Texas A&M head coach Mike Sherman admits, he’s a bit befuddled as to what to expect when his team takes on Georgia on Monday.
The Bulldogs have spent the past two weeks practicing for the Aggies, but they’ve been doing so without three of their four defensive coaches, making it tough to judge what Georgia’s defense might look like on game day.
“You debate back and forth as to how they’ll approach it,” Sherman said. “They have good players, so they may try something new or they may stay status quo. We really don’t know. We just have to take care of our business, do what we do, and make adjustments during the ballgame. Hopefully they’re the right ones to help us win.”
If Sherman is looking for a few clues from Georgia’s players, he might not have much more luck in determining the look of the defense either. The accounts of the preparation have been a bit varied.
“This plan is the same as Coach (Willie) Martinez or any of the other coaches, the same thing they would do,” linebacker Rennie Curran said. “For us, it’s not really about who’s coaching us. With Coach Martinez being gone, we’re just trying to hold up to his standard.”
Indeed, Georgia’s graduate assistants who have taken over the coaching duties this month have promised no vast departures from the scheme employed by the Bulldogs all season --- but that doesn’t necessarily mean there won’t be any new looks.
“We’ve been running the same thing for four years, so we’re not going to just completely leave the defense,” safety Bryan Evans said. “But there are a couple of wrinkles in there that we have, so it’s going to be fun to play.”
ONE LAST GO-ROUND
It’s hard to blame Georgia’s players if they feel like some of the bowl experience is over before it started. Just 24 hours after starting their first full bowl practice in Shreveport, the Bulldogs wrapped up their pregame workouts with their second and final practice before their game against Texas A&M on Monday. Georgia will still have a short walkthrough today, but unlike years past, that’s all there will be to the pregame preparations.
“Last year, we had a full week of practice and preparation. Now here, we have two days and a walk-through,” tailback Caleb King said. “It’s weird that we had so much of the practice in Georgia.”
Head coach Mark Richt said that, while the schedule has been different, he expects no ill effects. The Bulldogs practiced in Independence Stadium both Friday and Saturday, which is more field time than they would normally get before a bowl, and the focus on A&M has been intense all month.
“Everybody should have it memorized by now,” Richt said of the game plan. “Our goal was to have it so they were bored to death with the plan so they could play fast when we kicked it off.”
And while the run up to the bowl game is a departure from past seasons, King said it actually feels a bit more like a true road game – where Georgia has been successful throughout Richt’s career.
“It’s no difference because we practiced hard in Athens, and we just had to pretty much come out here and finish things,” King said. “We all should be ready for the game.”
CARRYING THE TORCH
In the past three seasons, the SEC has an impressive 19-7 record in bowl games, and that’s a trend Georgia takes seriously. So when the Bulldogs take the field Monday against Texas A&M – just the second bowl game of the season for SEC teams – they want to hold up their end of things.
“We want to represent our conference well, but we go into these games wanting to represent University of Georgia,” defensive end Demarcus Dobbs said. “We’re all competitive and we want everybody to do well, but we want people to be talking about Georgia after the ball game. We want the whole SEC to do well, but we’re playing for Georgia and the ‘G.’”
EATING IT UP
While it was Georgia Tech’s chewing of the hedges that proved the lasting images of last season’s Yellow Jackets win in Athens, Georgia center Ben Jones returned the favor last month by eating a piece of the field after the Bulldogs toppled Tech in Atlanta. But he promises, it wasn’t anything he had planned in advance.
“It was just a fun game, I was showing some emotion. We were just all excited about winning the game,” Jones said. “I just came out and played hard and it just happened. I don’t know why I did it or anything. It just happened.”
Planned or not, Jones said it isn’t likely to happen again. He hasn’t tested the turf in Shreveport or looked for any soft spots in the sod so far.
“We just come out here to practice and have a good day of work,” Jones said.
DAVIS LOOKS DOUBTFUL
Josh Davis was still in a green non-contact jersey on Saturday and Richt sounded less enthusiastic about his ability to play Monday against the Aggies.
“You can see he’s limping around a little bit, but we’re not giving up hope,” Richt said. “We’ll try to get him some work against the scouts and hope he’ll be OK.”
If Davis cannot play, Vince Vance will get the start at right tackle, Richt said.
Dobbs was still in green Saturday, too, but Richt said he expected Dobbs to be fine for the game.
Showing posts with label Bryan Evans. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Bryan Evans. Show all posts
Saturday, December 26, 2009
Friday, October 2, 2009
Notebook: Turnovers Remain a Concern for Dawgs
In many ways, Georgia and LSU have had similar seasons. Both teams rank near the bottom of the conference in rushing yards, have seen highly regarded offensive lines struggle and have failed to get a consistent pass rush. But if there’s one statistic that starkly contrasts the Tigers and Bulldogs, it’s the turnover margin.
Through four games, LSU leads the SEC with a plus-seven turnover margin, while Georgia is among the worst teams in the nation with a minus-nine.
While that’s a concern for head coach Mark Richt, he said the past doesn’t have to be prologue to what happens Satuday.
“Turnover ratios are important, but what’s happened in the past I don’t think is very important at all,” Richt said. “I’m more concerned about the turnover ratio Saturday than I am what we’ve had to this point, so hopefully we’ll get that thing turned around and be in a whole lot better shape.”
To ensure that happens, Georgia’s coaching staff has taken a more disciplinarian approach to preventing turnovers during practice this week, but that’s not always a solution.
“We work on that every day at practice,” wide receiver A.J. Green said. “I don’t know what’s the problem. It’s not like we’re not trying, but it’s just happened.”
Offensive coordinator Mike Bobo said the team actually enhanced its discipline for fumbles and interceptions during practice last week, making the entire team do calisthenics when one person coughed up the football. The result was yet another three-turnover game.
“This week we (did) a little more ball security at practice,” Bobo said. “But at the same time, I don’t want to talk about it to the team every day. We want to practice it to where they’re consciously doing it in practice. It’s like telling somebody after they drop a ball, ‘Hey, catch it.’ Well, why did they drop it? You’ve got to coach it up.”
Linebacker Rennie Curran hopes the increased focus on protecting the football works because with No. 4 LSU coming to town Saturday, the Bulldogs can’t afford to give away offensive drives and set the Tigers up with easy scores.
“When we play a team like LSU, we have to have a perfect game,” Curran said. “We can’t give them any room to breathe. We have to get ready to play our best game of football. We have to put all the mistakes we made behind us, get ready to have a great game and put it all together.”
MAKING PROGRESS
Freshman defensive end Montez Robinson had seen little action during the first three games of the year, but was on the field for a few extra snaps last week against Arizona State.
That’s a trend that defensive coordinator Willie Martinez said could continue, and if Robinson keeps progressing at the same rate, Georgia’s defensive ends could become a lot more dangerous as the season goes along.
“He’s getting better and better,” Martinez said. “He’s learning the system, and he’s a great athlete. And we need it. We need that push. He did some nice stuff. He’s learning it, and he’s got the ability, so that’s a good thing to see.”
STEP IN THE RIGHT DIRECTION
Georgia’s big defensive stands in the fourth quarter of last week’s win over Arizona State proved to be crucial in the Bulldogs pulling out a last-second victory, but the effort also helped to rejuvenate the beleaguered defense, too.
“That fourth quarter was huge,” Curran said. “It shows we’re a serious defense. It shows that no matter where we are on the field we’re going to stay positive and we can stop anybody. That was our attitude when we got that sudden-change situation. Before we even hit the field, we were like, ‘Hey, let’s do this. It’s our opportunity to show greatness.’”
FIGURING IT ALL OUT
After four weeks of tough tests against four BCS-conference foes, Georgia’s players admit they still aren’t quite sure how good the team really is, but safety Bryan Evans thinks the hard-fought games are helping to shape the team’s identity.
“We don’t have a true identity yet,” Evans said, “but it’s molding into an identity where we’re fighting through the tough games.”
Of course, the real mark of a good team always comes down to its record, quarterback Joe Cox said, and on that scale, he’s happy with where the Bulldogs are at.
“I know that after Week 1, if you’d asked us where we wanted to be going into the LSU game, we’d have said 3-1,” Cox said. “That’s where we are. We’ve found ways to win, we’ve stuck together. When the defense needed to make plays, we made plays. When the offense needed to make plays, we made plays. So there’s a lot of things in between that we need to correct that could make us a pretty good football team. We’re fully aware of the things we need to work on, but once we correct those things, we could be a good team.”
CAN’T FORGET CARLTON
After racking up 43 yards on 12 touches in Georgia’s first three games, freshman tailback Carlton Thomas disappeared from the offense last week. But offensive coordinator Mike Bobo said the team hasn’t forgotten about him. In fact, with the running game struggling, Georgia’s coaches aren’t crossing off any options from the playbook.
“I would not rule out Carlton Thomas,” Bobo said. “We haven’t ran the ball like we’ve wanted to, so I wouldn’t rule out any running back on our roster getting a chance to run the ball.”
SHORT DRIVES, SHORT RUNS
Georgia’s ground game ranks 11th in the SEC through four games, and while the blame has been shared between the offensive line and the tailbacks thus far, there’s a chance the entire offense is to blame.
Through four games, nearly 70 percent of all of Georgia’s offensive drives have lasted five plays or fewer, meaning few opportunities for the tailbacks to get in a groove running the football.
“It’s hard to get in a groove, and once we are in, we’re pass blocking or don’t get the ball for entire series,” tailback Caleb King said. “But the balls we do get, we have to do better at taking advantage of it.”
Richt said he isn’t going to complain about Georgia’s quick-strike touchdowns, something quarterback Joe Cox has made a habit of so far. But the number of turnovers and three-and-outs has been disturbing, and it’s a trend he hopes will change this week.
LSU also provides an opportunity for Georgia to improve its running numbers, too. King said the Tigers play an aggressive style in their front four, and the best way to counter that is to run the football – meaning he’ll have more chances to make a big play.
“I think we’ll run the ball a lot, so that’s a good thing,” King said. “We’ll see what happens.”
Through four games, LSU leads the SEC with a plus-seven turnover margin, while Georgia is among the worst teams in the nation with a minus-nine.
While that’s a concern for head coach Mark Richt, he said the past doesn’t have to be prologue to what happens Satuday.
“Turnover ratios are important, but what’s happened in the past I don’t think is very important at all,” Richt said. “I’m more concerned about the turnover ratio Saturday than I am what we’ve had to this point, so hopefully we’ll get that thing turned around and be in a whole lot better shape.”
To ensure that happens, Georgia’s coaching staff has taken a more disciplinarian approach to preventing turnovers during practice this week, but that’s not always a solution.
“We work on that every day at practice,” wide receiver A.J. Green said. “I don’t know what’s the problem. It’s not like we’re not trying, but it’s just happened.”
Offensive coordinator Mike Bobo said the team actually enhanced its discipline for fumbles and interceptions during practice last week, making the entire team do calisthenics when one person coughed up the football. The result was yet another three-turnover game.
“This week we (did) a little more ball security at practice,” Bobo said. “But at the same time, I don’t want to talk about it to the team every day. We want to practice it to where they’re consciously doing it in practice. It’s like telling somebody after they drop a ball, ‘Hey, catch it.’ Well, why did they drop it? You’ve got to coach it up.”
Linebacker Rennie Curran hopes the increased focus on protecting the football works because with No. 4 LSU coming to town Saturday, the Bulldogs can’t afford to give away offensive drives and set the Tigers up with easy scores.
“When we play a team like LSU, we have to have a perfect game,” Curran said. “We can’t give them any room to breathe. We have to get ready to play our best game of football. We have to put all the mistakes we made behind us, get ready to have a great game and put it all together.”
MAKING PROGRESS
Freshman defensive end Montez Robinson had seen little action during the first three games of the year, but was on the field for a few extra snaps last week against Arizona State.
That’s a trend that defensive coordinator Willie Martinez said could continue, and if Robinson keeps progressing at the same rate, Georgia’s defensive ends could become a lot more dangerous as the season goes along.
