Something troubling popped up again last night.
Also, this…
Kirby preaches resilience and all that, but why do we keep having to wait for the team to kick it in to high gear and play like we know they’re capable of? Do we lack analysts and just hire recruiters? And to that end, what good is the recruiting if we don’t use the kids when they get here…case in point, what good is Hartley if we don’t use tight ends like we should.
And why the hell are you opting for Cash Jones on a critical fourth down?
Also, the drops have almost become comical at this point.
Yeesh. The schedule doesn’t get easier. More sleep walking through games like this and we could easily lose to…Mississippi State. In case you missed it, they looked stout against Tennessee.
As I said earlier this week…something’s gotta give.
Pitiful. Just pitiful.
Quoting Jed Clampett was not what I expected to see this morning. It certainly fits.
Kirby has got some splainin to do but he won’t. He will bristle and act offended that people dont love what they see.
Who’s fired up about a nooner against Kentucky next Saturday? Kirby will brush aside all questions about going for it on fourth and one with Cash rather than taking the damn points as well as any questions about the state of the program and tell everybody what they are focused on is Kentucky and how physical they are. Fuck. That. I’ll be on the tractor early Saturday afternoon. Ive got better things to do than watch a boring ass rock fight with Kirby indulging himself in a measuring contest and making an inferior opponent look better than they are by being baited into a contest to see who is tougher. No thanks. Im good.
Your comment coupled with mine below- rather than beat them with our game, let’s play there’s to show them how tough we are. So tiring. Memories of our season opener vs Oregon are still with me- we own the field and ball, now stop us if you can. Not so much anymore.
24, 24 and 26.
That’s the number of points Todd Monken offenses scored in the 3 games against Alabama.
Kirby took 3 off the board last night for us to get to the same number.
Monken had to play against Saban.
We did that pile of shit against a trash coach who will likely be fired soon.
Don’t get me wrong … I agree that last night was awful.
I just get tired of reading everyone bashing the offense when the defense was just as guilty of the loss.
On the 4th down, if you’re going hurry-up with that personnel, Gunner needs to run QB power or throw it. Otherwise, you sub to get your best package of the field.
Kick the field goal and play defense.
Don’t believe Monken was cursed with dropped TD passes either. To be fair Monken had much better skill position players.
I’ll never understand not taking the tie. It’s in our house not on the road.
Also, I believe almost every offensive lineman that Monken had (and Pittman recruited) on those 2 teams had at least had a shot to play in the NFL.
Go back and look at some old footage of the Richt era. If we didn’t own the fourth quarter and that was the fan moto we would have been beaten more often. Now fast forward to last years and this year’s games and tell me the similarities.
The defense gave up 24. I mean are they supposed to only allow 3 so bobo’s 7 a half style wins? Is this the 1970s again?
There was plenty to complain about on both sides of the ball. While Schuman was giving up 10 third down conversions in a row, Bobo was dialing up 3 and outs.
7 of those were result of fumble on 10 yard line. Shut out in second half. Offense needed 2 touchdowns in second half to win.
Same here. I don’t want to be a fair-weather fan but damn. Kirby and co shit the bed. I ain’t happy with the state of the program
Whipping my own dead horse here because this post is speaking to me. I’ve been saying this the last 2 years- a ho hum la-di-dah attitude on the field, especially the offensive side of the ball, like we deserve to win just because we got off the bus.
I remember after a couple of NC’s Bama had some lean years (by their standards….you know, lose one game and not win the NC) that Saban blamed on folks coming in and feeling entitled just because they had Bama on their chest. The difference between Kirby and Saban is that Saban would fire his own mother to get a win. Kirby may be tough, but he is nowhere near as ruthless as his mentor.
The defensive series right after we scored to make it 17-14 changed the complexion of the whole game. That was downright piss-poor.
If you told me we would run for 230 yards before the game, I would have told you Dawgs win by double digits. This one is going to hurt for a while.
I don’t claim to know the solution, but what I do know is that for a program whose coach is defensive-minded and steeped in defensive culture, we don’t play sound defense any longer.
Is it coaching? Is it preparation? Is it personnel? Probably a little of all of it.
What I do know is Kirby gets paid a ton of money to make sure that side of the ball is well prepared for anything.
Kirby has a bama problem. He will until he strings a few wins on them together. This one was very winnable.
