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Sunday, October 4, 2009

Sunday Teleconference Notes (10/4)

A few notes to come from Mark Richt's teleconference tonight...

-- Richt said the team needs to be able to block better, but put a great deal of the onus for the under-performing running game on the tailbacks. "There's been times when we've gotten just about as far as we've blocked, and we need backs that will get more than just what's been provided. That's why (Charles Scott) is such a great player. We need a little bit more of that, too."

-- But the playcalling is an issue as well: "We need to have enough of a good mix of run-pass to keep people off balance a little bit."

-- Richt said he watched the film of the running game today and said that the coaches discussed it and have decided not to change the pecking order yet, but Richt didn't rule out making changes tomorrow or after practices this week.

-- Richt said he is waiting to talk about the celebration penalty with Rogers Redding, the SEC's head of officials. He said he saw nothing on any of the film that would be considered a penalty and was given no indication that anything happened to cause the penalty that was not caught on camera. He said A.J. absolutely went immediately to his teammates following the TD, which fits with the rule.

-- Richt was asked about the playing time battle between Bryan Evans and Baccari Rambo, and while he stopped short of saying Rambo would be the starter, he said the redshirt freshman would continue to get more playing time and that the best player would play, regardless of seniority.

-- Richt said that he was not any more involved in the play calling in the second half than normal, despite having the head set on for nearly the entire half.

-- Regarding the special teams problems, Richt only spoke specifically about this game but said that, a.) the kick coverage was affected a great deal by the wind and by Trindon Holliday's immense talent and b.) the use of Logan Gray on punts is in large part because Georgia is using essentially its regular defensive unit to prevent a fake.

29 comments:

Anonymous said...

Why is that MR does not ever want to rock the boat? This team needs a shake up to send a message about performance and penalties. Maybe Samuel's best position is LB and maybe Rambo needs to be the starter. I would like to see Logan Gray get a real series at QB once in a while. This is not a slam on Cox but we can't go into next with none of our QBs having any game experience. What is up with AJ Harmon? I thought he was supposed to a better OL than DL.

Anonymous said...

Richt talked about a better run pass mix. We run to set up the pass which would be fine if we could run effectively. I think we need to pass to set up the run. It seemed like we had a lot of 2nd and 8s last night and we ran the ball again leaving us a 3rd & 7. The play calling seems very conservative especially after our success against USC & Ark.

Anonymous said...

As a journalist, why do you let him get away with this BS? Wind? Seriously?!

David Hale said...

I get your frustration, but what can I do? I can't force the man to answer a question any differently than he wants to answer it. The bottom line is that as journalists, we are at a constant disadvantage because A.) we're not football coaches so we'll constantly be told we don't really understand what's happening, and B.) there's only so far you can push a line of questioning before it becomes a fight, and that's something the reporter almost never wins.

Not saying that Richt is being deliberately elusive in this case, but that's really the battle that every journalist faces all the time -- whether you're covering the White House or Pee-Wee football.

David Basham said...

The wind? He's blaming our lousy kick coverage on the wind? Was it the wind that caused only 3 players to line up on one side of the kicker?

I used to give Richt credit for not sounding like a undereducated good old boy when he spoke (cf. Ray Goff and, at times, Donnan), but there's no way any journalist should let him get away with that answer without laughing in his face.

Anonymous said...

Just curious, but does anyone know if LSU would have received anymore than a start at the 40-yard line if we kicked the ball out of bounds? Given the fact that we rarely ever stop the opponent inside the 25 when we kick from the 30, it seems like it may have been the right move given our anemic kickoff coverage and kicking from the 15.

UGA69Dawg said...

David please ask CMR if Logan Gray is one of the 11 fastest and best hitters on our team, otherwise why in the name of Wally Butts is he on the Kick Off coverage team. There are no other 2nd string QB's in the country covering KOs. Is this part of Fab's liking a challenge or are do we just have the dumbest coaches in college football.

curt in thomasville said...