“He’s getting better and better,” Martinez said. “He’s learning the system, and he’s a great athlete. And we need it. We need that push. He did some nice stuff. He’s learning it, and he’s got the ability, so that’s a good thing to see.”
STEP IN THE RIGHT DIRECTION
Georgia’s big defensive stands in the fourth quarter of last week’s win over Arizona State proved to be crucial in the Bulldogs pulling out a last-second victory, but the effort also helped to rejuvenate the beleaguered defense, too.
“That fourth quarter was huge,” Curran said. “It shows we’re a serious defense. It shows that no matter where we are on the field we’re going to stay positive and we can stop anybody. That was our attitude when we got that sudden-change situation. Before we even hit the field, we were like, ‘Hey, let’s do this. It’s our opportunity to show greatness.’”
FIGURING IT ALL OUT
After four weeks of tough tests against four BCS-conference foes, Georgia’s players admit they still aren’t quite sure how good the team really is, but safety Bryan Evans thinks the hard-fought games are helping to shape the team’s identity.
“We don’t have a true identity yet,” Evans said, “but it’s molding into an identity where we’re fighting through the tough games.”
Of course, the real mark of a good team always comes down to its record, quarterback Joe Cox said, and on that scale, he’s happy with where the Bulldogs are at.
“I know that after Week 1, if you’d asked us where we wanted to be going into the LSU game, we’d have said 3-1,” Cox said. “That’s where we are. We’ve found ways to win, we’ve stuck together. When the defense needed to make plays, we made plays. When the offense needed to make plays, we made plays. So there’s a lot of things in between that we need to correct that could make us a pretty good football team. We’re fully aware of the things we need to work on, but once we correct those things, we could be a good team.”
CAN’T FORGET CARLTON
After racking up 43 yards on 12 touches in Georgia’s first three games, freshman tailback Carlton Thomas disappeared from the offense last week. But offensive coordinator Mike Bobo said the team hasn’t forgotten about him. In fact, with the running game struggling, Georgia’s coaches aren’t crossing off any options from the playbook.
“I would not rule out Carlton Thomas,” Bobo said. “We haven’t ran the ball like we’ve wanted to, so I wouldn’t rule out any running back on our roster getting a chance to run the ball.”
SHORT DRIVES, SHORT RUNS
Georgia’s ground game ranks 11th in the SEC through four games, and while the blame has been shared between the offensive line and the tailbacks thus far, there’s a chance the entire offense is to blame.
Through four games, nearly 70 percent of all of Georgia’s offensive drives have lasted five plays or fewer, meaning few opportunities for the tailbacks to get in a groove running the football.
“It’s hard to get in a groove, and once we are in, we’re pass blocking or don’t get the ball for entire series,” tailback Caleb King said. “But the balls we do get, we have to do better at taking advantage of it.”
Richt said he isn’t going to complain about Georgia’s quick-strike touchdowns, something quarterback Joe Cox has made a habit of so far. But the number of turnovers and three-and-outs has been disturbing, and it’s a trend he hopes will change this week.
LSU also provides an opportunity for Georgia to improve its running numbers, too. King said the Tigers play an aggressive style in their front four, and the best way to counter that is to run the football – meaning he’ll have more chances to make a big play.
“I think we’ll run the ball a lot, so that’s a good thing,” King said. “We’ll see what happens.”
Thursday, October 1, 2009
These Aren't Last Year's Bulldogs
A year ago, Georgia opened the season No. 1 in the country, then opened the season with four wins -- three of which came pretty easily. In Week 5, a top-10 team with a few question marks came into Athens with something to prove. The result was a 31-0 lead at halftime for Alabama.
This year, the Bulldogs didn't open anywhere near No. 1. They lost their first game and essentially evaporated from the national scene. The next three weeks resulted in wins, but not were convincing and all had a touch of ugliness -- and maybe more than a touch -- to ensure fans stayed nervous well beyond the clock hitting zero. Now, in Week 5, another top-10 team with a few questions and something to prove is heading to Athens once again.
Marc Weiszer wrote earlier this week that it's been a long time since Georgia has beaten a top-10 foe.
LSU is sounding confident, assuming this year's Dawgs aren't what they were a year ago.
But while Georgia doesn't have Matthew Stafford or Knowshon Moreno this time around, it may have something else -- something that was missing in that 31-0 embarrassment against Alabama.
These past three games have been less than spectacular, but they have been tests. They have tested Georgia's resilience, character and heart. And in the end, they were each wins.
It's hard to say whether that will translate into another victory this weekend, but to hear some of Georgia's most important players talk about it, it certainly sounds like they think it can.
“This team realizes way more than last year’s team that there’s no way we can roll our helmets out and expect to win. We have to fight hard for every single down on every play for the success we want. It’s not going to come from just one guy making a huge play. Everybody has to win their battle to win the war ultimately. It really has helped us.”
Bryan Evans on not relying on just two players this year...
“It’s always good to know the offense can bail the defense out one game, the defense can bail the offense out one game, special teams can bail us out. If we can just get all three of them rolling, man, we can be unstoppable. That’s what we’re looking at is we have never finished a whole game together with all three phases. If we can get all three phases together and we win the turnover ratio, I’m pretty sure we can be the best team in the country.”
A.J. Green on playing so many tight games...
“That’s just show what type of team we are. We’re never going to give up, and we don’t care what’s the score or the time on the clock, we’re going to keep fighting.”
Mark Richt on what the close games have done for Georgia...
“I think it builds confidence. I think when you’re in the middle of a game and you hit that adversity everybody can look at each other and say ‘Here we go again; let’s go do it,’ rather than ‘Here we go again, we’re in trouble’. I think the first attitude is the one that we have at this moment and hopefully we continue to have it. I’ve said it ever since I’ve been at Georgia; I think we’re a good football team. I think we’re good enough to win the East and win the SEC, but the teams that win the close games are going to be the champions and so that has to be the first and foremost thing of importance is winning that football game. That’s what we are preparing for right now.”
Joe Cox on the team's mind-set going into this game...
“We’ve definitely been tested this year, and that’s always important. If that’s what people want to see is us getting tested or not, I don’t know. But I definitely think it’s been good that we’ve had some of the games we’ve had. We’ve been able to come back from being down. We’ve been able to drive the field in the last minute and get in position to win a game. There’s been a lot of things that have happened amongst the ugliness that’s been happening, too. We’ve been tested and we know what we’re capable of. We know what the defense is capable of. We know what (the offense) is capable of. I think our unity is great, and I think it’s come from those tough games when we’ve had to rely on each other. That’s going to help us in the long run.”
Thursday, September 24, 2009
A Deeper Look at the Defense
The backlash against Willie Martinez has reached a new crescendo, and fans are justified in their animosity.
Georgia has allowed 78 points in their past two games, allowed 37 or more points in six of their past nine, and is averaging 33 points allowed during that stretch. The Bulldogs secondary has allowed 721 passing yards in the last two games and the defense has accounted for just four sacks and two take-aways in three games this year.
There really aren't many numbers that tell anything but a scathing story about the defense. But is it really as bad as the numbers say? Mark Richt isn't so sure.
"As a team we have not helped our defensive unit when it comes to (field position)," Richt said. "We need to do a better job of getting our field position right. I would just like to see what happened if we did that quite frankly.”
It's a fair point, even if most of the Willie haters don't really care about excuses anymore. In fact, as Martinez pointed out, there were some encouraging aspects of the defense's performance against Arkansas that tended to be lost in the high score.
“There’s some things we did well in this last ballgame, and I know it’s kind of hard to see when you give up that many points," Martinez said. "But their third-down efficiency was 80 percent. That was crucial to get them in third-and-long, and here we go, we’re off the field. We did that in the first series, and bang – something bad happens and you’ve got to go back out there, and our guys couldn’t sustain it. Then the fourth quarter, they had four series in the fourth quarter and we go three-and-out in three out of the four. The game’s on the line, and you build on those things. The same thing could be said in the previous game where we kept them out of the end zone in the fourth quarter and held them to a field goal. There’s some things that we did well that are obviously overlooked because of all the points that are put up.”
But are there facts to back that up, too?
Here are some stats from reader Jim F., who did some great research so I didn't have to…
Jim first defined a rather broad category of "mistakes," which include turnovers and kicking game miscues. So far there have been nine turnovers by Georgia's offense or special teams. There have been seven major blunders in the kicking games -- i.e. a return allowed of 50 yards or more, a kickoff out of bounds and, of course, the successful fake punt and the safety on the snap over Drew Butler's head.
So here's what he discovered:
-- Mistakes were direct contributors to 70 percent of all opponents' scoring drives so far this season (14 total out of 20 scoring drives), including two in which the defense was never on the field (the safety and the pick six).
-- Similarly, mistakes have led to 70 percent of the total points scored against Georgia (72 of 102).
-- Ten of the 16 plays defined as "mistakes" occurred on the Georgia side of the field, meaning the defense was put in a particularly bad position. Opponents have scored on 100 percent of these drives -- seven TDs, and three field goals.
-- Problems in the kicking game have contributed to 11 points per game thus far, and if you include the special teams fumbles or problems in punting, that number goes up even more, nearly 40 percent of Georgia's total points allowed.
-- Only twice has Georgia stopped a drive after a mistake (once forcing a punt and once forcing a turnover).
That last point can be looked at in two ways: 1.) Does Georgia's defense have the fortitude to handle adversity? Or 2.) Is the adversity simply too much for anyone to overcome on a regular basis?
I'd say it would be fair to give the D the benefit of the doubt for now, considering the sheer number of adverse situations they've been in, but here's what Bryan Evans thinks:
“Right now it’s to the point where anytime a turnover happens, our mentality is to get back on the field and not give up the touchdown. That’s something we’ve got to work towards as a defense. I really can’t complain or make any excuses because any time the defense is on, we don’t have any thoughts except getting our offense the ball back, and we didn’t do that (against Arkansas).”
So at least the D is taking some accountability, even if they weren't put in the best position to succeed regardless.
But what about when they are put in a good position to succeed?
Jim notes that Georgia has only allowed points on nine of 31 drives (29 percent) when the opposition starts on their half of the field. Take away possessions that included those problems in the kicking game (like the out-of-bounds kicks) and you're down to just six scoring drives -- three touchdowns and three field goals. In other words, just 10 points per game.
Georgia has also been relatively strong on third downs -- holding the opponent to just 15 conversions in 46 attempts.
It's also worth noting that Arkansas scored on both of those out-of-bounds kickoffs -- one TD and one FG. Considering that this was such a problem last year that Richt infamously promised to go to Poland to find a kicker who could better handle the kickoffs, the blame here squarely falls on the head coach, not the D coordinator.
A few things that can be pinned on the defense though (my research now):
-- Although they've been on the wrong side of nine turnovers, they have created just two.
-- They have just four sacks in 118 passing attempts (which doesn't include plays in which the QB ran, either by design or due to pressure). That's a success rate of 3.38 percent.
-- And again, Georgia has been particularly bad at handling adversity. Let's look closer at those third-down conversions: Overall, the opposition is just 15-of-46 (32.6 percent) on third down, but on fourth down, that number shoots up to a successful conversion on 5-of-7 tries (71.4 percent), with one being the fake punt executed by South Carolina.
Looking even further, Georgia has faced 32 situations that were either third-and-long or fourth-and-long (defined as needing five or more yards for a first down) and has held on all but five occasions. That's a success rate of just 15.6 percent by the opposition, including an 0-for-10 mark by Arkansas last week. On third- or fourth-and-short, however, those numbers swing badly in the other direction. The opposition has converted on 16-of-22 tried in short-yardage situations -- a nearly 73 percent success rate.
I mentioned in my post about the defense the other day that I thought there might be too great of an emphasis put on stopping the run -- something Georgia has done well in these first three games -- and that the Bulldogs have not been in position to handle the pass as well.
My wording may have been wrong by saying "emphasis." The problem isn't that the Bulldogs are emphasizing stopping the run, it's that they're failing to recognize when it's a pass.
"We have to do a better job of getting off the run blocks," defensive end Demarcus Dobbs said. "A lot of teams kill us with play action because we’re so zoned into the run. Play action will kill a defense and we have to learn to convert and get into the quarterback’s face, even if it isn’t a sack, but just to alter his throws a little bit so our DBs can make a play.”
