SB Nation - Trinton Sturdivant

Saturday's Stories: October 3

Year2 — Thu, 01 Oct 2009 14:45:09 -0000

Nick Saban, unlike you, doesn't have time for stories.

You may think that during the season, even a chaotic season such as this one, that the stories aren't written until the games are played. In fact, from week to week it's pretty easy to guess what the postgame wrapups are going to say (barring unexpected concussions, of course). Not to be a spoiler or anything, but here's what everyone will probably be saying on Sunday about the four in-conference games.

If Alabama Wins Big

Wow, the Crimson Tide just put up another big victory. Is it time to start calling them the best team in the SEC? Probably not yet, since Florida had its way with Kentucky too, but you'd be hard pressed to find a team that has looked better through the first five weeks than Alabama has.

If Alabama Wins Close

Wow, we almost had another top five shocker there, didn't we? I wouldn't go so far as to say this is a sign of trouble for Alabama though, because it was on the road, they might have been looking ahead to the showdown with Ole Miss, and they only beat Kentucky by three last year at home no less. In this season, everyone's entitled to a down week or two, and at least the Tide won during theirs.

If Kentucky Wins

Can this season get any crazier? Sure we've been seeing tons of top ten and even top five upsets, but Alabama was one of three teams that looked to be above the fray. So much for that. You have to give Rich Brooks a ton of credit though for circling the wagons a week after the debacle against Florida and getting his team ready to take down a giant. Still, you wonder if it's just another case of this season mercilessly taking down a highly ranked team.

vs.

If LSU Wins

Well, the Tigers haven't won pretty too much this year, and everyone was doubting whether they should even be a top ten team. However, to go on the road and win between the hedges was just a fantastic win for this program. It just goes to show that during the first four weeks, LSU was doing what it needed to: survive and advance. Now with this big win out of the way, they get to go home and play the defending champs at night. How big does that one look now that LSU has validated itself?

If Georgia Wins

Wow, what can you say about the job Mark Richt is doing this year? Everyone knows about the losses they incurred from last year, and then they go and lose Trinton Sturdivant for the second straight year. He could have lost the team after that tough first week loss, but instead the Bulldogs have bounced back and won in every fashion imaginable. Now, they've taken down a top five team. Maybe no one should have doubted this team at all.

vs.

If Ole Miss Wins

Boy, did this team need to bounce back after last week's tough loss to South Carolina. They didn't look good at all in that game. Sure this was just Vanderbilt, but any time you can get a road win in the conference you take it. The Rebels just needed to breathe a bit and realize that they can still accomplish their goals of winning the SEC West for the first time. They can make a huge step towards that goal by beating Alabama next week, but it would be a pretty long shot if they didn't avenge last year's loss to Vanderbilt this week.

If Vanderbilt Wins

Yikes. It just keeps getting worse for this year's off season darlings. The loss to South Carolina was ugly, but the Gamecocks pushed Georgia too and aren't looking like a bad team. Vandy has looked like a bad team, and here they are coming away with a second straight win over Houston Nutt and Ole Miss. Credit Bobby Johnson for getting things worked out after a bad loss to the other Magnolia State team though. He's always one of the most underrated coaches in the country.

vs.

If Auburn Wins

Auburn has looked good so far, but let's be real: they hadn't faced much of anyone of note yet (because despite beating a terrible Colorado team, we still don't know how good West Virginia is). Tennessee has a defense that is very real, so I think we can throw some real weight behind the Auburn optimism now. Gene Chizik has now won as many games at Auburn as he did in two years at Iowa State, so it's probably time to toss out his "Mr. 5-19" title as well. I don't think anyone expected him to do this well this soon. Maybe the administration there knew what it was doing all along. Tennessee, by the way, is now 2-3 and hasn't been able to beat a major conference team. It's not looking all that different from last year.

If Tennessee Wins

This is a game that Tennessee really needed. So far, Gene Chizik had been doing the best of the conference's three new coaches, winning his first four games in style. Now, Tennessee has a good real victory, not just a good moral victory, early in Lane Kiffin's tenure. This is the sort of win that the program can build on going into its tough upcoming stretch with Georgia, Alabama, and South Carolina. Without this win, a 2-6 start could easily have been possible. As for Auburn, it was a nice start, but maybe the Tigers aren't as far along as we thought.

Previewing South Carolina at Georgia: Q & A with Bulldog in Exile

Gamecock Man — Thu, 10 Sep 2009 00:11:49 -0000

I got together with the fine Georgia blogger Bulldog in Exile to preview this weekend's game. Please check out my answers to his questions here.

1. All eyes will be on Joe Cox this weekend after an underwhelming performance last week in Stillwater. How much was Cox affected by his illness? Will he bounce back against Carolina? When will Mark Richt play Aaron Murray or Logan Grey if Cox continues to struggle?

