The sky is no longer falling and the Dawgs got some of the bad Bama taste out of their mouth. I’m not ready to stomp my feet and light a match just yet…this was Kentucky after all…but some steps in the right direction were made. Absolutely critical game coming up this weekend against Auburn, but first things first, time for post game grades from the weekend that was. Enjoy!

Quarterback: B-

• This seems to be the grade Gunner is going to consistently produce. I think he has more upside, as indicated by the Tennessee game, but my guess is we’ll get a few more of these types of performances the remainder of the year. The good…the legs are definitely a weapon and I love it when he uses them. Gunner is still one of the toughest SOB’s you can find for a QB…he might just become a Cooler in a Jasper, Missouri bar one day. He’s not a turnover machine and I think he’s looking more and more comfortable as QB1. The not so good…the pick was a bad decision. I don’t care if he had prime Brett Favre’s arm, looked like he didn’t see the Safety and it was a pick the moment the ball left his hand. Gunner’s flirted with some dangerous “hold your breath” throws this year that haven’t been interceptions, finally caught up to him. I’ll take some satisfaction that it was a downfield shot. Reasonably efficient day overall, great use of the legs for 2 TD’s and 1 TD pass…I’ll take it.           

Running Back: B

• Very workmanlike effort from the RB room. Chauncey had a couple of nice early runs that went for big yardage…looks like he has comfortably assumed RB1 duties. Frazier did a good job with his touches, including a nice catch, juke and run for a first down…and he didn’t put the ball on the ground. I just can’t quit this guy…his feet are lightning fast and you can see some big play potential. Cash Jones continues to get zero blocking on his rushing attempts, but awesome route, catch and run on his TD reception…looked especially fast on the play as well. Josh McCray has solidified his spot as the short yardage guy, although he got stopped on a 4^th and 1 late in the game. Bo Walker had 3 for 18 in garbage time. My biggest question…what has happened to Dwight Lightning the last couple of games. Only 2 carries the last couple of weeks, with no blocking on either play. We’ve seen the big play ability…I really hope we don’t marginalize a guy who can give us some potential explosives.

Offensive Line – B

• It’s getting a little tougher to grade the OL because the injuries are piling up, and I’d feel like a bit of an a**hole for holding them to the same standard of the regular starting unit…but sometimes I’ve got to be that a**hole. The good…Juan Gaston looks like the largest human being on earth at RT. Glover is right next to him at RG and looks to be the size of Gary Coleman next to the 8^th Juander of the World (see what I did there?). We did pile up 183 yards rushing even while taking our foot off the gas very early when we had a 28 point lead. Stockton was never sacked on the day, so that’s another win for a unit fighting weekly injuries. The less than good…Stockton was under pressure on a few occasions and took some big hits escaping the pocket (that could’ve been the result of WR’s being covered…need to see the replay). Kentucky did manage 6 total TFL’s…and this is Kentucky, not Ohio State. Averaging 4.4 YPC is not something to brag about against the worst team in the conference. They were facing a tough situation with Freeling leaving the game early and Morris dealing with an injury as well. Let’s call it a workmanlike effort.

Receivers (WR’s + TE’s) – B+

• I don’t recall any drops…so that’s a significant win. Dillon Bell easily the highlight of this unit with a couple of rushing TD’s, 68 yards on 4 catches, including one of the spectacular one-handed variety. Loved seeing Oscar Delp catch a little route over the middle, make a decisive turn upfield and sprint for a 36 yard gain…looked fast as hell doing it as well. Elyiss Williams getting a lot of early PT and contributing a total of 48 yards on 3 catches…dude just looks the part of a future star. London Humphreys with a couple of balls for 35 yards made for a solid day. Beyond that, quiet days for Branch and Young and no touchdown receptions from this unit. Business like performance…common theme for this game as a whole.

Defensive Line – B

• Still not seeing a lot of havoc out of this group. It was good to see Ogboko pick up a sack for the DL, which I read was the first of the season for a Defensive Lineman. They essentially shut down the Kentucky running game, which was impressive…but again, Kentucky. I guess I just want to see this group win more individual matchups, get more pressure, more QB knockdowns, etc. There is a statistical argument for this to be a higher grade, but I was hoping for domination after the less than impressive performance against Bama. Is it just me, or does it feel like our DL doesn’t seem to shoot gaps very often? Maybe it’s by design, but it looks like our DL is more often than not in a sumo match. I’m not seeing them get pushed back very often, but it looks like most of the battles are a stalemate at the line of scrimmage. Just one man’s opinion.

Linebackers – B+       

• Justin Williams had his best game to date by splitting the team lead with 6 tackles on the day…this dude is so good. CJ Allen with a very productive day…6 tackles, 1 sack, another TFL and a forced fumble and recovery. The group helped shut down the Kentucky ground game, even if it’s not 1995 Nebraska out there. Chris Cole almost picked up his 4^th sack of the year, but Boley managed to dodge him and ended up throwing for a first down on the play. Raylen was somewhat quiet with 3 tackles. Question…did CJ have some responsibility in coverage on Kentucky’s first half touchdown? I know Aguero got caught looking on the play, but not sure if CJ should have been helping over the middle. In any event, much like every other position unit, they performed well, but I wouldn’t call it spectacular.

Defensive Backs – C+

• Ellis got another pick…really hope he can grow into the shutdown corner he was advertised as coming out of high school. He’s definitely had some rough games this season, but we need him to play well. The penalties from this group were nothing to be proud of…I had Daylen with defensive holding to extend a drive, Kelly with two drive extending penalties and Dinkins with another. Aguero also got caught looking on Kentucky’s first half TD as mentioned above. There was also a moment where Everette got beat on 3^rd and long and Boley threw an inaccurate ball that could’ve easily been an explosive play. I’m worried this group is going to get branded as the group that can’t stop 3^rd and long…still having nightmares about the Bama game if you can’t tell. Some of the good…a few passes defended and putting aside the penalties, I thought Dominick Kelly showed he could be a great cover corner. He looked pretty sticky with his coverage before he earned the flags…I think coaches can work with that. I’m a lot more concerned when DB’s are just getting beat.

Special Teams – C

• Thorpedo with a phenomenal 60 yarder that got forced out of bounds on the 1-yard line…beautiful effort. Beyond that…eh, not great. Peyton Woodring with a kickoff out of bounds? What the hell is that all about? I thought he was robotically perfect. Branch’s best punt return of the season was partially spoiled with a penalty. Branch also fair caught a punt on the 4-yard line…that’ll come back to haunt you against better competition, even if we ended up scoring on that possession.             

Coaching – B

• Why give up a perfectly good “B” theme? Look, I was really hoping we’d get Kirby Smart before the TCU national championship game…AGGRESION. I was hoping we’d get something in the 40’s, maybe even the 50’s. But, that just doesn’t seem to be this coaching staff’s M.O. I’ll give a lot of credit for the fast start…we’ve been begging for it forever and finally got one. How nice was it to go into the locker room not being in a dog fight? Credit to the coaching staff for developing some depth on the OL to deal with the absurd amount of injuries that unit has suffered. Still disappointed that we can’t seem to get pressure in obvious passing situations, and giving up 3rd and long is becoming the 2025 version of our 2024 drops. Feels like coaches are letting Stockton tuck and run more liberally, which I’m all for…it’s a great weapon and makes us harder to defend. Let’s hope they can draw up and execute some explosives against Auburn this weekend.                 

Skycast Broadcast – F+

• Did anyone else have to deal with that shitshow of a broadcast? I had to DVR the game on SEC Network and I got to watch a game with no commentary, with the only camera being the cable cam hovering over the field. It was interesting for about 47 seconds, then it just sucked. Call me old fashioned, but when I’ve been watching football a certain way for a number of decades, I like a little consistency with the viewing product. If this was an experiment for the SEC Network, this was a failure for this guy’s audience. Between this and the lack of availability for the Austin Peay game, I’m getting a little pissy with the SEC Network.

Huge game coming up this weekend. Auburn is a team we SHOULD beat. That Auburn offense has not been overly impressive in conference play…is it too much to ask that we don’t allow them to break out of that funk? Let’s not be known as the team who allows average offenses to have their breakout game. A few years ago, that idea seemed insane…now, not so sure. I’m begging for Schumann to make me look like an idiot.  

Go Dawgs!           

We’re through Week 5 and the Power Poll is starting to sort itself out following more head-to-head conference games. Warning…this will not be a lot of fun for any of us. But, in the spirit of honesty, let’s get through this…brighter days ahead.  

