Observations from the armchair, “are you not entertained?!” edition.

Posted on by

Say what you want about the Georgia-Georgia Tech rivalry, but every few years these programs sure do create some amazing games. This one, at least in my lifetime, felt like the most entertaining I’ve ever seen in the series. For Georgia, it felt like a combination of the Ole Miss game in the first half and then almost every other game in the second half. As we’ve said countless times before, this is not a great team but they keep finding ways to win in a season full of key injuries and a schedule like no other. And that’s pretty great too, if you ask me. On to the (exhausted) bullets:

  • It was great to see the stadium full before kickoff during the holiday week. Nice job to everyone who made it in person – I’m pretty jealous of you all.
  • Another slow start by the defense last night, literally from the first play when Mykel went for a strip, didn’t wrap up and then the RB bounced outside for a huge gain. That ended up repeating itself at least 2 more times.
  • I thought the defense’s best plays were on blitzes (run and pass) but they also got burned when they didn’t get home. They used a lot of unusual looks last night and I couldn’t figure out what was going on most plays. The players also seemed more confused than in any game all year. I assume that’s because of the RPO offense Tech runs with King, and how poorly our regular defense did against Ole Miss, but they were really shaky all game.
  • The poor tackling, eye discipline and edge setting almost lost the game. Sigh. Maybe the extra day of rest can help this week…
  • So great to see Roderick Robinson back, at the very least because we need quality depth behind Frazier and Cash. He’s nowhere near 100% but if he can give them around 10 snaps a game that’s a win.
  • Naz had a nice stop on that 4th down play but he struggled a lot with Tech’s OL which again played really motivated and tough football against our DL. And I think Brinson’s snaps should have gone to Ingram-Dawkins because Warren is more suited for passing offenses. McLeod struggled as well. Mykel didn’t have a great day either.
  • Is it possible that Dan Jackson is the MVP of the defense this year, and a better Safety than Malaki Starks? I think there’s at least an argument to be made that he is.
  • Jackson and Jalon Walker pummeled King all night. How tough is King for taking all those hits and never once leaving the game?! Mad respect for that dude.
  • What an ultimate war of attrition the game was too. I think 5 Tech DBs went out of the game and a couple guys from their front seven. Multiple Dawgs got dinged up too.
  • 5 more drops from the starting WRs. I’ll ask again: why don’t we play the other guys more? The starters are drive killers and driving Beck (let alone the rest of us) nuts.
  • Anyone else text or post during the game that this must be the worst secondary of the Kirby Smart era? And they have 4 blue chippers.
  • AND YET, the 2024 Georgia Fan Way is to sit patiently and wait for the team and staff to wake up. It took until 5 mins left in the 4th quarter last night, but they sure did.
  • When the line started blocking and the WRs started catching, the offense – yet again – took off. UGA was shut out in the first half and then scored on 6 straight drives.
  • Beck made some elite throws last night, and I was proud of the way he tried to put the team on his back running the ball as well, even if the better play was to hand it off or throw it away.
  • Loved the end-around play to Arian (since it’s the only pass he can catch – I keed, I keed).
  • And did anyone else call the play action when Chaz came in on the goal line? Total setup from the last game, when Chaz blocked as a FB. Jesse Palmer missed it, natch.
  • After the rare missed FG by Woodring it looked like he limped off the field, so I thought that was the reason Kirby went for two on the first TD. Or maybe because he thought he’d only get the ball back 3 more times and wanted the game within 2 scores. Thankfully Woodring was fine, but Kirby also said his analytics sheet told him it was the right play. I respectfully disagree in that situation.
  • Did anyone else see Everette jog through a FG block that he could have had? That kid has had so many loaf plays this year, and this time he missed that Tech had a bad snap that could have led to a block.
  • The 4th quarter and OT was a hell of a roller coaster ride, as both defenses wore down, got hurt or lost control. If it wasn’t for Dirty Dan Jackson and his murder tackles, the Dawgs would have lost the game.
  • That last Tech TD was a really nice design. If Bobo leaves next year, I’m cool poaching Faulkner from the Jackets. He had us on our heels all night.
  • That said, how did Tech not run all zone reads in OT? Georgia couldn’t defend it at all and they were exhausted. Big mistake there, IMO.
  • And of course, the other play of the game, Tate Ratledge with the last gasp of strength to retain his block and allow Nate Frazier to punch it in for the win! Glory, relief, exhaustion, pride. Georgia may not have the greatest team this year, but they do have great heart.