More evidence:
Bryan Evans on the TD he was burned on: “It was kind of a zone to a man coverage, and one of the receivers ran a take-off. We got caught trailing, looking in the backfield.”
Jeff Owens on the upcoming game: “For the front seven, we’ve got to get more pressure on the QB. We’ve got to rush more. That’s what our focus should be this week. We know Arizona State is going to throw the football, and as a defensive tackle, I’ve got to pin my ears back and try to get to the QB.”
Rennie Curran on the team's recognition of pass plays: “When you’re an aggressive defense like we are, sometimes you get caught out of element when you’re focused on the run and you don’t make a quick enough read to react to the pass. When you’re blitzing, it leaves open holes for the short passes. We’ve just got to watch more film and recognize pass formations better. It’s going to come with time.”
Willie Martinez on the problems against Arkansas:
“When you play action, it’s going to be hard sometimes to get pressure because you’re holding ‘backers or D linemen. You’re trying to defend the run. So that’s hard to generate. When you bring pressure, you have a better chance of disrupting the passing game. They had a very good balance last week, and they made some plays and we didn’t execute. When you don’t execute against a good offensive football team, they’re going to exploit you.”
Well, look at those third-down numbers again. Obviously when a team has farther to go for a first down, there's a greater chance of success for the defense, so we'd expect a stark difference in the numbers. But the other key thing to remember is that, on third-and-long, it's nearly always going to be a pass play. The situation dictates the defensive approach, not the read by the defenders. On third-and-short, things are different. The offense has options, and the defense now needs to make the proper read and adjust. That's simply not happening.
The same is true in the red zone. Georgia has been strong inside the 20, holding the opposition to mostly field goals. But what the short field does is reduce the amount of space the defense has to cover. They can misread a play, but still be able to react because they don't have as far to go.
So is this execution or coaching? I'd say it's probably a little of both. The coaches have to make sure the players know their keys and the players have to make the right reads and react. I'm not sure which part of this isn't happening -- and maybe it's both -- but clearly there is a problem here.
Talking to players, to Martinez and to Richt this week, there seems to be a few constant points of emphasis:
1.) The offensive and special teams mistakes are killing the defense.
2.) The pressure up front has not been there, which kills the secondary.
3.) The execution simply hasn't been good enough.
I think the numbers Jim listed more than illustrate the first point has merit. If Georgia's turnover was 9-to-2 in the other direction, I'm pretty sure there'd be no need for me to write this post. So that's step one.
The second issue of pressure has been a problem for two years, however. Georgia simply isn't getting to the quarterback, and since NFL scouts have conceded that Jeff Owens and Geno Atkins have the skills to play at the next level, I can only assume there's some serious problems in terms of scheme or preparation.
The third issue is perhaps the most damning, however. The fundamentals have simply been poor -- from reading keys defensively to wrapping up on tackles. If this was a defense filled with freshmen and sophomores, that might be more understandable. But it's not. Georgia starts two sophomores (and one was a starter much of last year), five juniors (all of whom started games last year) and four seniors.
There's a cliche that Jon Fabris finds a way to use in nearly every interview: It's neither as good as it seems or as bad as it seems. Somewhere in the middle lies the truth.
The truth is, Willie is not the root of all evil, and clearly the defense has not been as bad as the final scores might indicate. But neither is the situation just a few plays away from resolution either. There is work to be done, and has been for far too long.
And the reasonable point being made by the fans who still have some reason left in this discussion is: If Georgia hasn't been able to fix those issues in the past 12 months, why should they think that will change in the next few weeks?
Georgia has allowed 78 points in their past two games, allowed 37 or more points in six of their past nine, and is averaging 33 points allowed during that stretch. The Bulldogs secondary has allowed 721 passing yards in the last two games and the defense has accounted for just four sacks and two take-aways in three games this year.
There really aren't many numbers that tell anything but a scathing story about the defense. But is it really as bad as the numbers say? Mark Richt isn't so sure.
"As a team we have not helped our defensive unit when it comes to (field position)," Richt said. "We need to do a better job of getting our field position right. I would just like to see what happened if we did that quite frankly.”
It's a fair point, even if most of the Willie haters don't really care about excuses anymore. In fact, as Martinez pointed out, there were some encouraging aspects of the defense's performance against Arkansas that tended to be lost in the high score.
“There’s some things we did well in this last ballgame, and I know it’s kind of hard to see when you give up that many points," Martinez said. "But their third-down efficiency was 80 percent. That was crucial to get them in third-and-long, and here we go, we’re off the field. We did that in the first series, and bang – something bad happens and you’ve got to go back out there, and our guys couldn’t sustain it. Then the fourth quarter, they had four series in the fourth quarter and we go three-and-out in three out of the four. The game’s on the line, and you build on those things. The same thing could be said in the previous game where we kept them out of the end zone in the fourth quarter and held them to a field goal. There’s some things that we did well that are obviously overlooked because of all the points that are put up.”
But are there facts to back that up, too?
Here are some stats from reader Jim F., who did some great research so I didn't have to…
Jim first defined a rather broad category of "mistakes," which include turnovers and kicking game miscues. So far there have been nine turnovers by Georgia's offense or special teams. There have been seven major blunders in the kicking games -- i.e. a return allowed of 50 yards or more, a kickoff out of bounds and, of course, the successful fake punt and the safety on the snap over Drew Butler's head.
So here's what he discovered:
-- Mistakes were direct contributors to 70 percent of all opponents' scoring drives so far this season (14 total out of 20 scoring drives), including two in which the defense was never on the field (the safety and the pick six).
-- Similarly, mistakes have led to 70 percent of the total points scored against Georgia (72 of 102).
-- Ten of the 16 plays defined as "mistakes" occurred on the Georgia side of the field, meaning the defense was put in a particularly bad position. Opponents have scored on 100 percent of these drives -- seven TDs, and three field goals.
-- Problems in the kicking game have contributed to 11 points per game thus far, and if you include the special teams fumbles or problems in punting, that number goes up even more, nearly 40 percent of Georgia's total points allowed.
-- Only twice has Georgia stopped a drive after a mistake (once forcing a punt and once forcing a turnover).
That last point can be looked at in two ways: 1.) Does Georgia's defense have the fortitude to handle adversity? Or 2.) Is the adversity simply too much for anyone to overcome on a regular basis?
I'd say it would be fair to give the D the benefit of the doubt for now, considering the sheer number of adverse situations they've been in, but here's what Bryan Evans thinks:
“Right now it’s to the point where anytime a turnover happens, our mentality is to get back on the field and not give up the touchdown. That’s something we’ve got to work towards as a defense. I really can’t complain or make any excuses because any time the defense is on, we don’t have any thoughts except getting our offense the ball back, and we didn’t do that (against Arkansas).”
So at least the D is taking some accountability, even if they weren't put in the best position to succeed regardless.
But what about when they are put in a good position to succeed?
Jim notes that Georgia has only allowed points on nine of 31 drives (29 percent) when the opposition starts on their half of the field. Take away possessions that included those problems in the kicking game (like the out-of-bounds kicks) and you're down to just six scoring drives -- three touchdowns and three field goals. In other words, just 10 points per game.
Georgia has also been relatively strong on third downs -- holding the opponent to just 15 conversions in 46 attempts.
It's also worth noting that Arkansas scored on both of those out-of-bounds kickoffs -- one TD and one FG. Considering that this was such a problem last year that Richt infamously promised to go to Poland to find a kicker who could better handle the kickoffs, the blame here squarely falls on the head coach, not the D coordinator.
A few things that can be pinned on the defense though (my research now):
-- Although they've been on the wrong side of nine turnovers, they have created just two.
-- They have just four sacks in 118 passing attempts (which doesn't include plays in which the QB ran, either by design or due to pressure). That's a success rate of 3.38 percent.
-- And again, Georgia has been particularly bad at handling adversity. Let's look closer at those third-down conversions: Overall, the opposition is just 15-of-46 (32.6 percent) on third down, but on fourth down, that number shoots up to a successful conversion on 5-of-7 tries (71.4 percent), with one being the fake punt executed by South Carolina.
Looking even further, Georgia has faced 32 situations that were either third-and-long or fourth-and-long (defined as needing five or more yards for a first down) and has held on all but five occasions. That's a success rate of just 15.6 percent by the opposition, including an 0-for-10 mark by Arkansas last week. On third- or fourth-and-short, however, those numbers swing badly in the other direction. The opposition has converted on 16-of-22 tried in short-yardage situations -- a nearly 73 percent success rate.
I mentioned in my post about the defense the other day that I thought there might be too great of an emphasis put on stopping the run -- something Georgia has done well in these first three games -- and that the Bulldogs have not been in position to handle the pass as well.
My wording may have been wrong by saying "emphasis." The problem isn't that the Bulldogs are emphasizing stopping the run, it's that they're failing to recognize when it's a pass.
"We have to do a better job of getting off the run blocks," defensive end Demarcus Dobbs said. "A lot of teams kill us with play action because we’re so zoned into the run. Play action will kill a defense and we have to learn to convert and get into the quarterback’s face, even if it isn’t a sack, but just to alter his throws a little bit so our DBs can make a play.”
More evidence:
Bryan Evans on the TD he was burned on: “It was kind of a zone to a man coverage, and one of the receivers ran a take-off. We got caught trailing, looking in the backfield.”
Jeff Owens on the upcoming game: “For the front seven, we’ve got to get more pressure on the QB. We’ve got to rush more. That’s what our focus should be this week. We know Arizona State is going to throw the football, and as a defensive tackle, I’ve got to pin my ears back and try to get to the QB.”
Rennie Curran on the team's recognition of pass plays: “When you’re an aggressive defense like we are, sometimes you get caught out of element when you’re focused on the run and you don’t make a quick enough read to react to the pass. When you’re blitzing, it leaves open holes for the short passes. We’ve just got to watch more film and recognize pass formations better. It’s going to come with time.”
Willie Martinez on the problems against Arkansas:
“When you play action, it’s going to be hard sometimes to get pressure because you’re holding ‘backers or D linemen. You’re trying to defend the run. So that’s hard to generate. When you bring pressure, you have a better chance of disrupting the passing game. They had a very good balance last week, and they made some plays and we didn’t execute. When you don’t execute against a good offensive football team, they’re going to exploit you.”Well, look at those third-down numbers again. Obviously when a team has farther to go for a first down, there's a greater chance of success for the defense, so we'd expect a stark difference in the numbers. But the other key thing to remember is that, on third-and-long, it's nearly always going to be a pass play. The situation dictates the defensive approach, not the read by the defenders. On third-and-short, things are different. The offense has options, and the defense now needs to make the proper read and adjust. That's simply not happening.
The same is true in the red zone. Georgia has been strong inside the 20, holding the opposition to mostly field goals. But what the short field does is reduce the amount of space the defense has to cover. They can misread a play, but still be able to react because they don't have as far to go.
So is this execution or coaching? I'd say it's probably a little of both. The coaches have to make sure the players know their keys and the players have to make the right reads and react. I'm not sure which part of this isn't happening -- and maybe it's both -- but clearly there is a problem here.
Talking to players, to Martinez and to Richt this week, there seems to be a few constant points of emphasis:
1.) The offensive and special teams mistakes are killing the defense.
2.) The pressure up front has not been there, which kills the secondary.
3.) The execution simply hasn't been good enough.
I think the numbers Jim listed more than illustrate the first point has merit. If Georgia's turnover was 9-to-2 in the other direction, I'm pretty sure there'd be no need for me to write this post. So that's step one.
The second issue of pressure has been a problem for two years, however. Georgia simply isn't getting to the quarterback, and since NFL scouts have conceded that Jeff Owens and Geno Atkins have the skills to play at the next level, I can only assume there's some serious problems in terms of scheme or preparation.
The third issue is perhaps the most damning, however. The fundamentals have simply been poor -- from reading keys defensively to wrapping up on tackles. If this was a defense filled with freshmen and sophomores, that might be more understandable. But it's not. Georgia starts two sophomores (and one was a starter much of last year), five juniors (all of whom started games last year) and four seniors.
