In a night filled with inexplicable happenings – I still can’t figure out what in the hell the officials were up to with the GSU muffed punt – the overtime period topped it all.
First, Southern decides to take the ball out of the hands of its most effective player by running the wildcat. Twice. (When you’re running the triple option already, what’s the point?) It was as if the Eagles’ offensive coordinator looked across the field at Brian Schottenheimer and said, “You think you make dumb ass playcalls? Buddy, you ain’t seen real dumb ass.”
Then came this.
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On a night when it seemed like the offensive line couldn’t block its way out of a paper bag, everyone on the line made their blocks. Hunter Long, who’d been used and abused all night, not only got his block down on the line, but managed to throw another one downfield that sprung Michel for the score. Stunning, really.
And a welcome relief, because I was not looking forward to Mark Richt having to play another game of Marshall Morgan roulette.
Get The Picture 
Defense played lights out for the most part. Offense played like the good side of the 50 yard line was on some sort of sacred burial ground that cursed all those who dared to tread upon it.
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I’m baffled that we play 6 guys on the OL and Long is one of them (and Houston another).
Didn’t we recruit some kids? Can we get them in the fucking game? If we are going to suck at OL at least develop some talent along the way.
Richt has no plan and that’s the most maddening thing about being a Georgia fan.
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I wouldn’t burn a red shirt on any young OL now.just hold your nose and avert your eyes
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Ya know, I’ve read the meme recently that we’re redshirting OLs for next year. But then I wondered, when’s the last time any of our OLs benefited from redshirting his freshman year? Can anyone think of a freshman OL who redshirted at UGA in the last 15 years and went on to be a solid starter? The only guy who comes to mind is Velasco, and I think he redshirted as a junior (kind of a different situation). Of course, I’m not talking about Houston, who was held out by the ncaa and given a medical RS.
Again, can anyone name an OL or two who redshirted his freshman year at UGA and then went on to be a solid starter?
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Greg Pyke has been pretty solid until last few games where he had minor injury and then just started getting beat.
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Didnt David Andrews and Cordy Glenn redshirt? Not snark, just asking.
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Before the play in question, visions of Gurley bursting through the line against Tech in overtime a couple of years ago was dancing in my head. the bam! Sony turned it on.
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Just before the play, I commented that I wish we had Gurley. Then Sony did his best Gurley imitation. Go Dawgs, beat Tech!
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It’s just painful to watch this offense. That is all
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I truly found myself tightening up and becoming overheated during the Auburn game as the O neared the redzone. It’s like you don’t know what is headed your way and you’d rather not be shown.
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On the review of the muff…I think the back ref (back judge?) blew his whistle because he thought it was a catch and the play was over. I think that’s where the GSU coach goes berserk…basically saying you can’t review it because you blew the play dead.
I may be way off bc no one else seems to have said that…but I spent 5 minutes thinking we were about to get worked over by a bad whistle.
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Radio speculated this, but no one was sure.
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I thought I heard the ref say the play was being reviewed to see if he caught the ball, which seemed obvious at the time that he did not. The play was so bang bang that no one could possibly reacted to the whistle
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Yes it was clear. As soon as the ball hit his hands, the back judge blew it dead. It was an inadvertent whistle. If you go back and rewatch it, that’s what Fritz was screaming, you can read his lips saying “INADVERTENT WHISTLE!” And the back judge was pointing at himself as if to say “my mistake”.
Thing is, I don’t know what that means. Usually an inadvertent whistle means the play is dead. The whistle blew in the second between hitting the guy’s hands and us recovering it. In other words, NOBODY had possession at the time the whistle blew. I really think that’s what they were sorting out. I don’t know what the correct ruling is in that case but I’m pretty sure it’s not “ignore the inadvertent whistle and just go with what happened afterwards”. Wouldn’t surprise me if we hear more about that play later this week.
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Not sure if anyone else caught it, but right before overtime, there was a camera shot of the offense, maybe the whole team, but definitely the offense, crowded around Jeremy Pruitt for what appeared to be a motivational butt chewing. Interesting that it wasn’t Richt.
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I didn’t see it but I like it, if true.
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Saw this too and thought it necessary (the butt chewing) but strange to come from Pruitt. You can’t tell what’s going on on the sideline from a snippet of TV shots, but sure think that needs to be Richt getting after him instead of his constant fiddling with his headset the cameras seemed to love to show.
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I’m sure it was only Dooley and not Erk firing up the O during his tenure…eyeroll
This is a non-issue other than when your D is clicking like his is…you’ve got all the credibility you need to fire up anyone on the team. Honestly, at some point you shake your head…it’s the most dysfunctional offense but at the same time, they have won 8 games….which can’t just be chalked up to luck. How much credit do you give for coaching out of the problems that you create for yourself?
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That’s the question Greg McGarity has to be asking himself.
