A couple of random post-scrimmage observations

Jakar Hamilton goes down for the season, and the reaction is…  panic?  worry?  concern?  grim silence?

None of the above.

The injury hits the Bulldogs at a position where they at least have developed some depth.

“I think we’re in pretty good shape there,” coach Mark Richt said.

Maybe he’s delusional about the situation.  Who can tell right now?  All I know is that if he’d have said that after the G-Day game, we’d have all thought he was nuts.  So if Richt’s right, it’s a sea change at the position, that’s for sure.

Speaking of changes, if this doesn’t get you at least a teeny bit pumped up, I don’t know what to do for you:

… Sophomore inside linebacker Alec Ogletree led the defense for a second consecutive scrimmage, compiling eight tackles and a sack.

“He would have been successful at safety, but I think moving him to linebacker is one of the best decisions our coaches could have made for the overall success of our defense and our team,” outside linebacker Jarvis Jones said of Ogletree. “He can get off blocks. He can run sideline to sideline. He can make big plays. He’s a high-energy guy and brings it every day.”

That’s coming from a guy who had to move out of the middle when Ogletree was bumped from safety.

It’s Grantham’s big gamble.  And like all big gambles, it’ll pay off big if it works.

49 Comments

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49 responses to “A couple of random post-scrimmage observations

  1. Rocksalt

    I’m imagining Rennie Curran in platform shoes. Electric!

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  2. Nate

    Anyone else get the feeling our linebacker corps is going to be the football equivalent of SEAL Team 6?

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  3. BeardDawg

    But, but, but Bogotay missed a field goal! Walsh mssed 2! Murray threw a pick! Mason completed les than 50% of his passes! The sky is falling! The sky is falling!

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  4. vincent

    Remember last year when we thought jakar was going to be the impact player from juco? gotta admit i’m disappointed for him and the team. here’s hoping he has a great year in 2012. But back to safety who are the coaches looking at to start next to rambo? shawn williams? who else is at that position that looks promising and adds depth? damian swann? corey moore? any insight would be appreciated. here’s hoping the preseason happy talk turns out to be VERY warranted iin our first two games

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  5. Merk

    I would be worried if it was another safety. Hamilton never impressed me last year. As crappy as Rambo played, Hamilton topped it and then some.
    As I have said before, Hamilton collected more Face mask penalties then he did good hits and/or picks.

    Ogletree was the only bright spot there and he moved. This is just another situation where the staff is forced to play the freshmen more. That is not a bad thing when we recruited several 4 star DBs.

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    • Cojones

      Yes and he hyped himself into our expectations. then couldn’t deliver. The excuse this year had been that he knew the playbook better. The question became, “What doesn’t he know now?” coming into Fall Practice. Now that’s moot.

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  6. SC Dawg

    Not sure if anyone else felt this way, but when I was reading that quote I was expecting it to be coming from a coach. I feel like its icing on the cake when you have a player who can articulate. It implies leadership, intelligence, and an overall sense that the guy gives a crap about his team.

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  7. Turd Ferguson

    I’m definitely one who was guilty of thinking Jakar Hamilton was going to come in and dominate. What a disappointment that turned out to be. Are there no personal fouls in JUCO football? You’d think the guy was taught that yanking on facemasks is a perfectly legal way to tackle. Here’s hoping he takes a RS this year, comes back stronger and smarter, and finally lives up to the nickname.

    I’m still a bit worried about our secondary, but if the front 7 plays up to the level it sounds like they’re capable of, I think the secondary can get away with just being okay.

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  8. Keese

    3 months for a stress fracture? Not only that, but he’s been out of practicing for over a month now already. How did that happen? And Richt saying the injury moves to different spots? ….something just doesn’t sound right

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    • Darrren Rovelll

      As a 40+ guy who is recovering from a stress fracture in his shin, I am not surprised about the recovery time. I was able to run 3-5 miles five times per week for two years with pain in my shin. The only time it really hurt was when I was running and even then it did not hurt for the full run. Initially it was little bit of pain at the start and some at the end.

      Gradually it begin to hurt for longer at the start, it would really hurt at the end and the pain would last for 30 – 60 after my run. The fracture really never hurt on a day to day basis when I was not running. But what I thought was swelling was just the bone creating a large knot on my shin trying to close the fracture. Finally, I decided to go to the ortho when I was 3/4 of the way through my run, my shin had been in pain the entire time, and I was favoring the leg which was causing knee pain.

      The ortho’s solution was to put it in an air cast for 6 weeks with no running, then I had six weeks with no cast and no running. Now I have another six weeks where I am gradually easing back into it. Sure I am 20 years older than Jakar and he should heal faster but time off is the best thing for it.

