SB Nation - Matthew Stafford

Lane Kiffin gets the first notch in his belt

Will — Sun, 11 Oct 2009 16:00:21 -0000

"Alright, I'm going to pretend like I was expecting this from you all along, okay? Just go with it."

In our Rocky Top Tennessee preseason annual, Josh McNeil said "Football is not fun if you lose. Period." It's a sentiment we can all relate to, especially in the last two years. And especially for McNeil, who added injury to insult in fall camp, probably lost millions of NFL dollars along the way and worst of all, appeared to have lost the ability to play football at all.

That's the same Josh McNeil we saw on the field in the waning moments today, with his hands on the football once more and, presumably, a smile on his face. For more than one reason. Because as little fun as we had all of last season, today was a welcome reminder that when you win - and you win like this - football is fun. Really, really fun.

The fact that we had the luxury of getting McNeil on the field at all is a good place to start. Because I always enjoy the games where you can't decide what you're most excited about:

The first big win for Lane Kiffin

Last year, the Vols suffered the most frustrating competitive loss in recent memory against Auburn, and were more or less noncompetitive in the rest of the big SEC games, losing by 20+ to Florida, Alabama and South Carolina. Plus, the Vols gave up 458 yards to Georgia and ran for one total yard themselves in a 26-14 loss.

This year, it's been competitive, but up until today that was all. We were close against Florida. Close against UCLA. We made it close at the end against Auburn. There was reason for hope.

But we needed more than hope. This program hadn't won a big game in two years, and Lane Kiffin needed a reason to be believed besides his work behind a microphone and in the living room on the recruiting trail.

The Clawfense was our hope once. But when it never became tangible, the players never had a reason to fully buy in, and that hope eventually collapsed and took everyone down with it. Phillip Fulmer's inability to keep the snowball from rolling downhill by winning a big game was the final nail in his coffin last season.

Kiffin was next in line to give us hope. But unlike last season, today he and the Vols got a return on that investment. A big one.

Any win would've been huge today. But the how of it all, in a 45-19 game that could've/should've been 45-3 if you remove special teams from the equation, gives Kiffin his big first win, and gives him something to hang his hat on. Now we've seen it, now we know for sure that this can work - players, fans, everyone. That's not to say that Kiffin is going to have success here forever, but when you win like that in your first year against one of your biggest rivals, you earn a whole lot of trust. Tennessee needed to win one of these big SEC games in the worst way. And turns out, we won in the very best way.

Georgia got 458 yards of offense last year. This year they got 241. Tennessee had 1 rushing yard last year. This year we got 162. And if you liked the running game...

Willie Martinez overtakes Jonathan Crompton for the "Most Likely to be Hated by His Own Fanbase" Award

At halftime, I told my friend next to me in Z11 that I didn't want to see Crompton's numbers. There was a Raiders of the Lost Ark feel about it - "Shut your eyes! Don't look at it!" - because what #8 did in the first half was so totally unnatural, I feared that seeing 12 of 15 for 205 yards and 3 TDs and then having my brain try to comprehend it might, in fact, make my face melt off.

Then in the second half, when the dreaded tipped ball pick six reared its ugly head and Georgia was right in the middle of one of those games it seems like that team always wins - statistically overmatched, but in it thanks to special teams and defensive touchdowns - Crompton went right back to work.

Let's take nothing away from him. That offensive performance was stunning, and he deserves every ounce of credit for his role in it. So do the receivers for catching almost everything - eight different Vols caught passes, and Gerald Jones gave us the type of go-to performance we've been waiting for with 105 yards and 2 TDs.

So does Montario Hardesty, for giving every defense a reason to be vulnerable to play action, and for continuing to be the best running back in the SEC.

Having said all of that...Georgia's defense? Yikes.

It's the biggest difference between on-paper and on-field I can remember in a long time. You looked at the names in August - Prince Miller, Rennie Curran, Geno Atkins, Jeff Owens, Reshad Jones - and figured they'd carry the slack for Joe Cox and the offense. You look at the numbers here in the second weekend of October, and see a defense that's given up 37+ points three times, 400+ yards three times, and made Jon Crompton and Stephen Garcia look like Peyton Manning and (insert good South Carolina quarterback here - Steve Tanneyhill does not count).

T Kyle King was on our podcast last week and said that Georgia's special teams should've taken some of the heat off Martinez after the LSU game. After the Tennessee game, whoever's responsible for special teams needs a raise...unless it's Martinez.

This leads to a larger point:

Georgia reminds me of Tennessee in the last few years of the Fulmer Era

They run a consistent offense that isn't "sexy" and, when it features Joe Cox instead of Matthew Stafford, isn't that consistent. They got a great young coach who brought them more success than they had seen in decades, but who has struggled to maintain that level of success on a consistent basis, and who is fiercely loyal to his assistants, for better or worse. Meanwhile, just as Fulmer watched the SEC go from a two-team race to everyone for themselves, Richt found his early success when Ron Zook was at Florida and the door was revolving in Tuscaloosa. Now the Tide and Gators are a step ahead of everyone else, LSU is still right behind them, and Georgia just got embarrassed by the new kid on the block. And the Dawgs will see the other new kid come November, and Gene Chizik certainly appeared to have Auburn moving in the right direction until Saturday.

And in this little game, Willie Martinez will be playing the role of Randy Sanders.

Between my total shock at Crompton's performance and the small but shared recognition I feel with Georgia fans, I didn't even fully enjoy their suffering in Neyland Stadim today. I still hope they enjoyed the long sad drive back down I-7-5, but you know.

Because we've been there. We've been Georgia. As a friend of mine said in the postgame, we've forded that river and lost two oxen.

I like it much better this way.

Georgia's offense never crossed the Tennessee 30 yard line

...no commentary necessary.

Staying Relevant

In a world where Florida has beaten you five years in a row and won two National Championships in the process, Alabama is back to being Alabama and LSU is also ahead of you, it was absolutely critical for Lane Kiffin to keep Tennessee from slipping any further in the SEC hierarchy.

Beating Georgia was, is, and always will be key for recruiting. By the way, what are the odds Coach O picked up the phone and called Marlon's Granny after the game today?

But it also pays off in the short term: being just the fifth best team in the SEC is still good enough to get you to January 1, and after that performance the conversations about bowl games move from if to where.

And even if I'm too busy feeling Georgia's pain to fully appreciate it the way I'd like to today, it should be noted and remembered that three of the last four years, the Vols have beaten the Dawgs 51-33, 35-14, and 45-19.

