Collage 3
The Dawg-gone Blog
Official Sponsor of "Clean, Old-Fashioned Hate" Since 1981
Wednesday, August 13, 2008
Quick Football Tidbits
Not much to talk about today, so let's just do some quick hits:

1)  Mark Richt surprised the team by taking them to the Ramsey Center pool this morning for a quick swim.  Word has it (and I've seen the pics to prove it) that Richt did two of his patented backflips off the 10m platform.  He stuck the landing as always.  I find the move to take the team away from two-a-days interesting for a couple of reasons.  I've never seen Richt do this before the season has begun (correct me if I'm wrong), and so I think he did it because a) the team has been busting it and b) their focus is jilted after the loss of Sturdivant.  Usually I would say one player going down wouldn't affect focus so much, but it sounds like Sturdivant was a well like and respected guy throughout the entire team and losing his leadership probably hurt more than usual.  Just my two cents.

2)  I'm really impressed with Stacy Searels for a variety of reasons, but one of the big ones is his cross-training of O-linemen at all positions.  Somewhere Neil Calloway is disagreeing with me, but I don't give a sh*t.  CSS's approach to coaching is hard-nosed, strategic and kept quiet.  I like hearing the coaches talk, but if CSS keeps doing the job he's doing, I don't give a flip if he ever speaks to the media again.  You've got to think the reluctance from being in the spotlight and talking to reporters has helped his O-line keep focus through the post Sturdivant era.

3)  Tavarres King apparently returned back to practice, but we still have a ton of folks in green jerseys including Knowshon.  I've never seen Mark Richt protect a guy like that before, but I'm not second guessing anything.  Give me another 1300+ yard season and you can do whatever you like.

Other than that, it was a pretty slow news day.  One thing everyone should check out is PWD's newest creation, which is essentially is an extended pregame video from last year.  It'll get you fired up and if it doesn't, how do you look yourself in the mirror every day?

Speaking of which, if anyone has any videos they could pass along to me, I'd really appreciate it. While I have no interest in doing something like what PWD did and putting it on YouTube, I want to get some clips and play around with them in iMovie to music.  Just to see if I could put something decent together.  

If you have any whatsoever, please shoot me an e-mail at KitZeus99 [at] gmail (dot) com.  I'd really appreciate it.


Until next time kids.

Be safe.

Labels: , , ,

Journalistic integrity compromised at 9:52 PM.
0 comments





Tuesday, August 12, 2008
Fight for Your Right
Before we get started, I'd like to go ahead and say that I'm not going to cover Trinton Sturdivant's injury right now.  Personally, I think it's being covered remarkably well in the blogosphere and I think Groo has a really great post about where the O-line goes from here. My opinion on the TS injury is that it's more horrible for him than anything.  He's a good kid with high character and aside from "Bellygate," he's kept his nose clean and worked his ass off. To Trinton Sturdivant I say "Get well soon and we're praying for you." 

What I would rather write about is regarding the media, its sense of entitlement and whether or not they have a "right" to view practices.

I have to give a shout out to Ally for the idea behind this because it was her knock-down-drag-out argument with Dean Legge that fueled my idea.  For the record, she thrashed him and rightfully so, in my opinion.

You see journalists are out to do a job just like you are when you go to work.  While we might think it's all fun and games because they are covering the team we love, it's actually hard work and like pulling teeth sometimes to get a scoop.  In journalism, if you're the first to break a story, you've done your job.  If you're the last, then you're one step closer to a pink slip.

However, sometimes this desire to "outscoop" the competition leads to problems; mainly a sense that certain things should be given instead of earned.  It is due to journalistic integrity that they are allowed to see practice, talk to certain players and have the inside sources that they have. 

But does that give the media a RIGHT to see practice?  No.

I've raved on and on about how good of a job I think those guys at Rivals do.  I've been a subscriber to them for almost a year now and couldn't be happier with it. The reporting and recruiting is spot on and they make sure to confirm things before reporting them.  Even with confirmation, though, they still tend to break news quicker than anywhere else.

What they don't do, though is b*tch and complain when Mark Richt closes practice, and they shouldn't.  No one should.  Ching complained like it was going out of style last year when CMR closed practice for a week and there was no reason for it.  He did it again when Auburn closed practice and is currently getting his a$$ kicked by the AU faithful who understand that the media doesn't have the right to view practice or anything else.