I don't have a good grasp on the cause of Joe's trouble in Stillwater. I am a big Joe Cox fan. He has done and said all that you would hope a player in your program would while waiting his turn. In that regard, he is DJ Shockley. However, we also knew he wasn't DJ Shockley, talent wise. In my mind, some of the blame has to be laid at the feet of Mike Bobo. If I had a QB that I knew was sick, was in his first game as THE guy, and wasn't going to sling lasers all over the field, I would certainly be looking for plays that froze the defense and opened up play makers. That didn't happen.

I think Joe will have a better game against South Carolina. USC's defensive backfield looked good, but no one will mistake AJ Green or Michael Moore for Jarvis Williams. It'll be interesting to see if the younger receivers get in the game. I am trying to say Joe's problems weren't all on him. A little better game planning, a little better catching and a little better blocking will help make his go from underwhelming to a serviceable QB, which is all anyone will ask from him.

I was surprised to see Logan in only once, although you could say using Branden Smith in the Wild Dawg (or whatever) is a distinction without a difference. I hope we don't see Murray or Mettenberger at all. If that happens, it'll mean the coaches have made the decision that Joe cannot get it done. Absent injury, I don't see that happening unless Cox really does worse than he did last week.

2. Your running game with Richard Samuel looked good at times, especially on the first drive. However, it floundered a bit later in the game as you struggled to find balance. Will Georgia reestablish the run against a Carolina defense that gave up only 59 rushing yards to N. C. State? How will they do it? And what's the status on Caleb King?

As to the first part: God, I hope so. The lay consensus was that Bobo abandoned the run way too early and didn't utilize it to set up the passing game (no play actions, draws or misdirections were called all day against Oklahoma State). Even if the RBs don't get more yards than the 100 or so they gained against Oklahoma State, if the running game is used to freeze coverage or at least make the defense think run, it will yield dividends for the Dawgs. Samuel looked stellar at times against the Pokes. He looked like me at the end of an open bar wedding reception at times. If the offensive line plays up to its potential, I don't worry about the Dawgs getting the running game going.

Caleb King has a hamstring injury. If he plays (which at this point is a likelihood), I don't expect to see him get more than 5 or so touches since he hasn't practiced at speed in a few weeks (warning to your readers: this probably means he will be Hershel Walker like and get 31 touches and run for 189 yards, which I would, of course, take).

3. The Gamecocks defensive front--especially Eric Norwood and Cliff Matthews--was able to exert a lot of pressure on Russell Wilson last week, and Oklahoma State was at times able to penetrate what was supposed to be a stout Georgia offensive line. How will Georgia fare against the Carolina pass rush, especially with Trinton Sturdivant out?

The funny thing about Okie State's pressure is that I never felt like they got pressure on him, with the exception of the hit that yielded a fumble, which was due to a very nice move on the part of the lineman. It was only after I watched the game on TV did I see what Coach Richt called incomplete blocks. Cox had plenty of time, too much, at times. I don't want to see him running for his life, but the passes that he threw on instinct were more likely to be on target. Those he threw when he thought about it were tentative. Not sure what that is, but if I could see it, then everyone can. That being said, I do worry about what Matthews and Devin Taylor showed against NC State.

The loss of Trinton is big, but he is replaced by a senior (Vince Vance) with plenty of game experience. Plus, we've been here before. In a lot of ways, the adversity will only help Coach Searels use the us vs. the world argument to his advantage. You don't want to give Coach Searels any more tools than he already has.

4. How much do you hate Steve Spurrier and what are your favorite and least-favorite UGA-Spurrier moments?

Well, if you had asked me that question in 2000...

Seriously, I think Steve Spurrier has been one of those coaches that changed the game, especially the way it was played in the SEC. Now, on a scale between my ex-wife's lawyer on one end and the guy that is in the left lane going 1mph faster than the traffic in the right lane on the other, he is much closer to the guy in the right lane. Yeah, he's annoying, but after he's been passed, I don't think about him much. He's lost a lot of his bite. Particularly disappointing were his apologies over Tebowgate. Old Steve Spurrier would have waxed eloquent about Jevan Snead and mentioned that Tebow is a great player, but Jarred Lorenzen was a better pure quarterback pound for pound.

As for my least favorite moments, I would have to say all five Georgia-Florida games that I saw with him coaching Florida to wins are ties. In that regard, I will have to say ever time I hear a Florida fan say 16 of 19 is pretty high on my least favorite moments.

5. What's going to happen in this game? Who will win and how will it go down?

It'll be a typical Georgia-South Carolina game, with both teams squandering chances and one team needing a defensive stand near the end to win. While Joe Cox isn't Matt Stafford, he isn't Quincy Carter either, so I have to believe it will come down to the team that does better in converting chances. Given a 35 yard field with Georgia's defense against a Steven Garcia led offense vs. a 35 yard field with South Carolina's defense against a Joe Cox led offense, I just like Georgia's chances better. 24-20 won't surprise me any more than 12-10.

A hearty thanks to Bulldog in Exile for participating.

Five College Football Games to Watch: Week 2

Nico2.0 — Wed, 09 Sep 2009 14:30:15 -0000

More photos » by Lori Shepler - AP

USC quarterback Matt Barkley will face the biggest test of his young career against Ohio State on Saturday.

