Spurrier’s Schadenfreude

This makes me so sad.

Spurrier: "I really thought LSU would beat them. I didn't think Georgia would score that much against LSU but they did."

— Josh Kendall (@JoshatTheState) October 1, 2013

Maybe next year, Steve-o.

Don’t think twice, it’s alright.

Maybe the reason the officials weren’t calling pass interference in Saturday’s game was because they were too preoccupied with targeting.

“Me and Quincy Mauger, we definitely had maybe two or three chances – I know I had maybe had one shot – of knocking (the receiver’s) helmet off,” Matthews said. “But I let up because the referee had already told me about the rule in the game. He was telling me to watch where I aim my head. He said on a couple of plays I was leading head first. And he was like, ‘we will kick you out for that.’ So one of those plays I actually did let up when I could have just knocked the receiver out and knocked the play out probably.”

Mauger thinks the mindset under the new rule is having an impact.

Mauger said he also let up when he had a play on a receiver catching the ball over the middle. And he thinks it’s part of the reason offenses are putting up such big numbers early on this season.

“It’s definitely had an effect over the whole NCAA,” said Mauger, a freshman from Marietta. “It’s kind of hard for a safety to go from being able to make big impact plays to having to second-guess a play. But we’ve still got to be aggressive towards the ball. That’s it, really.”

Do you think the rule is a big a reason for the defense’s performance as Mauger does?  Is the experience factor a bigger deal?

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That would be fun.

USA Today currently projects a Georgia vs. Ohio State national title game match up.

As you factor in the early season statistics…

… just keep this in mind.

#UGA has as many wins over Top-10 teams this year as the rest of the FBS teams combined. pic.twitter.com/jz1eg1Ag7q

— Radi Nabulsi (@RadiNabulsi) October 1, 2013

Casualty of war

According to Air Force’s associate athletic director, there is a chance this Saturday’s Air Force-Navy game may not be played because of the federal government shutdown.

Garnhart explained that upper-class cadets at the Air Force Academy are considered military personnel, which means they could be subject to travel restrictions under the shutdown.

You gotta love this country.

**************************************************************************

UPDATE:

Due to the government shutdown, #AirForce has canceled today’s press conference with Troy Calhoun and players.

— Bruce Feldman (@BruceFeldmanCFB) October 1, 2013

Upon further review, Georgia-LSU edition

Yeah, I think I’ll watch this one a few more times.  While the replay wasn’t as thrilling as being there, it sure was satisfying to watch.  Here are a few things that caught my eye from the broadcast:

• If anything, the offensive line was even more impressive than I thought, especially in pass protection.  I don’t know if the keeping bodies fresh approach paid off, or if the line benefited from LSU not having any speed rushers, but those guys looked comfortable keeping Murray off the ground.  Andrews, in particular, had a great day.  I saw several plays where he blocked his lineman and then got a second block on a linebacker.  The line also did a good job blocking the perimeter on running plays and Gurley made the Tigers pay with some runs he bounced outside.
• That Leonard Floyd sack was fast.
• So was that tackle Josh Harvey-Clemons flashed in and made on Hill near the goal line.
• One other big thing about giving Murray a comfortable pocket to throw from, besides his mechanics, is that it gives him time to look the safeties off on some of the deeper throws that take more time to develop.
• Gurley was killing it before he got hurt.
• On that ridiculous completion to Landry, can anybody explain what Floyd was doing?  He just stood up at the line of scrimmage… and watched.  There’s no way he was spying on Mett, so why didn’t he rush?
• Pass coverage is frustrating, to be sure.  A few brilliant plays – like the one Langley had breaking up a throw to Landry – sprinkled in among a lot of confusion.  And it’s not all about youth, as Swann looked lost a couple of times, too.
• LSU did a good job isolating Georgia’s linebackers in pass coverage.
• The interception was a freak play, as opposed to a deliberate strategy like what we saw in the Clemson game.  But Murray was lucky he didn’t get that pass he tried to force in to Conley in the end zone picked.
• Speaking of picks, Jordan Jenkins, you gotta make that grab, man.  With sacks coming around along with a semblance of a defense against the run, what Georgia’s still missing on defense is forcing turnovers.
• I’m still amazed at how much the officiating crew ignored pass interference.  But at least it was even-handed.

Nice September, GTP.

I’d like to chalk it up to my stylish prose, or maybe tip my cap to some well-timed trolling, but the reality is that when Georgia plays a bunch of high-profile games in a month and wins most of them, you guys get excited.  And that’s how GTP got over half a million hits in September.  Awesome.

Thanks to all for dropping in.

Third and Todd

Here’s a stat that’s getting a fair amount of attention:  Georgia is 99th in the country in opponent third down conversion rate.  There’s been a steady decline over the past three seasons.

• 2013 – 44.83%
• 2012 – 36.54%
• 2011 – 28.93%

The improvement in 2011 was dramatic and came in part because Grantham recognized there was an issue there that needed to be addressed.  So it’s fair to say he’s got experience in how to bring that into line.  It’s not a big surprise, but the gaping wound that needs to be stitched up is in pass defense.  Check out the situational stats on passing defense when opponents face third and four or more yards to go.  The other guys are 20-33, 310 yards, 4 TDs, 0 INTs.  Tough to get off the field when they’re averaging almost ten yards per attempt and not turning the ball over in those circumstances.

Georgia’s offensive passing game has actually been better in those situations, which is a good thing and has no doubt been a key factor in those September wins.  But overall, the offense’s third down conversation rate trails the defense’s by a significant margin.  That’s a tough burden to shoulder.

It’s made for some exciting football watching the defense come up with key stops to save the South Carolina and LSU games, but as Emerson’s article notes, this is no way to run a railroad over the course of a season.

Musical palate cleanser: ode to a crowd

For those of you who weren’t in attendance on Saturday, Marshall Crenshaw has a message for you.

It’s almost criminal that this guy never made it bigger.

“I think we all know what we’re up against.”

Tennessee hasn’t beaten a ranked opponent in its last eighteen tries.  October has been especially unfriendly of late.

Under previous coach Derek Dooley, Tennessee won just once in 12 October games, against Buffalo in 2011. The futility includes three consecutive 31-point losses to Alabama, and the average margin of defeat in 11 losses was nearly 16 points. The Vols faced nine ranked teams in 12 October games in the past three seasons.

Only four times in those 11 losses — at LSU in 2010, against Georgia in 2011 and at Mississippi State and South Carolina last season — did Tennessee keep the margin within 10 points.

At least they’ll be trotting out those spiffy new grey jerseys Saturday.