So now the bye week comes at the perfect time, as the Vols will carry some spring in their step to Tuscaloosa to face a tremendous challenge. And they'll face it not as a 2-4 team still looking for answers and their first big win, but a 3-3 team that isn't just hoping anymore...now we've seen it. Now we know.

The SEC East One Month In

Year2 — Wed, 30 Sep 2009 15:00:17 -0000

More photos » by Phil Sandlin - AP

Still in charge of the division for now.

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Divisional Preseason Storyline

The SEC East is down. It's Florida and the five little brothers. Okay, Georgia might be good after all, but South Carolina will still struggle, Tennessee's ceiling is seven or eight wins, and Kentucky and Vandy are still Kentucky and Vandy (though improved from past years).

One Month In Reality

There's not much to suggest that the division isn't still Florida's personal fiefdom, but the division doesn't look as behind the West as thought. Georgia has weathered its personnel losses all right, and they could be a very good team if they stop turning it over so much. South Carolina showed some potential in its big inter-divisional win over Ole Miss. Kentucky is still a work in progress, and Vandy has regressed.

Preseason Storyline

The Gators are going to be very good. They have a chance to be the best team ever. Sure they have to replace Percy Harvin and Louis Murphy, but you know that team's loaded. The defense will atone for any offensive shortfalls, and look for them to run roughshod over their schedule again.

One Month In Reality

The Gators may be good, but they aren't the best team ever. Tennessee's defense exposed major deficiencies in Florida's passing game and especially in the banged up UF receiving crew. The Gators' response was basically to become the best service academy ever, using a variety of option looks to roll up 362 rushing yards on Kentucky. The defense has been nearly as good as advertised so far, and it has made up for the offensive deficiencies. Now, the only real question left is what will become of the team if Tim Tebow misses any games. John Brantley may be good in practice and in the fourth quarter of blowouts, but he's never started a game.

Preseason Storyline

(January) Hey, have you heard of Matthew Stafford and Knowshon Moreno? Stafford and Moreno? Moreno and Stafford? They're gone, and this team is doomed. Doooooooomed! (Roughly May, and onward) Hey, this Joe Cox guy is a fifth year senior. The offensive line also has a lot of experience. Wow, I didn't realize how many people who missed time with injury last year are back. Watch out! This is a bona fide sleeper team!

One Month In Reality

This is one of the least predictable teams in the country. One week, they're playing defensive slugfests; the next, they're doing an offensive shootout. It's almost as if their offensive output is positively correlated with their miscues. Against Oklahoma State and Arizona State, they committed a combined 13 penalties and scored a combined 30 points. Against Arkansas and South Carolina, they committed a combined 27 penalties and scored a combined 93 points. The only thing consistent about them is the three turnovers a game. That they've managed exactly in each of their four games so far.

Preseason Storyline

Kentucky has been a better Kentucky over the past few years, but can they make a leap forward? The defense should be pretty good again, but it was pretty good last year and that didn't save them from having to sneak into bowl eligibility at 6-6. It should be interesting to see how they use Randall Cobb, but are they conceding another mediocre year by sticking with Mike Hartline at quarterback?

One Month In Reality

Kentucky appears to be a rough sketch of what it was last year. It can hammer the truly bad teams, as we saw with the win over Miami University. However, the Wildcats have been mistake prone, nearly giving away their game against Louisville and falling apart in every way early against Florida. Hartline has looked marginally better, and Cobb is indeed a great player. Whether UK can do better than 6-6 again against a schedule that is looking tougher now than it did in the off season is still in doubt.

Preseason Storyline

It really depends who you ask as to what South Carolina's preseason expectation was. Phil Steele was the leader of the Gamecock doubters, citing a lack of experience on both sides of the ball. According to that crowd, which included Athlon and Football Outsiders, a rough year was coming. A few others, like the Sporting News and most Gamecock fans themselves, saw young talent ready to step up and a quarterback ready to fulfill his potential. For them, a top three finish in the East was possible.

One Month In Reality

South Carolina is like Georgia: still a mystery despite being 3-1. The Gamecocks looked awful in their win over NC State, a bit shaky in their loss to Georgia and win over FAU, and dominant for three quarters of the win over Ole Miss. Inconsistency is to be expected from a team that is, as the preseason detractors pointed out, still relatively green. The potential is definitely here for that top three finish in the division, but, as it always goes with the Gamecocks, the matter of whether they can put everything together consistently will determine their fate.

Preseason Storyline

The Vols should be back this year. Back to bowl eligibility, that is. With Lane Kiffin's offense replacing the complex and ill-fated Clawfense, a lot of the issues on that side of the ball should be fixed. If Jonathan Crompton can stop turning the ball over, it will be even better. Defensively, they should still be a terror thanks to Eric Berry and the top shelf scheming of Monte Kiffin.

One Month In Reality

The offense at least is more coherent, with a lot less apparent confusion. Unfortunately, Crompton is little better than he was last year, if at all, and that will probably hold Tennessee back all season. The offense has looked okay in the games against Sun Belt and MAC opponents, but in two games against BCS teams (with, to be fair, pretty good defenses) it's averaging 209 yards a game. The defense has been as good if not better than advertised, as it locked down Florida's offense and forced two turnovers in the Lane Kiffin Bowl. You can't really go wrong with Berry leading the way, but the defense wasn't the problem last year either.

Preseason Storylines

Everyone was happy for Vanderbilt having made a bowl for the first time since the Reagan administration and winning one for the first time since the Eisenhower administration. Despite that breakthrough, most folks predicted that Vandy would return to its customary place near the cellar of the SEC East. The defense was expected to be good again since most players were returning. The coaches tried to fix the offense by installing a hurry up spread scheme similar to what new starter QB Larry Smith ran in high school.

One Month In Reality

The offensive transition hasn't gone quite as smoothly as hoped. The Commodores have scored 10 offensive points combined in two SEC games, and while a lone touchdown against LSU is understandable for this team, managing just a field goal at home versus Mississippi State is not. The defense is holding up its end of the bargain, allowing just 7.25 points a game with seven of the 29 given up being garbage time points by Rice. Regardless, Vandy (for now) appears to have returned to its role of worst team in the conference, and it's going to take some real growth to get back to a bowl.

Saturday Lessons: September 26

Year2 — Sun, 27 Sep 2009 11:00:33 -0000

by James Crisp - AP

Ouch.

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Superman is not indestructible.

