January 2, 2020 · 8:14 AM

So, how much did Kirby want to win last night?

Enough that he was willing to risk another year-long round of mockery if this call had blown up in his face.

But it di’int.

28 Comments

Filed under Georgia Football, Strategery And Mechanics

28 responses to “So, how much did Kirby want to win last night?”

  1. Bigshot
    January 2, 2020 at 8:30 AM

    I’m concerned about Kirby saying a culture has developed at the University of Georgia if players reading their own press clippings. Did anyone hear exactly what he said? I heard it on the radio this morning.

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    • eethomaswfnc
      January 2, 2020 at 9:28 AM

      It was something to the effect of a “rat poison” type of comment. I think it was primarily aimed at the fact that so many of the guys we recruit now are blue chips that you have to break them down to build them back up.

      I would have to go back and listen again, but that was my take on it last night when I listened to the presser on the radio right after the game.

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      • Russ
        January 2, 2020 at 9:51 AM

        I didn’t hear last night, but he’s said something similar consistently over the past couple of years. I think he’s just acknowledging that you can’t hide from social media and the kids need to learn how to handle it. That’s not a UGA problem, that’s throughout sports and society.

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        • Tony Barnfart
          January 2, 2020 at 11:14 AM

          I’m starting to really like and buy in to Kirby’s approach to motivation because it wouldn’t be my first instinct. Just as an example in this single game, my first instinct would be to pretend that the sugar bowl was the super bowl and not acknowledge to the players that motivation could be an issue for fear that they implicitly accept it as an OK from the head man……..instead, Kirby lays out the cards on the table and then says, so WTH are we gonna do about it ?!?!

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  2. eethomaswfnc
    January 2, 2020 at 8:34 AM

    It was the Publix bag boy fake field goal. The fake was excellently scouted. The play was beautifully blocked, and Jake C did exactly what he was expected to do. Get the first down, and keep what was the final killer drive going.

    Kirby admitted after the game it was a great call for a 4th and short unlike some of the other high-profile fake kicks we attempted last year.

    Liked by 1 person

  3. Greg
    January 2, 2020 at 8:40 AM

    My first thought was that he just wanted to prove that it works when executed (SECCG’18-Bama).

    It ain’t the plays that are called, it’s the execution.

    Had to laugh, it was beautiful!

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  4. 3rdandGrantham
    January 2, 2020 at 8:40 AM

    Indeed, and it was great to see some aggressiveness last night. On the flip side, considering that the only points the O scored in the second half on a tired Baylor D came off that trick play, cements the notion that the O badly is in need of help. Hopefully some personnel changes occur in the off-season that will help them achieve that.

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  5. Russ
    January 2, 2020 at 9:21 AM

    Well, it worked so it was obviously a great call. /s

    I enjoyed the call, and it was the perfect time for it. Momentum was starting to slip and this kept the pedal down.

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    • eethomaswfnc
      January 2, 2020 at 9:56 AM

      Speaking of not good calls, I’ll pick one from each side.

      Ruhle – an idiot for going for it at midfield in the 1st half. His defense was playing well, and he gave up field position and a sack/turnover.

      Kirby – the 2 point play in the 1st half. It’s rarely the right call to go for 2 before halftime. We should have kicked and gotten the score to 20-0.

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  6. The other Doug
    January 2, 2020 at 9:51 AM

    Smart called a time out before a kick earlier in the game, and I knew he was calling off a fake. The announcers said something about Kirby wants to think about going for it, but that’s not the Kirby way. He doesn’t burn a time out to think about something.

    Matt Rhule should have known the same thing. He hasn’t coached enough or in bowl games to know.

    Liked by 1 person

    • Uglydawg
      January 2, 2020 at 12:31 PM

      Thanks for pointing that out. That’s some pretty deep insight.(that Rhule should have picked up on the fact that Kirby had something like that in the arsenal).
      I was personally concerned that we had wasted a time out to mull doing something (outright lining up and going for it) when early in the game, we had settled for three on fourth and one. It didn’t make sense. Now it does.
      It it didn’t add up for me, it surely should have set off an alarm in Rhule’s senses.

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  7. Russ
    January 2, 2020 at 9:53 AM

    BTW, Camarda has really started to come into his own. I griped about him earlier this season kicking either too far (failing to pin a team deep) or shanking it. But as the season went on, he really improved and became a weapon. He had some very good punts last night, including one with very good touch to pin Baylor deep.

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  8. Bulldog Joe
    January 2, 2020 at 9:57 AM

    You can add the trick play with Swift in the game. Bowl games (especially the non-playoff ones) are supposed to be fun.

    Bring the guys who want to play, put in a few new things, and treat it as the first game of the 2020 season.

    And there’s room for a couple more who want to join and compete for immediate playing time on offense.

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  9. CEPH
    January 2, 2020 at 10:00 AM

    Lanning must be moving up in the Ga. coaching fraternity I noticed he has been awarded his own “britches puller” Hes beginning to act more like an idiot on the sideline than his mentor KIrby, or is he simply trying to outdo KIrby? It is embarrassing enough that Kirby has to have someone to keep him off the field and now Lanning!!!! Get luke a britches puller and we will have the Three Stooges. I can see it now in the meetings, ” you players keep your emotions in check BUT it doesn’t apply to your bosses, BUT don’t ask me why”

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    • Senator Blutarsky
      January 2, 2020 at 10:06 AM

      I’m not sure there’s a more amusing historical dichotomy in the comments section here than between those who criticize Kirby for showing too much emotion on the sidelines versus those who were critical of Richt for showing too little.

      Funny thing is that their players didn’t object either way.

      Liked by 1 person

    • Tony Barnfart
      January 2, 2020 at 11:34 AM

      Mehhh. Are you prepared to feed and house all the unemployed “get back” guys from 9th grade through the NFL if these coaches and staff all tone it down ? /The World Needs Get-Back-Guys

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  10. MGW
    January 2, 2020 at 10:01 AM

    If the play is well executed (translation: the coaches got the players well prepared to run it), and it get stuffed, that’s a different thing from a totally botched fake. It’s always a gamble to fake it so, barring telepathy, even the best playcallers are going to call it at the wrong time.

    But if your players can’t run it near blindfolded, don’t call it.

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    • Tony Barnfart
      January 2, 2020 at 11:38 AM

      I agree in principle, but how many of us are going to ACTUALLY agree that it was well executed and appropriately called if it gets stuffed. It really is a hero-or-fool play call with virtually nothing in between.

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  11. FlyingPeakDawg
    January 2, 2020 at 11:54 AM

    Poor Rodrigo. He worked all year on building outside speed and they give it to Carmada up the middle instead.

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    • Uglydawg
      January 2, 2020 at 12:36 PM

      Without a little slip there, Camarda may very well have taken it to the house. (the announcers pointed this out). The blocking..even the downfield blocking on that play was really good.

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  12. Nil Butron is a Pud
    January 2, 2020 at 2:48 PM

    Yeah, but can Camarda read a defense?

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