few weeks ahead of schedule at that place where they always end up. Better than bad, but not so good.

Preview: Georgia vs. Oklahoma State

2009-09-01T09:32:00.002-04:00

It’s finally arrived. That day of days that seemingly takes longer to come than Christmas morning, the last day of school, or the announcement of the next Paula Abdul vehicle, post-American Idol. College football is here, and Georgia tops the list of a number of big, or at least intriguing match-ups slated for week one. The Dawgs travel to the Sooner State to take on the Oklahoma State Cowboys. Despite being devoid of Tim Tebow, the game holds a prime spot on national television, and should receive plenty of media attention. So, let’s take a look and see what we’ve got.

(editor’s note: There will be no “I’m a man, I’m forty!” comments henceforth)

Although the Cowboys have a losing record overall, they’ve made some strides of late, appearing in a bowl game 6 times in 7 years – a first for the school. Thanks to the backing of oil baron (some call him a tycoon, or perhaps a mogul) T. Boone Pickens, and the leadership of Les Miles (now with LSU) and current head coach Mike Gundy, the Cowpokes have undergone upgrades in facilities, talent, and exposure. While they’ll never truly step out of the shadow of Oklahoma, OSU is anything but an also-ran in the Big 12 these days. Finishing with a 9-4 record in ’08, the Cowboys return virtually every key contributor from a year ago.

Oil Baron T. Boone Pickens has predicted the final score. 387-24, OSU.

The Cowboys are led by senior QB Zac Robinson. While many ‘dual-threat’ quarterbacks are just running backs playing the QB position, Robinson truly fits the bill. An extremely accurate passer, he’ll also have several designed runs, and will tuck it and run if he’s unable to spot an open receiver (Robinson had ½ as many rush attempts as pass attempts). One thing to keep an eye on will be finding out just how mobile Robinson is to start the season. Reports indicate that he's battled some minor leg problems, and they may be worse than the team has let on.

Robinson’s primary target will be WR Dez Bryant. Outside of maybe AJ Green, you will not find a finer receiver in all of college football. Accounting for ~50% of OSU’s receiving yards a year ago, the junior is a rock-solid 6’2, 220lbs, and is both sure-handed and fast. The Cowboys did lose TE Brandon Pettigrew, who was the 20^th overall pick and the first TE taken in the NFL draft. As such, the ‘Pokes are extremely inexperienced aside from Bryant, with no WR or TE in the line-up with more than 3 career receptions, but he's the type of player that can take over a game. It was also just released that starting TE Jamal Mosley has left the team for personal reasons, making the position even more unsettled.

At running back, Kendall Hunter will get the lion’s share of the carries. At 5’8, 197lbs, Hunter has been surprisingly durable, and his elusiveness and speed make him a threat to take it the distance at any moment. He’s averaged 6.5 ypc each of his first two seasons, and is utilized in the passing game from time to time.

The Cowboys will start 4 seniors and a junior on the offensive line. OT Russell Okung leads the group, and might be the best lineman in the country. The line may not be quite as formidable in the middle, but they are big and well-coached.

Overall on offense, OSU is talented, experienced, and balanced. The ‘Pokes finished third in total offense in the Big 12 a year ago, and averaged a gaudy 40.8 points per game, good for 9^th nationally. Although there’s no shortage of talent or big play ability on offense, the Cowboys’ real strength is their balance. They totaled an almost identical amount of yards on the ground as through the air a season ago.

For the Bulldogs defensively, I’ll not rehash last year’s miseries, but suffice it to say the unit was a major disappointment. Strategically speaking for this game, the first thing is to keep an eye on WR Dez Bryant. He’s going to catch his share of passes, but Georgia’s corners need to be on the same page as the safeties on any deeper routes. It would also be a bad idea to blitz QB Zac Robinson too frequently. He’s too good a runner to allow him to get past the first wave of defenders. Beyond that, the Dawgs need to play good, hard-nosed football at the line of scrimmage. With Jeff Owens back alongside Geno Atkins in the middle, and the ability to rotate in Kade Weston and DeAngelo Tyson, Georgia should be able to remain fresh and get a good push up the middle. If they’re able to get some pressure off the edge from their DE’s, it becomes that much more important to keep things messy in the middle, or else Robinson will be 8 yards downfield before they know what happened.

The OSU defense has been much maligned over the years, and had one of their worst editions ever in 2008. The Cowboys’ defense yielded 405 yds and 28 pts per game, and amassed just 12 sacks for the whole year. Enter new defensive coordinator and OSU alum Bill Young. Young has served as DC for some of the biggest programs in all of college football, including Ohio State, Oklahoma, USC, and Miami. He brings 40 years of experience to a defense looking for some semblance of direction.