You see, all this ties back into my point about Ally vs. Dean Legge.  Dean's assertion was that the media had the right to view practice because of media contracts that help pay for Mark Richt's job.  I disagree by a large margin.  The media contracts give you access to Mark Richt.  It gives you the chance to ask questions, be a part of his press conferences and interview him one on one depending on the level of the contract.  However, I would highly doubt there is a single contract out there that gives any reporter concrete access to practice no matter the circumstances.  If someone can prove me wrong on that, please do and I will absolutely apologize for being so completely wrong.

Besides, even with contracts, the media doesn't make the team any more money than the donors do.  Think about it like this: A new donor to the program this year paid almost $12,000 for season tickets, or bought the team a new Kia (however you wish to view it).  Does that person now own a portion of practice time?  Since they helped pay CMR's salary, should they get to watch the first 30 seconds of practice every day for a year?  What about someone who's got over 500,000 points in the system?  Should they get to watch practice from start to finish?

The answer of course is "no" on both counts.  The media will lead you to believe they have a right to be there because of contracts, it's news, freedom of the press, blah blah blah.  The truth is with the information age, it's becoming tougher to get a scoop before it hits the web and they need every advantage they can get.  It's not as ludicrous as it is their way of protecting their "turf."  

I can't blame them for doing what they're doing because they're just trying to sell papers, but I can say that they don't have an argument when it comes to their "right" to view anything. Besides, there's not a true UGA fan out there that's going to say "Hell no, I want my practice reports instead of a 'W' on the schedule. I need to know what's going on with the team!"

If there is, I'll be more than happy to call these guys and let you wind up on Showtime for their next season.



Until next time kids.

Be safe.

Labels: , ,

Journalistic integrity compromised at 7:44 PM.
1 comments





Wednesday, August 06, 2008
Practice #3 Tidbits and Some Thoughts
No fancy openings, let's get going.

Word is that Walter Hill has broke his hand or wrist (it still wasn't clear as of this writing). The estimated time table for his return could be about 4-6 weeks, which isn't too terribly bad if it's a hand break.  Either way, it sucks to have a guy go down for an extended period of time. Especially one that can jump like Hill.  He's a go-up-and-get-it kind of guy.

MoMass is apparently showing out at practice.  Everything I've read says he is as smooth as silk, sharper than a tack and coaching up the young'uns.  I've been a huge fan of MoMass even in 2006 when he couldn't catch a cold.  I could really see him stepping up and having a great year and being a steal in the NFL draft, a la Reggie Brown.

For those that are worried about this O-line, I say "hold on for a second."  We're healthy up front and from Richt's various quotes to the media, I think we're going to be pretty solid up front.  We do need some road graders something fierce and while we have the physical tools, I think we're one solid mean streak away from being truly dominant.  If energy is infectious, then Ben Jones might provide us that boost whether he plays or not.  That kid is a firecracker.

In my opinion, pay no mind to the talk of Richard Samuel vying for the number 2 tailback spot behind Caleb King.  I think it's a motivational ploy by Richt to get Caleb in the right frame of mind.  I'm of the mindset that Caleb has all the tools but maybe not the swagger he needs to be as effective as he can be and Richt is trying to light a fire.  I would be severely surprised if Richt flat out gave the No. 2 spot to Samuel.  The blocking thing is a huge deal for Richt and it would blow me away if Samuel has all of that down to a science after 8 months on campus.

For those of you who are missing David Ching, Sanford Knows Best (a blog run by the UGA sports writers for the Red and Black) is doing a SUPERB job of covering practices and gathering tidbits. In fact, they got a quote from Brian Mimbs that Logan Gray is taking turns at punt returner right now.  Yes, you read that correctly.  Will he actually do it?  I highly doubt it because the risk of injury is SO HIGH, but I think it might fuel some of the speculation that Logan might be used in some special packages this year.  His speed is greater than Shockley's I've heard, so it wouldn't surprise me to see him in some wrinkles this year.

