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- 3/17/19 UPDATE -- We've updated the permissions for our "Football" and "Commit to the G" recruiting message boards. We aim to be the best free board out there and that has not changed. We do now ask that all of you good people register as a member of our forum in order to see the sugar that is falling from our skies, so to speak.
Comments
The QB position has received the majority of praise when a team wins and the majority of blame when a team loses. It has been that way since the advent of the modern passing game of football. Why? Because the QB handles the ball on every play. He is the linchpin and his play is integral to the success of the play on every play.
Probably not completely "fair" but comes with the territory. Say what you want about GS's limitations, team's limitations, coaching limitations….. it was all true. Based on all those limitations this UGA reached its ceiling.
Those that watched it all play out, all season, saw the handwriting on the wall.
As for the QB position, we saw 1 team's QB rise to the occasion and make the plays that won the game. So that QB got praised for making plays. One team's QB did not rise to the occasion and make the game winning plays. Were the plays there to be made? They were there for one of the 2 , pretty evenly matched team's, QB to make. Just the way it is. This UGA team was not good enough, top to bottom, to make the plays it needed to make to win this game.
The question is, with the CKS/UGA "formula", is this achievement level what we can expect from UGA every year going forward?
NIL with free agency (TP) has leveled the playing field in CFB. There is no more Nick Saban's Alabama to guarantee a championship (over 4 years) to every recruiting class and stack high 4* and 5* recruits 3 deep at every position. This is the new norm for CFB.
Within 4 days of the CFBNC game the decision will need to be made on expansion of the CFB PO for the '26 season. Discussions are underway to determine when (not if) the CFB PO field will be expanded ($$$) to 16 teams. Whether it be in '26 or '27.
In addition discussions are underway when (not if) to merge the BIG10 and SEC and add whatever teams that are left that make sense to an NFL Jr model league with salary cap and NFL style playoff format. Not in '26 but probably before '30.
You know CFB is a strange beast. Had we won this game and advanced , 98% of the comments would be what great QB and team we have !! Kirby and our coaches would be superior to anyone in CFB maybe even the NFL !!
I Love winning and I Hate losing. But you know some of life’s best lessons oddly enough are found in failure. It’s True !! Look at some of the greatest inventors of all time, many times they had numerous failures before they found success !! Now here’s one I Need to practice as much as I preach, and I confess I don’t but I’m gonna work allot harder at it. Take the losses with the wins and Enjoy The Game !! I confess I take Dawgs football way too serious. In the end it’s a game for us fans. So lift your chins, watch the TP, look forward to G Day and savor life !! Go Dawgs !!
@randomsportsfan I want to offer you a sincere apology for my being so very rude and u g l y toward you. Please if you can and will forgive my mean spirited comments toward you. You have Every much right to be here as Me or anyone else.
I don’t always agree with you but I must confess I Do agree with much of what you say. So I Hope you can find it within your heart to forgive me and Welcome to Dawg Nation !!
Just as apologize to randomsportsfan I extend the very same apologies to Anyone on here that I’ve offended. As I confessed I take Dawgs football way too serious. But going on 69 yrs old in May Lord willing I’ve been a fan since like six years old. So please Anyone of you that I’ve offended on here I hope you can find it in your hearts to please forgive me. Dawgs football is really the only hobby I have and I’m guilty of investing to much of my emotions into it. God Bless All Of You !! And Thank You for understanding.
Not to be technical, but the offense didn't score 30. The defense scored 7. You are right, the defense couldn't get pressure. It's because they were tired. That was one the offense. First 2 drives, 3 and out. I believe they had 5 three and outs. Including the 1st one in the 2nd half. Total offensive failures. Poor clock management. Last drive by UGA when it's 1st and goal.
1st play- 4-5 yard run up the middle (maybe slight left side). Timeout by OM.
2nd play- (bone-headed play) send a 240 lb rb out wide. Had ZERO chance of out running anyone. Loss yards. Timeout by OM. (Last one) 58 seconds left.
