Kevin Causey, of College Football Zealots, is organizing a little roundtable discussion about Georgia football, and asked me to participate. I thought I’d share the questions he’s asked me to address (you’ll have to read his posts for the answers).
1- If the season started today, which of our quarterbacks would you want under center (and why)?2- Georgia must replace both of their leading receivers, Chris Conley (36 rec in 2014) and Michael Bennett (37 rec), this season. Barring injury, Malcolm Mitchell and Justin Scott-Wesley should be able to contribute greatly in 2015 but depth is a big concern. Who needs to step up in this area and who do you see as the other top contributors?3- What is your biggest concern on defense (and why)?4- This could change but right now what is your gut feeling on what makes this season a successful one for Mark Richt and the Georgia Bulldogs?
I’ve already sent in my answers, but I’d like to read yours. Have at it in the comments.
Get The Picture 
Bauta, I like his mobility and his decision making.
McKenzie and the tight ends, WR depth is going to be a big issue this season.
Stopping the run in the middle, same as last season. We aren’t big enough on the interior D line to stand up to the pounding by big SEC lines.
I think this is another 9-3 season, 10 wins would make it a success but I don’t see it happening.
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Answers:
1- If the season started today, which of our quarterbacks would you want under center (and why)?
Faton Bauta – although he doesn’t have Ramsey’s arm, he also seems to keep the ball in play and not make bad throwing decisions. He follows his progressions and puts IMO the offense in a position to win on every play.
2- Georgia must replace both of their leading receivers, Chris Conley (36 rec in 2014) and Michael Bennett (37 rec), this season. Barring injury, Malcolm Mitchell and Justin Scott-Wesley should be able to contribute greatly in 2015 but depth is a big concern. Who needs to step up in this area and who do you see as the other top contributors?
IM
Davis
Hegudus (speed and hands)
One of the new Fr. speedsters (Godwin)
Jordan Davis as a “flex” player he has speed to beat LB’s and physicality to out muscle DB’s.
3- What is your biggest concern on defense (and why)?
Interior DL. We got pushed around against run teams; I also worry that one of Pruitt’s shortcomings is falling in love with his plan. Against the NERDS we GAVE them a yard bubble at the point of attack which they did chewing us up in the middle. His scheme worked against outside run teams but our interior needs to be stout and hasn’t been. Does anyone question if John Jenkins had been our NT vs. the NERDs that he wouldn’t have been moved?
4- This could change but right now what is your gut feeling on what makes this season a successful one for Mark Richt and the Georgia Bulldogs?
Win the SEC, pure and simple.
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I was going to post, but JT has my answers covered. +1
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1 – Ramsey, becase his arm strength and ability to take advantage of play-action, but it’s close.
2 – Besides the TE’s, McKenzie and Davis are important speed guys. I don’t know who can fill Bennett’s possession role though. Hegedus?
3 – The middle of the D….I need to be convinced our youth on DL and inexpereince at ILB are going to be stout enough againtst a heavy dose of the run
4 – Our offense is built to control the ball and our D will create tons of pressure keeping us in every game for a successful year.
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Q1: Ramsey because Coach Richt loves the deep ball.
Q2; Could the tight ends be overlooked and underutilized yet again? Blazevich, Rome, and David, best TE corp in the country. Yes. So since Coach Richt is all about the deep ball and won’t use those TE’s, probably Isaiah McKenzie, Mitchell, and Wesley if they can stay healthy, all are injury prone though, so likely ends up being Reggie Davis or speedster Hedagus. It’s another off year for Coach Richt at WR, so don’t look for much there.
Q3: Coach Pruitt. He doesn’t understand the SEC. He has our boys getting lighter upfront, that won’t help against Alabama, South Carolina, Tennessee, Georgia Tech, Georgia Southern, Missouri or Florida. Guess he really wants to beat Auburn because that’s the only team that will work for. Also, his defense was ranked 61st in the country. That won’t fly in the SEC. He ranked 78th in tackles for loss, and 55th in sacks, 58th in 3rd down conversion rate, in other words he’s a dud.
