Collage 3
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Monday, September 01, 2008
Endangered Species
Ok, there's plenty to cover regarding the game on Saturday, but let's just go ahead and skip all the pleasantries and get right to it.


The Good:

1)  Offensive Production -- Finally we looked like we had every aspect of our Offensive scheme clicking on most (but not all) cylinders.  Our running game was effective and our passing game was just as effective. Stafford's pass efficiency was around 62%, with no interceptions. On top of that, our receivers did a great job of catching tough passes. Offensively, we were about as effective as you could think.

2)  1st Half Defense -- Well, let's see, GSU only gained 88 yards in the first half and scored zero points. We did have to intercept one pass in the endzone and rely on a missed field goal in order to keep that shutout, but sometimes a little luck goes along way.  In the first half, we tackled well, defended well and pressured the QB. All in all, it was 38-0 before GSU finally scored anything. I'd say something went right early on.

3)  Kicking Game -- Well, Blair Walsh didn't disappoint did he? Instead of being afforded the luxury of kicking off, kicking a PAT and then kicking a few short FGs to find his stride, he was thrown right into the fire by having his first FG attempt be a monster one from 52 yards. The most important thing about that is that he not only converted that attempt, but he did it with extra room to spare. That kick would've been good from 55 or maybe even 60.

4)  Freshmen Debuts -- Caleb King, Cordy Glenn, DeAngelo Tyson, A.J. Green and Tavarres King all made notable debuts between the hedges, with other freshmen like Logan Gray and Richard Samuel seeing some good time as well.  All in all, I think the final count was that 10 true freshmen saw the field and got some quality game experience. Nothing wrong with that.


The Bad:

1)  Injuries -- It not only sucks that Jeff Owens went down for the year with an ACL tear, but we had players all over the place go down with cramps. As of this writing, I still don't know what happened to Kenneth Harris for him to be in a walking boot, but that didn't look good either. The truth is, if we can't keep our guys healthy, then our chances of getting through the Alabama game without a loss is pretty slim.

2)  2nd Half Defense -- For everything that went right in the first half, it went wrong in the second half. We couldn't tackle, we couldn't cover and we couldn't pressure the QB worth a damn. Now, I'm not saying we're a "bad" Defense, per say, but I do think that we slacked up when we knew the game was in hand. 

3)  Buck Belue and Matt Stewart -- What's great about the new CBS and ESPN mega deals is that hopefully we won't have to deal with those two asshats any longer. I know Buck is a "legend" of sorts at UGA, but seriously, the guy drives me crazy behind the microphone. Buck's "analysis" is more "anal" than anything and Matt Stewart couldn't call a game to save his life. Ugh, I'll take Mike "What's Britney Up To These Days?" Patrick over those two any day.


The Ugly:

1)  The Heat -- I wasn't there, but what I hear is that the temperatures and humidity were out of control after a pretty stellar summer of decent temperatures. My thoughts on that is that while it's ugly, it helps us in the long run, because it's not going to get any warmer in Arizona.

2)  The Refereeing -- Wow.  Seriously, can we get a crew that doesn't feel sorry for the other team? Evil Richt had to be brought out of his cage to open a can of whoop ass on the head ref, who couldn't count the men in the huddle. That's not including the multiple pass interference calls that were missed.  Refereeing at Sanford Stadium is a guarantee to be bad...every time.

3)  Ticket Prices -- Even though we're the No. 1, I didn't expect to hear that GSU tickets were up into the $100-$150 range. For someone who doesn't have season tickets like me, it's never a good thing to hear that ticket prices are so high-dollar. Looks like I'll be donating to the Hartman Fund until I'm 40 just to have the option to buy a face value ticket.


Final Thoughts:  

We got what we expected. We saw some good things on Offense, good things on Defense and we answered questions about our Special Teams.  There's not much more you can ask for than that. Unfortunately, we lost a leader in Owens, but that just means it's time for someone else to step up. 

I was a little off on the score, but that's OK. A win's a win and I'll take it for what it is. Now we have to focus forward with a good week of practice in anticipation to face an offensively talented Central Michigan team.


Your thoughts?

Until next time kids.

Be safe.

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