Tech put up one of the best efforts by any team against UGA in recent memory. They put their bodies on the line and played really hard. In the end though, the seniors go out undefeated at home, and against our 4 biggest rivals. Helluva job, fellas. Get some rest! And on to the winner of the Texas Meteor Game. Go Dawgs!

35 thoughts on “Observations from the armchair, “are you not entertained?!” edition.”

  1. Kirby should give the team the day off today. No film, no nothing, just rest or treatment. I think it would do them a world of good. Coaches should spend the day focused on closing out the recruiting class. I’ll be 70 next month and games like that are rough on my old ass. 🤕

    HBTFD

    • I agree, they looked tired and uninspired until they had to reach within and try to win, which thankfully they did and had the ability to do so. Tech was playing quicker and more energetic than us most of the game. We need a little breather so we can hopefully get our heads and bodies right for next Saturday.

  2. This team is truly maddening. They looked horrible for 55 minutes and then looked like world beaters.

    I wondered what happened on that first run because it happened on the opposite end of the field and the opposite end of the line from me. I really don’t get the trying to strip the ball. Get the guy on the ground.

    The execution on both sides of the ball for the year has been questionable. That’s about player leadership.

    • Forgive the language but this is my text after the first play: That’s that bullshit stripping the ball not tackling bullshit. You got a fucking tackle.

  3. There’s going to have to be some soul searching and hard conversations in this offseason. The team’s tendency to half ass through games is concerning and something that needs to change. Also, what ever happened to elite defense needs to be priority one. The offense I think is mental, the defense has taken a huge regression and has had about three good games. 600 plus yards to a team with a QB that was probably patched together from used and broken parts is not a good look.

    • The defense has seriously regressed over the last 2 seasons. Some of it is a lack of a player in the interior like Davis, Carter or Wyatt. Some of it seems to be leadership like a Nakobe (the time he got all over Channing Tindall in the CFPCG in 2021 and then Tindall made one of the defensive plays of the game on the next snap). Some appears to be athleticism like the Walkers (Travon/Quay).

      A lot of it is just awful fundamentals (tackling) or discipline (setting the edge/assignments).

      • Agree on the tackling, it’s really regressed. I think Jalon Walker is a good leader. Mykel and Malaki are the other two but either they’re just not pulling their weight or the other guys just aren’t developing. You can’t be great on defense with 2-3 dudes. We are desperately missing a killer DT and a shutdown corner.

  4. DawginAustin, you respectfully disagreed with Smart’s explanation that the analytical chart said to go for 2 after our first TD. Are you saying you disagree that the chart actually said that or do you disagree with Smart playing the odds? Your comment is unclear.

    • I disagree with the analytics themselves. With 10 mins left in the 3rd quarter I don’t think there’s enough urgency to go for two yet. Get your 7 points and find your two scores to tie or win in your next 3-4 drives.

      • Your reply states a disagreement with using the percentages in that situation rather than the accuracy of the calculations. No argument from me; just wanted to know if your position is those who crunch the numbers don’t know what they are doing.

        • If we get the 2 points, it’s 17-8….still a 2 possession game. 17-8 is not better than 17-7, but 17-7 IS better than 17-6 and 17-7 is easier to get with the kick than 17-8 with the offense. SO, I didn’t understand the logic of going for 2 either. You can’t go by blind analytics. Go with common sense.

          As for the defensive backs underperforming this season…who is their coach? We lost Fran Brown and hired the USC DB coach? WTF? Did anyone watch USC’s DBs over the past few seasons?

        • I’m not assuming you’re supporting the analytics but I will say they are just a stupid fucking chart. The job of a HC making $15mil is to read the situation and his players and make a decision. Kirby’s job was to see this was a slobber knocker game and no way we can make 3 potential 2 point conversions in a row (as proven later because of this idiotic call). Kirby should own that he fucked up our momentum and learn from it. Screw the analytics.

        • You’re misunderstanding my position. One can choose to abide by analytics in a “black and white” way or you can mold your decisions with judgment and personal experience. Kirby said in his press conference that he just went with the numbers. Were the numbers 51%-49% in that instance or 70-30? Did they include game flow, injuries, opposing team strategy, etc? If not, then I would consider those things alongside the analytics. Does that help explain my position better?

        • How many games has Boy Wonder Kiffin cost his teams over the last few years because “the analytic said to go for it”. If we are just going with charts and analytics, I’m sure there is one that states every play that should be called against every defense in every situation. No need for an OC, just go with the play the charts spit out. Unfortunately, the “charts” are not looking at the flow of the game.