1. Alabama – The FSU game almost feels forgotten (unfortunately). I hate these guys a lot…and I’d rather listen to the sound of dial up internet while trying to fall asleep than put these guys at the top of the list. But, they have the best conference win of the season and were the first team to win a game in Sanford Stadium in 6 years. They are not a perfect team and we aided in their success, but going to give them their flowers for at least this week.     
2. Ole Miss – May have not been overly dominant, but they got the job done and beat a top 5 team this past weekend. I don’t think LSU was playing like a top 5 team, but Ole Miss continues to beat all the teams in front of them and finds themselves in the top 5 nationally. They’ve got a tough mid-season draw having to play in Athens and Norman back-to-back…if they win at least one of those, smooth sailing to finish the season and likely a CFP team.  
3. Oklahoma – Off week for the Sooners, so feel bad dropping them a couple of spots, but those are the breaks in this completely unofficial and inconsequential power poll. They get mighty Kent State this weekend before the Red River Shootout…sans Mateer. Tough break for these guys who are enjoying their best season in a while.    
4. Texas A&M – Wasn’t overly impressed with their win over Auburn, but they got the job done and can still claim a record with no blemishes. Notre Dame helped them out with a dominant win over Arkansas, but I’m still skeptical. Their schedule lines up about as friendly as you could hope for in the SEC, but feel like they’ll drop at least 2 games somewhere along the way…because that’s what Texas A&M does.
5. Vanderbilt – This isn’t going to last…they’ve had their last cake walk game of the season. Even if they’re winning convincingly up to this point, they’ve got 5 games remaining against top 20 teams…3 of them on the road. Prove me wrong Vandy…I’ll readily admit it.
6. Georgia – If Georgia could only play the final 3 quarters of a game, they might be the best team in the nation. Unfortunately, there is something called a 1^st quarter and the Dawgs start slower than a grandparent’s text response. Until we figure out the starts, plenty to be concerned about with our schedule.   
7. Tennessee – Fortunate to get through a very game Mississippi State this weekend. But, survive and advance when playing on the road in the SEC. My guess is these guys are going to be hell at home, but beatable on the road. Lucky for these guys, only one tough road game remaining on their schedule.   
8. LSU – They’ve flirted with some close ones to start the year and the Football Gods were ready for LSU to pay up. Here’s something I never thought I’d say, “LSU can earn back a lot of credibility if they can beat Vanderbilt in Nashville on October 18th.” In other news, down is now up, left is now right, and Paul Finebaum really knows his sh*t.
9. Texas – Off week for the Longhorns before a trip to Gainesville, which my gut is telling me will be interesting. My gut also told me Georgia would play a great game for 60 minutes this past Saturday…trust my gut at your own risk.
10. Missouri – The good…they’re still undefeated and a top 20 team. The bad…the best team they have played, by far, is South Carolina. They have played every game in Columbia, Missouri. I still can’t (in)validate them until I see them play a respectable team. Off week before Bama at home (again) which sets up about as perfect as they could hope. I’m quite sure they’ll get the 75% version of Bama, as opposed to the 125% version we got.    
11. Mississippi State – They had their opportunity, and it slipped through their fingers like soap in a prison shower…quickly and with consequences. Let’s be clear, they didn’t get the same Tennessee we got a couple of weeks ago. But, they deserve credit for being an afterthought last year to starting 4-0 and taking a very good team into the championship rounds on Saturday.    
12. Auburn – Tough draw on the early season conference schedule…top 10 Oklahoma in Norman, followed by top 10 A&M in College Station. Played both of them tough and lost two close games. Can’t tell you how excited I am to get them on the Plains in a couple weeks after they’ve had an off week to rest, recover and seethe over their 0-2 conference start. One of my Georgia Football group chat friends pointed out that Auburn is currently 3 for 28 on third down in their two conference games…anyone want to bet how many third down conversions they get in two weeks?
13. South Carolina – Because they took care of Kentucky in convincing fashion. That makes you the winner of the bottom quartile!     
14. Kentucky – Because at least they lost on the road.   
15. Arkansas – Because you got curb stomped by the Irish at home…fired your head coach and promoted the OC (who put up all of 13 points against Notre Dame) to interim head coach. Did I mention the OC in question is Bobby Petrino…are we in a time machine?
16. Florida – Because you didn’t play this week and your best (only) win is against Long Island University…and I haven’t forgotten about the 90’s and how much I dislike your football program.

Kentucky awaits!

Go Dawgs!

So that sucked a lot. I’ve been beating up on college football analysts all year for not knowing anything, and now it’s my turn for some harsh, self-criticism. Apparently, I don’t know sh*t about anything either. I was positive we’d get a great version of Bama, and we did. I was also certain we’d get a great version of Georgia, which we did not. I’ve only watched the game once (and that’s the last time I’ll ever watch it) so I’m sure to miss some things on these grades, but I’ll slog through and get this painful experience behind us.

Quarterback: B-

• I didn’t think Gunner played that bad…wasn’t the best version of himself, but didn’t feel like he was the reason we lost. The not so good…he threw a couple of balls in some questionable spots that could have been picked (somehow doesn’t have any interceptions through 4 games) and nearly got Delp put in the ICU on one ball. On an early 3^rd down in the 1st quarter, he opted to take a deep shot to Branch on a low percentage throw, when he could have easily run for the 1st down. In general, I’d like to see him use the legs more, but maybe coaches are trying to limit hits on him. The good…no doubt how tough the dude is. He completed 65% of his passes, no turnovers and converted some important third downs. His ball to Taylor was perfect and should have been a touchdown. My take, I feel like Gunner is the good soldier who executes the game plan given to him. Outside of a few questionable decisions in the heat of the moment, I thought he was solid.          

Running Back: B-

• Step right up and feel free to take your shots. I’ve been Nate Frazier’s biggest apologist since the Clemson game last year. Coming into the season I thought he was easily our best RB option and I’ve been quietly upset he hasn’t been getting the ball more. I know he’s not trying to fumble, but facts are facts…this dude drops the ball in big games and I’m betting coaches have lost faith that he can be counted on. Cash Jones had a game I’m sure he’d like to erase from his memory (some of it not his fault). Dwight Lightning was a non-factor. McCray is nearly impossible to bring down on first contact. The brightest spot…I’m guessing we found a new #1 RB. Chauncey Bowens looked outstanding. I’m the first to admit I wasn’t seeing what coaches were seeing with him. To me, he looked like a solid guy without any specific, elite skill to be a #1 RB option. He proved me wrong big time on Saturday night…great vision, decisive, showed a little speed, broke some tackles and averaged nearly 10 YPC. If this is a sign of things to come, I’ll take it all day. If you look at rushing statistics alone for the overall RB group, this looks like a better grade…but can’t do more than a B- with the two Cash Jones touches being a disaster and Frazier fumbling on our 10-yard line, which gifted Bama 3 points (how much did we lose by again?).    

Offensive Line – B

• If we can take one win away from this game, the OL was one of the bright spots of the team, as opposed to its stronghold on the most underperforming unit of the team. When the team rushes for 227 yards, averaging nearly 7 YPC, scoring 2 TD’s on the ground…the OL has to be doing something right. I think Gunner had time on most passing attempts. Hughley didn’t make me look great with two penalties in the first half, but the right side of the line did play a lot better overall. We did give up a sack and Bama had 6 total TFL’s, so we weren’t perfect, but more good than bad. I really hope we turned a corner with this group because if we’re able to consistently run for 200+ yards a game in conference play, I like our chances in those games. Good OL play travels well.   

Receivers (WR’s + TE’s) – B-

• Colbie Young had another productive night with a touchdown catch. Dillon Bell had a great 43-yard run (really well executed fake). Branch caught a huge third down ball where he looked to levitate while getting hit from three different defenders. Other than that…not a lot to talk about. There were only 9 catches from WR’s on the evening and for the second time this season, 0 catches from the TE unit. I’m not one of those people that cares how we get yards or which player gets them…the only thing I care about is moving the ball and being effective as an offense. That said, we have 4 active TE’s on the roster (Barbour is out) who could/should be difference makers or matchup problems…I guess coaches just aren’t seeing those opportunities. Same with Noah Thomas…I assumed he’d be a difference maker this year, no catches through 4 games. Anyone else as surprised as me that we’re not getting a lot of receiving production out of these guys? Oh yeah, the Taylor drop on a perfect ball can’t happen. I know he’s not aiming to drop it, but that falls in the “God hates us” drop category. What happens if he catches that for a touchdown? I’ve got to move on before I go into a downward spiral on this.        

Defensive Line – C+

• I was wrong about this unit as well. After the first couple of games, I thought DL was going to be a strength of the team. We limited the rushing yardage overall, but hated watching us give up 7 yards on a basic 1^st down run during Bama’s final possession. When it came to passing downs, our DL just didn’t get pressure or make Simpson very uncomfortable (13 third down conversions). We need at least one DL to be able to play dominant football and get some pressure. For two straight contests, we have made opposing QB’s look like Heisman Trophy finalists to start the 1^st quarter. I’m not a big believer that the DL needs to accumulate stats to be effective, but I am a big believer they need to get pressure on the QB on obvious passing downs and take time/rhythm away. Bama may have not beaten us with their running game, but it doesn’t matter if we give their QB plenty of time to find open receivers on critical third downs.      