3rd play- another bone-headed play. Throws a low percentage pass that ends up incomplete. Stops clock with 50 seconds or so left.
If they run the ball, since they had no play with high success chance, they eat 35 more seconds. OM gets to start their drive with 20 seconds left. They would of had to probably try a 65 yard fg to win. Maybe/ maybe not. That is all on an OC and head coach that had total failure in the flow of the game. Period.
Did the defense fail too, yes. But there is one fact that should be understood. If the offense has the ball, without turning it over, the other team CAN NEVER SCORE. As the saying goes, the best defense is a good offense. And UGA just doesn't have that. Or at least the ability to make adjustments.
Unless you're Indiana with no 4 and 5 star players. It's also the coaching.
I agree. I don’t think there will ever be another CFB dynasty team. With the advent of NIL and the TP even pulling off a B2B Ntl. Titles would be a near miracle. Even Before NIL and the TP I don’t know the number but there’s only a few teams that have won B2B Nattys’s. So that’s something Dawgs fans can be proud of.
I think KS is gonna have to take a very hard look at his program and decide whether just making “tweaks” is enough. As for Gunner, Mike Bobo a former QB himself said he’s not even close to his ceiling. Now I Know that wasn’t illustrated in this last game. But I don’t think Bobo was just lavishing out empty praise.
To me not allowing Gunner to make play changes at the LOS is a shackle on his leg. If it’s a matter of not trusting him then he doesn’t need to be out there. And that would totally contradict the comment about his not reaching his ceiling. So in a vs cupcake game Allow Gunner to have the ability to change plays and see how it goes.
I think Kirby needs to at least listen and Try on the practice field fresh ideas.
The Bye time was a real momentum killer in my view. But Kirby said he had “tweaks” to offset that so I felt comfortable pregame.
The Tulane game might have been just enough to keep Ole Miss tuned up. It was a extremely painful loss for all Dawgs, program and fans. But Kirby can take it and use it for good.
Since our Dawgs are out I’m not really interested. But I suppose I’ll support Ole Miss as 1) they are SEC 2) I thought it was pretty classy of Chambliss to Run across the field to give Gunner a big hug. I always respect good sportsmanship !! I’ve got a gut feeling that Ole Miss will win it all, if they play like they did vs Dawgs.
Not to argue, you know how I wear my emotions. Is it true what you stated? About Stockton NOT being allowed to change plays at the l.o.s.? If so, then that tells me he's not elite. Because the coaching staff doesn't trust him to make the right change. Which to me, I blame bobo. He is supposed to be the qb coach, but can't coach him up any better? Even Fromm was allowed to do that.
That would explain a lot to me about why they are trying to run the ball with 8 men in the box. That is an offensive failure. Mainly from the coaches.
People wonder about Curtis. I personally don't think it's about money. It's about the fact that even if he didn't start his first year, what would he have learned, or experience would he have received? With all due respect to Stockton, I blame mainly coaches( OC and HC), Stockton has been there 4 years, I think, and not any better? He never got game reps (worth a dang, 3 straight handoffs mean nothing) for his first 2 years, last year, 15 passes all year until he was forced to play. That is why curtis didn't come to uga.
Like I said, nothing personal or was i trying to be disrespectful to you sir. Just my humble opinion. Have a great everything.
Many like to rag on Bobo and the screen pass plays but they had what they needed with a little over a minute to go when Stockton pump faked to Branch and tossed a timing pass towards Colbie Young, who was initially the lead blocker in front of Branch. Colbie was held before he could get to the ball in the endzone. Liked the play designed off the screen pass setup and if it had of worked we might've been singing a different tune today.
just a real basic offense, hand off up the gut or a sideways screen pass 75% of the time, can’t throw over the middle, 1/2 the time they get batted down. We’re limited to dinking and dunking and hoping we can spring one on occasion, not exactly the full playbook.
Earlier in the season on here Gunner was quoted as saying he wasn’t allowed to make changes of the plays. But he said he trusted Coach Bobo’s play calls completely.