In the end, no one will remember the 41-7 final score, the 31-0 first quarter score, or the avalanche of yellow flags and mistakes that Kentucky ultimately fell under. It's the Tebow Got Hurt Game now, two years after he sustained a bad shoulder injury in Lexington that didn't get surgically fixed until after the 2008 season. For two weeks we'll hear questions about why Urban Meyer didn't pull his quarterback sooner, but he never has pulled Tebow in similar situations in the past. The only irony is that the big knockout hit did not come on a run, as his detractors have predicted for three years, but on a pocket pass that they've been saying he needed to do more of all along.

As for on the field things, the Gator offense is an entirely different animal with a healthy Jeffrey Demps. Emmanuel Moody also continued to impress, but he had a curiously low five carries on the night. That is, it would be curious if it didn't happen every week.

Texas found its groove.

Not that UTEP is any good, but Texas seriously put on a show. The Longhorns scored 64 points, rolled up 639 yards, and held the Miners to 53 total yards. UTEP was a paltry one of 12 on third down and the only score was on a pick six of Colt McCoy. We knew the offense would be good, but so far the defense is looking good too.

Alabama is a very complete team.

I guess we could say we knew that, but it all was on display as Alabama really controlled its game with Arkansas from beginning to end. For all the love showered on Ryan Mallett, who appears to be Gary Danielson's new secondary crush (behind Tebow, his primary) now that Matthew Stafford is in the NFL, Greg McElroy was by far the best quarterback in the game.

Mark Ingram and Terry Grant never really got on track on the ground, but Trent Richardson picked up some slack and with McElory going bombs away against a bad Arkansas pass defense, it never mattered. The Tide defense was also impressive, holding the potent Hogs to seven points and 254 total yards. This team doesn't appear to have too many weaknesses.

The top ten will be a revolving door all year.

Oklahoma, Virginia Tech, Oklahoma State, Ohio State, USC, BYU, Ole Miss, Cal, Miami, and Penn State have all lost as top ten teams in the AP Poll. This is only one month into the season. On the one hand, BYU and Miami earned their way in thanks to big wins and some surprisingly resume-based voting from the pollsters, and VT and Ohio State lost to fellow top ten teams. On the other, teams like Oklahoma State and Ole Miss lost to expose faulty preseason analysis.

Now look at who's likely to be in the new top ten. Does anyone think LSU will be in it for long after some less than impressive performances? Does Boise State have the kind of schedule that supports them sitting up this high all season? Can Virginia Tech really run the table in the still-crazy ACC? Does Ohio State have enough offense to justify being there? We're just going to keep going through this over and over all year long.

The SEC West is more competitive than we know.

Alabama at this point is by far the best team, but with Ole Miss falling back to the pack and Mississippi State giving LSU a bona fide scare, everyone in the division has at least looked decent at some point this year. I mean, Arkansas exploded against Georgia, and Auburn rolled up 50+ this week for the first time in years after taking down West Virginia. The whole thing is a jumbled mess, but for the most part in a good way. It's not that everyone is bad, it's that more are good than we thought. This could be a really wild race down the stretch.

Arizona State still has no answer for A.J. Green.

174 yards on just eight catches. A grab to set up the game winning field goal. You can't ask for much more from A.J. Green, who is by far the best player on Georgia's team. The Bulldogs outgained the Sun Devils badly, but three turnovers kept this one closer for longer than it probably should have been. Georgia is just like FSU and South Carolina at this point, in that we don't know which team is going to show up to each game. At least with the Bulldogs, we know they'll probably win.

There's nothing easy left for Tennessee.

The Vols had to outlast a very game Ohio Bobcats team to pull out their second victory of the year. It's encouraging that Jonathan Crompton was able to go 34 attempts with just one pick, but his 6.5 yards per pass average isn't stellar. The 34-23 score was not misleading, as Tennessee outgained Ohio 399-340, though it is strange that the Vols gave up 319 passing yards a week after shutting down Florida's passing attack. The real concern is injuries now, and the fact it took four quarters to put away a team that needed overtime to beat North Texas.

Survive and advance.

That's the new motto for everyone this year. Maybe we are reliving 2007 after all.

What the Flu Can Wreak, or Don't Mess With the Ninja

Year2 — Tue, 22 Sep 2009 14:30:18 -0000

More photos » by Danny Johnston - AP

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The flu is a story that will probably linger all season long. We saw it affect 40 Wisconsin players a couple weeks ago, a bunch of Ole Miss Rebels including Jevan Snead and Dexter McCluster during their off week, Colt McCoy against Texas Tech, and even the Florida coaching staff in addition to some of its players.

In the first week of the season, the flu story du jour was Georgia quarterback Joe Cox. He took a separate flight from his teammates to Stillwater and never really looked right in the Bulldogs' tough 24-10 loss to the Cowboys. His line for the game was decidedly lackluster:

Opponent	Comp.	Att.	Pct.	Yards	Average	TD	INT	Rating
Oklahoma St.	15	30	50.0%	162	5.4	1	1	99.69

He hit on just half of his passes, his average was bad, and his rating was mediocre. It was a performance that had some Bulldogs already looking to the bench for the freshman backups. Perhaps the Ginger Ninja's struggles were simply a side effect of the fact that, as we have seen with Chuck Norris, cowboys can learn to fight with and defeat those who participate in martial arts. More likely, a combination of the flu (and the accompanying ineffective practice), first game starting jitters, and a long road trip conspired against him.

However, just look at what he's done in the two following games:

Opponent	Comp.	Att.	Pct.	Yards	Average	TD	INT	Rating
South Carolina	17	24	70.8%	201	8.4	2	1	160.35
Arkansas	18	25	72.0%	375	15.0	5	1	246.15

The game against South Carolina was a picture of efficiency. He was very accurate, but his yardage total wasn't tremedously high and he only threw for one more touchdown than he had interceptions. However, it was exactly what Georgia needed in what unexpectedly turned into a wild and wooly shootout between the Gamecocks and Bulldogs. Cox lead the team back from a 10 point first quarter deficit to take the lead, a lead that his team would not relinquish again.

Even that performance didn't foreshadow what was coming this weekend.

Cox suddenly went from efficient to superstar, torching an admittedly weak Arkansas pass defense for five touchdowns and 375 yards. That yardage total was one that Matthew Stafford beat just once in his career, with his 407 yards in last year's Georgia Tech loss, but Stafford needed six additional completions to get there. The five touchdowns were also a mark that Stafford only reached once, again in that Georgia Tech game.

A lot of people came away from the Georgia-Arkansas game buzzing about Ryan Mallett and his strong arm. That makes sense, because he had some throws that were wondrous. However, it's amazing to me how little recognition Cox is getting for his effort. Even on "College Football Final," much of the game's highlight was spent with Lou Holtz and Mark May bickering about nothing over top of Cox tossing bombs. Rece Davis tried to refocus them on the play of Cox, but they ended up talking more about Mallett.

