I ask you, where is the love at CFN for Mohammed Massaquoi?
1. The Georgia passing game
Georgia did just fine with an inconsistent passing game that finished 83rd in the nation averaging 198 yards per game, but it needs to be able to air it out more effectively if it wants to win a national title. The team’s X factor will be a receiving corps that could be devastating if everyone plays up to their potential. Having a quarterback like Matthew Stafford makes everyone look better, and there will certainly be plenty of chances for big plays and plenty of opportunities to shine. Now it’s time for the receivers to be a strength and not just a collection of guys. Stafford has all the tools, a great line to work behind, and a terrific running game to take the pressure off. Everything is in place, and now the receiving corps has to pull its weight. It just hasn’t happened yet for Mo Massaquoi [Emphasis added], Kris Durham or Kenneth Harris, and while they’ll all get plenty of chances, A.J. Green and Tavarres King might become the top two options by the end of the year.
Massaquoi wasn’t exactly chopped liver last season. Here are some of his key stats: 15.3 yards per catch; 2.46 catches per game (16.08% of Georgia’s total); 4 TDs (20% of Georgia’s total). One out of every eight catches went for a touchdown. Not bad at all for a #2 receiver. And none of that takes into account the superb job he did as a blocker.
Just for comparison, here’s the list of the top five receivers in the conference last year, based on total receptions: McKinley (SC), Bennett (VU), Taylor (UT), Burton (UK) and Harvin (UF). All of those five caught a higher percentage of their teams’ completions, which would be expected from a group of #1s, but all had lower ypc numbers than MoMass. And of that bunch, only Keenan Burton caught TD passes as frequently.
I’m not arguing that Massaquoi had an elite season last year, but it’s ludicrous to claim that he hasn’t shown up yet – just as it is to equate his level of productivity with that of Durham (11 catches, no TDs) or Harris (4 catches, no TDs).
Does Georgia’s passing game need to step up in ’08 for the team to compete on the national stage as we hope? No doubt. But to point to Massaquoi as an obstacle that needs to be overcome simply isn’t accurate.
Get The Picture 
Fiutak has been stuck on this “Georgia is inconsistent” meme for about five years now. The MoMass criticism was valid about 8 months ago. Watch some film, Fiu.
LikeLike
I agree with you Senator. While Massaquoi’s name doesn’t exactly jump to the top of the “best receivers” list it doesn’t mean he hasn’t been productive. It’s unfortunate but the criticism likely stems from the poor year the receivers had in 06. I still get a lot of heckles from other fans about the dropped passes. They didn’t seem to notice the vast improvement made this past year (we’ll have blame Moreno for that).
LikeLike
I’d like to raise a slightly different point with regard to the UGA passing game. Dropped balls get a lot of attention because, well, you’re not supposed to do that, but also because they make for a convenient stat line. I’ve got nothing to go on here except my close observation of UGA and college football, but it seems to me that, in recent years most especially, UGA’s receivers have a heck of a time getting open. (Even with completions doesn’t it seem that there’s almost always a defender within a step or so forcing a nearly perfect throw?) And it seems to me, too, that the UGA passing game doesn’t exploit the middle of the field nearly as much as the more successful passing offenses that I’ve observed. I’d guess that these matters have a lot to do with receivers getting off the jam, route running, and QB decision-making. But I wonder if scheming doesn’t have something to do with it.
I could be totally wrong on this: it’s just one of the impressions I’ve gathered from watching UGA and mulling over the rather anemic passing numbers. Can anyone speak more intelligently on this than I can? (Shouldn’t be too hard. . . )
LikeLike
I remember assholes at Sanford Staduim booing MoMass two years ago and I stood by him. Nonbody should EVER, EVER, EVER boo our dawgs at home. but…… I sure wish we could rely on him to go up in a crowd and bring the ball down. Have we ever had a receiver we felt that way about? He’s a good dawg. I agree that he blocks downfield….. and that is what seperates the boys from the DAWGS!
Can you picture KM breaking through the line with just two safeties between him and the goal? Touchdown!
LikeLike
Way to tell it like it is. MoMass has been a DGD ever since he stepped foot on campus. Even when he was booed, he came up with those HUGE grabs against Tech in 06 and was a consistent weapon for Staff and KM in 07.
MoMass, Bailey, and Henderson were a solid trio – we need two other to step up their game; I feel MoMass is up to task, maybe Harris, Moore, or Green can step up as well.
LikeLike
I’ll say this!!
MoMass is gettin up there with Hines Ward when it comes to blocking status!!!!!
Does anybody remember MoMass BLASTING the guy from Bama……Castille???
WOW
LikeLike