Let Matt Hinton lay it out for you.
The stat: 6.6 yards per attempt
That’s the average gain of a Jake Fromm pass vs. SEC opponents this season, a steep decline from the past 2 years — down from 9.2 yards per attempt in 2017 and 8.8 per attempt in 2018. The current number ranks 8th among regular SEC starters, nearly 5 full yards per attempts behind the league leader, Tua Tagovailoa (11.3), and almost 4 yards behind Joe Burrow (10.4).
It’s also one of many, many ways to point to the recurring theme of Georgia’s offense in 2019: Namely, the Bulldogs’ mystifying lack of explosiveness…
In general, Fromm has been good for roughly 1 successful downfield shot per game — his only 25+ yard completions in the wins over Notre Dame, Florida, and Auburn were touchdowns covering 36, 52, and 51 yards, respectively — amid a steady diet of dinking and dunking. Despite their enviable depth at wide receiver, the Bulldogs’ average yards per catch in SEC games (11.0) ranks 10th out of 14 teams.
As long as the defense is holding up its end of the bargain the risk-averse approach makes sense: Georgia is tied for the national lead in scoring D vs. FBS opponents and remains the only team that has held every opponent to 17 points or less in regulation…
I don’t see either Texas A&M or Georgia Tech threatening that recipe. The question is what Kirby does to counter a vibrant offense, but that’s a decision for three weeks down the road. In the meantime, if it ain’t broke…
Get The Picture 
The OL protection has been great. Fromm is rarely sacked, he has a clean pocket and a lot of time to throw. With that in mind, why are we throwing so short, especially with the receivers struggles against press coverage and getting separation?
Shouldn’t Fromm hold the ball longer and let his receivers work open downfield?
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How do you hold it longer than 5 seconds? Does not compute
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Has the thought occurred to anyone besides me, that JF might be getting too much time in the pocket?
Like a point guard that can hit jump shots all day long from the field, but can’t make a free throw?
No, I’m not wishing for less pocket protection from the line..I’m wishing for receivers to break open early in their routes so Jake can just be a quick draw gunslinger instead of a cautious sniper.
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That’s the ticket! You can see him literally looking at each target while holding the ball, going from one to the other with his gaze. Jeebus, no one is getting open and he is standing there. It’s as if he moves, the O line can’t hold them any more. Hell, it’s hit and miss for the RBs to get open and that used to be a sure thing. Guess other teams have fast dbacks as well as us.
Patience is all you need to win in Kirby’s world when you hit the line, short pass, hit the line, or: hit the line , hit the line, short pass to get the first downs. each time they hit the line, there’s 2-3 yds. Patience.
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Sounds like Hankton and Hartley need to do a better job of coaching receivers on how to get open. I’ve noticed that at times, after the initial cut, if the receiver isn’t open they just mill around while the db covers them with ease.
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I think the major issue is our WRs. I haven’t really seen it discussed here, but my understanding is that many play calls require the WR to make reads of the defense as well (such as whether the DB is playing inside or outside technique) which may determine which way they break. This setup requires that both the QB and WR make THE SAME read of the defense in order for the QB to throw anticipating routes (throwing a guy open). I don’t think Fromm has confidence in any of our WRs other than Cager that they will make the correct read and therefore is unable to throw it early / throw them open. This leads to our WRs being constantly covered and Fromm holding the ball forever. You can see him wait to make sure the WR starts breaking before throwing it which allows the DB to close on the WR.
A lot of this should be expected from a young WR core, but the disappointing thing is the apparent lack of improvement which would seem to be more on the WR coach.
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If true, it sounds like the same problem 3rd and Grantham was running into (and not adjusting for) in 2013: the system was a bit too complex for younger/inexperienced players and he either couldn’t get them up to speed or simplify things schematically enough that they weren’t lost out there.
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Excellent explanation. Yes. The WRs also don’t have a lot of skill/experience at “blocking out” a DB, giving that little bodying for space at the end to be able to make themselves room to make the catch. Pickens in particular does not do this yet.
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Is there a shot clock for a QB?
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So long story short, we’re so inept at creating explosive plays and Jake has regressed so much why bother even trying to improve when we could just run the 2015 offense.
That sounds…… pathetic.
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9-3 still in play for you? Or was it more doom and gloom than that?
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Hey remember when I said I thought we’d beat Auburn this time last week? Was that doom and gloom enough for you?
Here’s a life tip kid, maybe don’t equate criticism with disloyalty, especially when it’s valid criticism. The first step to problem solving and improvement in any arena of life is acknowledging the problem.
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He can’t help himself. Agree with him or get insulted.
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I’m not insulted at all…Charlotte has been consistently down on UGA all year…no big deal.
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Well what about me?? Maybe I’m just jealous. I am D for Debbie Downer Dawg!
