If Dawg porn were a magazine, it’s a fair bet that Jeremy Pruitt would be the centerfold in the August, 2014 edition.
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“We remember the Sugar Bowl, I think it my junior year of high school, we let Alabama beat us twice,” Brinson said of a team that also lost to the Crimson Tide in the SEC Championship game. “We’re not letting Alabama beat us twice. In the Sugar Bowl in 2018, they… thought they should have been in the playoffs and lost to Texas.” -- AB-H, 12/27/23
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Get The Picture · Bloviation for the Dawgnation
Get The Picture 
hubba-hubba
“at least “they (the DBs) all know what they’re supposed to do,” said linebacker Leonard Floyd.
“Just because they know the playbook,” Floyd said. “
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“And it’s that coaching that has been noticed elsewhere on Georgia’s defense, leading to a sense that more than anything, at least “they all know what they’re supposed to do,” said linebacker Leonard Floyd.”
This is really all I ever asked for…
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I mentioned this yesterday, but I am move than a little surprised at how I haven’t read about one single player defending Grantham. I really think that if he had stayed, we were looking at 2009 Willie all over again. He was close to losing these guys.
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Except for the two that specifically followed him.
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But they are going to be ‘featured’ in the D at L’ville.. That, and they can smoke pot.
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I thought so. And was thinking more along the lines of 2010 Grantham.
~~~
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As fans, this year will call for our hard patience and loyalty, especially after the DB is accountable for a loss by allowing more points than we can score. Let’s give the players a chance born from changeover and don’t drive the coach away with accolades and criticism. Lookout for the trolls who will try to influence both in our opinions.
Help send Herbstreit’s remark (“.confused Georgia fans”) straight to hell.
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Cojones, this may be a first. We actually agree a on something. The talent (or lack there of) remaining in the defensive side of the ball will certainly deserve a pass at times this season. Especially the DB’s. While I believe Pruitt has the potential to turn this defense (and apparently the entire team based on what I have read) around, it is going to take time. The full results of his hire may not be seen until 2015.
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It’s pretty rare to have a defensive unit where there is experience and talent at all positions…the 2012 team is the exception that proves the rule.
So knowing that at some level, there is going to be a question about part of the D in 2014, I know I’d rather feel like there is soul-crushing front 7. I don’t think you build a shut-down defense from the back forward. Leonard Floyd, Jenkins, the Conquistador and Ramik…add in freakish ability from Carter and a deep and talented front…
I think UGA can always win games if the front 7 puts the DBs in a position to make plays…I feel good about the 2014 front 7…there were 3 games last year that despite the injuries could have been won by merely making the ordinary/routine play…Auburn, Nebraska, and Mizzou were all undone by inability to be competent not by talent…(you could make the argument here for Clemson, too…but even though he is a DGD, Conner Norman was overmatched, not out of position). Too me if Pruitt can get competence out of the DB’s, the defense will improve. The big question is whether they’ll be competent out of the gate.
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Even Vad Lee made of DBs look like trash. It wasn’t our lack of DB talent, it was the coaching. Some of the worst DB coaching I’ve ever seen.
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Agreed. If the DBs improve to just competent UGA will be fine on D and it looks like Pruitt is at least getting them to competent.
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I agree that there was not a ton of coaching up with the defense, specifically the secondary. But I find it hard to believe the issues were soley based on poor coaching. Natural talent would eventually rise to the forefront, something we did not see all season in the secondary. That is why I am not expecting much from the defensive backfield, in addition to the players lost.
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Or even 2016 or ’17. We don’t have anything like FSU’s talent and depth. Yet. He is, however, working on that. But there should be plenty enough improvement this year to distract us from even thinking about that. As I’ve said all year, I honestly believe we have a chance to be good.
Well put. They’ll make some mistakes as they gain experience. It’s just that, now, we have reasonable expectation that those mistakes will be corrected.
