There are no bad wins against your rivals, but that one almost stung (pun intended). Reverting back to early season troubles, the Dawgs let Georgia Tech hang around through offensive errors, poor QB play, missed blocks and injuries. That said, the game still never felt in doubt and the final score doesn’t seem to tell the tale of the game. But, there was Tech, a Hail Mary away from tying or winning the game. What a weird one. Bullets, here we come.
- To start, the ACC refs had some, um, interesting calls and non-calls in the game. Not the least of which was the safety on Tech’s first drive when King threw to no one in particular from the end zone while being hit.
- Of course, immediately thereafter, Buster Faulkner calls a sudden change explosive play and KJ gets lost in coverage.
- Gunner started confidently but the first drive soon went off the rails, and he was missing open guys and then throwing right into the Tech defender’s hands for the early pick.
- It went downhill from there, as he had his worst game since week one. Without seeing the all-22 tape, he seemed to be cutting off his progressions early and takimg off running. Even with the bad first half, I expected an exceptional second half from him since he’s been rebounding well after halftime most of the year. Not so much on Friday. Was it nerves, pressure, miscommunication, Tech’s defense? (That last one is a joke, like Tech’s defense.)
- Early on, Nate Frazier was killing it, the OL was making almost every key block and it looked like the Dawgs would have their way on the ground. I expected Bobo to see that and change the gameplan, but there were several more drop backs than runs until it came time to ice the game. Not sure what Mike was seeing there.
- Defense mixed up a lot of coverages early and eventually that started to frustrate King and he had his worst game of the year. I thought other than some edge setting issues, the front 7 had a nice day.
- Why Daylen Everette and the safeties were giving so much cushion on average receivers and TEs, though, was frustrating as hell.
- Loved the way Demello Jones held up the WR on the screen until his friends showed up. It’s what Raylen needed to do on that blitz when King juked him and got the first down. Jones and Ellis Robinson are going to be shutdown corners next year.
- Speaking of Ellis, that’s two straight games with a Malaki Starks highlight reel pick!
- Dawgs win the middle eight again and won the game, but that finish to the first half was constipated and wasted points.
- I think Earnest Greene is a really tough kid for playing hurt, but he’s missing blocks that kill drives too. That said, Gaston reminded us that he’s a freshman by badly missing a block allowing a sack. And Glover got blown up on a play too.
- Not sure what was going on with KJ yesterday either, as he missed several tackles and looked out of it.
- Really hope Dylan Bell isn’t back to dropping passes.
- What kind of creature is CJ Allen to be back playing 2 weeks after surgery?
- Tech was only able to get points when Georgia gave them the ball in plus territory. The defense was out in crappy positions several times and held up well.
- I just kept hoping for one good drive from Gunner to put the game out of reach, but it never came. Guess we can cancel those flights to NYC.
- Two biggest plays of the game were Branch’s sick 3rd down catch and the unnecessary roughness penalty on Rutledge.
- I know I say this almost every week, but where would we be without Branch this year?? He’s becoming as good a slot receiver as McConkey. That juke on the TD catch was ELEET.
- Did anyone else notice that we had 3 straight penalties in man coverage on that late drive from Tech? Pass interference was only being called against UGA though.
- Loved the call from Bobo on second down on the final drive as Tech was fully committed to the line of scrimmage. Great patience from McCray for the first down run. It was unfortunate that Gunner crapped the bed after that and they had to punt and pucker up.
Again, a win is a win this time of year and this is far from a healthy team. The Dawgs are fortunate to have A&M do Aggy things yet again and let them into the SECCG, which I love but I know many other fans don’t. I’m certainly worried about Bobo not being able to play next week, as OL play looked worse after he left the game. But CJ Allen is back, the RBs look good, and the defense is rounding into form. Whoever they match up with in Atlanta, it should be competitive. Unless it’s a blowout loss, I don’t see them dropping past #4, but the committee is going to committee, so we’ll see. I hope lots of Refugees make it to the Benz and the Dawgs can get some long overdue revenge on the Tide. FTMFs and Go Dawgs!
It felt like the run game disappeared when Bobo went out. We went from 5+ yards per run to getting stuffed at the line.
