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Tate Ratledge sounds off on Georgia offensive line play: ‘Lot of room for improvement’
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Tate Ratledge sounds off on Georgia offensive line play: ‘Lot of room for improvement’
ATHENS — Tate Ratledge knows there’s no point in sugarcoating it.
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Can’t help but think they have been playing to their competition, not to the UGA standard.
I agree Brooksie, but they had better get their act together soon if they want to be considered for the Joe Moore Award. Go Dawgs!!!
Good, good on Ratledge’s part. Acknowledging that there IS a problem is the first big step. Now take the necessary steps to fix it. He’s a leader in that unit, and he’s now Publicly challenged his teammates. I think we will see them respond in a good way. Go Dawgs !!
One would think that the day in, day out practices where they compete against the countries' best defense would prepare them to dominate the lesser opponents they face on Saturdays. At this point, if I were this team's coach, I would not trust this OL to get the crucial yardage needed in a "do or die" situation. They have not proven themselves to me yet
True but at least they recognize and admit it, and are working on it. Ratledge called them out in a pretty strong way. Stronger really than the HC. And that’s what you want when in a unit is performing on an inadequate basis, Leader/Players to challenge the unit to get better.
You know as I do that this ain’t the first time we’ve seen a premier O line at UGA get off to a slow start. Even those of the last two seasons.
So if we don’t see at least Some improvement from one week to the next, then Yeah might be time to hit the big red Worry button !! As far as the Joe Moore Award the O line has their own destiny in their own hands. Get better, Much better and that’ll take care of its self.
As to Why the slow go in the first two games, I don’t really know why, other than to say it takes Time even for a great O line, to develop Real Game chemistry. Just my humble opinions. I think we’re gonna see Team Wide Improvement and soon. Go Dawgs !!0
Nah. Here's the deal. I went through some of this yesterday on the winners/losers post.
Sorry guys. The opposition has scholarship players and defensive coordinators too. 5 guys aren't going to line up and blast 8 guys off the ball. You are either going to need WRs good enough to cut the guys in the box to 7 or 6, or RBs with the talent, strength, vision and skill to turn any bit of daylight that he can find into decent gains. Right now UGA doesn't have either. Scapegoating the OL for problems created by the scheme and/or talent deficiencies isn't going to cut it.
If UGA can't or won't get better players at WR and RB then at the very least they need to make sure that they recruit at least one Darnell Washington type TE for every Brock Bowers type, even if he is "only" a 3 star. They haven't been doing that because the modern ratings system prioritizes TEs with good hands who can get separation downfield over good blockers. Because UGA prioritizes 4 and 5 star TEs, now they have a TE depth chart filled with 230-240 pound guys without the size and strength to set the edge against linebackers that are bigger and stronger than they are and even some safeties that are nearly as big and strong.
But something has gotta give. Your options:
A. Get true big time talent at RB. Easiest to do, but requires giving them the carries they need to become 100 yard per game rushers, otherwise they are going to head to the schools that will.
B. Get big time talent at WR. Hardest to do as Clemson and Alabama are finding out right now.
C. Sit down the slot WR and play a fullback. Actually the easiest to do - who else is even recruiting fullbacks these days - but it requires dealing with accusations that you are "running an outdated offense."
D. Recruit TEs with blocking ability and use creativity to get them on the field as often as possible. If you insist on being as averse to having 1200 yard rushers as Monken was, this is the next best option.
I totally agree. I feel like these first two games were preseason and seems like the players felt the same way. This weekend will tell the tale.
Good points. Though Delp is not a monster blocker like Washington he Is a very capable blocker and getting better every snap.
If we can get Ladd McConkey back he has shown he can be, IS a threat down field. Rosemy-JackSaint will help in that regard to. Lovett seemed to get better hands in game 2 and RaRa is coming along ( though I wish he’d come along faster).
Get Daijun back and that should at least limit having to use Bell so much. But I’m not gonna knock on using Bell to much as it makes him a dual threat..
Defenses will Have to account for Bowers many times with at least two Defenders else they’ll get smoked.
To me the O line thus far has done pretty good ( not phenomenal but good) at pass protect. The only knock I have though it’s an important one is they need to open Bigger and Longer duration holes for the running game. Right now opposing Ds have little respect for the UGA running game. Their gonna challenge Beck to throw the ball. We Need Ladd back to compliment Rosemy-JackSaint and perhaps at this moment Lovett for a deep threat. So Yes for deep threat we need More WRs to break out and step up their games.
O line continue to get better at pass protect and need Much better at opening bigger and longer duration holes for the RBs. Just my opinions. We’re thin at true deep threat WRs. But hopefully until some guys ramp it up, Bowers can be the difference maker.