Browse more photos »

Week 1 of the college football season proved to have some rather exciting moments and some unpredictable outcomes. BYU shocked #3 Oklahoma and Sam Bradford was put out of commission for a few weeks. Georgia showed that they might be in serious trouble this year after a less than stellar performance in Stillwater. Boise State made a lot of progress towards a 2nd BCS Bowl. FSU and Miami provided a thrilling closer to the opening weekend in a game with eight lead changes and a combined 32 points in the fourth quarter. Ohio State survived a scare from Navy. Alabama even got a few first place votes in the AP. Though there's only one truly blockbuster match up, Week 2 could provide more interest for fans as there are a few contests featuring big names (at least historically speaking) and several teams begin to dabble in conference play. Now on to the five "must watch" games of Week 2 (not involving Alabama) and remember, rankings are from the AP until the BCS rankings come out...and all times listed are central:

CLEMSON at GEORGIA TECH (15)
Thursday, September 10th - 6:30 pm - ESPN

Though both ACC teams started their seasons with cupcakes, this Thursday contest will be one to watch. It'll be interesting to see if Dabo Swinney can get anything going at Clemson in his first full year there after taking over part of the way through the 2008 season after Bowden's implosion. Clemson whacked Middle Tennessee State 37-14 in their opener, but Georgia Tech will naturally prove to be a much stiffer challenge.

Georgia Tech is beginning year two of the Paul Johnson era and remained at #15 after beating FCS Jacksonville State 37-17 in an error-filled affair. Tech had five fumbles against the Gamecocks (and lost three of them) and apparently suffered many dropped passes as well. Johnson had this to say after the game, "...we will have to be 100 times better on Thursday night or we will get run out of our own stadium.”

While Clemson aren't world beaters by any stretch of the imagination (they'd be ranked #31 if you rank them in the 'others receiving votes' category), they're worlds better than JSU and if they could sneak out a win against Georgia Tech, it could help them greatly in what's looking like a very weak Atlantic Division of the ACC. Given that the Coastal Division looks to be much tougher, the pressure is really on Georgia Tech to come out with a win against a team from the other division.

NOTRE DAME (18) at MICHIGAN
Saturday, September 12th - 2:30 pm - ABC

Before the season started, many people met this game with a roll of the eyes and a groan after last year proved to be an exercise in extreme suckitude for both of the storied programs. ND housed Michigan 35-17 in South Bend and it was shocking at the time before everyone figured out just how terrible Michigan really was. Notre Dame's final record of 7-6 looked better than it was as they lost to pretty much any decent team they played...and even some bad teams they played, such as Syracuse.

Notre Dame claims they've buckled down and changed their attitudes after the 2008 regular season and they turned that newfound enthusiasm into a 49-21 victory over Hawai'i in the Hawai'i Bowl. It seems to be carrying over so far into 2009 after they waxed Nevada 35-0 in their opener (and Jimmy Clausen didn't even get sackend once!) Michigan beat up on the Western Michigan Broncos in their opener to the tune of 31-7. While neither of those opening weekends are exactly resume wins for either team, they were rather sound victories...something both programs only rarely produced in 2008. So yeah, there's a bit of the history of both programs carrying this pick, but in the early goings anyway, both teams look to be significantly improved over last year.

UCLA at TENNESSEE
Saturday, September 12th - 3:00 pm - ESPN

This is one of the rare times I'll pick a game featuring two unranked teams (though they are both 'ranked' in the mid-30s if you extend out the "others receiving votes" category of the AP Poll), but I think we're all more than a little curious to see how the Kiffin experiment will function against a team that's not the worst team in the FBS. Their 63-7 win over hapless Western Kentucky has their fanbase amped up. To some extent, that's largely understandable given the optimism of fans with a new coach (especially after watching the final year of the Reign of Phil.)

UCLA is also trying to get things rolling in the right direction under a new(ish) coach. Rick Neuheisel is in his second year in charge of the Bruins and hoping to improve on the 4-8 campaign of his first year. Things got off to a rocky start for the Bruins' defence in their opener against San Diego State in that they gave up TDs on the Aztecs' first two possessions. They buckled down afterward though and shut them out the remaining three quarters in a 33-14 win. One of UCLA's four wins last year came against Tennessee when they defeated the Vols 27-24 in Pasadena. The Vol Nation will certainly want their revenge and former USC coaches Lane Kiffin and Ed Orgeron will certainly want to defeat UCLA because of their present and past employers.

SOUTH CAROLINA at GEORGIA (21)
Saturday, September 12th - 6:00 pm - ESPN2

I think we're going to be able to tell a lot about Georgia's prospects for the rest of the year based off of this game. Though South Carolina didn't show a whole heckuva lot in their 7-3 win against NC State, they're not going to roll over and play dead for a Georgia team badly in need of a win. The thought of an 0-2 Georgia is jarring considering the success they've had under Mark Richt, but things aren't looking so hot right now in Athens after their opening weekend trip to Stillwater. After a successful opening drive, the wheels kind of fell off for the Bulldogs in their 24-10 loss. Spotty QB play from Joe Cox, turnovers and the loss of their starting left tackle will have to be overcome if Georgia's to make any noise in the SEC East this year. The good news though is that Georgia's defense was able to somewhat contain OSU's offensive juggernaut to a mere 307 yards of offense. Two of OSU's TD scoring drives started at Georgia's 32 and 24.