Linebackers – B-        

• There were some good individual plays here and there. Quintavious Johnson got the big 4^th down stop. CJ Allen was typically solid, as was Raylen Wilson. Justin Williams had a nice stick on one play. Chris Cole picked up his third sack of the season and contributed with another 5 tackles. Some criticism for this group, Quintavious Johnson got flagged for an obvious horse collar, which didn’t help our cause. When we blitzed an inside backer, none of them could get home or really disrupt Simpson. It’s unfair to compare anyone to Roquan or Nakobe, but they were elite at getting to the quarterback on inside blitzes…Mondon was also pretty good at this. It could be those guys just had a better DL to open up gaps, I don’t know. I think most agree this should be our most effective position group, would have liked to see a little more disruption from these guys in a game this big.  

Defensive Backs – C-

• I wavered on going lower than this but settled on the C+ for a final grade. Ellis Robinson wins the “WTF were you thinking?” award for jumping on the pile to get a personal foul penalty. It didn’t make a difference in the final outcome, but horrible discipline. The touchdown he gave up on the slant looked WAY too easy…was he expecting inside help? We gave up 13 third downs, which is easily the worst for Kirby Smart and the most Georgia has given up in the last 30 years. I know I speak for all Dawg fans when I say how painful it is to watch teams EASILY pick up 3^rd and long against us time after time after time. Even Todd Grantham would have considered that poor 3^rd down defense. I don’t know where most of the fault lies on the 3^rd down woes…is it poor defensive coaching strategy on 3^rd down, is it lack of DL ability to get pressure, is it the other team out scheming us, or is it bad coverage in the secondary? I really don’t know…all I know is Simpson had copious amounts of time to find receivers who were not tightly covered. Anyone else realize we have 4 DB’s (Everette, Bolden, Robinson, Aguero) that started for us that were 5-star recruits? We shouldn’t have a talent problem. Kyron Jones had another game where he didn’t remind me of some of our best Safeties in the Smart era. I guess if we’re looking for some silver linings…play got better in the second half. Demello Jones came in and played well. Robinson did break up a TD pass attempt with great coverage. KJ Bolden almost had a pick, which would’ve been a huge momentum play at the time. I know Donte Williams can’t be feeling too good about this group…DB’s are not playing near the standard of Smart coached teams, and talent is not the issue.  

Special Teams – INC

• We punted 4 times with no returns, kicked 3 XP’s and all kickoffs were touchbacks. No game changers, but no opportunities for game changers. Moving on.          

Coaching – C-

• If I had to put a majority of blame somewhere, I’d put it on the coaching staff. I’ll start with the good before we get to the bad. I don’t think this loss was a Bobo issue. The running game was more than enough to win, showed a nice wrinkle on the Dillon Bell run, a designed run for Stockton on a big 3^rd down was nice, we moved the ball reasonably well after the first quarter and the play to Taylor should have been a TD. At minimum, we should have had 28 points in this game, with a good opportunity to go over 30. Searles deserves some credit for the best OL showing of the year (even though I hope Pittman has already been called). The defense improved in the 2^nd half and we didn’t surrender any points for the final 30 minutes. Now, on to the not so good…and there’s a lot to cover so grab a snack. THE SLOW STARTS HAVE GOT TO BE FIXED. GTP Refugee stalwart, jpmcdonough posted a great piece yesterday on how bad the starts have been the past two years…give it a check if you haven’t already…it perfectly explains how bad we are at getting out of the gate. It’s not just offense, it’s defense too. We’re making every QB look like a 1^st round pick, and that’s not a coincidence. For all of Kirby’s talk about being the hunter and not the hunted, having FPE, etc. we come out of the gate like we’ve dropped a cylinder. It’s like we’re fine letting other teams dictate what they want to do, and we decide to react to it after a couple of offensive and defensive drives. I didn’t understand the clock management on the final drive…when it’s third and inches, they’re almost certainly going to get it, so why waste the timeout? Against Tennessee, we looked to have a beautiful, scripted first offensive series…guess we didn’t feel like doing that for Bama. For all the talent we recruit on defense, we apparently can’t figure out a way to consistently get pressure on opposing QB’s or effectively cover downfield. Allowing Bama to get a TD in 1:34 to end the first half, it was horribly painful. Alright, the 4^th down disaster…I’ve got a few criticisms. I’ve heard Kirby’s statement about already being committed to go for it with tempo if we picked up anything on 3^rd down, fine. But, when we were that close to getting it on 3^rd down (and I have no clue how close it was because ESPN’s coverage of that play and the aftermath was absolute shit), that calls for a change in plans in my opinion…at least give them a chance to review the play because maybe we got it. I’m even OK if we don’t want to take the points and go for it on 4^th down, but we have not been a very good tempo team post Stetson Bennett, so didn’t feel like a smart decision. Not trying to pick on Jones, but if we’re inches away from a first down, why on earth would we not take the time to substitute in McCray for Jones, who is almost impossible to stop for no gain? I get commitment to a plan, but that doesn’t mean you can’t change it if the circumstances dictate a better option. That’s part of great gameday coaching. Everything was set up for our team to win this game…Bama no longer has Saban, our talent is comparable, we finally got them on our home field with what looked to be an incredible atmosphere…and we spot them a 14-0 lead without putting up much of a fight. Bottom line, Bama looked ready to play from the first snap and we didn’t look ready to play until some time after we spotted them a 14-point lead.                

Bama Glazing – A+

• If I didn’t know any better, I would assume Kirk Herbstreit played QB for Alabama, makes annual 7-digit donations to their program and had a cool million riding on the outcome of the game. This was Gary Danielson / Tim Tebow level worship for Ty Simpson. I’m not a Herbstreit hater, but it was getting pretty gross on Saturday night.

Let’s level set…play was not good enough and coaching was definitely not good enough for a game of this caliber. I think it’s safe to say the Crimson and White have our regular season number until we do something different to alter this series. If we don’t figure out these starts, there is easily another loss or two on the schedule. The good, we got better on the OL and Bowens could be a great every down back. We have shown we can play good defense against a good team, we just need to figure out how to do it in the first half. All goals still in front of us, even if the margin for error has been reduced. On to Kentucky.

Go Dawgs!           

We’re through the first month of games and beginning this week, we’re heavily entrenched in conference play for several weeks in a row. Week 4 was not the most interesting slate of games with several teams getting some final tune up games (or so they thought…looking at you Arkansas) before they enter the long stretch of SEC weekly warfare. That said, there are a few shakeups in the Power Poll compared to last week. Let’s have at it!