There's a cliche that Jon Fabris finds a way to use in nearly every interview: It's neither as good as it seems or as bad as it seems. Somewhere in the middle lies the truth.
The truth is, Willie is not the root of all evil, and clearly the defense has not been as bad as the final scores might indicate. But neither is the situation just a few plays away from resolution either. There is work to be done, and has been for far too long.
And the reasonable point being made by the fans who still have some reason left in this discussion is: If Georgia hasn't been able to fix those issues in the past 12 months, why should they think that will change in the next few weeks?
Thursday, September 10, 2009
Big Hits Back on the Menu
Every now and then, defensive coordinator Willie Martinez will sit his defensive backs down and have them watch film of some of the most impressive hits Georgia safeties have dished out over the years.
If the highlights aren't shown often enough, however, safety Reshad Jones said he'll take the time to look them up on YouTube. Watching what the Bulldogs' nastiest tacklers have done in the past provides a nice bit of motivation for the future, he said.
Against Oklahoma State last Saturday, Jones and fellow safety Bryan Evans added two of their own teeth-rattling tackles to the highlight reel, and Jones said it was an important step in reinventing Georgia's defense after a long 2008 season.
“Coach has been preaching that we need to be more physical and just set the tempo and show people how Georgia safeties are known for playing," Jones said. "So that’s what we wanted to do.”
Evans was the first to deliver a hit worthy of SportsCenter highlights that night.
Quarterback Zac Robinson appeared to have completed a pass to wideout Dez Bryant near the sideline, but Evans had a beat on the receiver from the beginning.
“That guy is so fast already that when he gets moving, it’s dangerous when he hits anything,” Curran said of Evans.
As the ball arrived in Bryant's hands, so, too, did Evans, who laid a devastating hit on the receiver, dislodging the ball which fell harmlessly to the ground for an incompletion.
“There was a lot of talk about me being an undersized safety and they didn’t know if I was going to be a physical safety," Evans said. "That’s something that I wanted to step up to the challenge and face. Reshad is already a pretty hard hitter, so I was just trying to match his intensity, and hopefully that will send a message to a couple of other teams that watch the film.”
Jones may be a hard-hitter, but even he admits, his reputation is more of a playmaker than a punishing tackler in the mold of Georgia greats like Thomas Davis and Greg Blue. But that doesn't mean Jones didn't want to get in on the act against the Cowboys.
Oklahoma State was driving early in the fourth quarter, up by a touchdown. Robinson found a receiver open down the middle and lobbed a pass to Justin Blackmon that was just a touch high. Jones closed quickly and drove his shoulder into Blackmon with authority, breaking up the pass and drawing gasps from the crowd.
It was textbook, his coaches later told him, but the official tossed a flag on the field and whistled Jones for unnecessary roughness anyway.
“I think that was my hardest hit since I’ve been here," Jones said. "I was shocked when I saw (the flag). I don’t know what else they wanted me to do, but after I talked to the coaches they said it wasn’t a flag and I felt pretty good.”
No punishment was handed down by the coaches for Jones' penalty, which turned out to be significant as Oklahoma State scored just three plays later. It was a good, clean hit, Martinez said, and it was just what the coaching staff had been looking for.
“You want to be able to run to the football and play with energy and establish an identity that we want to be a physical football team," Martinez said. "You always want to see that.”
The beauty of the big hits, Martinez said is that the effects resonate long after they have been delivered.
For one, a particularly awe-inspiring tackle can be a momentum changer, and as linebacker Rennie Curran said, the punishing blows get the rest of the team fired up.
"I love seeing that from my safeties – guys playing hard-nosed," Curran said. "Since Greg Blue, Thomas Davis, we need safeties back there with that hungry mentality that will take your head off.”
As exciting as it is for their teammates to see a big hit, Jones knows it can be just as demoralizing for the opposition -- not just during that game, but even down the road.
“I think watching film, it sends a message to the other guys," Jones said, "and you’re going to see a lot more of that this year.”
If the highlights aren't shown often enough, however, safety Reshad Jones said he'll take the time to look them up on YouTube. Watching what the Bulldogs' nastiest tacklers have done in the past provides a nice bit of motivation for the future, he said.
Against Oklahoma State last Saturday, Jones and fellow safety Bryan Evans added two of their own teeth-rattling tackles to the highlight reel, and Jones said it was an important step in reinventing Georgia's defense after a long 2008 season.
“Coach has been preaching that we need to be more physical and just set the tempo and show people how Georgia safeties are known for playing," Jones said. "So that’s what we wanted to do.”
Evans was the first to deliver a hit worthy of SportsCenter highlights that night.
Quarterback Zac Robinson appeared to have completed a pass to wideout Dez Bryant near the sideline, but Evans had a beat on the receiver from the beginning.
“That guy is so fast already that when he gets moving, it’s dangerous when he hits anything,” Curran said of Evans.
As the ball arrived in Bryant's hands, so, too, did Evans, who laid a devastating hit on the receiver, dislodging the ball which fell harmlessly to the ground for an incompletion.
“There was a lot of talk about me being an undersized safety and they didn’t know if I was going to be a physical safety," Evans said. "That’s something that I wanted to step up to the challenge and face. Reshad is already a pretty hard hitter, so I was just trying to match his intensity, and hopefully that will send a message to a couple of other teams that watch the film.”
Jones may be a hard-hitter, but even he admits, his reputation is more of a playmaker than a punishing tackler in the mold of Georgia greats like Thomas Davis and Greg Blue. But that doesn't mean Jones didn't want to get in on the act against the Cowboys.
Oklahoma State was driving early in the fourth quarter, up by a touchdown. Robinson found a receiver open down the middle and lobbed a pass to Justin Blackmon that was just a touch high. Jones closed quickly and drove his shoulder into Blackmon with authority, breaking up the pass and drawing gasps from the crowd.
It was textbook, his coaches later told him, but the official tossed a flag on the field and whistled Jones for unnecessary roughness anyway.
“I think that was my hardest hit since I’ve been here," Jones said. "I was shocked when I saw (the flag). I don’t know what else they wanted me to do, but after I talked to the coaches they said it wasn’t a flag and I felt pretty good.”
No punishment was handed down by the coaches for Jones' penalty, which turned out to be significant as Oklahoma State scored just three plays later. It was a good, clean hit, Martinez said, and it was just what the coaching staff had been looking for.
“You want to be able to run to the football and play with energy and establish an identity that we want to be a physical football team," Martinez said. "You always want to see that.”
The beauty of the big hits, Martinez said is that the effects resonate long after they have been delivered.
For one, a particularly awe-inspiring tackle can be a momentum changer, and as linebacker Rennie Curran said, the punishing blows get the rest of the team fired up.
"I love seeing that from my safeties – guys playing hard-nosed," Curran said. "Since Greg Blue, Thomas Davis, we need safeties back there with that hungry mentality that will take your head off.”
As exciting as it is for their teammates to see a big hit, Jones knows it can be just as demoralizing for the opposition -- not just during that game, but even down the road.
“I think watching film, it sends a message to the other guys," Jones said, "and you’re going to see a lot more of that this year.”
Wednesday, September 2, 2009
One Last Post About the Schedule
I think we've reached the saturation point on the discussion of the scheduling, but Mark Richt addressed the issue Tuesday, and I figured it would be worth posting his thoughts as a fitting conclusion to the conversation.
First, Richt talked about what the tough opener against Oklahoma State has meant to the teams in terms of preparation.
“I don’t know if we’ve ever gone into the first game of the year and I didn’t feel the excitement and the energy with the team, but I think there is a little greater sense of urgency," Richt said. "I think our coaches were more interested in starting the game plan for Oklahoma State a little bit sooner. They were wanting to get into breaking into scout team a little quicker to begin to plan. When you play a team that good it gets everybody’s juices flowing pretty good.”
It was an interesting comment from Richt to say the least, particularly since he spent most of the past few weeks saying the exact opposite. As a reporter, I figure I'll be lied to. I just ask that it's the same lie each time.
Anyway, from talking to players, that idea has been shared universally. The Oklahoma State game was a good opener because it has kept the Bulldogs focused throughout the offseason.
I have two qualms with this:
1.) Shouldn't a team be able to stay focused regardless of who that opening opponent is? Yes, maybe a really good team from another conference can provide more excitement, but I would hope it doesn't change the focus significantly.
2.) It really sort of piggybacks what I noted yesterday -- there is more thought, preparation and energy that goes into a "big game" and when those games are over, the situation is ripe for a let down.
As a few readers have pointed out, however, a good team doesn't allow that to happen. So the bottom line, I suppose, is that if Georgia wants to be a national championship team, this really shouldn't be an issue regardless. I can buy that.
That's the cost of the big game, but how about the benefits? Richt was asked about that, too, particularly in terms of a recruiting advantage that playing these games gets you.
“There is going to be a lot more attention on this game than there would have been if we were playing someone who’s not ranked as high," Richt said. "There will be national attention because people always want to compare leagues, and most people that I’ve heard said that the Southeastern Conference and the Big 12 might be the two best as of recent times, so they’re wanting to see which league is better. That will be a big question across the country. People may watch it just for that reason. More people will see and hear about Georgia because we are playing this game, and that’s good for us."
I'm not going to argue this point because I think it's a valid one. Georgia-Oklahoma State is a marquee game on a weekend in which there aren't many marquee games. My complaint about the scheduling thus far has been that these opponents have not usually ended up getting the type of attention that Georgia probably hoped they would when the games were scheduled.
A number of readers pointed out that they wanted to see big-time opponents or travel to places they wouldn't normally go. I agree -- but why not go all the way with it if you're going to ramp up the schedule? How about a home-and-home every three years with a truly marquee opponent, the way Ohio State has done in recent seasons with Texas and USC? Or why not at least make the trip a marquee event, as has been discussed with a possible matchup against Army in New York? I'll take either of those options over a trip to Stillwater any time.
Of course, there's another thing that has to happen before Georgia gets that recruiting bump from playing in such a big game on Saturday -- a win.
"It’s certainly better for you if you win these kinds of games as far as the perception of the voters and the perception of the recruits," Richt said.
But there's this caveat, he said: "This game, win or lose, should prepare us for what we are about to face when we get into league play," Richt said. "It’ll be good preparation for that.”
It's a sentiment mirrored by Bryan Evans, too.
"If we go out and win this game and compete with the No. 9 team in the country, we should have no doubt that we can compete with South Carolina or any other team," Evans said. "It’s just going to help us as a stepping stone.”
I like the theory, but I'm curious about this:
If they win, does it give them confidence or overconfidence for the following week?
And if they lose, what happens to that high morale Evans is talking about?
It's a question that really won't be answered until South Carolina arrives next Saturday.
ADDENDUM: After mentioning Richt "lying" to me, I realized that I was probably very unclear about what I meant.
I didn't mean that Richt's previous statements about the schedule were lies.
What I meant was: For all of preseason, he'd been saying the team had not changed its approach because of the big opening week opponent. Then Tuesday, he said they had and had begun preparing sooner. It was the exact opposite of what he'd been saying.
I was really unclear about what I thought Richt was being disingenuous about, and I apologize for that. I was tagging him a liar to defend my cause (and in truth, I really don't care that much about the schedule to begin with, but I thought it was an interesting discussion). I was annoyed because Richt really did seem to have done a 180 on his comments about preparation.
Sorry for the confusion.
First, Richt talked about what the tough opener against Oklahoma State has meant to the teams in terms of preparation.
“I don’t know if we’ve ever gone into the first game of the year and I didn’t feel the excitement and the energy with the team, but I think there is a little greater sense of urgency," Richt said. "I think our coaches were more interested in starting the game plan for Oklahoma State a little bit sooner. They were wanting to get into breaking into scout team a little quicker to begin to plan. When you play a team that good it gets everybody’s juices flowing pretty good.”
It was an interesting comment from Richt to say the least, particularly since he spent most of the past few weeks saying the exact opposite. As a reporter, I figure I'll be lied to. I just ask that it's the same lie each time.
