This just in: Georgia’s defense is still pretty good.
Daily Archives: October 25, 2023
“Is there a Gators’ path to victory?”
That’s the question asked in this story in the Orlando Sentinel. One of the keys cited there is kind of interesting:
A fast start is imperative. The Gators fell behind immediately during lopsided losses at Utah and Kentucky, undone by red-zone penalties, defensive breakdowns, special teams mishaps and poor offensive line play.
UF must flip the script to have a shot Saturday.
I can’t say the same is life or death for Georgia — after all, unlike the Gators, they’ve managed to overcome slow starts on multiple occasions this season — but it sounds like both teams will want to come out swinging early.
Filed under Gators, Gators..., Georgia Football, Strategery And Mechanics
2023 Mumme Poll, Week 8
Ballot numbers remained pretty steady from Week 7, as 310 folks cast votes. Here’s how this week’s top 25 shakes out:
Still no unanimous selection this week, as one voter left UGA off their ballot. There are still four teams that appeared on over 90% of the ballots cast and two more over 80%. Eight teams managed to clear the 50% mark, which is three fewer than the previous week’s results.
No news on the time front, as we’re still being very efficient with it as we vote.
If the selection committee were as quick, they’d have more time to spend in the resort’s spa. But I digress.
The SEC has wrested away the conference affiliation lead from the Big Ten.
Georgia wasn’t quite as dominant in state participation, dropping to 60.8% of the voting field.
And here’s how we answered this week’s question:
I find your lack of faith in Brock Bowers’ return disturbing.
That’s all Peyton and I have for you this week.
Filed under Mumme Poll
Out of the mouths of Vols
So, I’ve been reading as the story about Michigan allegedly stealing signs develops, and, while I’m not going to proclaim a guilty verdict until all the facts are in, things do look pretty damning. That said, my main reaction to the whole thing is amusement. For one, there are few programs that are more holier than thou about cheating than is Michigan.
For another, if the allegations are true, the main source of my amusement is how bloody sloppy Michigan’s staff were in carrying out their fiendish plot. I mean, this is pure gang that couldn’t shoot straight stuff:
When you’re getting outed on a Tennessee message board, maybe you should realize this cloak and dagger shit isn’t your game.
Cocktail Party, stats and analysis
Bud Davis is a Gator fan who does excellent, non-biased work with statistics. His Twitter chain on the Cocktail Party is a must read. Even if you don’t want to immerse yourself in the numbers, his summaries are worth your attention.
Josh added his two cents to that:
I will be curious to see if they give Mertz the option to run. With Georgia’s struggles in defending that this season, they’d be crazy not to.
By the way, Bud added in a later post that he thought Florida has about a one-in-six chance of pulling the upset.
Go for it
Seth Emerson ($$) posted a good story about how college football coaches are getting more aggressive about going for it on fourth down. What I didn’t realize until I read the article is that Kirby Smart has become the boss of going for it.
Since the start of 2021, Georgia has led all Power 5 teams (and is second in the FBS) in fourth-down conversion rate (73.5 percent). During that span, UGA has gone for it on 16.7 percent of its fourth-down opportunities, 120th in the FBS.
Even then, the data shows Georgia may have been too careful: Georgia is 12-for-14 on fourth-and-1 during the past three seasons (85.7 percent), second-best among Power 5 teams during that span. But Georgia has only gone for it on just 53.8 percent of its fourth-and-1 chances since 2021, 62nd among 65 Power 5 teams.
“I think it depends on the flow of the game. I think it depends on your defense and the kicking game,” Smart said. “If you’re not giving up a lot to take a smaller risk then you’re gaining a chance to score points. At the end of the day, the ultimate goal is to score more points than the other team. …
“It’s hard to say what’s right or wrong; it only comes out right if it works. It only comes out wrong if it doesn’t. But I don’t look at it that way. I only look at it as can you out-execute the other team, and can you stop the other team, and what you think the point totals are going to be.”
Chew on that, Lane Kiffin.
Filed under Georgia Football, Stats Geek!, Strategery And Mechanics
If you’re a Georgia fan, this is the only Cocktail Party hype video you need.
Still glorious after all these years.
Still weird as hell to see all those fans on the field. Ah, a simpler time…
Filed under Georgia Football
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