With All Deliberate Speed

Why am I not surprised?

Regarding Todd Gurley's eligibility, the NCAA is continuing to work with Georgia and is awaiting the school's request for reinstatement.

— Inside the NCAA (@InsidetheNCAA) October 16, 2014

It’s the Georgia Way.

“Some rich white kid”

Stephen Garcia’s biggest regret about player payments is that nobody offered it to him.

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UPDATE:  Garcia’s gonna Garcia.

For the record, because clearly it was a damn exaggeration, it wasn't all day every day. My God people. And I didn't mention anyone,anywhere

— Stephen Garcia (@StephenGarcia) October 16, 2014

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“I coached at Florida, and I remember they wanted to fire Dan Mullen.”

Do Gator fans want to live in a world where desired head coaching candidate speak disparagingly about them?

I could get used to it.

“Wait, that was Brendan Langley?”

We all knew that the defense was going to be a work in progress this season.  It’s just that we hoped to see a learning curve showing steady progression.  Don’t look now, but maybe we are.

Through the first four games, Georgia’s defense was allowing an average of 338.8 yards per game, 4.7 yards per play, 22.8 points per game and had three interceptions. Take out that 66-0 win against lowly Troy, and yards per game increases to 379.7 yards, and points per game shoots up to 30.3. South Carolina and Tennessee averaged 6.2 and 5.1 yards per play, respectively, against the Bulldogs.

Since then, the Bulldogs have given up 233.5 yards per game, 17 points, 4.2 yards per play, and the opponents’ third-down conversation rate decreased from 31.7 percent to 10 percent. Georgia also has five interceptions.

According to ESPN Stats & Information, opponents’ points per drive against the Dawgs is down from 1.65 through the first four games to .65 in the past two.

Now I know that the quality of offenses Georgia faced in the last two games is less than what it was in the first four, but that defense we saw against Missouri flat out looked like it could ball.

Some of what I’m seeing may be the result of players who are developing a real sense of trust in Pruitt.

Swann said it’s all just “part of the business.”

“I just received a phone call, ‘You’re playing star.’ And that’s all it was. Whatever Coach calls me and says, that’s what I’m going to do,” he said. “We pretty much know (where we will play) through Monday. We know early enough to where we can get those reps at that position to the point to where we know what’s going on when we get in the game.”

And some of it’s players simply getting more comfortable with what they’re asked to do on the field.

Players are evolving within the defense, but they are also using their words more to make things work. They are asking teammates and coaches more questions. Guys are getting calls right more often. The Dawgs are now performing well, both physically and vocally.

“We know that when we communicate, we execute,” Bailey said. “When we don’t, things fall apart.

“It’s helping us learn his defense a lot better.”

All I can say is that if you’re not sold on things getting better simply by what Pruitt got out of Langley last weekend, I don’t know what to tell you.

One thing we’re ignoring…

… is an area where Georgia appears to have a huge advantage over Arkansas:  special teams.

F/+ Special Teams

11 (3.9%)

109 (-3.2%)

(Georgia is listed first.)

Think about the biggest impact that can have on a game – field position – and consider how important that’s been to Georgia’s success this season.

Oxymoronic header of the day

“Dealers argue ethics of college athlete autographs” – sounds just like jumbo shrimp.

Big Hogs, little Dawgs

Have you heard that Arkansas’ offensive line is manned by large human beings?  No kidding.

Left tackle Dan Skipper is listed as 6-foot-10 and 326 pounds. That’s the same height as the tallest player on Georgia’s basketball team — 6-10 freshman center Osahen Iduwe.

The line averages 328.4 pounds, bigger than any other NFL line.

“Just really huge up front and that’s by design,” coach Mark Richt said. “Those guys are looking to knock people out of the way.”

But I’m feeling a little of that is overplayed, based on experience.  Remember when Georgia sported the largest offensive line on the planet?  Good times, then.  Only Boise State wasn’t that impressed.

Size is nice.  Good execution is nicer.  Read Cory’s breakdown of Arkansas’ running game and note that what killed Texas Tech wasn’t size so much as it was not getting lined up properly to fill the gaps.

However – the good news is that every SEC team for the past 15 tries has beaten the Razorbacks. Even the Texas A&M defense – as bad as it is – found a way to limit the damage of the Arkansas offense. As Coach Richt said in his press conference, Georgia will scheme to make Arkansas throw the ball. If they can do that, they have the ability to find success, rush the passer, and create opportunities for turnovers. The big question is if Georgia’s front 7 is up for the challenge.

Pruitt’s got a game plan.

Arkansas is coming off a game in which it threw the ball 40 times in its 14-13 loss to Alabama last week when it was held to 89 yards rushing on 39 carries.

“We know what they’re going to do and we’ve got to stop it,” Wilson said. “We prefer them to run the ball. That’s what we like to do. We like to stop the run.”

The question is, will Georgia’s defense execute it?

“I said, no, no, no. We don’t want to play Georgia Tech.”

What is it with Auburn coaches running away from ACC competition?  The Chiz wouldn’t step up against the genius? “You talk to any coach out there they do not want to play the Georgia Techs of the world.”

If nothing else, that ought to disqualify him from another head coaching job ever.