After last week, I’m a little gun-shy on predicting the spread, but I don’t see Georgia losing tomorrow. So, instead, I’ll look at the only area of mystery: will the Dawgs try to get their passing game going against a woeful Vanderbilt defense? I know I thought they’d uncork it against Troy, but the opportunity to deploy the running game was too tempting to resist. Tomorrow, though, feels different. Why so? Let me count the ways:
- Let it rip.
- It’s an opportunity to protect a depleted tailback group.
- Mitchell, Rumph and Scott-Wesley need to get some in-game conditioning in preparation for the SEC road wars coming up.
- Bennett and Conley get the chance to work against somebody other than the opponent’s number one and two DBs.
- Bobo opens up the playbook to clear the middle of the field for both the tailbacks and the tight ends.
I’m not saying they’re going to go nuts with the pass. But do I think they’ll throw it more tomorrow than they have all season? Put it this way: the 26 passes Georgia attempted against Clemson in the opener would rank as very close to the fewest thrown in a game in 2013. In other words, it’s a pretty low bar they have to overcome.
Get The Picture 
One more thing: thanks to 26, 86, and 18 coming back, we’ve now got the depth to go 4- and 5-wide. Those formations alone give us pass-friendly alignments we haven’t had yet this year.
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From your lips to Gods’ ears.
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Some of your questions may get answered, although I can’t imagine the three returning receivers will be a huge factor…how can they be game ready? And since none of the three has been practicing I can’t imagine how Hutson will have an more chemistry (which is what we are talking about) with them than he does, or does not, have with the folks who have been healthy.
But hey, I can be surprised, and happily.
What I suspect is that Vandy will confirm what I have already begun to realize…that Georgia is a pretty good, but not great, football team.
That is a couple of recruiting classes away from being great.
Too bad for Gurley in that sense, but Gurley will do what Gurley does and the chances of his playing on a better team in Athens next year are so slim as to be virtually non-existent.
I agree I think we will win. Frankly, I am totally disinterested in by how much.
Which will mean we just have to win two more to be bowl eligible.
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I wonder if routes timing is just a shade more important for Bennett and Conley than burners like Mitchell and JSW who can probably do a fair imitation of backyard ball (okay, you guys go long) and still get some catches.
But as The Senator points out, the return of those guys will do as much from a threat point of view as anything – they’ll help HM connect more with Bennett and Conley simply by being on the field, and make it harder to stack the box against our tailbacks. A couple more games to work together and this offense could be even more awesome than it is.
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To your threat assessment…Well, sure, after Malcolm blows by the secondary two or three times, Vandy will have to do something, I guess, but if Malcolm catches two or three 30-yard balls, you will get more than Vandy’s attention.
Hey look, I (I hate the next word) Hope that suddenly our vertical passing game is the envy of all that see it.
I’m just saying it seems to me it will be tough to come out letting it rip when these guys have not been playing.
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I didn’t think Rumph was playing
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It’s really hard to tell sometimes.
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So what happens when Mason shows out to be the same QB we’ve seen through the first four weeks of the season? What will the excuse be then?
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What happens when Mason “shows out” to be the quarterback we need to win the football game, what will your excuse be?
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Rumph is not playing; We do need to throw to serve notice to the rest of the teams on our schedule that our pass game is still there and will be used. I think many (including myself) didn’t really understand what having WR’s who can stretch the field means to 1) the other WRs and 2) the run game.
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I agree with H. Boots. I have seen nothing that makes me think we can win out with Mason. He is a great guy from what I can tell but I believe Bauta gives us the best chance to win. Ramsey has the stronger arm but he would kill us with turnovers from what I saw in the Troy game.
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What have you seen from Mason that makes you think we can’t win out with him under center? He’s 3-1 with the sole loss being pretty close and our toughest test of the regular season, with the possible exception of Auburn.
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I have not seen him throw deep crossing routes, or crossing routes or deep routes in general.He lacks confidence and for good reason from what I’ve seen. If Murray had not gotten injured the Tech game isn’t close and we beat Nebraska,
With Mason in the game against the better defenses in the SEC (and we haven’t played one yet) we will not be able to score more than 21 to 28 points and that will not always be enough. TN had a weak defensive line. Arkansas does not. They will limit our run game to under 200 yds because they will take the approach that we can’t throw it well enough for them to have to respect the pass. I have seen no evidence that their reasoning is wrong. Mizzo may do the same. I believe on of the other qb’s gives us a better chance in those games.
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You sound a lot like the folks who spent the last few years calling for Murray to be benched. The coaches make this decision. If they choose Mason, that’s who we get. And I’m really not sure what makes you think the backups would be better.
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I didn’t ever call for Murray to be benched because after Mettenberger left he was our only viable qb and I thought he was a great college qb myself anyway.
What I’ve seen from the other two qbs are guys that have the ability to make all of the throws necessary to keep a defense honest. After the first four games this year and the last two last year it is obvious Mason does not possess that ability. Just watching the qbs warm up before the games it is obvious Masons throwing ability is about a 4 out of 10. Bauta is a 6 to 7 and Ramsey is a 8 to 8.5. Bauta seems to have very good command of the offense while Ramsey is a bit of a liability on the decision front but so was Mason this last game.
I realize I don’t see or know all the coach’s do. But I agree with Skint that their loyalty to him is impacting their judgement. I believe if their backgrounds were not known by the coach’s Mason would not be the starter just based on ability.
