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Cover 4 on Georgia football: Can the 2023 team really be Kirby Smart’s best so far in Athens?
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Cover 4 on Georgia football: Can the 2023 team really be Kirby Smart’s best so far in Athens?
DawgNation’s “Cover 4″ concept is a timely content piece on DawgNation.com. It returns this week after Georgia has now finished its spring practice and the transfer portal season is humming along again.
Comments
Too much hype. A very talented team, but they haven't put it on the field. I worry about D line and DB's.
As Davin Bellamy famously said, "Humble Yourself".
No way will it be as good as the 2021 defense. DT play is what separate the men from the boys and that team had Jordan Davis, Devonte Wyatt AND Jalen Carter. Plus Travon Walker, Quay Walker and Butkus winner Nakobe Dean just to make things unfair. Not finished: Channing Tindall, Nolan Smith and Robert Beal were there too. And don't forget the secondary: Lewis Cine, Kelee Ringo, Chris Smith and Derion Kendrick.
Another thing: 13 guys who were on the 2 deep off that 2021 defense will have gotten drafted the last 2 years. Seven #1 picks, and if Ringo sneaks it at the bottom of the first as I expect that will be 8. Will the 2022 defense produce 8 #1 picks between this year and next? And again, that doesn't even count the Butkus winner Dean, so call it 9.
However, I expect the 2023 offense to be better than the 2022 offense. Yes Darnell Washington and the OTs will be missed. But a consistent vertical passing game to Bowers and the WRs will give UGA the sort of running attack that they haven't had since 2018. LSU in 2019, Alabama in 2020 ... UGA could have an offense like that.
I disagree, to a point.
Do you remember the "projections" going into 2021. Expectations were high, for the DL, mainly due to Davis & Wyatt deciding to return.
Dean's 2020 improvement, Carter's 2020 performance, overall defensive game experience and the return of Lewis Cine gave "hope" for a "strong defense"...but, not a "dominant defense", going into the '21 season.
2021's defense is much like this year's unit, with one glaring exception...."The Defensive Backfield". 2021's Defensive Backfield wasn't even remotely as talented and experienced as this year's unit. The 2021 unit (DB) had 2 positions comfortably locked down by the time the Clemson game rolled around...safety (Cine) and corner (Kendrick???).
To top that off...Tyrique Stevenson, a badly needed CB, had recently hit the portal.. That, and multiple DB injuries left UGA so short-handed in the defensive backfield, that they were unable to execute a "Dime Defense", the entire season....according to a post-game interview with CKS, following the loss to BAMA in the SECCG.
To add to that... UGA's defensive recruiting haul over the last 3-4 years and defensive coaching "quality & stability" ensures that the talent, athleticism and the right mix of "youth and leadership" will be there...no matter what.
It also helps that Kirby didn't need to dip into the TP to spruce up the roster, last year...maintaining continuity and message integrity. In fact...they've lost an entire defensive unit, to the portal, over the last couple of years, alone....mostly former 4 and 5 star recruits...and still, we see massive improvement in the level of "talent & depth" in the defensive backfield and little or no drop-off along the front 7.
Everybody knows, that "Talent" trumps "Inexperience", all day long. Lol. Talent and athleticism can make up for "mistakes due to inexperience" over the course of 4 qtrs..
In 2021...UGA's front 7 was...so talented...so dominant...that, UGA barely needed a defensive backfield. It's the Baseball equivalent of...putting your GOAT Strikeout Pitcher on the mound and having your Left Fielder play catch with the Center Fielder, just to stay warmed up throughout tthe inning. Lol
I DO agree with your assessment of the offense. I think they will be twice as explosive in the passing game...IF...they can solve the running back position, between now and the 3rd game of the season. And, I expect they will.
I have a feeling that RS-Fr Paul will be the best passing option, out of the backfield. But...the question is...How does "Bobo" plan to employ the RB in "His" offense?
Monkin liked to use Cook and McIntosh (along with TEs) to create one-on-one mismatches...in order to strike big on that "wheel route" he loved so much. Will Bobo keep that, as part of HIS game...or, will he add a twist to keep teams off-balance?
I think, the latter. After ALL is said and done...this year's offense could very well be considered "UGA's Best Ever". All things considered...the ball's in "Bobo's court", IMO. He is the key....can he top anything he and Richt accomplished, back in the day? I say...not only yes...but, hell yeah. With the talent he has to work with? Fugidabout it. Lol
@BigDawg61
Yeah, you got me on the 2021 projections. That defense turned out WAY better than I thought it was going to be. I am willing to entertain the possibility that UGA's secondary in 2023 will be as good as the DL was in 2021, but for that to happen a Malachi Starks caliber talent at weakside CB has to emerge from among the 4 and 5 star players that CKS has reeled in.
On offense, I really wish that Dawgnation would quit it with the "we need a tailback that can give UGA 40 catches for 500 yards to win a national title!" because ... you don't. It would be much better to have your starting tailback have 1400 yards RUSHING (McIntosh had 830) and your #2 WR have 55 catches for 850 yards instead of 21 catches for 320 yards like Kearis Jackson. UGA did a lot of gimmick stuff last year to compensate for a QB whose playmaking ability in half of the areas of the field was inconsistent. Clemson in 2016 and 2018, LSU in 2019, Alabama in 2015 and 2020 ... they didn't need to do that because they had QBs who could consistently make passing plays over all or most of the field. With Beck, UGA has a QB who can also.
"UGA did a lot of gimmick stuff last year to compensate for a QB whose playmaking ability in half of the areas of the field was inconsistent."
I disagree with this. Bennett wasn't inconsistent in anything last year. He could finally throw "deep balls", consistent in all of his passing attempts from however far away, ran when he needed, etc. The "gimmick" stuff was to throw the defense off so they had no idea what to expect, something I appreciate more than "hey, let's run it up the middle".
At the start of the season, likely not the best team he has had. But the schedule is such that the Dawgs will likely not face a REAL test, until November 18, at Tennessee. That means the team will have almost a full season under it's belt before we see what they can REALLY do. If we can avoid injuries and players being **** with drugs, alcohol, or the law, it could definitely be a three peat. Only team I see challenging the Dawgs is Ocryo State. Bama and LSU are off, from last year. UT will be good, but their big advantage will be home stadium. And I'm sure the Dawg D lives rent free in Harrison's head. Bet he won't be standing around waiting for dying duck passes, anymore. Go, Dawgs!
BTW, d-u-m-b is a banned word, here.
Lol...that's the new "WOKE Media" philosophy...if there is a chance that a WORD can be used or taken in an offensive way...it's banned...and a new WORD is created that means exactly the same thing. And...that WORD will be banned when someone finds a way to be insulted by it...and so on...and so on.
That's WOKE RULE #4.
RULE #1..."Everybody is exactly the same"
RULE #2..."Everybody gets a trophy...everybody's a Winner". Lol