In probably one of the most uneventful signing days for UGA in recent memory, the boards are all running amuck thinking the wheels have fallen off. I guess it's days like these I have to realize that I'm a little too Disney for my own good. While it wasn't a great day of guys putting on UGA hats chosen from a table, the class really isn't that bad.
In the end, the hurt comes from two places.... One being that we had no big signees ink their names in an aura of pomp and circumstance on National Signing Day which creates some sting. The other one (which is a bigger factor) is that we're losing our grip on the top players in the state of Georgia.
The first one, I'm not really worried about. We have 32 guys committed, which in all honesty is a huge class. 31 of them were pretty much committed prior to today. People are always going to complain, and over the past two years the big problem that was even though we inked some huge names, we had a low count of players sign on. This year, we get a huge class to fill in some of the depth issues, and the complaint is that there's no big names. These 32 include 15 four star players, which is a pretty solid base. Even better they're stretched across all sorts of positions to fill in the depth chart.
Just because they didn't sign on signing day doesn't mean they're not good recruits. If Matthews, Kublanew, Wiggins, or many of the others had pulled a hat on this day people would be going crazy saying we still have some pull within the state. The reason it seems like a big disappointment is because the timing wasn't right.
The big worry is that we're losing our grasp on the top in-state talent. Sure we didn't land Robert, Foster (who I still consider a GA player), or Adams. However, if you look at the make-up of some of these guys it would have worried me had they come to Georgia. They didn't exactly exemplify the attitudes or character traits you'd necessarily want coming on board. They may have been more trouble than they were worth from a discipline standpoint.
Further to that point, how many of us have actually watched these guys play? How much trust do we put in Rivals star rankings? I watched all three of these guys play. Robert, who I saw in a few Grayson games didn't exactly seem like the dominating force that would make him the number one recruit in the country. Tack on a couple personal foul penalties and some attitude instances and it leads to the notion that it may have been troublesome over the next four years. Foster's recruitment should be a clear sign that this guy's head isn't on straight. Adams didn't even get the chance to make it through one of his final games. Adams was probably the one I wanted most, but I knew when that flat bill Auburn hat the only such flat bill on the table this guy was an Auburn man for sure.
Rodney Garner's departure surely hurt in landing some of these guys down the stretch, but some of the guys he pulls in aren't exactly our biggest character banner waivers. These three were his type of guy, and on occasion his type of guy tends to get in some trouble when they step inside the Athens city limits. It's a year of transition, and to land 32 pretty solid bodies isn't such a bad thing. It also probably didn't help that Grantham was flirting with the NFL. Hopefully the D-Line will actually have some more development "on the field", and not make us wonder why perennial NFL pro-bowlers weren't bigger performers while in Athens a la Geno Atkins. The new coaches will have time to lead us to this judgement.
I'll tell you what we didn't recruit today..... an experienced offensive line that returns all five starters, a Heisman potential candidate at QB, two sophomore running backs with all-SEC talent, a deep receiving corps (of which we did add one), two experienced tight ends, and so on and so forth. These guys are currently in Athens and running through matt drills working towards the ultimate goal. Could it lead to some holes in the future? Maybe, but you are going to have recruiting years where you pick up a couple five stars, and some where you build the depth chart. This was certainly the latter.
Of course we never know how these guys will pan out. All you have to do is look at the Rivals Top 100 from years past. Sure maybe 4 of the top 10 are in the NFL right now, but I guarantee a couple of the names at the top of that list you would never recognize. It's a crapshoot, and one we all pay too much attention to. Believe me I know recruiting is the lifeblood of a program. That's why we obsess over it. This is a year where we added to the depth chart with a lot of deep talent, rather than a few choice pre-madonnas.
There was certainly some disappointment today, as we whiffed on some big names. Trust me, I feel your pain, I'm just trying to say it's not as bad as you may think. In the end I think we filled some holes of need, and people need to calm down saying UGA has lost it's place in recruiting. We'll of course make our analysis a few years from now, but I'm not going to argue against the man or his system that has put us in the Dome for two straight years.
GATA new Dawgs.
Wednesday, February 6, 2013
Tuesday, January 29, 2013
Off Topic - Next UGA President: Jere Morehead?
We're closing in on National Signing Day and all the festivities that surround this day for all of us recruiting hounds. I'm going to take a moment to step aside and shed light on the man who may be the next President of the University we've all grown to love.