So I partly agree with you and partly disagree with you. If it’s a matter of they don’t trust Gunner then he doesn’t need to be out there !! As a coach I wouldn’t play a player I don’t trust !!
But in an article right before this last game Bobo stated that Gunner was no where near his ceiling. So the two things would contradict each other !! I Totally Agree with you that he Should be and I believe Can be coached up !! I Don’t agree with you that he Can’t be Elite. He’s not Elite now. But properly coached and properly In Game managed he could Become Elite.
Being in the system though holding a certain amount of value is No substitute for Real game experience. This was his First season as the Real starter, talking season wise. 12-2, with an SEC crown, and a appearance in the playoffs. Not the final goal we had hoped for. But since Stetson and the B2B Natty’s what QB has done any better ?
I have lived in Rabun County ( Gunner’s Home) since 2022 and the people here have told me he is Very capable of making long bomb beautiful passes !! Someone will be quick to say Yeah but that’s vs HS defenses. Yeah but that’s using HS receivers and TEs so it’s all relative right ?
He set Three HS records that are Still unbroken. By most recruiting agencies he was a high 4 star some had him as a 5 star. He was the number Three ( This second part is Extremely important ) DUAL THREAT QB in the country !! He’s Not a pure bred pocket passer that by all appearances they’re trying to cram him into !! He is by nature a Dual Threat QB.
I’ve read Numerous times where commenters will say something like:” Yeah he “panics” tucks the ball and runs. No Gunner Stockton ain’t “Panicked” about anything !! He’s following his Natural tendencies !! As he’s running he’s NOT running for his Life he’s looking for receivers down field !! The kid has So Many times took absolutely brutal shots on his body yet jumps right back up ready to go another play. So he’s not panicking !!
Great Coaches Could and Should be able to Emphasize his Strengths and Diminish his Weaknesses. Apparently his HS coaches were able to do that. But at UGA it’s like they want him to be a pure pocket passer !!
I Believe one of the reasons Stetson was so successful is he said to heck with the play calls I’m gonna do my thing !! Ever notice how he got his butt chewed on the sideline quite often ? Stetson was also a Dual Threat QB But he was surrounded by a Far Better cast in support than Gunner has had !!
So in conclusion it’s Not Just Gunner and the players that need to Get Better as Kirby likes to say. The Coaches need to embrace what they preach and do it to !!
Kirby and his staff need to be Willing to let go of Some of the old and bring in Some new. And No that doesn’t mean Fire Gunner. But for starters it does mean let him play to his Natural skill set !!
Numerous times this year we’ve seen when the Called In Play broke down, Gunner Still got the first down on a long third or even fourth down. He even got long TDs on broken plays !!
YES it’s fair to say that Some of those “broken plays” might be His fault. But it’s Also fair to say that Some of those broken plays were not his fault at all yet he took chicken sheit and turned it to chicken salad !! So though he’s not Elite now I’m a very firm believer that with Proper Coaching coupled with Proper In Game Management he Could be Elite. That’s my take for what it’s worth.
Speaking of adding WRs as part of this extended conversation….
BREAKING NEWS:
" Texas receiver Parker Livingstone, Arch Manning’s roommate and the Longhorns’ third leading receiver this season, announced Saturday he was transferring in a move he called “out of my control.”
Texas is in the market for an upgrade at receiver through the portal, with former five-star recruit Cam Coleman reportedly the primary target. Coleman had 56 catches for 708 yards and five touchdowns as a sophomore this season for an Auburn offense that dealt with quarterback struggles all season. "
Sounds like Livingstone might be being forced out to make way for Coleman or possibly Texas didn't want to pay Parker as much as he wanted…
Maybe but this QB doesn’t call the plays. And what percentage of his passes were batted down on a Season basis ? And dinking and dunking and hoping got a 12-2 Season with an SEC crown. Any other QB at UGA done any Better since Stetson and the B2B Natty’s ? And keeping in mind this was his first Real season as starter. No disrespect to you redd. But positive Facts are still facts just like negative facts. Could the Coaches and the OC made things easier for him ? And though YES there were indeed batted down passes at times. I don’t agree At All with “can’t throw over the middle” as I saw numerous passes he threw over the middle through the course of the season. Just saying ……. Wait a minute he plays for OSU !! 🤣
If we want to discuss Coaching decisions we had the ball in the first half with 1:50 on the clock. Plenty of time to get At Least a FG to help, maybe even a TD. But the play calls were very obvious to anyone watching, designed to take us to the locker room. Ole Miss Almost capitalized on the ensuing punt !!
