Morning, all. It’s our first bye week coming off a slugfest ranked win and getting ready to host another this coming weekend against Alabama, also known as Kirby’s kryptonite. Alabama brings a massive offensive line, great receivers, and a now trending high quarterback to Sanford, which is also Kirby’s kryptonite. Simpson was Alabama’s leading ball carrier in their destruction of Wisconsin, although that’s not saying a lot considering it was only 25 yards. Mobile quarterback? That’s not good for us either.
Alabama has a bye week and needs this win more than Georgia to keep their CFP hopes alive, so we’ll be getting – once again – a team’s best shot at us.
What’re you hoping Kirby has adjusted in the bye week that will help us break the Alabama curse? Where are the biggest needs for correction leading up to the game, and how’re you feeling about our chances?
Personally, I’m Munsoning. I still feel like we don’t get near enough pressure and disruption in the backfield and we’ll need to disrupt Simpson to ensure we don’t have Tide receivers walking backwards into the end zone as another DB is left lying on the ground like we say in Knoxville, and given Bama’s OLine I have a hard time seeing where we will get that on Saturday. Given the relatively light output from the Tide rushing attack in both this year as well as last, I can’t see how constantly leaving safeties in for run support while leaving corners on islands is going to result in success against a very talented Tide receiving corps, so I hope there will be some adjustment to that. I likewise worry a bit about feeling we have to Manball in an effort to limit offensive snaps if we are still experimenting with who the OLine should be, so I hope we have a solid and reliable starting five that looks like the unit we will use for the remainder of the season and not in a “we’ll figure it out” mode all game long.
On the flip side, the team plays better this year than last as a unit, the running game is looking healthier, and leadership seems to be there where it was missing a year ago. This isn’t the same team as last year’s, which is why I’m not full Munsoning right now.
How about you?
Right side of offensive line. I may or may not be lying but I assert I was a NCAA Division 1 head coach for 23 years. My opinions are valid. I will need to see everyone’s coaching credentials in your post. Thank you in advance.
If we can run the ball and they can’t we’ll be fine.
Here’s my wishlist*:
1) Don’t let Williams take the top off our secondary; get after Simpson with the pass rush
2) That punishing 8:30 or so drive to open the second half was most pleasing. Let’s see more of that.
3) As others have said, here’s hoping the right side of the OL improves.
4) We have beaten Bama in recent memory, and it was in front of everybody for all the marbles. though few (if any?) of our current roster was on that ’21 team.
5) Why not it be us that jumps out to a two score lead, and then we put the pedal down and FINISH THEM. Just a hopeful thought on my part.
*Per reader NotMyCrossToBear, my coaching credentials are a decade of girls rec league soccer, where I emphasized tenancious defense, subscrbed to the maxim that speed covers many sins, and if the other team has a superstar, put a spy on them tight and report back to me what scent perfume they are wearing .
I’m pretty sure Julian Rochester is our last remaining holdover from the 2021 roster.
Since Rochester was a freshman in 2016 he would be a 10th year senior if he was on this team.
😂
I propose we don’t fall behind by 4 scores in the 2nd quarter. Based on the 2025 to date defense, that will mean we have to score before the 2nd quarter.
Bobo called a pretty good game last week. I’ll give him that. If he wants to turn doubters into believers, he’ll need to do it again. We know now that the offense, despite the OL roulette, can put up big numbers. That doesn’t mean they will. My two major concerns with a Bobo offense is game to game consistency and not having to wait for the other team to pull ahead before we score.
However, and as crazy as it sounds, the defense is the biggest concern right now. Woof. No QB pressure and coverage malpractice. GATA isn’t formed with lower case letters, gents. And for goodness sake, find the ball and compete like you got a pair!
You ain’t wrong JP. If our defensive line cannot push up and pressure the QB it is gonna be a long day again.
You didn’t even mention their all world long snappah. No doubt we get their best effort. They have their own demons under this coaching staff to contend with. Playing on the road is # 1 on that list. Don’t allow them to jump on us with a lead. Expecting epic level effort from the home crowd.
Inner Munson alert level defcon 3 today. Rating is subject to wild irrational swings.
This should be a very close game once again. According to the 247 talent composite, UGA and ‘Bama have the two best rosters in the sport. Other than tactics, the macro aspect of this game has me Munsoning like nobody’s business. Its’ damn near a must-win game for the Tide, if they hope to make a playoff field. Its natural they’ll be confident coming in based on their history against us. They’re supposed to be getting their top RB back from injury. And naturally they’d like nothing better than to break our 34-game home winning streak. That’s on one side. On the other, our epic comeback after getting pummeled by ‘Bama in one half of football in ’24 gave me hope for a team that just flat out fights like hell. Last week showed the capability of this offense–if fact I like the matchup between Mike Bobo and Cade Womack. I’m confident we’ll score, and probably score a lot. I don’t know what Schumann and Smart have up their sleeves for the suddenly red-hot ‘Bama attack, however. We can’t afford a repeat performance of last week, obviously. The X-factor for me is special teams. Our kicking game-what with getting the Thunder from down under back—could be the difference. Summation? I’m worried, but still confident we’ll hold our own.