USC (3) at OHIO STATE (8)
Saturday, September 12th - 7:00 pm - ESPN

Based solely on ranking, this is unquestionably THE game of the week. In 2008, the Trojans tore the Buckeyes limb from limb in Los Angeles to the tune of 35-3. Hopefully this year, the game will live up to its heavyweight billing and produce something actually worth watching. Opening weekend contests for the two teams make you think a repeat of last year could be in store after Ohio State narrowly defeated Navy 31-27 (and was dropped two places in the rankings as a reward) and USC decimated San Jose State 56-3. Navy is certainly better than San Jose State, but it's not like Navy is elite, even if their offense is difficult to defend. USC is breaking in a true freshman quarterback though and there's quite a difference between lining up against San Jose State in the friendly atmosphere of home and taking on Ohio State at the 'Shoe. It'll be the one the nation as a whole will be tuned into this weekend and will definitely be a game that shapes the national championship race as it'll be a resume win no matter who the victor is.

Poll

Which of these games are you most interested in?

Clemson at Georgia Tech

27 votes

Notre Dame at Michigan

61 votes

UCLA at Tennessee

156 votes

South Carolina at Georgia

94 votes

USC at Ohio State

250 votes

588 votes | Poll has closed

SEC Power Poll Ballot: Week One

T Kyle King — Tue, 08 Sep 2009 02:21:36 -0000

My trek home from Oklahoma this morning began at 4:30 a.m. central time, so I am a bit worn down and the Dawg Sports community has done an admirable job of continuing the conversation in my absence, so I will not keep you long this evening. It would be remiss of me, though, not to echo the sentiments of several conscientious commenters and send my best wishes to Trinton Sturdivant after he was lost to injury for the second straight season. Feel better soon, big guy.

The time has come to begin compiling my various ballots for the week, starting with the autumn’s inaugural SEC Power Poll. Please note that this is a power poll, and, as such, it can (and will) diverge from my BlogPoll ballot. Please also note that, at this juncture, it’s hard to tell what’s what and who’s who, given the suspect nature of the opposition most SEC teams have faced. If you think you’ve spotted an inconsistency, you probably have.

That said, here is where the Southeastern Conference’s twelve member institutions stand at the present moment:

1. Alabama Crimson Tide: No team in the league looked better against a tougher opponent than the Red Elephants, led by Brodie Parker McElroy. (I know that’s not his name, but it might as well be.) It was a slugfest, as expected, but ‘Bama closed the deal.

2. Florida Gators: Admittedly, the Sunshine State Saurians didn’t cover the astronomical spread, but they otherwise did what they were expected to do against an embarrassingly overmatched team.

3. Mississippi Rebels: Although Ole Miss took a little while to get going, the Rebs went on the road to tangle with a Memphis outfit that ordinarily gives them fits and came out with a comfortable win.

4. South Carolina Gamecocks: The Palmetto State Poultry fielded an anemic offense but a stout defense. The contestants’ aversion to scoring in last Thursday’s contest should not obscure the fact that the Big Chickens once again look solid on the side of the ball that wins championships . . . well, at programs other than theirs, at any rate.

5. Tennessee Volunteers: I hate rewarding the fact that Big Orange starter Jonathan Crompton was still in the game in the fourth quarter after the home team had built up a 42-7 lead, especially since you know, I know, and the American people know that Lane Kiffin only did that to build up the reserve of goodwill upon which he will have to draw after the Gators grind the Vols into a fine orange powder. Nevertheless, Western Kentucky is a Division I-A outfit, however marginally, so Tennessee has to get credit. Dang it.

6. LSU Tigers: The Bayou Bengals really had no business being tied with the Washington Huskies inside the final two minutes of the opening half, but the game was on the road against a Pac-10 team. The fact that Louisiana State could be ranked in the top half of the league after trailing in total yards (478-321) and in first downs (25-17) attests to the weakness of the opposition the SEC encountered on opening weekend.

7. Auburn Tigers: Like the Western Division’s other set of Tigers, the Plainsmen were snarled 10-10 late in the second quarter, but Auburn managed to pull away in the end from a Louisiana Tech outfit that upset another SEC bottom-feeder last year.

8. Kentucky Wildcats: A 42-0 win over a MAC team is still a 42-0 win. It’s better than the sad sacks the next three clowns beat, at any rate.

9. Vanderbilt Commodores: The goose egg landed Vandy ahead of the next couple of teams. The Division I-AA opponent dropped the ‘Dores behind Kentucky.

10. Arkansas Razorbacks: Because the Hogs gave up ten points, they couldn’t overcome the Commies, but I’m thinking Missouri State tops Jackson State.

