The 2011 Season is Over

Here's what I learned this year:

• The NFL may be all about crazy passing statistics, but in college football, defense still wins championships. Alabama's defense is one of the best ever.
• LSU may have won if Les Miles takes Jefferson out after the first half. The decision to keep him in killed any chance the Tigers had last night.
• Andrew Luck was the best college quarterback I have ever seen. He did things at the line that Matt Ryan is struggling with now.
• The power conferences are really top heavy right now. And the SEC is still the best. It will only get stronger next fall.
• Teams on the rise for 2012: USC, FSU, Nebraska, Virginia Tech, and Georgia
• Teams on the decline in 2012: Stanford, Baylor, Boise State, and Michigan State
• Tyrann Matheiu is one of the most amazing players I have ever seen. The guy just makes plays. Him and Matt Barkley are the top contenders for the Heisman heading into next year.
• The season started and ended bad for the Dawgs, but beating Tennessee, Florida, Auburn, and Georgia Tech in the same season for the first time since I have been a Georgia fan was awesome.
• Grantham getting Jordan Jenkins to come to Athens is the first chip to fall. More good news coming for Dawg fans in the next couple of weeks.
• Georgia Tech will continue to be no better than an 8-4 team until Paul Johnson realizes that just because he can recruit crappy players that fit his scheme on offense it doesn't mean you can have crappy talent on defense and be successful.
• The person I feel sorry for the most is Marcus Lattimore. The Gamecocks had their best season ever despite his injury. Hopefully he can be back at his old level next year, but unfortunately, I don't think that will happen.
• Texas was once again the most underachieving program in the country. How can a school with unlimited money and an unlimited talent pool with their own freaking television network suck.
• Despite their absolute embarrassment in the Orange Bowl, Clemson will be a force to be reckoned with next year. They were very young on both sides of the ball this year and the only real challenge in the ACC is FSU.
• This was not the year for kickers, especially in bowl games.
  
• Florida will still not be Florida next year. They may be better than 6-6, but they won't win the East.
• James Franklin did a great job at Vanderbilt but he is a dick. I hope they get destroyed in every game next year.

Well, that sucked

It was a great season with a horrible beginning and a tough ending. But those 10 games in the middle were great. We should have won yesterday.

Too bad our former All-American kicker lost his head this year. The O-line was horrible and Murray looked off. Crowell got hurt, John Jenkins go hurt, and Mike Gillard and Deangelo Tyson didn't play. And we still should have won.

Let's also give credit to Michigan State. They were a veteran team with a senior quarterback who made plays in the end. They were a very good football team. But we still should have won.

But we didn't. That's football. The team is heading in the right direction. From 6-7 to 10-4 is pretty impressive. The 4 teams we lost to this year have a combined 5 losses (and can finish with no more than 6).

It was a sucky way to end the season, but it was a lot of fun getting there.

Is this the best defense of the Richt Era?

Todd Grantham has done an amazing job with the Georgia defense. The idiots on television can say what they want about weak schedules, but the improvements we have seen this year speak for themselves. You don't have a top 10 defense in the country by luck. My question is whether or not this year's defense is the best of the Mark Ricth era, even better than the Van Gorder units. Take a look at this comparison of the national rankings for Georgia's defense during the 2002 SEC season, the 2003 SEC East Champion season, the 2005 SEC Championship season, the 2007 #2 final ranking season, 2009 (Willie's last stand) and this year:


Of the 9 major defensive categories I examined, the 2011 squad had the best national ranking in 5 of them. Arguably, this is the best defense since 2003 when the unit featuring David Pollack, Odell Thurman, and Thomas Davis helped the Dawgs win 10 games despite an offense that struggled all year. What sticks out even more is the deterioration under Martinez and the rebound under Grantham. Georgia finished second in the nation in 2007 because of the strength of the offense and the ability to get sacks, not because of their ability to cover receivers.

Can I honestly say this is the best defense of the Richt era? I don't know. But what I can say is Coach Grantham has returned us to the defense glory we once had and I don't see that changing with the very experienced group we having coming back in 2012.