For all intents and purposes, it looks (per the AJC) like Dr. Jere Morehead will be the front runner to assume the much maligned position that Dr. Michael Adams leaves vacant. Most people will look down this article for Dr. Morehead's credentials and form their own opinions of whether he's the man fit to be the figurehead of our University. I'll try and shed a little light from my experience.
Dr. Morehead holds a special place in my life. As a member of Phi Gamma Delta during my time at UGA from 2004 - 2008 I was fortunate enough to come into contact with Dr. Morehead on a very frequent basis. He was our Purple Legionnaire which is basically the chapter advisor to a fraternity. I had even more contact via weekly meetings with Dr. Morehead when I served on the cabinet of our chapter during my junior year. Here's what I can tell you...
There's no man more deserving to lead our University. Trying to lead a bunch of 20 year olds who think the world revolves around them and living in basically a big kid's atmosphere and indulgence is no easy task. Dr. Morehead certainly caused some stress in my life. Having to be the voice of reason to a bunch of kids who think they always know what's best can be a daunting task. The greatest testament I can give to this man is that he did this task (for many years even before I arrived) with the utmost class and selflessness in his attitude.
Probably the greatest facet of this man's life is that he chose to devote himself to a bunch of young men despite the challenges he faced with a laundry list of campus involvement. A quick perusal of his credentials, accomplishments, and involvement can't even really shed light on how busy this man really was. It would seem that involving yourself in the stress filled environment that naturally comes with leading a fraternity, especially in today's culture (the Animal House rules don't fly anymore) wouldn't be a welcomed by a man so ingrained in many University positions of prestige. Any blunder by the chapter would certainly reflect poorly on Dr. Morehead. He chose to take these risks and put his neck on the line and trust a bunch of young men.
He always had a selfless and calm attitude in an atmosphere of potential turmoil. He was the voice of reason when it seemed sometimes there wasn't one. My experience with Dr. Morehead is certainly just a sliver, and pales in comparison to some of the greater responsibilities Dr. Morehead faced, but even in these smallest of seemingly minuscule circumstances he devoted himself and his time whole heartedly. Given the changing environment and challenges facing our University, I feel there's truly no man who has the character to take on the responsibility.
If you're worried about athletics and the culture of the Georgia sports programs, let me put your mind at ease. There's not a man more knowledgeable or devoted to our athletic programs or knows more about the ins and outs of leading a successful program. Aside from athletics, the culture at the University of Georgia is changing into one that prides itself more on the enhancement of it's academic reflection. Dr. Morehead has the perfect perspective on continuing to grow our University's academic standing while simultaneously growing our successful athletic momentum, which sometimes we tend to put too much focus on.
At the end of the day, my heart is delighted at the notion that this man may be the one to lead our University into the future. While I only had a small sliver of Dr. Morehead's impact on so many people and growth of the University of Georgia, I know the characteristics of selflessness and reason he displayed during my encounter with him will only serve our school incredibly.
Best of luck if this does indeed come to fruition, and rest assured my trust will be in Dr. Morehead to carry us forward into the future.
For all intents and purposes, it looks (per the AJC) like Dr. Jere Morehead will be the front runner to assume the much maligned position that Dr. Michael Adams leaves vacant. Most people will look down this article for Dr. Morehead's credentials and form their own opinions of whether he's the man fit to be the figurehead of our University. I'll try and shed a little light from my experience.
Dr. Morehead holds a special place in my life. As a member of Phi Gamma Delta during my time at UGA from 2004 - 2008 I was fortunate enough to come into contact with Dr. Morehead on a very frequent basis. He was our Purple Legionnaire which is basically the chapter advisor to a fraternity. I had even more contact via weekly meetings with Dr. Morehead when I served on the cabinet of our chapter during my junior year. Here's what I can tell you...
There's no man more deserving to lead our University. Trying to lead a bunch of 20 year olds who think the world revolves around them and living in basically a big kid's atmosphere and indulgence is no easy task. Dr. Morehead certainly caused some stress in my life. Having to be the voice of reason to a bunch of kids who think they always know what's best can be a daunting task. The greatest testament I can give to this man is that he did this task (for many years even before I arrived) with the utmost class and selflessness in his attitude.
Probably the greatest facet of this man's life is that he chose to devote himself to a bunch of young men despite the challenges he faced with a laundry list of campus involvement. A quick perusal of his credentials, accomplishments, and involvement can't even really shed light on how busy this man really was. It would seem that involving yourself in the stress filled environment that naturally comes with leading a fraternity, especially in today's culture (the Animal House rules don't fly anymore) wouldn't be a welcomed by a man so ingrained in many University positions of prestige. Any blunder by the chapter would certainly reflect poorly on Dr. Morehead. He chose to take these risks and put his neck on the line and trust a bunch of young men.
