Don’t know how significant this is, but it’s still interesting to me. Bobo, as I noted in the last post, tends to take the “we” approach when discussing the offense. That’s not how Grantham goes about his business. Remember when he bristled in response to the suggestion that the players were having problems getting the defensive signals on time?
Well, he may have called that “bull”, but it sounds like he paid attention.
Defensive coordinator Todd Grantham’s schemes and signals had appeared to confuse his young players most of this season. But at Vanderbilt the gameplan was simplified, according to one player, and the results showed.
“We didn’t have that complicated a game plan. A lot of guys understood it,” sophomore linebacker Jordan Jenkins said. “That definitely was one of the better defensive games we played.”
As long as they get there, I don’t care what route they take. There’s a game coming up with a Florida offense that’s the worst in the SEC. It presents a good opportunity to build on what they’ve done in stretches in the last three games – but only stretches. If “keep it simple, stupid” is what works, I can think of worse mantras to build a successful defense on.
Get The Picture 
Unfortunately, dumbing down our offense did not yield the same results.
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It is promising to hear.
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I’ve have a close family friend who was a very successful high school DC and head coach tell me that Grantham’s whole problem is that he throws too much at the kids, he thinks he is still in the NFL with disciplined professionals for whom football is their fulltime job. This friend was telling me this last year and these new kids haven’t had a chance. It has cost us games, and probably the MNC last year.
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Perhaps the old dog is learning some new tricks. Amazing what people can pay attention to when the objective results are so awful.
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$5 says the Gators look at our secondary (which may still be down TM and JHC) and decide for at least one game they’ll gladly pass 2x as often as run the ball.
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That’s a pretty safe bet.
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They will also look at our OL and WRs and gladly put 10 in the box and blitz every down. Just like everyone does.
Really, I have seen so many teams have success against us by loading the box and blitzing that I don’t understand why everyone doesn’t. Bobo and Murray both handle that very poorly. I suspect that’s what the Gators will do. And will we be too scared to attack downfield with our injury-depleted WR corps.
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The Gators will put 9 in the box with Purifoy and Hargreaves each taking a receiver one on one leaving everyone else to stop the run. We have to take some shots down field or they won’t respect any receiver we have.
Will we ever see Rumph play? He’s had a hamstring injury since August. We could use a big receiver along with Conley and Bennett(hopefully)
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That is absolutely what I expect them to do. And I honestly expect it to work.
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And when asked about the resulting offensive failures and inability to adjust, we will be hearing lots about “failure to execute” a top-notch game plan.
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I would think that an experienced QB like Murray would have Bobo’s permission to audible at any time…stack the box, blow the tight ends up the field or slant the slot man..anything counter to their formation. That’s not new nor rocket science and a couple of key receptions would loosen the box considerably.
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So, we run up the gut to get a loaded box. Then they load the box and blitz. That means we don’t have time for slow-developing runs or deep passes. Swings, screens, etc. eat that kind of defense apart. We’d rather keep running into a loaded box (to make sure it stays loaded, ostensibly) or force short throws for 2 yards when we need 11.
I’ve been saying it for years: if you want to beat Georgia’s offense, load the box and blitz like crazy. It works every time.
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“A lot of guys understood it.”
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If the signals are so complicated/late that our players can’t get them and are waving their arms at the sideline, why does CTG hide behind a towel when he gives them? Does he think anyone could steal them and get them to the offense in time? That is my last CTG complaint until after Florida.
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Wondered the same myself. Maybe the towel guy is also blocking our team from seeing the signals.
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More and more, Grantham reminds me of Bill Callahan: way full of his own expertise, unwilling to dumb down his exceptional, complex schemes.
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Wait, are we to the point of praising Grantham for taking half a season to simplify the defense when he has a bunch of inexperienced guys playing? Shouldn’t that have been obvious from the start?
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The wide-tackle six was a good bit simpler. And a shit-load of a lot more effective. With players who were generally less physically gifted.
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Can’t run it against passing offenses.
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Drat…shoulda inserted 🙂
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You’d think so.
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Keep it simple, stupid. Does that bother anybody other than me? It doesn’t bode well for the D the rest of the season. Help me out, fellas. I’m looking for a silver lining..
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If it gets the job done, why should it bother you?
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Was there a change with who did the signaling vs. Vandy? I read that Christian Robinson was signaling with Grantham calling the plays. Is that how was always done?
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I have written in this blog as have others that CTG’s D was too complex. As far back as last year when Jrs and Srs on D were confused on way to many plays. An old saying is that nothing focuses a man’s mind like knowing he is going to die (or get fired) in a fortnight. CTG has been focused.
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Senator, it wouldn’t bother me if it gets the job done. However, the job is NOT getting done. And if “Keep it simple, Stupid” can’t get it done, what are we left with? I defy anyone to demonstrate that “the job”, i.e. a competent defense, is being fielded this season.
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Based on the one game sample since they simplified things, it IS getting it done. However, it’s also only one game against an average offense, and the simplified approach may reap the same crappy results going forward. In that case, I think Grantham will still be fired. If the results continue to be good, he’ll probably keep his job another year (undeservedly, in my opinion).
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I strongly suspect that the defense will be very good next year.
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I strongly suspect they’ll be very average, but hell, I thought they’d be average this year, and I was very wrong.
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They may yet be average. Lots of average defenses would look very bad against some of the teams we have played. But I think they are improving. Which is good because the offense is falling apart, after starting the season as one of the best in the country. Brutal rash of injuries.