Anyway, from talking to players, that idea has been shared universally. The Oklahoma State game was a good opener because it has kept the Bulldogs focused throughout the offseason.
I have two qualms with this:
1.) Shouldn't a team be able to stay focused regardless of who that opening opponent is? Yes, maybe a really good team from another conference can provide more excitement, but I would hope it doesn't change the focus significantly.
2.) It really sort of piggybacks what I noted yesterday -- there is more thought, preparation and energy that goes into a "big game" and when those games are over, the situation is ripe for a let down.
As a few readers have pointed out, however, a good team doesn't allow that to happen. So the bottom line, I suppose, is that if Georgia wants to be a national championship team, this really shouldn't be an issue regardless. I can buy that.
That's the cost of the big game, but how about the benefits? Richt was asked about that, too, particularly in terms of a recruiting advantage that playing these games gets you.
“There is going to be a lot more attention on this game than there would have been if we were playing someone who’s not ranked as high," Richt said. "There will be national attention because people always want to compare leagues, and most people that I’ve heard said that the Southeastern Conference and the Big 12 might be the two best as of recent times, so they’re wanting to see which league is better. That will be a big question across the country. People may watch it just for that reason. More people will see and hear about Georgia because we are playing this game, and that’s good for us."
I'm not going to argue this point because I think it's a valid one. Georgia-Oklahoma State is a marquee game on a weekend in which there aren't many marquee games. My complaint about the scheduling thus far has been that these opponents have not usually ended up getting the type of attention that Georgia probably hoped they would when the games were scheduled.
A number of readers pointed out that they wanted to see big-time opponents or travel to places they wouldn't normally go. I agree -- but why not go all the way with it if you're going to ramp up the schedule? How about a home-and-home every three years with a truly marquee opponent, the way Ohio State has done in recent seasons with Texas and USC? Or why not at least make the trip a marquee event, as has been discussed with a possible matchup against Army in New York? I'll take either of those options over a trip to Stillwater any time.
Of course, there's another thing that has to happen before Georgia gets that recruiting bump from playing in such a big game on Saturday -- a win.
"It’s certainly better for you if you win these kinds of games as far as the perception of the voters and the perception of the recruits," Richt said.
But there's this caveat, he said: "This game, win or lose, should prepare us for what we are about to face when we get into league play," Richt said. "It’ll be good preparation for that.”
It's a sentiment mirrored by Bryan Evans, too.
"If we go out and win this game and compete with the No. 9 team in the country, we should have no doubt that we can compete with South Carolina or any other team," Evans said. "It’s just going to help us as a stepping stone.”
I like the theory, but I'm curious about this:
If they win, does it give them confidence or overconfidence for the following week?
And if they lose, what happens to that high morale Evans is talking about?
It's a question that really won't be answered until South Carolina arrives next Saturday.
ADDENDUM: After mentioning Richt "lying" to me, I realized that I was probably very unclear about what I meant.
I didn't mean that Richt's previous statements about the schedule were lies.
What I meant was: For all of preseason, he'd been saying the team had not changed its approach because of the big opening week opponent. Then Tuesday, he said they had and had begun preparing sooner. It was the exact opposite of what he'd been saying.
I was really unclear about what I thought Richt was being disingenuous about, and I apologize for that. I was tagging him a liar to defend my cause (and in truth, I really don't care that much about the schedule to begin with, but I thought it was an interesting discussion). I was annoyed because Richt really did seem to have done a 180 on his comments about preparation.
Sorry for the confusion.
Wednesday, August 26, 2009
Injuries a Mixed Blessing for Dawgs
If there's one question I've heard more than any other this preseason, it's fans concerned that -- with all the hamstring injuries -- tackling is going to be as much a problem as it was a year ago.
When it comes to challenging practices, this fall has been as tough as any, as I detailed in my story for the Telegraph yesterday. And as much as the pace and the tempo of practice have been improved, the biggest change might be the focus on tackling.
"There's a lot more hitting, a lot more tackling," wide receiver Michael Moore said earlier this week. "As receivers, we have these drills where we go one-on-one with the DBs that are tackle drills, tackle to the ground. We never really did that before. Even today, we had a couple periods where we were going full speed, tackle to the ground. Last year, we really tried to stay up most of the time, just try to do full-speed thud. That didn't help us, so (Mark Richt) definitely changed that up."
But the problem, wonder more than a few fans with visions of Roddy Jones streaking downfield still haunting their dreams, is that if so many players aren't on the field for practice, will things really be any different?
It's a valid concern admits linebacker Akeem Dent, who has missed almost two weeks with a sore hamstring.
"Of course it hurts to a certain extent because being out there and getting the reps physically and just seeing the reps is different," Dent said. "You want to be out there to get your timing and everything right and things like that. From a mental standpoint, I know what to do. But I still have to get out there and continue to stay in shape."
That's not exactly encouraging for a team that was so poor fundamentally last season, particularly with an offense as dynamic as Oklahoma State's awaiting the Bulldogs in Week 1.
But timing is everything, said safety Bryan Evans, and with nearly all of the injured defenders returning to work this week, he thinks there's plenty of time to get ready for the challenge ahead.
"It can affect you if you're not going out there right now trying to get it done," Evans said. "But we've still got a week-and-a-half, close to two weeks, so I think all of that will be polished by the time the game comes."
In fact, what could have been a disaster may have actually been an opportunity, Richt said.
With seven practice sessions left, he thinks his veterans will know the ins and outs of Oklahoma State's offense. But it's those practice sessions they missed that may have provided Georgia with a chance to develop a lot more depth.
"I'd be more concerned if all of our young guys had hamstring and all I had was veterans working," Richt said. "If the rookies weren't getting any reps at all, I'd be very concerned. But I do think it could end up being a blessing. Those young safeties got a ton of work, and a ton of work with the No. 1 defense. Even some of our young linebackers got work that they might not have gotten if it weren't for the veterans having to sit."
As for those veterans? Well, perhaps the memories of last season have begun to fade a bit and the confidence in his defense has been restored. Regardless, Richt is pretty sure Evans, Dent, Reshad Jones, Darius Dewberry and the rest of the Bulldogs' D won't miss a beat when it comes time to stop the Cowboys on Sept. 5.
"The veterans having a working knowledge of the defense, I don't think it will hurt them too badly," he said. "Schematically, we're just now getting into the guts of the game plan, and most everybody's starting to move around a little bit. So I think there's plenty of time to be ready."
When it comes to challenging practices, this fall has been as tough as any, as I detailed in my story for the Telegraph yesterday. And as much as the pace and the tempo of practice have been improved, the biggest change might be the focus on tackling.
"There's a lot more hitting, a lot more tackling," wide receiver Michael Moore said earlier this week. "As receivers, we have these drills where we go one-on-one with the DBs that are tackle drills, tackle to the ground. We never really did that before. Even today, we had a couple periods where we were going full speed, tackle to the ground. Last year, we really tried to stay up most of the time, just try to do full-speed thud. That didn't help us, so (Mark Richt) definitely changed that up."
But the problem, wonder more than a few fans with visions of Roddy Jones streaking downfield still haunting their dreams, is that if so many players aren't on the field for practice, will things really be any different?
It's a valid concern admits linebacker Akeem Dent, who has missed almost two weeks with a sore hamstring.
"Of course it hurts to a certain extent because being out there and getting the reps physically and just seeing the reps is different," Dent said. "You want to be out there to get your timing and everything right and things like that. From a mental standpoint, I know what to do. But I still have to get out there and continue to stay in shape."
That's not exactly encouraging for a team that was so poor fundamentally last season, particularly with an offense as dynamic as Oklahoma State's awaiting the Bulldogs in Week 1.
But timing is everything, said safety Bryan Evans, and with nearly all of the injured defenders returning to work this week, he thinks there's plenty of time to get ready for the challenge ahead.
"It can affect you if you're not going out there right now trying to get it done," Evans said. "But we've still got a week-and-a-half, close to two weeks, so I think all of that will be polished by the time the game comes."
In fact, what could have been a disaster may have actually been an opportunity, Richt said.
With seven practice sessions left, he thinks his veterans will know the ins and outs of Oklahoma State's offense. But it's those practice sessions they missed that may have provided Georgia with a chance to develop a lot more depth.
"I'd be more concerned if all of our young guys had hamstring and all I had was veterans working," Richt said. "If the rookies weren't getting any reps at all, I'd be very concerned. But I do think it could end up being a blessing. Those young safeties got a ton of work, and a ton of work with the No. 1 defense. Even some of our young linebackers got work that they might not have gotten if it weren't for the veterans having to sit."
As for those veterans? Well, perhaps the memories of last season have begun to fade a bit and the confidence in his defense has been restored. Regardless, Richt is pretty sure Evans, Dent, Reshad Jones, Darius Dewberry and the rest of the Bulldogs' D won't miss a beat when it comes time to stop the Cowboys on Sept. 5.
"The veterans having a working knowledge of the defense, I don't think it will hurt them too badly," he said. "Schematically, we're just now getting into the guts of the game plan, and most everybody's starting to move around a little bit. So I think there's plenty of time to be ready."
Tuesday, August 25, 2009
Practice Notes: Injury Ends Ros' Career
Bryce Ros spent two years fighting to get healthy, but a foot injury he suffered in high school never seemed to heal. Wednesday, his football career came to an official end when Georgia petitioned the NCAA for a medical exemption that would allow him to stay on scholarship after leaving the team.
"It's just never fun," head coach Mark Richt said of the situation. "It's nothing that anybody looks forward to. But it was just a situation where he couldn't go. He never really fully recovered from it since high school."
Ros, whose father Frank Ros played on Georgia's 1980 national championship team, played tight end at Kennesaw Mountain High School and redshirted last season. He suffered an injury to his right big toe in high school that required surgery, but never fully healed. The injury was determined to be degenerative and would prohibit normal football activities, according to Georgia's trainer Ron Courson.
Once Georgia's petition is accepted by the NCAA, Ros will be allowed to remain on scholarship but will not count toward the 85 scholarship limit for the Bulldogs. Richt said the scholarship will be applied toward next year's signing class.
JONESING FOR A RETURN
One week after suffering a minor ankle injury, center Ben Jones has still not returned to practice. Richt said the injury appears to be healing on schedule, however, and he expects Jones to resume some work this week.
"I would hope Friday, but my guess is he'll begin to do some things Friday and Saturday and by Monday he'll be full speed," Richt said.
Jones is expected to be the starting center when Georgia takes on Oklahoma State on Sept. 5, and after starting 10 games last season, Richt said he isn't overly concerned about the missed reps for Jones.
"He's experienced enough, he's far enough in the lead as our No. 1 center that I'm sure we'd let him play if he was deemed healthy on Friday before the game," Richt said. "I don't know if he would start, but I do think he'll be back before then."
RETURNING TO RETURNS
Senior safety Bryan Evans was sidelined for nearly 10 days with a hamstring injury, but he's back at work in the secondary, and he said he could soon resume handling kick-return duties, too.
"It's still there, I've just got to get back healthy and I should be healthy by the first game," Evans said. "So if they throw me back there, I'm gonna be there."
Evans said he is one of several Bulldogs, including freshman Branden Smith, sophomore Brandon Boykin, junior Vance Cuff and redshirt freshman Carlton Thomas, working on kick returns.
Evans' roommate, Prince Miller is the leading candidate to handle punt-return duties, and Evans said the two have managed to trade at least a few barbs about who might rack up more return yardage this season.
"We kind of talk about it," Evans said, "but not too much because hopefully when I get back healthy I'll be blocking for him on punt returns and he'll be blocking for me on kickoffs, so it's kind of a mutual thing."
TRAVELIN' MEN
Because Georgia opens against a Big 12 opponent, Richt doesn't have to worry about conference restrictions on the number of players who can travel to Stillwater, Okla. for the Bulldogs' opener, but the logistics of the trip still mean he'll have to limit the roster for the game.
"We looked at a 70 number," Richt said. "If we only could bring 70, we'd be fine, but I do think we'll take a few more than 70. Not a large number, it'll probably be somewhere around 75-ish, give or take."