Q4: Coach Richt’s only shot to win the conference is to get bailed out with a top 10 defense like he was in 2002 & 2005. Otherwise, his SEC Championship winless streak will continue into double digits.
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I hate to interrupt someone diligently trolling, but didn’t Georgia shut out Missouri last season?
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Wow, first person I heard defending a defense that got steamrolled by GT & the lowly Gators. Uh, are you for real Senator or was your post sarcastic? 400+ rushing in one game? 2013 didn’t go too well against Missouri and from what I read, this 2015 team looks like that 2013 team.
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Missouri rushed for a whopping 50 yards. Go take your BS elsewhere.
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Below comment not meant for you Senator…
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Hi Troll.
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Pruitt was DC for Florida State in 2013, not UGA. Great point other than that, though.
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Please go the fuck away you pathetic loser
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Why are you defending a guy that thinks he has a better understanding of what it takes to win in the SEC than Pruitt does?
1 troll, 2 troll, 3 troll, 4…
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That was extreme sarcasm. Sorry.
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lol. No worries
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Man, Pruitt was really fat in 2013. That Louisville Diet(TM) he was on really helped that offseason.
Freaking idiot trolls. It’s that time of year, I guess.
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So quick to call someone a troll. The guy actually listed specific stats / rankings and 2 very important games that we shit our pants during.
Honestly, I had no clue we ranked so poorly in those categories.
Also, with the coaches fearful of a playmaking QB, our D is what I am most looking forward to watching. I’m thinking a top 5 defense nationally. That UF game last year was an anomaly.
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Ignore the TE’s? Here we go again. Blazevich was 3rd in receiving yards last year. Lynch was 3rd the year before. Should the tight ends be the leading recrivers?
Based on Schotty’s history, that could very well happen this year. I’m not too pumped about a TE leading the team in catches or yards. I’d like to continue to go vertical and have the TE’s be about as involved as they have been.
Pruitt doesn’t understand the SEC? I guess that means you do. Pruitt was on the defensive staff of a 2 time National Champion that happened to play in the SEC. What exactly is on your resume that makes you more qualified or gives you a better understanding of the SEC than his?
Is this Thomas Brown again? What a fuckin troll.
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Ramsey for the bombs
ACLs need to step up
Playing power offenses that run up the middle
Win the SEC (and beat Tech)
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Most of the answers are similar so I’ll just jump in here to add my .02.
I think Bauta and Ramsey bring something special with their own skillset and I think we can win with either. But I’ll go with Ramsey as well just because I think his ability to stretch the field vertically is the best.
ACL’s? That’s a little humor and so true. If MM and JSW can get healthy and stay there we can be special in the passing game to offset what Chubb will do. I think Davis, Towns, Tibbs, McKenzie and Hegedus can all be solid contributors. We will have see about the newbies coming in.
Funny, If you had asked me about the D in October of last year, it would have been a no-brainer…DB’s were the area of concern. Now, I agree the biggest concern is the DL.
To be successful I would have to say nothing less than 10wins and win the SEC East. Hopeful expectations. Win the SECC.
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Some dumb, some serious…you decide:
1) The guy who can throw it the farthest. Nothing else matters in QB play according to an Al Davis article I read once…in the 3rd grade.
2) Our medical staff.
3) Defensive back field…until it’s fixed, it ain’t fixed.
4) 5 – 7 cause that still won’t get Richt fired and he knows it, we know it, everyone knows it.
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I’m thinking you were being serious in all four. Good point on medical staff, they suck, UGA is ACL U. 5-7? Don’t see that bad, but more like 7-5. Yep on Qb. Db’s won’t be tested again so they don’t matter, cuz people will run the ball uncontested down Pruitt’s throat again.
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Hi Troll.
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Wow… the troll are out in full force today.
I’d bet a month’s pay that we win more than 7 games. If you really think that then why are you even reading this blog?
DB’s won’t be tested? Really? So no one is going to throw it deep on us. They’ll just run every play because it will be so easy for them I guess.
That makes no sense.