1. Oklahoma – Oklahoma is not the best team in the SEC…there, I said it. It looks like Mateer is going to be out for about a month, that’s going to really hurt their cause. I’m pretty sure they blackmailed the SEC officials this past Saturday. How in the hell did they jump to #1? Well, they were the only team that played and beat an opponent with an actual football pulse this weekend, and they have a couple of top 25 victories to their credit while sporting an undefeated record. This will not last, but feels deserving for at least this week.     
2. Georgia – We still have the best win of anyone in the conference and there is a case to be made we should be #1. Still holding strong that I can’t put us #1 until we prove it this weekend. You’ll either thank me next week…or hate me (go easy if I’m wrong).  
3. Tennessee – Another delicious cupcake, another blowout. I really want to see what Tennessee can do on the road against a good opponent. That looks like it will be against Bama…beyond that, their schedule lines up VERY nicely. They caught some breaks with teams like Florida being down and they get Oklahoma at home. Mississippi State could be sneaky tough this weekend, but should be favored in every remaining game other than Bama.   
4. Texas A&M – Off week for the Aggies, but could/should be 7-0 before going into Baton Rouge on 10/25. Back end of their schedule looks tough, but I’ll keep them at #4 for the time being.  
5. LSU – I had these guys #1 in the Power Poll last week…they win 56-10 and drop four spots. I know, it’s completely illogical and unfair. But, we know a little bit more about their “quality wins” after Week 4. I think it’s fair to say Clemson is an absolute dumpster fire and in retrospect, I can’t give LSU a lot of credit for beating Clemson in “Likely To Survive Valley” when a really bad Syracuse team just did the same thing. LSU needed a defensive score to have breathing room for a victory over a 1-3 Florida team that is likely to further implode. They’ll have a chance to get a quality win this weekend at Ole Miss to prove me wrong.   
6. Vanderbilt – Queue up DJ Khaled, cause all they do is win, win, win. Definitely a nice story and I think they’re a legitimately good team…but take a look at Week 6-9 on their schedule…we’ll see how real they are after that stretch. In other news, Diego Pavia is trying to get a 15^th year of eligibility for 2026…this is getting out of control.
7. Alabama – Off week for Bama before the showdown in Athens this week. I do think Bama is better than Vandy (and probably LSU as well) and will beat them in a couple of weeks, so I should probably have them slotted in at #6…but what do we really know about Bama? They lost to FSU in convincing fashion. They took their anger out on SE Louisiana, before comfortably beating a Wisconsin team that just got throttled by Maryland on their home field. I have no clue how good Bama really is, but guarantee we’ll get the best version of them this weekend.
8. Ole Miss – Keeping them at #8 for this week after another lopsided win against an overmatched opponent. They can claim two conference wins, but when they come against Kentucky and Arkansas, color me skeptical. Great opportunity to get a good-looking win against LSU this weekend…should be a fun matchup where team strengths are completely opposite.    
9. Auburn – Yep, these guys got completely screwed this weekend. Nothing worse than a Sunday press release confirming you were screwed and the powers that be have to say, “Sorry, tough shit.” I’m no Auburn fan, but damn I’d be pissed after that little episode. Their reward? Go to another tough environment at Texas A&M this weekend. Someone tell me if it’s better for us to play Auburn coming off two straight losses and a bye, or play Auburn off a big win and a bye…I can’t decide. I need to know who I should be cheering for this weekend.  
10. Texas – Arch, seriously? I’ve tried to be cool and go easy on you because you never asked for the expectations the media put on you. But, when you flex on a Sam Houston defender after merely shaking off a bad tackle attempt, you’re not helping your cause. That felt like something Geoff Collins would have recommended…and maybe go knock out some bench press reps on the sideline afterwards. Anyway, Texas wins the schedule lottery for their next two games with Lagway and Mateer being injured (although Lagway being out could be an upgrade for Florida at this point).    
11. Missouri – Got pushed pretty hard by South Carolina at home…even if South Carolina’s stock is falling like a blind roofer right now. Good to see Damon Wilson having a nice season with 3 sacks to his credit (sarcasm). I’ve moved them up a spot for this week, but admittedly, I’m not sold on these guys. Their first road game of the season will be October 18^th…who the hell made that schedule? I’m still holding until they play Bama on 10/11 before I form a complete opinion.     
12. Mississippi State – Alright other Bulldogs…the ultimate “prove it” weekend is right in front of you. The Vols have been susceptible to the occasional road loss against an inferior team in the Heupel era…great opportunity to catch them off guard. You win that game and I’ll vault you up the rankings in the Power Poll. It’s up to you.   
13. South Carolina – Moving them up two spots after two straight losses doesn’t make a lot of sense, but at least they were leading in the 4^th quarter on the road against a top 25 team. I’ll try to make it make some sense in just a minute…
14. Kentucky – Off week for the Wildcats…they play at South Carolina this weekend and can help sort out which team is better in the bottom quarter of the Power Poll. Until then, I’ve held them steady at #14.  
15. Arkansas – Damnit Arkansas…you’re making the conference look bad. At least South Carolina lost to a top 25 conference team. Arkansas lost to a non-P4 team (albeit a good one) when they were in perfect position to win the game. This is the second straight week they’ve fumbled on a potential game winning drive. If you’re a diehard Razorback fan, that’s some immeasurable pain to lose in that fashion for two straight weeks. If they think they can do better than Pittman…I’m sure we can make room for him on the Georgia staff in some capacity.     
16. Florida – Are we ready to declare the train has completely come off the track? 1-3 start to the season and the schedule ain’t getting any easier. Your “star” QB is in a walking boot…conveniently after four games played (ahem, redshirt preserved). Napier has the current highest odds (4/1) of being the next P4 coach fired…true, I looked it up. It’s very possible Florida only wins 3 games this year, and that means a win at Kentucky and a win at home against Mississippi State. They’ll be underdogs in every other game on their schedule.  

Conference play will heat up a lot more this week and the Dawgs have an opportunity to seize the top spot in the conference. Let’s get a W and have a good time with the Power Poll next week. Go Dawgs!

Week 3 is behind us and I thought the Power Poll would begin getting a little easier to sort out. I was wrong. I think I might have a better handle on it once we get through Week 5. Still too many games against cupcakes during these first three weeks and I can’t properly assess who is legitimately good, who is legitimately bad, who looks good beating cupcakes but isn’t really good, who looks bad beating cupcakes but could actually be good, etc. I admit…I still don’t have a great sense for the conference top to bottom. Let’s give it a whirl anyway and see where we land.

1. LSU – This is against my better judgment because LSU did NOT look good against Florida on Saturday night. I could make an easy argument they should be somewhere in the 4-5 range. Their defense has certainly been impressive, but that offense has looked quite shaky. Why #1 for this week? Still giving them some love for going on the road in Week 1 and beating a juiced-up Clemson (although that win is aging like milk), they took care of the Gators when Florida was playing for their season, and I really don’t like the idea of putting Georgia #1 before we play Alabama in two weeks. I guess I didn’t mention I’m highly superstitious.
2. Georgia – I’d say Georgia has the best win of the season for all SEC teams, correct? Beating UT in Knoxville, in a stadium louder than a Craig Sager suit, that’s impressive. Answered a lot of questions about the offensive potential and Gunner Stockton’s ability to lead the team, but also introduced a few questions about the strength of the defensive backs. I don’t know of any other team in the conference that could have beaten a really good, pumped-up Tennessee team in those same conditions. Great win.
3. Tennessee – They showed they were every bit our equal this past Saturday (not sure how it would have played out in Athens or a neutral field). Their offense is scary and their defense has more upside when they get a couple of starters back. The Nico for Aguilar trade looks like the Yankees getting Babe Ruth from the Red Sox for nothing. I think it’s fair to slot them in right behind Georgia when they were a missed FG away from winning at the end of regulation.
4. Texas A&M – Impressive win over Notre Dame on the road at night. You have to think Notre Dame was going to give them their best shot after a close loss to Miami. Yes, the defense has been a touch leaky…alright, it looked like something reminiscent of the old WAC. But, given the situation, beating #8 on the road has to count for something in my book.  
5. Oklahoma – Gotta admit…I underestimated them coming into the season. I’m not overly impressed with the win over Michigan, but it checks a box. Their defense has given up less points than anyone in the conference so far…even if competition hasn’t been stellar. Waiting to see what they look like on the road in a tough conference game, but they’ve acquitted themselves very nicely to start the season.
6. Vanderbilt – Are these guys for real? Seriously, I’m asking. OK, beating Charleston Southern doesn’t mean a whole lot. Beating Virginia Tech doesn’t appear to mean much more right now. Maybe South Carolina was vastly overrated entering the season (it’s looking more and more like that is the case), but a dominating win at Williams Brice in a primetime game has to earn a little respect. You have to believe larger brand programs are inquiring about Clark Lea’s availability for next season.
7. Alabama – I’m ready to catch hell for this because I’m putting them ahead of undefeated teams. I know the Florida State loss is still fresh, but I believe FSU looks legit and weird things happen in Week 1. Bama still possesses a TON of talent and dominated a name brand team this past weekend. Sounds like there is concern with the running game, but I think that will improve. I’d probably have them favored to beat some of the teams I have ahead of them on this list, but let’s stick them here for this week
8. Ole Miss – They’re 3-0, they score a lot of points and they’re ranked #13. I’m sure there is an argument for Ole Miss to be higher on this list. But, I’m just not overly impressed with blowing out an overmatched Georgia State. The Kentucky win was on the road, but close enough to raise questions. Arkansas could have easily beaten them on their home field (and I thought they would on that last drive), but Ole Miss forced a fumble to lock it up. They might be that team that finds ways to win against lesser competition.    
9. Auburn – I’m still giving them some mileage off the Week 1 win at Baylor, who beat a top 20 SMU team. I’m not sure what that South Alabama game was all about…really, only 3 points in the second half? The game at Oklahoma this week will be a great measuring stick for both teams, and will help sort out a lot of this poll moving forward.  
10. Texas – This team is the poster child for why preseason rankings mean very little. They looked sloppy as hell in the loss to Ohio State. They didn’t have the look of a top 10 team against San Jose State or UTEP. I’m not going to pile on the guy, but Arch Manning will have to be better if Texas has CFP aspirations. The defense has looked very good so far, so they do have that going for them. Their ceiling has to be pretty high, but they’ve yet to play like it.
11. Mississippi State – I’m proud of these guys…I mean, who can really hate the other Bulldogs if you’re not an Ole Miss fan. They’ve got a top 15 win on their resume and decisively won their other 2 games of the season. This looked like an easy conference road win before the season started, not so much now.   
12. Missouri – This feels pretty low for a team ranked #23, but has Missouri beaten anyone? I don’t think Kansas qualifies as a quality win, and they’ve eaten a couple of cupcakes beyond that. I never feel like I know anything about Missouri. I have no problem moving them up, but I need to see more…some kind of win over a formidable team to get a gauge of how good they are.   
13. Arkansas – They’ve scored a ton of points and easily could have won that Ole Miss game on the road. They’re QB looks like a playmaker (who might not make it through the season as much as he runs) who can keep them in some tougher games. Who doesn’t love Sam Pittman? They’ve got Memphis this weekend before an absolutely brutal 4 game stretch…we’ll know a lot more very soon.
14. Kentucky – The wins have not been overly impressive, but the loss to Ole Miss was not an embarrassment either. They’ll get South Carolina after an off week…I predict the loser of that one will completely mail it in the rest of the season. After South Carolina, they go through a very hellish 4 game stretch where things could get off the rails really quick.  
15. South Carolina – That was not pretty on Saturday night. Whatever expectations South Carolina had this season have certainly been reined in after that dish of humble pie courtesy of the ‘Dores. Games against Missouri and Kentucky are both winnable, before they get 5 straight games against top 15 teams beginning October 11^th…another team where things can get off the rails really quick during that midseason stretch. Biggest disappointment in the conference so far?     
16. Florida – Nope…that honor goes to these guys. Their best and only win is against Long Island. Losing to South Florida in the Swamp is not acceptable for ANY Gator squad. Losing to LSU in Baton Rouge is not an embarrassment, but when your anointed QB throws 5 interceptions in the game, that’s an embarrassment. Florida gets top 10 teams in 4 of their next 5 games…that’s brutal. The entire fanbase wants to fire Napier yesterday…not looking good in Gainesville.