As to who might be in that group, Richt isn't giving away names. One this he will admit, however, is there will be plenty of freshmen making their first trip with the team.
"I haven't done the math," he said, "but it will be quite a few."
SAFETY DANCE
Evans and Reshad Jones both returned to practice this week from hamstring injuries, but their absence last week helped Richt shore up the depth chart at the position, identifying two top backups to handle reserve duty at Oklahoma State.
"I think (Baccari) Rambo and (Sanders) Commings are both capable of playing, and I don't think we have a third guy as much as a backup at each safety spot," Richt said.
GETTING CLOSER
Linebacker Akeem Dent remains one of the few Bulldogs still sidelined by a sore hamstring. He said he's feeling better, but the trainers have urged him to remain patient before hitting the field.
"At this point, I'm feeling pretty good, but I'm just getting in the training room and doing everything I can to get back on the field," Dent said. "I'm taking a lot of mental reps to make sure I'm paying attention in the meeting room and then just out there on the field when they're walking through scout team and things like that."
Dent said he isn't like to participate in tomorrow's practice game, but he still expects to have a role on the field.
"I don't think I'll be out there for the Okie State scrimmage," he said, "but I'll still be out there on the sideline coaching up the younger guys and making sure everybody's doing what they're supposed to be doing."
MORE INJURY NEWS
-- Richt said Wednesday that safety Quintin Banks was unlikely to play in Georgia's opener.
-- Left tackle Trinton Sturdivant returned to work after a one-day absence due to illness.
-- Linebacker Darius Dewberry and Aron White were both full speed at practice Wednesday after nursing hamstring injuries.
-- Caleb King missed a 12th straight practice session Wednesday with a sore hamstring.
-- Freshman offensive lineman Chris Burnette sat out a second straight day with an ankle injury, but Richt said it's not serious. "I don't know if he'd go tomorrow or not," Richt said. "I see him jogging around and doing some functional things on the side, so he's not far away. He's not in a boot or crutches or anything."
PRACTICE RUNDOWN
The media was unexpectedly shut out of practice Tuesday, but there was no subterfuge intended, Richt said.
Georgia spent its entire practice session working on scout team drills to prepare for Oklahoma State, but the word wasn't relayed through the sports information department until after practice began. That meant no reporters, but Richt was quick to say he wasn't mimicking the media blackout instituted by Oklahoma State coach Mike Gundy.
"We started our scout team work Period 1, so it was mostly scout-team work," Richt said. "That fundamental work, we don't really care who's out there, but that's why we didn't have anybody out there today."
As for what's ahead: "We had a good day today and we will play a half of football tomorrow," Richt said. "I hope everyone will be excited and that the scouts will play their tails off in the scrimmage."
I'll have details from tomorrow's practice game posted as soon as possible after the action ends.
"It's just never fun," head coach Mark Richt said of the situation. "It's nothing that anybody looks forward to. But it was just a situation where he couldn't go. He never really fully recovered from it since high school."
Ros, whose father Frank Ros played on Georgia's 1980 national championship team, played tight end at Kennesaw Mountain High School and redshirted last season. He suffered an injury to his right big toe in high school that required surgery, but never fully healed. The injury was determined to be degenerative and would prohibit normal football activities, according to Georgia's trainer Ron Courson.
Once Georgia's petition is accepted by the NCAA, Ros will be allowed to remain on scholarship but will not count toward the 85 scholarship limit for the Bulldogs. Richt said the scholarship will be applied toward next year's signing class.
JONESING FOR A RETURN
One week after suffering a minor ankle injury, center Ben Jones has still not returned to practice. Richt said the injury appears to be healing on schedule, however, and he expects Jones to resume some work this week.
"I would hope Friday, but my guess is he'll begin to do some things Friday and Saturday and by Monday he'll be full speed," Richt said.
Jones is expected to be the starting center when Georgia takes on Oklahoma State on Sept. 5, and after starting 10 games last season, Richt said he isn't overly concerned about the missed reps for Jones.
"He's experienced enough, he's far enough in the lead as our No. 1 center that I'm sure we'd let him play if he was deemed healthy on Friday before the game," Richt said. "I don't know if he would start, but I do think he'll be back before then."
RETURNING TO RETURNS
Senior safety Bryan Evans was sidelined for nearly 10 days with a hamstring injury, but he's back at work in the secondary, and he said he could soon resume handling kick-return duties, too.
"It's still there, I've just got to get back healthy and I should be healthy by the first game," Evans said. "So if they throw me back there, I'm gonna be there."
Evans said he is one of several Bulldogs, including freshman Branden Smith, sophomore Brandon Boykin, junior Vance Cuff and redshirt freshman Carlton Thomas, working on kick returns.
Evans' roommate, Prince Miller is the leading candidate to handle punt-return duties, and Evans said the two have managed to trade at least a few barbs about who might rack up more return yardage this season.
"We kind of talk about it," Evans said, "but not too much because hopefully when I get back healthy I'll be blocking for him on punt returns and he'll be blocking for me on kickoffs, so it's kind of a mutual thing."
TRAVELIN' MEN
Because Georgia opens against a Big 12 opponent, Richt doesn't have to worry about conference restrictions on the number of players who can travel to Stillwater, Okla. for the Bulldogs' opener, but the logistics of the trip still mean he'll have to limit the roster for the game.
"We looked at a 70 number," Richt said. "If we only could bring 70, we'd be fine, but I do think we'll take a few more than 70. Not a large number, it'll probably be somewhere around 75-ish, give or take."
As to who might be in that group, Richt isn't giving away names. One this he will admit, however, is there will be plenty of freshmen making their first trip with the team.
"I haven't done the math," he said, "but it will be quite a few."
SAFETY DANCE
Evans and Reshad Jones both returned to practice this week from hamstring injuries, but their absence last week helped Richt shore up the depth chart at the position, identifying two top backups to handle reserve duty at Oklahoma State.
"I think (Baccari) Rambo and (Sanders) Commings are both capable of playing, and I don't think we have a third guy as much as a backup at each safety spot," Richt said.
GETTING CLOSER
Linebacker Akeem Dent remains one of the few Bulldogs still sidelined by a sore hamstring. He said he's feeling better, but the trainers have urged him to remain patient before hitting the field.
"At this point, I'm feeling pretty good, but I'm just getting in the training room and doing everything I can to get back on the field," Dent said. "I'm taking a lot of mental reps to make sure I'm paying attention in the meeting room and then just out there on the field when they're walking through scout team and things like that."
Dent said he isn't like to participate in tomorrow's practice game, but he still expects to have a role on the field.
"I don't think I'll be out there for the Okie State scrimmage," he said, "but I'll still be out there on the sideline coaching up the younger guys and making sure everybody's doing what they're supposed to be doing."
MORE INJURY NEWS
-- Richt said Wednesday that safety Quintin Banks was unlikely to play in Georgia's opener.
-- Left tackle Trinton Sturdivant returned to work after a one-day absence due to illness.
-- Linebacker Darius Dewberry and Aron White were both full speed at practice Wednesday after nursing hamstring injuries.
-- Caleb King missed a 12th straight practice session Wednesday with a sore hamstring.
-- Freshman offensive lineman Chris Burnette sat out a second straight day with an ankle injury, but Richt said it's not serious. "I don't know if he'd go tomorrow or not," Richt said. "I see him jogging around and doing some functional things on the side, so he's not far away. He's not in a boot or crutches or anything."
PRACTICE RUNDOWN
The media was unexpectedly shut out of practice Tuesday, but there was no subterfuge intended, Richt said.
Georgia spent its entire practice session working on scout team drills to prepare for Oklahoma State, but the word wasn't relayed through the sports information department until after practice began. That meant no reporters, but Richt was quick to say he wasn't mimicking the media blackout instituted by Oklahoma State coach Mike Gundy.
"We started our scout team work Period 1, so it was mostly scout-team work," Richt said. "That fundamental work, we don't really care who's out there, but that's why we didn't have anybody out there today."
As for what's ahead: "We had a good day today and we will play a half of football tomorrow," Richt said. "I hope everyone will be excited and that the scouts will play their tails off in the scrimmage."
I'll have details from tomorrow's practice game posted as soon as possible after the action ends.
Sunday, August 9, 2009
Deleted Scenes: Lessons Learned by the Defense
I have a story in today's Telegraph on the lessons the defense learned after last year's disappointments. There were a bunch of quotes I couldn't squeeze into the story, though, so here they are...
Jeff Owens on what the defense needs to improve on the most...
"Two things I believe need to happen -- stopping the run and turnovers. If you stop the run, you force teams to pass and make teams do something they don't want to do. When you get turnovers, the offense has more chances to put points on the board."
Owens on the lack of togetherness on last year's D...
"I can remember last year when I was hurt, it felt like I wasn't a part of the team. I wasn't at practice, I wasn't on the bus, I didn't go to the games. You felt like you were disconnected from everyone, and a lot of the guys who were injured felt the same way. This year more guys have come together, and last year the injuries did affect us."
Owens on the lessons to take from last year...
"The one thing I want to take from last year is working on our consistency. Some days we played good, some we played bad. I think to be successful both on the field and off the field, you've got to be consistent, so that's what we're working on."
Demarcus Dobbs on being motivated by last year's problems...
"It's hard not to use people talking bad about you as fuel. It's always in the back of our minds how we struggled last year, how we struggled on defense. We have a tradition, and we want to hold up our end of the deal and pull our weight."
Reshad Jones on how last year influenced this offseason...
"It was a really big motivator. We knew how many points we gave up, and we knew what we had to work toward and what we had to correct in order to be successful."
Rennie Curran on the importance of unity in the locker room...
"You want to have that camaraderie, that unity, it just helps -- especially in those tough times when things get close and adversity strikes. You want to have guys that trust each other, that know when times get hard, you've got each other's back."
Curran on what it means to have everyone stay out of trouble during the offseason...
"It's a real proud feeling to know where we came from last year and how much that affected our season and how we all responded. The leadership helped people realize why we came here -- and that was to go to school, play football and hopefully make a living for yourself one day. We just realized that and refocused and come in day in and day out and handle whatever task we were faced with."
Curran on the different feeling surrounding this year's D...
"It's been night and day with the morale of the team, the attitude of the guys. Whether it's running 10 hundreds or whatever, everybody's just focusing on doing whatever it takes. It's great to have all the guys buy in and know that when they come to Butts-Mehre, it's time to work, that they separate the work from the play."
Bryan Evans on how the seniors made a plan for the offseason...
"Our senior leaders on defense started it by having more meetings in the offseason. Our freshmen right now are way ahead of where we were when we came in. We met almost every day during the offseason, just trying to get the basics down, so now all they have to do is learn the in-depth part. We won't have to focus on things we already learned, we can just keep going smooth."
Willie Martinez on the defense's leadership...
"This year they've done a great job since January. I like our leadership. We're trying to be flexible, figure out who are the guys, develop a two-deep, but I think our leadership is pretty solid with guys like Rennie Curran and Jeff Owens in the middle of your defense. We're just trying to develop more depth and see where we'll be Sept. 5."
Tuesday, August 4, 2009
Practice Notes: Fine First Day
Jeff Owens hasn't participated in a full practice in 11 months, and he nearly missed his triumphant return. He spent the weekend in New York and a weekend bomb scare at the airport delayed his return until Monday afternoon, arriving back in Athens just a few minutes before the team's first meeting.
The hectic journey paled in comparison to the work he put in to rehab a torn ACL, however, but after one day of practice the effort seems to have paid off.
"I think I did quite well," Owens said. "I even conditioned with the team and I wasn't held out of anything. I think it's going pretty good."
That doesn't mean the practice was easy, however.
Georgia spent nearly three hours on the practice field Tuesday, the team's first practice session with coaches since April. The players only donned shorts and practice jerseys and there was no contact, but brushing away the cobwebs still meant breaking a pretty hearty sweat.
"The first day's always tough," Owens said. "It was tough for me, but overall, I think it went pretty well on both sides of the ball. The guys competed and got after it."