We Run...We Pass.. We Own this State

For the 10th time in 11 years under Coach Mark Richt, the Georgia Bulldogs defeated in-state rival Georgia Tech by a score of 31-17 on Saturday. The margin of victory was 14, but like many other Georgia games this year, the game was really not that close. People were concerned that Georgia would be looking ahead to the SEC Championship. They were wrong (I'm looking at you, Corso and Herbstreit). Once again, we played without our starting running back and Georgia Tech took out our best defensive tackle with a cut block on the first play from scrimmage. Didn't matter. The Dawgs put "Boots to Asses". Here are my thoughts on victory 10 of the 2011 season:

• Dirty play by Georgia Tech knocks Tyson out and what happens? Garrison Smith comes in and play lights out all game. Paul Johnson calls a timeout to try and ice Walsh and Walsh gets a second shot and makes it. Karma bitches!
• John Jenkins is every bit the player we hoped. His presence made the difference in how we defended Tech last year and this year.
• Tech still seemed to be able to pick up too many yards on the sweep play. Why can't we stop it when we know they are going to run it on third down.
• Bad game for Christian Robinson, but he is definitely the emotional leader on defense. I am very glad he is a part of our team.
• Shawn Williams vs. Mike Gilliard for biggest surprise play on Georgia this year. Both were after thoughts in the depth chart pre-season.
• I thought Brandon Boykin was going the distance.
• When you get a big running back near the ground, fall on him. We can't let LSU backs keep their feet this week.
• Murray looked sharp like he did against Auburn. The only bad pass was missing a receiver wide open in the end zone (can't remember if it was King or Mitchell).
• Speaking of Mitchell. Can you think of a better freshman trio than Mitchell, Bennett, and Conley? I sure can't.
• Orson Charles could have had 10 catches at least if we kept throwing to him. Tech had no answers for him.
• I am proud of Ken Malcome. He made sure we held the lead with his hard running in the fourth when Tech knew we were trying to kill clock. If Crowell is still hampered and Samuel is 100%, I would keep Malcome for LSU.

Overall, a great day for Georgia once again. After the 0-2 start, nothing feels better than getting win 10 against Georgia Tech. Now, it is the Dawgs' turn to upset someone.

GO DAWGS!!!

The Charge Continues: The Kentucky Preview

If you have ever been around a bunch of Kentucky fans watching the Wildcats play basketball, you will know that they have a pretty passionate fan base. Two years ago, I was sitting in the now gone Wild Wing cafe in downtown Athens before the nigh contest between Georgia and Kentucky. Kentucky was playing basketball that afternoon against some small school (I can't remember exactly which one, maybe it was Liberty or Lehigh). They were up like 40 points in the second half and these crazy Kentucky fans were swearing at the top of their lungs when their walk-ons took a bad shot or there was a foul call. A little annoying, but I understand the love. Luckily for us, Kentucky's football team this year is horrible and our shot at the SEC East is not against the (#2 ranked) Kentucky basketball team.

Georgia goes for its 9th win in a row tomorrow and chance to secure a trip to the SEC Championship for the first time since 2005 (note: this is technically not our first SEC East Division championship since then, however. In 2007, we technically won a share of the division. I know this may seem stupid to point out, but if we were in the Big 10 that year, we could have called our selves conference champs and that whole argument about not winning your conference would have gone out the window). The Dawgs are playing the best football I have seen them play since the stretch run in 2007. And while that team was known for the offensive power of Moreno and Stafford, this team is known for the defensive tenacity of Jones and Rambo. While most of us are still on the high from destroying Auburn at home last week, I hope the team is ready to go for the early kick tomorrow.

Kentucky should not be a problem. In what I have seen out of Kentucky this year, they are the worst Kentucky team I have seen in quite a few years (and since they are pretty bad normally, that is saying something). I listed some statistics the other day, so I won't cover them again. Kentucky's bad defense will be missing two starters on Saturday and their offense is on their third or fourth tailback. Morgan Newton has lost his starting job at quarterback. They lost to Vanderbilt by 30 points last week. Georgia should not lose to this game.

I expect the Dawgs to come out hot on offense once again. A little more rushing in the first half than last week. Crowell goes over 100 and Thomas may too. Hopefully, we get Murray out of the game in the second half and give Mason some more reps. Georgia wins big and will be headed to Atlanta for the next two weekends!

