One forecast sees this as the year of the Dawg in SEC East
Quarterback Aaron Murray already has a year in Mark Richt's offensive system. (Brant Sanderlin / AJC)
So far the preseason estimations of Mark Richt’s team have varied wildly, though most predictions have Georgia improving modestly over last season but still behind Florida in the SEC East.
And then there’s Tom Poisal of the highly respected philsteele.com, who says “Georgia is poised to re-take the throne in the SEC East from Florida” this year. Poisal says the key game is South Carolina. “If the Dawgs survive that test in the sauna that is Columbia in September, they will be off and running barring injuries.”
Poisal’s appraisal of the Dawgs addresses the concerns of an inexperienced quarterback in Aaron Murray and the transition to a new defense.
He thinks this being Murray’s second year in the program will help. “Expect statistics mirroring David Greene [in his redshirt freshman year] and Matthew Stafford’s 2nd year on the Georgia campus at minimum. Murray has a much better arm than Greene but not as much as Stafford. His mobility is better than both and his intangibles are said to be reminiscent of Greene.”
As for the defense, Poisal says “we are talking about a defense that gave up more passing touchdowns than any other SEC team while also creating the fewest turnovers in league play. There HAS to be improvement in those numbers this year given the athleticism Georgia possesses on the defensive side of the ball.” And the fact that opponents won’t know what to expect from Todd Grantham’s 3-4 scheme “should soften the blow of any potential learning-curve that the Bulldogs may encounter, especially early in the year.”
Plus, Poisal says, “ask any coach breaking in a 1st year quarterback what he wants to go along with the rookie and he will probably say a veteran offensive line, good running game and great special teams.” And Georgia has all that. Plus, he says, a schedule “tailor-made for a 1st year quarterback in the SEC.”
To sum it all up, he says, “The team you see in the final third of the season will not resemble the team that began the year. Murray will be entrenched as the QB of the present and future, the playbook will open, and all the pieces will fall into place giving Georgia an SEC East Championship and potentially more.”
Not bad for a team picked by the Orlando Sentinel to be only the 64th best in the country.
BUT WHAT ABOUT THAT LEARNING CURVE?
Talking about the defense with the Macon Telegraph, Richt conceded there’s going to be “a learning curve” but noted that “the 3-4 is a good aggressive, attacking style and it’s one where we have enough personnel to run it effectively. The question is, how well will we do it, how many mistakes will we make along the way, and when we make the mistakes, what’s it going to cost us? On the other end, hopefully we’re going to pressure people enough to get them to turn the ball over more than we did a year ago.”
That’s the key: how much Georgia can flip its turnover ratio from last year’s abysmal numbers.
A HEISMAN DARK HORSE?
Alabama’s Mark Ingram is the preseason pick to repeat as the Heisman Trophy winner, but as last year showed the favorite frequently doesn’t win. So what dark horse Heisman contenders could emerge?
Collegefootballnews.com says: “Georgia wide receiver A.J. Green is the first name that comes to mind. Green hauled in 53 passes for 808 yards and six touchdowns as a sophomore in 2009, doing so in a rather average offense. In 2010, the only question mark in the Bulldog offensive puzzle is the quarterback. Granted, that’s a pretty big question mark, but Aaron Murray should be able to work off of his running game to get Green the ball in key spots. Green has the talent, it’s just a matter of him getting enough touches.”
Amen.
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253 comments Add your comment
skeered
July 1st, 2010
8:07 am
This guy isn’t a “pundit.” He’s a UGA fan hired by Phil Steele’s site to write their UGA blog. I can’t believe this is currently the featured story on AJC’s UGA page.
ATL XMAN
July 1st, 2010
8:17 am
UGA can and will beat UF with a red shirt freshmen. he has plenty of help and supporting cast. plus the guy can play the qb position. he is better than Brantly alreadyat running a pro style offense already as brantly was running a tebow spread offense the last few years. brantly will look lost out there where as murry will be the one that looks like a jr out there reading defenses and changing the plays at the line.
UGA will have no problems with ala in the sec championship game. by the time they play each other UGA will have everything worked out on defense and the running game will be running on all cylinders. UGA 3-1 against ala so and richt has beaten saben before in big games. no worries.
tim
July 1st, 2010
8:21 am
uga won’t win 8 games this year….you are a mid level sec team and have no/zero chance of beating UF
bitter vince dooly
July 1st, 2010
8:24 am
i see that therea jan kemp bi@#$h stoped by to put in her/he cu@#$%e as—- quato, i swareii that i shall split har squall with a acks if it be the last thang this herea gawg every doo!!!!