In order to win games like that I’m no Coach but I think you should Attack !! Get all you can !! Play to win not play to keep from losing !!
Also our Defense was playing React instead of Attack. I’ve always heard that in HS, CFB, NFL, good Defenses win games. In War a good offense is the best defense. I’m not so sure that applies As Much in the game of football.
@UGADad20 - You’re absolutely right about the talk to expand the playoffs to 16 teams. Personally, I think that’s a bad idea. This year there were 4 teams in the 12 team playoff that didn’t deserve to be in: Tulane, JMU, Bama, and Oklahoma. My point being that there weren’t 12 teams qualified to be in any playoff. Yes, we now have three teams who were not in the top 4 with a chance to win the natty. Is that a good thing? I admittedly don’t know the answer to that question.
I’m not sure the 4 team playoff isn’t the best model. The extremely long lay-off the top teams have has not been to their advantage. With a 12 game regular season, dragging the playoff to near the end of January is too long a season imo.
The other alternative, which I like, is an 8 team playoff with no first round byes. But in the world we currently live in, where kids get trophies for just showing up, there’s no possibility that we’ll ever see less than 12 teams, qualified or not, in the playoffs. It’s a broken system made worse by a committee that didn’t give the SEC Championship game any relevance at all.
To make matters more frustrating, the committee simply lies by justifying leaving a poor Bama team as the 9 seed after getting humiliated in the SEC Championship. The lie is so obvious as to make one wonder how anybody with an ounce of integrity could say, “We don’t punish a team for losing in a conference championship game.” If that was actually true, UGA could have lost the SEC Chanpionship game 28-7 and still been seeded 3. We all know that wouldn’t have happened. We would have been rightfully punished.
Bottom line: The system is broken. Can it be fixed? IMO, not as long as you have a committee of biased human beings letting teams like this year’s Bama and Oklahoma in while excluding a team like Notre Dame. The process is a joke.
Thx for this info. Montana !! Well sure hope our Dawgs reel in one or the other !! You know and I. say this respectfully, no sarcasm, @ randomsportsfan says he believes the lack of Elite WRs and RBs is UGA’s problem. He might be right. So thinking on Talyn Taylor most recruiting services had him as a 5 star. Kirby clearly stated he was glad to see him back from injury. Maybe he can be of Big help !!
The RB from Colquitt County is said to be a Beast !! He had some off field legal issues as I Understand it. But he swears he’s done with all that and wants to live strait laced . Hope he sticks to that.
He’s the Only RB we signed. I did my part I actually emailed Kirby, the Recruiting Coordinator and his Assistant pleading that they Strongly consider Ty Cummings who had The Most Rushing yards in the State of Ga. He was a Scat back. Allot of yds on punt and kick returns to and some decent yds catching the ball. I envisioned him in an Isaiah McKenzie type role. But my email probably went to junk mail Lol !!
Anyway Ty ended up going to Ga. Southern I’m gonna try to check and see how he’s doing occasionally . Kid is like Gunner in some ways has the heart of a Lion and is much stronger than his size. He was 5’9” 175 lbs. He helped get my old HS West Laurens to the State Semifinals for 3A but he was injured from the previous game. Leg badly swollen.
They heavy taped him and he tried really hard but after three plays they pulled him. WL lost by four points. 😥 Would have been our first State Championship appearance. Ty was one of the primary reasons for WL getting that far. So even though 3A is vastly different from 6A when you have a player like that he’s playing Far above his class !! The RB we Did sign is coming from a potent 6A Colquitt County !!