It's unlikely we'll see Cox have a game like this again in SEC play. There isn't another defense that looks like it will be as soft and malleable as Arkansas' pathetic unit was last night. I don't think any Georgia fans have any delusions of the sort.

However, South Carolina's defense is probably going to end up pretty good when all things are said and done. That game shows more of the realistic blueprint for success for Cox. He didn't put up pinball numbers, but he was accurate and efficient in leading his team to a come from behind win.

Georgia won't be winning any games on Cox's arm alone, but when you combine it with Richard Samuel's solid running so far, it makes for a nice offense that will keep the Bulldogs in games while the defense figures its issues out.

Georgia Bulldogs 52, Arkansas Razorbacks 41

T Kyle King — Mon, 21 Sep 2009 02:24:05 -0000

I know I am arriving a little late to the party---ESPN and the Griffin District of the United Methodist Church did not get their schedules straight when the former lined up three straight night games for the Georgia Bulldogs on the very same weekends on which the latter arranged for me to attend my lay speaking recertification course for four hours every Sunday---but I appreciate the way everyone has kept the conversation going in the comments and in the fanposts.

Permit me to add a few observations, but please bear in mind that I haven’t had the time to check out any other weblogs or the game day open comment thread, so some of what follows may be repetitive, or redundant, or repetitive:

As the first quarter came to an end, I was very nearly ready to flush the 2009 season and get the guy most likely to start under center next autumn out onto the field to get some playing experience. Needless to say, Joe Cox answered any remaining doubts about his competence in the remaining three quarters. He hooked up on 18 of 26 attempts for 375 yards, a record-tying five touchdowns, and one interception. Although undeniably aided by the amazing abilities of A.J. Green (seven catches for 137 yards and two scores), Cox did a much better job of hitting his receivers in stride. This may be damning him with faint praise, but Cox didn’t throw long and incomplete any more often than Matthew Stafford would have.

I was a bit surprised at how surprised everyone seemed to be at the supposed "emergence" of Michael Moore. When was Michael Moore not clearly the Bulldogs’ second-best receiver following the departure of Mohamed Massaquoi? Why did everyone seem so shocked that Moore caught six passes for 91 yards against the Arkansas Razorbacks when he ended last season by catching six passes for 97 yards against the Michigan St. Spartans in last year’s Capital One Bowl? Who didn’t know already the dude was good?

I have always admired Mark Richt’s willingness to give a player an immediate shot at redemption after he makes a mistake. After Branden Smith’s gaffe in the return game against South Carolina, he was given the opportunity to make up for his miscue on the reverse. Coach Richt’s charges respond well to his confidence in them and usually make the most of their second chances. Tavarres King had a couple of potentially game-changing mistakes in Fayetteville, which were addressed by giving him the chance to haul in a 50-yard touchdown pass. He made good on that opportunity. Kudos to the coaches for letting the young man atone for his error and kudos to King for justifying his coaches’ faith in him.

Lisa Loeb. Tina Fey. Sarah Palin. Now Erin Andrews. I don’t know what it is about librarian-style glasses on good-looking women, but, holy smoking barbecue in a wire basket, that’s a look that works for me. Yowzers!

Although his play-calling sometimes seems strangely streaky, Mike Bobo is better at his job than he generally is given credit for being, and he managed a surprisingly balanced ballgame. The ‘Dawgs ran the ball 36 times and threw the ball 26 times. That demonstrates an admirable commitment to the ground game on a night when your quarterback is hitting almost 70 per cent of his passes. Three Bulldogs averaged four or more yards per carry, Richard Samuel rushed for 104 yards on 16 attempts, and Georgia scored on an 80-yard touchdown run. When that happens at the same time your signal caller is airing it out for a career night, you’re sticking with the running game.

The Bulldogs’ growing pains this year will pay big dividends next year. Ere anyone criticizes Brandon Boykin for a few miscues in the secondary, I have two words for you: Bruce Thornton. In his first year in the defensive backfield, he looked hopelessly lost and was picked on mercilessly by opposing quarterbacks. By the final year of his varsity career, Thornton was as good a defensive back as the Bulldogs had. Boykin shows great promise, on which he will deliver. Be patient.

As hopeful as I am for the future, though, I am worried that we’re going to go through this whole thing all over again a year from now if no quarterback other than Cox gets to run the offense for at least a couple or three series per game. As matters presently stand, Cox’s successor is going to come into the job in 2010 with less live game experience than Cox had coming into 2009, which is nothing short of downright scary.

There was a lot to like out of the Georgia offense last night. The ‘Dawgs answered the Hogs score for score, hung half a hundred on an opponent for the first time since last year’s LSU game, and did it without needing a special teams or defensive score to boost the stats. The Red and Black’s nine scoring drives covered 57, 26, 85, 75, 34, 65, 62, 73, and 17 yards, respectively. Other than the first-quarter drive following the Ryan Mallett fumble and the fourth-quarter game-clincher after the poor punt from the home team’s two yard line, the ‘Dawgs were moving the ball well over long distances.

The defense gave up a pair of one-play drives in the first quarter. A 50-yard Cobi Hamilton kickoff return set up a 48-yard touchdown pass to Jarius Wright and Samuel’s fumble was followed by a 30-yard touchdown pass to Greg Childs. I realize that the special teams and the offense put the defense in bad situations in those instances, but the Bulldogs have to do better on potentially momentum-changing drives. No single aspect of this game makes me more fearful for the future than this indication that the Classic City Canines’ inability to adapt to sudden changes in circumstances is one of the ugly holdovers from last year’s meltdown.

Georgia returned the ball well and kicked field goals well. The Bulldogs turned the ball over too often and drew too many penalties. This is a recording.

I truly have no clue what to make of our defense. Georgia gave up 21 points before the break and 20 points after intermission; so much for Willie Martinez’s ability to duplicate Brian VanGorder’s trademark second-half shutdowns (and, oftentimes, shutouts). Last week’s excuses do not apply; Mallett isn’t half as elusive as Stephen Garcia, and the Bulldog D wasn’t overworked against the Razorbacks, who ran 63 plays to the Red and Black’s 62. Georgia held the ball for almost 32 minutes of clock time, so fatigue should never have been a factor. The Classic City Canines gave up next to nothing on the ground (77 yards on 24 carries) while surrendering 408 yards and five touchdowns through the air, without so much as a single pick. On third down, though, the ‘Dawgs permitted the Hogs to convert just over 20 per cent of the time (3 of 14). What gives?