Big things were expected out of DE Ugo Chinasa, but he has yet to truly assert himself. Other than him, the D-Line is not particularly big, and not especially talented. They’ve played the run okay, but were completely stonewalled last year in the pass rush.

The linebacking corps is led by seniors Andre Sexton and Patrick Levine, and is the strength of the defense. They are fast and athletic, and make plays when the D-Line is able to hold its own. It's safe to say that DC Bill Young will look for ways to get these guys out in space, and rushing off the edge.

The secondary was absolutely murdered last year. CB Perrish Cox has NFL talent, but he can’t do it all on his own. He’s also one of the most dangerous return men in college football, so the Dawgs will have to be wary when he gets his hands on the ball. Obviously, the lack of a consistent pass rush meant that the defensive backs were forced to cover receivers longer. It should be noted that Perrish Cox was just arrested for driving with a suspended license. There’s been no official word from the school, and while this is not generally something that warrants a suspension, it would certainly hurt what is already a suspect defense.

When Georgia has the ball, there won’t be much of a change from what we saw last season in terms of game plan, save one thing. The Dawgs should have a bit more flexibility with (and reliance on) TEs in the passing game. RB Richard Samuel, who has reportedly really come on during fall camp, will definitely try to set the tone for the offense and take a little pressure off of Joe Cox, but every good offensive coordinator knows that you have to attack the weakness of the defense. That comes in the passing game. When going up against a high-octane offense, you’ll often hear people say that a team should try to play more of a ball-control style in an attempt to bleed the clock and shorten the game. With OSU’s suspect defense, I don’t see the Bulldogs going that route here. If Bobo and Richt have spotted ways to get a quick score here or there, they’re going to go for it, and take their chances with stopping the Cowboys’ offense. Look for Cox to connect on at least one deep post to AJ Green, and keep an eye out for either Carlton Thomas or Rantavious Wooten (or both) to get a couple of big gains on a screen or bubble screen. Also, backup QB Logan Gray is almost assured of some playing time. This could be in some designed run packages, or he may even get a series or two to actually run the show. This is a good idea, but Richt needs to make sure he chooses a time where it won’t throw off any kind of rhythm the Dawgs may have established with Cox behind center.

So, what will happen?

Georgia can win this game by turning it into a slobber-knocker battle in the trenches. OSU thrives on momentum, and keeping the opposing defense on their heels. The Dawgs will be aiming to hit everybody (hopefully in a legal fashion) and take them out of their routine. They won’t need to sack Robinson every time he drops back, but they do need to get the pocket collapsed, and they do need to hit him. If they can get his head on a swivel, so to speak, and make him get rid of the ball quicker than he’d like, they’ll be successful (think Hawaii a couple of years back).

There’ll be plenty of opportunities offensively for the Dawgs, either through their own well-planned play calling, or through the Cowboys’ ineptitude. Georgia needs to make sure they don’t miss out on any easy scores, as this could be a shootout.

In the end, I feel that Georgia’s D-Line will rise to the challenge, and resemble some of the defenses we saw a few years back. The offense makes plenty of big plays, and the Dawgs take this one, 37-24.

Offensive Player of the Game: AJ Green should be able to put up some impressive numbers, but QB Joe Cox will need to be on point for Georgia's offense to thrive. I think he is, and I think it does.

Defensive Player of the Game: LB Darryl Gamble was a bit inconsistent last season, but he really showed up in some huge games with a penchant for the big play. I think that he comes up with one in the first half that really sends the Dawgs on their way.

Thought for the Game: Every season's different, but when you combine Richt's record in opponents' stadiums (30-4) with the fact that the Dawgs have pounded every "upstart" team that was poised to upset the Dawgs (OSU is actually a favorite here), it engenders a certain degree of confidence. The Cowboys will also be christening a brand new stadium, and entering the season with expectations they've not known for 25 years, so the pressure lies squarely on their shoulders.

Well, that's what I've got for you this week. Any season opener is exciting, but this one will be even more so. Enjoy the game, enjoy the season, and welcome back, college football! Go Dawgs!!

