SB Nation - Knowshon Moreno

Welcome To Hate Georgia Week

mlmintampa — Mon, 26 Oct 2009 15:09:24 -0000

I actually like the University of Georgia. It's in one of the best college towns in America and a very good school I was thisclose to attending.

But I hate Georgia Football.

I hate that they claim a win against 11 dudes from Florida who happened to be in Macon at the same time as the Georgia football team in 1904. This despite the fact that Florida did not have a varsity football team until 1906. What we know as the University of Florida did not exist until 1905, when four universities merged into one. Even if you give Georgia the benefit of the doubt, that they beat 11 guys from Florida's then flagship university, that wasn't the University of Florida.

And I hate when Georgia mentions their overall winning record because the majority of their wins were before Florida was a legitimate program. UGA was 24-5-1 against UF between 1915-1949, including the teams not playing in 1943. Why did they not play in 1943? UF couldn't field a team because nearly all the male students at UF were in World War II. That followed the 1942 game, when the Bulldogs won 75-0 against a Gator team that finished 3-7 after much of the team went into the war. I don't doubt that Georgia won these games, but Florida's lack of male students during World War II definitely contributed to UF only winning twice in the 1940s, 1940 and 1949. Every time I hear about Georgia's epic record against the Gators, I casually mention that in my life time (since 1984), Georgia has only won seven times. So I don't even consider them a real rival, unless hammer vs. nail is a rivalry. I then walk away with three National Championship rings stuffed in my ears. (Georgia does a lot of talking for a school with National Championships in 1942 and 1980. I'll take recent history, thanks.)

On a personal level, I hate that for every good looking Georgia girl in Jacksonville, there are at least three dudes with Bama Bangs and red pants. At least Florida has the courtesy to put our three dudes in golf clothes, a jersey and jorts, and body paint.

I hate the silver pants too. Too much like the Dallas Cowboys. And their band is called the Redcoats, which is the name given to the British in the American Revolution. Georgia some how rips off America's Team and America every fall Saturday. (Actually, the silver pants precede the Cowboys. So I guess they are ripping off the Detroit Lions? Because that would explain Georgia's recent losses in the series.)

I hate that Aaron Murray and Orson Charles are at Georgia. Not because they did anything personally to me, but they went to hoity toity Plant High School in Tampa and I hate Plant. (Charles is the guy who broke UF's 2006 crystal ball.)

I hate that Knowshon Moreno's last name is pronounced like mine, despite being spelled completely differently. It's like having an unknown brother terrorizing you.

Finally, I still hate this;

The Gators still hate it too;

"We feel as if it’s a slap in the face," Terron Sanders said. "We can’t just let it be a one-year thing where we feel like we took care of it. We always have to look back at it as disrespect."

And for the first time since 2005, Alligator Army will be in Jacksonville, bringing the hate and hoping to avoid getting beat up by local Jacksonville goons. And we will be in Championship Mode.

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.

Talking points: even homework is afraid of Eric Berry

Joel — Fri, 25 Sep 2009 11:02:44 -0000

Eric Berry tackles his homework like it's Knowshon Moreno. From his Twitter feed:

...Shout out to EmeraldMaserie!!! Just crushed my presentation. Now I'm off to eat and off to practice.

No doubt that if it weren't for that pesky 140 character limit, the last part of that would have read, "Now I'm off to demolish my dinner and destroy practice."
The word of the day is . . . FINISH . . . brought to you by Wes Rucker and the Times Free Press:

College football coaches pore over statistics after most games, and they obsess over them after close losses. Most of the most important statistics boil down to one factor: As Tennessee coach Lane Kiffin puts it, "Did we finish?" Did your defense get off the field on third down? Did your team outscore its opponent in the fourth quarter? Did you turn red-zone drives into touchdowns? Kiffin's Volunteers did two of those three things the past two weeks, but they lost to UCLA and Florida in large part because they couldn't accomplish the third task. They couldn't fully capitalize inside the opponent's 20-yard line, and that's one of the biggest reasons they're 1-2 heading into Saturday's 7 p.m. game against Ohio University. UT scored six times in seven red-zone chances against the Bruins and Gators, but just two of those possessions, and just one of the last six, crossed the goal line.

