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All of this inspirational stuff is starting to wear a little thin....Just go out and get the job done
I agree with dogs_n_braves. LeCounte is too slow to be so small. Twice in two weeks he should have been over the top.
"... This was the first Bulldogs team ranked No. 3 or higher to lose to an unranked opponent at home since the start of the AP poll in 1936..."
Oh please, what a dumb stat. Think about this. Take all of those years and eliminate every single one where we weren't ranked #1, #2 or #3. That's, well, a pretty high percent right there.
Next, assume that losing to ANYBODY is generally going to knock you out of Top 3 (meaning the criteria isn't applicable), so that means that the only way this situation would've happened again is if we lost our first loss of the year (doesn't matter whether it was the first loss of many or the only loss) happened AT HOME and was UNRANKED.
The stat is dumb. That being said, we are failing to ADJUST and the other teams ARE. Other teams are predicting what we are going to do and it's costing us. I think this was our problem with Texas at the bowl game and honestly with every single one of our games. We have won because of depth, but that's not enough.
You can't really blame the defense this was the offense inability to adjust when they stopped our running game and that also falls on our head coach. You can't power run the ball down everyone's throat That's been proven but boy we are so slow to learn a lesson. Well we learned one today on national TV by an unranked team. I don't want to hear no more about we're holding stuff back no more about Jake from and his completion percentage if we can't spread a defense out in Gash them with our passing game you might as well prepare yourself for another next year is our year and that's the truth. Don't blame Jim Chaney don't blame James coley I blame Kirby Smart. Hey Kirby I'm glad you are our coach. you have done a lot of great things but you need to cut that stubborn attitude out and adjust our offensive philosophy. Do more coach! There's a reason why Alabama was spread you out for 5 wide there's a reason why Clemson does the same thing and there's a reason why we always come up short and games like this because if we don't wear them down with the run we are toast that was so pathetic wow. The season isn't over and we can still accomplish our goals but coach you got to fix this now
We coached ourselves out of a win how do you do that? I tell you what just give me $500,000 and I can come in there and call a few place for you coach.
What more can anyone say. The "invincible" Dawgs lost. The preceding comments were all right in a way....coaching seems to be a problem with UGA. That is on the Athletic Director. He hired a line coach under King Sabin believing the hype that if he worked for the King..he's got to be a pretty good Prince. Time and time again we have seen how this is generally not true. Well, UGA has gone down hill not up hill in the last three years. Two losses to end last season and now a third loss to a team we should have handily beaten, considering the talented UGA roster. I would give Smart and Coley to the end of this season and then make a determination...do we go another season if they don't improve or if they do, is the improvement enough to see hope for what I consider to be a very poorly led squad? No espirit de corps at all. As one put it...no FIRE in their bellies to win...not just keep from losing. Richt II. This is on Smart in my opinion. I don't know if he can turn around his basic coaching "philosophy" at this point as another stated. UGA runs....they don't pass ...well. They do not open up the secondary and cause the front lines to fall back...cause they know UGA is not a passing team. They are so predictable. No way to win now unless Smart wises up and gets off this we will wear them down mentality. All we can do is play it out and see. Frankly, I hope Smart loses a whole lot of sleep over this....I surely have!!!
It has been said many times this season, by many different commentators and journalist. The Bulldogs seem to be playing not to lose, instead of playing to win. This entire season has been a miss on expectations. In every game Georgia has played this year they seem to be slow to start playing. The play calls have been conservative and predictable, and we're just not good enough to telegraph our game plan and then hope to beat our opponent on skill and athleticism.
Watching the Bulldogs run the same series over and over again was infuriating. First two downs up the middle, with a 3rd down pass play. It made our running game look meh. Swift is good, but if you let your opponent know he's running up the middle each time, he's not Godzilla. He can't run through that much coverage. Not play after play. I blame that on our offensive coordinator, that game plan made a bunch of 4 and 5 star recruits look like Vanderbilt. Our "mighty" offensive line looked inept. Snap after snap, our center looked like he was aiming for the ground instead of the hands of Jack Fromm. Almost all of his snaps looked low.
Today the wheels came off and revealed what's been hinted at all season. The Bulldogs aren't playing up to their potential. Instead of improving with each season and game, we've gotten worse. For Bulldog fans and alumni this is an all to painful and failure feeling. We've all been here before.