I get what you said about Tech’s D, DiA, but last night they were doing something that baffled our offense. Despite what some others on here were saying last night, I don’t think that CMB and Gunner all of a sudden forgot how to football. Gunner’s INT may have given him the yips the rest of the game, but too often we act as if there isn’t another team out there playing hard to win a rivalry game. As much as it pains me, I have to give them credit for making it a tough game.
Although it would have been a nice little cushion to have those 2 points they robbed us of in the 1st quarter.
Rivalry games are tough, I just expected the Dawgs to continue to play well and execute at a high level and they were just out of sorts offensively.
I expected them to play better too. Honestly, that’s a low bar given how awful they looked. All I meant was that our woes can’t be solely on the shoulders of Bobo and Gunner. Tech played well on D.
What gives me hope still is that this team has shown it can win in practically every possible way. We can win a shootout (Ole Miss) and we can win a brawl in a phone booth (last night). I’m not sure I’ve ever seen a team that can do that to the extent we can this year.
No doubt, I think that’s why I haven’t felt dread since the Bama game. But, much better teams await.
> I don’t think that CMB and Gunner all of a sudden forgot how to football.
What do you mean?
This was a classic Mike Bobo game: offense disappears when we need it most, foot off the gas, non-aggressive, garbage.
How many more decades do we need to see it?
Bobo is the only UGA OC with 2 losses to GaTech in the last 35 (George Haffner 1989/1990) years.
> our woes can’t be solely on the shoulders of Bobo and Gunner.
Gunner has 1 start vs GaTech.
Bobo has what now… 20?
Who is putting it on Gunner’s shoulders?
No. Bobo gets the blame here.
I agree that Bobo called a bad game last night. But a bunch of these games this season he has called great games and the offense was the only reason we won. But of course that has been memory holed because the Bobo Derangement people can not wait for their next opportunity. You people are unbelievable. Quiet as church mice when things are going well. But as soon as they don’t here we go again.
Who the fuck can remember who Jim Donnan’s OC was when he lost three straight to tech?
Oh yeah. It was Jim Donnan.
That’s why it doesn’t count really for this stat.
How many Georgia OC’s have 10 wins over Georgia Tech?
Lemme help you out
We all know Bobo sucks. He’s too predictable. We’ll never win as long as Bobo’s here. He’s too vanilla with his play-calling. Run it right, run it left, run it in the middle. Then call a screen pass on 3rd and long. We need Monken back cuz Bobo sucks.
Go Dawgs!!!
Clock management on the last drive of the first half was horrible. They let too much time run off between plays. Then they were gifted a first and goal on that unsportsmanlike penalty and had no time to take advantage of it.
The clock was eaten up on that drive because there were only runs and no passes (if I remember right)…because Bobo had lost confidence in Gunner..who seemed to have lost confidence in himself. No doubt it was poor clock management though.
Delp, Luckie, Willams and Humphries are on milk cartons this morning as missing. I think CMB is a good coordinator but I couldn’t see what he was trying to accomplish yesterday. He’s dealt with the OL injury issues all year. Gunner is usually composed enough to pull things together. We took more deep shots and back shoulder throws than we have all year. They’re not Gunner’s strength vs those intermediate passes to the above mentioned. Frazier may have been banged up at the end to explain why he was missing. Weird to watch a game where our defense was the better side of the ball and saving the offense.
Great point, I forgot to mention the complete absence from the stat sheet of the TEs. Just a weird game.
I’m probably wrong, but it seems to me Gunner maybe has/had an arm issue. What was with all the lobbed passes yesterday. I don’t recall him ever throwing deep balls that way. Floating the ball down field like that. Am I way off?
He had something happen from last week to this week. I’m not sure what it was, and I know Tech is not Charlotte, but the difference from last week to last night is striking. Hope he can get right this week. We need him on his game.
It’s become a running joke among the guys I text with during UGA games. Every third game, Bobo forgets that the TEs can catch passes. Luckie and Delp did a really nice job as run blockers vs. Tech, and we shouldn’t need our TEs for the passing game to work vs. Tech, but Gunner had maybe his worst game throwing the ball, so…let the TEs be his security blanket. Where were the intermediate throws over the middle to Delp and Luckie? What the fudge?
I didn’t understand it other than a setup for future opponents. Lightsey was their only talented LB (and of course, a former Dawg).
