I’ll be heading out shortly for another opener.
From setting up the tailgate tent all the way through the final whistle in Sanford Stadium, it’s hard to beat the pleasure of the first game of the season, even when it involves a cupcake (no offense meant there, Austin Peay).
The only hard wish I have today is that the Dawgs stay injury-free. That being said, I’ll be watching closely to see how the team looks, physically and mentally. I’ll be curious to see if Jake Fromm’s taken the next step. I want to see what some of the new faces, like Robertson, Cook, Campbell and, yes, Fields, bring to the table.
I want to take in what having a real, two-deep offensive line looks like.
Tell me what you’re anticipating for today and feel free to use the comments, as always, as the game thread.
See you on the other side.
Get The Picture 
I expect that Fromm shows that this is his team and we were all silly for thinking the Fields/Fromm competition was anywhere near the Fromm/Eason competition.
Fromm is special and I expect that he’ll graduate as the most decorated Bulldog quarterback in history (which will include at least two SEC Championships and a National Championship).
On the negative side, I’m very interested to see how dynamic the whole RB stable looks. I believe in Swift but I think our RB depth will be a concern all season if we don’t get significant production from Cook and we have to rely on big time carries from Herrien & Holyfield. Those are two good running backs but they lack a dynamism that will limit the offense any time Swift needs a breather.
Go Dawgs!
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Justin, I think your concerns about depth at RB might be dismissed after a couple of weeks. Holyfield is going to b a very good, hard to tackle RB. Herrien will be good late in the game when defenses are a little tired. I’m looking forward to see what Cook has. If he’s better than average (for an SEC back), the Dawgs should be fine.
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I expect a rout!
No Richt complacency….
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I want to see if our front 7 disrupts the running game. AP is a run heavy offense, so I want to see if we can lock them down without rolling a safety to the line of scrimmage.
On offense, I’m interested to see who starts at tailback. Holyfield has been named a team captain for today. I wonder if that’s on offense or special teams. I think he’s giving Swift all he wants for playing time.
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The transition at ILB from Butkus award winner to whatever is next. Has Natrez Patrick recovered mentally to become a force inside? Can any of the journeyman upperclassmen take a step up? And when do the star freshmen start showing out? Also, will the DL be better at penetration and disruption this year than last? I think those are important keys to the season, and I’m excited to start watching for that today.
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Gibbs, Patrick, Bishop and McGhee are questionable to play meaning that Patrick continues to be out for disciplinary reasons and I’m curious if Gibbs is over his “medical” problem. Godwin is doubtful to play while Zamir is out and Jake is probable.
I’m more than curious to see some of these “injuries” return to the field while hopeful that they are fully recovered before they strain at the leash to get back into the game. Here’s wishing for everyone to stay healthy.
Sic’em Dawgs! and have a good game.
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Wrong
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Al Davis Quote.
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Al Davis Quote.
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Stoked for sure
I also am eager to see our 2 deep OL, glad to see the “just put a hat on someone” era finally end.
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Amen Otis.
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I want to see if D Robertson can take up where Wims left off. We need a home run deep threat in the receiving corps. With Godwin out I really want to see what Ridley & D-Rob can do today.
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I’m intensely interested in who takes over Roquan’s spot and who starts opposite of DeAndre Baker.
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I’m anticipating a lot of fried chicken.
Also, I want to see efficiency. No messing around. Smother them quickly, then have the game become a snooze fest. I’m good with 15 passes, tops. Fromm, and then Fields, not getting hit would be ideal, with no turnovers.
Then back to the fried chicken
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“Tell me what you’re anticipating for today”
223 – 0
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That’s one record that will be hard to take away from Tech.
If you’ve got 18 minutes to kill, it’s a pretty remarkable story.
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I’d absolutely love to see Georgia set that record. But in my fantasy world, they set it against tech.
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A strong Defensive leader to emerge.