Really good points from @navydawg and @thadec - it isn’t just stacking the box with the front 7, it is the lack of fear of deep strikes that keep safeties moving forward and not backwards on their first steps. This, plus a not-so-healthy RB room, makes for an easy way to make UGA struggle to gain any consistency on offense. Plus, there haven’t been many sets with both TEs playing so you lose that element as well. Will be interesting to see how they address this but for some reason, I’m not as confident (not that my confidence is of any importance) about this unit as the past. Odd this much talent can’t seem to coalesce but time is running out to get it right. It officially starts Saturday - Go DAWGS
Thx Bro. !! Agree with you. Time is becoming more & more critical. I think we will do well vs. SC. And of course UAB. It’s the road trip to Auburn that has me most concerned . GOT to be better by then. I’d like to see them throw the ball to Delp a smidgen more often to help keep them honest. Go Dawgs !!
According to the FIlm guy Delps blocked his tale off.
He called out several of the WR's that missed blocks.
Delp is doing an excellent job. Especially when people keep bringing up Washington comparisons. Not To Much but a smidge more I wish theyd throw the ball to Delp to keep Defenses wondering. We already know what Bowers does !! 😀
Take a Xanax Francis. Call me when we lose a game then I will be concerned. Until then, Party on Henddawg.
Yep. I can understand and appreciate why some of my fellow Dawgs fans are nervous. It’s after all a different team.
BUT the previous two Ntl. Title winning teams had issues to. But we know how their stories ended. And other SEC teams are having plenty of issues to.
Look at TN for example. The DN writers predicted a score of them destroying Austin Peay by a score of 63-13 but the actual score ended up 30-13 !! That’s 30 pts. Less than predicted, quite a difference !!
And out of conference OSU didn’t exactly destroy the cupcake they played. Penn St. did destroy their opponent like 67-3 something like that. So we’re certainly not the only team with work to do at this point.
UGA will crush South Carolina. By accident. Lol
No contest. I see many turnovers and penalties, in Carolina's future. People have been so focused on the Dawgs offense...they've neglected to recognize that you have to score to beat UGA. I think this defense has the potential to be a better unit than the 2021 defense.
I predict UGA's defense is responsible for more points, than SC's offense. Final score...55-13.
I give Carolina 6 points for Home Field advantage...and, 7 points for Rattler's performance.
BTW...Kirby doesn't have a good poker face. If I'm reading him right...he is sitting on a winning hand...on the flop. He's just waiting for the right time, to go all-in. This Saturday?...Is not "it". IMO
@thadec: Great analysis. I hope you're wrong, though! :-) A couple of counterpoints:
1) Man-on-man is gonna need some help on Bowers, and possibly Lovett and Ladd. Plus Arian Smitth stretches the field like nobody's business.
2) Four receivers (since you're not counting Bowers as a lineman) would mean they can't load the box with more than seven defenders, if that meny.
@navydawg Looks to me like Tate is taking a leadership role, which is great. On the field, he and Mims have looked good to my uneducated eye. It's the left side that concerns me. But, as you say, it's not unusual for an O-line to take even half the season to gell.
And about the Joe Moore Award ...
"So how does Georgia get back to being an offensive line that was capable of winning the Joe Moore Award?"
I like the way you threaded that needle, @MikeGriffith 😁
Wake me up when we run for 150 yards in a game. Until then....we will be fine passing.
It’s gonna come together for our Dawgs. And when it does Whew is that train gonna roll on like nobody’s business !! SC will just be of help for the Dawgs to get better.
Im not really Worried about Auburn. But I am a bit concerned as it is an SEC road game. And we Do have things that need to be fixed by the time we reach them.
But when it’s All said and done I Trust Kirby Smart. All the man has done is go Up and Up and Up since becoming HC at UGA. We have Allot of extremely talented players. And we have a Great coaching staff to coach them up. So I’m trusting in KS and staff until I see greater reasons Not to. And I simply don’t see those at this point in time. Go Dawgs !!
You're right! That's the bottom line. IMO. "Trust Kirby and Co."
Because...unlike, some of these teams, being given "every consideration, till they flopped on the field against "real competition"...UGA and Kirby Smart has earned that respect & "Benefit of the Doubt".
Kirby Smart was flat out cheated out of "Coach of The Year", last year...and, probably will be, this year, as well. They "want" to give it to Neon Deion, right now. It's all they can do...to keep from slobbering all over themselves. Lol...to me...it's hilarious.
The Dawgs didn't lose anybody they can't "replace or compensate for"...between the beginning of The TCU Game...and, now. Why would ANYBODY with half of a brain doubt em?...unless, it's about "politics and money".
Beck? Gimme a break! He's enough...and, if he isn't...the Dawgs have 2 more, ready to go...and, can beat you in a hundred different ways without a QB.
IMO...the media has either been, dishonest in their analysis or short sighted. They need to update their methods of analysis to fit today's game. Lol...maybe, we'll have to wait for Artificial Intelligence to take over.