What makes the Georgia defensive numbers appear even weirder is the fact that Mallett was on fire, then, all of a sudden, he was ice-cold. The Arkansas quarterback completed eight of his first nine attempts in the second half, connecting on a pair of 40-yarders and one 30-yarder that was hauled in by Childs for a first down at the visitors’ eight yard line with fewer than five minutes remaining in the third period. At that point, a false start penalty cost the Razorbacks five yards, and, suddenly, Mallett couldn’t hit water if he fell out of a boat. Starting with the very next snap after the flag (one of eleven against the Hogs, who lost a football field’s worth of yardage to yellow laundry), Mallett went three for 14 the rest of the way. His last 14 attempts picked up a total of 36 yards, Mallett was sacked once, and he did not lead a touchdown drive. Maybe something changed that I was missing, but it didn’t look like the ‘Dawgs were getting a good deal more pressure on Mallett than they had before, yet his aim went from lethally accurate to absolutely off-target for no reason I was able to discern at first glance. Maybe Mallett was feeling the heat more than he had been before, but it didn’t seem like the ‘Dawgs were getting to him so much faster that he should have gone from looking like an NFL starter to looking like Jonathan Crompton so swiftly.

In the course of Coach Martinez’s tenure as Georgia’s defensive coordinator, the Bulldogs have surrendered single-game point tallies of 31 and 38 in 2005; 51 in 2006; 35, 30, and 34 in 2007; 41, 38, 49, 38, and 45 in 2008; and 37 and 41 in 2009. Seven of the last twelve opponents the Red and Black have faced have scored at least 37 points on Georgia. That is all.

The enduring value of Mark Richt’s consistent calm was on full display in Fayetteville. Down 21-10 after fifteen minutes of play, Georgia could have come unglued, yet the Bulldogs remained poised and continued to play their game without panic or desperation. There are a lot of problems which persist from last year, but there are a lot of positives that remain present, as well. What is worrisome is the reality that the ‘Dawgs had to come back and hang on to beat mid-tier league challengers in their first couple of conference outings. What will the Red and Black do when facing a ranked opponent whose SEC pedigree dates back before the early 1990s?

Those are my thoughts, and y’all have done an excellent job of sharing yours. (If I happen to have echoed sentiments I have not yet read, well, I guess great minds think alike.) Keep up the good work, and, as always, don’t forget to savor the win while spotting the flaws. Optimism may be overly extreme, but enjoyment and hope are entirely appropriate.

Go ‘Dawgs!

Saturday Lessons: September 19

Year2 — Sun, 20 Sep 2009 13:00:23 -0000

It was one of those weeks.

Every season, there's a week or two where we see top teams struggle. USC lost. BYU lost. Florida struggled with Tennessee. Cal struggled with Minnesota. I'm not ready to call this 2007 all over again, but there has been a lot of upheaval early on.

Florida is not the greatest team ever.

Even if the Gators run the table from here on out, you can forget about calling them the best team ever (got that, ESPN?). Without Deonte Thompson the Florida offense was dead of arrival, as the passing game was not able to do anything beyond 15 yards down field from the line of scrimmage. With everything being done up close to the line, Tennessee was able to crowd in close and limit greatly what Florida wanted to do.

The defense did its part, with the one touchdown allowed likely being a byproduct of having relaxed and assumed that Tim Tebow was not going to fumble it away in the red zone. This game was heading the way of the Florida-Arkansas game of a year ago, where UF lead 17-7 for most of it, scored right near the third/fourth quarter break, and pulled away for a nice final score. Instead. Tennessee never stopped fighting and kept it close. If Tennessee had Ryan Mallett, the Vols would have won.

I was wrong, wrong, wrong about Tennessee.

Tennessee did exactly what I thought it would, which is lean on the rushing game and not the passing game. What I did not expect was for the UT offensive line to repair itself so quickly and play an outstanding game.

Jonathan Crompton did his part fairly well, despite some bad throws and two basically inconsequential interceptions. If he could have been trusted, the Vols could have used the run to set up some down field passing and cause some real trouble for the Gator defense. This is why it is so critical for Lane Kiffin to find a quarterback for the future, whether it's Nick Stephens for part of this one and next, or current commit Tyler Bray or someone else. The running game should be set for years with Bryce Brown and David Oku. Without a quarterback though, they'll lose a lot of games in the same manner as this one.

I was right, right, right about USC.

I've been saying since the first week that I was not impressed by USC, even after they blew out San Jose State by 50. I said that there were Pac-10 losses out there because of the deficiencies of the passing game, and though I didn't call Washington to be the first one, I'm not as shocked as most everyone seems to be. I don't know that Matt Barkley would have made a difference, but someone who got the game in their area might be able to tell me. Anyway, this Trojan team is not done losing for the year.

BCS bustin' is down to three teams.

Boise State. TCU. Houston. That's pretty much it, and the Cougars are a major long shot. With BYU going down in flames and Oregon edging out Utah, the MWC took a shot. Oregon's win also helps out Boise State, as the Broncos need that first win of the year to stretch a loooooong way with the rest of their schedule.

Cal should stop playing noon ET games.

Everything will be covered up by the "OMG! Jahvid Best 5 TDs!!" hype parade, but Cal really didn't look that great against Minnesota. At least the Bears won this time, instead of staging a repeat of the giant egg they laid at Maryland last year. Of course, Best was fantastic. He really was, but the problem was that Best had three touches in three fourths of the the second half before Cal went back to feeding him consistently.

Georgia and Arkansas are applying to join the Big 12.

93 total points. 1,015 total yards. We knew that Arkansas would be all offense and no defense, but a 2-1 vote among early season games says that Georgia is too. That UGA-Oklahoma State game is really standing out as the bizarre score of the year so far, upsets aside. Neither team has played like that since, and neither appears likely to again. Arkansas meanwhile lived up to its billing offensively, as Mallett put on a show with his arm. He's the new Matthew Stafford.

Texas and Texas Tech will come back in the trade.

It was a defensive struggle for most of the game, and though Texas Tech kept giving Texas opportunities to break the game open, the Longhorns never could. Something is up with Colt McCoy, as he wasn't terribly sharp all night. Tech played a valiant game and could be close to as good as it was last year, even if they couldn't pull off a repeat of last year's win over UT. Given how Oklahoma State played against Rice this week (and how TTU did against Rice last week), I'm beginning to think that the Red Raiders are the third best team in the Big 12 South.

Auburn's rushing game might be human after all.