The Google of Football is always and forever indexing:

Still Learning: Defensive coordinator Monte Kiffin has been indoctrinated in the spread offense and will see it again from the Bobcats. But they'll add one more wrinkle the coaching veteran hasn't faced much before with their Pistol attack that features a running back behind the quarterback in a shotgun formation. "I didn't even know what it was until I got here," Monte Kiffin said. "Every week it's something new."

As Jarrod Shaw moves to left guard to sub for injured Vladimir Richard, Aaron Douglas will start at right tackle for Shaw. Douglas's former NFL dad will be rooting for Douglas . . . to get up and get back in the huddle.

Friend of the blog Brian Cook has issues with RTT and Clay Travis asserting that Lane Kiffin's taking up residence in Urban Meyer's head. Which is fine, although I'm not sure that anyone's really trying to say that it necessarily means Kiffin will win. It does have the effect of rallying the team (much like it has his fanbase -- hmm . . . there's a post in there somehwere), which is probably a piece of the puzzle, though. Oh, and both Kiffin and Meyer have heard from the principal now, too.

Kiffin's expecting better times for the passing game this weekend -- but remember that Ohio's secondary is quite ball-hawkish -- and is thinking that Brandon Warren may fit into that somehow.

Miss last night's game between South Carolina and Ole Miss? Catch up with SBNation's storystream of the Gamecock's 16-10 victory over the Rebels. Oh, and if you missed the game, you also missed the Dr. Lou segment, which was actually quite funny.

Where Does Florida Go From Here?

Year2 — Mon, 21 Sep 2009 14:30:14 -0000

More photos » by John Raoux - AP

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It wasn't the epic beat down that all the experts were predicting. There was no domination. Instead of calling timeouts at the end, Urban Meyer was shaking Tennessee players' hands after it was over to tell them good game.

This Florida team didn't look like the one from the second half of last season that steamrolled everything in its path. It looked like the one from the first half of last year that played things conservatively and won by much more modest margins. In some ways it looked frighteningly like Meyer's 2005 team, which was the worst of his tenure. Here's a look at what happened on Saturday and what the champs can do to get their groove back.

WHAT HAPPENED

They got beat up front.

The Florida offensive line is still not set and ready, and it really showed. Tennessee has an excellent defensive line, and any time Tim Tebow dropped back to throw something deeper than 10 yards, the pocket collapsed around him. The Florida coaches have a philosophy that anyone who earns playing time should get it, even the offensive line. As a result there were guys rotating in and out throughout, which didn't help anything. They need to pick their best five and go with it.

On the other side, the banged up Tennessee line did a good job of patching things together and playing well. The Florida defensive line was held back by Jermaine Cunningham having the flu and Brandon Spikes, who often lines up as a defensive end, having tendinitis in his Achilles.

Spikes' injury also caused him to be conspicuously absent in supporting the line against the run during his normal linebacking duties. It is no coincidence that Spikes missed most of the second half, and it is the second half when the defense began playing a lot better. A full speed backup, in this case Dustin Doe, was better than the half speed Spikes. With all the depth that the team has, it's a small wonder that Cunningham and Spikes played at all.

Wide receiver is at critical condition.

Senior Carl Moore is out with a back injury. Freshman five star recruit Andre Debose is out for the season with a hamstring injury. Deonte Thompson missed the game with a hamstring pull. Riley Cooper pinched a nerve on the first series of the game. Even tight end Aaron Hernandez had the flu.

Of the team's six top pass catching targets, three missed the game and only one, David Nelson, was fully healthy. That's not an excuse, that's an explanation. I can't name many teams that could put together a full passing attack with that kind of attrition among the receiving ranks. With Thompson out and Cooper slowed, Florida was without a deep passing threat. With the Tennessee line winning up front on longer passing plays to boot, the vertical passing game never had a shot.

But just as important as the guys who didn't play because of injury were the guys who didn't play and were healthy: Omarius Hines, Frankie Hammond, and T.J. Lawrence. These three redshirt freshmen are along with Debose the future of the position in Gainesville, and apparently none practiced well enough to see the field. This was especially surprising in the case of Hines, who got meaningful snaps against Troy and looked good in them.