11. Mississippi St. Bulldogs: MSU beat Jackson State. If you think I can’t very well justify torpedoing the other teams that played Division I-AA opposition while rewarding the Gators, I’m going to fall back on the faith that Florida is just plain better than Arkansas and Mississippi State. Does anyone want to quarrel with that contention?

12. Georgia: Eleven SEC teams are 1-0. One SEC team is 0-1. That team finishes last, since there is no credible strength of schedule assessment to be performed at this juncture.

That’s how it looks to me, but your mileage may vary. Please feel free to let me know where and how much in the comments below. The draft of my BlogPoll ballot should be coming your way tomorrow.

Go ‘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)

View full size photo »

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.

Kicking Off Week 2 with Good Sportmanship and Uncertainty // 09.07.09

cocknfire — Mon, 07 Sep 2009 08:10:54 -0000

GATOR HYPE-O-METER
On a scale of 1 to 100

Even Lou Holtz concedes that the Gators will "upset" Notre Dame for the national title. Meanwhile, a competitor for BCS game (Oklahoma) loses to BYU and the biggest threat in the SEC East (Georgia) looks like it's unable to score points.

UPS AND DOWNS
A look at who's going which way in college football

DAN MULLEN
Guides Mississippi State to largest point total in seven years. Next up: Auburn and a sequel to 3-2.

RICH RODRIGUEZ
What scandal? It might have been Western Michigan out of the MAC, but Saturday's game was the second-highest point total for Michigan under Rodriguez and the highest margin of victory. Oh, and Michigan beat a mid-major or FCS in its home opener for a change.

SEC QUARTERBACKS
Greg McElroy, Jevan Snead overcome slow starts to look impressive. Tennessee's Jonathan Crompton looks light years ahead of last year's imitation of Evil Erik Ainge. Now, about Georgia's Joe Cox, South Carolina's Stephen Garcia ...

AMERICAN FOOTBALL COACHES ASSOCIATION, NCAA
Dubbed the first weekend "Sportsmanship Week," asked for teams to shake hands at midfield. How'd that work out for you?

LEGARRETTE BLOUNT
Latest example of bad behavior in sports. Upside: Closest anyone came on Thursday night to landing a knockout blow.

ACC
When does basketball season begin?

FOR YOUR CONSIDERATION
A few things to think about

The first week means nothing -- sometimes
It's easy to get wrapped up in the first weekend of college football. It is, after all, the first time we've seen any of these teams, and it's the only basis we have for any analysis at all.

Take, for example, South Carolina's woeful performance on offense. No, not Thursday's; the season opener back in 2006, when the Gamecocks scored just 15 points and produced just 274 yards of offense, until this week the worst offensive output of any Spurrier-era South Carolina team. That 2006 squad ended up as Spurriers best so far in terms of points per game (26.6), rushing yardage per game (144) and total yardage per game (395). It fell 21 points short of going 11-1 overall, 7-1 SEC and came within Jarvis Moss' fingertips of upsetting eventual national champion Florida.

That was two days before Arkansas got crushed 50-14 at home by Southern Cal. The Hogs would reel off 10 straight wins until losing to LSU in their final regular season game. Arkansas ended up winning the SEC West crown and were ranked 15th or 16th in the polls when the year ended.

You might remember last year's victory by UCLA against Tennessee. That was good enough for the Bruins to show up at No. 23 in the AP poll and just outside the Top 25 in the USA Today poll. That is, until BYU waxed UCLA 59-0 the next week; the Bruins would win just three more games all year.

Of course, sometimes season openers let us know exactly what a team is. Also last year, Mississippi State lost to Louisiana Tech in the season opener. The Western Division Bulldogs would win just three games against FBS foes the rest of the way and Sylvester Croom "resigned" at the end of the season.

So it might be that Georgia and South Carolina are as awful as they look or that Alabama will cruise to its second straight SEC West title. Excuse me if I wait a bit longer to pass judgment.

Where can I go to get my reputation back? Week 2
This could mark a redemption weekend of sorts for the SEC. Tennessee will have an opportunity to prove that it's turned things around since last year when UCLA comes to Knoxville after last year's 27-24 loss in overtime marked the point at which the wheels essentially began to come off of the Fulmer Era.

Meanwhile, Auburn will take on Mississippi State in a repeat of the infamous "baseball game" of last year, which say the teams combine for 431 yards of offense, 20 first downs and five points.

Can we start over again?
Perhaps no conference had a Saturday as bad as the ACC. The newest "superconference" went 0-2 against the CAA -- Colonial Athletic Association -- with losses by Virginia to William & Mary and Duke to Richmond. The conference also lost ~~all~~ four of its five games against other teams in the FBS (excluding Monday's intraconference game between Florida State and Miami, which one of the teams presumably must win). [C&F: Clemson beat Middle Tennessee State, after which all of its fans went on a cow-tipping spree. The sentence has been edited to reflect this.]

This was a significant step backwards for the SEC's closest neighbor, which also had an embarrassing outing last year but won all its first-week games against FCS schools and saw its worst losses in blowouts by Southern Cal at Virginia and Alabama against Clemson and a close East Carolina victory against Virginia Tech.