Why were they ACC refs?I thought the SEC would ref this game & the ACC when we play at Georgia.
They absolutely screwed us on the no safety.
I thought COFH was always refereed by the home team conference. Not sure the SEC refs would be any better though. Did you see the A&M – Texas game? Yeesh.
Wasn’t it sec refs on the Jasper sanks play at tech stadium?
Good question! I really don’t remember. But I guess those things can change too.
It used to be that the visiting team’s conference refs worked COFH. Thus, Al Ford and crew got to screw us in 1999 and the ACC crew ignored Joe Hamilton’s fumble and Tech’s offensive pass interference in 1998.
Sometime in the 2000s the 2 teams changed to having the home team’s conference refs handle the game.
There you go, Jim. I knew someone would have the answer around here!
Thanks
It appeared to me that tech was taking everything away over the top and stunting with their front.
With Bobo out, things got constipated.
Gunner was a bit too pumped up early, made a mistake and never found a consistent groove. Still made a helluva 3rd down pass to Branch under pressure.
The defense has really upped its game over the past month or so.
Come on Schumann!!
I hope Bobo can get strapped up by next Saturday afternoon. We’re going to have to hit 25+ to defend our title. I don’t know that we can do that with Tolliver in there.
Right on point, Derek, about what Tech did with its defensive strategy. Which gets us back to the fact that 5 star athletic talent alone doesn’t guarantee offensive line success. Offensive lineman have to recognize stunts, figure out which man each is to block and where to move to in order to engage the block. First team reps and game experience are crucial.
Had our defense not stepped up we’d have been in trouble.
It was brutal for the oline. Not so much physically but missing assignments or schemes. For much of the 2nd half, we had 3 freshmen playing at center and the right side.
Speaking of milk cartons, Bowens didn’t step off the sideline. I really thought he was rounding into RB1b, but his noticeable absences make me wonder what I’m missing. Really like the way he runs the ball. Like a baby Derek Henry
He’s dinged up apparently.
Kirby said he could have gone if needed but didn’t get many reps during the week.
Kirby said he was healthy enough to play but that McCray had too good of a week of practice to let Bowens play ahead of him.
Plus, McCray was mostly getting it done, so no reason to sub him and take a chance on Bowens at the time.I like watching Nate and Josh tag team in the run game.
Thanks. Guess I missed that one this week.
He has had a calf injury. It was thought he’d be ready for yesterday, but apparently not.
The play where I lost my mind – after a play stoppage ( one of 137 commercial breaks) the ref blew the ball ready for play. Georgia’s offense is lined up, tech is in a defensive huddle. Gunner doesn’t call for the snap, he gives them 5 seconds or so to get lined up.
The defense seemed to miss dozens on tackles but only gave up 9. Giving up 9 is a really good day.
Gunner being off bothers me a little, the run blocking after Bobo got hurts puts me in full Munson mode.
Bobo going out played a HUGE factor in the second half. The freshman center had a rough night and Tech attacked him.
A huge deal for sure.
I pray Bobo is back Saturday.
That was a frustrating game to watch. Yeah I understand Erica let game blah blah. But I’m sorry, that was a shitty defense and they were giving us fits. Im not sure why. I realize Bobo going out had something to do with it, the kid that went in for him looked terrified and played that way too. But man it was like their secondary had seven men or something. Nobody was open most of the game. And Gunner just seemed weird yesterday. Tentative and confused are about the best I can describe it. On our last possession he had the fist down and pulled up and started stutter stepping and we had to punt. That didn’t seem like him at all. Then we got treated to orgasmic bleating from The Bachelor and that idiot Joe Tessitore who is the worst in the business in my opinion, about how “Haaaaaaaaaaaaaaaynes Kiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiing gets…one…more…final…last…OPPORTUNITY!” Good grief the tongue bath they gave that guy was disgusting.
The Bobo Derangement Syndrome people around here think I defend him at all costs because they’re stupid. Last night he called a bad game. He was strangely stubborn about wanting to pass even though the run was there and the pass absolutely was not. He deserves criticism for it.
Do we know how severe Bobo’s injury is? With him at center I like our chances against anybody. With that other kid in there schitting in his pants I don’t like our chances at all.