Too much conservatism.

Or, the right amount if you're only concerned with winning and not style points.

Years from now, we will all probably look back at the 2007 season and wonder what exactly it was that caused Urban Meyer to break from his conservative streak so early in the season. In every other year, now including this one thanks to Saturday, he comes out at the beginning of seasons and plays things close to the vest.

In past years, he explained the flood of runs up the middle as trials to see how tough his team was. This week it was a reaction to Tennessee's demeanor:

"I didn't feel like they were going after the win," Meyer said. "They wanted to shorten the game. I think that was the plan. There are 10 minutes to go and they're not in a no-huddle. It's 23-6 and no urgency (on UT's part).

"The way we lose a game there is throw an interception. Why put yourself in that position. Let's find a way to win the game. We're not trying to impress the pollsters, we're trying to win the game. A lot of it had to do with the way they were playing. It made our life a little easier."

You could also see it in all the Tebow runs. When Meyer gets unsettled, as his nervous tick of running his hands through his hair betrayed plenty of times on Saturday, he leans on the players he trusts most, and he trusts no one more than Tebow. The quarterback had 24 carries, four more than the rest of the team combined. Jeff Demps, though slowed by a 101 degree fever, averaged 7.8 yards per carry, Chris Rainey averaged 7.1, and Emmanuel Moody was the best of them with 11 yards a carry. But remember the thing about trust? Moody is the least trusted of the three and only got three carries on the game.

I don't want to sell Tennessee's defense short here, which was fantastic and outplayed Florida's offense on many occasions. Monte Kiffin was in the team's heads all week in practice, and he called a very good game. He moved Eric Berry all over the place and nearly every time had his prized safety in position to make a play. However, ol' Monte got some help from the other side too.

NOW WHAT?

Obviously, the schedule sets up nicely for the Gators over the next couple weeks. The road game at Kentucky could end up a very dangerous contest if the Wildcats learn to get out of their own way by Saturday. However, Florida could probably gut it out in the same way they did against the Vols if need be, allowing the talent gap between the teams to be the difference. After that, it's a bye week before the road trip to LSU.

Now that Florida has had its first big test of the season, it's time to evaluate what needs to happen to stay on track to accomplish its goals.

Get healthy, or at least play the healthy guys.

It floors me that the coaches seem to trust the unproven depth on the offensive line, as evidenced by the constant rotation, but not the experienced depth on the defense, as evidenced by them playing guys like Cunningham and Spikes who were nowhere near 100% ready to go.

If Spikes is hurt, use fellow leader Ryan Stamper and play talented guys like Doe and Brandon Hicks. If Cunningham is struggling with the flu, lean on Justin Trattou, Carlos Dunlap, and some of the young guys waiting to break out like William Green to pick up the slack. If Demps has a fever, ride Rainey and Moody. Only the MASH unit at receiver has no real proven second options, but would it hurt to put Hines or Hammond out there just to see what they can do? Probably not.

Take care of the ball.

The Gators have now lost five turnovers in the past two weeks. The fumbles against Troy were sort of understandable because of the rain, but not everyone fumbles six times during a storm. Eric Berry's interception was a magnificent play, but Tebow's fumble late against UT came from him trying too hard and putting the ball where a defender could strip it instead of just taking a nice gain and being happy.

At some point, someone is really going to make them pay for their indiscretions as Ole Miss did a year ago. Maybe it's Kentucky this weekend with the newly dangerous Mike Hartline to Randall Cobb connection. It could be LSU in a couple weeks, or Ryan Mallett with his cannon arm. No team wins championships of any kind turning it over this much.

Try to block out the hype.

In last year's revenge game for Florida, Brandon Spikes leveled Knowshon Moreno on the first Georgia drive of the game. It seemed to loosen the team up. No such play did the same in this year's revenge game, and the team looked tight for most of it.

That big play at the beginning isn't going to be there most weeks. The external pressure is only going to intensify thanks to voters (UF is now the unanimous No. 1 in the Coaches' Poll) and other powers (like Oklahoma and USC) falling away.