Bama’s in Kirby’s head big time and it shows. We get cute and try to trick ’em with a fast snap and the smallest back we have. I don’t think we could get any better than Kirby, but he needs to specifically start owning his brain cramps versus Bama. He deserves MANY tough questions this week. HE WAS FLAT OUT COACHED.
Aladawg
The last 3 were winnable.
2023 – couldn’t run the ball and Beck played so-so
2024 – turnovers and terrible defensive plan built a margin that an elite team should never have to dig out from
2025 – coching and execution errors
Exactly! How you can let them march the length of the field with NO TIMEOUTS and less than two minutes is inexcusable. Schumann has never impressed me. He made his bones on what Lanning built. He had Boom until now to help guide him. Now that the training wheels are totally, he does not seem to be up to the job.
Agreed. We looked like a Grantham defense running around trying to get into position, only to be woefully out of position to make a stop. Are the players over-coached? Is the scheme too complicated? IDK, but we get lit up by every decent team not named Texas.
I’ve said this before and will say it again, most OC’s script the first series of plays. Don’t know what the hell Bobo and his analyst see but it damn sure ain’t working. Or maybe they keep using the same script – run up the middle, bubble screen, zone read, PUNT.
Other than the fact we threw the ball twice on the first series … one where Gunner missed an open receiver on an out just short of the sticks and the second where we’re fortunate it wasn’t picked …, you’re exactly right.
Not sure what you are saying, but Delp dropped a first down throw.
Not on the first possession. Go look at the play by play drive chart.
2-yard run by Frazier
Incomplete
Incomplete
The second down throw to Delp was dropped right at the first down sticks. If he doesn’t drop it we get a first down.
Hard to believe we had a bye week to prepare for the game.
Gave us more time to practice our ineptitude.
And where in the hell is Noah Thomas?
I had the same question. He’s been on the field some, but mostly invisible. I recall a short throw to Delp that almost got him beheaded, but don’t recall any other throws to the TEs. To be fair, Gunner faced a LOT more pressure than Simpson. Our OL and DL seem very average.
I don’t claim to be an x and o guy, maybe it’s 100 small errors over the course of a game as opposed to one big issue. But it’s weird watching a team that got stuffed in a locker by an average FSU team come in and stuff us in a locker. We never quit, but what if we started playing without going into a 2btd hole?
I have thought since the 2021 SECC we finally had the better team (ironically, except for the game in Indy), and every time we have gotten beat. UGA is still my school, but this is kind of exhausting. Guess we will see what we are made of the rest of the way.
In interview, Kirby mentioned continuity with keeping Bobo. I see the same with the other Richt guys as well. Continuity. Same thing.
Continuity is great when what you have works. But I also call BS on the idea that continuity is always better than change. How many years in a row did Saban seem to bring in a new OC and they never seemed to falter. And there are so many talented and creative OCs out there that would kill to have access to our talent.
Regardless of what you think about Bobo, when someone knows their job is secure no matter what they do, they will always underperform because there’s no pressure to innovate or improve.
Well said. Agree 100%!
Is it overly simplistic to say that our defensive struggles begin and end with the D-line? Our front 4 or 5 were unable to get pressure on Simpson last night, leaving him standing in a clean pocket for hours on end. When the D-line is stalled, the LBs and secondary are then required to play mistake free football. We watched Alabama and Simpson destroy our defense last night, specifically on 3rd down. Alabama was an incredible 13 for 19 on 3rd down and we were a mere 2 for 8. While the D-line appears to be subpar on passing downs, they are stout in run defense. Alabama ran the ball 38 times last night for a total of 117 yards. Pretty impressive.
As far as the offense goes, I can’t figure this group out. At times they look like deer in headlights, yet other times they look great. Is this a Bobo issue, or a banged up O-line, or a 1st year starter at QB? My guess is all of the above. At the end of the day we know that this is not a great football team, nor are they well coached in certain areas. Time to enjoy Fall Saturdays with zero expectations.
The answer is his staff. Like I said in the other thread:
Kirby is the best coach in college football, but he’s so good he thinks he can win without the best coaching talent. He thinks his brilliance can make up the gulf and allow him to have his “buddies” along for the ride.
Mark Richt without Bobo as OC: 2 SEC titles.
Mark Richt with Bobo as OC: 0 SEC titles.
Kirby Smart without Bobo as OC: 2 national titles
Kirby Smart with Bobo as OC: 0 national titles.
