So far, one of the big stories of Georgia’s 2014 season is the huge reversal of fortunes on the turnover margin front.
… Georgia leads the nation in turnover margin, flipping the script from last season when it ranked a lowly 102nd in FBS in that category.
The Bulldogs are now plus-13 on the season.
“I’m very pleased with that,” Georgia coach Mark Richt said. “We work hard on it.”
Georgia has 17 turnovers gained and only four lost.
It’s the best they’ve done in the Richt era, but they still have a way to go on the all-time front.
Georgia had a plus-23 turnover margin on its way to the 1980 national championship, with its plus-2.09 ratio ranking among the top five single seasons in NCAA history.
That’s pretty incredible. I’d almost be willing to bet that stat makes Vince Dooley happier than anything else that happened that season.
I’m happiest because it looks like we have players that finally are being tought how to tackle properly. Nothing got me angrier than watching our guys over the Willie years and Grantham year go for big hits and not wrapping up. Pruitt is phenomenal.
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The turnover thing seems to be a big key. I predict a bunch more from the UF game.
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“Georgia had a plus-23 turnover margin on its way to the 1980 national championship, with its plus-2.09 ratio ranking among the top five single seasons in NCAA history.”
Along with a big, stiff tailback, who would go on to be pretty decent once he learned the plays.
For the folks who are still clinging to Brian Van Gorder as some kind of pinnacle of Georgia defense, read this again.
“Georgia had a plus-23 turnover margin on its way to the 1980 national championship, with its plus-2.09 ratio ranking among the top five single seasons in NCAA history.”
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“For the folks who are still clinging to Brian Van Gorder as some kind of pinnacle of Georgia defense, read this again.”
That’s a broad brush – trashing fellow Dawg fans and one of our best assistant coaches in one sentence. Nobody says BVG was better than hall-of-famer Erk. But BVG did a very good job. We won a LOT of games when he was in Athens. He was ranked #1 assistant and #2 assistant in cfb in two of his four seasons. There’s plenty of assistant coaches who’ve done worse than BVG, and only a few that have done equal or better. So count me as one of those folks who appreciate what BVG did for the Dawgs.
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Whatever.
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+1
BVG was a spectacular DC for us, and mocking him is absurd in the extreme.
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“Georgia had a plus-23 turnover margin on its way to the 1980 national championship, with its plus-2.09 ratio ranking among the top five single seasons in NCAA history.”
Spectacular.
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CFB is a different game now than then, and the SEC is far deeper and better than then.
We also has Herschel Walker utterly dominating on the offensive side of the ball. He wasn’t fumbling, and we rarely had to pass (thus risking few INTs).
More than one DC has been spectacular for Georgia.
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+1, WCobb.
~~~
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Hey, it’s my schtick and I am schticking to it:
Florida should’ve beaten LSU on Saturday night. But costly errors killed the Gators.
Florida didn’t stop LSU on third and 25. Florida gave up a touchdown on that drive. Demarcus Robinson didn’t score on his long reception from Jeff Driskel. Florida didn’t score a touchdown on the goal to go series that followed, with baffling play-calling scuttling first and second down and a stultifying drop squandering the chance to go up. Florida didn’t capitalize on great field position and get a chance at a game-winning field goal, because Driskel made a bad read and threw a really bad pass, handing over an interception in the worst possible circumstance.
Those were mistakes by Florida rather than fine plays by LSU.
And while LSU played well in this game, and well enough to win, Florida lost this game.
Stay nervous about Florida.
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I want to be nervous because of the many miserable trips I’ve taken to Jax, Scorp, but that’s a bad team that has given up on its lame duck coach. They remind me of 2012 Auburn, and we rolled that team who was supposed “give us their best shot.” Their D scares me a little. What if they just stone us?
But…UK should have beaten them and we’re starting to see what UK is. I’m not sure LSU is that good, though they’re coming into form. And we’re vastly improving every week.
I’m not over confident, and I’m really thinking about what hat to wear, but I just think this is a really bad team and we’re putting it together. We have a bit of a swagger now. We get up 10-0 or 14-3 and this baby is over. If #3 plays, it’ll be over by halftime.