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TD and Charles using “we” to refer to the team gave me chills.
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…
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Oh I have missed you clowns…I just want them to kick it off already.
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suffocating run defense, Holyfield to go off, rhythm between the QBs and WRs
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Holyfield will score 4 TDs on 15 carries
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I haven’t watched the game, but the few times I’ve flipped over to Sackerlina, the field looks good. Glad to see it.
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Can’t wait for the dulcet tone of Beth Mowins calling the game.
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You’re easily entertained…
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Sooners curb stomping Kiffin and FAU.
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This is why I hate ESPN.
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Govs shutting us down. Defense looks porous.
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We’re moving the ball with the short outside pass. We certainly don’t look like world beaters right now, though.. Wonder why we never run the good old toss sweep…I miss that play.
BTW..how does TV manage to have every game in commercial breaks at the same time..clicking back and forth between games is an exercise in futility!
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Ahhh..good news from Charlotte so far!
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Down our throat. No answer.
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LOL
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Don’t understand why AP would go away from the run. We weren’t even slowing them down.
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DRob.
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VERY disappointed in the run blocking, but damn do we have some skill players.
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A beautiful in Athens.
First half observations:
First, it is just effing hot. Saw two older women taken out with assistance in th first quarter. We are all grasping for the 3 mph breeze when it comes.
Most impressive: Tyson Campbell. This is subjective, but isn’t even close to me. How a freshman can be this good, this disciplined, and this confident is unbelievable.
Least impressive: nose tackle. A lot of double teams,but also getting pushed out of space a lot.
Fun factor: D-Rob is even faster than he was back in Savannah in HS. Just wow.
Other mentions:
Monty Rice. Next star in th middle.
D.baker. No story, they have avoided him like they are past due on money owed.
Play calling – seems pretty vanilla on both sides. The runs on offense have all looked like zone schemes, nothing exotic so far. On defense, very little in the way of blitz packages. Saw Campbell go in once, but play went opposite direction
Fields and Fromm both looked fantastic. It did seem to take a while before Fromm started looking off his primary receiver and started going through progressions.
Hope to see some more Cook in the 2nd.
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Afraid we just saw too much of him on the punt coverage team. That targeting penalty will be costly — we lose him for part of the SCarolina game.
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Yeah I don’t get having him out there in garbage time. Expense penalty for sure.
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The whole game was garbage time.
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The announcers are explaining that the total cheat shot by Auburn on the UW QB was definitely targeting and they can’t understand why it wasn’t called!
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cheap
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Since it’s auburn it was probably both cheap and cheat. They’re equally proficient at both.
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What do y’all think about this..AU/W…at the end of the first half, Auburn lined up in the “safety” formation..like they would just take a knee. Of course Washington believed them and just kind of stood there. Auburn then took the snap and ran the ball off of the left side for a pretty good gain. While I’ve always wondered when we would see a team do this, I always thought it was kind of unethical. Isn’t that formation kind of a white flag signal? Like waving a white flag and then shooting your adversary after they’ve lowered their gun. Maybe I’m seeing it wrong..certainly it’s legal but it is just the most Auburn thing of the year so far.
In other words, lowclass. You can do it, but most coaches just wouldn’t.
Maybe it will become commonplace, like calling timeout a split second before a FG snap, as Corch introduced years ago.
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It’s legal. But if you do it, you don’t get to complain if your opponent is still using his first string to throw it in the end zone with two seconds left in the fourth quarter while already leading you 77-0.
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You also can’t complain when you line up in it and the defense tees off on your linemen.
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Agree, I like me some trickeration but think that’s borderline classless. At the same time, Washington gets a Shit, Tyrone, Get It Together for that. It’s not like this is the 1-2 biggest game of your season or anything.
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I can’t access the postgame press conference. Will Chip dare to ask the question? Dying to know.
