The first bar we went to last night had big screen TVs, but no game. The second bar we hit had the game, but no big screen TVs. We stayed there. (The cold Fat Tire on draft may have entered into our decision.)
The detailed observations are probably a little lacking as a result, but here are a few things, anyway:
- The Dawgs only had one long scoring drive on the night – the 7-play, 70-yarder which opened the second half – but it was huge.
- The key to Georgia’s passing game in the second half: find A.J. Green. The key to Kentucky’s passing game in the second half: find Vance Cuff. Both were equally effective.
- Monster game from Justin Houston, but the pass rush let Hartline step up in the pocket a little too much.
- Ho hum, another Brandon Boykin 100-yard kickoff return.
- Three fumble recoveries in one game?
- And five Washaun Ealey rushing TDs in one game?
- Another excellent game from Drew Butler. His first punt set up Georgia’s fourth TD in the first half after the UK fumble.
- Aside from the turnovers, the other key to the game was run blocking. Georgia’s o-line did. Kentucky’s o-line didn’t.
Get The Picture 
Blair Walsh appears to be in some sort of funk.
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I think he hit rock bottom last night. If so I’m happy with that…had to happen some time. Now he can get right for the stretch run.
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Well, SEC 1st team still isn’t out of the question. Tiffin had about 3 PAT misses last year and still managed to win it.
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Well, it likely is ridiculous, but it crossed my mind that he purposefully missed that PAT. Having set the school record for consecutive extra points made, he decided to leave it there so as not to put it completely out of reach for the next guy.
Of course, that doesn’t explain the FG issue, so it’s a weak theory.
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Encouraging to me is all three FG misses were to the right on kicks where he hit the ball solidly. Looks like a simple alignment issue, or he expected a hook that didn’t come. In Colorado I thought it might be the light air not allowing the ball to hook, much like the way it effects a pitcher’s curve ball in baseball in Denver, but now I don’t think so. Plus, at least 2 of the 3 were from the right hash which is a more difficult angle for a right-footed kicker. In a critical FG situation it might be necessary to position the play before to get him to the middle or left.
Still a remarkable, relaible kicker, but he has made us accustomed to expect perfection from him. That isn’t fair, but it is always a shock when he misses, and the XP pull, wow!
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He has been close several more times to the right. He needs to adjust for that.
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I think he did. That last FG was from the right hash too and he drilled it right down the heart.
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The 13 play, 67 yard drive with 10 minutes left in the 4th quarter was pretty sweet too. Is that “finishing the drill”?
Akeem Dent has been every bit as good as Houston….IMO.
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I haven’t seen the game yet, so I have a question: It seems like Sanders is playing (great), so is Vance Cuff in at nickel back or is he starting ahead of Boykin? If he keeps getting victimized, why is he still in there, other than B. Smith is hurt?
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Seems like Cuff is in on nickel or dime situations. Honestly, ya’ll it’s just a bad situation at corner in that regard. Boykin and Commings are solid starting corners, but the depth is scary due to derek owens being a freshman, Cuff getting victimized, B. Smith being played cautiously (showing concussion symptoms two weeks after the fact is not a good sign, hence he hasnt been in at all), and Jordan love… well not sure why he isnt getting played over Cuff
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One of the 3rd down and long plays on the first drive could be why…Love didn’t stay with receiver on the sideline and Hartline floated a lollipop just over him. Was almost as ridiculously bad as Cuff’s “coverage” on the TD where Cuff fell down on a painfully interceptable ball and the WR sprained his knee making the catch.
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Maybe Ealy has really quit “thinking too much” (his words)…he sure as hell looked like a running back last night.
Dent has had a great year so far, and I agree, RBM, he’s as good as Houston, but harder for the bums in the booth to see.
I would very much like to see somebody explain why we can’t get a stop on third and long. I thought Zeir was going to have a stroke.
Seriously, what’s going on here folks….is it that we are depending on pressure to stop third downs and not getting there?
Kentucky….Kentucky!!!! was like 80 percent on third down.
What’s going on?
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Don’t get me wrong, I think this team has gotten better and better each week, and I am, this morning, damn glad to be a Dawg.
It’s just that I see things I don’t understand.
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Agreed…that first UK drive was something I don’t think I’ve seen before, ever. FOUR straight first downs on third and more than seven??? What is the deal?
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I don’t think under Goff we ever stopped Florida on a third and long; maybe Tennessee as well.