Rivalry game. No idea who Erica is. Maybe that’s our backup center’s name.
She needs some seasoning.
I’m quite sure there are a set of effective plays for an indecisive qb, whose outside receivers are getting literally raped, who doesn’t have time to set his feet and you have a turnstile at center.
There has to be.
Outside zone run? I just kept yelling to take the ball out of Gunner’s hands and give it to Nate.
They called that at least once and Malachi missed his block so it was stuffed.
Rollover was really bad. Maybe a toss sweep to a speed back.
I’d like to see us lean more into the designed qb run game when the sledding gets tough. I don’t know why, but there seems to be some hesitancy to fully commit to that.
We saw an option play and a fullback counter trap early in the year, but haven’t seen either since.
They both worked.
Maybe they’re saving some stuff.
I dunno, Tech would have killed Gunner if he ran anymore. That said, I’m certain that 2-FB i-formation play was a set up for play action down the road.
Fair. Im not joining the BDS crowd it just seemed like the run was there and we were determined to throw. But one thing watching film breakdowns on Sundays has taught me, we as fans often didn’t see exactly what we were convinced we saw during live action. I do know there was at least once where a Tech db had our receiver in a head lock running with him step for step; no call.
They were getting away with being very aggressive and then called a ticky tack pi on us.
Reminded me of the 2017 game at Auburn when their cb literally threw Wims out of bounds with the ball in the air and “no call.”
If everyone knows that ain’t getting called, its really hard to call plays.
If we use the Kirby Injury Translation Machine, he won’t play in the SECCG. But we need him.
HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHHAHAHAHAHAHA
“Then we got treated to orgasmic bleating from The Bachelor and that idiot Joe Tessitore who is the worst in the business in my opinion, about how “Haaaaaaaaaaaaaaaynes Kiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiing gets…one…more…final…last…OPPORTUNITY!” Good grief the tongue bath they gave that guy was disgusting.”
HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA
You win the internet today on some funny fucking shit. Cheers!
Gunner was looking off before Bobo went out, but after the injury every snap was high and right. Gunner was having to snag every one out of the air. I think that, paired with no confidence in the blocking, meant he was pressing and never found rhythm.
Noticed that…I was terrified we were going to lose a snap altogether.
Said this last night..
There is a “tool” officials can use to keep their team in the game..it’s “subjective PI calling”. They simply don’t call PI both ways.. Also holding…We saw a classic example of it last night. UGA receivers were mugged. Tech’s last drive the ACC refs called the most ridiculous PI on Georgia you’ll ever see..not once, but twice and they tried a third time but the ball was ruled uncatchable out of bounds.
And I was SHOCKED when we didn’t get a (pre-determined) PI on the Hail Mary…
And while I’m ranting..Tech’s second to the last play…I told the people watching the game with me that no matter how long the play takes, I guarantee there will be one second left on the clock for the Hail Mary…And I want to see that play again so I can put a stopwatch on it.
They need to use neutral officiating in these rivalry games…if they did, UGA would have a much better W/L record against the Nerds.
.
Might as well bring this up too…Did you see the GT player slap Gunner’s face as he lay on the ground waiting to get up after a play on our last drive? No call, of course.
I don’t understand the angst we won. Good teams find a way to win even on bad days. It would have been easy to find a way to lose just like yech did. If you’re mad because Kirby didn’t win by enough to cover your bet or make you happy by margin of the win too bad. WTF is wrong with beating tech for the eighth straight year.
If your not enjoying this run of greatness by Kirby your wasting the best run of Georgia football that’s ever happened. It’s so terrible we’re subjected to a record tying fifth straight SEECG appearance. I blame Kirby for every bit of this success. I hope next I can blame him for winning another SEC championship. I’ll never understand complaining about how we won a game. We’re witnessing a coach setting records of success unknown to Georgia while crushing our rivals. Enjoy it while it lasts is all I got for you.
I’m having a blast. Hell, I’m writing for a Georgia blog for free! I’m also concerned about a poor performance in a big game and that we won’t play as well when the competition gets tougher. I don’t think there’s anything wrong with that position. Going forward, the Dawgs just have to survive and advance though, and they’ve proven able to win in lots of ways.
That’s it just keep winning.
Thank you.