At some point, this could have severe consequences for the ACC. If it falls too far in the public eye, the rankings of its champion will begin to fall, and the league could join the Big East in hoping that it avoids getting axed under the BCS rules for letting one of the major conferences go. That is, assuming anyone really considers the ACC a major conference anymore.

SEC NEWS

Game recap of the week
The obituary of Manic Kyle is also a hilarious and devoted recounting of the Mayor's disappointing trip to Stillwater. Anyone who has ever seen his team lose a heartbreaking game will empathize.

I know one game he didn't watch
Spurrier knocks his own gameplan for N.C. State, which might be considered a bold move by anyone who didn't watch the game. "We certainly can’t bring that game plan to beat Georgia on offense." Coach, I'm not sure about that one, but it is best not to tempt fate.

Well, it was his first game
Auburn talks up the win by Gene Chisek.

Makiri Pugh has swine flu
No joke here, because it's actually a case of swine flue. Here's hoping Pugh recovers quickly.

And then there are the important things
It's easy to hate puff pieces, but anyone who finishes fighting in Iraq and makes three attempts to get on a football team before making it deserves an article or two.

Jesse Mahelona dies
Thoughts and prayers to his young family.

John Parker Wilson a Falcon
But another former SEC quarterback, ex-Dawg D.J. Shockley, is gone as a result. Shockley did sign with the practice squad.

Injury Report

Trinton Sturdivant (Georgia)
ACL, season-ending.

Permit me a side note. This sucks. I don't care who you cheer for -- and as a Gamecock fan, I'm no devotee of the Dawgs -- but it seems unfair for any player, particularly one as apparently talented as Sturdivant, to have to overcome this twice.

Rodney Paulk (South Carolina)
ACL, season-ending

Carl Johnson (Florida)
Bone bruise, probable.

Lawrence Marsh (Florida)
Ankle, probable.

Larry Smith (Vanderbilt)
Arm, not serious.

ELSEWHERE

Blount apologizes to Boise State
I still wonder why Byron Hout hasn't been suspended for at least a game. Let's be honest -- Hout's antics are no excuse for what LeGarrette Blount did, but it's not too difficult to believe that if Hout had kept his mount shut, Blount might still have a football future and this whole ugly situation could have been avoided.

In fact, one could argue that Hout should have been suspended even if Blount didn't punch him. To say something after you've lost is bad enough. To do so after you've won is completely classless.

At least he had an insurance policy
No telling how much he took it out for, but Sam Bradford appears to have covered his bases before returning to college. The question for the Sooners, of course, is whether they have enough insurance behind Bradford to keep their Big XII and national title hopes alive until he returns.

Georgia Tackle Trinton Sturdivant Out for Season

Gamecock Man — Mon, 07 Sep 2009 00:15:14 -0000

Georgia is reporting that star tackle Trinton Strurdivant will miss his second-straight season due to torn knee ligament:

Richt said Sturdivant tore the anterior cruciate ligament in his left knee. It is the same knee Sturdivant injured in a preseason scrimmage last year, forcing him to miss the 2008 season.

While this obviously benefits us this coming weekend, I am sad to hear about this. It's never good to hear that a promising kid is going to miss the entire year, especially one that has fought hard to make a comeback. I can only imagine that this is devestating to the guy. I wish Sturdivant luck and hope he gets the chance to prove he's capable of making it to the next level one day.

The Big Games On the Schedule, Part 1: @Georgia, 10/3

Richard Pittman — Mon, 06 Jul 2009 11:50:24 -0000

Today, in the long dark offseason of the soul, we start looking at some of the "big" games that LSU will play this year. We won't look at all the games in this fashion, because we have to save something for the regular season, and I'll be damned if I'm looking up stats and rosters on UL-Lafayette in July.

Let me preface by saying I have an almost pathological aversion to making predictions of how games will go. A football game is a bit like the weather. There are too many complex interactions to reliably predict what will occur. Small human decisions play a huge part in the course of action, and in the ultimate result. While sometimes the talent disparities between teams are so great that one can at least reliably predict the outcome, even that can be problematic. Any one of us can name several times in which a team has given a vastly superiorly talented team a huge scare (Troy, last year), or upset them outright (UL-Monroe at Bama two years ago). If that sort of thing could happen, how can you reliably predict outcomes when the talent disparity is not so great (see Ole Miss @ Florida, last year).

That is why omissions from this series should not be taken to mean those games are easy wins. I will not be previewing Washington, Vandy, ULL, or Mississippi State here at this time, even though at least two and possibly three of those teams would have a non-negligible chance of beating us. It could happen, but if it were, the season would quickly descend into a pit of despair.

Probably this blog's first Princess Bride reference.

Instead, we start with Georgia on October 3, 2009. Barring disaster (always possible), the Tigers should be 4-0. The Dawgs have a bit of a tougher road to October 3 than we have, facing Oklahoma State, South Carolina, Arkansas, and Arizona State in the first four weeks. Georgia will be well into the meat of their schedule by this point.