*On a side note, seriously, you need to read Sanford Knows Best.  It's a damn good site.*

Finally, there should be an upcoming interview with Rob Suggs, the author of "Top Dawg: Mark Richt and the Revival of Georgia Football."  The interview is complete and I'm just cleaning up the post before I unleash it to the masses for them to ogle over.  I tried to ask some non-traditional questions and beens that it's my first interview, I hope it doesn't suck.  If it does, don't tell me or you might not win the complimentary copy of the book that I'll be giving away on the site shortly thereafter.  Also, I marched with his niece in Redcoats and she'll kick your ass in a heartbeat for throwing a diss at the Dawg-gone Blog and her uncle who is better-than-your-uncle-because-hers-wrote-a-book.  Seriously, she carries a gun.*

I think that's going to be it for me right now.  Still writing at the bar and thankfully, the Mac catches all my spelling errors ahead of time.  If it didn't then you'd notice the third Jack & Coke is talking right now and not me.



Until next time kids.

Be safe.

*She actually doesn't carry a gun, but if she did, would you really be surprised that anyone in Georgia does?

Labels: , , ,

Journalistic integrity compromised at 8:54 PM.
0 comments





Monday, August 04, 2008
Back in the Saddle
Fall practice kicked off yesterday after another weekend of Bulldog trouble (we'll get into this another time). From the reports, the team looked good and in excellent shape. To say that I'm excited about this season would be an understatement of epic proportions.

I figured I'd kick off the practice season (if there is such a thing) with a few things to look for in the upcoming practice schedule:

1) No injuries -- With the recent suspensions, we're not "thin" per say, but inexperienced in some positions. I'd really like to see everyone make it through these next 26 (now 25) practices without injuries of any sort. Unfortunately, the weather appears to be getting hot like it usually does in August, which means cramps, hamstrings and general fatigue will become a factor. However, injuries cannot be afforded right now.

2) Depth chart changes -- Word has already come out that some of the incoming freshmen are looking damn good right out of the gate. Names like Carlton Thomas, Christian Robinson and Cordy Glenn are guys that have some rumblings around them currently and join guys like Richard Samuel and A.J. Green who have been talked about for weeks on end now.

3) Answers to offensive and defensive questions -- Since we all know that we're stacked on both sides of the ball, we all can breathe a SMALL sigh of relief, but the critics have questions that I'm looking forward to having the answers to. Questions like is Caleb King the truth, who will be our 2nd team punt returner or kick returner (think Carlton Thomas on that one) and what will our final rotation be at wide receiver? We have so much talent on campus that questions will have to be answered. It's only natural.

4) How dominant will our defense be? -- We have supreme depth at DT, LB, CB & at the Safety positions. Will Willie Martinez capitalize on "pressure forces mistakes" or will we fall back into the "safe, smart football keeps opponents out of the endzone" nonsense?

5) Will Evil Mark Richt accept the challenge? -- Now we know Mark Richt for who he really is; a firecracker coach who has the faith and understanding of a preacher, but the fire of David Pollack on a 3rd and short. Can that carry over now that the expectations have been lifted? Personally, I think it will.


So there's what to look for from my perspective. More analysis coming as practice carries on.



Until next time kids.

Be safe.

Labels: , ,

Journalistic integrity compromised at 10:57 PM.
1 comments





Saturday, April 05, 2008
Final thoughts
Well, another G-day in the books and here's what we have:

  • First, how big is that Abry Jones commitment?  In my eyes, he was one, if not the, top target for us in '09.  To lock him up and have him be 100% committed is huge.  Coach G is out of sight.  
  • We need a little more work on the O-line.  Those guys are fighting hard, but they're just not gelling quite yet.  Athletically, they're beasts, but technique wise, they're just not there yet.  I think the right side is a little better than the left, but I could be wrong on that.  
  • The D-line, conversely is MUCH improved.  They are fast, big, and mean.  I'm really excited about our front 7 and I think you should be as well.
  • Stafford's technique has definitely improved.  That goes for the other QBs as well, but Stafford showed some really nice things out there both fundamentally as well as his touch on the ball.  He's really starting to be the QB we expect him to be.
  • Logan Gray really impressed me.  His speed is undeniable, but his ability to throw the ball is impressive as well.  He's a LOT like DJ Shockley.  
  • All the RBs look good.  I'm surprised I didn't see more of Dontavious Jackson, who I'm sure that right now is a redshirt waiting to happen.  Samuel looks great physically and once his technique catches up, he'll be a monster.  I can't say enough about Kalvin Daniels as a running back.  The kid is playing football for free and playing the hell out of it.  
  • Caleb King deserves his own bullet.  That kid is going to be a nice change-of-pace back for us, even though I never thought he'd be that different from Knowshon.  King is not quite as smooth or fast, but he's got great patience and moves and a lot of power.  He's a very strong runner.
  • The WRs look good, even though their hands are quite as sure as I thought they'd be.  Michael Moore looks good and Kenneth Harris does as well, even though Harris was not as healthy or played as much as Moore.  Once Mo Mass gets back on the field, we're going to be dangerous deep.  
  • I think our Secondary is good, but could probably use a little more work.  Asher Allen looks to be this year's Kelin Johnson, even though I'd prefer the leadership to come from the Safeties because that's what has worked over the past few years.  
All in all, I think we're a good looking team trying to find this year's rallying force.  Once we get that down, we'll be bad ass.  Are we a Nat'l Championship team yet?  Not quite, but the talent is definitely there.  We just gotta get focused.