You’re either elite, or you’re not. And Mike Bobo is not elite.
Kirby has gotten complacent with his entire coaching staff and has too many buddies and old pals/mentors he thinks he can bring along for the ride.
The final lesson he has to learn from his most important mentor, Nick Saban, is you cut the dead weight immediately or else you’ll be dragged down to the bottom of the ocean with them.
I’m not an expert enough to call out every example. Bobo is just the most obvious because we have been here before.
You can’t preach Best Man Gets the Job to players when they see the Coach giving his buddies jobs they don’t deserve.
Do you think in today’s NIL + information age they aren’t aware that Kirby’s staff is a bunch of friends and mentors on charity gigs?
Why believe him when he preaches about hard work and leaving it all out on the field when he doesn’t even follow the same rules for himself and his coaching staff?
I would kill for a reporter to ask this question:
“Coach, when are you going to hold your own coaching staff to the same standard you have for your players?”
Donte should be fired TODAY!
2 things are missing – Dan Lanning and Todd Monken.
Well, they aren’t coming back to be Kirby’s coordinators, so what’s your solution?
Kirby’s solution is probably Todd Grantham
We already have him.
3rd and Schuman
Sad but true
Ooof.
As a CEO, the solution is to keep putting people in that will do what you are needing them to do. If they can’t do that, then replace them until you find the right ones. One would think we’ve had a large enough sample to know that these guys aren’t the right ones. When your defense struggles to stop offenses ( and I mean STRUGGLE) and your offense has trouble scoring on Austin Peay then you have the wrong guys. I watch every game and I don’t see a lack of effort by the players. They seem to be working their asses off.
I would agree on the effort by the players OTHER THAN the DB’s tackling. It seems they watched too much Dieon Sanders tape and are making a business decision when it comes down to one on one and having to stick the guy.
Not apologizing for the current coaches they deserve plenty credit for the loss. Lanning and Monken also had all pro NFL talent with 3 deep at most positions. Today’s roster is not even close to those two NC teams. This is a young team. With very little experienced backups. NIL has prevented Kirby and staff from stock pilling talent like Lanning and Monken had. It’s not an apples to apples comparison to be fair.
When Kirby became a HC his in game management was not good. Today it’s usually outstanding. Not kicking the three was not a good decision. Giving the ball to Cash Jones was a horrible decision.
I was told that we were a young team last year…so when do they grow up?
Someone is having a hard time with this loss.
That would be me.
Our defense has become a make the other team play well keep everything in front of you and eventually they will fuck up. That’s a great way to play when we have a great pass rush and secondary. We have neither this year. I am starting to believe it is the lack of a pass rush that makes the rest of the defense look bad. Guys who we’ve seen make great plays look bad when Simpson has 10 seconds to throw. To the defenses credit they played great in the 2d half but that leads to my second observation:
The offense seeks to balance itself by going away from the hot hand too much. The way Bowens played last night why take him out of the game? Young was making plays Everytime we went to him why not go to him more? Instead we substitute too much and get left with a chance to go ahead but don’t have Number 33 in the game.
I will just continue to believe that we won’t beat Bama no matter the quality of the two teams on the field.
I’m hopeful about this team due to the youth and inexperience of the guys who do make plays for us and are not known due to what they were perceived to be as high school players.
Id like to get another chance at Bama but that sloppy ass team is likely to lose 3 more games this season, if we do see them again see my comment above.
The lack of pass rush is the root of all of this. DBs can’t cover for 5-7 seconds on every dropback. Someone is eventually going to get open even it’s a check down that gets 5-7 yards on 2nd and 9.
None of this is to excuse the DBs. On the first TD, you can’t get beat off the ball on a slant. Basic DB coaching says you have to make the ball go to the sideline where the throw is much more difficult.
There has been a steady decline on the line of scrimmage on both sides of the ball. This is where NIL is hurting us the most.
We were always taught, you take away the slant by alignment.
‘Run Bowens around the end til bama proves they can stop him’ was what I was thinking during the game.
Bowens played one of the best games at running back for us in recent memory. He ran the ball well and caught checkdowns.
The sky is not falling but all is not well. Pre-season we said both lines, secondary and QB were question marks. 10-2 record but still making the CFP looked right. Tenn, Bama, Ole Miss, Texas and (gulp!) Tech were the tough outs. I don’t see anything different. We’ve got tons of talent, better running game and receivers. Gunner better than expected (or at least hoped for) but loads of room for improvement.