Georgia loses some players off of last year's team. Chief among them are, of course, are running back Knowshon Moreno and quarterback Matt Stafford, who both were selected in the first round of the NFL draft. Stafford was #1 overall. Also lost were #2 wide receiver Mohammed Massaquoi, cornerback Asher Allen, veteran linebacker Dannell Ellerbe, and a couple of good defensive linemen.

Losing a good wide receiver, a great running back, and a great quarterback certainly hurts, and for what it's worth T. Kyle King seems to think this is going to be a dark season for his beloved Dawgs. I am not so sure. Last season was of course supposed to be a great season for the Dawgs, but injuries to left tackle Trinton Sturdivant and defensive tackle Jeff Owens derailed those plans very quickly.

Those guys are back now, and while we're not sure they're the same players they were before, if they are, I think Georgia could be better this year than they were last year despite the lost skill players. Their offensive line was supposed to be the best in the conference until injuries took their toll last year, and now those players are back.

With Jeff Owens and Geno Atkins holding down the middle of the field, and arguably the best linebacker in the conference sitting behind them in Rennie Curran and a talented safety back there as well in Reshad Jones, the Georgia Bulldog defense should be pretty scary.

The offensive line, if Trinton Sturdivant and Chris Davis are healthy, could be the best in the conference. Good line play on both sides of the ball can make up for a lot of deficiencies in the personnel at the sexier lineup spots.

Of course, the most important position on the field is the quarterback, and the Ginger Assassin is not exactly striking fear into opponents' hearts right now. If Joe Cox doesn't produce, Mark Richt could make a move for the future and bring in sophomore Logan Gray or true freshman Aaron Murray. If we see a true freshman starting in this game, I will feel much better about our chances.

A great player like A.J. Green can do little if a quarterback isn't there to get him the ball.

This is a game between two teams who, at this point, are kind of hard to figure out. Georgia fans are grossly pessimistic about their prospects this season, and LSU fans certainly expect that a big improvement is in the offing for their own side. However, this game is far from being a gimme, especially in Athens. If Georgia stays healthy and gets solid quarterback play, they are going to be a very good team. All the other pieces are in place, as they can certainly find at least an acceptable replacement for Knowshon Moreno. It's hard to characterize GEORGIA of all teams as a dark horse team, but they really could be. They just need for their supposedly healthy players to really be healthy and to get solid QB play and they are a threat to beat anyone, including the likes of Florida and LSU.

Dawg Sports Discusses Georgia Bulldogs on ESPN Radio in Gainesville/Ocala

T Kyle King — Thu, 18 Jun 2009 16:00:36 -0000

For the benefit of those of you who were unable to hear the show live, here is the audio clip of the segment on which I appeared, brought to you with the generous assistance of "The Morning Drive" team and Rocky Top Talk’s Joel:

Aside from almost referring to Willie Martinez’s offensive philosophy (which may have been a Freudian slip), I don’t think I made too much of a hash of this interview, but feel free to point out any other errors in the comments.

Go ‘Dawgs!

Post-Spring Previews: Georgia

Gamecock Man — Thu, 04 Jun 2009 19:34:56 -0000

After traveling to Raleigh, the Gamecocks continue their path along one of the nation's toughest schedules when they go to Athens to take on the 'Dawgs. The Georgia game is always one of the defining moments of our season. Most Gamecocks fans consider Georgia our biggest SEC rival, and a win typically marks the beginning of a good season (2007 aside).

On the whole, Georgia is a team full of question marks. They disappointed last year after coming into the season with sky-high expectations. This year, they have to replace a number of significant players, most notably offensive stars Matt Stafford, Knowshon Moreno, and Mohamed Massaquoi. On the other hand, they return significant talent on defense and on the offensive line. Their success will likely depend on whether Joe Cox can be efficient and can at least come to close to matching Stafford's productivity and if their defense can stay healthy and play better than it did in highly publicized meltdowns against LSU, Florida, and Georgia Tech last season. We'll probably know a lot more about Georgia after they open their season at Oklahoma State, a team with an absolutely explosive offense that will probably be preseason top ten.

Let's take a closer look at how we match up against these guys.

Quarterback

Mark Richt plans to start senior Joe Cox, who got significant playing time early in 2006 but since then has been Stafford's backup, only playing in mop-up duty. Cox is a fairly talented player and has spent a lot of time in the system, so the 'Dawgs can reasonably hope that he will be a competent signal caller. However, he lacks Stafford's physical abilities, so his ceiling is probably relatively low. I'd call it a push between Cox and Stephen Garcia; Cox has had longer to grow into his roll and is a more mature player, but he lacks Garcia's natural talent and has less in-game experience than Garcia. Usually, I'd say that means that Garcia has the advantage, but Garcia was hardly impressive in some of his appearances last year. Although he showed promise at times, he has plenty to prove this time around.