Hope you guys enjoyed all this.  Thoughts?  Disagreements?  What did you get out of this year's G-day?

Discuss.


Until next time kids.

Be safe.

Labels: , , ,

Journalistic integrity compromised at 3:42 PM.
5 comments





4th Quarter highlights
Battson for the Red team throws it DEEP to Vernon Spellman.  Battson threw the hell out of that ball and Spellman didn't come up with the catch.  Damn that was a nice throw.

Mimbs kicks again and lets another good one go.  

I wonder what one-legged walk-on will get to throw for the Black team.  Seems like they're just tossing guys in there now.  Actually, Cox comes back in at QB.  Looks like the Black team is getting ready to try and make a run at the score.

Cox gets a screen pass to King who gets tripped up.  King wanted to score on that one, you can tell, but it was a nice trip up by Vance Cuff.  If I'm the Black team coach, I'm getting King the ball again.

They tried to again and Justin Houston gets the QB sack.  Butler kicks again and actually gets a decent one off.  I'm sure Fabris will still tear into his ass when he gets the chance.

The Red is going to take over the ball again who is going to try and run the ball out for some steak.  With a 17-3 lead, I got a feeling this one is pretty wrapped up, so hopefully we can see some O-line and RB action.  

Interview with Brannan Southerland went well.  He'll be back by fall.  

Handoff to Richard Samuel gets about 5 yards.  Pretty good blocking out front.  Another run by Samuel and another chance to see a nice hole made by the O-line.  Not sure how many starters for the defense are still playing, but the O-line is getting the best of them right now. 

Samuel gets another carry.  It's kind of funny how much harder the defense tries to hit the freshmen when they touch the ball.  If you're a senior, it's your job to break these guys in.  Corvey Irvin gets pulled offside and I think Bobo's going to take a shot here.  He has that look on his face.  

3 WR set.  Gray is back and tosses it deep to Kenneth Harris, who couldn't make the catch.  Told ya so.  If the opposing team kept an eye on Bobo, they'd know what he was calling every time.

Kalvin Daniels gets the toss and gets about 15 yards.  It was a very nice run by Daniels who didn't quit at all and showed great patience.  After the run, Chad Gloer gets another chance and sacks Gray after the pocket collapses on the blitz.  

Gray on the keeper and he gets tagged and then gets TAGGED by a defender.  Whoever #43 is really nailed him and will probably catch an earful when the time comes.  Gray goes deep again to Michael Moore and it gets broken up in the endzone.  Another nice pass, though.

Frank Ros gets in front of the microphone and does a little bit of talking about Bryce Ros, who I'm very excited about.  He's got a frame on him and could do a lot for us.  

Scary moment for big Vince Vance who is down right now with a knee problem.  He doesn't look to be too hurt.  Richt is out there with the trainers checking on big VV.  VV isn't putting any weight on it, so I'm not sure how hurt he is, but he wasn't on the ground too long.  Just from seeing guys pull an ACL/MCL, they're usually down for a little longer, so hopefully it's not too bad.

Stache is back in for the Black team and throws the ball...to the Red team.  John Knox gets the pick and seals it up for the Red team.  

Knowing Bobo, they're going to try and score on this possession.  Well, Bobo actually just runs it out with Samuel and Daniels.  The Red team chalks up another victory against the Black team.  

Final thoughts coming up.

Labels: , ,

Journalistic integrity compromised at 3:22 PM.
0 comments





3rd Quarter Highlights
Walk-on Nick Franks leads the QBs out for the Black team.  Richt is in the booth with the guys.

Dontavious Jackson gets two handoffs.  The first, goes no where, but the second gets a nice 6 yard gain.  He's quick, but not very big.  He needs some S&C.  Josh Bagby, a FB, gets the handoff and goes no where.