Negative trolls like you that are soooooo passionate but in actuality don’t know a GD thing about football disgust me. You should all die a slow, fiery, painful death and go to a hell where your eyelids are forced to be kept open Clockwork Orange style while you watch an endless reel of highlights from the National Championship game that Georgia is going to win with Richt and Pruitt while demons shove pineapples up your ass for all eternity.
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Dang that’s some serious stuff there Faithful !
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Troll hard, Thomas!
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1- Ramsey. Bauta seems like the safe pick, but if your aiming to win championships you have to have a QB who can put the team on its shoulders and bail you out with his arm in at least one big game. Its a risk but I say gable on the highest talent kid panning out and thats Ramsey. Bauta is the safe bet to win at least 9-10 games, but Ramsey is the best chance to go all the way if it works out.
2- Tight ends – They’re a great group of receiving TE’s and if Schottenheimer is more willing to really feature them than Bobo was, then they could have a big year. It fills the gap with the lack of receiver depth, and would be a big help in the run game having them in there more often. I’d like to see it.
3- The Beef up front. They didn’t perform against UF and GT last year. Other than that there wasn’t a glaring weakness in the D, so shore that up and we’re good to go.
4- Win the East and you can’t call it a bad season. Win the SEC and its a great season. Anything beyond that would be amazing. (No I’m not a fan who is just going to be angry every year we don’t win a national championship. That sounds miserable, but hey, whatever works for you.)
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I second this MGW. I like Bauta and if he ends up being the starter I won’t be upset but I feel like Ramsey has the most upside of the three.
McKenzie, Shakenneth Williams, and Godwin will have to contribute this year. Hedgedus as well if he can stay healthy.
The beef (or lack thereof) on the D-line concerns me but I think that Trent Thompson is going to come in and be a Seymore/Stroud type of DT, he is big and quick as a cat off the ball.
A successful season is to win the SEC East, UT will be better and Missouri has a laughable league schedule again this year so they will be in it as well. UF and SCAR have too many holes to fill to be players in the conference race (not saying they can’t beat us because we all know how last year went). A great season will be winning the SEC Championship and getting a spot in the playoff.
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I would agree with MGM on #3 and #4.
On 1- I would say Bauta because he can throw more than adequately and he gives a defense an added dimension to prepare for with his feet. I like the idea of being able to take advantage of a defense try to key on our tailbacks.
2- I agree with the Tight ends portion, but if McKenzie, and Davis don’t step up as well it will not be enough. Ideally at least one freshman would contribute as well.
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+1 on number 4. If we do that, obviously everything else was handled correctly.
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1: Bauta, because (a) I think he’s more likely to have deep ball capability when needed than Ramsey is to improve his accuracy; and (b) it probably means more reliance on use of our great squad of RBs and TEs, which I think is a good thing ’cause it plays to significant strengths. Note: I think the coaches will go with Ramsey, at least in Game 1.
2: If “other contributors” means other than Mitchell and Scott-Wesley, then it has to be Godwin, McKenzie, Hegedus.
3: Like I think everyone else, nose/interior D line.
4: Success = SEC championship and beat Tech. Being a bridesmaid (again) just won’t feel successful to me. Doesn’t mean I’d be calling for MR’s head–just that anything else will be disappointing. Note: if we don’t win SEC, then annihilating Florida would be a nice consolation prize.
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Highest QBR of course
TE’s alleviate my worries about the WR’s
Run stuffing LB’s
10 wins a trip to Atlanta – we lose to 2 of these 3 (TN, AU, or Mizz) after beating Bama.
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“10 wins a trip to Atlanta – we lose to 2 of these 3 (TN, AU, or Mizz) after beating Bama.”
I agreed up top on the 10 wins and winning the East. If we lose to Mizzu, I think it would be because of where they are on the schedule making them a ‘trap’ game. If we beat Bama and UT back to back, we could have a let down against Mizzu…but they don’t particularly scare me if our minds are right when we play.
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1: Ramsey. He has the most talent and allows the offense to be the most diverse.
2: I disagree with the question as I wouldn’t say it’s a given either is guaranteed to be productive. After QB the WRs are easily the most worrisome position.
