Good to see the early enrollees getting in on the action.
Daily Archives: March 24, 2019
Cry havoc, and let loose the Dawgs of defense!
If Bill Connelly hasn’t trademarked “havoc rate”, he’s probably gonna wish he had, to collect some sweet, sweet license fees from UGA.
Georgia’s defense was good last season, but perhaps not always great. UGA coach Kirby Smart laid out a plan Tuesday to change that, and at least one former player predicts fans will enjoy the results.
The Bulldogs were 13th in total defense (an old-school stat that measures yards allowed per game) and 14th in points allowed per game in 2018. The so-called advanced stats were more favorable. UGA was fifth in ESPN’s defensive efficiency rating, Eighth in S&P+ and 11th in FEI.
Yet there was a feeling Georgia could’ve done more in 2018, and Smart was clear about what he thinks is needed.
“We want to increase our havoc rate on defense,” Smart said. “That’s one of the main target areas. We want to be more disruptive, and the only way you’re going to be more disruptive is practice being disruptive. So we’ve gotta do that. We’ve gotta create more lost yardage plays, more negative situations, and that’s something we’ve really worked on.”
What does Smart mean by “havoc rate?”
Georgia safety J.R. Reed provided an explanation.
“We want to get TFLs (tackles for loss), sacks, PBUs (passes broken up), turnovers, interceptions, anything to create havoc on an offense [with] negative plays we want to make it happen.”
The description from Reed is similar to the definition provided by stats guru Bill Connelly which describes “havoc rate” as “the percentage of plays in which a defense either recorded a tackle for loss, forced a fumble, or defensed a pass (intercepted or broken up).”
Kirby’s done his havoc homework.
“We’ve done studies on the top 10 teams last year in havoc,” Smart said. “We’re trying to do some of the things they do and we’re trying to put guys in a position to do that.”
I guess I know one thing I’ll be tracking here at the blog this season. Thanks, Bill.
Filed under Georgia Football, Stats Geek!, Strategery And Mechanics
Alston appeal: Donald Remy strenuously objects
To what should be nobody’s surprise, the NCAA is appealing Judge Wilken’s ruling and doing so with its usual class.
The NCAA and a group of major conferences on Friday night asked the 9th U.S. Circuit of Appeals to overturn a recent ruling that the association’s limits on athlete compensation violate antitrust laws and that the association cannot limit benefits related to education for athletes playing Division I men’s or women’s basketball or Bowl Subdivision football.
In a brief notice of appeal, the NCAA and the conferences wrote that they are seeking review of U.S. District Judge Claudia Wilken’s injunction, her findings of fact and law, her earlier summary judgment ruling “and all other orders, rulings, and decisions in this litigation.”
… On Friday night, the NCAA’s Remy issued a statement that read, in part: “While the District Court upheld the distinction between full-time students who play college sports and professional athletes, it erred by giving itself authority to micromanage decisions about education-related support. We believe, and the Supreme Court has recognized, that NCAA member schools and conferences are best positioned to strengthen and revise their rules to better support student-athletes, rather than forcing these issues into continuous litigation.”
Yeah, how dare a judge rule on an issue she’s already ruled on in a similar way, a ruling that was upheld on appeal?
The thing here is that the NCAA got a win from her on the most important thing to it, and yet, it’s not enough. The NCAA’s gonna NCAA. Always.
Filed under See You In Court, The NCAA
In praise of Geoff
I’m as happy to mock Georgia Tech as the next Dawg fan, but credit where credit is due: I wish every football program took this approach ($$).
In the beginning, Collins said his team will play with unmatched energy and “juice.” It’s something that the media actually will be able to see firsthand and report on. Georgia Tech will hold practices Tuesday, Thursday and Saturday mornings. Practices will be open to the media for 30 minutes on those days and just about every coach on staff, as well as players from just about every position, will be made available throughout the next five weeks.
Collins is actually going against the grain of the Nick Saban “head coach speaks for all” approach he tasted first-hand during his time in Tuscaloosa, and good for him doing so. The offensive coordinator is carrying around the nuclear launch codes; it would be nice for fans to hear about his approach to strategy. (In Tech’s case, with the switch from the triple option, especially so.)
Although I wonder if his approach changes should GT re-emerge to some degree from its current level of attention seeking. Hate to see this perceived as a mere marketing gimmick. Fans deserve a little more. But kudos for the time being…
Filed under Georgia Tech Football
Sensitive, sensitive
So, it seems this three-year old tweet was making the rounds again this weekend.
Sure, some folks didn’t notice the original date, but the NCAA seems to have passed over the whole it-was-a-dumb-thing-to-post-in-the-first-place aspect of that, because it ignored the First Rule of Holes and kept right on digging.
The NCAA ought to put Stacey Osburn in charge of editing Inside the NCAA.
Filed under Social Media Is The Devil's Playground, The NCAA
Get The Picture 