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Georgia football stock report: Kirby’s cliches resonate, new stars emerging
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Georgia football stock report: Kirby’s cliches resonate, new stars emerging
ATHENS — A couple of Kirby Smart cliches came to mind in evaluating and summing up where Georgia football stands entering Week 3, as both explain personnel decisions and strategy.
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I said it last week and it continues to ring true. Tindall is special!
Tindall is emerging as a star.
McIntosh looked like the best back . . . because he is the best back. Consider the ability of the others just offers context for his talent.
The RBs puzzle me to some degree.....different backs performing at different levels game to game. The most consistent are Kenny M. and Zeus. Milton got boxed. They are very good backs just not great....yet. This next SC match-up should open up the run game. Also, if JT starts, I would think he would want to post some big numbers in the air to let people know: "I am back." Besting the "mailman's" UAB effort will taker some doing. He ciphered the UAB defense and picked it apart. I was impressed. He could easily start against SC and win that contest. BUT...JT needs to get back into the game's rhythm, which I believe he can and will do. Down the road UGA will face much stiffer competition in Arkansas, Auburn and Florida. Many outsiders have said that UGA has an easy schedule....maybe easier...but not easy.
I blame the fill-in hosts on 680 The Fan Saturday morning for starting all of the b.s. about Kirby playing games with the back-up QB and "disrespecting" Beck if he didn't get the start. Some of these commentators on their new morning show don't have a clue and unfortunately, Georgia's own Hudson Mason is chief among them.
I would have loved to seen what our backs could have done with holes or lanes opened up like the UAB backs had at times. Be nice to every once in a while get through the line of scrimmage without being touched. Our backs have to wonder what that is like. Ithought we were Running BAck U?
That has been my biggest concern coming into this season, can we have a dominate run game? If we can't then we're not beating BAMA being one dimensional. THeir front 3/4 are as good as ours.
I would say stock soaring for Brock Bowers too.
Hutson Mason should not be on the air for the Dawgs.
"But as the game played out, it became apparent why Smart is in charge and fans were put in their place..."
Well, depending on who you're referring to here, I think that's kind of a harsh take. I can only speak for myself (though I get the impression I'm not alone on this) when I say the objection to the announcement that Bennett would start had more to do with the messaging around it than the actual coaching decision. Smart could have said from the beginning something like, We've got Stetson Bennet, who we are comfortable with. He knows the offense and is generally a capable quarterback. Carson Beck is coming along, but will need real game experience to develop into the quarterback we want him to be. So for the time being, Bennett will remain the #2 and will fill in when we need a reliable quarterback, and we're going to look to give Beck as many chances as we can to get in there as well. If he had made these intentions clear from the beginning, I don't think there would have been nearly the uproar that there was. I know I wouldn't have minded it (and I've acknowledged a couple times since the game ended that starting Bennett was indeed the right move). Even those who generally disagree with the decision would have at least had an explanation going into the game, and time to process it. Instead, we were told something very different.
It's often pointed out, including in this situation, that the coaches have access to a lot of information that the fans simply don't. How players look in practice, how they're managing the playbook, how engaged they are, how they interact with their teammates, etc. And of course this is true. So when we were told that Beck was the #2, it gave the distinct impression that the coaches had taken all of this into account and thought they had in him a quarterback who was ready to be thrown into a game, come what may. And when that abruptly changed, it gave the impression that they had a guy with more upside than Bennett, who THEY thought was ready for this moment, but when the time came, they began to second guess their own assessment and decided to go with the safe pick instead. And if they're unsure about starting the guy that they had previously made clear was next in line, what exactly does that mean for the rotation in general? How much time would Beck even get? All this uncertainty started swirling, and it was all (for me anyway) because of how the decision was managed, not the decision itself.
If you want to call it gamesmanship, that's fine. I'm sure Smart has his reasons. But you also can't be surprised when people react a certain way in real time to being mislead.
