But, muh receivers.

This quote:

NFL draft analysts have repeatedly questioned Jake Fromm’s arm strength, but the former Georgia quarterback doesn’t see that as the root of his problem throwing the deep ball.

“I think it’s been my feet,” Fromm told The Herald Bulletin. “My feet have not been as clean as they needed to be this past football season. That’s something that we’ve really been hammering throughout this process.

“So, for me, I’m trying to get my feet better and as good as they can be because wherever my feet are, and how they are doing, it’s going to take care of the rest of whatever is going on. It starts from the bottom up. I’m really trying to take care of those.”

This throw:

Games are grounded. Here is Georgia’s Jake Fromm to Dominick Blaylock vs. Auburn last season. pic.twitter.com/4cDa1iDcl8

— Marc Weiszer (@marcweiszer) April 8, 2020

Good mechanics =  on target deep ball.

You know, I’m beginning to think James Coley wasn’t such a hot position coach.

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Your 4.8.20 Playpen

While normal people try to make sense out of their daily lives, some politicians struggle to strike the right tone.  For example, this is the Speaker of the Wisconsin State Assembly.

"You are incredibly safe to go out" Republican @SpeakerVos tells his constituents, in full gown, gloves and mask. pic.twitter.com/c3wNVhWxew

— Justin (@JustinAHorwitz) April 7, 2020

I swear, you can’t make up some of this shit.  It’s like a bad movie screenplay.

Anyway, for those of you eager to comment on the coronavirus, here’s your chance.  Share ways you’re coping, vent about the economic threat, blame the Chinese, praise the governors who are managing and the first responder heroes who are doing everything they can to hold the health care system together, along with anything in between, in the comments.

Remember, you’re incredibly safe to do so.

Safety in numbers

Jake Rowe ranks Georgia’s position groups on a one-to-five scale for front line talent, overall talent and depth, so the total ranges from three-to-fifteen.  Given that tight end and offensive line come in on the low end of the scale at 11.5 each, you get the idea that the roster isn’t exactly starved for talent, but the kicker is that he has two position groups, outside linebacker and cornerback, checking in with a perfect 15.

Cornerback

(Photo: UGA Athletics: Tony Walsh)

Front Line: 5
Overall Talent: 5
Depth: 5
Total: 15

The expression “embarrassment of riches” applies here. Georgia dealt with some minor injuries at cornerback last season and those allowed depth to be built. UGA has three experienced, talented cornerbacks in Tyson Campbell, DJ Daniel and Eric Stokes. Campbell made huge strides in his second season and UGA’s hope is that Daniel will do the same although he entered the program from the JUCO ranks. Stokes is as steady as they come. Each of the primary guys at cornerback are among the most physically gifted players on the team and the same can be said for incoming freshmen Kelee Ringo and Jalen Kimber. It’s an impressive group.

Outside Linebacker

Front Line: 5
Overall Talent: 5
Depth: 5
Total: 15The fact that you have a hard time figuring out who is going to put up big numbers out of this group is an indication as to why we have it the highest on this list. It’s almost like a loaded running back group — there are a ton of mouths to feed. Azeez Ojulari and Nolan Smith are going to play a ton of snaps at the primary outside linebacker spot but Jermaine Johnson and Adam Anderson have specialized roles that are really important. Both get a lot of third-down work. Walter Grant is the guy who is asked to play in space on early downs while Robert Beal provides depth. UGA also added a big-time talent in the 2020 class in Mekhail Sherman.

Ooh wee, that defense is gonna be salty.

Sometimes you’re up, sometimes you’re down.

Sometimes, stats really do tell a story.

Relative to his competition, Georgia's Jake Fromm had an up-and-down season in 2019 pic.twitter.com/PoLrHAoKsi

— CFB Film Room (@CFBFilmRoom) April 7, 2020

Among other things, it would be nice if Monken could coax more consistency out of the quarterback position this season.

Monken + Pickens = ?

A Dawg-pornish thought for you this morning:

In his last stint as a college offensive coordinator, Todd Monken helmed an offense that featured a Biletnikoff winner who caught 121 passes for 1,522 yards and 18 touchdowns. In lone season as the play caller for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, Monken helped Mike Evans set or tie career highs in receptions, yards and touchdowns. Is it likely George Pickens has Justin Blackmon- or Mike Evans-type production in 2020? Maybe not. But expect Pickens’ numbers to spike as a sophomore.

The former five-star showed immense promise as a true freshman, highlighted by a 12-catch, 175-yard MVP performance in the Sugar Bowl. At 6-foot-3, 190 pounds Pickens is one of the more physically imposing receivers at the catch point in all of college football. Monken and transfer quarterback Jamie Newman both have a history of pushing the ball downfield to big receivers — an ideal fit for Pickens’ skill set. Georgia has been limited in that regard the past few seasons and the new blood in Athens should help Pickens unlock his considerable potential.

I’ll take it, no problem.

Always. Be. Reserving.

Well, Greg McGarity’s future employment plans may be temporarily on hold due to the coronavirus, but rest assured, as Mike Griffith relays in his latest tongue bath, Georgia’s reserve fund is rarin’ to go.

“We see it as our rainy day fund,” McGarity told DawgNation. “It’s there to meet certain expectations and obligations that we have.”

The fund is made up of money accrued from donations, unused revenue from previous years and investment income.