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Kentucky’s offense is pretty good, you know. That said, the 3rd and long stuff is frustrating. I would guess it is partially breakdowns in coverage and partially not getting to the QB, but it’s hard to say having only watched most of the games on TV.
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I think their third down yardage on that first drive was greater than their real yardage on it. They went for negative yards on several of those plays, then had huge third down conversions. I’d at least be curious to see whether that was the case. It was really disappointing to listen to on the radio (picking up the Kentucky AM station).
The Kentucky radio team was big on Akeem Dent, they praised him more than anyone else on Georgia’s squad.
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Vance Cuff is the new Bryan Evans.
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Aside from not being able to cover or tackle, he’s pretty good.
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Uhh, except dropping that SURE interception in the End Zone! LOL
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Damn dude you drink Flat Tire? Eh it could be worse I suppose, its not like you are a natural light fan. Wait, are you?
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Vance Cuff has taken Bryan Evans place right nicely. Just like a couple weeks ago when he got 3 15 yard penalties, “we didn’t have anybody else”. Make the call right now to move Brandon Smith and Jakar Hamilton to offense. Smith will not make it after those concusions and Hamilton was a great wr in high school, he ain’t a big time db. Georgia is still suffering from Mark Richt allowing Willie Martinez to out stay his welcome John Brantley will know where #25 is lining up. Oppurtunities abound!
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You stole my name.
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We’ve lost 3 or 4 DBs recently in recruiting (i.e. missed out near the end) that hurt as well. For instance, Reed (SP?) at FSU would have been nice to have!
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CMR should send somebody to Kansas to watch Butler CC DBs play and sign the best of ’em to come to UGA for next year. In fact, send somebody to scout every top JC program in the country for O-line and DB prospects for next year. Those are the areas where the team will need help and we do not need to be waiting on a freshman to physically mature. Ask Auburn how the JC recruit thing is working out for them.
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JC DBs are awesome.
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SOME JC DBs are awesome.
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In an aside about Auburn and juco’s….they went to Bumfoot, Oklahoma or wherever he was not to look at Newton, but at another player.
Jamie Newberg is such a great help to the college recruiting process you wonder how this could happen.
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looks like walsh has a case of the pushes–i noticed it a couple of weeks ago. he really exaggerated a hook motion on the short fg he made after the missed field goal, and of course on the pat he hooked the piss out of it. i’ll bet he gets is head right before saturday, though–the guy has to be pretty mentally tough to have survived fabris’ concerted attempts of undermine his confidence for 2 straight years.
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I’m OK, just got myself distracted by a couple co-eds. And Wow, did you see that sideline reporter???
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The first half last night looked like a replay of the second half in Sanford Stadium last year.
Regression to the mean, indeed.
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I think it’s obvious the achilles heel of this entire team is the secondary. However with the teams left to play I don’t think that really hurts us as bad as did last night. It really depends on whether or not Burton or Brantley is going to get the majority of the reps in Jax
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Dawgs have to find a pass rusher to compliment Justin Houston. We need a Mr. Inside to go with Mr. Outside. That would really help the DB’s. I thought one of the advantages of the 3-4 was blitzing by the inside LB’s. I believe Dent has made a couple sacks, but I’m surprised we haven’t seen more pressure coming from the guys between the OLB’s.
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I think Tripp needs more playing time. Good things seem to happen when he’s in there clogging things up.
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On Green’s influence on the Georgia running game:
“One thing you don’t want to do You don’t want to single him up a lot. You want to try to put a guy underneath and a guy on the top so it takes another guy out of the box.
“But late in the game they were playing two-tight end sets and two-back sets, so you actually have an extra guy when you put that — you don’t have to cover down on another receiver, because they’ve got two tight ends in the box.
“But, yeah, he does help their running game because he brings another guy with him. You’ve got to mix and match your coverages. You’ve got to get two people over the top of it or one guy over the top of it at times. That gives them the ability to run the ball with numbers.”
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We can’t go man in the nickle so we are in a zone and boy does that hurt. All summer and spring when Van was being touted all I could think of was the long pass play by GT last year where Be-Be stoned him. He could have made the play but he can’t tackle. He has the hands of stone too.
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Here’s the head-scratcher for me: All spring and summer we heard rave reviews about Cuff’s progress. Am starting to think nothing is more useless than the program’s pre-season self-assessments.
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Hey, now, wait a minute, they are as useful as the polls.
and recruiting assessments.
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Wasn’t he the one with the great 40 time?
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