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I suspect we will have to convince the Gators they are bad, quickly.
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Yes. I don’t like the idea of a nip and tuck game, even if we are in control. But we get up 20-3 like last year…I just think they’ll wilt and fold quickly.
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Don’t forget Driskel threw a perfect TD to a tight end who promptly’ dropped the pass that would’ve given the Gators the lead forcing LSU to score a TD. Instead they settled for a FG which meant LSU only needed a FG to win. I’m afraid that the Gators won’t make all those mistakes and play a close game with the Dawgs.
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I agree..Florida tripped Florida up several times in that game. And in the end, LSU ran three plays without stopping the clock with less than half a minute left….the refs stopped it for LSU to kick the winning FG., because UF wasn’t unpiling fast enough. I really though Boom would have a stroke.
LSU hasn’t been impressive until the KY game.
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This. We never blow out Florida, even when we should, and historically, they have earned their reputation as an upset alert team. Though we have been playing inspired football and appear to be on one hell of a hot streak, I will never go into this game cocky. Personally, I am too young not take every Florida win as a cathartic experience for all the years of disappointment. I have been conditioned to thank god if we scrape by.
I just hope the media does us another solid and develops the upset narrative.
This looks like it could be a special team, but we won’t know until we are past Auburn with one lone loss.
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Every dc emphasizes turnovers, yes even Todd and Willie. Difference between this year and past years is our players know what the hell they’re supposed to do and where the hell they’re supposed to be. There’s a luck factor involved but the ball can’t bounce your way you’re not in the vicinity.
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Dr. Saturday (Nick Bromberg) prediction of GA / Arkansas:
Georgia at Arkansas (+3.5), 4 p.m. ET: Here’s the upset special for the week. Not only are we taking Arkansas and the points, the Razorbacks will beat the Bulldogs straight up. And who will run the ball more? Will Georgia give RB Nick Chubb over 40 total carries? We’re going with no. Arkansas will jump out to a lead and force QB Hutson Mason to throw downfield, something he hasn’t been good at this year.
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Well, in his defense, he did get the opening two drives right.
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“Georgia is turning the ball over on 5.68 percent of its offensive possessions, the lowest percentage in the FBS, according to SportSource Analytics.”
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“Turnovers are just luck.” Bluto Blutarsky
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Mayor, I know you and I have differing opinions on this, but if you have to resort to misquoting me to make a point, you can take your business elsewhere.
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Touchy, touchy, touchy. 🙂
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Yes, I am. Fair warning.
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Who pissed in your corn flakes today?
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Today? You mean I used to like it when people made up shit out of whole cloth and attributed it to me?
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Since you’ve become a radio personality you’re a regular diva. You and Madonna need to compare notes about who takes himself/herself more seriously. Can I have your autograph? I won’t pay for it though ’cause I want you to remain eligible. 🙂
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You don’t need to ask me. Just write one yourself and claim it’s my signature.
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If I do that you’ll get indefinitely suspended pending an investigation and nobody wants that.
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That we’ve done all this without a Grad Assistant holding a towel is all the more shocking.
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Just think what we could do if Pruitt grows a porn-stache and inflates his ego?
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Pruitt doesn’t need a ‘stache, he’s got the ‘brow.
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Most people can raise one eyebrow like the photo, but alternating one brow up while the other stays normal (back and forth) is difficult. Belushi was famous for the eyebrow thing.
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I’m starting to like this bald defensive coordinator almost as much as our last one. If only he would head butt one of the players during warm up….
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I wonder how many concussions Erk caused. Pruitt can’t head butt…not politically correct.
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If memory serves me correctly we were #1 in the country in turnover margin going into both the 81 and 83 Sugar bowls.
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Ugh…Walker Lee Evans…sigh
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“Before we go out there, Coach Pruitt always stresses for us to get a turnover.”
Wait until these coeds hear that news
http://www.gatorsports.com/apps/pbcsi.dll/bilde?Site=GS&Date=20141020&Category=COLUMNISTS&ArtNo=141029982&Ref=AR&imageVersion=Teaser&maxw=370&border=0
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