He always had a selfless and calm attitude in an atmosphere of potential turmoil. He was the voice of reason when it seemed sometimes there wasn't one. My experience with Dr. Morehead is certainly just a sliver, and pales in comparison to some of the greater responsibilities Dr. Morehead faced, but even in these smallest of seemingly minuscule circumstances he devoted himself and his time whole heartedly. Given the changing environment and challenges facing our University, I feel there's truly no man who has the character to take on the responsibility.
If you're worried about athletics and the culture of the Georgia sports programs, let me put your mind at ease. There's not a man more knowledgeable or devoted to our athletic programs or knows more about the ins and outs of leading a successful program. Aside from athletics, the culture at the University of Georgia is changing into one that prides itself more on the enhancement of it's academic reflection. Dr. Morehead has the perfect perspective on continuing to grow our University's academic standing while simultaneously growing our successful athletic momentum, which sometimes we tend to put too much focus on.
At the end of the day, my heart is delighted at the notion that this man may be the one to lead our University into the future. While I only had a small sliver of Dr. Morehead's impact on so many people and growth of the University of Georgia, I know the characteristics of selflessness and reason he displayed during my encounter with him will only serve our school incredibly.
Best of luck if this does indeed come to fruition, and rest assured my trust will be in Dr. Morehead to carry us forward into the future.
Tuesday, January 8, 2013
Georgia Staring Down the Same Off Season as Bama Last Year
Last night we of course had to watch Bama roll on to another national title, all the while wondering what it would have been like seeing the Dawgs there. I got a little sick in the beginning think about my friends and I sitting in that stadium One thing I've been noting since the end of our season, which certainly hinged on Aaron Murray's return, is that Georgia will have an eerily similar dynamic mirroring Bama this year.
As Bama entered the 2012 off-season they had some key departures, mainly on defense losing six players to the first five rounds of the draft. They also lost other defensive components, but these six defensive players made up the core of their departure. They also lost Trent Richardson, who was their feature back. Prior to the season starting the media gave a great deal of love to other teams like Arkansas, LSU, USC, and others due to the fear Bama had lost too much. Bama was certainly in the mix as a national title contender but was not a unanimous odds on favorite. What the country failed to ignore amongst all these departures is what Bama would be returning in 2012, which looks a lot like Georgia's forecasted line-up in 2013, and provides the pedigree needed for a national championship.
Offensive Line - Bama brought in a veteran offensive line with minimal attrition not only with starters, but in the depth department. This proved to be the anchor of their team and allowed them to impose the necessary gameplan. Likewise, Georgia returns all five guys up front who certainly came into their own this year.
Quarterback - AJ McCarron had experience under his belt and returned under center including obvious big game experience. Georgia has even more of an advantage here with the announcement of Aaron Murray coming back at the helm. He's got the obvious stat lines, more experience including 2 SEC title games, and a whole offseason to eye his mission.
Running Backs - Trent Richardson was a hell of a player and departed, yet Bama was left with a compliment of underclassmen backs who provided a solid 1-2 punch in the bruising Eddie Lacy, and speedy TJ Yeldon. Georgia will have a similar compliment next year with the progression of the already proven Todd Gurley and his compliment of Keith Marshall, both now with a year of successful SEC experience to build on.
Wide Receivers - Bama has never really had a standout receiver aside from Julio, and plays more of a wide receiver by committee. Georgia may have more of a feature target in Malcolm Mitchell, but also returns a nice batch of wideouts who operate under the same philosophy.
Defense - Obviously this is everyone's big concern headed into the off-season, but I'm sure was even more daunting to Bama last year. Not only did they lose most of their defense, but some generational type players similar to our losses of Jarvis Jones and Alec Ogeltree. Prior to the season starting anyone outside of the Tide or SEC pundits probably couldn't have named more than 2-3 starters that would line up for the Tide this year. Similarly Georgia sends the majority of their defense out of Athens this year and will rely on a talented batch of fresh faces. What Bama did have, and hopefully what Georgia will build on, is the development and success of a functioning defensive scheme. Sure some of the numbers got sloppy at points in the season, and some would say they underperformed, but I've liked the progression I've seen under Grantham. My hope is that this carries over and while the players on defense next year may not be household names yet, they will operate successfully under a system that has provided a top defense over the past two years.