I think we’ll need to be aggressive on 4th down again this week just like last week and last season when we caught back up to the Tide and nearly won it. This will be a 4 quarter, 4 down game. Wow, that was profound🧐. Sanford finally gets the Dawgs over the hump!
I will admit that I did not expect us to score 44 last week, as I didn’t know what our offense could really do against a real team. I also did not expect us to give up 41, but I think that we will get better (and hopefully continue to improve) going forward.
The biggest concerns with this team, as everyone is already pointing out, are the DB play (which is correctable), pass rush (can we get one without blitzing?) and right side of the OL (can anyone step up?).
Looking ahead to next week, Alabama is that team for us that we can’t seem to beat no matter how much talent we have or if we’re the better team. It’s also the worst series record that we have against anyone (26-44-4).
Perhaps the home field can do for us what it did vs Tennessee in 2022 as we have only played them at home twice (both blowouts for them) during the last 10 games (in which we are 1-9) as our home field advantage has grown exponentially since Kirby took over (a louder stadium and a 33 game home winning streak). Here’s hoping that we are ready to play, that the crowd is louder than what Bama experienced at FSU and that we execute on both sides of the ball at a high level! Go DAWGS!!!
Fix the OL. Find a new wrinkle for the WR screen. More RPO to use Gunner’s strengths. Spy Simpson, hold the edge, get some push up the middle, blitz before the last play of the game. Eliminate explosive plays and win the Red Zone. I think both teams move up and down the field for a 37- 34 type game. Woodring hits the game winner and the Pepto bottle will be empty.
* I am captain of our North course team in a matchplay event this weekend so I think that speaks for itself on my credentials.
I have no f’king idea.
I am 1000% confident that our internet geniuses will tell us exactly what should have happened immediately after a play/after the game.
I am available to conduct heart surgery, brain surgery on anyone, there spouse or children/grandchildren. For a lesser fee I can stand in the operating room and criticize and berate your doctor. I am sure the doctor will be appreciative of the opinion of a guy who did not spend last night in a Holiday Inn.
I also can lend a hand on your next flight by “assisting” your air traffic control personnel.
Go Dawgs
Not having played an actual real football game in over 40 years. I defer to your expertise.😂 😉 🍺
I knew there was a good reason I enjoy your posts.
My North team won the day! I think I now have clear authority to second guess Bobo and Kirby on the gameday thread with impunity.
Absolutely, just like taking financial planning from a homeless guy. The value is in the experience, so fire away.
I’m thinking Kirby and Bobo opt for an extremely conservative game.
Run the ball, milk the clock and play field position…with an occasional long shot down field off play action (when not inside out own 40). And I’m looking for good yards from our TEs too. Actually, Georgia has a pretty good running game, a pretty good passing game, a QB who can be that extra RB, and very good TE’s and super Special Teams. Bama has to deal with all of that balance.
It’s the Dawg D that worries me (and you). Actually the DB’s just misplayed those two fall-down walk ins by TN. They had the thing covered and just didn’t make the play on the ball.
Lack of pressure on the QB is probably my biggest concern..do we even have a sack this year?
I still think Tennessee is the best team we’ll see all year..I hope so.
I want to see the Georgia Bulldawg Defense come out and not look intimidated or confused…Come out with confidence and kick ass from the first snap. I’m not sure we’ve seen that in a while.
To tell you the truth I haven’t watched Alabama. To me it’s going to be a matter of limiting explosive plays. Do that and we win. I have no idea how hard that will be because I haven’t watched them. I do know Ryan Fingernails hasn’t exactly had any huge games since the last time he faced Georgia or I believe I saw that stat. I hate to hear that they have another mobile quarterback because we always struggle with that. But I’m not sure how we are supposed to get more pressure when people are getting the ball out as fast as they are.
Stop the 50/50 balls. It’s not like we were getting burned against Tennessee. So I guess it’s a matter of timing jumps right. I don’t know. I don’t know a thing about playing defensive back. Leave Michael Uini onnthe sideline. Just don’t even think about putting him out there and the line ought to be ok.
At this point, I feel mysteriously calm about Saturday night (I’m sure I’ll be a nervous wreck by the time Saturday gets here). I believe Kirby has pointed to this game for a year. He knows we let them off the hook in Tuscaloosa with a terrible performance. I don’t see the Bammers as the one to end the home streak.
I could be wrong about that.
We are coached by a guy with an 85% winning percentage, who coached in the SEC championship game 7 of his 9 complete seasons and won 3 of them. There s no one i would rather have preparing my team for this home game.
Gaskilldawg
Well, when you put it that way….
Dawgs by fifty.
Solid take.
Tl;dr. Show me CKS. You have done it many times, do it again.
All I know is we owe these sum bitches 2 or 3 ass whippins in one game.
This feels a lot like a Spider-Man meme game. Both teams have older but newly starting QBs who have good football IQ and wheels, experienced and talented OLs with recent injuries and poor play on the right side, talented WRs, youth on the DL, talented DBs (yes, I think Kirby will get last week’s debacles fixed). Difference is the RBs and LBs, where the Dawgs have an advantage. And then there’s home field, which should be a cauldron by game time. These SHOULD carry the Dawgs to a win. But as I mentioned in the preseason posts, whether we can get off the Bama schneid is one of our biggest questions.