      If his stress fracture is like mine and developed over time, then the last thing the ortho wants to do is go in and do surgery. It probably will not help him recover any faster and it will hurt worse than the pain from the injury in the first place.

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    • Tiger Woods

      Wimp…I won an Open with a stress fracture.

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  9. Will Trane

    Puzzling comment by CMR re Hamilton. Why say he is injuried and may miss a game. No way I’d let that out about my safety going into two tough season opening games. When you broadcast to your opponents that your safety is lost for the season, I would think the opposing OCs begin to change and tweak their game plans

    If you drop a player for the season, you can say what you want. But here is the bottom line. Your team just took a big hit. Especially going into your second season with a new defense scheme.

    I can not understand why this coaching staff is so open about player progress and injuries. Why don’t they all get a blog site and have at it.

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    • austintwo

      Could you give an example of what Boise’s OC will change based on having this information?

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      • GreenDawg

        Yeah, I’m not sure us losing a second string safety is going to change Boise’s gameplan much. Not to mention we have some very talented freshmen at that position. Some early playing time might not be so bad.

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  10. Macallanlover

    I’m betting Hamilton does come back stronger and smarter next year. People with potential tend to rise to the occasion when sand is beginning to run low in the old hour glass. Whatever he has got, we will see it in 2012. Now if he is more talk than talent, as it appeared last season, we won’t hear from him again. It seems we have a lot of young talent on board so he will have to work hard to break through next year and be seen by NFL coaches.

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    • W Cobb Dawg

      “Now if he is more talk than talent, as it appeared last season, we won’t hear from him again.”

      Mac, I think you’ve nailed it. Since Rambo and Williams are both juniors, and the dream teamers are coming on, I won’t be surprised if the ‘hit man’ transfers before 2012. Hate to see any player’s career with Dawgs ended by an injury. But past circumstances in similar situations lead me to believe we won’t see Hamilton back on the field as a Dawg. Sometimes it just doesn’t work out the way we’d all like. I know all Dawg fans wish him well with his recovery and future.

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  11. W Cobb Dawg

    Only time will tell if ‘tree will be a force at ILB. But I don’t see any legitimate alternative. Just like last season at NT, if we don’t have the beef inside we’ll get killed up the middle. With Jenkins/Geathers and ‘tree, we are much bigger in the middle than last year. And shifting Tyson to DE is the best use of his talents too.

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  12. Ace

    What concerns you guys about this scrimmage?
    a) Another int by Aaron Murray
    b) Another fumble by the running backs–forced by A Jones
    c) Ken Malcome has yet to break 2 ypc in either scrimmage
    d) Olson or King have not made the stats yet
    e) #1 offense has only scored 1 TD against #2 defense in two scrimmages driving the field
    f) Samuel & Crowell did not get reps and are missing practice reps
    g) C Rob has yet to hit the stat list

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    • Macallanlover

      Certainly not the INT by Murray. First of all, the DBs know our offense, our receivers, and our tendencies better than any opponent can. Secondly, Murray made pretty good decisions last fall despite a horrendous mistake in the Spring game that had everyone mumbling. Lastly, any QB that doesn’t throw an interception isn’t taking enough chances to be effective; you just hope they don’t occur at critical times.

      I am highly impressed that we have DBs in the area, and close enough to make a pick. So many times the past several seasons we haven’t had a red jersey even on my wide screen TV when a catch was made.

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    • Merk

      Well. If you read Murray’s statement, he says that they only get 8 plays and have to stop. So if you have a proven QB and a bunch of unproven Rec., what are you going to do? They could be targeting King and Charles every play and getting them 5-6 catches for 60-100 yrds, maybe a TD. Then you would be all, OMG King and Charles must be tearing it up. once game time comes and King and/or Charles see double coverage and Murray is forced to look at the other rec. that he has not really thrown to and misses you will be pissed saying how they should have been pushing the other guys.
      Also BTW how many stats did Durham have last fall practice? I sure do not remember his being a huge standout in practice.

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      • Xon

        This is the key. We’re scrimmaging against ourselves. Every “bad” play or stat corresponds to a “good” play or stat by someone else on the team. If we scored at will in scrimmage, then what would we think about our defense? Plus, as said above, the rules are not the same in a scrimmage anyway. You run 8 plays, then stop. So, even if you drive down to the 15 and are moving the ball really well, if it’s been eight plays then you have to settle for the FG. That’s not how it works in real games, as we all know.

        You cannot project into direct predictions based on this. That would be crazier than trying to make NFL predictions based on pre-season games.

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        • Cojones

          I think there was a little sarcasm involved that relates to those who come on a blog and push buttons about scrimmages and Spring Game. However, your explanation should make it chrystal clear to those who would nibble the bait.