Drew Butler is going to come out and kick.  Drew gets off a kick after a high snap (he's dead on a rush) and the kick is ugly again.  Fabris looks pissed about it too.  

Gray comes back out for the Red team.  Samuel gets the carry, but it looks like a hold on the O-line will bring the run back.  Richt gives Samuel some props for his weight room warrior attitude.  Jarius Wynn drags down Samuel on the handoff.  Wynn is looking great today.

Logan on the keeper and gets about 20 yards.  He's a quick kid.  It was the first time today to really see him run and he made the most of it.  

Jamie Lewis gets the carry, but gets licked by Chad Gloer.  I'm really surprised by Richt's knowledge of the walk-ons.  Most coaches (and I'm talking about you Bobby Bowden) wouldn't even bother with getting to know these kids, but Richt is all over it.

Some Center talk and it sounds like they want Ben Jones to step up and become the Center so that C. Davis can go back to his natural position.  Mimbs comes out and kicks and nails it.  He's looking good.

Stache!!!!  Jonathan De'Laruel (sp?) comes out mustache and all.  He neglects to pull the trigger and gets sacked.  The good news is he had some decent time back there to throw.  Again, Stache has tons of time to throw the ball and forgets again.  

Jamie Battson (??) takes over the Red team offense and hands off to Samuel.  

That's the end of the 3rd quarter.  Here's some thoughts:

  • Butler has got to get it together in the kicking game.  Mimbs is solid as a rock though and whoever is snapping the ball to him has been right on the money.
  • Stache is hesitant to pull the trigger because this is the first time he's ever had the chance to.  It'd be nice to see him get a chance to throw, but it's all on him to do it.
  • The O-line looked a little better on both sides of the ball.  They protected much better.
4th Quarter Highlights next.

Labels: , ,

Journalistic integrity compromised at 3:07 PM.
0 comments





First Half Thoughts
First, a quick interview with DJ (who is probably my favorite Dawg of all time).  He's the honorary coach for the red team.  No questions to DJ about his NFL career.  That kind of pisses me off.  I'm really interested to see what's going on with him.

Then they interview Kevin Butler, coach of the Black team.  Butler tells us what we all figured anyway; that we need some help in the kicking game.  

I'm pissed about not getting an update about Shockley.  Damn it.


Anyway, some first half observations.

  • We are just not there on the O-line.  I really believe Richt when he's said he doesn't feel that we're where we need to be.  Thankfully, this is spring and we have plenty of time to get it together, but we've got to get after it better in the trenches.  The talent gap between the first and second team is HUGE and we've got to get after it during the summer.
  • Stafford and Moreno both look good and our WRs on the first team have some sure hands.  Moreno is not as jaw-dropping as you would think, but he's still got that electricity about him where you hold your breath every time he touches the ball.
  • We look solid in the front 7 on defense.  Especially in the trenches, we're quick and create a lot of havoc.  Damn we're deep on defense.  The 2nd team looks good too and I can't say enough about our LBs.  I think we're a little thin in the secondary as far as playmakers go since we've been burned a couple of times, but I'd say our defense could keep up with at least 80% of the teams in the nation RIGHT NOW.  Who knows how much better we could be by the fall.
  • Kicking wise, we don't look bad at all.  Our punting isn't as solid as we'd like, but on FGs, we've got some legs out there.  
3rd Quarter coming up.

Labels: , , , ,

Journalistic integrity compromised at 2:58 PM.
1 comments





2nd Quarter Highlights
Did I ever mention that I hate listening to Buck?  Thank God he didn't get the announcing job in place of Larry.

Brian Mimbs kicks it away and Reshad Jones catches at the 30.  Mark Richt is joining the guys in the booth in the 3rd Quarter today as opposed to the 2nd.  Can't wait to hear what he has to say.

Joe Cox throws in the flat to Caleb King where he gets about 9 yards.  Our WR blocking wasn't that great on the play as some guys really neglected to get in front of the CBs and drive them back.  

Kalvin Daniels gets in the game wearing Ellerbe's #33.  I really like Daniels and hope he gets to see some playing time this fall.  He reminds me of Jason Johnson for some reason and I was VERY high on what JJ did for the Dawgs as far as lockerroom leadership goes.  