We would have had to kick the ball out of bounds between the LSU 40 and the LSU goal line. If not they would have gotten the ball where it went out of bounds.

adam said...

i'd be very curious to hear if there's any chance we'll see another QB if cox continues to struggle.

Anonymous said...

On a kickoff out of bounds, the ball is spotted 30 yards from the spot of the kick, i.e. the 40 on a normal kick, or the kicking team's 45 on a kick from the 15.

The coaches know the rules, and anyone saying they should have kicked it out of bounds is ignorant.

adam said...

meant to also say "or why we haven't seen anyone else take any snaps either."

i can't imagine what they could be afraid of logan doing that cox hasn't already done. miss open receivers? stare down his receivers? make poor decisions? throw picks when it keeping the ball matters most? fumble? misread blitzes? audible into the wrong play (or never audible at all)? force a throw into double or triple coverage? not go through his progression and miss an open man underneath? not feel defensive pressure coming? take a dumb sack running out of bounds? rely too much on AJ? hold the ball too long in the pocket? throw it to a receiver who's already finish his route and is waiting around as the defense closes in on him (ya know... bad timing)?

cuz seriously... cox has done them all. i can't really think of another mistake that logan can make. its not like we're digging that deep into the playbook. we've gotta be able to run these plays with logan too. how much worse could he be? is there NO chance he'd play better? i mean... ealey was almost out of the picture until this week. why not logan or even aaron murray? stafford beat out guys that new the playbook better. we need a QB that make plays, make good reads and decisions (and go through a progression), and that can hit open receivers. i find it hard to believe that we don't have one somewhere.

Anonymous said...

Adam, it's pretty clear that Logan Gray will never start a game for UGA. If he can't get PT now, after several years in the system, why would he start next year as a senior--so we can be in the same position of having a one year qb?

Murray will be the qb next year. If Gray were the answer to any questions, he would have played already.

We'll see.

Unknown said...

" he said the redshirt freshman would continue to get more playing time and that the best player would play, regardless of seniority."

Do you see Gray or Murry getting more reps at QB to start preparing them for next year?

Anonymous said...

Stafford didn't beat anyone out...he had to have the wonderful all world JT the III to suffer an ankle injury before he got a chance. Makes you wonder about our coaching and playing the best guys doesn't it???

Anonymous said...

Richt benched Stafford in the CO game and put in Cox to generate a spark. Remember that game? So Richt isn't above benching a poor performing QB. So either his loyalty to Cox is deeper than doo or else Gray is just pathetic beyond belief (and he'd have to be in order to be worse than Cox). But that doesn't make any sense either (Gray being that pathetic) unless he has just continued to digress daily since the G-Day game...

And obviously the Fresh QBs (M and M) aren't ready.

Gonna be interesting to see if one of the pine riding QBs gets some more reps with the starters in practice this week. If ever there was a game that would jump start that possibility then the LSU game is it.

adam said...

anon 9:21

damn, i wish you were wrong

come onnnnnnnnnnn murray

Fin said...

I do believe that CMR knows whats he doing!Dawg nation has to realize its gonna take time to develop talent..As far as us starting a true freshman as Qb,thats not the answer were looking for right now @ this time of the season.There just kids..all it takes is a missed blitz or a horrible throw and there confidence is shot!Gray will not be a Qb for us ..hes just one of those players that just dosnt have that"it" factor..Ride with Joe and lets give these freshmen a little bit more time to grow.Players cheat themselves when they dont master the playbook.Remember were not playing paperchumps!These are real legit programs!Dont expect to see Arron or Zach this year unless of injury.Everybody needs to realize that every good freshman is not AJ Green or Matt Stafford.Both of those guys were top 5 national players in their classes.We will be ok!!Were gonna make a title run with AJ next year.AJ has heisman skills and will make a nice run at it next year!

Anonymous said...

