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Kirby Smart explains decision to kneel, restrict final drive to runs
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Kirby Smart explains decision to kneel, restrict final drive to runs
ATHENS — Georgia football coach Kirby Smart said he learned his coaching etiquette from Nick Saban, when asked about the decision to avoid scoring on the game’s final play at South Carolina and run almost exclusively in the fourth quarter. The No. 9-ranked Bulldogs (6-2) beat the Gamecocks (2-7) by a 45-16 count last
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So, if you read between the lines, not sure Kirby is even aware of it or not, but he just admitted throwing the ball gives you the greater chance of scoring . Ha-Ha! We didn't want to throw it because it might seem like we were trying to run up the score on a friend. Oh the irony!
I understand running the ball exclusively makes you one dimensional and supposedly that is easier to defend. But when you are literally running the ball down their throat all game and especially on the last drive and you get down to the goal line by nothing but runs and you have to do a victory snap on the 1 yard line to keep from scoring, then I don't see how your gesture was so great. You did the one thing they couldn't stop. Run! They actually defended the pass better than the run.
At some point as a defense you just have to stop the other team or else they are going to score and it's bad on you, or let's just do like in softball when the opposing team gets a 10 run lead and call it.
Our best offense was running the ball Saturday night, but they couldn't stop us. So, we'll give them a break and just keep running it? Twice as much yardage on the ground.
If the Steve Spurrier "fun and gun" days at FLA had a 30 point lead in the 4th quarter and they had 350 yards passing already and 5 TD passes and they kept throwing it with the 1st string, that's running up the score.
I wish Carson could have played the 4th quarter, gotten a few passes in(as a fan I would have loved to have seen at how he looks). But no, Kirby was afraid the game would get away from him. I guess.
Break the 50 pt barrier...every time.
For all the negative posts that I have read since we played USC, isn't the game of football determined by who wins and who loses. Some of these posts read like the Dawgs lost, because they didn't score 50 or more points against a depleted football team. We had our chances against both Alabama and Florida, and even though we had leads in both contests, we were outmanned and outgunned, hopefully the next time we will have a better showing against outstanding opponents.
Who cares about taking a knee at that point. Considering the issues Georgia has had at QB & that we basically emptied the bench in the 4th qtr, why did we not give Beck a series or two? With Dwan moving on & the possibility that the Vandy game will be the 1st, last & only time J T plays between the hedges, getting Beck a few snaps would have been huge for his development. He at least would not be sitting there wondering what it's like to play in an SEC game even if in garbage time.
It is expected from his "More to Come" comment that JT is coming back and I have to believe that no NFL team would draft him 1st Round after playing half a season after a long injury.
Based on that, JT needs the reps. He's awesome, but still has some things he needs to work on.
Speaking of "Linemen that got a chance to play"... What is the story on Clay Webb? I was glad to see him getting some reps but what gives? He is a redshirt sophomore, he has been in our program for three seasons. It is very rare the number one rated high school center, as in the best center in the nation, sits the bench for THREE SEASONS! He was a FIVE STAR coming out of high school. However, like Beck, DN has reported very little on him. Is this kid going to be a complete bust? Did the rating systems COMPLETELY get it wrong with him? DN, step-up and give us the scoop!
I feel like it is 'shiny object' syndrome with the reporters on this site. Get creative, do some deep-digging, ask for higher pay so you are better motivated to improve...SOMETHIN'!
I go back and forth on the whole 1st-and-goal kneel to end the game.
Certainly, Mark Richt was a strong believer in doing it and I've always objected to it (unless you are leading with 8 pts or less in which case it's better not to risk a fumble/int returned for a TD) but this case was definitely unique.
I mean, Carolina has been beaten up and this year you just have to cut some slack to other teams and let everybody get the game done and move on.
In other situations, though, I'd ALWAYS put in your backups (including at QB) and give the kids a shot to score a TD when it might be their only time to do so. More points also equals better statistics which can mean the difference in terms of rankings and bowl selections.
I don't really care about style points. But we do need to improve our passing and give QB repetition. That's why I think going exclusively with run was a bad idea.
Remember 2 seasons ago, we had many opportunities to let JF throwing passes and KS refused to do that, which eventually led the transfer of JF. We need to stop just looking at one game at a time. Head coach needs to always have the future of the program in mind.
I'm beginning to wonder if Kirby knows how to think outside the box with QB's.
I have zero problem with how we handled the end of the SC game. Edwards DID score a touchdown, remember, but it got called back because one of the receivers lined up two yards off the line of scrimmage. And we only took a knee on the last play of the game. Up until that point, Edwards was running and, I think, had a chance to get in the end zone on one play but he turned it inside instead of sprinting to the pylon. No big deal. Running up the score on a depleted SC team does nothing for us. Getting JT Daniels a few more passes does nothing for us, either, and risk either injury or interception. We'll have four new quarters this Saturday, God willing, for everyone to work on everything they need to work on. And count me as one of those who firmly believes Daniels returns next year. He'll have more experience in the system and he's almost guaranteed to be the starter.
Sounds like a lot of contradictions to me. I always thought the philosophy was when you got up big, empty the bench and run the offense as it was intended. No amount of practice can emulate the live bullets you get in game action. No problem with the knee, but get the reserves in and let them play.
I agree with DallasDawg and had no problems with how we finished. Coach Bobo was and will always be a DGD and I would have been very disappointed if Coach Smart scored a meaningless TD at the very end. I think it also sends the right messages to the players- one, about good sportsmanship, and two, make the most of your opportunities when you get them. Edwards and others will be more driven by that in the future (I hope!). I also like style points, but it was painfully evident in the 4th that SC was outmatched and one more TD would have changed nothing. Cheap points like that have a way of coming back to haunt you. Georgia, in spite of our history of underperforming, is still a top-tier, upper marquee brand in the SEC, and we get every team's best effort or d*** near it every week. Georgia is constantly going up against solid players from the home state that have a chip on their shoulder when they play the Dawgs. The smart play, pardon the pun, is to not give your opponents any extra motivation for the next time you play them. Finally, I know they ran a lot against SC, but it was still a breath of fresh air compared to the Kentucky game.
Play the back up QB's after Arian scored at the beginning of the 4th quarter. Why not? We weren't going to lose. Where is it written you can't attempt to score through the air for a whole quarter?