Tuesday not only marked Owens return from injury, but it was also the first chance coaches had to meet with Georgia's incoming freshmen class.
The findings on Day 1 weren't significantly different from the reports coaches had gotten from players throughout a summer of voluntary workouts – the freshmen were prepared and eager to learn more.
"When you can walk into a meeting room for the first time with guys this morning and ask them some questions and they can fire the answer back at you, it certainly means a lot at this point," tight ends coach John Lilly said.
Georgia will practice in shorts again today before putting on shells for the next three days of practice. Monday will feature two practice sessions, including the first with full pads and contact.
"It won't be the same until you get into your first day of pads and contact," safety Bryan Evans said. "We've been running all summer, but when you put on the weight and start banging on each other, that's when you really see where our team is at physically."
GOOD FIRST IMPRESSIONS
The Bulldogs' first practice session may have been an eye-opener for many of the new faces on campus, but freshman tight end Orson Charles couldn't get enough.
After wowing his teammates during voluntary workouts this summer, Charles gave coaches a taste of his high-energy approach, and offensive coordinator Mike Bobo was impressed.
"He loves to play." Bobo said. "He wanted to take every rep. He didn't want to sit out a single play. He's hungry, and when the ball was thrown to him today, he made some catches. He didn't know everything that was going on, but neither did A.J. Green last year, but he made plays."
The comparisons to Green are impressive enough, but the Georgia wide receiver said Charles actually reminds him more of another prominent Bulldog.
"He reminds me of Knowshon a little bit," Green said of Charles. "He's got one of those motors that never stops."
ENJOYING THE SILENCE
Before his team took the field for its first day of practice a year ago, Mark Richt spent the morning answering questions about two players who had been arrested and a third who earned a suspension for damaging property at a local hospital. So when a reporter asked about the quiet offseason this year, Richt's response was relief.
"Amen," he said with a laugh.
The troublesome offseason a year ago foreshadowed a problematic season on the field in which Georgia was among the most penalized teams in the nation. Richt said his hope is that the trouble-free break this year will be precede a similar on-field turnaround.
"Have we been a more disciplined team from January to August than we were a year ago? To this point, we have," Richt said. "We hope that will translate to being a more disciplined team on the field."
The hectic journey paled in comparison to the work he put in to rehab a torn ACL, however, but after one day of practice the effort seems to have paid off.
"I think I did quite well," Owens said. "I even conditioned with the team and I wasn't held out of anything. I think it's going pretty good."
That doesn't mean the practice was easy, however.
Georgia spent nearly three hours on the practice field Tuesday, the team's first practice session with coaches since April. The players only donned shorts and practice jerseys and there was no contact, but brushing away the cobwebs still meant breaking a pretty hearty sweat.
"The first day's always tough," Owens said. "It was tough for me, but overall, I think it went pretty well on both sides of the ball. The guys competed and got after it."
Tuesday not only marked Owens return from injury, but it was also the first chance coaches had to meet with Georgia's incoming freshmen class.
The findings on Day 1 weren't significantly different from the reports coaches had gotten from players throughout a summer of voluntary workouts – the freshmen were prepared and eager to learn more.
"When you can walk into a meeting room for the first time with guys this morning and ask them some questions and they can fire the answer back at you, it certainly means a lot at this point," tight ends coach John Lilly said.
Georgia will practice in shorts again today before putting on shells for the next three days of practice. Monday will feature two practice sessions, including the first with full pads and contact.
"It won't be the same until you get into your first day of pads and contact," safety Bryan Evans said. "We've been running all summer, but when you put on the weight and start banging on each other, that's when you really see where our team is at physically."
GOOD FIRST IMPRESSIONS
The Bulldogs' first practice session may have been an eye-opener for many of the new faces on campus, but freshman tight end Orson Charles couldn't get enough.
After wowing his teammates during voluntary workouts this summer, Charles gave coaches a taste of his high-energy approach, and offensive coordinator Mike Bobo was impressed.
"He loves to play." Bobo said. "He wanted to take every rep. He didn't want to sit out a single play. He's hungry, and when the ball was thrown to him today, he made some catches. He didn't know everything that was going on, but neither did A.J. Green last year, but he made plays."
The comparisons to Green are impressive enough, but the Georgia wide receiver said Charles actually reminds him more of another prominent Bulldog.
"He reminds me of Knowshon a little bit," Green said of Charles. "He's got one of those motors that never stops."
ENJOYING THE SILENCE
Before his team took the field for its first day of practice a year ago, Mark Richt spent the morning answering questions about two players who had been arrested and a third who earned a suspension for damaging property at a local hospital. So when a reporter asked about the quiet offseason this year, Richt's response was relief.
"Amen," he said with a laugh.
The troublesome offseason a year ago foreshadowed a problematic season on the field in which Georgia was among the most penalized teams in the nation. Richt said his hope is that the trouble-free break this year will be precede a similar on-field turnaround.
"Have we been a more disciplined team from January to August than we were a year ago? To this point, we have," Richt said. "We hope that will translate to being a more disciplined team on the field."
Saturday, May 30, 2009
Knox Headed to GMC
Mark Richt didn't mention any problems with grades when I spoke to him earlier this week, but as it turns out, one player didn't make the cut. Safety John Knox will transfer to Georgia Military College for academic reasons. Here's the UGA release...
University of Georgia redshirt sophomore free safety John Knox of Statesboro will transfer to Georgia Military College (GMC) for academic considerations according to Bulldog head coach Mark Richt.
Knox will begin classes at GMC this month. He played in 12 games in 2008 recording eight total tackles.
Knox was Georgia's second most experienced safety behind Reshad Jones after serving as the primary (and at times, only) backup last season. He's a good hitter with solid speed, but was far from consistent. Still, he made some nice progress last year.
So what does this mean?
Well, for one, it means Bryan Evans better be ready. Evans already appeared to have the inside edge on the starting job after moving from corner to safety late last season, but now it's all but guaranteed that he'll be the man. He looked good in Georgia's bowl game and was a strong leader this spring, according to everyone I spoke with, so he appears up to the challenge.
It also means Quintin Banks needs to stay healthy. Banks figured to play the role Knox did last year, but missed all but one game with various injuries. He didn't see much action this spring either, but could easily fill the void left by Knox if he's back to 100 percent by fall.
And it probably means we'll see a good bit of Baccari Rambo, the scout team QB extraordinaire, who earned very positive reviews from teammates this spring. Rambo is young and, after redshirting last year, has no game-day experience, but there's a lot of talent and athleticism there, and he's gotten a lot bigger since he arrived.
All in all, this could be a lot worse. There's no one with quite as much experience as Knox to step in, but there's no shortage of players who could easily handle the job.
Don't be too surprised, either, if we see Knox back in a year, a la Akeem Hebron.
Wednesday, April 15, 2009
Video Blog: Bryan Evans
If you haven't seen it already, I have a story in today's Telegraph on the impressive skills of Georgia cornerback Brandon Boykin. In this video, safety Bryan Evans discusses Boykin's improvements this spring and what makes Boykin such a playmaker in the secondary.
Friday, April 10, 2009
The Dynamic Duo: Deleted Scenes
Due to a combination of laziness and various non-blog responsibilities, I don't have any links for you today, but I did want to point out a story I have in today's Telegraph on Bryan Evans and Prince Miller. For the past three seasons, they battled each other for position on the depth chart at corner, but this year, both expect to be starters and both have grown into much-needed leaders in the secondary.
You can read the full story HERE.
I had a handful of quotes that didn't make the story, too, so I'm going to post them here as well.
Bryan Evans on he and Miller's new role as leaders...
"I think we both stepped up, just to show the freshmen that it starts with us. If we go out flat, that's when they're going to go out flat. They've got to see a pep in our step and feed off us, so I've tried to take that and run with it."
Evans on Miller's improvement at cornerback...
"I think Prince can do nothing but get better going against A.J. Green, one of the best receivers in the country. You're not going to see too many receivers like A.J."
Prince Miller on Evans' move to safety...
"I knew he wouldn't have a hard transition with knowing the defense. Just going from corner to safety, he knew where he was supposed to be. I just wanted to be there to help him with the transition. If he has an up day or a down day, I just wanted to be there for him like a friend is supposed to be."
Miller on what he expects from Evans this year...
"He's going to have an All-American season. You don't want to use potential, but that's what it is, and I believe he's going to do a lot of good things."
Brandon Boykin on Miller and Evans' relationship on the field...
"It's fun out there with them, but you can tell they have a good relationship. They take that relationship to all the DBs, and I think we're really becoming a family."
Boykin on the leadership Miller and Evans have provided...
"They have taken on that leadership role. When we're on the field, they're running to the ball, and that rubs off on the other guys. They see them doing it, and they want to follow that and not be the one standing out."
"He's helped me a lot, in the film room, on the field, even last year on special teams he was giving me tips on how to get past defenders and things like that."
Willie Martinez on Evans' development on the field...
"He's been very consistent. It's amazing how he's really come along as far as understanding our scheme. He's done a really good job of being consistent in executing the defense. Bryan has done a really good job of being positive and each and every day he's getting better and better and better with understanding it."
Wednesday, April 8, 2009
A Pick to Click
Last year, Asher Allen opined that someone must have spiked the team's Powerade supply. He suggested Super Glue for the players' gloves. He slammed his fist against the turf every time he missed yet another shot at an interception.
While defensive end Demarcus Dobbs picked off two passes during the season and proudly proclaimed he had the best hands on the team, Georgia's defensive backs were left shaking their heads.
The Bulldogs intercepted only 11 passes in 2008, and just five came in the secondary -- all by safety Reshad Jones. For the rest of Georgia's DBs, it was a frustrating season filled with missed opportunities -- a problem they hope to rectify before taking the field in 2009.
"We know we didn't get the job done last year," senior cornerback Prince Miller said. "But I think we started off the spring at a good pace. We're getting batted balls, catching interceptions."
Well, not necessarily.
While the coaching staff has been generally pleased with the productivity of Georgia's secondary this spring -- from Miller's consistency to Bryan Evans' leadership to Brandon Boykin's emergence -- those missed opportunities have still been a problem.
In Georgia's first scrimmage of the season, the defense picked off two early passes, but ended up handing the ball back to the offense both times after fumbling the football.
A few days later, the DBs got their hands on four passes, but didn't come down with an interception on any of them.
It has become a significant source of consternation for Mark Richt and his staff.
"Defense has got to take as much of a serious attitude toward ball security and turnovers as the offense does," Richt said. "I've tried to make a bit point that how are we going to win – if four balls hit our hands in a game and we catch them, we're going to win."
Capitalizing on the offense's mistakes will be crucial this season for a secondary that lost its leader in Allen, who departed for the NFL a year early, and its most experienced safety in CJ Byrd, who graduated after handling the starting duties for the past two seasons.
But for all Allen and Byrd brought to the defense a year ago, neither managed a single interception, and Evans said that can't be the case this season. When a defender has a chance at a turnover, they have to make the play. If they don't, it affects the whole team.
And that's where this spring's newest bit of motivation comes in to play.
In years past, if a defensive back dropped a pick, he did 10 push-ups. This year, everyone does them.
"We're trying to cut dropping picks out completely, so now as a team, as many picks as we drop, that's the pushups we have to do after practice," Evans said. "To know that we're together, one pick affects the whole team. If you drop a pick, the next play they can score a touchdown. So that's how we look at it."
It's a plan Richt has gotten behind. The first step toward fixing the problem, he said, is changing the mind-set.
Richt said that too often the defensive players have been satisfied with simply disrupting a pass or knocking the ball out of a receiver's hands because they haven't been trained to go after a pass the same way an offensive player would.
"A lot of those defensive kids, they didn't catch when they were kids," Richt said. "They can't be satisfied with just saying, well I'm not supposed to catch it. They're getting all excited about a ball disruption, but no -- catch the ball."
It's a learning process, Boykin admits. Without Allen and Byrd, there isn't much experience in Georgia's secondary. Only Evans, Miller and Jones have taken significant snaps in their careers, and Evans is now playing at a new position. But the message is getting through, Boykin said, and by fall, he hopes Georgia's secondary will be back in the business turning opportunities into turnovers.