Coaching - Amidst all of the turnover in the SEC, Bama was able to retain it's top coaching components in a veteran head coach (Saban), veteran DC (Smart), and veteran OC (McElwain). Similarly Georgia has avoided any coaching attrition and brings back the most veteran SEC head coach, a DC who's been implementing a similar scheme, and an OC who ended a great deal of the knocks on him providing one of Georgia's most potent offenses in ages.
Understand I'm not getting ahead of myself and there are so many outside factors that play into where you end up at the end of the season. I'm merely saying that Georgia has a similar pedigree as they enter the 2013 season with probably a more potent offense than Bama. It's just another thing to look forward to, and possibly an indication that things could look better as far as finally getting over our biggest mythical hurdle next year. Georgia 2013 could look a lot like Bama 2012 in style, personnel, and experience, and that's not a bad thing.
On to the offseason.
As Bama entered the 2012 off-season they had some key departures, mainly on defense losing six players to the first five rounds of the draft. They also lost other defensive components, but these six defensive players made up the core of their departure. They also lost Trent Richardson, who was their feature back. Prior to the season starting the media gave a great deal of love to other teams like Arkansas, LSU, USC, and others due to the fear Bama had lost too much. Bama was certainly in the mix as a national title contender but was not a unanimous odds on favorite. What the country failed to ignore amongst all these departures is what Bama would be returning in 2012, which looks a lot like Georgia's forecasted line-up in 2013, and provides the pedigree needed for a national championship.
Offensive Line - Bama brought in a veteran offensive line with minimal attrition not only with starters, but in the depth department. This proved to be the anchor of their team and allowed them to impose the necessary gameplan. Likewise, Georgia returns all five guys up front who certainly came into their own this year.
Quarterback - AJ McCarron had experience under his belt and returned under center including obvious big game experience. Georgia has even more of an advantage here with the announcement of Aaron Murray coming back at the helm. He's got the obvious stat lines, more experience including 2 SEC title games, and a whole offseason to eye his mission.
Running Backs - Trent Richardson was a hell of a player and departed, yet Bama was left with a compliment of underclassmen backs who provided a solid 1-2 punch in the bruising Eddie Lacy, and speedy TJ Yeldon. Georgia will have a similar compliment next year with the progression of the already proven Todd Gurley and his compliment of Keith Marshall, both now with a year of successful SEC experience to build on.
Wide Receivers - Bama has never really had a standout receiver aside from Julio, and plays more of a wide receiver by committee. Georgia may have more of a feature target in Malcolm Mitchell, but also returns a nice batch of wideouts who operate under the same philosophy.
Defense - Obviously this is everyone's big concern headed into the off-season, but I'm sure was even more daunting to Bama last year. Not only did they lose most of their defense, but some generational type players similar to our losses of Jarvis Jones and Alec Ogeltree. Prior to the season starting anyone outside of the Tide or SEC pundits probably couldn't have named more than 2-3 starters that would line up for the Tide this year. Similarly Georgia sends the majority of their defense out of Athens this year and will rely on a talented batch of fresh faces. What Bama did have, and hopefully what Georgia will build on, is the development and success of a functioning defensive scheme. Sure some of the numbers got sloppy at points in the season, and some would say they underperformed, but I've liked the progression I've seen under Grantham. My hope is that this carries over and while the players on defense next year may not be household names yet, they will operate successfully under a system that has provided a top defense over the past two years.
Coaching - Amidst all of the turnover in the SEC, Bama was able to retain it's top coaching components in a veteran head coach (Saban), veteran DC (Smart), and veteran OC (McElwain). Similarly Georgia has avoided any coaching attrition and brings back the most veteran SEC head coach, a DC who's been implementing a similar scheme, and an OC who ended a great deal of the knocks on him providing one of Georgia's most potent offenses in ages.
Understand I'm not getting ahead of myself and there are so many outside factors that play into where you end up at the end of the season. I'm merely saying that Georgia has a similar pedigree as they enter the 2013 season with probably a more potent offense than Bama. It's just another thing to look forward to, and possibly an indication that things could look better as far as finally getting over our biggest mythical hurdle next year. Georgia 2013 could look a lot like Bama 2012 in style, personnel, and experience, and that's not a bad thing.
On to the offseason.
Thursday, January 3, 2013
Florida Got Exposed in A Perfect Storm Last Night
Florida got taken behind the woodshed last night by a team the rest of the country though they would beat by three touchdowns. I am guilty as well of assuming they'd roll to an easy victory, but know that I look back on the circumstance it's easy to see that this result really isn't that surprising.