  5. I know all dawg fans have to be frustrated with this team, I’m sure Kirby is too. For the life of me I can’t understand WHY we can’t contain the edge. That’s frigging defense 101. Missed tackles, not wrapping up, terrible pursuit angles. As my old buddy and former GA. Dawg Joe Burson would tell our defensive players, ” Your asses better be like 11 bullets getting to the ball”. Just don’t see that hair on fire effort from the D every snap.
    Offensively, just as frustrated. Still think Bobo is a good coordinator, just don’t think he has the help with the asst. coaches and analyst that Monken had. On top of our Dr. Jekyll – Mr. Hyde receivers.

    • I think that Bobo has his moments, but not enough of them. I’d rather have Buster Faulkner over Bobo any day of the week.

    • Don’t forget, that even under Monken we had some head scratching stretches. I haven’t seen Bobo drop a pass, whiff on a block, or fumble all year. It’s hard to make chicken salad out of chicken shit. GT had all their front line DB’s out injured, and we still struggled the vast majority of the time to get any separation. On the last play of regulation, how does a 3-man rush get to the QB? I would rather have Monken than Bobo, BUT he also had much better material to work with. Other than Beck, I would be shocked if ANY of the current offensive players get drafted anywhere other than the late rounds if at all.

      • I think Nate gets drafted early, same with Etienne. Jared Wilson will be a top 3 center. Tate will be a top 5 guard. None of the WRs will get drafted higher than the 6th round, if at all. Delp still has time to improve his chances so TBD there. But also don’t forget that Monken wasn’t a great recruiter either, and we’re stuck with his mediocre upperclassmen skill players right now.

  6. Are we smarter than our coaching staff? No. But we all see the same thing from section HD. Our competition has been the toughest slog in the country. Ron Courson needs a bigger rehab center to handle all our injuries. And we’re 10-2, going to the SECCG and probably in the invitational tournament no matter what. Hard to complain. This team is certainly different from their predecessors but maybe….just maybe…they have a little SBIV in them to pull this shit off. These guys do believe in themselves. No way to predict what happens from here. Go Dawgs! Good luck! Let the soul searching happen after the season.

  7. Couple of things: 1. I don’t give two shits what the chart says, going for two after the first touchdown is idiotic. Common sense tells me so. 2. Arian Smith had a 5 yard quick out go through his hands during warmups. It looked like the football was greased with lard it went through so fast. 3. King is a damn baller 4. I was so exhausted after the game I felt like I’d played. 5. Go Dawgs!!

  8. Kirby’s To Do List:

    1) Bring back Buster.

    2) Let Bobo and Searels go the way of Boom (if they’re willing).

    3) Let Coley and Robinson go. Don’t care how well they recruit. The WRs still can’t catch, and the secondary has been a massive disappointment.

    4) Get the John Hancocks of Griffin and Terry and every elite WR you can find.

  9. In addition to the head-scratching decision to go for 2 after the first TD, I thought we should’ve kicked the FG on 4th & 1 when we were only down 3-0.

  10. Great to see Frazier score the winning points. He plays hard as hell. When he cures his fumbleitis he’ll be a beast.

  11. If we had an elite OC this would be a completely different team.

    Our defense would be playing with a lead most (if not all) of the time, which changes things completely.

    I’ve been saying this for years: We will not win a title with Mike Bobo as our OC.

    We’ve seen this before. It was EXACTLY the same. How are there any people defending him? Its literally the exact same shitty problem as the last time he was OC and he ended CMR’s career here.

    • He’s not elite, that’s for sure. But I’d argue Brian Schottenheimer was way worse and led to Richt’s firing.

    • “How are there any people defending him?”

      Speaking just for myself obviously, I see open receivers dropping balls that hit them in the hands, or receivers & backs killing drives by fumbling the ball. Plays are there to be made, we just aren’t making them. That makes me think the play calls themselves aren’t the problem.

      I also see a defense that is wildly inconsistent. This D terrorized Texas and held Tennessee in check, but had no answers for Bama, Tech, and let the mighty Minutemen of UMass run all over them.

      To paraphrase your first sentence, if we had an elite DC this would be a completely different team.

      I’m willing to accept that Mike Bobo may not be as good as Todd Monken, but most of his critics won’t acknowledge that Schumann is a downgrade from Lanning. I don’t have much problem with people criticizing the offense, as long as they hold the defense to the same standard.

      • I’m with you on this. I think Schumann is a much bigger downgrade than Bobo.

  12. We have a coaching problem. Monken, Lanning, Luke, Fran Brown, Muschamp > Bobo, Schuman, Searles, Donte Williams………..

Comments are closed.