While the game against Tennessee was never in serious doubt for a lot of reasons, there are better teams looming ahead. If the pressure contributed any to the less-than-championship caliber performance over the weekend, a loss or two will be waiting for them ahead.

The good news is that had the tackling on defense been better, Tennessee would have had about 50-75 fewer yards. For all the struggles, the defense was still very, very good and will probably continue to be. Since defense wins championships, that's going to be the most important thing going forward.

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.

Too Much Information: Georgia Bulldogs v. Oklahoma State Cowboys

T Kyle King — Fri, 04 Sep 2009 08:00:37 -0000

The people have spoken, and resoundingly so: "Manic Kyle" received 77.8 per cent of the 216 votes cast in yesterday’s poll to determine whether I should be upbeat or dour heading into tomorrow’s game against the Oklahoma St. Cowboys. Peppy and happy it is, then! (However . . . no streaking.)

Still, I have done what I could to get myself psyched up into the mode of Beavis with his T-shirt pulled up over the back of his head, spiking my coffee with a little tequila. (That’s a joke. I couldn’t sleep Wednesday night, so I stayed up and watched part of what may be Jack Nicholson’s worst movie, "Wolf," which was on AMC and contains a reference to pouring tequila into coffee. Trust me, I’m kidding; I would never do that, and, if you ever see me drinking tequila, go ahead and bring the car around, because it’s just about time to drive me home. The only time I have ever had another type of alcohol pass through my gullet after tequila is if it was moving in the other direction. But I digress. . . .)

Since this will be the fall’s first game for both teams, there are no reliable statistical data for either squad, so we are left to sort through the minutiae of history in search of favorable morsels, with respect to which I will endeavor, as always, to bring you not a smattering of knowledge, nor a dollop of insight, but, rather, Too Much Information:

Odds & Ends:

Saturday’s showdown marks the fourth series meeting between Oklahoma State and the Georgia Bulldogs. The Red and Black won all three previous games, including the 1947 game in Stillwater against what was then Oklahoma A&M. The Classic City Canines’ average margin of victory over the Cowboys in the prior clashes between the two is 29-11.

Oklahoma State’s football teams have answered to numerous nicknames over the years, including Cowboys, Agriculturalists, Aggies, Farmers, Tigers, Waddies, Cowpunchers, Cowpokes, and Pokes. Since they’ve been known, by turns, as both the Farmers and the Cowboys, I’m pretty sure there should be a Broadway musical about how the OSU players should be friends with themselves. As for calling themselves the "Pokes," well, I know what Augustus McCrae meant by that term.

The Bulldogs have never lost the season’s first road game under Mark Richt.

In 2008, Georgia lost to the Alabama Crimson Tide, the Florida Gators, and the Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets, marking the ninth time in school history that the Classic City Canines have gone 0-3 against that trio of opponents in a single autumn. (It happened before in 1928, 1949, 1952, 1953, 1961, 1962, 1963, and 1977.) In the seasons that followed those eight campaigns, the Bulldogs went 6-1-1 in the fall’s first game against a team currently belonging to a BCS conference other than the SEC.

The Feel Good Stat of the Week:

Much has been made of the fact that the ‘Dawgs lost a pair of first-round draft picks in Matthew Stafford and Knowshon Rockwell Moreno. The departures of two players worthy of selection in the opening round of the NFL draft represent too great a sacrifice for the team to overcome, or so the thinking goes.

The reality, however, is just a bit different. Georgia has lost two first-round draft picks in a single year on five separate occasions, most recently bidding farewell to Champ Bailey and Matt Stinchcomb in 1999, to Richard Seymour and Marcus Stroud in 2001, to George Foster and Johnathan Sullivan in 2003, and to Thomas Davis and David Pollack in 2005.

In the last four seasons immediately following the loss of two first-round NFL draft picks, the Bulldogs have gone 4-0 in openers, have gone 14-3 in non-conference games (including a 4-1 regular-season mark against teams from other BCS leagues), and have won their last two marquee games to start the campaign (at Clemson in 2003 and against the Boise St. Broncos in 2005) by a combined 78-13 margin in games that were expected to be competitive, but weren’t.