~~~
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Who says we don’t have FSU’s talent? FSU only returned 4 starters from 2012 and was the 11th ranked team in the preseason…last I checked. Auburn wasn’t even ranked last year in the preseason AP.
I 100% agree to have realistic expectations…but there is absolutely no reason to temper your optimism just for the sake of either not being disappointed or so called ‘keeping it real.’ It’s been so long since we’ve had impact freshmen/JC’s come in and make a difference on Defense…maybe that had something to do with the coordinators? UGA hasn’t had a defensive player make the FWAA Freshman All America team since Richt came to Athens in 2001…we share that dubious distinction with MissSt and Vandy. That’s almost unbelievable with the talent that has come through Athens during that time. Anyway…we are programmed to expect certain things…my optimism abounds. (so long as we beat Clemson)
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Well, I certainly do. Maybe 2 or 3 of our guys could start for FSU, IMO. And they go 2-deep, and sometimes more, without losing much, if anything, except a little experience.
That doesn’t mean we don’t have talent. We do. We have enough to work with – one or two that could play for anybody, and several more who could play for almost anybody. The rest is good enough to produce a solid unit, and I expect to field a good SEC defense. And I don’t rule out the possibility that we could be really good. It wouldn’t surprise me.
If there’s somebody, since January, who’s been optimistic about the defense, and the team as a whole, than me, I’m not sure who it is. And I believe that optimism is realistic.
Funny though, before mid-January, when Grantham was still around, I doubt there was anybody around who was more pessimistic. And that too, was based on realism.
Yeah, I think it has everything to do with the teaching skills, and coaching skills of the DC and his coaches. Also, whether their evaluation of the particular player was any good.
I think we’re going to have a number of new freshmen/JC impact players this year, can’t wait to see them play. And it’s a good thing, because IMO they’ll be better on the field, and better for the team, than the dumbasses who aren’t here any more.
It’s still early, but I think you’ll be pleasantly surprised at how these new guys play.
~~~
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Right now I’m just like everybody else, I want to believe.
Everybody is saying all the right things, making all the goosebumpy, pithy comments to reporters.
“Hey fellas, have you heard the news?
You know that Annie’s back in town?
It won’t take long, just watch and see
That the fellas lay their money down
Her style is new but the face is same
As it was so long ago
But from her eyes, a different smile
Like that of one who knows
Well, it’s been ten years and maybe more
Since I first set eyes on you
The best years of my life gone by
Here I am alone and blue……..
Work so hard I can’t unwind, get some money saved
Abuse my love a thousand times, however hard I tried
Heartbreaker, your time has come, can’t take your evil way
Go away, heartbreaker, heartbreak, heartbreak, heart”
Show me, on the field, knock Clemson’s dickstring loose.
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+29 Show me by stopping someone. Show me by lining up properly and not waving to the world that you are lost. Show me by form tackling your opponent and not shoulder tackling anyone. Just show me!
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I appreciate the thought. But, the mental picture is more than I can handle this early on Monday morning. Just tackle better, baby!!!
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Coach Pruitt is a stud. He is going to work magic for us. Let’s just pray he stays around long enough to have a long-lasting impact.
Senator – Why do we see so many guys going between WR and DB? Tramel Terry was recruited as a WR, now he is a DB. Brendan Langley was recruited as a DB, now he’s a WR. Rico Johnson will go from WR to DB. It would seem to me that changing any one of these would make sense for personnel reasons, if necessary, but what is the point of swapping them out in each direction and making more guys learn new positions.
In other words, why not just have left Terry on O, Langley on D, and then if we needed someone else on D, we could have switched only Rico? Or something like that. People coming and going from one side of the ball to the other would seem to create more confusion than would seem to be necessary based on personnel needs.
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Because sometimes a guy is initially in the wrong spot. Robert Edwards was originally a CB. Bruce Thornton was a RB. Jermaine Phillips was a WR. There are a lot more examples of successful transitioins, but these three all played in the NFL at their new positions
Granted, sometimes it doesn’t work out e.g. Richard Samuel and Kiante Tripp..