Anybody have Auburn throwing for 300 yards while rushing for only 100? Anyone? It was an important win to pick up over a pretty good West Virginia team, but it wasn't the most elegant. The Tigers were outgained by 109 yards, but they took advantage of six (!) WVU turnovers to take it by 11. While it is somewhat disappointing to see the leading rusher (Ben Tate) be held to 3.9 yards per carry, the passing game made up for it and that's an accomplishment in these parts.

Never doubt Brian Kelly.

Cincinnati picked up a nice win by going to Corvallis and beating Oregon State. I thought Cincy would be better than the experts think this year, to borrow Lee Corso's phrase, but I didn't expect them to look this good this early. Kelly is the best coach in the Big East, and the Bearcats will be right in the thick of the race again.

Kentucky is still a mystery.

I think we all can guess what expletive Rich Brooks thinks that almost giving away a game to Louisville is. The offense was nice, with Mike Hartline having a nice stat line even if his average was low. It concerning though that Louisville outgained the Wildcats and converted more than half of its third downs.

Mississippi State is not going winless in the conference.

The Bulldogs gave Dan Mullen his first win in an ugly one in Nashville. Ugly doesn't really describe the Vandy offense though, as it got only 157 yards and lost time of possession by an entire quarter. When your leading rusher has seven carries for 26 yards, that's a bad sign. MSU meanwhile rushed for 260 yards, led by Anthony Dixon, and picked up a conference win on the road.

Previewing South Carolina at Georgia: Three Keys, Fun Fact, and Prediction

Gamecock Man — Sat, 12 Sep 2009 02:43:49 -0000

More photos » by Gerry Broome - AP

3 months ago: South Carolina's Brian Maddox, left, and Tori Gurley (81) celebrate Maddox's touchdown against North Carolina State during the first half of an NCAA college football game in Raleigh, N.C., Thursday, Sept. 3, 2009. (AP Photo/Gerry Broome)

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Time to open our SEC season in Athens. The game is shaping up to be another defensive nail-biter between USC and UGA, so hold on tight; we're probably going to add a few gray hairs before the end of the evening.

Three Keys for a Gamecocks Victory

1. Our Pass Rush

This game often comes down to a couple of key turnovers, and with both offenses struggling, that will likely be the case again tomorrow night. Georgia has usually been the team to benefit from wacky plays in this series, from Mike Davis's goal-line fumble last year back to David Pollack's, ahem, unique pick-six back in 2002. This year, though, South Carolina boasts what could very well be one of the country's best pass rushes, and that could equate to some huge plays for us if we can force a fumble or two or get Joe Cox throwing into traffic while on the run. On the other hand, if we give Cox too much time, he'll likely be able to move the ball down the field efficiently, even if he doesn't quite have the arm to go vertical like his predecessor Matthew Stafford used to.

2. Stephen Garcia

Because Georgia has a strong rushing defense, it's going to be incumbent upon Stephen Garcia to lead this offense tomorrow. Moreover, Steve Spurrier has vowed that he won't be as conservative tomorrow as he was last week. That means that Garcia will really need to step up tomorrow night and show us what he's learned over the summer. First of all, he's gotta protect this ball, as I think the team that wins the turnover battle will win this game. Second of all, he's gotta figure out some way to spark this offense, at least to the level of getting 17-24 points on the board for us, which should be enough to win unless Georgia scores easy points off turnovers. That means making good reads, throws, and scrambles. And for goodness's sake, Stephen, slide if you see Rennie Curran barrelling down on you when you're scrambling!

3. Spencer Lanning

Spencer Lanning missed his first ever field goal attempt last week, prompting most of us to fear that we're going to really miss Ryan Succop this year. However, Lanning has reportedly played well in practice, suggesting that the miss last week may have just been jitters, especially considering that botched snap on his earlier attempt may have been in his head. However, kicking is a mental as much as a physical game, and Athens on a Saturday night isn't a great place for a kicker to get his head screwed on straight. Lanning will have to work through it, though, as his leg may be the difference maker in what will likely be a tight game.

Continue reading after the jump.

Fun Fact

Georgia put up 257 yards of total offense last week, while we put up 256. That means that Georgia is 103rd in the country in total offense to our 105th. If those numbers don't spell defensive slogfest, I don't know what does.

Prediction

The script for this game usually includes a low score, a few wacky plays, and a Georgia victory. There's little reason to believe this game won't follow script, as both teams have good defenses, poor offenses, Georgia has probably just a bit more talent, and the game is in Ath...aww, hell. Saying this is probably against my better judgment, but I think we're going to win this game. Our players sound confident, Georgia is in a tailspin, and weird rumblings have been coming out of Athens all week. If Garcia and our offense can play like they did last week sans the interceptoin and plus converting in the red zone and making field goals, we should be able to escape with a win. Is it too difficult to believe that we can do those things tonight? I don't think so. I'm calling 20-13 South Carolina. Let's fence the 'Dawgs!

Previewing South Carolina at Georgia: The Dawg's Offense

Gamecock Man — Tue, 08 Sep 2009 01:17:07 -0000

by John Bazemore - AP

4 months ago: Georgia quarterback Joe Cox throws during a college football preseason workout in Athens, Ga., Tuesday, Aug. 4, 2009. (AP Photo/John Bazemore)

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Georgia runs the pro-style offense that Mark Richt has remained loyal to since his days at Florida State. The 'Dawgs run with a tight end and full back in almost all of their sets. Although the Georgia averaged more than 30 ppg over the past two seasons, their first outing of 2009 was unsuccessful. The 'Dawgs scored 10 points and gained 257 total yards, with 162 coming in the air and 95 on the ground. They also had two turnovers; quarterback Joe Cox threw one interception and later lost a fumble on what would have been a sack.

The 'Dawgs decreased production against a questionable Oklahoma State likely owes to a number of issues Georgia should be able to overcome throughout the season, not least among them their quarterback being ill and first-game road jitters for a young group of skill-position players. However, some of them may not be so fixable, such as the fact that those skills players, especially Cox, likely just aren't as good as the guys they're replacing. Moreover, Georgia offensive coordinator Mike Bobo struggled to balance his attack, and while one would think he and Richt could fix that quickly, it's been a problem for them before, so it may be the rule rather than the exception. Finally, the offensive line was unable to to dominante what was likely a subpar Oklahoma State defensive front, and to make matters worse, Georgia will now be without their starting left tackle, Trinton Sturdivant, who tragically lost his second-straight season to another knee injury.