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Wait a cotton pickin’ minute! Did I hear someone say something about being negative? I’m game…this is my jam. Reminding me, are we hammering the WR’s or Fromm tonight?
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Mostly just Coley at Kirby at this point! Maybe Camarda, too, depending on if he’s taken his meds or not.
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There you go again.
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Excellent analysis.
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enviable depth at wide receiver? simmons and blount are both useless. where is said depth?
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i meant to put landers not blount. blount has one catch. simmons has 7 carries for 45 yards and 10 receptions for 89 yards. no touchdowns. landers has six catches for 54 yards and no scores. i would suggest they have cost us more yardage than they have gained in penalties and other dumbassery. after the simmons bobble/interception vs. south carolina, i would have benched him for the season. he is a pick or a penalty waiting to happen. landers, well, a walk-on could do as well.
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Unfortunately, I agree on Simmons. It seems like his career has been on a downward spiral since the NC. To the point that he’s now a liability. I guess I agree on Landers as well. Honestly, between the effort and dumb penalties, I’m really surprised Kirby let’s them play at all.
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Landers has pictures of some coach naked with somebody he shouldn’t be naked with. There’s no other explanation for his playing time.
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Blount???? He’s only been in on about 3 plays this year. I think you must have meant Landers. At least Blount will make an attempt to catch the ball. I cringe everytime Landers is in the game.
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Cager, Robertson, Blaylock, and Pickens
Yeah, they’re not all 1st rounders but they’re all very good.
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In two years, Pickens may very well be a first rounder.
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Kearis Jackson is also good. I mean, we can see the potential. That’s part of the reason it’s so inexplicable they’d be struggling to this degree.
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Those numbers for Fromm are an embarrassment. I have no clue as to why they’re as bad as they are (is it the WRs? The OC? Fromm regressing?) but they are in fact terrible.
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It’s a problem I noticed during the Vandy game that has been magnified since USCe. I have come to accept this is what we are and I only hope things change in the off season.
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Yeah, it ain’t changing this season. I just pretend I’m watching a version of Dooley’s Dawgs where we’re happy when Buck throws for 150 and Herschel (represented here by Swift, Herrien, White and Cook) goes for 200 and we smother the other team. I stream 1970’s games on the other channels so I don’t have to see modern football.
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A little bit of three (at least three) things.
Receivers not getting separation from dbs. (this one can improve with work)
JF a little hesitant and not just throwing naturally (this one seems to disappear in the HU offense. Very fixable. When he get’s his mojo back he’ll be fine)
Different offensive coordinator/philosophy. (This is the one we constantly harp on and debate on GTP.)
Sometimes I wonder if Kirby has ever gotten over that one play. The one where a pass hit an Alabama’s player’s helmet and got intercepted.
Make it four things……Kirby’s (can’t argue with this) fear of the turnover.
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We’ve had players open. I think Fromm is incredibly lucky that all-22 film isn’t readily available to fans because I think you’d see a lot of missed opportunities. The WRs haven’t been great. There’s no doubt about that. But we’ve had guys open and Fromm has simply missed them (or not even looked their way).
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His footwork honestly seems worse than when he was a freshman. Is that coaching? Considering Gaurantano at UT now ranks several spots ahead of Fromm in yards per attempt, it could be.
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I agree. One that glared at me, the sack he took vs Missouri, had a receiver open across the middle…not WIDE open, but open. He has to make that throw.
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Against FU, mizzu and the barners (more noticeable there) the UGA qb would release the football as/or when the receiver got open, enough time for a quick db to recover, instead of the release being prior to the receiver getting open..last couple of years UGA had that going for the receiver room…UGA oc is not a qb coach..recruiter YES… no ill will here, multiple changes could be in the staff going forward to 2020, which can be expected with an HC that is new to the environment attempting to find his way
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As posted above. I think it goes to your comment directly.
I think the major issue is our WRs. I haven’t really seen it discussed here, but my understanding is that many play calls require the WR to make reads of the defense as well (such as whether the DB is playing inside or outside technique) which may determine which way they break. This setup requires that both the QB and WR make THE SAME read of the defense in order for the QB to throw anticipating routes (throwing a guy open). I don’t think Fromm has confidence in any of our WRs other than Cager that they will make the correct read and therefore is unable to throw it early / throw them open. This leads to our WRs being constantly covered and Fromm holding the ball forever. You can see him wait to make sure the WR starts breaking before throwing it which allows the DB to close on the WR.
A lot of this should be expected from a young WR core, but the disappointing thing is the apparent lack of improvement which would seem to be more on the WR coach.
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I’m fairly certain you are right.
I’ve come to the conclusion that Fromm is picking his target presnap and then he has one check down to a short pass. When he has all day to throw it doesn’t get better.
The solution would be to run timing and pick routes to pop the WR open, but that brings up the other problem. Fromm isn’t leading his WRs anymore, and that is most likely trust and timing.