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Charles Grant.
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I think he is looking for some hands on D. Now Langley going to O may mean the guy can’t tackle or has bad hips. I trust CJP to know what type guys he wants and what types are not going to work out. Lord knows Langley got beat enough last year to ruin the kids confidence.
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So, does this “how-to” knowledge transfer over to special teams?
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One dumpster fire at a time Stoop…
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It’s funny how quickly all of you forget the exact same “dawg porn” happy talk from Grantham’s hire. Senator would post some video with Grantham talking about two gap defense or some nonsense and everyone here would endlessly drool over how we’re finally going to be good on defense. Seriously, get a grip. FSU’s defense was torched by Auburn early and often in the BCS championship before FSU’s offense put together a 21 point run late in the game to catch up. They gave up 31 points and Mason ran for 195 yards. I’m not saying Pruitt won’t be a good coach but until we start stopping offenses it’s all a bit premature and foolish. Or as the Wolf says: “Let’s not all start sucking each other’s dicks quite yet.”
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+1, let’s see the D actually do something on the field before we anoint Pruitt the second coming of Erk Russell. I’m hoping for better things from the D (I’m realistic enough to not hope for great or even good things, I saw how God awful these guys were last season) but I need to actually see better play and the D actually stop someone before I’ll buy into all the hype.
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I think the Auburn game is to Pruitt’s credit. Pruitt’s D got punched in the mouth, and they subsequently adjusted. They then shut down Auburn. As opposed to Grantham, whose defense adjusted in the 2012 SECCG by seemingly munching on cheeseburgers and fries during halftime. While what you’re saying makes sense, I think comparing Pruitt to Grantham is quite unfair given what Pruitt did last year to an FSU defense that was not bad, but not great in 2012.
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+1 Every once in a while you play a team that while they maybe doing what they usually do, they do it faster in person. It takes time to adjust and stop those teams. FSU was fortunate to beat Auburn but the Defense at least slowed Auburn down enough for the O to catch up.
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Agree. I believe much of the 2012 FSU D was gone to the nfl, and CJP had a batch of new starters in 2013. But finishing with the #1 D says a lot.
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But didn’t you notice that CJP doesnt ever smile. That has to mean he is great at coaching. I mean he doesnt smile.
The same guys fawning over Pruitt’s lack of toothy smiles are the same guys that thought the Grantham’s cussing and yelling made him a good coach.
I think that CJP will do a fine job and the defense will be much better, but right now we should all hope that Gurley stays healthy and the offense scores lots of points.
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Frankly, Grantham quit yelling and screaming as much after year one. I suspect Richt told him to cool it, but who knows. I liked it though, and the defense significantly improved from 2010 to 2011.
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I never understood the fawning over CTG from literally day one. And even after a season or two, when his D’s were mediocre at best, people still thought he was awesome due to his NFL ties, his outspoken personality and his certain actions on the field.
I swear, just his interaction with Franklin from Vandy alone after that infamous game bought him an extra 1-2 years grace period from a significant part of the fan base. They were hoodwinked, plain and simple, yet these days they refuse to admit as such.
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I’ll admit it freely, and add that anything after Willie felt like a huge upgrade. Basically, our wife cheated on us, we left her, then dated a stripper for a while out of desperation and spite. It was awesome at first and damn she looked good in 5 inch heels and a thong jumping onto our bed. But later you get tired pretty quickly of watching her smoke while eating on the couch without makeup on.
I’m not going to pretend I didn’t enjoy the 2011 defense dancing around that pole for a little while though, and I understand why we felt that way.
It should also be remembered that CTG was not our first choice, but when you’re so desperate you’re outside the Pony asking “dancers” to go home with you, it’s pretty easy to get real damn excited when one gets in the car.