I just wish that he could answer the question about why Logan isn't getting a series a half...just to shake things up...I understand we only had the ball for 19 plays in the first half but damn-- and why is covering freaking kicks. What the hell is that about...we don't have another saftey/linebaker that could do that?
Is he just that bad of a quarterback to not warrant playing time. I guess next year will be the same story...quarterback with no experience.

Anonymous said...

Check the replay of the final two kickoffs.

Georgia had three walk ons and a backup quarterback covering the kick from a huddle formation. LSU fields the ball on the 17 and no Georgia player enters the picture until the returner had already returned the ball 15 yards to the 32.

LSU had 10 first and second team defenders covering the kick and lining up in their lanes. Georgia fields the kick on the 22 and the first LSU player enters the picture when the returner reaches the 26.

Yep. It must have been the wind.

Anonymous said...

"So either his loyalty to Cox is deeper than doo"

Joe Cox threw the potential game-winning pass against the #4 team in the nation with a minute left.

Anonymous said...

i cant believe that we "fair catch" almost every punt that could pin us in our own territory to prevent a freakin fake. Way to help the offense out! thats just ridiculous either go after the punt block or set up the return. no other team seems to have this problem. What has happened to our special teams the last few years? what changed?

Anonymous said...

Looking at that final UGA kickoff, I counted four walk ons, a back up fullback and a back up quarterback attempting to cover the kick.

Unbelievable.

Muckbeast said...

I really don't think Cox is the problem for the offense. Mike Bobo is the problem.

adam said...

muckbeast,

honestly, it HAS to be a combination of the two. the play calling isn't very good, no doubt. but cox missing open receivers, holding on too long, not knowing how to look off db's, etc. isn't all bobo's fault (though... what position does he coach? o yeahhh...). so maybe it is all bobos fault. but for sure cox is doing his best to make it his fault as well.

while i do appreciate joe's last second heroics, that only means so much if you lose. he's like a closer that can only pitch in save situations. good thing to have if you're playing alot of close games, but you'll lose as many games as you win on that pressure-only arm. cox leading some late-game charges (in a losing effort, no less) doesn't excuse being 3/9 for 31 yards late in the first half. especially when he had a chance to hit AJ wide open for a 95 yard TD in the 2nd drive of the game and miraculously overthrew him! how big would that play have been? it was as dumb as blair's missed field goal. that was a good call by bobo. the call got us a 95 yard TD. cox's pass got us an incompletion. so, mike doesn't get to hold all of the blame.

Muckbeast said...

The point is, Cox is not losing us these games. I didn't say he's Danny Wuerfell. He's an above average QB, and that should be fine considering all the other talent.

Good play calling makes the QB look good because he is in a good position to make plays.

Defense that actually gets 3 and outs gives a QB more opportunities to mix up a defense.

Our problems are with the OC, DC, and ST coaches.

Our players are great and give it their all every moment on the field. They aren't perfect of course, but they are very talented, work hard, and clearly CARE about what is going on.

Anonymous said...

Make Bobo thje defensive Coord. He can stop any offense.

JRL said...

The slide in defensive production (or lack thereof) has been blamed on CWM. While I admit he has looked lost on more than one occasion I think the blame should be directed at BoBo first and special teams second.

BoBo has some big numbers to his credit but that is more a function of the talent he has had to work with than his skills. I challenge anyone to name an SEC team where he could get the same position (OC). Taking it a bit further name a top 25 team that would offer BoBo the OC position.

Anonymous said...

Just wanted to point this out. Watch Evans get pulled down on Scott's long run. The refs have continued to blow and fabricate calls. Its rediculous and Georgia is getting the short end of the stick everytime. As far as Tim Brando's comments, to me they were not so much about race but about having a match up between the # 4 and the # 1 teams in the nation facing off in a "showdown in the bayou." Anybody else see the money and tv playing into the outcomes of games. Maybe I'm being a little cynical but something just doesn't seem right.

Anonymous said...

why was Rennie off the field for much of LSU's first possession of the second half?