Random game day thoughts

Nothing particularly profound, given the opposition.  While Bill King thinks that Bulldog pride demands an epic beat down the likes of which we’ve never seen in the Richt era, I’d simply settle for (1) no injuries and (2) a record-setting day from Hutson Mason in relief.

But what I’d like to leave you with is this comment from Coach Lakatos, in response to a question from Seth Emerson:

SE: Is a lot of this learning schemes, learning the system?

SL: No, a lot of it’s understanding leverage, and where you’re supposed to come from to make plays. That’s one thing we always have to improve, is creating leverage on the opponent and maintaining leverage throughout the course of the play so we have a chance to make the play. When we get out of position, that’s when big plays happen.

I can’t figure out how profound that comment is supposed to be.  Is he saying that nine games into the schedule, his DBs still haven’t figure where to line up and how to cover?  That’s one helluva Martinez hangover.

I’m heading out to the game.  Leave your comments below.

30 Comments

Filed under Georgia Football

30 responses to “Random game day thoughts

  1. I have no idea what it means. I have never heard a db coach say that. So i’m going to stick with my theory that he’s incompetent to Jancek proportions until proven otherwise.

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  2. Brandon

    The old defense crowd was obviously horrible at teaching fundamentals in a way the players could understand. You can tell this if you look back at some tapes of old games. Pre-2005 when our back up defense got in the game in garbage time they always looked pretty good/fundamentally similar to the first stringers. This started to deteriorate almost immediately when Willie took over, our back ups would come in at the end of a game when our starters had played generally well and they would immediately yield big plays/points of course nobody really cared too much because it was garbage time, look at the 2005 Tennessee game if you want an example, the defense played well the whole game, once we had the game in hand the back ups came in and they immediately coughed up points. As players who had brought through the system under Van Gorder graduated it got progressively worse. This wasn’t Willie’s only issue but it was one of them, eventually the players quit on him. The kind of bad habit building/lack of trust in the coaches we are dealing with on defense takes a long time to undo.

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  3. gastr1

    No, he’s saying they don’t know where to move once the ball has been snapped, including but not limited to how to take the right angles in coverage and tackling.

    I agree with Brandon that it’s an indictment of the old ways to some degree. It sounds like fundamental D.

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  4. Moggs

    I agree 100% with your objectives of the day. No injuries and a lot of backup play. Points are really over rated when you lay 65 on this team. Who really cares about a beatdown today. I mean, heck, I’m sure that UL LA & Vandy never saw us coming .

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  5. 69Dawg

    You guys are missing the point. What he is saying in a nice way is that our DB’s are retarded. Yes 9 games in and they are still screwing up. Willie taught them to run after the WR wildly waving their arms and then try to bump him out of bounds after the catch was made. This was easy to do and required no thinking at all. Coach Lact actually expects to have DB’s that can cover man, take the right angles, intercept the ball or tackle the WR when the catch is made. This requires a lot of brain power and is tiring to our ADD kids. I’m sure the coach will insist that any new recruits be smarter about football. So lets wait to see if Garner can recruit players with more IQ points than the number of points on their driving record.

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  6. Greg

    After watching the first half of the first quarter, all I can say is thank goodness we are playing a 1-7 FCS opponent. Anyone else and we’d probably already be losing by 2 or 3 scores.

    The atmosphere at the game today reminds me of any number of games with Goff on the sidelines in 1994 and 1995.

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    • Wolfman

      Can’t wait for that McGarity revolution.

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      • gastr1

        Man, count me in too. Look at all those fans in the stands all crazy at the end of the game there!!!

        Meaningful is not the same as exciting. Yes.

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        • sUGArdaddy

          Brother, no offense, but if you can’t see the good that comes from AJ, Caleb, Aaron & Washaun watching the second half from the sideline, then you just don’t get it.

          We’re going to have plenty of 4 qtr. wars in the SEC. We don’t need another one. We need to be healthy in those SEC wars. 4 qtr. games beat down 20 yr. old bodies. Why in the world would we want our boys to play another one of those in addition to the ones we HAVE to win?

          5 years ago, the NCAA took away an off week and added a 12th game. We decided to add a 4 qtr. battle in that slot. Our chief SEC opponents decided to add a cupcake, resulting in about 1/2 an off week. We need more 1/2 off weeks. Plus, that’s a free $2 mil dollars every year. Instead, we’re practically giving away $2 mil every other year.

          I went to Boulder, Stillwater, and Tempe. I had a great time. But I want to have a great time in Atlanta in early December. I don’t care about my ‘experiences’ at great atmospheres. I care about giving our staff and team the best shot to win titles. Home games and 1/2 off weeks are the best thing for that. It gives you a chance to rest banged up starters w/o risking a loss and early in the season it gives you a chance to bring young players along slowly.

          And what isn’t fun about winning 55-7?

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          • Mayor of Dawgtown

            Bingo. On the money.