What’s not well is…coaching. I’ve consistently supported Bobo as execution and injuries hurt most game plans more than play calling. Too many criticize him for the wrong things. But as some are pointing out, it’s clear he is not using strengths we develop. We were running it down bama’s throat with two hot backs. Colbie reminds me of Pickens. Branch is a fast and deep weapon with great hands. NONE of this did we use enough. Cash is a DGD…but not a back we need in the game other than 3rd & long to block and be a safety valve. Our best in the country TE stable vanishes. I’m really concerned the internal game planning and review process is breaking down. Our best are not in the game when plays need to be made. I’m also having a hard time trusting Schumann’s prep. He needs a half to make the proper adjustments against offenses that are doing exactly what we know they are going to do from the outset. Bama can’t run so yes, we stopped them. But they’ve got leaping gazelles and an accurate mobile QB whose only flaw is he can get rattled. We did twist blitzes leaving the middle open. I don’t recall a fire blitz from the corner. I didn’t notice a spy. Bama’s OC knew exactly where we have holes in our zone coverage and exploited them. 11/13 on 3rd downs?! Most over 5 yards?! If Schumann is not the problem, like Bobo, he ain’t the answer. I don’t see bad players making huge mistakes (Riley’s drop the exception…WTF?!) but I do see a coaching staff not getting the execution like they should.
And then there is Kirby. Saban preached toughness, but more so winning. You take the 3 to tie the game at home and retain momentum. The consequences of failing on that 4th down far outweighed the benefit of an uncertain 4 more points. Bama was not going to be done or intimidated that we converted and scored. They have a QB and receivers who can fly down the field. Dammit Kirby! This isn’t a dominant physical team but a young and very talented one. Coach what you have not what you wish.
Cliche time…all our goals are still in front of us. Looking around the country we’re still a top 5 team.
We have the potential to be a top 5 team. Right now, we aren’t one.
The Mumme Poll should be interesting this week. Neither of the teams that played last night will be on my ballot.
> I’ve consistently supported Bobo as execution and injuries hurt most game plans more than play calling. Too many criticize him for the wrong things.
Have you not watched the last few years?
How about the Richt Bobo OC years?
How about every single stop on Bobo’s coaching carousel?
He has NEVER been elite. Anywhere. Ever.
He gets his stats, but he fails in big games. He frequently fails to keep his foot on the gas. His offenses lack killer instinct, imagination, creativity, and dominance.
Always have. Always will.
A leopard can’t change its spots.
“Fails to keep his foot on the gas” – you mean like this?
https://x.com/pikkitsports/status/1972124348728463762?s=46
You know damn well what I am talking about. You know all about the Bobo games where once we got up 10 pts, he’d go with 3 runs up the gut and a punt endlessly. We’ve all been around the Bobo carousel enough times.
If he was elite, a single dropped pass wouldn’t result in an embarrassing loss at home to a bad coach and a weak team.
Don’t be silly and pedantic.
The guy is not elite and you know it.
He’s never been elite.
He hasn’t been elite at any stop of his career.
Stop it.
We were 2 for 8 on Third down, and you’re blaming some random kid for a drop like that exonerates Bobo.
Jesus christ.
Just stop it.
I have said consistently since last night that this was a team loss. Kirby blew it by not taking points late. Bobo should have either subbed or called a different play on 4th and 1. Schumann got schooled again. The players failed in many cases to execute the fundamentals.
By the way, Ryan Williams dropped a sure TD on the first drive. No one is talking about because DeBoer and Grubb stuffed Schumann and Robinson in a locker in the first half.
What did you think the result would be if you knew we would run for 230 yards?
Did I say he was elite? We were never ahead for him to take the foot off the pedal. We got the break we needed. He took the shot. The young man dropped it.
I am not sure how many true offensive (or defensive) coordinators out there are elite. Most of them that are elite don’t stay coordinators for long and become head coaches. Who would you rank as elite coordinators and could be available in football?
Hartman has been spot on. Bobo has proven to not be up to the job. It isn;’t just playing calling but hiring of aassistants. Drops, missed blocks, fumbles, slow starts all travels down from the staff. The OC has great influence on who is hired. OL and WR coaches have a track record which we are seeing play out again.
I have never known an elite HC, who won national titles, so bent on rehiring staff that didn’t get over the hump.