For one, Florida got exposed. We'd been forced to buy into the fact that this was a good team pretty much solely due to the fact they were ranked highly at the end of the year. Their defense is good (even though it layed an egg last night, but turnovers didn't help). However let's look at their track record for the year.. Bowling Green took them to the 4th quarter, Lousianna Lafayette had them tied until the final ten seconds, Jacksonville State ended up losing 23-0 but it was a pretty close game for the duration. Their biggest wins came against LSU and S. Carolina. LSU has proven to be an absolutely inept offense which now makes the 14-6 loss versus the Gators, and S. Carolina entered a situational nightmare in the Swamp. Even in the Texas A&M game they faced Johnny Football in only his second game ever, and I think would be blown out if they played A&M again at this point in the year. FSU even played their way out of the Florida loss.
Two, they entered a situational nightmare. As a guy who used to dabble in the betting world, you look for these situations. You have an unmotivated team versus a highly motivated one. A mobile quarterback who has the ability to take over a game. Turnovers and early momentum given to the opponent. An opposing head coach who is very familiar with the program. Couple all this with a team that may not be as good as once perceived, and you have a result like last night.
All this being said, Florida was Georgia's marquee win. In that case I'll assume that when the Dawgs and Gators get together it's going to be a scrap and it was a good win. Florida's not as bad as they were last night, but they may not have been the true top 5 team the nation thought. I try not to buy too much into bowl results where teams aren't really motivated, but maybe our best win wasn't as good as we thought? It's a one game scenario and if UF plays the Cardinals for ten consecutive weeks, they probably win 8-9 of them. In that said one game scenario, you can't be surprised the situational nightmare team comes away with the victory.
For one, Florida got exposed. We'd been forced to buy into the fact that this was a good team pretty much solely due to the fact they were ranked highly at the end of the year. Their defense is good (even though it layed an egg last night, but turnovers didn't help). However let's look at their track record for the year.. Bowling Green took them to the 4th quarter, Lousianna Lafayette had them tied until the final ten seconds, Jacksonville State ended up losing 23-0 but it was a pretty close game for the duration. Their biggest wins came against LSU and S. Carolina. LSU has proven to be an absolutely inept offense which now makes the 14-6 loss versus the Gators, and S. Carolina entered a situational nightmare in the Swamp. Even in the Texas A&M game they faced Johnny Football in only his second game ever, and I think would be blown out if they played A&M again at this point in the year. FSU even played their way out of the Florida loss.
Two, they entered a situational nightmare. As a guy who used to dabble in the betting world, you look for these situations. You have an unmotivated team versus a highly motivated one. A mobile quarterback who has the ability to take over a game. Turnovers and early momentum given to the opponent. An opposing head coach who is very familiar with the program. Couple all this with a team that may not be as good as once perceived, and you have a result like last night.
All this being said, Florida was Georgia's marquee win. In that case I'll assume that when the Dawgs and Gators get together it's going to be a scrap and it was a good win. Florida's not as bad as they were last night, but they may not have been the true top 5 team the nation thought. I try not to buy too much into bowl results where teams aren't really motivated, but maybe our best win wasn't as good as we thought? It's a one game scenario and if UF plays the Cardinals for ten consecutive weeks, they probably win 8-9 of them. In that said one game scenario, you can't be surprised the situational nightmare team comes away with the victory.
Wednesday, January 2, 2013
Georgia 45 Nebraska 31 Recap - Back to Winning Bowl Games
We found ourselves in an all too familiar place staring down on of those mediocre bowl games that start early on New Year's Day. It's funny because the Capital One Bowl actually means you had a pretty good season, but of course to all Dawg fans it seemed a very sour consolation prize for taking the best team in the country down to the five yard line in the Dome.
I think this attitude probably carried over to the team, as in my mind the game started off pretty slow. It seemed UGA wasn't entirely thrilled to be there either. We were obviously more talented than Nebraska pushing the around on the lines of scrimmage, and seemingly being able to score when we decided to. It certainly took a while to get going, and there was certainly some from rust from a near month of lay-off, but in the end I'll take that result all day long. It wasn't but two years ago we were losing to UCF in a bowl game, and last year were the victims of inability to finish a game. Pulling away and getting a decisive bowl win ultimately leaves a nicer taste heading into the offseason.
Nebraska supposedly brought in a pretty good defense even though they were gashed for 70+ versus Wisconsin in their last game, and UGA after a few early miscues was pretty much able to impose their will. Like we'd done all season there was a good mix of the run / pass game. I read a stat today where Mike Bobo actually finished the year with the highest yard per game average in Georgia's offensive history. It looked like we'd continue a lackluster performance after the first quarter, but it's become evident to me that Murray has developed the ability to overcome a bad start and I now have confidence in him to turn a game around.