"That's what the spring is for," Boykin said. "We had young guys out there who haven't really played in a game, so we're going to make mistakes. But we'll see who can build on it, and that's how we get better as a team."
While defensive end Demarcus Dobbs picked off two passes during the season and proudly proclaimed he had the best hands on the team, Georgia's defensive backs were left shaking their heads.
The Bulldogs intercepted only 11 passes in 2008, and just five came in the secondary -- all by safety Reshad Jones. For the rest of Georgia's DBs, it was a frustrating season filled with missed opportunities -- a problem they hope to rectify before taking the field in 2009.
"We know we didn't get the job done last year," senior cornerback Prince Miller said. "But I think we started off the spring at a good pace. We're getting batted balls, catching interceptions."
Well, not necessarily.
While the coaching staff has been generally pleased with the productivity of Georgia's secondary this spring -- from Miller's consistency to Bryan Evans' leadership to Brandon Boykin's emergence -- those missed opportunities have still been a problem.
In Georgia's first scrimmage of the season, the defense picked off two early passes, but ended up handing the ball back to the offense both times after fumbling the football.
A few days later, the DBs got their hands on four passes, but didn't come down with an interception on any of them.
It has become a significant source of consternation for Mark Richt and his staff.
"Defense has got to take as much of a serious attitude toward ball security and turnovers as the offense does," Richt said. "I've tried to make a bit point that how are we going to win – if four balls hit our hands in a game and we catch them, we're going to win."
Capitalizing on the offense's mistakes will be crucial this season for a secondary that lost its leader in Allen, who departed for the NFL a year early, and its most experienced safety in CJ Byrd, who graduated after handling the starting duties for the past two seasons.
But for all Allen and Byrd brought to the defense a year ago, neither managed a single interception, and Evans said that can't be the case this season. When a defender has a chance at a turnover, they have to make the play. If they don't, it affects the whole team.
And that's where this spring's newest bit of motivation comes in to play.
In years past, if a defensive back dropped a pick, he did 10 push-ups. This year, everyone does them.
"We're trying to cut dropping picks out completely, so now as a team, as many picks as we drop, that's the pushups we have to do after practice," Evans said. "To know that we're together, one pick affects the whole team. If you drop a pick, the next play they can score a touchdown. So that's how we look at it."
It's a plan Richt has gotten behind. The first step toward fixing the problem, he said, is changing the mind-set.
Richt said that too often the defensive players have been satisfied with simply disrupting a pass or knocking the ball out of a receiver's hands because they haven't been trained to go after a pass the same way an offensive player would.
"A lot of those defensive kids, they didn't catch when they were kids," Richt said. "They can't be satisfied with just saying, well I'm not supposed to catch it. They're getting all excited about a ball disruption, but no -- catch the ball."
It's a learning process, Boykin admits. Without Allen and Byrd, there isn't much experience in Georgia's secondary. Only Evans, Miller and Jones have taken significant snaps in their careers, and Evans is now playing at a new position. But the message is getting through, Boykin said, and by fall, he hopes Georgia's secondary will be back in the business turning opportunities into turnovers.
"That's what the spring is for," Boykin said. "We had young guys out there who haven't really played in a game, so we're going to make mistakes. But we'll see who can build on it, and that's how we get better as a team."
Tuesday, March 24, 2009
Practice Notes: Dogs Show Less Energy
Maybe it was the two days off that proceeded Tuesday's practice. Maybe it was the grind of a second day in full pads that sapped the energy out of the players. Whatever it was, it didn't leave head coach Mark Richt particularly enthused with the performance of his team after Georgia's fifth of 15 spring practices.
"I think today was kind of luke warm," Richt said. "It didn't fire me up that much. It wasn't bad, but it wasn't championship level. The energy level wasn't quite what I'd seen to this point."
While Richt has said the defense has been significantly ahead of the offense throughout the spring thus far, he did say there was some leveling off in that competition Tuesday. During inside drills particularly, the offense looked sharper than it had before, including Saturday's first day in full pads in which Richt said the defense dominated.
There was some good news on defense Tuesday, too. Richt said the defense racked up four interceptions, including picks by Prince Miller and Reshad Jones. One unlikely defender managed to haul in an interception, too, and even returned for a touchdown.
"Geno Atkins intercepted a ball and took it to the house," Richt said. "It was only about five or six yards, but it was pretty exciting."
BACKFIELD BASICS
With Richard Samuel out of action, the competition for carries in Georgia's backfield isn't likely to be resolved before the fall no matter what, but Carlton Thomas' big spring has certainly made things a bit more intriguing.
"Carlton has done a very nice job of running the ball inside," Richt said. "He's made more people miss and broken more tackles at this point than Caleb (King) has, but Caleb is doing an outstanding job, himself."
Richt said King has a slight advantage in the blocking game due to the extra year of experience and game-day snaps he has gotten that Thomas has not. After watching both of them in practice, however, neither has shown they're ready to take over for the departed Knowshon Moreno just yet.
"We need to get both those guys quite a bit more reps in pass protection to be able to start separating them," Richt said.
While Samuel won't be fully healed from wrist surgery until June, Thomas and King are about to get a bit more competition for playing time this spring. Freshman Dontavius Jackson returned to practice Tuesday and participated in several of the team's drills. Although he technically wasn't supposed to take any hits, Richt said Jackson was knocked to the ground by accident on one play, but immediately popped back up, no worse for wear.
"He's phasing in right now, and it might be as early as next Monday (that he's back)," Richt said. "I think he'll go full before it's over."
LONG ROAD BACK
Bruce Figgins didn't have much trouble playing through the pain of a serious shoulder injury for most of last season, but sitting on the sideline while it heals is turning out to be a bit of a chore.
Figgins said his spring has consisted of little more than simple strength training workouts, and he's getting a little anxious to find his way back onto the field.
"It's real hard," Figgins said. "You try to come with a positive attitude and still try to get yourself better day by day, watching film and watching what other people do."
Figgins' progress has been slow but steady so far, and his last visit with the doctors showed that the shoulder has shown no ill effects following a season of wear and tear and surgery in January.
"I'm slowly progressing in my rehab, week by week adding on stuff trying to get it stronger," he said. "I talked with the trainers (last weekend) who said it's good, it's healed, but you don't want to rush it. You don't want to take any risks, so that's where we're at, just trying to strengthen it up."
While Figgins' workouts are limited, his growth as a player hasn't been. He said the time on the sideline has given him a fresh perspective on what his role with the team can be, and he's using the lack of on-field action as a chance to develop his game in other ways.
"This is when a lot of leadership comes in," Figgins said. "I've grown a lot from having to sit back and not being able to do anything but push other guys."
SAFETY DANCE
It appeared that there might be a close battle for the chance to replace CJ Byrd at safety this season, but defensive coordinator Willie Martinez said Tuesday he feels pretty comfortable with a starting tandem of Reshad Jones and Bryan Evans right now.
Evans shifted from cornerback to safety midway through last season, a transition Martinez said isn't usually a simple one because of the increased knowledge a safety must have of the defense, but Evans has made it look easy.
"He understands our scheme," Martinez said. "He's done a good job of paying attention to what those guys were doing even when he was playing corner."
More than just knowing his role, Richt said Evans has embraced the change. After platooning at corner for two years, Evans seems right at home and his enthusiasm about the new challenge has been evident.
"He's very excited about safety," Richt said. "He's shown as much spirit as anyone. He's high tempo, high energy. He's doing a good job and he's found a nice home."
SO FAR, SO GOOD
Figgins and Jackson are just two of nearly two dozen Georgia players currently sidelined with injuries following a season in which it seemed like the population of the trainer's room grew daily.
So far this spring, however, the Bulldogs have managed to stay relatively healthy, and Richt said no major calamities have hit the players.
"We've got a couple of guys with fingers and thumbs taped up," Richt said, "but so far so good."
"I think today was kind of luke warm," Richt said. "It didn't fire me up that much. It wasn't bad, but it wasn't championship level. The energy level wasn't quite what I'd seen to this point."
While Richt has said the defense has been significantly ahead of the offense throughout the spring thus far, he did say there was some leveling off in that competition Tuesday. During inside drills particularly, the offense looked sharper than it had before, including Saturday's first day in full pads in which Richt said the defense dominated.
There was some good news on defense Tuesday, too. Richt said the defense racked up four interceptions, including picks by Prince Miller and Reshad Jones. One unlikely defender managed to haul in an interception, too, and even returned for a touchdown.
"Geno Atkins intercepted a ball and took it to the house," Richt said. "It was only about five or six yards, but it was pretty exciting."
BACKFIELD BASICS
With Richard Samuel out of action, the competition for carries in Georgia's backfield isn't likely to be resolved before the fall no matter what, but Carlton Thomas' big spring has certainly made things a bit more intriguing.
"Carlton has done a very nice job of running the ball inside," Richt said. "He's made more people miss and broken more tackles at this point than Caleb (King) has, but Caleb is doing an outstanding job, himself."
Richt said King has a slight advantage in the blocking game due to the extra year of experience and game-day snaps he has gotten that Thomas has not. After watching both of them in practice, however, neither has shown they're ready to take over for the departed Knowshon Moreno just yet.
"We need to get both those guys quite a bit more reps in pass protection to be able to start separating them," Richt said.
While Samuel won't be fully healed from wrist surgery until June, Thomas and King are about to get a bit more competition for playing time this spring. Freshman Dontavius Jackson returned to practice Tuesday and participated in several of the team's drills. Although he technically wasn't supposed to take any hits, Richt said Jackson was knocked to the ground by accident on one play, but immediately popped back up, no worse for wear.
"He's phasing in right now, and it might be as early as next Monday (that he's back)," Richt said. "I think he'll go full before it's over."
LONG ROAD BACK
Bruce Figgins didn't have much trouble playing through the pain of a serious shoulder injury for most of last season, but sitting on the sideline while it heals is turning out to be a bit of a chore.
Figgins said his spring has consisted of little more than simple strength training workouts, and he's getting a little anxious to find his way back onto the field.
"It's real hard," Figgins said. "You try to come with a positive attitude and still try to get yourself better day by day, watching film and watching what other people do."
Figgins' progress has been slow but steady so far, and his last visit with the doctors showed that the shoulder has shown no ill effects following a season of wear and tear and surgery in January.
"I'm slowly progressing in my rehab, week by week adding on stuff trying to get it stronger," he said. "I talked with the trainers (last weekend) who said it's good, it's healed, but you don't want to rush it. You don't want to take any risks, so that's where we're at, just trying to strengthen it up."
While Figgins' workouts are limited, his growth as a player hasn't been. He said the time on the sideline has given him a fresh perspective on what his role with the team can be, and he's using the lack of on-field action as a chance to develop his game in other ways.
"This is when a lot of leadership comes in," Figgins said. "I've grown a lot from having to sit back and not being able to do anything but push other guys."
SAFETY DANCE
It appeared that there might be a close battle for the chance to replace CJ Byrd at safety this season, but defensive coordinator Willie Martinez said Tuesday he feels pretty comfortable with a starting tandem of Reshad Jones and Bryan Evans right now.
Evans shifted from cornerback to safety midway through last season, a transition Martinez said isn't usually a simple one because of the increased knowledge a safety must have of the defense, but Evans has made it look easy.
"He understands our scheme," Martinez said. "He's done a good job of paying attention to what those guys were doing even when he was playing corner."
More than just knowing his role, Richt said Evans has embraced the change. After platooning at corner for two years, Evans seems right at home and his enthusiasm about the new challenge has been evident.
"He's very excited about safety," Richt said. "He's shown as much spirit as anyone. He's high tempo, high energy. He's doing a good job and he's found a nice home."
SO FAR, SO GOOD
Figgins and Jackson are just two of nearly two dozen Georgia players currently sidelined with injuries following a season in which it seemed like the population of the trainer's room grew daily.
So far this spring, however, the Bulldogs have managed to stay relatively healthy, and Richt said no major calamities have hit the players.
"We've got a couple of guys with fingers and thumbs taped up," Richt said, "but so far so good."
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