Per the winter UGA board meeting, Georgia has a projected $17,879,325 remaining from the (fiscal year) 2020 reserves, along with $48,561,020 from long-term investments of reserves — a total of $66,440,345.

UGA deputy athletic director of finance Stephanie Ransom — a former Bulldogs’ All-American soccer player and marketing major — said there’s an additional $36,500,000 in general endowment money. That makes the total money available in reserve fund $102,940,345.

A hundred million, ready to be deployed at a moment’s notice… man, if that doesn’t give you comfort that the athletic department has things covered, nothing does.

Except, when you drill down to it, McGarity isn’t actually planning to tap into the reserve fund:  “We’re cautiously optimistic that we won’t have to utilize reserve funds or go down that path without football in the fall.”

Why not?  You get one guess.

Georgia has roughly 16,000 donors in the Hartman Fund, which requires a minimum donation for the right to buy tickets. Of that number, about 1,200 are members of the Magill Society, a club which requires a minimum donation of $5,000 a year over a three-year period for inclusion.

McGarity said those numbers continue to rise.

“We are still receiving gifts during these difficult times,” he said. “It’s very encouraging.”

And that, friends, wraps up another edition of The Georgia Way.

Coaches say the darnedest things, part two

Don’t you think Mississippi State’s AD regrets not including a clause in Mike Leach’s contract prohibiting the Pirate from posting anything on social media without the school’s consent?

In a statement, MSU athletic director John Cohen expressed disappointment in Leach’s tweet.  He also stated that the university is confident that Leach has learned from what was described as a “misstep.”

Below is the statement, in its entirety.

No matter the context, for many Americans the image of a noose is never appropriate and that’s particularly true in the South and in Mississippi. Mississippi State University was disappointed in the use of such an image in a tweet by Coach Mike Leach. He removed the tweet and issued a public apology. The university is confident that  Coach Leach is moving quickly and sincerely past this unintended misstep and will provide the leadership for our student-athletes and excitement for our football program that our fans deserve and that our students and alumni will be proud to support.

To ensure that Leach has learned from his “misstep,” Mississippi State also announced the following steps it will take when it comes to its head football coach.

Cohen said that a plan is in place for Coach Leach to participate in additional listening sessions with student, alumni, and community groups and to provide the coach with opportunities to expand his cultural awareness of Mississippi. One of those opportunities will include a guided visit to the “Two Museums” – the Museum of Mississippi History and the Mississippi Civil Rights Museum – in Jackson as soon as restrictions from the current public health crisis will allow.

This, of course, is a laugher in its own right.  Leach is going to blow this off in his own inimical fashion and the school’s level of concern will be directly proportional to Leach’s success on the field.  Good times.

*************************************************************************

UPDATE:  In Leach’s defense, after seeing this, I wouldn’t blame him for wondering what the big deal is about nooses.

Coaches say the darnedest things, part one

Yesterday, Mike Gundy offered up some of what Tony Barnhart euphemistically refers to as linear problem solving.  It’s really something.

“The NCAA, the presidents of the universities, the conference commissioners, the athletic directors all need to be meeting right now, and we need to start coming up with answers,” Gundy said. “In my opinion, if we have to bring our players back, test ‘em. They’re in good shape, they’re all 18, 19, 20, 21, 22 years old, they’re healthy. A lot of them can fight it off with their natural body, the antibodies and build that they have. There’s some people that are asymptomatic.

“If that’s true, then yeah, we sequester ‘em. And people say, ‘That’s crazy.’ No, it’s not crazy, because we need to continue to budget and run money through the state of Oklahoma.”  [Emphasis added.]

Well, he’s certainly saying the quiet part out loud there.  It’s what my dad used to refer to as diarrhea of the mouth, constipation of the brain.

What I can’t figure out is what he hoped to accomplish there.  Is he frustrated?  Sure, just like every other football coach in America.  The difference is the rest of them are sensible enough to cap their remarks at “gee, this is frustrating”.  Did he really think a “get the kids in here, so’s we can all get paid again” was going to sway management at Okie State?

C’mon, man.

OSU released a statement about Gundy’s comments late Tuesday night.

“Everyone wants to return to some degree of normalcy as soon as possible,” the statement read. “As for Oklahoma State University, we will adhere to the advice of public health experts who are making informed decisions in the best interest of the citizens of our nation and state based on sound scientific data. We will also abide by the federal and state mandates as well as Big 12 guidelines.

“We will not compromise the health and well-being of our campus community. This virus is deadly and we will do our part at Oklahoma State to help blunt the spread.”

Gundy says he has a plan, and the plan is for that to start May 1.  I have a feeling that plan is about to run into Mike Tyson’s First Rule of Plans.

Musical palate cleanser, (another) D,JD edition

Another reminder of what a tough year 2020 is:

John Prine, the raspy-voiced country-folk singer whose ingenious lyrics to songs by turns poignant, angry and comic made him a favorite of Bob Dylan, Kris Kristofferson and others, died on Tuesday in Nashville. He was 73.

The cause was complications of the coronavirus, his family said.

The first Prine song I heard was “Sam Stone”.  I hadn’t bought Prine’s first album; the song was on some sampler I came across.  I remember playing it as background music, but when the song came on, I stopped what I was doing and replayed it.

Fifty years later, it still packs a lyrical wallop.

Sorry to see you go, man.

By the way, Roger Ebert’s first review for the Chicago Sun-Times wasn’t of a movie.  It was for a John Prine show.