Murray capped off what we hope is not the last game of his UGA career with another great stat line. The picks hurt, but were overcome. Five TDs, an incredible third down percentage, deep balls, short accurate passes, and even the use of his legs were a nice touch for a guy who gets so much undeserved bashing. Hopefully it's not his last game, but it's been awesome to see his maturity and leadership level develop over his career. Remember as well he did most of this without his leading receiver Malcolm Mitchell in the game.
Todd Gurley throws together another unassuming stellar performance. He once again showed the versatility in his game that will make him great for years to come.
Keith Marshall was going to be an important factor given the screen game that seems to be Nebraska's weakness, and he proved to be a great compliment to Gurley. That catch for a TD was a heck of an adjustment for a running back in the passing game, and I was happy to see him get on the scoreboard.
A great bounce back game (if you can really call it that) for Chris Conley. Not sure why he really needed a bounce back game because you really can't blame him for catching the ball versus Bama, but it had to feel pretty good for him to lead the receiving charge versus the Huskers. On that screen pass he also displayed he has the best form running on the team with perfect robotic form on his way to the endzone.
Tavarres King gets into the endzone... again. He capped off a great career with another long bomb. He could also probably start for the basketball Dawgs if he can pull off that box out move with consistency.
Arthur Lynch certainly has developed as the season has progressed. I've never seen a big white man look more surprised to see open space in front of him on that first touchdown.
The defense didn't provide a great stat line, but apparently at some point in the third quarter decided that they were going to start knocking some heads around. Shawn Williams and Alec Ogeltree didn't take kindly to Taylor Martinez's banter and decided it was best to decapitate him for the rest of the game.
Damian Swann kind of struggled his last two games. While Tech didn't pass the ball much, they sort of took advantage of him when they did, and of course there was the Cooper deep ball versus Bama. I love Swann and think he's going to be a great cover corner for the Dawgs in the future, therefore I was happy to see him put together a nice performance with two picks.
Jarvis Jones seemed to be a step away from creating some menacing tackles all day, but his ability to blow by defenders created havoc for Nebraska all day long. It was more of what we've come to expect from #29 after watching him for what seems like two short years. Certainly going to miss a guy like that, not only for his play but for his character as well.
In a close bowl game like this you kind of lose the notion that it's the last time you'll be watching this unit play together. They were a great unit, and some will say the underperformed, but it was a pleasure watching them do their thing for a few years. They were Grantham's first unit he really got to put through its paces, and in the end were usually able to get the job done. It's a shame we won't get to see most of them suit up in red and black again.
I was worried the Dawgs wouldn't wake up in the second half, but they decidedly turned the corner in the third quarter. It wasn't the most impressive win, but it feels a lot better watching that entering the off season with a win notched in our belt. It was a nice cap to a 12 win season that saw the Dawgs get back to knocking on the door of where we want to be. Certainly we'll have a bad taste in our mouth from the Dome and ask questions for years to come, but in the end a great season. Hopefully, its yet another building block in where we need to get to. Glad to see the seniors and those leaving early get one more chance to prove themselves. On to the off season.
I think this attitude probably carried over to the team, as in my mind the game started off pretty slow. It seemed UGA wasn't entirely thrilled to be there either. We were obviously more talented than Nebraska pushing the around on the lines of scrimmage, and seemingly being able to score when we decided to. It certainly took a while to get going, and there was certainly some from rust from a near month of lay-off, but in the end I'll take that result all day long. It wasn't but two years ago we were losing to UCF in a bowl game, and last year were the victims of inability to finish a game. Pulling away and getting a decisive bowl win ultimately leaves a nicer taste heading into the offseason.
Nebraska supposedly brought in a pretty good defense even though they were gashed for 70+ versus Wisconsin in their last game, and UGA after a few early miscues was pretty much able to impose their will. Like we'd done all season there was a good mix of the run / pass game. I read a stat today where Mike Bobo actually finished the year with the highest yard per game average in Georgia's offensive history. It looked like we'd continue a lackluster performance after the first quarter, but it's become evident to me that Murray has developed the ability to overcome a bad start and I now have confidence in him to turn a game around.
Murray capped off what we hope is not the last game of his UGA career with another great stat line. The picks hurt, but were overcome. Five TDs, an incredible third down percentage, deep balls, short accurate passes, and even the use of his legs were a nice touch for a guy who gets so much undeserved bashing. Hopefully it's not his last game, but it's been awesome to see his maturity and leadership level develop over his career. Remember as well he did most of this without his leading receiver Malcolm Mitchell in the game.