Despite these issues, Georgia does have some tools in place to right the ship. The 'Dawgs have the elements of their usually good running game, led last week by tailback Richard Samuel. Samuel looked like he was on his way to a big game early on against Oklahoma State, but the 'Dawgs inability to develop balance kept him from continuing to produce. Georgia also, of course, has a star receiver in A. J. Green, who was among the nation's best last year. Green was quiet last week, as Oklahoma State focused their pass defense on him and Georgia was unable to get him open or find a way to make OSU pay for double-teaming him. If the 'Dawgs can find a way to move it around enough to get teams to back off Green, he will be able to make plays for Georgia.

Continue reading after the jump.

That said, quarterback issues will continue to plague Georgia unless Cox or someone else steps in and plays better than what we saw last week, and if the 'Dawgs do continue to struggle under center, this offense will sputter overall, no matter how good Samuel and Green are. As is usually the case, Georgia will seek to open up the field with the run, hopefully setting up the dangerous play-action and short-field passing game that is the bread and butter of a pro-style offense. The 'Dawgs were very successful with this last year when Knowshon Moreno and Matthew Stafford were in the backfield, as Moreno consistently got yards on his feet and Stafford had the arm to make any pass he was asked to throw.

The problem, though, is that Joe Cox doesn't appear to be able some of the throws that Stafford was capable of. Oklahoma State recognized that quickly and played the run, daring Georgia to go to Cox's arm. Georgia did, with very pedestrian results. Cox was sick last week, so fatigue may have played a role. However, even if Cox is healthy, I doubt he'll exactly be a Stafford this weekend, and I think we can follow Oklahoma State's blueprint to keep the 'Dawgs behind the fence.

One key in addition to how game Cox is will be whether our secondary can stay with UGA's receivers if we commit to the run. That's a big if, as our secondary is young. However, results last week against N. C. State were promising, and I also think our secondary can match Oklahoma State's. Another key will be how much pressure we can put on Cox. Based on what I saw last week out of Eric Norwood, Cliff Matthews, and Devin Taylor, I think we might be able to put quite a bit on him, and that's where things could get interesting. If this turns out to be a defensive battle, the team that gets the key turnover might be the one that wins, and if we're able to force Cox into coughing the ball up in his own territory, it could change the game.

All in all, I like how the matchup between our defense and Georgia's offense is looking. We may see a better Georgia offense on Saturday, but we've got a good enough defense to run with the 'Dawgs.

What We Learned: September 5

Year2 — Sun, 06 Sep 2009 22:02:45 -0000

by Dave Martin - AP

Roy Upchurch: stud. (AP Photo/Dave Martin)

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Because it's never too early for snap decisions.

Alabama is probably just fine.

Statistically, Alabama was just about flawless. The Tide rolled up 500 yards of offense on one of the best defenses annually, gave up just 155 yards themselves, and held Virginia Tech to just two conversions on 12 third downs. Here's the rub though: they only won by 10 with all that in their favor.

Even so, that's just how VT rolls. Even when getting dominated statistically, they still find a way to stay in games. McElroy was great once he found his groove, the rushing attack looks superb between Mark Ingram and Roy Upchurch, and they won time of possession by 15 minutes. Don't worry so much about that final score. Bama is for real again.

Ohio State is still in good shape for USC.

I watched the majority of the Ohio State-Navy game and the first half of the USC-San Jose State game. Ohio State looked dominant in the first half, and then sleepwalked through the second half while thinking the game was in hand. After two quarters, OSU was on pace for a 40-14 win and it absolutely looked like that was where it was going. If the first half Ohio State team shows up next week, they're in great shape.

USC meanwhile, wasn't quite as impressive as the score indicated. The offensive line got pushed around by San Jose State's defense on inside runs sometimes, and roughly 75% of Matt Barkley's passing yards were yards after the catch. In fact, every throw I saw him make was on play action or a play action bootleg. Apparently the USC coaches didn't think he was ready to throw straight up against a WAC defense.

USC blew out SJSU because it had superior personnel. The got their playmakers in space and let them out-talent the Spartans. That won't be enough to win in Columbus though.

Georgia should be in wait and see mode.

The answer is a resounding yes, Georgia is missing Matthew Stafford and Knowshon Moreno. But unless you were trying to be needlessly contrarian this off season, you knew that was going to be the case. The offense has some issues, and the Bulldogs better hope that getting Joe Cox healed up from the flu solves most of them.

The defense appears to be back though. Three of Oklahoma State's four scoring drives were of 32 yards or less, including a -5 yard "drive" that ended up a field goal. That goes back to the offense not turning it over and setting the defense up for failure, but there is definite hope on that side of the ball. Oklahoma State was way, way below its standard offensive output from a year ago.

LSU should be as well.

LSU really won this game 31-16, despite what a window dressing TD by Washington would have you believe. This sort of reminds me of when LSU's 2005 squad, which eventually went 11-2 by the way, went on the road and beat an eventual 7-5 Arizona State team by just four. Granted that was in the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina, but still, the gap between those teams was much wider than the score made it out to be.

I think this game is probably similar. The longest road trip in school history isn't the best way to break in a new quarterback and new coordinator, after all. Jake Locker is a great player, and UW would not have gone winless last season with him healthy. Steve Sarkisian for now appears to be a humungous upgrade from Ty Willingham too. Before we go making big assumptions over one game (remember, Washington only lost to 10-3 BYU by one point with Locker last year), let's give LSU some more time and let's see how good the Huskies end up being.

That said, the 478 yards, 25 first downs, and 36:52 time of possession for Washington is troubling, as is the 11-19 third down conversion rate.

Boise State needs to step up its non-conference scheduling.

Remember when the Broncos were first in line at the BCS busters' buffet? Yeah, that lasted all of about 48 hours. With BYU's win over Oklahoma, and schedule home game against Florida State in a couple weeks, the Cougars not only have a chance to break into the BCS but play for it all if fewer than two Big Six conference teams go undefeated. It's too bad for the Broncos that their games against Oregon State and Virginia Tech are next year and not this year too.

Florida's defense hasn't changed.

Maybe it was because Janoris Jenkins and Jermaine Cunningham didn't play. Maybe it's because they weren't taking things seriously. Either way, Florida's defense hasn't changed a bit from last year. In 2008, they got a lot of stops but relatively few three-and-outs. They focused this off season on getting more three-and-outs, but instead Charleston Southern was generally able to move the ball for a set of downs or two before punting. They also still did not get a shutout, despite playing Charleston Southern, because on that inability to get offenses off the field immediately.

The offense, by the way, will be just fine if Riley Cooper stays healthy. That's a big if, but he and Aaron Hernandez have Tim Tebow's full trust. Also, expect a more run-oriented attack because Jeffrey Demps and Chris Rainey are noticeably better than last year. Yeah it was just CSU, but you could tell if you watched the game. Tebow's new throwing motion was also evident, with him throwing some NFL-like deep balls instead of his rainbows of previous years.