Cox goes again into the flat and Fred Munzenmier (sorry Abby if I spelled that wrong...she's his sister and former Redcoat) can't hang on.  Joe Cox is really going with some safe throws after trying to force the ball in to Figgins earlier.  For some reason the Black team has called a couple of timeouts on this possession after looking like they're completely lost in formation.  

Just a random observation, but the difference between our 1st and 2nd team offense is VERY noticeable, whereas our 1st and 2nd team defense seems to be not such a huge dropoff.  I honestly think that's a good thing.

After getting everyone on the same page, the toss goes to Caleb King, who again looks good.  That kid is a lot bigger than I originally thought.  He's got a Jarius Norwood type build to him.  King gets the handoff again and spins someone completely out of their shoes to get about 6 yards.  King is looking really good today and people are reacting to watching him run.  

Akeem Hebron gets the fumble after the QB/Center exchange goes awry (uh oh...) and takes it down the field until Joe Cox takes him to the ground.  Cox got a nice ovation for getting in there and not giving up.

Logan Gray comes in the game and tosses to Knowshon who tries to show off.  He only gets about 2 yards though.  Gray goes deep and Asher Allen gets an interference call on him after some bumping in the endzone.  Honestly, I think it was a little overthrown, but Asher did do a little too much bumping downfield.  Asher's pissed about the call, but not as pissed as he's going to be when Willie gets into him about it.

Richard Samuel comes into the game and Asher sticks him good on an open field tackle.  It amazes me how big Samuel is for only 17 years old.  Timeout called.  

Going on about Samuel, he is a specimen.  That kid is big and quick.  No wonder he is talked about so much.  

After the timeout, Gray throws in the flat to the fullback and Rennie Curran sticks him pretty good.  Our defense is SICK with speed.  It's insane.  Gray goes on the keeper and would've had the TD, but the play is blown dead.  

Gray throws a BULLET to Michael Moore who catches his second TD of the day.  Gray made an excellent throw.  I have a feeling that Gray may see a lot more playing time this year than people think.  Michael Moore is good, but he's really just doing what he's supposed to do.  The QBs are making it very easy for him.  Not taking anything away from Moore though.

Cox brings the Black back out and dumps it to the FB who gets about 5 yards.  Still seeing really safe throws from Cox.  I'd like to see him air it out some if possible.  Another pass and it's an out route to Israel Troupe.  Cox is looking fundamentally sound and definitely knows the offense.

Cox throws to Walter Hill who is tall as sh*t.  Hill looks up late and can't make the grab.  Handoff goes to Kalvin Daniels and the O-line disintegrates again and the defense makes the stop. 

Honestly, I'm worried about this O-line.  

Cox throws back to Kalvin Daniels on third down who gets LEVELED by John Knox.  That was a GREAT hit by Knox, who I've heard is a good hitter as it is.  Drew Butler comes out to kick and the punt was an ugly one.  I think it just went off the side of his foot, but it had no hang time at all.

Joe Cox comes out and throws to Kenneth Harris, who was supposed to not play today, but oh well.  Harris is getting talked to on the sideline, like "you're not supposed to do that."

Stafford's back in at QB and hands to Moreno, but the play is a false start.  Moreno jabs at Curran who lets him know that if Moreno had caught it, his ass would be on the ground.  Stafford then throws incomplete to Durham, who I'm not sure if he fell down or if Stafford was off, but they just didn't hook up.  

Screen pass caught with one hand by Moreno.  He then makes Asher miss and then picks p the first down.  Michael Moore then catches a nice pass from Stafford.  We're putting together a nice drive here.  I just watched the next play from Stafford (incomplete to Moore) and he's getting a little bit better blocking up front. 

Stafford throws it up the middle to Aaron White, who gets it and comes down with it.  It was a nice throw by Stafford and we've got 5 seconds left in the half.  Looks like we're going to go for a Hail Mary since it's too far for a FG.

They went for an out route instead of the Hail Mary, but it was incomplete.  Brian Behr is coming out to attempt a 52 yarder.  

Behr nails it from 52 yards.  Again, no rush, but a helluva kick.  Probably would've been good from 55.  

First half thoughts coming up next.

Labels: , ,

Journalistic integrity compromised at 2:28 PM.
0 comments





1st Quarter Highlights
Stafford starts out with a playfake and throws in the flat to Kris Durham who gets a VERY nice gain of about 20 yards.  His speed really seems to has picked up.

