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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
True very True !! Fully Agree !! Hope he Stays on track he has a bright future in front of him if he does !!
What makes Milton "the most powerful runner"? Not based on "the last 2 or 3 games" when Milton was coming back from injury but based on the last 2 or 3 years. His running style has been battering ram and breaking tackles. More so than the smaller backs.
Besides CKS put him in to do that. And since you said that CKS never makes a bad call THAT makes him the best chance (ie most powerful) to score there.
Unless of course CKS put Milton in there to not show his most powerful RB look to save for later in the season. SMH LOL
@reddawg1...completely agree with regard to Milton's vision and power. It just isn't where it should be, at this point in his career...IMO.
Here's what I think...there isn't a RB playing today, that could've moved 3/4 Ton of USDA Prime Wild Cat DL & LB, with safeties backing them up. They were obviously instructed to enforce their will and pound it in. It was a challenge (one I've heard myself) and if they succeeded, nobody would had any idea how great a feat it was. They've done it several times throughout the year.
Go back and look at situational film of all of their 2nd/3rd/4th down play-calling throughout the year from 1/2/3 yds from the down marker or goal line. They make it look easy, when they want to or need to. Occasionally they enforce their will, sometimes making THAT look easy.
But, they NEVER try that....running in the A or B Gap, needing 1 yard,...with 9 men in the box. Unless you have superman on the line,...and, last year, they did (J Davis)...your chances of success are slim and none. They usually split a couple wide to spread the defense and give the other team's DC reason to believe they might pass.
When you line up 7 across with a 0 split with 4 in the back field...,2 RBs, the QB and a TE/RB lined up behind one of the other TEs...and across from you they are stacked against the run, the way they were...you check out of it or call timeout, if your goal is scoring points. Or...you just kick a darn field goal on 4th down.
The reason I say it's intentional, is that Kirby did the same thing in the Spring Game and that was his explanation for doing it...to create strain. You learn nothing, gain nothing, from maintaining the status quo.
If your goal as a Coach...to be able to get that kind of push...you have to do it in the game,, at some point to measure the success of individual o-linemen, against their baseline grade in short yardage runs, in previous games.. Did they improve,, get worse,, or remain the same.. Those are the questions Searels will answer...but,, not to us. Lol
if you don't think Kirby and Monkin had a few TD plays they could've called...3 times...I don't know what to tell you. I'm not gonna talk about this anymore. IMO, it's a non-issue.
Okay...genius...I never, in my life...said that Kirby Smart...or any other human being...especially you...could not make a mistake or err in any way.
That is an absurd statement. Do you just credit anybody you respond to, with making it? Do you think making unsubstantiated personal attacks, somehow gives your opinion more weight and credibility?
I'm curious, cause you haven't been right about anything all year. I realize it's been rough on you, but, hang in there. We'll get you up to speed before you know it. LOL
About the backs, you know what I think. I've only seen 3 guys in my life, that could've gotten through or over that brick wall they were facing on the goal line...Earl Campbell, Herschel Walker and Bo Jackson.
I don't know why they don't leap over the top anymore. It might be a safety thing or a rule,. Not sure. I haven't even thought about that, in a while. But, it did come to mind Saturday. BTW, they used all of their backs in that situation, this year...and they all fared about the same.
So, it's obvious we don't have a Herschel, Bo or Earl on the team...but, nobody does. What we do have are 3 very good backs and 1 with a small sample size, so we don't know much about him, yet.
The challenge, Saturday, was more for the offensive linemen and to test their power package, without J. Davis, against a top quality DL. It's not fair to measure their strength, strictly against Jalen Carter and company, during practice. Lol
Want to learn about defense...or QBs, now. Just come back anytime, and I'll help you out, best I can. LOL
We're all DAWG fans and we all have different opinions(usually slightly)sometimes though a little more significant. I appreciate the forum and getting to voice my opinions in this day where free speech is being silenced. I don't feel like you have to agree with anything I say. I'm not looking for confirmation from anyone. I'm not hurt by a down vote as I porobably won't agree with everything anyone else says on here either, but I respect your right to speak it and I love to debate ideas without attacking the person. Our country has had enough of that lately.