Georgia 48, Kentucky 10

Only One Game Matters

People are buzzing about a potential match up with LSU in the SEC Championship, but they need to worried about the game this Saturday. But it's only Kentucky you say. Ask South Carolina what can happen if you over look Kentucky. Hell, eventual national champion Auburn needed last minute heroics to beat Kentucky last season. For me, no lead is safe until the clock ticks down to 0 at around 3:30 PM next Saturday.

Without a Georgia victory, the game against Tech will be the final game before the bow. I surely do not want that to be the case. And hopefully that is the same attitude the team is taking. There will be a lot of distractions. The AJC has an article up saying Georgia would be a 10.5 point underdog to LSU. Who cares at this point, since neither of those schools have even clinched a spot in the SEC Championship.

Looking at Kentucky, this is a game that the Dawgs should win easily. They are 4-6 and their signature win is a 17 point victory over helpless Ole Miss. Vanderbilt blew them out, 38-8 last Saturday. Their leading rusher is a junior who had only 55 career carries until late October. As a team, they have a little over only 1400 yards passing and a paltry QB rating of 98. In the NFL, that would be awesome, but in college, that sucks. they are 110th in the nation in passing, 89th in rushing, and average only 17 points per game.

The defense isn't that much better. The Wildcats rank 66th in the country in total defense at 393 yards given up per game. They are 98th in the country against the run (198 yards per game) which should mean another big day for Isaiah Crowell and Carlton Thomas. they are much better against the pass, where they rank 26th in the country at 194 yards per game. But that number may be inflated since opposing teams are often running clock late in the games (like Georgia did the entire second half against Auburn on Saturday). They are 64th in scoring defense giving up 27 points per game.

Georgia should win the game relatively easy. But saying it and doing it are two different things, as we learned out in Boulder last season. Until the Chapel Bell rings on Saturday, I hope the Dawgs keep their minds in the right place.

WLOCP 2011: V: For Victory

Good evening, Dawg Nation. Allow me first to apoligize for this interruption. I do, like many of you, appreciate the comforts of every day routine, the security of the familiar, the tranquility of repetition. I enjoy them as much as any bloke. But in the spirit of this rivalry, whereby those important events of the past, usually associated with the end of some awful bloody struggle, are celebrated with a nice holiday (for most of us), I thought we could mark this Cocktail Party, a day that is no longer fondly remembered by Georgia fans, by taking some time out of our daily lives and have a little chat.

There are of course those who do not want us to speak. I suspect even now, there are those in places like Gainesville who wish that the Bulldog Nation remains dormant. Why? Because while their record over the last few years may be used in lieu of conversation, words will always retain their power. Words offer the means to a meaning, and for those who will, the enunciation of the truth. And the truth is, there is something terribly wrong with this rivalry, isn’t there? For years, Georgia was the dominant team, but only the recent failures are pronounced. Media, fans, and even the players, have come to view this as a one sided affair where only one side has a chance at victory.

How did this happen? Who’s to blame? Well certainly there are those more responsible than others, and they have been recognized, but again truth be told, if you’re looking for the guilty, you need only look in the mirror.

I know why you did it. I know you were afraid. Who wouldn’t be? 3-18. The timeout. Hanging 50. Terrance Edwards drop. Tebow. There were a myriad of problems which conspired to corrupt your reason and rob you of your common sense. Fear got the best of you, and in your panic you turned to the media, such as the AJC and ESPN. They promised unbiased coverage and demanded you respect their opinions. Today, I ask you to forget the recent past and remember why this game is considered a rivalry. 31 years ago, Lindsay Scott wished to embed the memories of late October in Jacksonville forever in our memory. His hope was to remind the world that heart, determination, and spirit are more than words, they are perspectives. So if you’ve seen nothing, if the pain of the long drive home from Jacksonville each fall is too much, then I would suggest to you that you allow this October 29 to pass unmarked.

But if you see what I see, if you feel as I feel, and if you would seek as I seek, then I ask you to stand beside me this Saturday, in the stands of Jacksonville Stadium, and together we shall give them all a Georgia victory that shall never be forgot!

V is VICTORY!