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I think its a combination of things. Receivers are young and not getting open. They need to work on their route running. Fromm has missed some reads. Fromm needs to establish a rhythm with more than one receiver to be truly effective. And manball.
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We’re ten games in. The “receivers are young” excuse is starting to wear a little thin at this point.
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Agreed.
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Yup
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RTDB
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Except the numbers there are also quite a bit worse than in 2017 and 2018 too. They’re closer to 2016’s abysmal numbers.
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Kirby said it was time for the freshmen to stop playing like freshmen this far into the season so, why shouldn’t the same logic be applied to the receivers???? Could it be the COACHING!!! Nah, couldn’t happen.
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I believe it’s coaching with the receivers.
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But what if it IS broke?
To beat UGA, load the box, and defend the pass from the hash to the sideline. The “between the hashes” pass is not used in the current offense. I remember Fromm being criticized for too many slant passes early at UGA. They have now disappeared entirely from the playbook. I don’t buy the young receiver cant get open storyline. Our hurry up, two minute offense is electric, when they use it every third game. Why they aren’t increasing the route tree across the middle for a quick pass, and continue to pound into a stacked box with the dive play over and over, is mind numbing to me.
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Haven’t looked at it closely, but are teams playing inside technique to take away the short stuff in the middle of the field?
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It’s hard to tell for sure on tv, but it looks like teams are playing our WRs tight, and straight up. The DB wants a bit of contact to disrupt timing. After that the UGA WRs tries to get between the DB and the sideline. I wouldn’t call it inside technique because they’re not guarding against the slant.
Against Auburn Fromm had a lot of success against Mcallister (sp?) because he was playing a little too soft. They fixed that in the 3rd qtr.
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Agreed which after sitting in the endzone for a game lead to my rant for the slant. Obviously there are other ways to call plays to improve your chances. But jam WRs early, load the box have the DL talent to free the LBs to stop the run while the DBs disrupt timing in the passing game.
I agree with others, we’re in November your WRs isn’t cutting it now. Coaching and play calling needs to improve.
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How to defend us seems obvious and what everyone is doing but we still keep on winning. We self destructed against USCe (on purpose Kirby?), Thanks 3rd & Grantham!, ND is not that good, Gus relied on a Frosh QB with no running attack, ND is not very good this year (dawgrade), and no one else has had a QB. Using current rankings we’ve not played a top 10 team (I know, I know…hindsight results now) but that makes it fair to say that we may not be prepared for a team like LSU. Or….Manball is working perfectly and we should start ordering NC hats and t-shirts now.
I believe the answer is in between those two views…we’re doing what it takes to win and Kirby is playing it close (a little too close at times!) until we get into the Championship run. Not necessarily laying in the weeds on offense, but those sweeps, screens, passes to the TE down the seam, jump balls to Cager, HUNH, etc. will all come out vs. LSU now that the staff knows what works.
I hope.
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For sure none of OUR ideas have worked so far.
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I understand reason for the “if it ain’t broke” attitude, but I don’t like living on the edge either. I hate to hear coaches say, after a loss, “well, we need to work on bla, bla, bla, or we should have bla, bla, bla better…”. Let’s fix the weaknesses BEFORE they cost us a win.
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Bunch sets are too close. spread WRs out ore in formation. Formation and play calls suck this year. When Jake hits, he looks at them all the way. He knew before the snap he was going to that guy. Watch WRs at their break, sometimes you have to throw them open.
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JF = 🕴️🕴️💃🕴️🕴️ 👀 💃
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This is all part of Kirby’s brilliant plan to ensure Fromm’s return in 2020.
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If Fromm comes back and Bobo replaces Coley, Fromm could have close to 4,000 yds passing (assuming 14 games played minimum) and the team could still rush for 250/game.
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Bobo better lose out in a big way to ensure his firing! PAPN guys not sure he’s getting let go yet due to a big buyout
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Does Bobo really want to come back? UGA and McGarrity did him pretty shitty when he was here before. I remember them signing him to 1 year contracts until he got an much better offer from Va Tech that UGA had to beat to keep him. When he got the HC job at Colo St, I remember a sign in Athens that said not to let the door hit him in the ass leaving town. If he comes back he should get a multiyear contract for good money. Say 1.5 mil for 5 years or some similar amount. Just saying…
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I think if Kirby wants him, Kirby will get him. Given their personal history and Bobo’s recruiting prowess, I would be surprised if UGA couldn’t pony-up significant $ and years to get him home.
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why would we bring Bobo back? love the guy and what he did here. but with all the innovation going on in CFB these days. we are going to look to the past for our offensive solution?
this seems like the old georgia way
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You are right, he hasn’t exactly set the world on fire at CSU. i like LSU’s approach look around for a young guy who is making his offense work RIGHT NOW. That was Spurrier’s mantra when he needed a coach he would look around for the best coach at his position and then go after him. you would have to say it worked pretty well for him
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Compared to what Colely’s done this season, he is innovative. And a very, very good QB coach (maybe not good enough to salvage 2015 if he’d stuck around, but still).