Todd Gurley throws together another unassuming stellar performance. He once again showed the versatility in his game that will make him great for years to come.
Keith Marshall was going to be an important factor given the screen game that seems to be Nebraska's weakness, and he proved to be a great compliment to Gurley. That catch for a TD was a heck of an adjustment for a running back in the passing game, and I was happy to see him get on the scoreboard.
A great bounce back game (if you can really call it that) for Chris Conley. Not sure why he really needed a bounce back game because you really can't blame him for catching the ball versus Bama, but it had to feel pretty good for him to lead the receiving charge versus the Huskers. On that screen pass he also displayed he has the best form running on the team with perfect robotic form on his way to the endzone.
Tavarres King gets into the endzone... again. He capped off a great career with another long bomb. He could also probably start for the basketball Dawgs if he can pull off that box out move with consistency.
Arthur Lynch certainly has developed as the season has progressed. I've never seen a big white man look more surprised to see open space in front of him on that first touchdown.
The defense didn't provide a great stat line, but apparently at some point in the third quarter decided that they were going to start knocking some heads around. Shawn Williams and Alec Ogeltree didn't take kindly to Taylor Martinez's banter and decided it was best to decapitate him for the rest of the game.
Damian Swann kind of struggled his last two games. While Tech didn't pass the ball much, they sort of took advantage of him when they did, and of course there was the Cooper deep ball versus Bama. I love Swann and think he's going to be a great cover corner for the Dawgs in the future, therefore I was happy to see him put together a nice performance with two picks.
Jarvis Jones seemed to be a step away from creating some menacing tackles all day, but his ability to blow by defenders created havoc for Nebraska all day long. It was more of what we've come to expect from #29 after watching him for what seems like two short years. Certainly going to miss a guy like that, not only for his play but for his character as well.
In a close bowl game like this you kind of lose the notion that it's the last time you'll be watching this unit play together. They were a great unit, and some will say the underperformed, but it was a pleasure watching them do their thing for a few years. They were Grantham's first unit he really got to put through its paces, and in the end were usually able to get the job done. It's a shame we won't get to see most of them suit up in red and black again.
I was worried the Dawgs wouldn't wake up in the second half, but they decidedly turned the corner in the third quarter. It wasn't the most impressive win, but it feels a lot better watching that entering the off season with a win notched in our belt. It was a nice cap to a 12 win season that saw the Dawgs get back to knocking on the door of where we want to be. Certainly we'll have a bad taste in our mouth from the Dome and ask questions for years to come, but in the end a great season. Hopefully, its yet another building block in where we need to get to. Glad to see the seniors and those leaving early get one more chance to prove themselves. On to the off season.
Wednesday, December 19, 2012
Who Should We Be Rooting For on January 7th?
So I've started picking up the pieces of my broken self and the painful memories seem to be popping into my mind less and less....for now. I'm sure some of these will come back when I'm forced to watch the National Championship game on January 7th. I'm a football fan, and so yes I'll be watching the game.
Every year a non-Dawg SEC team reaches the title game, the spirited debate rages.... should you root for a team within your conference and ride the SEC train, or root for the opponent to bring down one of your conference foes? I'm not going to argue that you should feel right or wrong for falling on either side, just share my opinion.
It's a much harder debate depending on where you are geographically, who your co-workers are, etc. as you have to weight how bad the hurt of potentially hearing a certain fanbase gloat for a year will sound. It can be a little easier to decide if it's not a hated rival such as Florida or Auburn, but still we have some bad blood with seemingly most everyone in the conference.
Look, a Bama win will burn me pretty much as bad as anyone else. I'm marrying a girl in June who has a brother on the football staff for the Tide, and both of her brothers are Bama grads. Bama fans I will acknowledge are some of the worst in college football, and this was re-affirmed to me sitting in the Dome on Saturday. I've got a couple good friends who are legit Bama guys who carry themselves the right way, but for the most part I'm continually amazed at how these people have nothing outside their lives aside from how the Tide performs on Saturday. Just do a quick YouTube search and you'll be reaffirmed. Watching those Bammer fratstar jabronis celebrate after their victory in the Dome made me want to throw some serious punches, but luckily I was with the fiance's family and of course have a sense of decency about me. I hate the Bama sense of elitism as much as anyone, but after all this I'll still be pulling for the Tide come National Title time...