Never expected to go undefeated. It just sucks to lose a very winnable game again to bama. Totally agree every goal is still there for the taking.
Gunner’s ability to hit the deep pass is the best we’ve seen in a while. Hopefully we start using this much more. Of course it requires someone to catch it. That fumble we lost with the dropped TD pass and Kirby refusing the easy 3 makes 13 points we gave away. To bama’s credit no turnovers they played well.
Not having coach Boom full time is a big loss for the defense. There’s no game changer on the dline like we are used to. Players Kirby used to be able to recruit are going to the highest bidder now.
Really well through t out and reasonable post, man. I have taken some snark and criticism around these parts and been characterized as a Bobophile. I don’t really care if anybody thinks that but it’s not the truth. I just can’t stand the knee jerk, hot take posts about Bobo from people who are clearly scarred from the Richt years and being a perpetual runner up. All of their grief and emotional baggage from those years gets dumped onto Bobo and they make irrational and nonsensical takes about him. I have pushed back against it and tried to get some of them to see reality rather than everything being a product of Mike Bobo sucking.
Having said all that, your criticism of him is spot on. I can not understand the yanking a running back out of the game when he’s hot and replacing him with somebody else. None of these guys can be that tired that they need to come out after two good runs. Is that Bobo’s call? I have no idea but if it is he needs to stop doing that and never return to it. Why are we bothering to recruit all these tight ends if we aren’t going to use them and get them more involved in the offense? It seems reasonable to think this is absolutely on Bobo at least to some degree. Why is Zachariah Branch only being used here and there? He’s a. Brock Bowers type game changer in my opinion. Why not use him as such? Same with Colby Young. That guy runs pissed off when he catches the ball. It seems to me getting those two guys as well as our tight ends heavily involved in the offense would be job one. That and just feed whoever the hot back is. Don’t take him out just because you have other backs. For all the stupid hot take garbage about Bobo that’s out there these criticisms seem legit to me.
As for the pass rush and what it means for the defense, I said yesterday that we can’t expect a pass rush with quarterbacks getting rid of the ball as quickly as they are. But Radi Nabulsi pointed made two great points about that last night. Tennessee gets the ball out very quickly and in years ODT we found a way to get sacks. And there were times last night that it seemed like Simpson could stand there for as long as he wanted and wait for a receiver to get open with no fear of being sacked. That defies logic and if Kirby and Schuman cant figure out how to get it fixed that is a major problem.
There are many times I disagree with your take on things. This time I can find NOTHING where I disagree. When a problem is so glaring that we ALL have come to a consensus on something, you can pretty much bet it is a real problem and not just a difference of opinion on how to get from point A to point B.
I mean sometimes it just is what it is. When I see how misused a lot of the offensive talent is I can’t just ignore it. I understand you can’t go into a game just deciding to throw to the tight ends more this week. But it doesn’t seem like it would be hard to have four or five plays designed for the tight ends. Maybe they have that and just aren’t using them. But if not, why not? Why is Branch being used so sparingly? I would get the ball in his hands until they showed me they could stop it. I don’t know. I just know I’m not in the mood for Kirby’s indignant smart ass act about all that and don’t want hear about how either everything is great we just don’t appreciate it or nobody understands how hard it is.
This is like an addict. You can’t fix the problem until your willing to admit that you have a problem.
Kirby might want to observe Dabo’s recent press conferences so he can learn how not to act when you just shit yourself again.
Yeah and stop answering with, what’s everyone else’s record against them? We are looking to supplant them as the number one power in the SEC, not continually be their bitches for 10 out of last 11 games against them.
In regard to opposing QBs looking so good, the thing is we recruit the best 5-star DEs and OLBs in the world, but can’t generate anything close to a decent pass rush. THAT is our D’s #1, #2, and #3 problem.
I differ with your assessment here. We have been lacking on the edge in recruiting, and Kirby decided we weren’t going to pay for Damon Wilson to stay in the program.
I thought they would use Cole more off the edge in this game. We are getting more pressure up the middle than on the edge. CRAP!
does brock bowers come to uga if this our approach with TEs?
did anyone else get a tingling in their leg that gave off south carolina vibes when we gave cash jones the f-ing ball on the goal line?
how the fuck does kirby not kick the FG?
will muschamp please come home?
how do you run for 200+ yds and hold bama to less than 120 yds and lose?