3: DL. All three positions.
4: Winning the East needs to be the bare minimum. Beyond that it’s all about health, really. If UGA stays healthy they can hang with any team in the SEC.
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Ramsey. Game experience and better arm. I’d prefer Eason to get his GED and hurry up though.
This has been said, but IM and tight ends, with a new freshman kid to burn the edges like Gibson.
Pruitt. WHAT!?!? No, really, I think he’s a great coach on the whole who knows how to attack a spread, but he got outbrained by boom and man-tits. Pruitt wouldn’t bring the safeties up in either game, which is particularly maddening against Tech when you know they’re not going to throw. And 800 yards later we lose to two of our rivals. I fully and completely put those on Pruitt and am extremely worried that he’ll be stubborn and continue to get outcoached a couple games a year by teams that run vanilla plays to counter his outside-in schemes.
Beat 3/4 of our rivals and that has to include Tech. Have the defense come into its own and stop having head-scratcher games. If our offense doesn’t wet the bed against Bama’s defense, there may be enough to grow on to get us to the champ game this year.
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1) Bauta. read progressions, studies the game, sound decisions, doesn’t rely on his arm to bail him out resulting in critical turnover, more diverse offense due to his ability to scramble. I’d like to see a read option appear too. Disagree with MGW, Bama was very dominant with QBs that didn’t make errors. Big play offense with highly recruited QBs also coincides with decline of the Bama D. In my opinion the 2 are related.
2) TEs and I’m sure someone will step up.
3) Interior DL as stated multiple times above. Special teams and offense giving the defense short fields and little rest.
4) Success Win all games that UGA is a TD or more favorite, wins over UF, and GT are a must. Major success… out Bama, Bama with a clock control offense tiring Bama’s D and giving the UGA defense rest resulting in Jr’s offense going 3 and out.
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The only question I have is QB. The D may not be great, but it will be solid. Recievers and OL will be good to great.
As far as QB goes, we need someone who can play ball in the SEC. Either you can or you can’t. Physical talent is not the most important thing. Connor Shaw was a very good QB with average talent. Driskal was a terrible QB with elite talent. It is very hard to tell who can really play ball until you place them in real SEC games. I don’t know if it will be Ramsey, Bauta, or Park but if one of them is a ball player we could have a special season. SEC champs and CFPs are very possible.
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1) Ramsey, like Greene, Bauta like Shockley, every 3rd or 4th series to start with.
2) For the step up part, we really need some freshmen to play well. Godwin most likely candidate. McKenzie could be another contributor.
3) Stop the inside runs of Auburn/Tech/Bama.
4) Bare minimum this year is to win the east. Last year, we had no excuse to not win the east (2012 Mizzou was a pretty good team, but not so much last year). Same is true this year. There is no way we should not win the east. The only viable threat is really Tennessee, and take a look at that roster. We are WAY ahead of them. SC is WAY down, Florida might not have any OL at all at the rate they are going, and Mizzou is down. Add to that, we should have a really good chance at winning SEC champ game as well given Bama/Auburn/LSU all have question marks. Making the playoff is a stretch given a reasonably tough schedule, but doable if we get good QB play. Win the east for a minimum palatable season, win the SEC for a great season, which is more than doable given the layout.
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1-Ramsey starts, Park gets 2nd half at least in 1st game (it’s a cupcake). Based on Park and Ramsey’s performance in game and fall, consider a Greene/Shockley rotation if neither stands out for SEC play. I get the sense Park could be a guy that performs a little better in games than practices at this point in his career.
2- TEs, 3rd string TB, Godwin, Williams, Wilson, Stanley, Chigbu.
3- integrating young talent into the defense so they can shine early.
4- Win 5 out of 6 (SC, Bama, Mizzou, UF, Auburn, and UT) and beat Tech.
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1) you want Ramsey to win it because he has the highest ceiling. You don’t want him winning it by default or it being handed to him over a guy who may be s harder worker and better leader if they are close in terms of productivity.
2) who the hell knows. Cross fingers and/or pray.