If you want to go closer to LSU’s route (and maybe see that the next Justin Fields sticks around), maybe hope Kirby grabs Mike Kafka off Kansas City’s staff.
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I just don’t see how it can’t be put on Coley. Could Fromm have regressed some? Sure. Do I believe it’s that? No! Or not this much.
We got a new OC who calls a different game. I’m sure the WR changes are a part of it, too, but when your OC is this f’n predictable it’s just difficult to be successful. Other than a few plays we’ve run the exact same plays ALL season. It’s why we’re seeing the same defenses! Down, distance and field position- we’re running the same plays. Manball: “you know what we’re doing. Try and stop us.” Coley would make a great high school coach. I just don’t think he’s champion caliber for Georgia. He’s good enough to out-talent teams.
My ONLY knock on Fromm is that I think he really buys into his coaches. It usually what you want in a QB until you get an OC like Coley. Coley may prove me wrong and I’ll take my crow medium but I don’t have a lot of faith in him.
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My concern is not whether the Dawgs will win the next two games. I think that they will. My concern is that the offensive philosophy is going to cause us to get beat in the SECCG and perhaps decisively. The winner of the SECCG has averaged 40 points since 2008. Georgia’s win in 2017 over Auburn was the lowest number of points that a winner had scored in those 11 years (28) and only one of two winners that scored in the twenties in those 11 years (Bama – 29 in 2015). In Georgia’s three “best” wins we have scored 23, 24, and 21 points. Since scoring 43 in Knoxville, we haven’t scored more than 27 points in a game (and 7 of those points in Knoxville were on a defensive score). And could only muster a paltry 17 in the loss to hapless South Carolina. How do our wins over three common opponents stack up? LSU beat Vandy 66-38. We beat Vandy 30-6. LSU beat Florida 42-28. We beat Florida 24-17. LSU beat Auburn 23-20. We beat Auburn 21-14.
I hope that I am wrong. I hope that defensively we can hold LSU to fewer points than their average of 45 per game in SEC play plus Texas. But I fear that asking our offense to put up points quickly and in bunches is asking too much and asking our defense to hold an explosive offensive team to between two or three less touchdowns than their season average is a tall order. I hope it happens. I don’t care if we win by choking the life out of the Tigers defensively and score only 20 to 24 points on offense. I’ll be on here to eat crow by the mouthful and sing Kirby’s praises if it happens.
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I share your concerns about our offensive output, or lack thereof. All I can say in response is “styles make fights”. Hopefully we have the style and schematic/personnel matchups to make things tough on LSU. Guess we’ll just have to wait and see.
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you do realize that 45 points is “only” 15 field goals right?
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Bat City I have no doubt Hot Rod would put 15 through given the chance. Plus it puts him in the record books.
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I think the defense can limit LSU to at least the 30s (maybe better if the same red zone issues as their Auburn game shows up, far worse if they’re is dialed in as they were vs UF).
My worry is that LSU shut down a far superior version of the UGA offense last year, and while they don’t have the same personal, that offense has gotten far more predictable and easier to defend in the last year. Coley vs Aranda is a huge, huge mismatch.
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What do you make of the fact that Vandy scored 38 points on Vandy’s defense? Vandy scored more points against LSU than it has against any team on LSU’s schedule.
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Well, 1 TD was a defensive score, and similar to the Ole Miss game, Vandy’s offense only really started scoring on LSU after they were down 4.5 TDs (if not for a fumble Vandy returned for a score it was going to be 38-10 at halftime.) Ole Miss was down 31-0 before doing anything.
They’re not going to be mistaken for Auburn’s defense, but they’re not 2017 OU either.
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Dawgs lost 99 % of all catches from last year . There is your answer. It’s Jimmys and joes not x’s and o’s : our best receivers are Grad transfers and true freshman. What if we were starting 5 new o line starters.? This is the way to play with our personnel .
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Arrr, ye be tellin’ th’ truth matey.
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Here is what I got from your instruction to look at our opponents in common with LSU. The Tigers played LSU and Auburn in Tiger stadium and won by an aggregate margin of victory of 17 points. Georgia played Florida and Auburn away from Sanford Stadium and won by an aggregate margin of victory of 14 points. Both teams played Vandy in Nashville and one won by 24 and the other won by 28. I don’t see much about the 2 Nashville games to make me doom and gloom. Instead, I see that Vandy scored 17 more points against LSU than any other team Vandy played.
As far as LSU beating Auburn and UF at home by just 3 more than we beat them after traveling gives me optimism about facing LSU at a neutral site.
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