Observations from the armchair, Nashville Skyline edition

Another season, another barrage of bullet points:

• Maybe it’s the onset of old age, or maybe it’s something else like the camera work (I know that stadium makes it tough), but I had a devil of a time keeping up with who was on the field at a given time, especially on defense.
• If you were expecting one change from Chaney to Coley was going to be pace, then no doubt you were disappointed.  Georgia only had four possessions in the first half.
• Of course, the offense was remarkably efficient on the first three of those.  It looked almost too easy.  My favorite sequence came on the second scoring drive, when Fromm’s beautiful deep pass to Robertson was called back because of a holding penalty, only to see Jake go back to Robertson on the very next play with a pass underneath for a nifty 17-yard gain.
• There’s plenty for everyone to bitch about, I know, judging from the comments here and elsewhere, but the only thing that really bugged me on the night was how poor the offense looked running the two-minute drill.  That was really the first hint to me that the interest level had dropped, something that’s as much on the coaches as the players.
• Overall, the offensive line had a very good day, as you would expect when your team rushes for more than 300 yards, gives up zero sacks and almost no tackles for loss.  One thing that was very obvious to me is that Trey Hill is the o-line’s weather vane.  He dominated as a run blocker, was good with one-on-one pass protection… and struggled to pick up some of the more exotic stunts and other calls Vandy came at him with.  His improvement on the last matter there is something to watch as the season progresses.
• My preseason concern about the receiving corps has certainly lessened.  Robertson looked smooth.  Landers continues to progress and showed me a little something with his blocking, something I bet warms the cockles of Kirby’s heart.  Cager also had a nice catch.  There’s more than enough talent to make up for the personnel losses; just give ’em time.
• Wolf and Woerner had three catches between them, which doesn’t sound like much, but considering that Georgia only had 20 receptions total, it’s not bad.  Where both really excelled was in blocking.  Woerner’s started off much better in that regard than he did last season.  And if you haven’t had the chance to do so yet, make sure you check out Wolf’s simultaneous block of two Vanderbilt defenders on Herrien’s touchdown run.
• I don’t know about you, but I think the Dawgs are gonna be okay at tailback.  Swift is Swift.  White is talented, but has a little rust to knock off; it’s hard to see how he won’t be the number two guy by season’s end.  Herrien is serviceable, but I think I’d be giving a few of his carries to Cook, who clearly looks bigger than he did last season and hasn’t lost any of his quicks.
• And then there’s Fromm.  At times it almost seemed like he was trying to live up to all the broadcast booth’s game manager talk, but, really, when your running game is averaging more per carry than you’re getting per pass attempt, wouldn’t you be changing the call at the line, too?  The only moment in the game I thought he was forcing things a bit was when he tried on back to back passes to hit Pickens with a TD throw.  He certainly didn’t dazzle on the night, but it’s not like there’s much to complain about, either.  (One caveat, again, is the camera work.  There were a lot of plays where you couldn’t see how things were developing downfield and ESPN wasn’t consistent with its replays.)
• I’m not sure I was expecting to type these words, but this year’s defense looks faster than last year’s.  That was obvious from the first snap, which made Vaughn’s success getting outside early on perhaps the night’s biggest surprise.  (Then again, when you hold one of the SEC’s three best backs well under 100 yards, you’ve done your job.)
• The night’s most positive development was how much stronger the d-line looked in the second half, when it really took over the game.  Georgia’s offense may not have done much, but Vanderbilt’s did even less.  I think the coaches are still mixing and matching players, so I don’t doubt that there’s more shuffling of personnel to come.  Whatever comes of that, Davis and Young will be in the mix.
• Monty Rice is nasty.
• Tae Crowder is a smart player who knows his assignments well, but I don’t think getting dragged by Vaughn is a good omen for his future as a starter.
• Man, is this team loaded at outside linebacker!  I thought Ojulari was a good pass rush specialist, but he looked like someone who can play the rush well, too.  But the rest of his cohorts — Smith, Anderson, Johnson, etc. — it seemed like they were a relentless wave that just kept coming.
• The secondary wasn’t tested much, especially deep.  Reed is certainly the glue who holds the back end together.  LeCounte was okay, but I continue to wait for his breakout game where he brings all his physical talent to bear consistently.  I’m not ready to say that Stokes has fully replaced Baker, but I’m not exactly worried when the ball is thrown in his direction, either.  Campbell looks more physical and aggressive, and while I thought the PI call he got was BS, I still wish he’d learn how to turn his head in the direction of the ball.  Webb was solid at the Star.
• As far as special teams go, Blankenship was his usual automatic self.  Camarda blasted a couple of punts (even the one he put in the end zone wound up being a net 45-yarder).  I love sticking Jordan Davis on the kick blocking team; he’s big enough and athletically freaky enough to make an impact there, as he showed when he got a hand on a field goal kick.  The one sticking point, the return game, was understandable, given Holloman’s shoes to fill.  Better judgment on whether to field a punt, or return a kickoff will come, hopefully.  Tyler Simmons’ knee was offsides, unfortunately.
• If this felt like a Kirby-coached game, that’s because it was.  After the three easy scores, the offense went into scrimmage mode.  There were adjustments made defensively at the half, and they showed well.  Other than that, there’s not much to say.

Georgia leads the East, there were no serious injuries to speak of and the Dawgs have two cupcake games to tune up with before facing Notre Dame in what should be the most-hyped regular season game in Athens in many moons.  All in all, hardly what you’d call a bad night, unless you’re really trying.

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