This just in: Kellen Moore is pretty good.

Per Dave McMahon, here’s a breakdown of Georgia’s pass defense against Boise State versus the three games which followed:

… Georgia was stellar on defense in the last game as well. One of the major improvements throughout the season has been pass defense. Check out the Georgia’s stats after facing Heisman candidate Kellen Moore in game one compared to what the Dawgs have done in the last 3 games.

	Comp Pct	Pass Yards/Game	TD passes	Interceptions
vs Boise State	82.4	261	3	1
Games 2-4	45.1	113	2	5

That translates into these specific defensive passer ratings per game:  Boise State, 170.07; South Carolina, 85.50; Coastal Carolina, 61.99; Ole Miss, 79.39.

Rambo missing that first game may also factor into those stats.  But one thing you have to feel good about is that Georgia won’t see a quarterback as stout as Moore the rest of the season.

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Lettin’ his freak flag fly.

Bitter?  Yeah, I think you can say Ralph Friedgen’s bitter.

Friedgen: Well, it’s not painful because I watch it for the kids. I could care less about Maryland. I’ve burned my diploma. I’m flying a Georgia Tech flag right now.

What’s the opposite of third-and-Willie?

I’m not willing to go this far yet, but I will say that I’m very much heartened by the improvement the Georgia defense has shown with its third-down play.  I don’t think it’s a mirage resulting from playing weak offenses the last two weeks, either.

The Broncos and Gamecocks combined to convert 8 of 26 third-down opportunities, and those could be the top two offenses the Bulldogs face all season.

Not too shabby there.  The Dawgs followed that up with a combined 6 for 30 performance against Coastal Carolina and Ole Miss, which leaves them ranked fifth nationally in a performance category where they stunk the joint up last season.  And that improvement may be paying one unexpected dividend.

One stat Richt has tracked is time of possession, where his Bulldogs rank third in the SEC at 32:27 a game. He wasn’t expecting Georgia to fare overly well in that category because of its no-huddle offense, but the defense’s success on third down has resulted in more offensive plays and possessions.

Last year, Mississippi State converted its third-down plays against Georgia at a sickening 7-13 rate (along with a 1-1 conversion on fourth down).  That was the best conversion percentage against any D-1 opponent the Bulldogs saw in 2010.  Needless to say, there can’t be a repeat of that for Georgia to win tomorrow.

Keeping ’em honest.

Mississippi State’s beat writer suggests to Seth Emerson that the Bulldogs’ struggles on defense are largely personnel related:

4. Does the Mississippi State defense miss Manny Diaz’s playcalling? If not, what else ails their defense, especially against the run?

Marcello: I know a lot of folks are complaining, but Chris Wilson’s defense is very similar to Diaz’s scheme. The Bulldogs are missing three NFL players more than anything. All three starting linebackers (two now in the NFL) and defensive end Pernell McPhee (now sacking quarterbacks for the Balitimore Ravens) are gone from last season’s team. McPhee commanded attention, often drawing double teams that allowed inside guys like Josh Boyd and Fletcher Cox to apply pressure in the middle of the field. State simply does not have that luxury this season and they’re trying to figure things out…

Brophy notes that Wilson pulled a trick or two out of his sleeve at crunch time against Louisiana Tech.

… On the final interception, needing to inch closer to convert the downs (5 yards), likely because of the inconsistent short-yardage production from the banged up Lennon Creer, Tech opts for Y Cross isolating standout receiver, Quinton Patton, in the boundary with a double outlet underneath to the field.  Mississippi State presses the line of scrimmage showing press cover 1, essentially baiting Isham to throw the 1-on-1 with Patton.  At the snap, MSU bails out to cover 3, Patton’s cornerback retreats deep with deep help from the free safety in the end zone.  Because MSU disguised this so well (discouraging the run with 7 defenders versus the 5 blockers), it was too late for Isham to recognize the Hi-Lo on the lone MSU linebacker to the field.

Still, that was crunch time against Louisiana Tech.  There’s something a bit comforting about MSU getting pushed to the limit by Tony Franklin and a 17-year old quarterback.

Georgia won’t be running anything like Franklin’s offense, but there are still a couple of lessons to be taken from the Tech game.  First, Louisiana Tech kept Mississippi State’s defense on its heels with a short controlled passing game (Isham was 29-40 passing, but averaged less than six yards per passing attempt).  Second, as Brophy mentions, LT couldn’t rely on its run game to pick up first downs in short yardage situations.  That allowed Wilson to be creative with his play call on the last interception.

The Dawgs need to do two things on offense against the Dogs this Saturday.  Make them respect the run.  And make them fear the tight end.

Lucky thirteen

Let’s see… key high-profile match ups potentially tossed aside, Greg McGarity worried about liquidated damages provisions and coaches complaining about unbalanced schedules and trips to Texas.

Yeah, this whole thirteen-team schedule thingy looks like it’ll be a breeze to put together.  No wonder you’ve already got conference athletic directors undercutting the boss’ message.

If size were the only thing that mattered…

… then Georgia’s offensive line would be the baddest on the planet.