I am very happy for our Dawgs. I am also happy for Sam Pittman. He is doing great things at Arkansas. I despise the Gaytors and don't really care for Auburn... but, we need their status to rise so we can let everyone know when we spank them it will be no accident.
Humbly encouraged!😎
Misled by "coach speak?"
Kirby is not telling you and me anything other than what he means to be telling others - such as the coaches of our opponents - and we have no right to expect otherwise. In fact, we hope he keeps his cards close to the chest, bluffs when he should, and keeps 'em confused.
We have no idea what he tells the players or what they do and don't know, but it's likely they know more than us as they see what happens in the rooms and on the field.
Go, Dawgs!
You and I have very different definitions of coach speak.
And as I acknowledged in my first post, it's fine if Smart sees this sort of tactic as a tool. But it also means you're going to have people reacting to false information.
Yep. Couldn’t agree more. Our current running game (lack of) is eerily similar to Coleys. No holes opening up. Just running straight into tacklers or straight into the butts of our OL.
Agreed. No holes for rbs. Seems like the defense is in our huddle for running plays. Too predictable maybe?
It's not complicated.
Two weeks ago Kirby named Beck as the No.2. Now every DC has to plan for Beck along with Daniels.
Meanwhile, Monken's developing Beck and Bennett's getting even better at the game. Both Bennett and Beck stay focused and engaged.
Put another way, two weeks ago Kirby likely had no idea that he would have to spring the Bennett surprise on UAB, as he was likely thinking if Daniels couldn't start or if he got knocked out of a game it could be against Auburn or Mizzou or Florida. If the Bennett surprise had happened against Florida, etc. that team wouldn't have been as prepared on defense.
Kirby's thinking three steps ahead. We fan's are just trying to keep up. As it should be!
I was one who wasn't happy that Bennett started over Beck. I was dead wrong. Bennett was way better than Beck last Saturday. Why Kirby said Beck was the #2 QB and Vandergriff #3 ahead of Bennett is confusing. Last year Bennett struggled against good defenses so I hope we continue to develop the other QB's. I would like to see Vandergriff get more reps too. Beck struggled mightily against UAB. Go Dawgs!
I’m sharing my opinion because I’m tired of certain (more than one) DawgNation staff complaining about fans for their concerns—while missing the most important point.
Frankly, I don’t have a problem with Stetson starting. My problem is with Kirby telling us Beck is QB2 and has been since spring—then in a week’s time he chooses to go with Bennett? My concern is how the QB room is managed.
Though we could argue this is not Kirby’s fault—it is hard to overlook the situations around Eason, Fields, Newman, and Mathis that led to their exit from the program. It is a pattern that rightly causes concern and has resulted in problems last season. Whether you assign blame or not—it is hard to argue with the situation that has been with us for six years.
I wouldn’t trade Kirby for any other coach in the business. I will always support this team. But fans should not be criticized for their opinions--debated with perhaps, but not to the extent the coverage seemed to be following the game on Saturday. None of that changes the situation we've been dealing with for six years and have every reason to question.
@SmartsTheMan do you really think opposing DC are going to spend any time preparing for Beck? It is the same offense just with a more limited skill set executing it.
Then again it is possible they learned something from Kirby when he focused only on Hurts and never did anything to prepare for Tua,
If I was the coach and I knew the starting QB of the other team had an injury, I would absolutely prepare my defense for the next QB off the bench. Is it Beck, a RS freshman with no experience? Then I try to take advantage of his inexperience, I try to rattle him, blitz more often. Is it Bennett, who's had plenty of experience? Then I prepare my defense to defend against his strengths. Try to take advantage of his weaknesses.
Maybe it's just me, and none of these coaches plan that far ahead. I think they do. I think UAB was expecting Beck..
@SmartsTheMan so how is the offense going change. You might be better served if you spent your preparation time stopping the UGA offense regardless who the quarterback will be. The only possible danger in this approach is the OC puts in a special sets of plays for either Beck or Bennett.
Given what Beck showed on Saturday at this point in his development he is a non factor. Bennett on the other hand could present problems due to his mobility.