As a Dawg fan I want the best for the team(and I assume that about all of us on here).. We have one of the best coaches in America (if not the best). We "should" win back to back Natties. But that being said I don't see the harm in looking critically at each performance and saying what you believe is true. It doesn't make you less of a fan(if you for example say our goal-line run game sucks) or more of a fan if you just say nothing but positive creme puff stuff. In the end nothing we say on here or Mike G or Conner R says is going to affect what UGA does. We're all just arm chair QB's and coaches making our observations and sometimes we get it right and sometimes we don't. But thank God we can still speak out! I enjoy it. I hope you all have a blessed Thanksgving!
Exactly right..and we'll said.!
Git er done Big Red "G"!
One more thing, Red. While I agree with your take on opinions...as in, "everybody has one" and we should respect each other's point-of-view.
I don't mind a friendly debate on various points, in fact I think it's necessary for "growth"...I believe that's true of most of us. I'm not made of sugar, and I won't melt, if somebody disproves one of my theories or has an opposing opinion or takes a little friendly jab.
Otherwise, I wouldn't bother writing anything, in the 1st place. I have relatives I can argue with, if that's all I want to do. LOL
I'm not sure if @UGADad20 was trying to be insulting or confrontational, or it's just his way. In any case, sometimes he has a good point and as a rule, I adjust my point-of-view based on new information or data I haven't considered or missed.
I'm a reasonable person and don't have any kind of axe to grind. I just thought UGADAD went at @navydawg a little hard and it was unnecessary. He probably realizes that, by now, as well....OR, maybe not. Being former Navy myself, I felt the need to give a Shipmate my support.
Lol...sorry...old habits are hard to break. If I was out of line, I apologize and will try to tone it down.. I don't want to be part of anything that would create an environment that stifles anyone's opinion. The free flow of ideas and opinions, is the only reason I joined Dawg Nation, in the 1st place.
I would like to think it's all in fun. 😁
BTW, LOL...I didn't even know about the voting stuff, till a few months ago. Then, I realized somebody was just going down the line, clicking "Down Vote" on everybody's Comments, regardless of position.
That's when I asked, "What is the point of the "voting system"? What good does it do for "the Commenter" or "the critic"...to have a member be able to fire a shot from the dark, without justification or debate?
We've seen enough of that crap, in this Country, too. IMO, it's a wussy move that serves absolutely zero purpose. But, if you value the "Up Votes", I'll throw one your way, everytime I see your posts, from now,...on.
You and I have pretty much, seen things eye-to-eye, since last year. Yeah, I've taken note. But, that doesn't mean we haven't disagreed with one another, from time-to-time. And...that's okay...Lol.
Happy Thanksgiving! Gobble...gobble...woof...woof!
@reddawg1
Getting back to the original conversation....
I want to ask you to consider a scenario, if you will.
You are Kirby Smart.
You know how many weapons you have on offense and 2 yrs of practice, using them.
You are in a game against an overmatched opponent, on their 1 yd line, with 3 plays to punch it in before the half.
You are more concerned with the physicality of your offensive line, than you are, with whether or not you can score points inside the 5...as you have done many times, throughout the year.
You know it's practically impossible to simulate this opportunity for evaluation and improvement, in practice. You can...but, it ain't the same.
What do YOU do?
The overlying question is this....Do you think Kirby Smart is a mental midget? He can't come up with a better play, than charging the A & B Gap against a stout goal-line defense with 9 men in the box, like a lemming headed over a cliff?
It was obvious that Kentucky was selling out to stop the run...you don't think between Bennett, Smart and Monkin, they couldn't figure that out and toss one to the edge? Sure they could and don't think for a minute, that they didn't know it.
I don't think that's the case. Kirby is not that dense and Monkin darn sure ain't that vanilla. That leaves only 1 alternative. Win, lose, or draw on the goal line, in that moment...Kirby wanted his o-line to break Kentucky on the goal line.