I’m pretty confident this is not 100% and bet there are some holes in my logic that can be exposed. I still don’t feel great putting LSU at the top of the list when they only had 10 first downs against the #16 team in this poll. I just can’t put Georgia at #1 before our game against Alabama…that’s like asking for bad karma and I’ve got to put the needs of the Dawgnation first. Have a great week and Go Dawgs!

How’s everyone feeling? Personally, my mixed emotions are having mixed emotions. The Dawgs have not lacked for drama dating back to the end of last season. We were far from perfect on Saturday, but we just beat what appears to be a damn good football team, who gave us their best shot, on the road in an insane environment. I won’t speak for UT fans and players, but I’d bet many of them would have said beating Georgia was their biggest goal for 2025…and they definitely played like it coming out of the gate. Let’s get to some grades…     

Quarterback: A

• Was Gunner absolutely perfect? No. Did he miss a few opportunities? I’m sure he did. Could he have stepped up in the pocket a little better? Sure. Am I grading on a slight curve? Damn right. This was Gunner’s first true road start and that’s about as tough of an environment you’ll ever see in college football. To make matters worse, Tennessee opened with 3 straight touchdown drives, putting that much more pressure on Gunner to deliver. 23/31 for 304 and 2 TD’s, 13 for 38 and 1 TD…made throws at all levels, some had to be fired and some had to be finessed. Great stat day for anyone against this level of opponent…but it’s bigger than that. Gunner was clutch as hell when he absolutely had to be…4^th and 6…don’t need to say any more. Gunner was getting pressured and harassed all day and figured out a way to complete some crucial drive extending passes just before getting put on his ass in a very unceremonious fashion…I’m pretty sure Paul Blake got hit less against Texas State. It’s hard to put a value on toughness, but I’d say Stockton’s toughness meter goes up to 11. If he didn’t earn everyone’s respect on Saturday, I’m not sure what it takes. That dude is QB1 and played like it.        

Running Back: B

• Thought Nate Frazier had a very strong day, ran tough and nearly pulled the walk off TD in OT. I watched the Brooks Austin breakdown and he made some good points about Nate maybe leaving some yards on the field, but I can’t recall him taking a single loss and he seemed to run with a little more juice this week…more to come. McCray obviously got some important short yardage TD’s, which is nice to get what we were shopping for in the portal. Even though Dwight Lightning got stopped for minimal gains on at least 2 carries, he still put together 5 carries for 29 yards…I’m praying he gets an opportunity on a well blocked screen pass just to see him hit top speed. Chauncey had a couple of nice runs, performance was probably a little better than the 2.7 YPC average he earned on the day. RB’s caught 3 passes out of the backfield for about 20 yards, so solid work there as well. Overall, RB’s ran for about 4 YPC on the day with occasionally good blocking…feels like a solid B performance for this group.

Offensive Line – C-

• It’s a small miracle we were able to get 38 points in regulation after watching our OL play on Saturday. The left side of our OL seems pretty set…not perfect play, but mostly solid from what I could see other than Freeling getting beat for the strip sack. Bobo played pretty well from what I could tell. On to the right side…how much time do you have? At Right Guard, Glover is a true freshman that made some plays, but also made some mistakes…won’t judge him too hard based on the situation he’s in. Gaston played some, but guessing the injury was bothering him enough to limit his snap count. Right Tackle…Jesus, what a day. I’m not sure what we’re going to do at Right Tackle moving forward, but I feel very comfortable saying Uini is not the solution. He may end up a great OL one day, but that day at that position is not today. What about Greene? Well, he was put on the earth through force on multiple occasions. I’m guessing he’s still not close to 100% and if that’s the case, let’s shut him down until he is. What about Bo Hughley? All I’ve seen him do is play very well when he gets in the game. Am I missing something here? He shouldn’t be a surprise revelation. He was a top 100 recruit and tenth best OT for the 2023 class. He’s in his third year in the program, he should be ready. Whatever…I’m ranting now. Let’s sum it up…run blocking was so-so, pass blocking was no-no, and the right side of our line was less effective than a pogo stick in quicksand. At least there were no false start penalties…so that’s a good thing. For Bama game, I’d like to see this starting lineup (Freeling, Morris, Bobo, Gaston (if healthy), Hughley).

Receivers (WR’s + TE’s) – A-

• Loved this group on Saturday. Branch did Branch things…his TD was a thing of beauty with blocks set up perfectly and him out accelerating the one man he had to beat…and he ran a great route on the 2 point conversion. Young had his best game, setting the tone on the very first play with a deep ball, and a really nice catch and run on a screen pass…dude looked large and fast. Humphreys…do I even need to say it? Dillon Bell made a little more noise this Saturday with a handful of catches, including an important 3^rd down conversion where he had to make a man miss. Sacovie with a very nice catch and run on the day…he’s got some quickness to him. Luckie caught a few balls and wins the “receiver who blocked his ass off” award. Delp chipped in with an 18 yard reception punctuated with a jumping front kick to the defender’s face. Only major gripe with this group was the Young personal foul that had a direct effect on that possession ending with a punt…can’t do that kind of stuff in big games on the road.     

Defensive Line – B

• Giving up 38 points in regulation doesn’t feel like a B performance, but these guys were pretty solid. They kept Tennessee to below 4 YPC, accounted for some TFL’s on the day and broke into the backfield on a few occasions. As fast as Tennessee plays, it’s got to be tough on defensive linemen to maintain on longer drives. Still feel like this group can be a strength of the team throughout the season…will need them to show up in two weeks against Bama.   

Linebackers – B         

• The ILB’s had a big day on the stat sheet. I think CJ Allen looks noticeably faster to me this year compared to last year. Chris Cole is definitely legit and all the offseason noise was well founded. Raylen Wilson’s hit on Aguilar made me pee a little bit. Quintavious Johnson made a few plays at OLB, which was nice to see. Low marks for edge setting on Tennessee’s final drive in regulation…multiple runs broke outside for good gains. Couple of good PBU’s from Allen and Cole, but the group also got beat over the middle on a couple of throws. Could be the toughest offense we play all year, so pretty solid day all things considered.     

Defensive Backs – C

• Some may want to go more harsh than this. If the game ended after the first quarter, it definitely would have been worse…but hear me out. I think Ellis Robinson is going to end up being a great player at UGA and I’ll admit, I’ve been championing the cause of him getting more playing time. That said, Ellis Robinson had a day I’m sure he would prefer to forget…2 PI’s, one that still went for a TD and one that extended a UT drive that ended with a TD. Jacorey Thomas got caught looking on a long Tennessee TD. Daniel Harris didn’t have his best outing either, but I’m going to defend him a little bit on the long TD he gave up…he was in perfect position, he was playing the ball and there was definitely a push off. I know the commentating crew said the contact wasn’t significant enough to affect the play, but I disagree. When you’re running that fast and someone pushes you a little bit while you’re elevating, it throws off your balance a lot…just one man’s opinion. Kyron Jones quietly had 10 tackles. KJ Bolden chipped in with another 7 tackles and was “Johnny On The Spot” for the interception when the UT receiver fell down. Daylen Everette wasn’t mentioned a lot, which is a good thing…can only recall one catch made against him and it was very contested. Brightest spot for this group was Aguero who played his best game at UGA. Multiple hard hits, one that resulted in a PBU and another that resulted in a 3^rd down stop…also grabbed a pick to end a UT drive in the 2^nd quarter. Let’s hope this is the Aguero we get the rest of the year…dude looked good.          

Special Teams – A

• Peyton Woodring continues to be automatic, no misses on XP’s or FG’s…long of 48 on the afternoon. Thorpedo was his usual brilliant self with some unreturnable bombs that averaged nearly 48 on the afternoon. No blunders or big plays given up. We needed every available point from Woodring and he delivered as usual.        

Coaching – B

• This is tough because there was a lot of good and definitely some bad. The good…the offense looked world’s better than last week when we played a really bad team. Let’s give Bobo his due…drew up some great design, schemed some dudes open and the offense looked far more creative than the first two weeks. They must have done a great job prepping the offense to handle the noise because zero false starts. Defensive adjustments were made after the nightmare first quarter. Loved the timeout Kirby took to keep Tennessee from lining up to potentially go for it on 4^th down, and they ended up punting when play resumed. Really ballsy call to go for it on 4^th down in the first half on our side of the field and convert. Took the points to end the first half which I thought was the right thing to do. The opening drive in the 3^rd quarter was a thing of beauty and I think it elevated Kirby’s sperm count. The bad…why in the world did it take so long to put Hughley in the game at RT? Safe to say our goal to go offense could use some work…are we just never going to throw to Thomas or Young inside the 5 yard line? Too many men on the field trying to substitute and got flagged. My biggest gripe…we had a boatload of momentum in the 3^rd quarter and had a chance to absolutely step on UT’s throat…we get all of 3 points in 2 drives…one of which was a short field. We went WAY conservative when at least one touchdown (or hell, 2 FG’s) would have made it a two score game. That was a huge missed opportunity and in the blink of an eye, Tennessee hits a huge explosive to retake the lead in a game we were completely controlling at that point. I hope the lesson was learned…when you have a chance to give them a kill shot, take the damn thing.       