3) getting over powered at the edges again. I’d be afraid to play someone who throws it all over the yard but I don’t see those on the schedule. UF is the only team that has that potential and that’s remote. SOS will be balanced as usual and thus once again falls under the initial concern. They over powered us on the edge to hold a lead before UF did it in Jax.
4) 10-2 regular season and win the east.
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3) I agree with you. It seems the majority would like to see interior DL improve. I would love to see us better set the edge (see the UF game) against the run. In addition, I would like to see both our OLBs and ILBs improve in coverage across the middle (that has seemed a weakness over past 2 seasons).
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The highest ceiling may not be the best long ball but the most methodical, and fewest INTs. UGA routinely has QBs with a better arm than Bama. However from ’08 to ’14 Bama only had 1 QB with double digit INTs and that was ’14 when the media was hyping their increased scoring. Yet despite “a lower ceiling” at QB the team won multiple titles. Stafford had a better arm than Green but Green walked out with the SEC championship ring and more wins. Green also had fewer INTs.
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1) Ramsey, he was Bobo’s choice for a backup, the arm, & right or wrong I’m really biased towards recruiting rankings when it comes to the quarter back position.
2) tight ends, Williams, JSW, imac, davis, towns, hedgeus, & the new wr recruits. Somebody’s got to step up as the possession guy (s) that make the tough catches to extend drives. A home run threat to complement Mitchell would be great too. Yeah i cheated and listed all the wide receivers
3) stopping physical run games same as leastyear I think passing defense is going to be awesome. I also think we will take a big step forward on defense in year 2 which could be downright scary considering we were pretty good last year (south Carolina and Florida being the exceptions)
4)1 loss or fewer, sec champ, make the playoffs. Not that falling short of that couldn’t be a good season too but frankly we were good enough to do that last year and we’re good enough to do it this year. We’re the best program in the east, it’s time to start acting like it and embracing the expectation of being a champion. I know we’re breaking in a new quarterback but so did Alabama and Ohio state. Get. It. Done. Boys.
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“We’re the best program in the east, it’s time to start acting like it…”. You’re damn right! It’s time to kick some ass, starting with bama.
As Yoda said: “Try not. Do, or do not. There is no try.”
Damn! I’m ready for some football.
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Park.
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Park. Damn the torpedos.
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Ramsey will start.
Sony will get looks out of the backfield, but I expect big years from Blaze and Rome. Godwin is going to play early and often. He’ll make some big catches in big games for us. Cooper was a freshman when he caught that TD to beat us in Atlanta. Might a freshman WR for us do the same?
I stopped worrying about Pruitt and the D about mid-season last year. We could get gashed, and as others have said, that’s probably the biggest concern. I Thompson will help, but I actually think Kimbrough and the LBs will help, In Bama’s heyday, their MLBs were huge. We’ve been a little light in the pants since switching to the 3-4, and we’ve seen the damage that can be done. We are getting bigger there. I think that was behind the Patrick move to the inside.
I think we’re going to be really good. Nick Chubb is only going to get better. The schedule sets up very nicely. I’m scared to death about the trip to Knoxville after we beat Bama at home.
It’s easy to look at our holes and be worried, but other teams on our sked and in the SEC have gaping, humongous holes. South Carolina is a train wreck at QB. Bama lost a ton, and I’m not sold on a QB that couldn’t beat out Blake Sims (when everyone expected him to). I’m also not convinced Laner wants to hand the ball to Henry like they should, and he doesn’t have Cooper to bail them out.
Who is Florida starting at QB? Is Jeremy Johnson really capable of making that Auburn offense work? People were open for Auburn because Marshall could run like the wind and they were terrified he was going to take off. Matty Mauk? Seriously? Oh, wait…Mauger just picked off another one of his passes.
Tech? That little QB is a player, but they lost everything else. I mean like their top 7 A and B backs from last year. We fumbled it twice on the 1. Stuff happens in rivalry games.
Don’t know that we’ll win them all, but we’re going to have the best D we’ve had in a long, long time, and Chubb might be the best thing we’ve had here since #34. (and #3 was pretty doggone good). We have some incredible talent at the RB position if we stay healthy.