Vandy Wrap Up: A Needed Ugly Win

Let me get this out of the way, first thing. I have mixed feelings on the Grantham situation. Coaches should not act like idiots dropping F bombs after game. There is no excuse for that. However, no head coach should ever go and start yelling at another team's player after the game, and that is what James Franklin did. From the camera angle, we don't know how much Franklin was yelling. The media has tried to make Grantham the complete bad guy in the situation, but maybe Franklin should get more blame as well. While Grantham could have gone about it with a few less F bombs, I am still glad he let Franklin know his place. I am glad Coach Grantham is passionate and will stick up for his players, but he needs to tone it down.

As for the game itself, it was ugly (to say the least) and not the outcome I expected. But a lot of people were expecting a tough game for Georgia, including Herbstreit and Corso on college Game Day, so I am not mad like a lot of people are. And for those who say this games shows that we are still horrible and are not headed in the right direction, I ask you this: Would Georgia have won that game in 2010? If you said yes, I would ask you to watch the Colorado game or the 2009 Kentucky game. Both losses to inferior teams where Georgia had leads in the second half only to give the game away.

And maybe this was just the type of game the Dawgs needed. The last time the Dawgs won an SEC game by less than 7 points was the 2009 game against South Carolina. And the time in the last few years that Georgia was able to stop a team driving in the closing minutes for a potential game winning (not game tying) score was Georgia Tech in 2009. All most of the players on Georgia know is losing close games. Finally, they got a chance to win one. Think back to 2007. An up and down Georgia team with a sophomore quarterback, a flashy freshman running back, and some up and coming play makers at linebacker won a close game at Vandy and used that to propel them to 7 straight wins and a Sugar Bowl. I'm not saying that is going to happen again, but remember that that game also ended with coaches yelling near midfield (albeit at our own players instead of the opposing coaches).

The biggest gripe I have about the entire game is the failure to cover the fake punt. At that point, Georgia had a 23-7 lead and had forced Vandy to kick them the ball back. Vandy had not scored a single point at offense and looked like they were about to get blown out. When the formation shifted, I jokingly yelled fake to the group of friends we had watching the game at my house. And, holy crap, I was right. From that point on, Vandy was back in the game and they had all the momentum. It was like that single play, followed immediately by the trick play, sucked all the life out of the defense. Vandy still could not pass the ball, but the defense's inability to wrap up on tackles nearly cost us the game. And don't get me started on the fake punt. There were multiple Vandy players who had a shot to block it, and when it happened I thought they were going to scoop and score. Our kickers are talented but they will be gone next year and if we don't improve, our freshman kicker and punter could be in for long seasons in 2012.

But the silver lining to this whole game was there were some definite positives from Saturday night. While the defense was certainly not stellar in the second half, they managed to only give up 160 yards passing and 65 of those came on a fake punt and a trick play. Vandy quarterbacks were forced into three interceptions, including a key one early in the game in the Georgia end zone. Ray Drew had a great game, including his first career sack, and looks ready to contribute down the line. And just think, when we play Florida we get Cornelius Washington and Alec Ogletree back. It may not be perfect people, but I feel a lot better about our chances with this defense taking on an injured John Brantley than I did about our defense that took on a healthy Brantley last year.

On the offensive side of the ball, Crowell's benching combined with his injuries clearly impacted the Georgia offensive attack. Despite this (an the poor defensive showing) Georgia still out gained Vanderbilt by over 100 yards of offense. Aaron Murray was still not flawless, bet his passes looked much better than they had in recent weeks. Marlon Brown and Michael Bennett both stepped up and had the best days of their career. And even though a couple of negative rushes near the end of the game hurt his average per carry, Richard Samuel looked better than I have seen in a long time. No doubt we need a healthy Crowell back there to keep our offensive successful, but hopefully this shows we can still move the ball some even if he isn't around. Keep in mind, at one point Georgia scored on 6 consecutive drives and it would have been 8 if Walsh had not missed the 42 yard field goal.

In the end, there are a lot of things to work on. Thank god the Dawgs have two weeks to rest and get healthy for Florida. The loss of Lattimore at South Carolina makes me think South Carolina will lose at least 2 of their 3 remaining tougher SEC games (Arkansas, Florida, Tennessee). Once again the Cocktail Party will most likely decide the fate of the SEC East. Hopefully, Georgia can get it together and get Richt victory 3 over the Gators.