5 Keys to a Successful Season

2009-08-26T17:31:00.000-04:00

With college football kicking off in a week, I thought I'd use the last bit of down time to compile a short list of things that must happen (or must not happen, as the case may be) for Georgia to have a "successful" season. Successful...Unlike many years, not winning the SEC East will, in my opinion, not constitute an unsuccessful season. That was almost like a quadruple negative. Florida, as you might have heard, brings nearly everybody back, two deep, from last year's National Championship squad. Meanwhile, the Bulldogs lose two of their most prolific offensive players ever in Matthew Stafford and Knowshon Moreno. So, for our purposes here, let's define a successful season as one in which Georgia plays in a New Year's Day bowl, and beats at least two of the "big four" in Florida, Auburn, Tennessee, and Georgia Tech, with one of those wins being against Georgia Tech. Having said that, this is still Georgia, and there's no reason to at least hope for anything less than an SEC Championship.

So, in no order of importance...

1. Get Back To Fundamentals

The Dawgs hampered themselves defensively with an abundance of missed tackles, missed assignments, and missed opportunities. The coaching staff insists that, due to a bevy of injuries, particularly on the defensive side of the ball, the defense was coddled during fall practice so as not to risk any further injuries to key personnel. OK, I can buy that, and practice reports suggest that the Dawg D has been pushed to the limit. Sets up nicely for the excuse machine if there's no improvement (Oh, well, our defense wore down because we may have pushed them too hard in the fall). Whatever the case, the tackling was bar-none the worst I'd seen from a Georgia defense in over a decade. Got to shore it up.

As far as penalties go, Georgia committed the second-most total penalties in all of Div. I-A football. However, the key is not necessarily just limiting the number of penalties. In fact, Florida and Oklahoma, who played for the BCS Championship, tied for seventh most. An agressive, hungry defense is going to commit penalties, and you don't want to curb that. Nonetheless, the Dawgs need to limit their "stupid" penalties, such as false starts, illegal formations, and late hits.

2. Make Things Uncomfortable for the Opponent's Offensive Backfield

(Walken Voice) Where's Sack?! Sure, everybody loves to talk about sacks, and they are obviously important. After all, losing, say, 6 yards and a down on the same play is a virtual drive-killer. What's more important, though, is getting consistent pressure on QBs, and closing running lanes for RBs. A passing game is about rhythm and timing. A collapsing pocket and hands in a QB's face throw that timing off. While Georgia was basically middle-of-the-pack in the SEC in total sacks, it was the putrid lack of consistent pressure that was missed most.

3. Make Things Comfortable for Georgia's Offensive Backfield

This is important to any offense, but more so for the Dawgs this year, as Joe Cox will be taking the field for the first time knowing this is his team (a lone start in '06 vs. Ole Miss notwithstanding), and Georgia must look for a new go-to guy (or guys) at tailback. The offensive line is expected to be the relative strength of the offense, but as we learned last year, expectations count for little. If the Bulldog offense is to find any sustained success, it must be created by the hogs up front. Cox might also feel a bit more comfortable if somebody at Sports Illustrated had bothered to proof their pictures of him before publication. You know what I'm talking about.

4. Ride Your Horse

It's neither a secret to fans nor opposing defenses that, if Georgia has one known superstar on offense, it's AJ Green. Conventional wisdom would then tell you that defenses will do what they can to keep Georgia's best player from beating them. Let them try. Clearly, I'm not advocating the abandonment of all other players or forcing the ball to him, but Green is as good a receiver as Moreno was a running back. When the chips are down, if you have to lose, do so betting on your best hand. Let other young players' talents come to the field in due time, and don't get too cute. Come on ride the horse...Ride it.

5. Win Field Position

Georgia faltered in this area on two fronts last season: A poor kickoff game, and in losing the turnover battle. Most Dawg fans have just about had it with Georgia's directional kicking scheme. I have no problem with it if, and here's the key, it accomplishes what you're trying to do. Georgia ranked 11th in the SEC in kickoff coverage, which was due to both short kicks and kickoffs out of bounds (resulting in opponents starting at the 40 yd line). Therefore, it's not a stretch to say it didn't work as intended. However Richt and ST coach Jon Fabris decide to approach the kicking game this season, that must be improved.

As for turnovers, they can be a funny thing as far as stats are concerned. We tend to say that a team "forced" x amount of turnovers in a game, but sometimes it was just the recipient of a botched snap or a mishandled exchange. Regardless, when an opportunity to get a turnover arises, it mustn't be squandered, and Georgia's offense must continue to protect the ball. The top three teams in turnover margin in the SEC were Florida, Vanderbilt, and Alabama. Florida played Bama in the SEC title game, and Vandy broke a string of 27 straight losing seasons, and won its first bowl game since Marty McFly played at the Enchantment Under the Sea Dance.

So, there are five keys to a successful season as I see them. I'm sure you can find other keys to the season, but being that they're not listed here, they're probably not that important. See ya next week with the first week's preview against the OSU Cowpokes.