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Let’s see. Clemson has scored more than they did against Georgia only against SC State, Wake Forest and Syracuse. South Carolina has scored more against Vandy, Kentucky and Arkansas. LSU has scored more against UAB, Kent State and Mississippi State. Missouri, against whom the defense had one of their better games, still scored about the same number of points as they usually do.
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If CTG is in charge I wouldn’t bet on it.
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That’s fine. I just disagree.
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Has anyone noted the job Ellis Johnson has done with Auburn’s young defense…after last year’s fiasco. And, Lashlee hasn’t done to badly with the offense with Malzhan’s help. I’m worried about that game!
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I look at AU program and how far it has come in less than a year after the dumpster fire it was last year. I have no confidence we will compete over there. They will not forget 38-0 last year. They have a former Bulldog at QB.
Our team has shown an ability to overcome hard times in previous years, but when our defense believes their performance last week was good we have serious issues.
FU will use the defensive template Mizzou and Vandy has shown them.
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I’m sure that will work just as well if Gurley’s back.
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All this squander of 4 and 5 star talent starts at the top! UGA will never win a NC with CMR, never!
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I’m going to say it now. I think this team gets re-energized with the break, with Gurley coming back, and with it being the WLOCP. They face a pretty weak Florida team. We kick their asses. 38-17. We get our shit together and finish the year 9-3 after a close win at Awbarn.
But either way, I think we paste the Gators.
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No WAY we score 38 points unless Gurley runs for like 300 yards and/or we have some defensive TDs.
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Gators will shut down Gurley. Murray will Murray for a least the first half in Jax. Worse…Bobo will Bobo and lament later about the lack of execution. Our D will continue to rise and I expect our first low-scoring slugfest of the season along the lines of 17 – 10 lizards. With one big IF….
…IF our OL decides to come-out again like the USC game and prove something. Really take-out a lost season’s frustrations on the gator D line, then Gurley rolls enough to keep Murray loose and maybe we roll to a huge game…compete runaway like 31 – 17. (I mean, c’mon…if we’re up by 2 TD’s, that’s a runaway because we’ll go into turtle mode as always rather than keep our foot on the gas.)
With all the analysis of Bobo, the guy I’d rather watch and listen to is Will Friend. Why does his OL seem to take some games off? What does it take to motivate them? Why can’t anyone take true ownership of the tackle position and become NFL ready technique-wise? 2 weeks to work on outside speed rushes and inside twists. Get ’em ready coach.
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“Gators will shut down Gurley.”
How so? Jeremy Hill ran for over 100 on them and Todd Gurley is better. Also, the Gators lost their best defensive tackle for the season. I can see Gurley easily putting up 100+.
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He ran for 118 last year.
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Gurley is better, but Florida had to worry about LSU’s passing offense. Not sure that will be the case against us. I’m feeling pessimistic about our offense against Florida.
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This. Florida keys on Gurley until we show something otherwise. Tell me how the OL is going to react and I’ll tell you how well our offense performs.
P.S. don’t forget to give Florida 7 points courtesy of our ST play.
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You guys missed that Missouri-Florida game last week, huh? The one where UF gave up 500 yards and 36 points to a RS freshman QB?
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Against a fast-paced, no huddle offense with 3 good receivers and a decent back? The offense that runs a lot of misdirection and attacks downfield consistently?
UF gave up 500 yards and 36 points to them, but their offense is very different from ours.
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O had more numbers and experience coming into 2013. Had significant injuries, but they still have numbers and experience. O line, FBs, & QB. These guys disappeared at Vandy and MIzzou. Failed to convert of 3rd downs, failure to get field position, failure to move the clock, fumbles, dropped passes. interceptions for pic 6.
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We will be lucky to score 21 against Florida with current O plays and players. Could not move the ball against the East’s powerful Vandy D, how can they possibly move the ball against a D that most respected analysts say is a very good defense. Did not hear that about Vandy, but Vandy and Mizzou surprised the coahces with their D. Now if they missed that, what will they do in JAX
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They were lousy against Vandy, but they gained 450 yards against Missouri. The turnovers killed them, but the offense was not ineffective.
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Give us two chances against the Gators…bring back the Black heargear and Bobo and O staff run on the field after every score [take a page from Vandy’s James Franklin]. We use those plays we should do ok. Not sure about the punting game, it will take a lot of team kneeling and prayer there.
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Why does it take half a season for a DC to figure out that his system is overly complex for the young players to learn?
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Why has it taken him 3+ years to figure this out?
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“A lot of guys understood it.” That’s funny right there . . . and very, very sad.
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I think the confusion on alignment before the snap improved against both Mizzou and Vandy. Those were our two best defensive efforts, imo (leaving out UNT). Mizzou had very talented, tall, and powerful receivers, plus a mobile QB so you can expect some offensive success. With Vandy, they had little offensive talent outside Matthews, the combination of injuries, dumb mistakes, and two horribly blown calls kept that from being a UGA rout. Defense looks better, but they won’t be tested until Auburn. Pray the offense gets a couple of key players back to get us enough firepower to stay in the games.
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I still saw plenty of times before the snap where we were not lined up before the snap and Vandy took advantage of it with screen passes outside or quick hand offs. How many substitution penalties did we have while we had people running on and off the field? So everyone saying our defense looks “better” needs to realize that’s like saying we went from horrible to terrible.
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