They failed, but, not without a great deal of effort and that should be recognized. While they didn't get the kind of push they needed to get in the endzone, they didn't allow any penetration either. The o-line held firm against 9 massive defenders. They needed a Jordan Davis to break things up.
The next time you see the Dawgs in a similar position, you might see a little shake-up. For instance, they might move Carter up to the LOS, where Davis played last year...and move Bowers to the FB position, to either lead block, take a hand-off or pitch, or catch a pass over the top.
In any case, Smart and Monkin learned something from that set of downs, that we aren't privy to. All we can do is speculate.
IMO...my explanation makes more sense than..."Kirby just ran the ball into a pile of people 3 times In a row and couldn't score. What was he thinking?".
Lol...there's no way in hell's bathroom, that Smart and Monkin didn't have a play or player that could score a TD from the 1 yd line. That's just the way I see it, anyway. I invite you to convince me, otherwise. 😁
@BigDawg61 "my explanation makes more sense than..."Kirby just ran the ball into a pile of people 3 times In a row and couldn't score. What was he thinking?"
Any time any coach with any team (doesn't matter which team it is) decides to run it up the gut on 3rd and 1, then 4th and 1. or go for it on 4th and 1 from their side of the 50 with a QB dive play of course they have many different play options they could have run. That's a no brainer, but generally the shortest distance between 2 points is a straight line-right? That makes perfect sense except when you're not good at it. You're not good at pushing the other team off the ball when they know what's coming and they have already stuffed you on a couple of occassions.
To prove a point I all ready knew and mentioned in other posts earlier this week, I just didn't know how bad statistically it was until I heard Brandon Adams on 92.9 the Game talking about this very issue yesterday with the sports talk guys. BA said according to where-ever stats company he got his info from, in the past 5 years UGA(RBU!) isn't even in the top 40 in college football in those short yardage situations. That goes back to Sam Pittman days. Remember the debacle in Jacksonville when we got stopped at the goal line like 7 times in a row due to a penalty byFla gave us some extra tries?
Now, Kirby may very well have looked at it like these guys need to be able to do this, so that in the future they can do it again. That seems to be what you're saying. "You can't get what they got in practice, by working on it in practice." Well that's not a stretch is it?
On the other hand, Kirby's defense was "that was something I decided years ago, that my teams would always be aggressive and go for it. " THere are 2 things in question here. The first is should he have gone for it or kicked the field goal. I didn't need him to send a message to his team or KY in that moment, I needed him to kick the field goal that would salt the game away for sure. No way KY was going to score 2 TD's and get both extra points and then get an onside kick, recove it and then and kick a field goal just to be able to tie the game at the most. Kirby chose otherwise and it backfired. THey marched the field and scored and it became a game all of a sudden. What would have been everyone relax, put the 2nd team in there at some point, became an "Oh crap, now we have to keep the starters in." Momentum is a thing you never want to give away to the other team in the 4th quarter, strange things can happen. Kirby's decision swung ole Mo to the KY side and gave them life where they had zilch if he had chosen to kick the field goal.
THe 2nd thing is, OK you've decided to go for it, is actually scoring what's most important to you or are you're OK with not scoring? So you have to score a certain way? Just run it up the gut 4 times? If so why? To build confidence in your O-line for future possible situations? To show or prove you're tuff? If scoring was the goal-pardon the pun, then why not just run a different play or two?
I'm not in CKS's head, but I can tell you as a fan, I was OK with him choosing a different type play. When we decided to go for it on 4th down, I knew in my heart, as I beleve most UGA fans watching were saying was what I was thinking, don't run it up the middle again, please!
I coud care less about style points. Just score the best way you can! Either one of two things is true. Kirby wanted his guys to prove to themselves they could do it,screw the score,(I don't like that option) the score was important at least to me, or he really thought his guys could somehow do what they had already failed at the week before in Starksville and already that day in LExington. That's even a worse option. Not understanding your teams strengths and weaknesses and playing to them.