Scoring will be down in the conference because of the QB play, but here’s a question: Of all the teams on our schedule, which team has a QB that you’d rather have? Right. Hard to find one. Hard to find one in the whole conference, frankly. Dak is still not impressive to me, particularly as a passer. We fret about things, but there seems to be more holes across the conference this year than ever before.
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I think we are fine with either choice but, from what little I have seen, I lean to Faton. He looks solid on the intermediate to short throws and that is what we need to make this offense work given our RB strength. His ability to run is an added plus that trumps the extra 10 yards in arm strength. QB decision isn’t a top 3 concern of mine.
I think we will have enough good receivers, key being Mitchell staying healthy as he will be the go-to, possession WR (Bennett). I think McKenzie, JSW, Davis, and Michel give us enough of a deep threat to keep to defenses honest. Excellent looking group of TEs and backs that can catch the ball, we will get enough passing yardage and no one will be able to “sit” on the run. I also expect 1 or 2 of the incoming receivers to be productive, specifically Godwin, or the WR from the Bayou.
Stopping the power run is my only defensive concern. We have been vulnerable to it, it was the primary reason we lost three games last year, and other teams will run it until we prove we can stop it. I don’t think we are stout enough up the gut so I hope we can scheme effectively to get penetration enough to be disruptive. I also have hope that TT can be all he is reported to be but I don’t want to approach the season with a reliance on two true freshmen to be the run stoppers. This vulnerability, or some significant injury disasters, is all that can keep us out of Atlanta, and I don’t even know if this will. But it will be enough to keep us from winning in Atlanta if we don’t address find a fix.
It will be a good season if we win the East, and a serious miss, if we don’t. I know we might be better in 2016, but we should at least get to Atlanta and be competitive. It will be a great season if we win the SEC (always) and that is all we can control. Anything after an SEC title is gravy and momentum into 2016. I think we will be very good this year, possibly outstanding. In a year with one open date, we have excellent depth, quality athletes, and excellent coaches. We are due a season of good fortune after the tough hands we have been dealt.
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Not necessarily in the Same order as the questions were asked but here goes: It’s college–everybody has turnover every year. Chill out! One of the QBs will work out (likely Ramsey because he has the most experience) and the wideouts shortage can be masked by throwing more to the tight ends, which Schotty did a lot of in the pros. My biggest concern on D isn’t on D–it’s on STs. After all the problems on STs over the years that have been cussed and discussed ad nauseum, UGA still doesn’t have a ST co-ordinator. “The definition of insanity is doing the same thing over and over and expecting different results.” Damn CMR is stubborn!! I’m beginning to think he is stupid, too. For the season to be “successful” the Dawgs need to win the SEC Championship. The playoff is gravy. Win the SEC, that’s what I want, but in order to do that they must first win the East and I am afraid that the schedule–once again–favors Mizzou.
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Missouri = the Alabama of the SEC East
Mr. Pink = Nick
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Mayor, what position coach do you suggest canning for a full-time ST coordinator/coach? I agree we need focus on it, but the STs were much better last year. I would like to see Kevin Butler as a kicking coordinator without being an on field assistant.
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Don’t mess up the mantra with logic, it is this 1) move the GA/FU game, 2) there was no option but to spike, 3) the only “mistake” was the pooch kick, 4) all losses are on Richt, players cannot make mistakes,, nor be held accountable. and 5) “why isn’t everyone else yelling at Richt about how he forgot to hire another coach/coordinator? I don’t get it, and why is everyone laughing at me?”
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Who let you out of the drunk tank? And how can you still use that computer after spilling all those drinks on it?
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And I don’t know why everybody is laughing at you. Maybe it’s because of the stupid posts you write.
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EE, I favor CMR being the ST Coordinator like Frank Beamer, Urban Meyer and a host of other college HCs and have said so previously on this blog. The position coaches that work on individual aspects of STs would continue to do so, but the ST Coordinator is the guy responsible for bringing it all together. The way CMR does it now is fragmented. But you’re right–the STs were better last year.
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That makes sense – good point, Mayor
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