Verdict: Push

Running Backs

While Moreno leaves big shoes to fill, Georgia is uncommonly deep at the running back position, with several highly recruited players waiting to become the next Moreno, Garrison Heart, or Herschel Walker. The one most likely to become a household name is Caleb King, a speedy home run threat who rushed for over 200 yards last year as Moreno's primary backup. However, Richard Samuel will also get plenty of touches, and the two backs may form something of a Thunder and Lightening duo. I'd say UGA has a slight advantage over us here; while I like our stable of backs and expect us to field a much improved running game in the fall, both King and Samuel could start at any school in the nation. These guys are monsters and, while we might get the 'Dawgs during a transition period while UGA tries to figure out how best to divvy the caries, I doubt UGA will miss a beat without Moreno this year.

Verdict: Slight advantage Georgia

Offensive Line

UGA returns a seasoned, talented offensive line led by tackles Quintin Sturdivant and Clint Boling. Sturdivant's preseason injury last year caused this unit to underperform last year, but if Sturdivant is able to return close to full strength, this should be a very good unit. I would give them a slight advantage over our line. While I expect much-improved blocking from our guys this year and the play in the spring gives us every indication that that's what we'll get, we simply lack the talent possessed by Georgia at these positions.

Verdict: Slight advantage Georgia

Wide Receivers and Tight Ends

Georgia returns phenomenal receiver A. J. Green (yep, the same Summerville star that screwed his home state's flagship university by committing to a bitter rival) but loses the aforementioned Massaquoi, and so far it's unclear who will be the second receiver. That could be problematic for Georgia, as Cox could use the benefit of a slew of targets. At TE--a position that hasn't been featured in recent UGA offenses but may be this year--UGA loses ball-dropping machine Tripp Chandler but brings in the highly recruited Orson Charles and Arthur Lynch. Charles is a big, fast player receiving end somewhat out of the Jared Cook mold, while Lynch is more of a traditional end. Either will be a significant improvement over Chandler. I'd call it a push at these positions; after losing Kenny McKinley we don't have anyone like Green on our team, but what we lose in that contrast we gain in better depth.

Verdict: Push

Defensive Line

The 'Dawgs return a very strong couple of players at tackle in Geno Atkins and Jeff Owens. However, they appear to lack a dangerous pass rusher, especially as they'll be without end Justin Houston, who is suspended for the first two games, when they play us. If Ladi Ajiboye plays in this game, I think we have a slight advantage here. While I like Atkins and Owens a bit more than Ajiboye and Nathan Pepper, UGA lacks the sack threats at end that we have in Clifton Geathers and Cliff Matthews.

Verdict: Slight advantage South Carolina

Linebackers

UGA and Carolina each return one of the nation's best linebackers in Rennie Curran and Eric Norwood. UGA, however, also returns Daryl Gamble, another quality player, whereas Carolina will still be in the process of breaking in Rodney Paulk and Shaq Wilson as Norwood's partners in crime. UGA gets a slight advantage here.

Verdict: Slight advantage Georgia

Secondary

Georgia returns star safety Reshad Jones as well as corner Prince Miller but is a little more uncertain at the other two starting spots. This puts them in a similar spot to Carolina, who returns Chris Culliver, who came into his own as a future star late last season, and Darian Stewart but, after the departure of Emanuel Cook, Captain Munnerlyn, and Stoney Woodson to the NFL, will have to fill the other spots with a host of freshmen and returning lettermen like Addison Williams who haven't always been the best around. I'm calling this one another push.

Verdict: Push

Special Teams

UGA returns a pretty good placekicker in Blair Walsh. However, their return units were a liability last season, and they'll have to prove they can improve in those areas this year. Carolina has similar questions and lacks the returning kicker, so I'll give UGA a slight advantage here.

Verdict: Slight advantage Georgia

Head Coaches

Although he's yet to win a national title, Mark Richt has been one of the most consistent coaches in the SEC while at Georgia and has one of the highest winning percentages in school history. In a way, that makes him a lot like Steve Spurrier at Florida before Spurrier won the national title in 1996, as Spurrier had up until that point been a coach that won lots of games and often got his team in position to compete for national titles but usually ended up dropping a game he should have won. My thinking is that Richt will put together that perfect season one day; a coach doesn't put his team in the top 10 as consistently as Richt does without finally having a season when the ball rolls his way. In terms of comparing the two, you can put me in the camp that believes that Spurrier still has his coaching chops, but the fact that Spurrier hasn't managed to really do much since he left Florida in 2001 means that advantage here has to go to Richt, who still appears to be at the height of his powers.

Verdict: Slight advantage Georgia

Overall

We and our coach tend to be at the top of our game when facing the 'Dawgs. However, Georgia does have more talent than us at most positions. They also have more depth than us, although I think the gap has closed somewhat and, at any rate, depth shouldn't matter too much in the second game of the season. All of that means that a victory in this game, especially considering it's in Athens, would be an unqualified upset. I think the game will be close and that we'll have a chance to win it late, but I can't bring myself to predict a victory at this point. After we've seen how these two teams play in their season openers, maybe we can revise that.

Prediction: Georgia wins by a touchdown