Kent State, y’all. Who’s got tickets? Who needs tickets?
Daily Archives: September 20, 2022
Does the tight end make the offensive coordinator, or does the offensive coordinator make the tight end?
It wasn’t that long ago that the tight end as a concept seemed to be well on its way to becoming a casualty of the spread revolution, doomed for the endangered species list alongside its obsolete cousin, the fullback. What’s happened instead is that “tight ends” have gradually adapted to their new habitat by evolving into full-service athletes who are shockingly comfortable in space without sacrificing any of their traditional bulk. And no one playing the position right now is a more highly evolved athlete than Brock Bowers.
… If anything, though, Georgia’s offense is even more committed to blurring exactly where on the depth chart he belongs. The “tight” part is increasingly arbitrary: Through 3 games, Bowers has lined up wide or in the slot on 62.9% of his offensive snaps, per Pro Football Focus, up from 53.4% last year. (Compare that to the quintessential SEC “move” tight end of the past few years, Kyle Pitts, who lined up in a conventional inline or H-back position on nearly two-thirds of his snaps in 2020. Or to Washington, a much bigger presence at 6-7/270, who has played almost exactly the same number of snaps as Bowers this season but lines up tight nearly three-fourths of the time.)
If we’re really being accurate, he’s more like an all-purpose weapon whose versatility allows OC Todd Monken to deploy him as needed without conceding size or play-making juice — a reliable blocker on the perimeter, a dynamic YAC threat on screens and reverses, a size/speed mismatch from just about anywhere, all in one player.
Yes, Bowers is a special, maybe even unique, talent who’s going to make any OC look good (well, maybe not Paul Johnson). But there’s something wild about seeing Georgia discussed as a cutting edge offensive power. I’m old enough to remember regularly mocking the annual promise in Athens to involve the tight ends in the offense more. It’s not a joke anymore.
Filed under Georgia Football, Strategery And Mechanics
Stupid is as stupid does.
So, there’s no denying we’ve had an exciting start to the ’22 season, with plenty of tasty upsets spicing things up. In certain quarters, that’s been seen as an indication of increasing parity in college football. [HINT: It’s not.]
Pat Forde suggests it’s something else that I, too, have considered: an increase in late game fuck ups.
There have been 67 one-score games thus far this season, which seems to be on par with most years. But it does seem like we’ve had an inordinate number of games in which defenses couldn’t hold leads, or the kicking game malfunctioned at crunch time, or penalty flags flew at an inopportune moment, or coaches temporarily took leave of their senses.
In other words, as many close games have been lost as won.
Anybody else feeling it?
Filed under College Football
Today, in wishful thinking
Yeah, this is gonna happen ($$)…
Multiple sources said new Auburn president Chris Roberts would prefer to hire an AD who has the autonomy and gravitas to run the athletic department and make hires in a more traditional manner, but after the Tigers’ recent public dysfunction, it remains to be seen how that would come together.
Gravitas? Tell me you haven’t been at Auburn long without saying you haven’t been at Auburn long.
Filed under Auburn's Cast of Thousands
Airing it out
Ummm… is this good ($$)?
… Behind Bennett, Georgia is throwing for 376.7 yards per game, No. 3 in the country.
How absurd is that? Georgia has not ranked better than 45th in passing offense since Kirby Smart took over in 2016. Its passing yardage rankings in each of those six seasons: 51st (2021), 45th (’20), 72nd (’19), 73rd (’18), 106th (’17) and 106th (’16).
Going back to last year’s College Football Playoff — a five-game stretch featuring games against three top-12 teams, plus an SEC rival — Bennett has completed 70.8 percent of his passes for 1,489 yards with 10 touchdowns and no interceptions.
I’m gonna say yes. Especially since he’s yet to throw a fourth quarter pass in anger this season.
You know what else is good?
Standing in the Bulldogs’ path to repeat are nine pass defenses with an average national ranking of 75th, with only Florida (26th) and Kentucky (12th) ranking higher than 60th.
Todd Monken be looking like this right now…
Filed under Georgia Football, Stats Geek!
I pity the fool.
My Gawd.
How bad is it when Junior decides to be merciful?
Filed under Don't Mess With Lane Kiffin, Georgia Tech Football
Today, in euphemisms
Now here’s a nice turn of phrase:
“I think that we need to improve in the throw game,” Napier said Monday, “and that’s one of the points of emphasis with the offensive players yesterday is precision in the throw game.”
“Precision in the throw game” is such a delicate way of saying “Anthony can’t hit the broad side of a barn right now”, don’t you think?
Filed under Gators, Gators...
Chasing the dream
Bruce Pearl, reminding us that control freaks want to control.
Yeah, there’s no use in spending money on facilities if the players care more about getting paid… you know, like we coaches are. Gotta get that fixed!
Filed under It's Just Bidness
Has it really come to this, ‘Bama?
Tips on how to play Vanderbilt? Nick Saban would be turning in his grave if that had happened on his watch… oh, wait.
Filed under Alabama
“Y’all got me talking crazy to Phil.”
Another classic from Coach 30:
Last line’s a killer, as usual.
Filed under 'Cock Envy
Get The Picture 