Vanderbilt Preview

Things Vanderbilt does well:

• Produce major league pitchers
• Shoot three pointers
• Being really smart
• Churning out future CEOs

Things Vanderbilt does not do well:

• Run the football
• Pass the football
• Score points on offense
• Win games in the SEC
  

If this was baseball or academics, I might feel threatened. But fortunately, it is just football. Vanderbilt's defense is much better than their offense, but it won't be enough to make up for their complete lack of ability to move the football. Georgia should have good field position all game long without relying on big plays. The offense scores enough to make it comfortable and then goes into zombie mode. We may even have Hutson Mason and Ken Malcome sightings in the second half. Defense continues to dominate.

Georgia 34, Vanderbilt 7

Mid Season Assessment: The Youth Movement and the Future

After a dismal ending to the 2010, Georgia fans were looking for something to brighten their spirits for the off season ahead. They got what they were looking for with the recruiting class of 2011. Nicknamed the Dream Team, this class has already become a key part of the team. The decision to play so many true freshman combined with a large talent pool of player who are in their second and third years on campus, and things may finally be looking up in Athens.

Georgia has already played 14 true freshman this season. While a number of these players have been used on special teams, three freshman have become starters and key contributors for the Dawgs. Isaiah Crowell has lived up to the hype and has become the the feature back all of the recruiting experts expected he would be. He leads the team in rushing and is on pace to rush for nearly 1,200 yards this year. Malcolm Mitchell leads the Dawgs in receiving yards and has become the favorite downfield target for Aaron Murray. And Amarlo Herrera has stepped in at middle linebacker and has become a force over the middle. Ramik Wilson, Christian Conley, and Ray Drew have also begun to see playing time beyond special teams.

In addition to the true freshman, Georgia is littered with redshirt freshmen and sophomores who as making a big impact. This begins with quarterback Aaron Murray who, in just his second year in Athens, has moved in the top 5 in school history in passing touchdowns. Jarvis Jones has had an immediate impact this season and may be up for All-SEC when the season ends. Kwame Geathers, Michael Bennett, Garrison Smith, and Kenarious Gates are all making impacts this fall.

Overall, the Georgia Bulldogs are a young team that should continue to get better. The only significant losses on defense for 2012 will be Brandon Boykin and Deangelo Tyson. On offense, the Dawgs will lose 3 on the line and will most like lose two tight ends (White and Charles). But the running backs and all of the receivers will return next fall to give Aaron Murray options.

After the 0-2 start, there was little hope for a successful season in Athens. But after 4 straight victories and signs of improvement (particularly on defense), things are beginning to look up. And while the schedule will get tougher with Alabama on the schedule next fall, we will be the much more experienced team when we travel to Tuscaloosa.

Mid Season Grades and Awards

At the halfway point of the 2011 football season, the Georgia Bulldogs sit at a record of 4-2 tied with South Carolina for first place in the SEC East. And while they do not control their own destiny to get to Atlanta, there are in a good position to be there when it all shakes out. If you asked most Georgia fans if they would be satisfied with 4-2, I think most would have said yes. Considering the Dawgs were 2-4 at this same point last year (including losses to Miss State and Colorado) and I thin I am pretty satisfied. Here are my grades for the first half as well as some superlatives. I will continue my mid season report tomorrow with a look at Georgia's youth movement.

Offense (Overall): B-
Quarterbacks: B
Tailbacks: B+
Tight Ends/Fullbacks: A
Offensive Line: C -
Play Calling: C

Defense (Overall): A
Defensive Line: B+
Linebackers: A
Secondary: B+
Defensive Coaching: A-

Special Teams: B-
Place Kicking: C-
Kickoff Coverage: B-
Punting: A
Punt Coverage Coverage: B
Returns: B
Special Team Coaching: B

Overall Team MVP: Brandon Boykin
Offensive MVP: Isaiah Crowell
Defensive MVP: Shawn Williams

Biggest Surprise (Offense): Carlton Thomas/ Malcolm Mitchell
Biggest Surprise (Defense): Mike Gilliard

Biggest Disappointment: Blair Walsh

Tennessee Prediction

The question for the Georgia Bulldogs this week is do they continue to climb the mountain back towards national prominence or do they fall all the way down Rocky Top back to mediocrity. Predictions have been across the board and with the Vegas line at only a 1.5 point Georgia favorite, it appears this game is a toss up.