The Bottom Line:

Certainly, the Cowboys’ travails over the last few days have been far less than optimal, although Oklahoma State is a highly-ranked Division I-A football program in a major conference, so it would be a mistake to assume they lack the horses to replace the players who recently have been lost.

The question in this game is the same as the question in the 2005 Boise State game, the 2006 Sugar Bowl against the West Virginia Mountaineers, the 2007 Oklahoma State game, the 2008 Sugar Bowl against the Hawaii Warriors, and the 2008 Arizona State game. Is Georgia’s opponent the real deal or a mere chimera? In four of those five instances---at least on the night the game was played---the answer was resoundingly on the side of pretender rather than contender.

Mike Gundy’s struggles against ranked opposition suggest that the Cowboys, while a solid squad, are not quite ready to take that next step. Mark Richt’s strong road record, particularly against top 25 teams, and his club’s quality performances in legitimate opening games suggest that this is precisely the sort of situation in which the Bulldogs are at their best and the Pokes are not. Both programs’ historical trends will be borne out in Stillwater tomorrow.

My Prediction: Georgia 38, Oklahoma State 28.

Go ‘Dawgs!

Comparing the Online Recruiting Ranking Services

Buck Bravo — Tue, 25 Aug 2009 14:00:11 -0000

Rivals, Scout, and ESPN all provide ranking systems for recruits headed to Division 1 football programs. Often, ratings of individual players will vary greatly from one service to another. In an attempt to determine which service most accurately projects the future performance of players, let's take a look at the ratings that were given to the 2009 NFL first round draft picks back when they were being recruited for college football:

PICK

NAME

COLLEGE

TEAM

RIVALS

STARS

SCOUT

STARS

ESPN

RATING

Matthew Stafford

Georgia

Jason Smith

Baylor

Tyson Jackson

LSU

Aaron Curry

OLB

Wake Forest

Mark Sanchez

USC

Andre Smith

Alabama

Darrius Heyward-Bey

Maryland

Virginia

Boston College

Texas Tech

Penn State

Georgia

Texas

Ohio State

OLB

USC

Northern Illinois

Kansas State

Tennessee

Missouri

Oklahoma State

California

Florida

Ole Miss

Ole Miss

Illinois

OLB

USC

Donald Brown

Connecticut

Louisville

North Carolina

Rutgers

Ohio State

Missouri

ESPN did not start ranking recruits until 2006, so players from before that time have no ranking. Despite this limitation, let's look at the trend lines for the different services:

While Scout may have had the most 5 star rankings for recruits who ultimately became first round NFL draft choices, Rivals had the best trendline for accurately ranking future NFL talent. A more comprehensive analysis looking at later rounds and previous years would best determine which service best analyzes talent. If I were retired or writing for TDG full time, I'd be eager to put such a report together for later this week. For now, the first round of the 2009 NFL draft will have to suffice.

Expect Mark Richt to Let the 'Dawgs Out in 2009

T Kyle King — Thu, 20 Aug 2009 11:20:41 -0000

Last night, secure in the knowledge that my memory is not what it once was, I jotted down a few notes in preparation for appearing on John Frary’s radio show. As I ran down David Hale’s rundown of recent happenings on the practice field in the Classic City, I started to see a pattern emerge.

Last year, defensive penalties (and personal fouls in particular) were a continual source of problems, so the Bulldogs have made the elimination of flags a major area of concentration. Last year, kickoffs were a persistent weak point, so Mark Richt is shaking up the special teams. Coach Richt has hinted that some underclassmen may be atop the depth chart at tight end and Logan Gray may play the D.J. Shockley to Joe Cox’s David Greene, as well.

Maybe those are just routine efforts to right the ship in areas of concern. Maybe those are indications that Coach Richt, after redshirting Knowshon Moreno, has seen the wisdom of Urban Meyer’s statement that, in Gainesville, there is no longer any such thing as a redshirt year.

Maybe, though, there is something more going on here.