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          • gastr1

            I’ve been thinking about this, and I think it’s really two different mindsets at play. Some fans apparently want UGA to win 55-7 or 80-0 no matter who the opponent is. Myself, and perhaps some others, I don’t know, want UGA to win 80-0 but actually enjoy the competition, anticipation to competition, excitement around the game, intensity on the sidelines and on the field, etc. I did love kicking the tar out of Auburn in ’07. I bet a lot of people see that as a high-water mark for the program in the last few years…not kicking the tar out of Louisiana La La or, jeez louise, these guys today.

            Playing good teams not only makes us better but is also more fun even if we lose sometimes–in my opinion, anyway. Your mileage, as they say, may vary, Brother.

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            • gastr1

              Oh, and by the way…I do begrudgingly respect the McGarity Doctrine as the Way Forward to a Title. I get that. Just don’t ask me to like it or to see it as an example of the glories of BCS football.

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            • Puffdawg

              You missed the point. We didn’t trade out Auburn for Idaho St. we still have Auburn next week. That was the most lethargic UGA game I’ve ever been to and I’m ok with saying we don’t have to play the Super Bowl every week.

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              • Puffdawg

                I’d also like to note how awesome I think it was that we got to see Joe Pa win 400 today. I hope we never get to see that sort of milestone at Georgia because FIRE MIKE BOBO FIRE MARK RICHT WE SUCK GOD HELP US THE SKY IS FALLING WE’LL NEVER BE GOOD AGAIN VANCE CUFF SUCKS WHEN HE ISN’T RUNNING INTS BACK FOR TDS.

                Man, that Joe Pa thing was really cool. If only we could be as good as Alabama. They might never lose another game ever. After today I mean. Ever.

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              • gastr1

                I’m not missing the point. There may as well not have been a game at all today, in my opinion. I watched about 10 minutes of what would otherwise be something I would plan my day around for three hours.

                Yes, sUGArdaddy has all the right reasons for why it has to be like this. Nonethless, I reserve the right to want rather than need: I think if you’re going to play a game it takes more than a scout-team exhibition to be interesting or even “meaningful.” May as well have played the Washington Generals. (Y’all like those Globetrotters games growing up? Me neither.)

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          • scdawg

            Just like Clemson. Run up big numbers on BS teams and wonder why they can’t hang with the big boys. Very similar to Bowden coached Clemson teams

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  7. thewhiteshark

    What he’s basically saying is we have some guys who have no football sense at all. The problem with being a great athlete is you can dominate and be fundamentally unsound through middle school and high school. Happens in basketball all the time. When you get with players who have as much talent as you it then comes down to technique and, for lack of a better term, football sense and a certain amount of heart. Some guys never make the adjustment. It takes time to coach through the stuff Willie let them get away with.

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  8. Sep

    What’s scary is you hope some of these guys already have that instinct. If not, who are we recruiting?

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  9. D.N. Nation

    KIRBY SMART FOR….oh.

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    • DawgBiscuit

      +1

      To which I might add: WILL MUSCHAMP FOR…dadgum it.

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      • DWH

        On that note, could someone PLEASE explain to me the desire in having one of these two guys run the program? If I recall, I believe UGA smoked Muschamp’s D more times than not in the past. I’ve never seen the appeal, outside the fact that the guys are alumni.

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      • D.N. Nation

        I think if we were to have an equivalent season to Texas’, we should’ve been blown out against Kentucky or something. What a trainwreck.

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  10. scdawg

    It is what I have been saying about the defense all year. The talent is NOT there. Championship talent at least. Everybody gets pissed at me for pointing it out. Look, it shouldn’t take that long for dbs to “learn” fundamentals”. Usually angles and such are made by talent. Watch clips of Rennie Curran and Odel Thurman. They took great angles and didn’t allow plays to come to them, they went to the play. Marcus Dowtin wil over persue or allow a play to eat him up.

    Proper angles and timing will lead to monster hits and momentum swing plays. Georgia doesn’t even come close. Look at the difference in LSU’s defense, they way they attack a runner. They aren’t that great of a defense, but they are pretty good. That is what a new defensive coordinator and talent look like.

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    • scdawg

      ….and as far as recruiting talent. Football smarts and coachability are huge. Reshard Jones is a perfect example. Dripping with talent, but dumb as a rock.

      For all you folks that think the defense is improved. Watch Georgia against Auburn, and the unwillingness to hit Cam Newton. Miss. St. didn’t mind tackling him and for 3 quarters Clemson contained him fairly well.

      Please don’t forget Rambo’s coments earlier in the year about “I know I loafed on some plays”. Oh yeah….where be da HITMAN des days??? Cuff still gets smoked, Commings is ok, but you tell me afyer the Florida if he is that good. Shawn Williams should be a LBer. Ogletree is THE best talent in the secondary.

      Get mad, but that is why the defense is a joke against decent offenses. Talk to me after Auburn. And when Auburn smokes this defense and you still want believe in this defense. I’m sure you can help raise money for the Athletic dept. by bidding on the Raffle at Georgiadogs.com. Maybe you can win the ticket to get into one of the team’s pool parties or horse back riding trips. FAMILY FUN!

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