To me, despite the arguments, I still feel it's more beneficial for the SEC to hold the National Championship belt despite that holder not being the Dawgs. My biggest reason is that I want the rest of the country to not have an argument that the SEC Champion is most likely the best team in the country, and therefore by winning their conference despite the record (obviously within reason) deserves a shot at the title. Georgia has two SECC's in the BCS era and has been denied a shot both times due to extraneous circumstances. It all started with Auburn getting the shaft in 2004, and since then the conference has seemed to rally together in a sense of regionalism and pride. We know what it takes to get through our respective slates, and if we come out victors we should get the chance to challenge for the title given the current college football landscape. As long as the conference keeps winning, that notion should hold true.
I understand the impacts of a rival getting stronger with another notch in their belt as far as recruiting, program prowess, etc. but I really don't see Bama getting any "stronger" from a national perspective. What more can they do. They already pretty much get their pick of recruits and aren't going to gain anymore resources with another victory aside from some nice cash incentives for playing in the game. In the end the conference momentum outweighs whatever negatives can be put forth in front of me for me to not root for the Tide. I think Georgia will win a conference crown in the near future, and when they do I hope the nation and subsequent pollsters will put that team in the title game.
Also, the non southern football fans can't have bragging rights over our way of life. A quick perusal of national message boards will amaze you as to how the rest of the country hates us and still thinks their brand of football deserves some credit over the SEC. We all know that Notre Dame would have four losses at least if they played in the SEC. While they may be able to win game on a national one-time circumstance, they never would have gotten that chance if they had to play four or five of the best teams in the country. Plus their like the Yankees of football and we can't have people hopping back on that bandwagon. I like Brian Kelly, I like their tradition, and I think it's good for football that they're back in the picture, but I don't need a bunch of Midwesterners telling me about how good they are at football all year.
I'll be watching the game and cheering for the Tide, but trust me it won't be with a great deal of fervor. To me it's not about the crimson and white, it's about a generic team defending what we've all come to believe a Saturday in the South should be about. Furthermore I hope it continues to propel the momentum of the conference that will give Georgia the opportunity they deserve when we do harness another conference title. Reluctantly, I'll be cheering for the Tide.
Monday, December 3, 2012
If You Need A Little Motivation for the Capital One Bowl...
The loss in the Dome still hurts, and we don't need to get into the debate of which bowl we "deserved" to go to. Bottom line is we're headed to Orlando, and from the tone of things it doesn't sound like we're very excited. We still get the opportunity to do something special.
We don't need to go back and recall what a dark place we were in a few years ago. We're making positive strides. Last year as SEC runner up, we were blown out in the Dome. This year we were five yards away from the National Championship. What you may not remember is that the Big-10 runner-up last year came into our bowl to see the Dawgs collapse and give them a victory.
While we're not where we desired to be, we still have the opportunity to improve and end things on a positive note. We've had two very poor performances in our last two bowl games, with the bottom of the cellar loss to UCF and the heartbreaking collapse versus the Spartans last year. This year we once again come in as SEC Runner-Up against the Big-10 runner up. Granted Nebraska is hurting a little bit too, but don't believe for one second coming in and beating them by 40 will be a given. It's another chance to go out and build on a positive result for the future. Much like the momentum gained in the last two Florida victories, the better performance in the Dome this year, it's time to now go and re-establish ourselves as a dominant SEC force when it comes to Bowl season.
At least we get a new opponent in the Capital One right? Who wasn't getting tired of playing Purdue and Wisconsin. Not where we want to be, but still a necessary step for us to go out and accomplish.
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| Remember this? c/o NBC |
We don't need to go back and recall what a dark place we were in a few years ago. We're making positive strides. Last year as SEC runner up, we were blown out in the Dome. This year we were five yards away from the National Championship. What you may not remember is that the Big-10 runner-up last year came into our bowl to see the Dawgs collapse and give them a victory.
While we're not where we desired to be, we still have the opportunity to improve and end things on a positive note. We've had two very poor performances in our last two bowl games, with the bottom of the cellar loss to UCF and the heartbreaking collapse versus the Spartans last year. This year we once again come in as SEC Runner-Up against the Big-10 runner up. Granted Nebraska is hurting a little bit too, but don't believe for one second coming in and beating them by 40 will be a given. It's another chance to go out and build on a positive result for the future. Much like the momentum gained in the last two Florida victories, the better performance in the Dome this year, it's time to now go and re-establish ourselves as a dominant SEC force when it comes to Bowl season.
At least we get a new opponent in the Capital One right? Who wasn't getting tired of playing Purdue and Wisconsin. Not where we want to be, but still a necessary step for us to go out and accomplish.
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