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    • Todd

      C-ROB, just doesn’t have it. Say what you want to, but he just doesn’t.
      Malcome can’t stay healthy.
      Murray is a good qb, but his height will hinder him in passes across the middle without AJ.

      I worry sometimes when I hear about Murray and Robinson meeting on how to become good leaders. True leaders are field generals and they don’t need to “be leaders”, they just are natural leaders.

      I hope that Charles, White, and Lynch are making catches that are being kept under wraps. If not, this will be a farewell tour for Richt. Seriously, Charles and White could be used as WRs. Imagine dbs getting blocked by them on running plays. There is more than one way to skin a cat. I just hope Richt & Co. use several different ones.

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  13. Rhymerdawg

    As far as the stats are concerned, I don’t have a problem.
    AM looks like the guy who is taking chances in practice to see what works in game time situations. I kinda think that he is the type of guy that if he makes a mistake in practice it won’t happen in a game. Therefore, the INT’s practice make sense to me. He is trying to see how much accuracy he has. He is for all tense and purposes sighting his cannon. So the INT’s for me are positives.

    For the offense in general I think that not scoring is a plus. We all know that we need defense more than we need offense. So if we have to win games 10-7 or 14-7 or 3-0 I will take that. I do not think that will happen but a solid defense wins championships. The best thing for the offense is for the defense to be better and win more in practice. That means the O-line is working hard and the mistakes are being made in the practice arena and not at game time. This way with two big games at the opening of our schedule we will be ready to attack.

    Finally, the fact that the offense and defense are getting familiar with one another is something that causes the 2 ypc and the fumbles. You get familiar with how someone carries the rock and can devise ways to strip it. You can read the play faster the more you go against it. This is why the #1 offense goes against the #2 defense. This way the #1 defense does not get used to to a certain offensive scheme and you can have your #2 offense mix it up. The 2 ypc may simply be the result of JJ, “DYNO-MITE!!!,” being in the middle.

    Could not resist the Good Times reference to our newest NG.
    I say these things because I am not an energy vampire. ha.

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  14. Will Trane

    Boise runs plays more than an offense. So the more experience you have in your secondary in the first two games [a national contender and a SEC opponent] will be better. When you watch them they run misdirection prior to the snap and it is easy for an inexperienced player to get caught up in that and get sucked into the wrong gap. Boise seems to use plays designed for putting a D into an extra gap either prior or post snap. Lakatos is a good secondary coach, and we will see how the safeties and corners do against an experienced QB. Do not think depth means numbers, but that could factor in. Just because a kid sits two on a depth chart does not mean he is not important.
    You have to wonder what input players like Mason, Tamburo, and Ward have in preparation for Boise even though they do not play. Considering the HS offenses and plays they ran and saw…plus Tamburo was at BSU.
    Why open up your injury report to opponents? One thing to say he is injuried and probable and another to say a player is lost for the season. Coaches look at injury reports. Opposing coaches find out pre game what a player look like if they have not played them before, that is soon enough. Coaches study film and players closely…at least the ones who win consistently. Why give an opponent an edge?

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  15. Todd

    Jakar, just like CJ Byrd, should have been playing WR. Talk to anybody that watched them in high school. Both are dissappointments. Rambo and “da hitman” looked terrible against Lattiomore. Lakatos recruits dbs that are over 6′. Greg Reid isn’t 6′ and he wasn’t scared to hit Mr. Lattimore. In fact, the first chance he got, he sent him to the oral surgeon. Recruit football players not stars or heights. Sure 5’8″ corners can be a liability, but some 5’10” kids can straight ball. How tall was Joe Haden? Personally, I think Greg Reid was the biggest in-state miss in a long time. I have nothing for Rambo’s play and especially when he was quoted as saying “he took a few plays off” If he would have said that in Tusculoosa, he would have been back in Seminole County washing cars.

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  16. Cojones

    Seems like only yesterday that I squelched a negative comment about the receiver corps and used Wooten’s name as a likely good target for Murray. It was a dumbass stats argument as if AJ was never on the field. Murray has many good targets in the WRs and the TEs will take up any slack given plus give the slack back to the WRs when the TEs are covered. It’s all good. Plus the receptions coming out of the backfield show Murray has a dearth of targets before he ever heaves one to Figgins.

    Let interceptions happen. So what? The idea of being cautious when you have a QB like Aaron is ridiculous. Light ’em up, buddy. Let the Big Dawgs run to an open field. Sic’em!!

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  17. Prov

    There are a lot of players being written-off in these comments and the Dawgs haven’t even kicked off in game 1. Good Grief.

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