Quarterback Analysts – F

• I’m not saying this to beat up on QB’s not playing well, but all of the supposed QB experts are not looking too bright right now. DJ Lagway was anointed as someone with the “highest ceiling” by many in the media…5 INT’s against LSU. Arch Manning, who was practically given the Heisman in July, has not played up to the preseason hype. Side note…does anyone think Quinn Ewers is quietly a little bit happy right now after everyone in Texas wanted to throw him out so Manning could play? Klubnik has started 1-2 and looked pretty pedestrian while doing it. Nussmeier has looked pretty darn average to start the year. Yeah…I’m fine with Gunner.   

Still not perfect…but that was a hell of a win and super entertaining. I’m confident there will not be a tougher environment we’ll play in all year, and Tennessee might end up being a playoff caliber team. Kudos to the Dawgs for the fight and resiliency they demonstrated all day…huge road win to extend the streak to 9 in a row over the Vols! Off week to settle the nerves before we get a shot to make some things right with Bama. Go Dawgs!

Things are rarely as good as they seem, and they’re rarely as bad as they seem. That’s probably a wise statement for all Dawg fans to embrace this week following a less than ideal showing this past Saturday against the mighty Governors (lame name). I’m not feeling like Lane Meyer just yet…not ready to jump off a bridge or stick my head in the oven after two games, but I’d be dishonest if I said that performance didn’t leave something to be desired (at least on the offensive side of the ball). With that, let’s get to some post-game grades.  

Quarterback: C

• C’s get degrees…but they probably won’t get championships. When you look at Gunner’s stats for the game, they look pretty solid (26-34 for 227 yards, 5 rushes for 13 yards, no turnovers). It’s not like he threw 5 picks and fumbled 3 times while taking the Lord’s name in vain. We’ve all seen the feedback that he’s not seeing open receivers downfield, or he’s seeing them and too tentative to pull the trigger. Last week he used his legs to make several plays, this week…not as much (although he did escape a certain sack early in the game and turned it into a gain). I have no idea what to make of this game. I think Gunner is a talented guy and can make plays with his arm and his legs. Maybe some of it was our game plan. Maybe some of it was Gunner not seeing the same thing we see on the broadcast (if you were fortunate enough to have ESPN+ or watch via a shady YouTube stream like I did). Maybe he’s being overcoached and feels paralyzed to make a decision. Maybe it really is the way defenses are playing us. I really don’t know what it is. What I feel comfortable saying is Gunner was not making plays that several other QB’s in college football aren’t capable of making. That gets you a C for the week.     

Running Back: B

• You’re still my man Nate…but you’re killing me with the fumbles. I’ll choose to be positive and believe you got your one fumble for this year out of the way and this will not be an issue for the remaining games. There, I feel better already. Chauncey Bowens with a bit of a breakout game…11 for 56 yards and 2 TD’s, and showed some nice moves on a couple of runs. Ahhh yes, and Dwight Phillips (officially going to be calling him “Dwight Lightning” the remainder of his career) continued to look the part of an explosive SEC back…7 for 55 yards and the longest play of the day (23 yards). If we want to give him 10-12 touches a game, I won’t be upset. Maybe this could be a B+, but when accounting for the fumble and an average YPC of 4.8 on the day (no sack yardage to hurt the total) against an FCS team, B is where we’ll settle for the week.    

Offensive Line – C-

• Quick caveat…yes, OL is a tougher position unit to grade than the skill positions. I admit I don’t have any football credentials of note, and I don’t have the luxury of spending 12 hours breaking down every play from scrimmage on all of our OL players. Like many of you, I also watch the Brooks Austin recap and love watching him dissect the play of our OL. All that said, I thought our OL did not have a good day. I know we were without Greene and Gaston, and our right side of the line feels cursed right about now, but the results are what they are. I’m not saying we were bad every single play (there were some good moments), but we were not good on more than a few…and it was against FCS competition. Definitely some missed assignments in pass protection, not dominant in the run game, and can’t seem to impose our will in short yardage situations. If we were playing an elite defensive team and got these results, probably a higher grade. When you play Austin Peay, it’s a C- for the week.     

Receivers (WR’s + TE’s) – B-

• I really wanted to grade this as an “Incomplete” for this week. It would have been a copout, but I was making my peace with it. The good…I saw some nice effort on the blocking downfield (Delp and Humphreys continue to show up well here based on what I’ve seen) and the energy seems very good with this group. But when 80-90% of our throws travel 5 yards or less past the LOS, it’s really difficult to judge the group. The TE’s didn’t have any catches on the day (was there even a target?). There were about 184 receiving yards from non-RB’s, so it’s not like this group didn’t do anything Saturday…but a heavy majority of those yards were quick hitters around the line of scrimmage. If that’s what the defense was giving us, we were sure fine taking it and grinding out some yards. Liked the route Talyn Taylor ran and Stockton delivered in stride…nicest looking pass play of the day. Colbie Young played tough as hell. Would have liked to see more targets for Branch. Dillon Bell has been a non-factor through the first two games. There’s just not a lot to judge for this group in terms of playmaking with the approach we’ve taken. They’re doing what they’re being asked to do. Can’t give them an A grade when Dillon Bell caught one he should have let drop (then completely whiffed on a block the very next play), nobody broke a big one due to an elite individual effort, and Humphreys had the fumble on our side of the field. Hope to find out more about this group in Knoxville.

Defensive Line – A

• Definitely another overmatched opponent, but this group continues to deliver. The push and pressure are evident, they’re getting TFL’s and allowing our LB group to make plays. Elijah Griffin has made the stat sheet two weeks in a row and is playing as advertised. Good to see JJA playing up to his ranking after the injury last year. We know what we’ve got with Christen Miller and Gabe Harris (when he has the hand in the dirt), so this group continues to look like one of the bigger strengths of the team through two games. Run defense has been a brick wall. Gotta love the goal line stand and this group being a big reason why the Governors were not allowed into our endzone. I think we’re still not sure what our offense will look like when we open things up more, but I feel like our DL will be a big reason we shouldn’t be out of many games this year.  

Linebackers – A         

• These dudes are really good. I don’t know if we have a Roquan, Nakobe or Jalon…but top to bottom, we’ve got some serious talent and depth. CJ and Raylen were both outstanding and super productive on the day, leading the team in tackles at 7 apiece and getting some TFL’s on the afternoon. Chris Cole showed some elite speed to beat the LT and pick up a sack on third down. Justin Williams chipped in with 4 tackles. Quintavious Johnson had a nice game and was credited with half a TFL. Whatever we need to do to get these guys on the field as much as possible, I’m all in. If someone said we should play Justin Williams at Safety, I’d probably agree (just kidding around…sort of). The speed, intensity and production are all there.

Defensive Backs – B+

• We did get beat a couple of times in the secondary and this was not a good opponent, so won’t be giving out an A for the day…but all things considered, very solid. I’m still not sure on Aguero…thought he would be making a bigger impact at this point and he doesn’t seem to be super reliable in coverage. He had some moments last year where I thought he had made the leap, but not a lot of consistent production. KJ Bolden continues to be money and good on Ellis Robinson being alert and athletic enough to come up with the pick on a ball that bounced off a receiver. Good to get Everette back and get him some game reps before conference play. This group will surely get tested by the Vols next weekend…will be a great measuring stick to see where this group is after being relatively unchallenged the first two weeks.       

Special Teams – B

• No FG attempts for Woodring on the day, so not a lot to judge. No kickoffs were returned, which we’ll take all season. Thorpedo made his return to action and averaged 44 yards per punt, with a long of 54 and no returns. Branch had one punt return and one kick return, but no noise on either. Williams was flagged for a block in the back on the kick return, so that did not help the field position cause. Let’s move on.       

Coaching – C

• If we want to stick with the script that the coaches are keeping everything close to the vest against a bad opponent, that’s cool with me. I also subscribe to that line of thought and think we’ll see a different approach in Knoxville. That said…my eyes saw less FPE this week than our Marshall game. We were sitting on the goal line to end the first half and came away with 0 points in five tries. These super vanilla offensive gameplans are great when you open the game with 3 straight TD’s and are getting yards in chunks…it doesn’t look as smart when you go into the locker room up 14-3 against an FCS opponent. Our defense looked ready, willing and able…so good for the coaches on that side of the ball. Bottom line, we beat an FCS opponent 28-6. When you have an ENORMOUS talent advantage and that’s the final result, can’t give them more than a C for the final grade. If Kirby wanted some adversity and some things to coach up for this week’s game, then he’s a genius.    