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Fix your eyesight. My point was not a complaint that CJP was doing it, but in that moment it sure would be inspirational to see Richt pulling them together with some fire…which he may very well have done and TV did not catch it.
As to your last point…yes, it’s good coaching to deal with the mess they’ve made…but they made the mess. I’m not handing out any A+ grades this year to the staff. Except Rocker and maybe Eckler…don’t want to get slapped upside the head and all.
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I believe it was the defense he was talking to unless 84 14 59 moved over to offense. GSU was getting the ball first and Pruitt was getting the D jacked to do what they did do…..no it was not the offense it was the D.
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I think it was the whole team, I saw Lambert in there.
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It was the whole team,
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It used to be common practice for Richt to gather the team before any OT or before the 4th qtr of a tight game. It’s certainly possible that this occurred as well without being shown on tv, but I don’t ever recall the defensive coordinator gathering the whole team together on the field.
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Happened right in front of my seat there were both offense and defensive coaches in huddle including Coach Richt. So just do not take one camera shot and make a big deal of nothing. I was right there and I know why happened.
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GASOU had three big, fat DLs clogging up the middle. They could not be moved, but hardly moved either. Why in f**ks sake did we not run power sweeps to the outside with our superior speed and just leave those big boys free to watch? Because the 1 jet sweep worked and we didn’t want to use that either? Because our OL has forgotten how to block for a toss sweep?
Worst offensive game calling ever. Been trying to buy in that a lot of good calls aren’t being executed (which is true…dammit Lambert, throw it deep to Mitchel down the middle sometime!), but this 3 wide and running Sony between the tackle without a lead blocker has got to go. Schotty…C’Mon Man!?
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Wasn’t it on a jet sweep when The Joystick was sandblasted and out came the ball? I don’t recall the play because I listened over the air and !!Howard!!
But you are correct, and I cannot get past the utter circus that the OLine has become this season. If GSU is rushing/blitzing 8 players why not float a few screen passes out there?
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16 is a high risk , high reward guy. He can win a game or he can lose a game. Coaches set him for rest of game after that one.
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True, second jet sweep was the fumble. I’m taking about the good old fashioned pulling guards on a toss sweep. Them fatboy DL’s weren’t going to run that down.
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How in the hell did Sony make it through there going that fast? I have watched it several times and still dont see where he had room.
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We just plain wore em out. Our S&C program paying dividends in OT!
I know its b.s., I’m just glad its over and we won.
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That’s pretty much been my mantra all season.
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This. This. This.
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Surprised no one has mentioned the decision by GASOU to go for 4th and 1 in OT. How does he not kick the FG there? Even if they converted, he still has no points on the board. Imagine if that had been Richt…..
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You’re in the opponent’s home stadium, and you haven’t done a fantastic job stopping them. They had benefitted from some serious gaffes by us, but 3 points doesn’t buy you a hell of a lot. Plus, in OT, you can pretty much assume that at some point, you’re going to have to make a play on 4th down. 4th and 1 is a good time to go for it…especially with a triple-option offense. The playcall I don’t really get, but the decision is sound.
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Agree on the point that ssoner or later youre going to have to make a play on 4th down.. And I’ll add that I would never play for a tie to take a game into overtime. If it comes down to making a two point conversion to win or lose and avoid overtime…I’d settle it right then and there and go for two. It’s a play. Sooner or later it come down to making that one play…I’d opt for sooner.
I’m still amazed that CMR went for it on a fourth down when he was in field goal range….it paid off. Had he reverted to his usual behaviour and kicked the three, it would have been over and lost.
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Our defense gave up 10 points total in an overtime game. Think about that for a minute. Historically, I doubt that has happened many times before, though I am glad to be wrong if someone can look it up.
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UGA85..the defense was wonderful The bozos announcing the game on tv acted like the defense had been slashed and gashed, but in reality they played great. If CMR goes, I’d say hire Pruitt as HC in a heartbeat.
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Two wrong assumptions ugly, Coach Richt not going anywhere and Pruitt will never be he’d coach at UGA.
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Pruitt is definitely gone at season end.
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Just curious – what do you base that on?
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You’re crazy, Mike. Pruitt was fired two weeks ago.
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The defense really did play well. GSU got a TD due to a couple of broken plays. Its second half offense basically was a 20 yard 3rd down pass when Parrish slipped and fell down and a couple of scrambles by Upshaw when we got a good rush.
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“And a welcome relief, because I was not looking forward to Mark Richt having to play another game of Marshall Morgan roulette.”
Of course, that’s what they were aiming for: get it closer, but keep it between the hash marks to make it easier for Morgan. It also showed that giving a three wideout look had to open the middle a little as the Senator suggested elsewhere. Maybe Schotty was getting the ESP signals Blutarsky was sending. 😉
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