The good, the bad and the Fromm

After watching Eason’s season go by the wayside, at least for the time being, any preseason hopes I had for Georgia making a statement out of the Notre Dame game have quickly morphed into a mundane hope for mere survival.  I don’t mean that as a knock on Jake Fromm, but asking a true freshman quarterback to use his first start on the road in front of Gawd and a national television audience to make a statement isn’t realistic.

I’ve watched the opener live and on replay now, and the good thing is that I haven’t lost hope for Georgia to emerge victorious.  Far from it.  Fromm goes in to South Bend with a few things that Eason didn’t have last season:  a healthy Nick Chubb, some promise on the offensive line, an emerging weapon in Javon Wims, a defense that is deeper, faster and better grounded in mechanics and, amazingly, special teams that are not a liability.

Fair to say, then, Fromm goes to Notre Dame with the knowledge that he doesn’t have to carry his team on his shoulders.  That’s a big deal.  The question is, how realistic is it to count on a true freshman quarterback to be a game manager against a talented defense?

For me, the answer is, it’s not that crazy.  It’s worth noting again that Chaney did an excellent job managing the offense after Eason’s departure.  Fromm only had to throw fifteen times during the game and got to spend a decent amount of time under center.  The passing game was simplified, as most of what Fromm was asked to do came off simple three-step drops and single reads.  Fromm did well with what he was required to do, too.

This week is all about polishing his game, at least as much as can be done in just a few days.  I don’t know if Tuberville was overstating the case when he said that Fromm only knows about half the playbook, but there’s no way the kid’s got everything down cold in time for Saturday.  That’s not doom in and of itself, but if Chubb and Michel can’t make headway in the running game, it’s not ideal, either.

My other concern comes from one of Fromm’s strengths on display against ASU.  He wasn’t overwhelmed by the occasion, to say the least.  Quite the contrary, at times he seemed a little too sure of himself.  He didn’t throw an interception, but he certainly deserved to on a few plays.  If he’s going to be part of the plan to beat Notre Dame, he’s got to find the fine line between avoiding being too conservative and turning the ball over by being too aggressive.  Weirdly enough, I’m looking forward to finding out if he’s got it in him to hit the sweet spot.

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It’s a Southern thing.

From the New York Times’ look at The Bitter Southerner (among other South-oriented publications):

After nearly going under during the recession, Garden & Gun’s bimonthly issues are now fat, thanks to the humming economy and the avoidance of a list of topics, once enumerated by the editor in chief, David DiBenedetto, that might offend its readers: “politics, religion and SEC football.” (Don’t hold them to the last one.)

At least now I know what I’m doing wrong here.

Upon further review, Appalachian State edition

I’m not gonna say there were any huge revelations watching the replay, but a few things did stick out.

• Andrew Thomas looked flat out nasty on occasion.  He’s going to work out just fine, methinks.
• J. R. Reid played a great game.
• Nick Chubb’s got his quicks back.  There were a couple of cuts he made that definitely harken back to his pre-injury days.
• If you want to see the textbook definition of running hard, watch Michel on his touchdown run.
• Right now, the best thing about Jake Fromm’s game is his quick release, but you also have to be impressed with how his teammates responded to a true freshman suddenly thrust into the moment.
• Best coaching moment of the day comes at the 32-minute mark, when Smart has to direct Fromm over to join his receivers on the sideline after the first score.  Hilarious.
• If ASU made a mistake on offense, it was not running the option with Lamb more.  For the most part, he was savvy with his reads.
• I was disappointed to see both Walker and Bellamy lose contain on the left side, leaving the defense to get gashed with big gains.
• As for the broadcast, I found Tuberville to be more lazy than awful.  He does bring a fair amount of coaching insight to the booth, but it was obvious he spent almost no time on prep work.  The sideline dude was awful, though.

Musical palate cleanser, another passing edition

Sadly, Steely Dan’s Walter Becker’s death was announced over the weekend.  He’s got one helluva obituary, I must say.  How many people have this written about themselves?

Mr. Becker moved to Maui, where he detoxed and became an avocado farmer.

Here’s one of my favorite Dan cuts, from Katy Lied, “Black Friday”.

SEC Power Poll, Week 1

The conference finished opening week 12-2.  It should have been 13-1, but then Texas A&M got high.

1. Alabama.  Win, win, win.  Jeez, what a boring bunch.
2. LSU.  I’m not sure what impressed me more, holding BYU to under 100 yards on offense or Danny Etling finishing with a 166.85 passer rating.
3. Auburn.  Stidham didn’t exactly wow me, but the defense did.
4. Georgia.  I still can’t get over the Dawgs having a kicking game as a weapon.
5. Tennessee.  Nice win, but giving up nearly 700 yards to a team you had all offseason to prepare for doesn’t say much for improving your defense.
6. South Carolina.  After beating NC State, I’m already seeing some pundits elevating the ‘Cocks to contender status in the East, but when you get outgained 504 to 246, that seems a wee bit premature.
7. Arkansas.  The Hogs didn’t come to get distracted over the Rattlers’ jersey numbers.
8. Mississippi State.  Just crushed a cupcake.
9. Mississippi.  Shea Patterson makes this team watchable, but I can’t help but wonder how long the party lasts.
10. Vanderbilt.  You want to talk about mind-blowing passer ratings?  Kyle Shurmur posted a 195.59 on the road against a mid-major team.
11. Florida.  No sugar coating here — the Gators looked overmatched against Michigan.  The only question is how much of that can be chalked up to the suspensions.
12. Texas A&M.  The bad thing for Kevin Sumlin is that he’s coaching at one of the few places that can actually afford to fire him and hire Chip Kelly.
13. Kentucky.  Grinding out a win on the road against a not-so-hot Southern Miss doesn’t look like the first step on the path to divisional relevance, but there’s plenty of time for the ‘Cats to up their game.
14. Missouri.  Midway through the second quarter Missouri was losing to Missouri State 35-34.  Is it possible the defense blows worse than last year’s?

Fabris Pool, Week One results

Well, dayum.  2017 is off to a scintillating start.

STANDINGS for WEEK 1

Rank	Selection Name	Standings Adjustment	W-L	Pts	Tie Breaker Game 42-41
1	whb209	Adj	10-0	10	21-24

It’s all downhill from here, my man. Congrats in the meantime, though.

“I don’t think I’ve ever been in a game where you run 90 plays, get 655 yards and lose.”

You lost to a coach who uses a friggin’ trash can as a motivational tool, genius.

Best get used to the feeling.

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UPDATE:

Georgia Tech is the 50th team in the past 10 years to rush for at least 500 yards, but only the 3rd of those to lose

— ESPN Stats & Info (@ESPNStatsInfo) September 5, 2017