ESPN – F

• There must be a million different options to broadcast a college football game in 2025. I don’t care if Georgia is playing a Catholic Middle School…I want to watch the game without issue. No, I don’t want to get a subscription to ESPN+ so I can watch one game on a streaming service. This is just one of many reasons why the “World Wide Leader” has fallen so far. I know how much better we are in 2025 compared to the 80’s when you could barely watch your favorite team play all season, but I’m still bitter and I refuse to play that game. So, whomever was kind enough to stream the game on your shady YouTube channel, I appreciate you.   

The jury is very much out on this team…at least on offense. I think our defense has done about as much as they can do and dominated lesser teams as they should have. On offense, I’m in wait and see mode. If we go to Knoxville and the offense doesn’t have a little more imagination, I’ll be a lot more concerned. If we get guys like Greene and Gaston back on the OL and Stockton is getting pressured too much, I’ll be a lot more concerned. I think most Dawg fans are in agreement that we’ve intentionally been keeping things VERY basic for the first two weeks, and we’re ready to show more against the Vols. For what it’s worth, I don’t think we know a whole lot more about Tennessee. They beat a Syracuse team that needed OT to beat UConn, and dispatched a completely overmatched ETSU (to be fair, we should have done that with Austin Peay). Looking forward to Rocky Top this weekend.

Go Dawgs!           

Week 1 is in the rearview mirror and plenty of surprises for some of the preseason SEC favorites. Week 1 is probably going to be the most difficult Power Poll to put together because we’re operating off a very limited sample and really difficult to make judgments for one week. I’m sure I’ll regret some of these rankings in a few weeks when all teams have a greater body of work, but let’s go ahead and have some fun.

1. LSU – Brian Kelly saved himself a lot of personal hell by dispatching a highly ranked Clemson, in a night game on the road no less. Aside from some questionable game management to end the first half, I thought LSU looked impressive. The refs did them no favors and they still came away with a 17-10 win and the rights to “The Real Death Valley” moniker. Honestly, it felt like they were more dominant than 17-10, but I’m sure they’ll take it. Plenty of time left in the season for Brian Kelly to Brian Kelly, but they’ve earned the top spot for this week.
2. Georgia – Dominated a game against an inferior opponent, revealed no wrinkles from an offensive or defensive standpoint, gave up less than 100 yards on defense until middle of the 4^th quarter, played nothing but 2^nd and 3^rd teamers for the final quarter. We could put them behind some of the next few teams for level of competition in Week 1, but I think the Dawgs would be a favorite against any SEC competitor on a neutral field right now (maybe a pick ‘em against LSU?). Very solid start to the season. And this is where things get a lot tougher…
3. Tennessee – I don’t like this any more than you do. As happy as I was to see Tennessee call Nico when he raised on the turn, I was still hoping they would look and play awful. Turns out, they comfortably took care of business against a Syracuse team that had a very solid 2024. Would they win every H2H on a neutral field against some of the teams below them on this list? No clue. But I’ll give them some Week 1 respect for playing a P4 squad on a neutral field and getting a decisive victory.
4. Auburn – This game was closer than the score would indicate, but Auburn’s offense was very competent in a sneaky tough Week 1 game away from home. The kickoff return touchdown certainly helped a lot and those are hard to rely on week to week, but I guess I need to reward these lousy buttholes for playing a good P4 team on the road and getting a quality win.
5. Texas – I can hear the screams now of SEC teams who claimed victory in Week 1! I know Texas didn’t look good on Saturday. I know Arch Manning didn’t live up to the impossibly high expectations, or even solid game manager expectations…alright, his play just wasn’t near good enough. That said, Ohio State isn’t some also ran football program and they were playing in The Shoe. I know OSU lost a TON from last year’s team, but they weren’t trotting out a team of high school dudes. It’s not like the score was 56-3. I think Texas will be better than what they showed and I think Arch will be better than what he showed. I’d take Texas in a H2H against any of the teams below them on this list right now.
6. Ole Miss – This was a tough one for me. I don’t love the Laner, but he does make the conference a hell of a lot more fun. I think he’s proven himself to be a very competent coach at Ole Miss. They went all in last year on roster investment and came up empty for the CFP. It’s hard to gauge how good they are after drubbing the mighty Georgia State Panthers, but 63-7 is at least decisive. I don’t think they have the same level of roster as their 2024 version, but after Week 1, I still like them more than…  
7. South Carolina – Let’s put it out there…LaNorris Sellers is a certified playmaker, Nyck Harbor might be the fastest player in the country, and Dylan Stewart is a BMF. If their game ended after their first drive, South Carolina is higher on this list. But…VT more than stuck around and if their QB hit a few more wide-open receivers, this game is a lot more interesting. Maybe VT is better than I’m giving them credit for, but they’re a slightly under .500 team post COVID season, and play in a pretty weak conference. 24-11 on a neutral field, 7 points coming on a punt return TD, with the score 10-8 going into the 4^th quarter…I’m holding till I see more.    
8. Florida – They beat the snot out of Long Island University. I’m the first to admit, I could be completely wrong about them, up or down…I don’t have the first clue how good/average/bad Florida is right now. Media pundits seem to think DJ Lagway should have a bronze statue in Gainesville, but they accorded that same status to guys like John Brantley and Jeff Driskel early in their careers. Somewhere in the middle of the conference seems fair to me right now.  
9. Oklahoma – They sure took it to Illinois State this weekend! Who would have thought Oklahoma would turn into one of those teams in the preseason where people are saying, “Oklahoma could be sneaky good this year?” Still too hard to tell anything about them, but we’ll slot them in at #9 and adjust accordingly.  
10. Texas A&M – If you want to flip/flop A&M with Oklahoma, be my guest. I just wasn’t too impressed with A&M giving up 24 points to UTSA at home…so Oklahoma gets the nod this week from my point of view.  
11. Alabama – I guess it’s time. Is Alabama really the 11^th best team in the conference? I hate to admit they’re probably better than this. They just didn’t show the nation very much on Saturday. To be fair, FSU might be very good this year and maybe the best team in their conference (not a super high bar, I know). I’m sure I’m grading Alabama against the Saban years, so not fair to them. It’s just one week and they’ll have plenty of opportunities to make amends. I expect them to play like the ’85 Bears when they come to Athens because that’s just how it is. For now, they’re #11. Sorry, I’m not sorry.   
12. Missouri – We don’t know too much after a 61-6 win over Central Arkansas. On the other hand, they did prove they can beat the crap out of Central Arkansas! If you didn’t like this analysis for Missouri…buckle up, the final four will be a rough ride.
13. Vanderbilt – I know they over-achieved in 2024, and they’ll always have that Alabama upset. Maybe 2024 is the new Vanderbilt! I wonder if Diego Pavia is going to get his number retired there one day…only half kidding. I’d like to put them higher, I really would…but not sure who should take the fall in front of them. It would be fun to take Bama down to move Vandy higher, but I feel like that would piss off the Football Gods before September 27^th. I’m doing us a favor here…remember that.
14. Arkansas – See Missouri…but let’s have a little fun with it and relate this game to a movie quote, “They beat up on a weakling. That’s all they did. The rest of this is just smoke-filled coffee house crap. They tortured and tormented a weaker kid. They didn’t like him. So, they killed him. And why? Because he couldn’t run very fast!” Name that movie…no cheating.  
15. Mississippi State – They’ve been through enough. They were at the bottom of this poll every week in 2024. Not sure if they’ll survive another week out of the cellar or not, but they did win on the road against a school Marcus Dupree almost attended…so there’s that.
16. Kentucky – I’m probably disrespecting Kentucky putting them here. Toledo wasn’t a bad team last year (record wise at least) and Stoops has put together very good seasons in the past. I’m basing a lot of this on recency bias of last year, and the score entering the 4^th was only 10-2. Let’s look at this as an incentive to prove me wrong.

Have a great week!

Week 1 of College Football is in the books and all is right with the world once again. Incredible slate of games to start the season, many involving fellow SEC competitors, which we’ll get into later this week with our first SEC power poll. But for now, let’s get to some position unit grades for the season opener.

Quarterback: B+

• For a guy who had a limited body of work coming into the season, media pundits (looking at you Paul Finebaum) were sure quick to draw some final conclusions about Gunner Stockton. He’s not big enough, he can’t run like Stetson, he can’t throw like Carson, etc. You’d think UGA offered him a scholarship simply because he has a cool first name. I don’t know how the rest of the season will play out, but I thought Gunner acquitted himself quite nicely on Saturday. The good…how nice is it to have a QB who is a threat to keep it on the read option? Defenses are going to have to respect that skillset moving forward, and that should make the running game that much more effective. Gunner made at least 4-5 plays with his feet that either extended drives, avoided sacks or produced a touchdown. The value of a mobile quarterback who can turn certain losses into solid gains, or turn third down stops into first downs to extend drives…it just makes me know I’m capable of love again. On the passing game, let’s go with solid. Not too many downfield shots, pretty conservative approach with most throws. Couple of batted balls I wouldn’t put on Gunner, but threw a couple balls into some tight coverage that looked iffy…missed Bell on a potential big gainer in favor of a check down. Thought the best throw of the day was the 3^rd down ball to Branch (2nd drive I think) knowing he was about to take a big hit. When Gunner’s day was done, Puglisi did a nice job as well in his first opportunity to lead the offense. He made sure to keep up the tradition of a backup QB getting game action and throwing every ball 114 mph. No question he can put some velocity on the ball, but also showed some good athleticism with the legs. Nice ball to Williams for his first career TD pass. No picks or fumbles from either QB, very efficient play…I’ll take it.    