There are a myriad of reasons why last year’s preseason No. 1 ranking did not hold up, but one of the problems was that everyone associated with the program got a bit uptight over all the hype. Last year’s collapse in Jacksonville was emblematic of this; down 14-3 at the half with an Eastern Division championship on the line---exactly the situation in which the ‘Dawgs found themselves at Auburn in 2002---the Red and Black failed not only to finish the drill, but even to show up in the final 30 minutes.

I remain as fearful as ever about the 2009 season, but I see in our head coach indications of innovation, of a willingness to shake up the program after three straight seasons marred by lengthy stretches of complacency, and of a renewed vigor for the challenges facing Georgia.

With no expectations and plenty of job security, Coach Richt enters 2009 able to relax . . . or, at least, not be weighed down with the burden of national championship chatter. Over the course of the last twelve months, we have forgotten---I have forgotten---that this is supposed to be a sport of exhilarating joy, not miserable drudgery.

Aside from a few statistical bright spots that serve only to mock the hard fact of unrealized potential, last season stunk from stem to stern, and, to be blunt, Mark Richt did the worst coaching job of his otherwise stellar career.

What Hip Richt appears to remember today is what we would do well to recall ourselves. This Mark Richt is the same guy who called P-44-Haynes. He’s the same guy who called 70-X-Takeoff. He’s the same guy who called for an onside kick against Virginia Tech while knowing full well that engaging in a special teams duel with Frank Beamer is like doing the Ali shuffle in the ring with Muhammad Ali. This is the same Mark Richt who ordered the end zone dance in Jacksonville and blacked out Auburn.

I don’t know how many games the Georgia Bulldogs will win in 2009. It likely will be the case that they will fail as often as they succeed in big games . . . but, if they fail, they will fail while daring greatly.

We may or may not like the won-lost record this season produces, but we will look back on Mark Richt and his ninth Red and Black squad with an admiration for their boldness. There most likely will be more losses than we are prepared at present to accept, but there will be no timidity and no quit in this team.

In the end, heart only goes so far as a substitute for talent, but I get the sense that Mark Richt is in the mood to let ‘er rip. Without regard to whether we like the results, we ought to love the attitude, and it certainly should be fun to watch.

Can we please please please play some dadgum football already?

Go ‘Dawgs!

2009 Opponent Previews - Georgia

Will — Thu, 13 Aug 2009 18:00:12 -0000

More photos » by John Bazemore - AP

"Now listen, Bobby Bowden gave me this hat..."

Browse more photos »

The Series

Like the Tennessee-Florida rivalry, this one is born out of divisional alignment in 1992. The Vols lead the overall series 20-16-2. Tennessee won the first eight annual meetings and Georgia never beat Tennessee in the 90s. The Dawgs turned that around in the first part of this decade, winning four straight from 2000-2003. Since then, the rivalry has found a relatively even playing ground: the Vols are 3-2 in the last five games, but for the first time in a long time, neither team feels like it has the other's number.

Last Year

Georgia was preseason #1, but the Vols weren't impressed after the 35-14 beating they gave the Dawgs in 2007. But by the time the 2008 meeting rolled around in Athens, Tennessee had already lost thrice, and Georgia had been violently dethroned by Alabama. The Dawgs rolled up yardage but big plays from Tennessee's two best players, Robert Ayers and Eric Berry, kept them from rolling up points. With Nick Stephens at the helm, Tennessee scored off Berry's end zone INT to cut Georgia's lead to 20-14, but the defense couldn't keep Georgia from adding to their lead, and the offense had done all it could. The Dawgs finished it out with a 26-14 win that dropped the Vols to 2-4. Georgia would later lose to their two biggest rivals, Florida and Georgia Tech, and finish a long way from their preseason expectations.

Georgia Offense

Matt Stafford was the number one overall pick in the NFL Draft, and Knowshon Moreno wasn't far behind him. So while the offense returns four starters on the line and All-SEC WR AJ Green, much of the focus is on Joe Cox and Caleb King, and much of Georgia's fate may be in their hands. Cox has that "fifth year senior who waited his turn" vibe about him, having seen action here and there in the last three years behind Stafford. As such, key words like "game management" seem to keep coming up when you read about him.