So, if we are to believe that Kirby wanted to get it done running up the gut 4 plays in a row or in 3 in a row whatever it was in order to put his Oline in a "good place mentally" if that was the plan, the where are they now, that they failed? Now it's a thing! If they kick the field goal, or toss it out to Brock Bowers for an easy 6 then it's just something they need to work on in practice but no ones got in in their head. If it comes up playing LSU what do we do then? What would you want to happen? Play to our strengths or prove(or try to) we're tougher than you? I now what I'd want to happen. Just score the easist way possible! But that"s just me! I'll take the least amount of drama every time!
LOL...I completely understand your thinking, believe me. I played football years ago...on the offense and defensive line (FB,OT, DT, DE), and had to answer day-after questions from my family, every week. 😅
I have heard that challenge from our Coach during the game...a few times. But, never in a game that was serious...where we were struggling...or behind...or playing a close, must-win game. And, I've heard the same question..."Why didn't he use...blah, blah, blah". Lol
UGA's o-line was doing everything, but, struggling in the Kentucky game. They were moving the DL around, pretty good. I saw holes big enough to drive a truck through, several times. They have gelled nicely over the last several games.
I understand that the average fan wants to see points go on the board everytime their team is on the goal-line, like UGA was. Makes sense, since that's what wins games. But, Kirby is trying to set his team up to WIN 1 GAME....in the 2nd week of January. He is using every single cupcake game, to improve some aspect of the "team".
The offensive line has been a pet project going back Spring practice. If you'll remember, Kirby did the same thing with the 1's, in the Spring Game. They were at the 4 or 5 yd line, just before the half, and they couldn't punch it in. That was after K-Mac dropped a sure TD pass at the 1 yd line.
While they failed to punch it in from the 1, there were a few positives to take out of that series of downs. Kentucky got zero penetration. The line held firm against 9 defenders, all attacking the middle. Milton is not the back to use in that situation, this year.
And, yes, they could've scored easily, by flipping the ball out to Bowers/KMac or over the top to Washington...or a corner post to McConkey or Blalock....and proved nothing...gained nothing.
Just a reminder...the Dawgs were 3rd and 1...4th and 1...a number of times throughout the game...and converted, running up the middle in the A or B Gap...through big holes on occasion.
It happened with 7 minutes to play in the 1st qtr.. They used Edwards on that one and he picked up 4 yds. 'Course, the defense had to respect the pass in those situations, so, it's not exactly the same.
You should give the o-line much respect. Blocking 8-9 guys on the goal-line, is like playing tug-of-war, with a building. Go back and watch the game. The offensive line actually did a helluva job. The problems in the red zone weren't due to execution, IMO. They were due to play calling.
EXAMPLE: 1st qtr...3rd & 6 from the 9...Kentucky is in a nickle defense, guarding against the pass...and Monkin calls a pass. Nobody to throw to and nowhere for Stetson to run. RESULT : Sack -1 yd
I think they took away Bennett's ability to check out of plays in the red zone in this particular game. The Coaching Staff obviously had an agenda focused on the power running game, last week. Reminded me of some of the 1980 games. Namely the Tenn, SC, Clemson and FLA games. LOL
What I'm wondering is this...How will they use the GT game? Will they crank up their real offense in the 1st half, to put a bunch of points on the board. Then knock the rust off of AD Mitchell and Eric Gilbert in the 2nd half?
I don't see Smart/Monkin playing down in this game. I would think he would want to put this one away early and use the second half for experiments.
As for LSU....I know it's crazy, but, one thing has been in the back of my mind, since the SECCG, last year. And, it has me a little concerned, this year, under the circumstances. Last year, I actually wondered if Kirby threw the SECC to BAMA, in order to get 2 SEC teams in the CFP.
This year, the SEC and the West are in the same position...Win and in. It appears UGA is too...win, lose or draw, they're in the CFP. Would Kirby play down to LSU, in order to get 2 teams in, this year?
I'm not sure how the CFP money is split...but...I would think, the SEC would get a bigger chunk of the Bowl/Playoff pie (we all know where that sits in importance). Not to mention the bump in recruiting. With the approval of the 12-team CFP model, Texas and Oklahoma joining the SEC, the TP & NIL...the politics of it all are as clear as mud. Lol