I think Georgia has come a long way from the sad looking team we saw in the Dome to start the season. The defense has played at a such high level that I cannot see a Volunteer team that is so one dimensional putting up a lot of points. That being said, this will be a night game on the road in Neyland. I think the Dawgs come out with a win here, but it will be close until the end.

Georgia 27, Tennessee 17

Thoughts on Mississippi State

DE-FENSE (stomp, stomp) DE-FENSE (stomp, stomp)!

Wow. For all the issues Georgia may have on offense and special teams, the defense has surely made up for them. For three straight weeks, the Georgia defense has been absolutely dominant to the point where the offense knows it doesn't need to continue scoring points to win. At no point in the game after Georgia held state to a field goal to make the score 7-3 did I feel Georgia was in trouble. Todd Grantham's system is finally paying off and it makes me excited to see how the rest of the year goes. Here are my thoughts on the game from Saturday and what's coming next.

- Pressure was coming from the linebackers all day long. Jarvis Jones notched a pair of sacks and has clearly proven why he was a 5 star recruit out of high school. Cornelius Washington had the best game of his career, but of course he had to go out and do something stupid and get suspended. Hopefully this opens the door for the Pastor of Disaster to finally make his impact.

- What a difference having a true nose tackle makes. Having Geathers and Jenkins in the middle makes Abry Jones and Deangelo Tyson awesome. Speaking of Jenkins, he finally made his first big play at Georgia. I loved seeing him sling Perkins around like he was nothing.

- Amarlo Herrera has done an admirable job filling in but I was very glad to see Christian Robinson back in the lineup. He had a nice pass break up on a key third down that most players would not have made.

- The secondary coverage has been great. Now, if we just learn to actually catch those interceptions before we run for the TD, we'd be awesome. I counted three for sure pick sixes we dropped.

- Blair Walsh...ugh. I know a lot of these misses are from almost 50, but that last miss was BAD.

- Aaron Murray was up and down again. He had some nice throws but all three picks were bad. The passing game plan sucked in my opinion.

- Speaking of the play calling, why the hell was Murray throwing with the Dawgs up 21 on a first down inside MSU territory with 8 minutes on the clock. I know it was first and 18, but three more runs would have ran another two minutes off the clock. You pin them back deep and make them go the length of the field three times in 6 minutes instead of risking them getting the free touchdown. The other part of the offensive game plan I did not like is the complete lack of throws downfield. We went deep once (the incompletion to Bennett) and that was it.

- Orson Charles is in full beast mode. No linebacker in the SEC can cover him one on one (well, no linebacker currently on Georgia's schedule anyway).

- Crowell looked great in the first, not so much in the second. But the blocking was also much worse in the second half as MSU definitely made adjustments to clamp down Georgia's running attack outside the tackles. FWIW, I thought Crowell stayed in bounds from what I saw on the replay.

- Malcom Mitchell is only a freshman. I repeat, only a freshman. This kid is good.

Overall, another solid win over an SEC opponent. I said this to some friends the other night, but this season is starting to feel a lot like the 2003 team. A solid defense that keeps the team winning despite inconsistency on offense. Don't forget that Georgia's leading rushed in 2003 was Michael Cooper and David Greene only had 13 touchdowns to go with 11 interceptions. But that team found its way to the SEC Championship game and finished #7 in the country. The Dawgs are set up for similar results. A win over Rocky Top would continue to build this strong momentum as we get closer to the game that will most likely decide the SEC East, the Cocktail Party in Jacksonville.

GO DAWGS!!!