If Georgia is to find success while their quarterback merely manages, that puts pressure on King and the running game. Some sources said King had a relatively disappointing spring, and there will be other carries for guys like redshirt freshman Carlton Thomas. No matter who's handling the ball, Georgia has to find success in the running game for this team to be successful. And in a comparison we love to make around these parts, they were humbled last season after championship expectations fell short, lost their superstar #1 draft pick quarterback, and return an offense with only one proven star and a quarterback who waited his turn. Can the "no stars" philosophy work for the Dawgs in 2009? If so they'll need to be bolstered by the...

Georgia Defense

This is a unit that returns six starters, two at each position group, but one that also has some atoning to do: last year the Dawgs gave up 41, 49 and 45 in their three losses, and also gave up 38 apiece to LSU and Kentucky in shootout wins. They were 22nd nationally in total defense but 58th in scoring defense. The best fix may be the reunited tandem of Jeff Owens and Geno Atkins at defensive tackle, which will be the clear strength of a defensive line hurting for experienced playmakers at end. Rennie Currian had 115 tackles last year and is a preseason All-SEC linebacker. Prince Miller returns at corner and Rashad Jones at safety. Georgia was -3 in turnovers last year, and with ball control offense in '09 they need that number to make a big jump in their favor.

It's baptism by fire right away with this group, opening at Oklahoma State.

Best Case Scenario for the Vols

Georgia comes in depleted by their murderous schedule, and Tennessee is rolling on a 4-1 start. Again, similar themes in the best case scenario: Tennessee's defense takes advantage of an inexperienced quarterback, and by this point key freshmen are experienced playmakers for the Vol offense. Jonathan Crompton out-manages Joe Cox, Montario Hardesty out-rushes Caleb King, and the Vols find just enough points against a stingy Dawg defense to upset Georgia in Knoxville.

Worst Case Scenario for the Vols

Now that this series has finally reached some even ground, the worst thing that could happen is for Georgia to gain a definitive upper hand. Regardless of the outcome of the five previous games for either team, Georgia comes out and is simply better than Tennessee - the UGA defense attacks Crompton and keeps the Vols in single digits, while Joe Cox is in rhythm and the Dawgs get all the points they need. Georgia wins comfortably in Knoxville, and the Vols are forced to deal with the realization that right now, they're just not on the same level as the Bulldogs.

Game Importance Ranking: 9.4

This is the highest one you'll see. It's above the Gators because while we're given no chance to win that one, this one in Knoxville is a slightly different story. I can't make a rational argument that the Vols are going to beat Florida or Alabama on the road. I think the rational argument can be made for what would be an upset here. I'm not saying it's going to happen...I'm just saying it's more in the realm of possibilities.

Last year the Dawgs dominated the yardage battle, but the game was tight on the scoreboard throughout. Is there really that much talent separation between these two teams? The Vols had a better defense statistically last year, Georgia is inexperienced at key positions on offense...if Jonathan Crompton improves (and how could he not?), are we really that far apart?

Georgia's schedule to open the season - at Oklahoma State, South Carolina, at Arkansas, Arizona State, LSU, at Tennessee - is beyond brutal, and the Dawgs could be burdened with a handful of losses already. But even if not, it's very very difficult to play at the high level winning all of those games would require for six consecutive weeks. The Dawgs get Vanderbilt and an off week after Tennessee, making Knoxville the last real obstacle in the opening stretch...something I think works to UT's advantage.

So on our schedule, this is the biggest game that we realistically have a chance in. That to me makes it more important than Florida. UCLA is of first importance, then Auburn...but if the Vols win those two, this becomes the greatest test. Kiffin and the Vols will be asked to clear the bar at higher levels each week...but if Tennessee walks into this game 4-1, the Vols will truly have a chance for a one-year turnaround. More than that, if the Vols want to get back in the annual SEC elite conversation, they don't do that just with one stunning upset, but by consistently beating teams on their same level. If Georgia has pulled even with Tennessee, the most important thing Tennessee can do is make sure they don't pull ahead. That starts this season in Knoxville.

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