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Viable….101 yds v Vandy, 1 int. 40+ career interceptions. No, nada, zero championships.
Guaranteed……Mason throws for more than 101 yards Saturday.
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You seem to forget that it was at Vandy and minus Gurley, Marshall, Bennett, Wesley, Mitchell. Do you really feel Mason or most anyone else would have any success with only Green and Douglas as running backs and only Conley as a receiver?
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Exactly. Plus, Vandy’s four senior DBs last year won’t be here.
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Mizzou’s d-line is smallish and is really built to rush the passer as opposed to stopping a power running game.
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What have you seen from Bauta other than a G-Day game where he was going against the 2nd team defense and some meaningless snaps at the end of a 66-0 rout that would tell you he gives us a better chance to win?
I think Richt and Bobo know a little more about their team and quarterbacks than all of us combined do.
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Why does it make sense to rotate our running backs but never our quarterbacks? I know, I know… rough hits and all. Seriously, what rule says that quarterbacks must play every snap?
The grass may not be greener but Mason’s grass is flat out dead. This really isn’t that complicated.
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Running backs don’t have the responsibility to read defenses and audible in response to defenses changing looks before the snap.
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You know, even Steve Jobs made mistakes. Is it possible that Richt and Bobo are making a mistake? Or, does their respective titles infer perfection?
Three guys aren’t perfect and they do make mistakes. We’re watching one of those mistakes unfold this season. Mason won’t see Auburn and we’ll all ask “what if” for a very long time.
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That is a silly response. I will bet you have not watched even a nanosecond of practice. I bet you have not listened in during QB meetings. Richt and Bobo’s database is two full spring practices, one full fall and one-third of a fall, plus two G Day games and a quarter of one game for Ramsey, two spring practices, two full and one-third of a fall, two G-day games and a few plays in mop up last year and almost a quarter of a game last year for Buata. The coaches have four years of observing Mason. The coaches, admittedly not perfect, have a track record as QB coaches.
By contrast, we have you asserting the decision to start Mason is a mistake. Since you played the “No one is perfect card” your opinion is subject to that standard, too. So, your opinion that the coaches are wrong and you are right is based on what besides watching Ramsey and Buata compete with Mason at GDay (in which Mason was 18 of 27 for 245 yards) and the second half of the Troy game (in which, according to Richt at the post game press conference Ramsey had the wrong read on his touchdown pass)?
Sorry, if I have to put my faith in imperfect coaches who evaluate for a living or some imperfect anonymous font with very little data I will go with the coaches.
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Well, please feel free to sit back and watch the mistake unfold as the season progresses.
Mason’s arm strength is a problem and it only takes one pass to recognize the obvious deficiency. Call it silly if you want but arm strength is sort of a big deal for a QB.
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Mason is not a great qb. The issue is whether he is the best on our roster. We aren’t comparing him to Aaron Rogers. There is more to being a qb than arm strength. If Ramsey shows he is better able to run this offense he will play.
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This, my man, this.
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Really doesn’t matter if we have a couple more deep threats if Mason throws like a middle schooler. Conley, Bennett, and others were very effective at the deep routes when Murray was under center. It’s not the receivers, it’s the wet noodle QB.
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BTW, Rumph has pretty much stolen a scholarship. Isn’t he like a RS junior this year? Has he played any meaningful snaps in his career?
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Anyone have a good feel for the MM/JSW situation?
What we’re hearing – at least from non-pay sources – is fairly vague. I’d be ecstatic if only one came back strong enough to make a true difference the rest of the season and help to reshape the offense re: the forward pass. And our offense is almost perfectly suited for 10 personnel groupings if we get lucky and both come back at a high level. I’m just a little guarded about the prospects of them being a full go, both physically and mentally and would probably settle for one or both being able to contribute significantly by Auburn. Problem is making it through Oct 11 & 18 unscathed which is a big ask as things stand currently.
Also looking to see an improved pocket for Mason to throw in. He’s certainly had both WR rapport and technical issues but our guys up front haven’t protected as well they can. We’re extremely athletic/good in space along the line – which is why we constantly pull Boss/the guards on outside runs – but passpro has been much less consistent. If MM and/or JSW come back strong, let’s give him that solid pocket so he can air it out, even if the result is an incompletion. Just want to get back to throwing the bomb ya know.
Very interested to see the game play out, almost purely from a ‘do we have any shiny new toys and or play packages available’ standpoint.
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Mason doesn’t have the arm strength to stretch the field. He can, however, let a few rip just to keep the opposing defense honest. Rumph looks good on the sidelines, he needs to redshirt and let Joe T. work on his hamstring another year. JT is a genius with hamstrings, evidently. Gurley is a beast, however, he needs some help from our QB, and Richt is too loyal to pull him. We will be in the same position next year, but we won’t have Gurley.
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Have you seen Michel and Chubb? I think the running game will be just fine next year.
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The problem with that letting a few rip to keep them honest is it no longer is effective when opposing teams know you can’t actually do it. I believe that is where we now are.
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I didn’t realize we had any tight ends.
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Wow- highest number was 49 againt Auburn and 45 against Missouri. Last time I looked Saban was throwing it more than running it. He has a stable of rb too. Lame and the qb seems a good fit with his new O philosophy. Is Saban that good a HC and Richt a step behind or am I trying too hard.
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