Carolina is Done, On to Mississippi

The Georgia Bulldogs completed their two game set against schools from South Carolina on Saturday with a 59-0 domination of Coastal Carolina. And while everyone expected the Dawgs to easily dispatch the Chanticleers, they did in convincing fashion which has not been the norm for Georgia against cupcake schools. This was a domination in every sense of the word and it was just what the Dawgs needed after two tough opponents to open the season. Just a couple of quick observations:

• The burst that Crowell had on his first quarter touchdown was ridiculous. This kid is the real deal, both running past people and through them. Let's hope for 20 touches this week.
• The line was dominating. Even though they did not record a sack, they were making plays in the backfield and keeping the quarterback on the run from start to finish.
• Blair Walsh has some issues right now. One second he misses a 35 yards, the next he makes it from 56. One kickoff looks horrible, the next sails through the back of the end zone. We need him to get this right.
• Great game by Shawn Williams filling in at ILB. It makes me feel a lot better about facing Miss State without Ogletree.
• Aaron Murray is struggling right now. He throws into coverage too much and seems to have lost the ability to throw on the run. Wasn't that one of strengths last year?
• Happy to see Ray Drew finally make his debut. He looked pretty good, making a few tackles and getting some good pressure on the QB.
  

Lots of freshmen played and some backups, including Hutson Mason, got some work. Overall, it was a near perfect game between the hedges. This week, the Dawgs head to Oxford for the first of two games against the state of Mississippi. In 2006, Georgia swept Mississippi, but only after struggling in both contests. Ole Miss is coming off a bad loss to Vanderbilt and looks to be the weakest team in the conference this season. Hopefully the Dawgs can pick up their first SEC win of the season and continue the improvements we have seen over the last two weeks.

A couple of other thoughts:

• I attended the most insane high school football game I have ever seen in the Georgia Dome on Saturday night. It was my high school (South Gwinnett) vs. my wife and step brother's high school (Central Gwinnett). The final score was South 63, Central 55. The game featured over 1,300 yards of offense between the two teams, ten turnovers, and about 40 penalties. Apparently, no one plays defense in high school football anymore (I'm kidding, just not in this game). Malaci(sp) Jones, the younger brother of Notre Dame wideout TJ Jones, had like 280 yards and five touchdowns. We need to make this kid an offer.
• Penn State has to score late to beat Temple. Ohio State gets beaten by Miami. And Notre Dame knocks off Michigan State. People want to talk about the SEC East being down, but they need to be talking about the Big Ten getting beat up as well.
• Pitt and Syracuse are joining the ACC...and I don't really care. This definitely feels like a basketball move. The Big East is pretty much dead. The team I feel bad for is TCU, who was finally moving to a major conference only to see that conference dissolve before they get there. Maybe Boise State will them come back to the MWC. With the ACC growing, don;t expect any of those schools to jump to the SEC. West Virginia or Missouri are the most likely candidates for team #14.
• Florida State is back...almost.
  
• What a devastating injury for Justin Hunter of Tennessee. That leaves Tyler Bray with only Da'Rick to throw to. We'll see how is stats hold up.
• LSU at West Virginia on Saturday night in Morgantown is going to be a hell of a scene.

And lastly, I want to mention that Georgia alum Kyle Chandler won the Emmy last night for his portrayal of Coach Eric Taylor on Friday Night Lights. I have mentioned quotes from the show numerous times on the blog and it was one of my favorite shows on TV. I was sad to see it end, but glad to finally see Chandler's excellent performance recognized.

We got Bucked!

Damn Boise. Damn line play. Damn secondary. Damn coaching. Just DAMN.

That's how I feel about Saturday's game. All this talk about renewed focus and better conditioning resulted in 35 Boise State points and exactly zero chance of winning the game. Even Brandon Boykin's amazing 80 yard run looks kind of bad since Boykin was dehydrated and had to miss plays afterwards. The defense was actually playing very well despite being on their side of the field the whole first half...until the last five minutes of the second quarter. And that was the turning point.

Boise State scored just before half to go up 7 and then immediately put 7 more on the board to start the second half. At that point, you knew the defense could not stop them anymore. The offense certainly did them now favors.

Why the hell was Bobo trying to have us run the spread??? We are not a spread offense. Running out of the shotgun on third and 1 at the Boise 25 was about the worst play call I have seen in my 12 plus years as a Dawg fan. If we would have scored there (even the damn chip shot field goal) I honestly feel the game is much closer.