We still control our destiny. But the team that played tonight isn't going to beat Florida, Auburn, or Texas A&M, something big has got to change, and it's got to change quick.
James Coley seems to be the problem at this point. The offense has had the same game plan all year long. They've played not to lose, and now they've lost. The wheels fell off today, but the axles have been rattling all season. No one should be surprised. The team that played today will not, can not, beat Auburn, Florida, or Texas A&M, much less win the SEC or compete for a national championship.
Today felt like the curse of Mark Ricth woke-up, failed expectations, and disappointment.
The offensive playcalling was just bad. This team has way too many weapons for this kind of egg laying. The O line didn't block well and the receivers couldn't get off anyone. Fromm was having to throw under heat and into tight windows just about the whole game. He rarely gets to throw to a receiver running open in space. That's a problem. If we don't figure out a way to get separation it's going to be a long day against Florida. Defense looked flat in the first half but played pretty well overall. Overall looked like a team not ready to play that thought they could show up and win the game. SC punched them in the mouth and they didn't respond.
Thanks Mike...I've been critical of you in the past, but you nailed this one. Now take it one step further and hold Kirby's feet to the fire in a press conference. I get the feeling old Kirby's head was getting a bit too big. I could be wrong. We have the players, but the play calling? I don't know where to begin. Kirby's been so effusive about Fromm maybe he's hiding something. From where I sit, Fromm is little more than Aaron Murray 2.0. Back shoulder - fine. Deep ball, not as good. Middle field -- ???? I can't remember the last time Fromm hit a receiver in stride. Most passes either a receiver goes up and gets it, ala Cager, Wims, etc. or they are falling down and digging the ball out of the turf. As for attacking the edges, what edges? Either the blocking from the tight ends and receivers sucks that bad or UGA has abandoned that altogether. I'm rambling here, but still trying to figure out how UGA gave that game away despite a half dozen golden opportunities to remain undefeated. In the end, Kirby needs to drop the ego, drop the bs coachspeak, do some real soulsearching and use the playmakers he worked so hard to recruit. And stop trotting them in and out every 2 plays unless there's an injury. These dudes are in tip top shape. They don't get tired -- they need to get into a game rhythm. LET THEM PLAY!
Great article, Mike. We have seen this one coming a mile away. This is going to be a long week!
This game felt like South Carolina viewed Georgia as a "Rival", but Georgia didn't view SC as a "Rival", almost like we were above them, snooty almost, like we could just show up.
The Offensive play calling is horrible (James Coley).
The decision making was horrible (Jake Fromm).
The players were horrible (O-line, Jake Fromm, Eli Wolf, Charlie Woerner, Tyler Simmons, and Rodrigo Blankenship).
And Fromm doesn't like to throw over the middle because there is too much traffic and the chances of an interception go up drastically... Of course he disproved his own "can't go broke theory" today
My advice to Kirby Smart:
1) Your playbook is too complicated and as a result, your players aren't enjoying the game. They look confuse most of the time and out of sync. Simplify your playbook.
2) Use only your best 2 RBs (ZW/Swift) the way Sony and Nick Chubb were used but similar to the way coach Dooley utilize HW (lots of toss sweeps).
3) Defensively, unleash your linebackers. Give them the freedom to attack. The Jerry Glanville's Grits Blitz would be a good place start. Make the game simply and fun for your players and they will bust their butts for you!
We have to change our offensive philosophy!! What I find interesting is the one offense that Smart struggled against when he was a DC for Bama was the spread. The only times I ever remember Bama losing was against an offense that spreads you out. But when he builds our offense he implements the conventional run between the tackles. Our philosophy on offense worked 30 yrs ago when we won a title but both offenses and defenses have evolved since then and eventually you run into a team that you can’t just wear down and one mistake you lose the game. We made many mistakes today and against a better team the score would’ve been much like LSU 2018.
Well said, Mike. You nailed our performance this far.
Excellent summary! Says it all.
I am pretty much standing on the edge of the abyss like the rest of us "apparently diluted & duped" Dawg fans. I can say two things. First off, if is fair and obvious that UGA has a coaching challenge that must be fixed. Secondly, we will now find out who this team really is as they face adversity for the remainder of the year. UGA will not be over-hyped or picked as the default winner of the East anymore. Maybe the lack of respect, will light a fire in the belly of this team. Funny how Chicken Little helps make the sky seem like it is falling. In our case, it may be.