Auburn is probably on the right track.

LA Tech was a trendy upset pick in this game, but Auburn didn't give them a shot. The offense had roughly a 2:1 ratio of runs to passes (much to the relief of Tiger fans, I'm sure), and freshman Onterio McCalebb was a revelation. This game has been overlooked by many for juicier storylines and bigger blowouts, but it was an important win to kick off Gene Chizik's tenure.

While it's never a good idea to get too worked up over beating a mid range WAC team, Auburn fans should be satisfied by this one. There was no placing the game on the arm of Chris Todd again, and 556 yards of offense is an impressive number.

Lane Kiffin made an immediate impact.

I watched most of the first half of Tennessee's game against Western Kentucky, and let me tell you, it was ugly. If it wasn't for WKU being completely inept offensively (how exactly does a quarterback miss a bubble screen target by 10 yards?), the Vols would have been in a big hole in a hurry. Instead of letting negativity set in like what might have happened a year ago, the snapped out of it and rolled up their first 60 point output since putting 70 on UL-M in 2000. In 2008, it took three games for Tennessee to get more than 63 total points.

I cannot emphasize just how bad Western Kentucky was, so let's not get too ahead of ourselves here. Ron Zook once beat San Jose State 65-3 while at Florida. However, Jonathan Crompton had a smile on his face for most of a game for once. It's early, but projections that have UT headed back to a bowl look secure for now.

So did Dan Mullen.

It also took Mississippi State three games last year to surpass the total of its first game in 2008. In fact, the Bulldogs didn't once hit 40 points against anyone (I-AA opponents included) during the Sly Croom era. No one is ready to rank MSU yet or anything, but this does immediately validate the idea that Dan Mullen will be different from the previous administration for reasons beyond personality.

Kentucky has some pop. Probably.

Kentucky made a statement by scoring 42 points in three quarters while pitching a shutout. They don't like being picked in the bottom two of the SEC East every year. Then again, the quarter they didn't scoring in was the first, showing that it took time to get going. Plus, Miami (OH) was a miserable 2-10 last year in the miserable MAC, and they allowed 40+ points to bad teams like Kent State and Toledo. We knew the defense was going to be good. Telling whether or not the offense will be enough to go bowling for a fourth straight year is going to require a few more weeks and some stiffer competition. They don't have the historical talent accumulating ability or recent high recruiting rankings like Tennessee does to say they're in for big things just yet.

I get to laugh at everyone who believed in Illinois again.

Trust me. The 2007 Rose Bowl trip was a fluke at the end of the flukiest season in memory.

Sunday News and Notes: What We Learned About Our Upcoming Opponents Saturday and News Out of Saturday Practice

Gamecock Man — Sun, 06 Sep 2009 03:48:36 -0000

by Sue Ogrocki - AP

3 months ago: Oklahoma State's Dez Bryant dives into the end zone with a touchdown against Georgia during the fourth quarter of an NCAA college football game in Stillwater, Okla., Saturday, Sept. 5, 2009. (AP Photo/Sue Ogrocki)

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The 'Cats' offense looked markedly improved in a beat down over woeful Miami University. Miami is probably one of the worst teams in the country, so it's hard to take too much away from this game. However, Kentucky's offense couldn't even score on teams like this last year, so you have to think they're at least a bit better this year. Next week's game against Louisville will be more revealing, although Kentucky should win that one fairly easily, as well.

Alabama vs. Virginia Tech

I watched most of this one and was thoroughly impressed with the 'Bama defense, although it's worth saying that most people expect the Virginia Tech offense to be pretty bad. The 'Bama offense wasn't spectacular against Bud Foster's vaunted Tech defense, but it did play better as the game progressed. Greg McElroy, who at one point had eight or nine straight incompletions, made some nice passes in the second half. The running game with Cornelius Ingraham and Roy Upchurch was even more impressive. The young offensive line looked OK after a shaky start. 'Bama could have very well won this one by a large margin; they looked like an elite team but allowed Tech to stay in it due to special teams gaffes, having to settle for lots of field goals, and committing dumb penalties. It's still looking like it will be tough to beat the Tide in Tuscaloosa.

Vanderbilt vs. Western Carolina

Vandy squared off against FCS cupcake Western Carolina. The Commodores looked solid in the blowout win.

Tennessee vs. Western Kentucky

Like Kentucky, the Vols pounded a terrible, terrible Western Kentucky team. Also like Kentucky, though, anything is progress for Jonathan Crompton and company. In fact, Crompton looked like a great quarterback in this game. It'll be interesting to see how good this team really is when they play Florida in a few weeks. I think they may surprise some people.

Arkansas vs. Missouri State

The Hogs played FCS cupcake Missouri State. Ryan Mallet looked very good, but hard to make much of such a mismatch.

Florida vs. Charleston Southern

Charleston Southern? Really? Florida must have averaged about 20 ypc in this game.

Clemson vs. Middle Tennessee State

The Tigers won fairly comfortably over Middle Tennessee State, but they didn't exactly run up the score like Florida and Tennessee. However, that's probably partly because Dabo seemed to call off the dogs in the second half after having to send C. J. Spiller to the locker room with a minor injury. The Tigers were impressive in the first half.

Read the rest of the news after the jump.

Some interesting news came off the practice field Saturday. First of all, Devin Taylor's performance against N. C. State earned him a starting spot desptie Clifton Geathers' return. This speaks to the depth we have at defensive line right now. Obviously, I expect both will see significant playing time.

I also found some of Spurrier's statements interesting. It may not be the Tim Tebow "speech," but Spurrier appears to be promising something here:

"I’m going to start coaching my butt off until we can throw the ball around. We’ve all been coaching, but we’re going to put in overtime," Spurrier said. "We were pretty sad the other night. It was nobody’s fault but mine, so I’m going to just coach my tail off and see if we can’t get some offense around here."

Is Spurrier capable of finally coming through? There were glimpses of possibility the other night, so if he can figure out a few lingering issues, we could see some points on the board soon. Let's hope he starts next weekend against a vulnerable Georgia team.

Last but not least, I hope you guys caught that Tommy Beecher played pretty well for Liberty against West Virginia. I wish Beecher luck; he seems like a quality kid.

Poll

What do you expect out of the UGA game?

Eric Norwood and Co. are going to bring the pain train, Stephen Garcia will channel his inner Taneyhill, and we're going to leave town with a victory.

62 votes

We're going to lose 9-7.

26 votes

I don't know.

14 votes

102 votes | Poll has closed