Crowell will be good, if we ever give him some blocks. The kid can't do it all himself. "Tampa" Mitchell is scary fast and, in my opinion, should be starting next week. (It won't happen)

Jarvis Jones = bad ass. It is really going to suck not having Ogletree for the next 6 weeks.

Overall, a great day of tailgating was ruined by a piss poor effort. I have been positive in the face of the lunatics, but maybe it is just time for Coach Richt to move on. I did predict a loss, but not a domination in the veins of Alabama 2008. I love my Dawgs and I pray we get it together this weekend against Cackalacky.

Game On

When the Georgia Bulldogs take the field at the Georgia Dome tomorrow night, it will have been 8 months and 4 days since their last game. The horrible ending to the 2010 campaign left a bad taste in the mouth of Bulldog Nation. An excellent recruiting class mixed with an apparent change in attitude in Athens has given us hope. Now we find out if things are really changing.

But let me clarify. Should the Dawgs lose tomorrow, it does not mean that the season is over and nothing has changed. Let's not take anything away from Boise State who has come a long way for the team that the Dawgs crushed in Athens in 2005. If the Dawgs stay competitive, don't appear to tire, and don't make many of the stupid mistakes that have plagued them in the past, then I think things will be headed in the right direction.

As for my prediction, this is a really tough one to call. I think the Dawgs will split this tough two game set to open the season, but I am not sure which game will be the win and which one will be the loss. I feel Boise State with their crazy formations and Heisman candidate quarterback are a steep challenge for the Georgia defense. I can honestly see this one close late into the game. If I have to pick, I think the Dawgs win game 2 at home against Carolina more than I think they will win tomorrow.

It will be a close game, but I think the Dawgs are going to come up just short. It pains me to write this.

Boise State 31, Georgia 27

What if we win?

After a 6-7 season that ended with a bowl loss to Central Florida of all teams, many Georgia fans have little to no expectations for the 2011 season. Opening against a top ten team in Boise State appears to be a challenge that this year's team may not conquer. Throw in a week 2 battle with another top 10 team in South Carolina, and it appears many believe Georgia is headed to an 0-2 start.

But what happens if we win???

A win over Boise would be huge for the confidence of the team, but not so much for the fans. As an SEC school, you are expected to win big games and given Boise State's current status as a non-qualifier, they are still a team that an SEC school should beat. But that win in week 1 may be the boost that the Dawgs need to be successful in the home opener on September 10. While the Dawgs may have given up a lot of running yards to Marcus Lattimore last fall, they were in the game until the 4th quarter and if not for a Washaun Ealey fumble, may have had a chance to win the game. We played that game without AJ Green as well.

Georgia wins in the first two weeks of the season may not mean a championship (of any type) but it sure as heck could be the start of a special season in Athens. The schedule gets easier, as the only team with a winning record (not including Coastal Carolina) the Dawgs will see in the 5 games is Mississippi State, who has to come to Athens. After that, the Dawgs head to Jacksonville to play Florida before 3 more home games against New Mexico State, Auburn, and Kentucky.

If the Dawgs somehow win the first two weeks, I would not be surprised to see the record at 10-1 or 9-2 by the time we head back to Atlanta to play Georgia Tech. To say these first two games are critical is an understatement.

Only 11 more days til kickoff.

Offical Post Spring Depth Chart: Instant Reaction

Coach Richt has released the official post spring depth chart and there are definitely some surprises. Here are my thoughts:

Tailback - We all knew Caleb King would be #1 coming out of spring. But Carlton Thomas at 2 and Brandon Harton (all 5'6'' of him) ahead of Ken Malcome? What did Malcome do to piss Coach Richt off? i thought he ran the ball well in the G-Day game. Something just doesn't seem right. But I guess it won't really matter too much once Crowell gets on campus.

Corner - Boykin on one side was a given but the other side was a guess. Sanders Commings has the lead, can he really hold off Branden Smith and the incoming freshmen?

Linebacker - Depth seems to be an issue. I guess it is a good thing that we have a lot of freshmen who could come in at outside linebacker. I also think signing Kent Turene was a big pick up after seeing all the walk-ons in the current depth chart.

Safety - Wow, that position looks pretty weak. I know Ogletree will be a beast at linebacker, but dang, that leaves the cupboard dry.

So what are your thoughts?