All games are still winnable and all season goals are on the table but damn this one is gonna leave a mark.
Brock was the proof of concept. Everyone says they knew he was a good prospect, but that spring 2021 they knew he had the potential to be a generational player. None of the players on the current depth chart have his combination of athleticism and skill … just like no tailback in the aftermath of Herschel could come close to wearing the Superman cape.
Will Muschamp doesn’t want the pressure associated with full-time coaching any longer. Otherwise, he would be the DC right now. He doesn’t need the money. He can go watch his son play at Vandy. He can live the high life in Athens.
My take is our offense is good enough to play with anyone in the country, even with the freshman on the offensive line.
Our defense is so bad, the offense can’t get on the field.
The secondary is AWFUL.
The defensive front can contain the run, but we have No pass rush.
Kirby has to do a better job in the transfer portal.
My guess is we lose at least 2 more games.
Bama will lose 2 to 3. Any team with a pass rush will get their qb.
They can’t run the ball.
There have to be at least a couple of small school DBs in the portal next time around who have proven they at least have an idea of what coverage should look like.
Same for the rush. Watch a lot of college football games and see all the time some guy who played at Podunk State last year looking the part of a Power 4 superstar this year. Dabo was the king of the mountain for several years. He was looked at as the successor to Saban by many. He failed to change with the times and now Clemson has regressed to an also ran. If Kirby heading down that same road? Along with that, losing many of the coaches that helped build those NC teams has really hurt. Not all were there when we won it all, but they helped lay that foundation. I don’t think you can measure how badly losing Lanning, Monken, McGee, Cochran, Brown, Faulkner, and Boom has affected Kirby’s ability to do his job.
Bama has a great front at pass protection. It’s what they do and that short dart game is very competent compensation for a sub-par running game.
The belief that stopping the run will win you the game isn’t true if you’re up against a great passer with a great wall of protection and elite receivers.
That’s a fundamental shift in CFB adages that I’m not sure our coaching staff have an understanding of or an answer for.
Luckily, Bama has a bad defense or they would be close to unbeatable.
Any team that can play the dart game AND run the ball is going to give the UGA Bulldawgs trouble.
How do you fix it?
You fix it with offense so your defense can get out of the pressure cooker.
Three and out on the opening drive against a defense as poor as Bama’s was a harbinger of how things were going to go.
How?.. in the name of Loran Smith…HOW do you move the ball down to the goal line with such ease and then get to third and one and run a hurried play (as if there were four seconds left) handing the ball to Cash?
I said it last night.
That was a play that will live in infamy.
4th and dumb.
Take the 3 points…or at least use a stud RB….instead we get clever, overthink it and stumble to zilch.
Not a good team inside the 10.
Gunner is a very solid QB.
This one is on the coaching staff.
4th and dumb…good grief.
My take is this: Our pass D isn’t great. It’s just not. We don’t get consistent pressure on the QB… Ever. Any QB that has 4+ seconds behind the line will find an open WR. I think we rotate too heavily on the pash rush. Leave the best pass rushers on the field the majority of the time. Stop with the hockey line substitutions.
Also, I’m tired of having bad secondary play. How fucking long has it been now since we’ve had excellent corners? Baker was awesome years ago. Is that it? Was that our last and only shutdown corner?? Same goes for LBs. Great at stopping the run but look worst than lost having to cover the middle of the field on short passes. They are always running behind their assignments.
The drop by Taylor can be chalked up to bad luck but, god almighty, when I saw a player with #11 on his jersey drop a pass I had flash backs to Smith. Frazier should not see the field again. I’m sorry but we have Bowens, McCray, and Phillips. Those 3 are fine. Cash Jones… Is he really our best option on 3rd and 4th down plays?
Comes down to pass rush for me. None. Zero. Bama had all day to throw and they picked us apart.
They couldn’t run the ball except for the WR sweep. Defense couldn’t get off the field. Kirby has to figure out 3rd down. Felt like Bama converted 99 out of 100 third downs in the first half.
I agree with questions regarding Bobo not getting the ball to the TEs more. Also, Gunner doesn’t see open WRs down field. I’m guessing Noah Thomas is wondering why he came to Georgia.
Finally, can we please ban the use of the #11 for receivers? I think the ones stick out of the jersey too far and prevent catches. Wide open catches.
There were 3 maybe 4 times they got pressure on Simpson and guess what. He looked like a mere mortal and threw a quick and inaccurate pass for an incompletion. Funny how that works.