Though the above is total and absolute fiction, I’m not going to downplay our emotional excitement over Grantham/the metaphorical Candi from Dalton.
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“Basically, our wife cheated on us, we left her, then dated a stripper for a while out of desperation and spite”
In retrospect, we simply needed more data for the matrix over time to develop something more reliable
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+9
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Well…day 1 was probably just some optimism. But I think the ‘grace period’ you talk about was probably because he took over a D that was barely in the top 40 for total defense nationally and improved it to the point where they were in the top 5 nationally in total defense in 2012.
That’s not being ‘hoodwinked’….it’s called judging based on reality. The problem was that there were flaws in 2012 that seemed fixable…especially with a talent filled roster coming back in 2013…that didn’t get fixed. Then you had some big issues last season with young players clearly confused and not absorbing the coaching. The jury will always be out on whether with time if these players would have learned the Grantham system and gotten better this year…there are arguments both ways…but just as it is wise not to annoit CJP before we see the product, it’s probably just as foolish to rewrite the Grantham story based upon our own personal feelings of where we are and how we got here.
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Good thoughts, though talent wise that ’12 team was perhaps the most talented D group we’ve ever had (with ’00 and ’02 being right there too). I was privy to a few inside nuggets shared with me back when CTG would pretty much in everyone’s good graces, which certainly caused me to look at him with at least some skepticism.
Regardless, I personally just never felt comfortable with him or thought he had “it.” He kinda reminded of that sales guy…the one who looks and acts the part, but year after year his numbers are mediocre at best though everyone treats him as if he’s one of the top dawgs anyway (in which he then demands to be compensated as much as the top guys).
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Maybe it’s the snakebite, but I wouldn’t be shocked if the secondary over performs and, say, the D line is porous; or, for that matter, if the STs are solid but the running game suffers; or some other weird manifestation of recent years’ “something you’re counting on won’t be there and something you’re worried about will be fine” syndrome. I surely want the DBs to play their asses off, but I won’t call it all good until there’s a TEAM out there playing well across the board. And, please Lord, can they stay healthy and can the officials pick on somebody else?
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Couldn’t agree more.
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It would be a welcome surprise to see a total team effort from Georgia. Every season, one part of the team is awful and the other parts have to take up the slack. Who knows, maybe this is the year we don’t have a glaring weakness?
Also, blaming the officials for losses is serious loser talk. Penalties get magnified when the team plays poorly to start with. The officials don’t push the offensive linemen and make them false start. I think we have more false start penalties than any other team in college football. How hard is it for the linemen to remember the snap count?
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JC, I generally completely agree with the whole “don’t blame the officials” thing. In fact, I think last year was the first time in my Dawgfan life that I actually did conclude that we were being singled out–specifically including the absurd targeting call on 4th down in the Vandy game (can’t remember who it was called on) and Penn Wagers’ flag on Coach Richt in the Auburn game. I didn’t quibble with the flag parade in the ’07 Florida game–we essentially asked for it, so no surprise. But I do believe that Mr. Wagers (and maybe the officiating office) has had a particular “bone” to pick (excuse the pun) with our Dawgs and Coach Richt ever since. All that said, I heartily agree that the best way to play is to do so in a manner that keeps it out of the officials’ hands.
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You left out one of the worst–the no-call in the 2013 UGA-Auburn game where Dee Ford hit Murray in the earhole with the top of his helmet on the last play of the game. Ford actually “launched,” too. There is a stop-action photo of Ford level with the ground, like a missile. It happened while Murray was passing and in an area where the responsibility for calling a penalty is on the referee. When asked after the game why he didn’t call targeting on that play Penn Wagers stated that Murray “wasn’t a defenseless player.” Wagers needs to be fired. He so flagrantly abuses his authority that he has disqualified himself to be a game official in the SEC.
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Thanks for pointing that out. We should never forget that play, any more than we should forget the Fairley game. Never. I’d love to have a copy of that photo.
~~~
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