Running Back: B

• I think we ended up playing about 67 RB’s on Saturday. My 2024 man crush, Nate Frazier, did what he could with the room he was given and I’m continue to buy more shares of Nate Frazier stock. Chauncey Bowens was able to bust a pretty long one, which was encouraging. Cash Jones didn’t have a lot of touches, but turned his one catch into a first down with some jukes. Bo Walker’s didn’t have a lot of space to work with, so not an impressive stat line. What am I forgetting? Oh yeah…Dwight Phillips looks like a certified badass! We all know he inherited the “fastest guy on the team” status with Arian moving on to the NFL (assuming he is faster than Branch, but not positive), but with only a handful of rushing attempts last year, it was hard to determine how he was going to be used this year. First touch of the game, 17 yard touchdown (very well blocked play) and ran through an arm tackle. They continued to use him on a few more outside runs and he continued to deliver, making yards after initial contact. I know he had the fumble, but that was the result of a perfect hit on the ball from behind…he looked to have the ball high and tight. Nate Frazier may be my man crush, but I’m going to have the occasional wandering eye for Dwight Phillips. Solid day for the running back room.   

Offensive Line – B-

• If you wanted to give this group a C+ I wouldn’t argue with you. I’m trying to manifest some good vibes after the disaster that was our OL in 2024. I thought Monroe Freeling played very well, which was great to see. Micah Morris had some nice moments. Juan Gaston looked like an absolute monster and nearly ended a Marshall player’s life on our second offensive play of the game, but also missed a couple of blocks in his first game. Did not enjoy seeing him limp off the field after our second drive, but Calhoun did a nice job when called upon. Earnest Greene was forced out of the game…again, due to some lower body stiffness (insert juvenile joke here). Some guys just can’t seem to stay 100% and he seems to be one of them right now. That said, Hughley was pretty solid filling that spot when Greene left the game. Drew Bobo didn’t have his best day and missed a block or two. Alright, the bad…Stockton was under fire too much due to missed assignments on passing downs. I don’t think we took any sacks because Stockton was on his game with escaping pressure, but this was Marshall damnit. I think they lost 74 players from last year’s team…they should not have been getting to Stockton as much as they did. And to evoke some painful memories from last year, when we were in 3^rd and short and needed the OL to get a push for a tough yard, they came up empty and we were forced into 4^th down situations. That’s becoming quite the frustrating trend with our OL. I really want to believe this group can win their matchups and create holes for the running game, but until we do it against better competition, I’m not sold. 

Receivers (WR’s + TE’s) – B

• Zachariah Branch…welcome to the program dude! Please stay as long as you’d like and we’ll cover the bill. We have found Mecole Hardman 2.0. I’m still not a huge fan of the WR screen as a general rule, but if we’re going to keep throwing it 3-4 times a game, might as well throw it to this dude. Fast as hell, can make people miss and showed some tackle breaking ability. Other than Branch, not a whole lot of yardage production from any one individual, but the voodoo curse on the 2024 team dropping 3-4 drive killing balls every game has appeared to subside for at least one game. Not sure if we’re calling that pass to Bell in the second quarter a drop…if it was a drop, at least it was not egregious (update…Bell and Luckie were both credited with a drop on the day). Would have been nice to connect on a deep ball or two, and maybe a few more intermediate shots, but the game plan seemed ultra conservative. This wouldn’t be a fair assessment without mentioning the blocking from this unit, in particular the TE’s and Humphries. Saw some awesome efforts from those guys that were very instrumental on a few of our bigger plays. The B grade isn’t so much about the statistical production, but the group did a pretty solid job with the opportunities provided.       

Defensive Line – A-

• This unit will be better in 2025…I’m on board. Loved seeing Jordan Hall make an early impact. Miller was getting a good push. Gabe Harris spent the offseason eating Wheaties and whey powder. Elijah Griffin made an early impact in his first game. Xzavier McLeod continued his solid play from the end of last year Marshall’s ground game was essentially non-existent to the tune of 78 yards on 31 carries. The energy level on our first defensive possession was phenomenal. Last year this was one of the most inconsistent position groups on the team, and I’m starting to believe it will be one of our team’s strengths in 2025. Stay healthy guys…stay healthy.

Linebackers – B+       

• If it were just the ILB’s, this group gets an A grade. I’ve been vocal in my Georgia Football group text that Raylen Wilson is significantly undervalued as a player, and he made me look like a smart guy on Saturday…dude was everywhere and making plays when on the field. CJ Allen, Chris Cole and Justin Williams all had some moments as well, so outstanding performance from the inside guys. It’s an embarrassment of riches at one position. As far as OLB’s are concerned, didn’t really hear too much from these guys all game. We didn’t dial up a lot of pressure and kept things pretty basic. I think we recruited the position very well in the 2025 class, but I don’t know that we have a guy right now that can scare the hell out of an opponent in an obvious passing situation. Last year we had Jalon Walker scaring the bejesus out of opposing QB’s (and Mykel when healthy) and in year’s past we’ve had guys like Nolan Smith and Adam Anderson coming off the edge. I don’t know who will fill that role this year…maybe use Chris Cole as a speed rusher? Guess we’ll find out soon enough when competition level picks up.    

Defensive Backs – A

• Before Marshall’s lone scoring drive, Marshall’s first and second string QB’s had combined for 29 passing yards. Daylen Everette wins the award for “Where the hell was that starter?” but Robinson and Harris seemed to have everything on lockdown. KJ Bolden was close to grabbing a pick early in the game. The only passing game Marshall was able to muster was against our 2^nd and 3^rd team DB’s and a big chunk of that was a horrible non-call on a blatant push off when Demello Jones had good coverage. Didn’t see a whole lot of tackles having to be made by the DB’s until garbage time…which I’ll welcome. Competition will certainly increase, but like Kirby said, you can only play who’s in front of you.     

Special Teams – A-

• Peyton Woodring continued to look as close to automatic as a kicker can look and produced great depth on kickoffs. Drew Miller admirably filled in for Thorpedo and averaged 48 yards on his 6 punts (can’t believe we had to punt 6 times). No penalties, muffed returns or huge busts in kicking situations, so that’s a good thing. KJ Bolden showed even more of his value blocking a punt in the 2^nd quarter, which resulted in a touchdown on the ensuing drive. I’ll take this every week.   

Coaching – B+

• It’s hard to give a much higher grade than this. This feels like one of those games you can’t really win. I think the game plan on offense and defense was always going to be vanilla, with vanilla sprinkles. Even our explosive plays on offense weren’t a result of crazy scheme, just solid execution or Branch making a couple of super athletic plays. My biggest nitpick with the coaching isn’t the in game coaching, but whatever work we put into Spring and Fall camp to improve the OL…didn’t feel like it was as dominant as it should have been against this level of opponent. Can you tell I’m having some 2024 OL PTSD? On the good side, we started fast against an inferior opponent and had the game well in hand by the middle of the 2^nd quarter…that was not the case in many games last year. We had all of our starters out for the final quarter and the backups got some live reps, unlike last year. Most important, the team played with the FPE Kirby has been preaching for the entire offseason…gotta give the coaches a win on that front. So, some steps in the right direction. I would suspect next week’s game against Austin Peay will look very similar, so I don’t think we’ll know a whole lot more about the 2025 version of the Dawgs until we make the trip to Knoxville.

Lee Corso – A+

• Gotta give some love to Lee Corso. Broadcasting was his SECOND career and it lasted 38 years…that’s awesome. College Gameday is a great format (and one of the very few things ESPN still does well) and maybe it would have been successful without him, but I doubt it. It wasn’t his analysis or insights that compelled me to watch every week, it was his passion for the game and passion for fans of college football. Since the mid-90’s, Corso made College Gameday must see TV for every college football fan. Incredible career and more incredible legacy…thank you Lee Corso!  

Final Summation…a lot more good than bad. Beating an inferior team 45-7 while showing virtually nothing is about as much as you can ask for in an opener. Kirby’s not into style points like Lane Kiffin and who really gives a damn if you win by 38 or 58 (other than the betting community)? FPE was evident, which is more than Alabama can say (had to do it). Gunner passed his first test of the season without issue. We’ve shown opponents that their defense can no longer sell out on the running back on the read option…that’s a big deal. As a whole, our defense played very well and dominated a weaker opponent. One more tune up before the real season starts.