Knowshon for some reason is wearing #26 (update:  he's wearing it to honor Tony Wilson).  No indication as of yet why he has that.  Moreno got the first carry and gets a good 4 yards out of it.  Knowshon gets the next carry and runs a misdirection and gets a good 10 yards and a first down.

Stafford fakes the handoff on the next play and gets a little bit of time up front and throws a BEAUTIFUL pass to Michael Moore who has also had an impressive spring.  The kick is good (we have a kicker?) and the Red is up 7-0.

Just some random thoughts from the first series:

  • Stafford showed really nice fundamentals on the pass to Michael Moore.  
  • Up front we look "OK" on both sides of the ball.  Neither time that Moreno ran the ball did he have a big hole.  It was more of him making things happen.


The next series begins with Joe Cox handing off to Caleb King.  Right now, King isn't looking too great, but I think more of that has to do with very little blocking up front.  We don't seem to be getting after it too much in the trenches on the O-line.  

Joe Cox on 3rd down threw a BEAUTIFUL pass to Israel Troupe, who makes a nice catch.   Troupe looks great in pads.  Big kid.

On the first down after the big gain, Cox is sacked.  I can tell you that Joe Cox has NO protection up front.  Caleb King gets the handoff on the second down and makes a nice run.  He's got a good second gear that allows him to get a nice burst once he makes a good cut.  

King gets the next handoff and gets another first down.  He's running hard and seems to be much more downhill than Knowshon.  They are still both REALLY quick, but King seems to be really into hitting people and driving them back.  Reminds me a lot of Thomas Brown's mentality.  

After a quick throw out in the flat for 5 yards, Cox is sacked again.  In the real world, he makes that throw, but it goes down as a sack.  On the next down, Cox throws kind of an ill-advised pass to Bruce Figgins.  Walk-on Andrew Jenson hits a 47 yard field goal for a 7-3 score.

On the next series, Stafford keeps on the bootleg and gets about 7 yards it looks like.  C.J. Byrd is the one that tags him.  Stafford throws on the next down and Asher Allen nearly picks it off.  To me it looks like Durham didn't curl as soon as he was supposed to and Asher nearly picked it off.

On 3rd & 4, Stafford is sacked by Jarius Wynn.  It'll most likely be a "punt" situation and the Black team will take it.

1st Quarter Thoughts:

  • I'm starting to agree with Richt when he says that he doesn't feel that our O-line is where it was last year.  They're just not that mean up front even though athletically they look fantastic.  They're big, but not moving really well.
  • The running backs are impressing me.  Knowshon looks good of course, but Caleb King showed some determination on his runs.  
  • Our D-line is causing some havoc up front on both sides of the ball.  Some of that has to do with our O-line not being where it should be, but our War Daddies defensively are really getting after it.
2nd Quarter Highlights next.

Labels: , ,

Journalistic integrity compromised at 2:07 PM.
3 comments





About to kickoff
I fired this thing up only to log onto UGAsports.com and see that Abry Jones has committed to UGA.  This is a HUGE get for the Dawgs as DL was going to be a major focus for us.  In his interview he said he was 100% committed to the Dawgs and chose us over Miami.  

Ok, so just to let you guys know what is going on right now, the stadium looks to have a great crowd on hand even though the weather has kept some people away.  

We're getting ready to kickoff, so I'll have 1st quarter highlights soon.

 

Labels: , ,

Journalistic integrity compromised at 2:03 PM.
0 comments





Live G-day Blogging
Due to some unfortunate circumstances out of my control (see: new apt. makes me broke and can't afford the gas to come to Athens), I will not be attending G-day this year.  

So, for the other 3 unfortunate souls who share my situation, I thought I would live blog the G-day game as I watched it to get knee-jerk reactions "on paper," and then go back and see if any of my assessments were correct at a later date.

If you have no idea how this goes, I'd say go back and check out when I live blogged the Vanderbilt upset in 2006.  It'll be a lot like that.  I'll probably do it quarter by quarter since they will only go 8 minutes long according to Richt, and I won't live blog every play, just the observations I'm making.

Should be fun times and I'm hoping to get some decent stuff out of a subpar weather day.  For those in Athens, have fun for me because I really wish I were there.  For those like me, please let me know in the comments section if you agree, disagree, etc.  I'd love to get your thoughts too on what you're seeing.

See you at about 1:45p.  Go Dawgs.


Until next time kids.

Be safe.

Labels: , ,

Journalistic integrity compromised at 11:31 AM.
1 comments