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West Endzone Jumbotron looked great. I liked the art work around the stadium to add a little color. Good idea taken from South Bend. Silver Dawg greeters got a ways to go, but really a nice touch. All that was great.
Now, Greg, can we get just a little money to do something about concession stands on the South 300 level? That was the worst I have seen in the last 10 years. How do you run out of cold water in the 3d quarter of a 1 September game in Athens GA. It took forever to get anything even in the middle of the 2d quarter…not the breaks. Missed Robertson’s TD. But I had it easy. After waiting in line for 15 minutes, people in front of me found out they were not taking credit cards at that stand. Please, do something.
Oh, the game was about what I expected. And did I mention, it was HOT. 😉
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We threw to the TE. Coke bottle MIA. Strange.
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Yes! I’m glad I got to our TD pass to the TE this year.
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to see…
I was too excited by the memory mixed with sadness that I’ll have to wait another year now.
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Seems the tendency is to look at an opponent like AP and think it’s going to be tough for them because they’re not as big as us. The difference in this game was they were not as fast as us. Big didn’t seem to be a big deal.
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Beth Mowins. Worst play-by-play announcer I’ve heard in my entire life.
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You haven’t listened to many, then. I thought she was completely unremarkable, which is meant as a compliment when compared to several others.
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“You haven’t listened to many, then.” Bless your heart.
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Honestly I didn’t think she was that bad other than the Kirby Smith thing that she corrected herself on quickly.
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I didn’t get to see a damn down of it. Just hanging out waiting for the buffet to open.
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Didn’t miss much.. some of the players looked good, as expected and things like run blocking and run stopping looked pedestrian. Coaches agreed to a ten minute fourth quarter because some ap players were getting hurt.
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Vanilla as you would expect. Game looked more like a practice. Hard to tell anything other than we have depth and were far more athletic than AP.
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My impressions:
1) Fromm and Fields are both going to make plays for us. Fromm missed some chances to get some cheap yards with his feet especially on zone reads. Fields tucked the ball a couple of times maybe a bit too quickly, but when he decides to go, he glides.
2) The offensive line seemed to play ok. Once settled in, they got the push we expect. Wilson is going to have to improve on that right side.
3) I’m worried about the middle of the defensive line. Right now, there is no space eater like Atkins was last year.
4) Not worried about the outside linebackers. They are quick and deep. Brenton Cox is going to be a monster, and Adam Anderson (was on the radio by the time he got in the game) may be better.
5) Inside LBs is another story. They are sound, but I don’t see a difference maker right now. I’m worrying about teams that can attack the middle of our defense.
6) The jury is still out on the secondary. A lot of talent. Tyson Campbell looks as good as advertised. Poole seemed to be solid in the nickel star. I don’t think they threw at Baker the entire day.
7) The special teams are going to be solid. Rod is money on kickoffs and FGs. Camarda kicked the tar out of it.
8) Finally, the skill guys have to have Boom already sweating the bed. We have players everywhere. When we spread the field, you can’t keep a 3rd linebacker on the field.
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Watching it on the DVR this morning. All you said, plus Holyfield is a bruiser and one of the Zebras saved a Justin Fields touchdown. Fromm looks like he’s having fun.
Oh, and Beth Mowins really needs to stop trying to sound like a dude. She sounds like bad mix of the butchy indigo girl and Frances McDormand’s character in ‘Fargo”.
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Game seemed more like a showcase of Georgia’s talent riches more than a determined effort to wipe out an undermatched cupcake. If you watched Sakerliners game against CC, you might have noticed the intensity to dominate and win..Their mission was a little different. They were out to prove to themselves and the world that they can occasionally win easy and big..and as Ellis said in a couple of posts above this..it looked more like practice.
Hats of to A/P seems like a classy program with a lot of good folks.
And my prayers to their OC, who is battling financial hardship along with all the other hard things that come with having a very sick child. There is a “Go Fund Me” page for that which I will try to find.
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of course I meant, “my prayers for their OC”
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