We just have too many big-as-Kirby’s-gut problems right now to beat all of the non-cupcakes on our schedule. I’m inclined to think that it’s more coaching than personnel, but it’s definitely both. “Better Never Rests” feels like it was about 1,000 years ago. I’d love to get there again, but it’s looking increasingly unlikely.
On D
1) D-line can’t pressure, much less sack, the opposing QB. Yeah, Bama averaged 3.1 yards per rush, and that’s great, but Simpson averaged 7.3 yards per completion and threw for 276. We all saw it. He had nothing but time to throw. As did Aguilar two weeks ago.
2) The secondary isn’t close to being good enough to compensate for the D-line’s ineptitude. 25 completions to 8 guys. (By contrast, Dawgs had 13 completions to 5 guys.) Ellis might want to give a couple of those stars back to the crootin’ services.
On O
3) Passing game. Obviously, Gunner’s stats look a lot better if Taylor doesn’t drop that gimme TD. I’m not saying we should force the ball through the air if we’re averaging nearly 7 yards per rush (which we did; 6.9), but we ran for 227 and scored only 21. Maybe exploit the opposing D’s focus on the run game by hitting the TEs behind opposing LBs keying on the run? No TE caught a pass last night, and I saw only one attempt: to Delp, which nearly got him decapitated. Where is Noah Thomas? Why are we throwing a single screen pass to Colbie?
4) Points. Take the f#@*%#@% points when you’re trailing by 3 late in the 4th, particularly if Bama hasn’t scored ONE DAMN POINT in the second half.
Kirby’s fat and happy, surrounded by his buddies. Again: what happened to “Better Never Rests”?
Let’s face it folks, there is no ONE to blame for that loss. That was a TEAM loss. Kirby, Bobo, Schumann, the offense and the defense all shared equally in that (only the special teams get a pass). From bone headed coaching decisions to bone headed player decisions (I would place the blame 2/3 coaches to 1/3 players). That was a total and complete team fuck up. Even with all of that we had a chance to win. That’s what’s so disheartening. If they were blown out, then you just chalk it up to Bama being the better team. When you lose like last night AGAIN, then you know they are just in our heads, and we are their bitches no matter who is the HC over in Tuscaloosa.
I totally agree with you with you being a complete team loss. All phases of the game looked pedestrian yesterday. Even Thorson didn’t look like Thorson from last year (I get it, he’s coming back from an ACL and I am not blaming him at all, just pointing out he is not the same.)
This thread is PURE COMEDY GOLD.
After the fact Einsteins are undefeated!
Yet here you are reading it.
I think if you look at Net Yards Per Play (YPP) you might feel a bit different. In the SEC including all games, we rank 11th in YPP on offense. On defense, we rank 14th in YPP.
Last year for the season we ranked 9th in the SEC in YPP on offense. On defense we ranked 8th in YPP.
I will say that our Offensive YPP last night was the best of the year at 6.74 YPP. Our defense was 5.16 YPP which was quite the improvement from Tennessee.
Yes 3rd on both sides of the ball, penalties, and the lost turnover did make the difference as we out gained Bama on a YPP on offense and did better on a YPP on defense.
We don’t have a great team. Top 25 maybe. Top 10? Laughable. We were ranked high because of recent history and we lucked out at Tennessee when they shanked a kick. Truth is we should be 0-2 in SEC play. Everyone needs to get used to the idea that 4 losses are very possible. The only thing we excel at right now is the punting/place kicking game. We have not made a big play on special teams in a long, long while. No blocked kicks, no big returns. Our defense can’t get to QB’s, can’t cover, and can’t tackle in space. Our offense is not good enough to carry a team that gives up points early and often. We do not have an All-SEC player anywhere on that side of the ball. In short, we are not elite by any means. We look an awful lot like one of Richt’s 8-9 win teams. I just hope Kirby will actually take criticism for this rather than wearing his ass on his shoulders at every press conference.
Glad to see Corch has rejoined the forum.
I predicted 3 or 4 losses this season. I’m stretching it to 4-5 now.
Zero pass rush x DBs that struggle in coverage, OL that just miss blocks (or don’t know who to block) and no real dudes on the field. I think 33 is working towards dude status.
Ole miss will beat Georgia. Texas and Tech (with a healthy King) will be favored. Auburn and Miss state will be pickems.