JB
July 1st, 2010
8:53 am
That undermanned little team from Mississippi that beat Florida at the Swamp had the same thing said about them. You “rant” is dumb .Georgia has had it’s troubles, but with top 10 recruiting classes EVERY year, we have the talent and chance to beat anybody we play on any given Saturday. Grow up tim.
bill_in_atl
July 1st, 2010
9:00 am
For the Gator who compared Murray to Manning, you don’t know what you’re talking about. First of all Manning didn’t redshirt because the two guys in front of him got hurt (one of them being Todd Helton). Second, UT won 8 games that year and Peyton only lost one game that he started going 6-1.
I’m not making the comparison between the two, but since YOU brought it up you should at least get your facts straight. 6-1 as a TRUE freshman in the SEC is what Manning did.
Murray would have played last year if not for the injury. He’s clearly an upgrade talent-wise over Cox, especially his ability to move around in the pocket or escape to the outside buying valuable time, extending plays putting a lot more pressure on the LBs to contain instead of selling out to the pass coverage and giving his talented receivers a chance to break off routes and get open if they were initially covered.
If Murray simply stays patient and doesn’t force things (and throw a bunch of INTS) then UGA will have a very good offense. The other 10 starters are probably as good or better than any other unit in UGA history. At least 7 will play on Sundays and it could be more if health permitting.
Still an SEC slate, still a RS Freshman QB and still a new defense that can lead to mistakes and big plays, so any prediction of running the table would be a bit optimistic. But I see no reason why this team shouldn’t win 10 games. Only 1 team on the schedule could have more talent and it’s marginally better at this point…if at all. 10-2 regular season, which may or may not be good enough to get to Atlanta.
tim
July 1st, 2010
9:01 am
JB quit drinking so early in the morning you are another delusional puppy. SC and ARK will beat you ladies early so your season will be over for all intents and purposes by Oct 1…and you can look forward to another trip to Shreveport, but you might not win 6 games so the puppies can sit home and watch the bowls…those top 10 recruiting classes you talk about seem to fizzle under the present uga staff and you just can’t beat the Gators….
crackhead
July 1st, 2010
9:13 am
dogs will be undefeated, win the sec, get their first nc in 30 years, and cmr will get a million dollar raise.
gator32301
July 1st, 2010
9:33 am
so they’re going to “retake the throne” if they beat south carolina and because their defense just can’t be as horrid as last year? is this some sort of goof?
rocky topper
July 1st, 2010
10:24 am
64th team in the country and it is the year of the dawg? LMFAO! Pup fans, don’t get your hopes up!
Murray > Brantley
July 1st, 2010
10:39 am
Brantley’s good, but Murray’s better. With the new 3-4 D, UGA will dominate the UF offense and beat the gators by 10—bank on it! Dawgs win the East, upset bama for the SEC title. The dawgs are back!
freelemur
July 1st, 2010
10:44 am
you guys realize this blog is just referencing another uga blog… right?
That would be like a gator fan saying “Gatorcountry.com” thinks the gators are going to win the national championship this year!!!
you are all very stupid.
ugaclassof2004
July 1st, 2010
11:33 am
Bill I hate to be a jerk but what planet are you on?
The Dawgs have not won the SEC East since 2005, and not even with Stafford and Moreno. From 2006-2009, the Dawgs finished the regular season 8-4, 9-3, and 7-5( 2007 was a total anomaly). This program is back to where they were in the late 90’s, which is an 8 win program. We no longer are a program that averages 10 wins a season like we did during that stretch from 2002-2005.
I don’t care about the returning starters, especially from a team that went 7-5 and gave up 30 points on defense 5 times last season. What I want to see is this teams character. Will they fight when the chips are down or will they cave in at the first sign of adversity? If this team actually comes out and plays hard for the new defensive coaches, then yeah I can see them overachieving like they did in 2007. But if they get hit in the mouth and collapse in games like they did vs. the Vols, Gators, and Wildcats last season: then it’s game over for this season. If the players go out there and quit like they did last year, then its time for Richt to go.
FORTY ONE POINTS to your seventeen points
July 1st, 2010
11:38 am
Yeah boy!!! Fine example…..the AD get arrested for DUI! Who’s next?
The police
July 1st, 2010
11:41 am
Why would anyone be surprised that the AD Damon Evans gets a dui when the program he runs has had 30 players arrested over the last 3 years which is a staggering number.
Jacket Man
July 1st, 2010
11:43 am
How Bout Them DUIs?????? Quite the example Evans sets. Typical Georgia.
rocky topper
July 1st, 2010
11:45 am
Great AD you got there! That sets a fine example for those dawg players. No wonder there are so many incidents off the field at uga. woof woof bark bark
FORTY ONE POINTS to your seventeen points
July 1st, 2010
11:45 am
Is it true there’s a class at GA, Arrests/Your Rights 101?
Scott W.
July 1st, 2010
11:45 am
Wow, just three minutes to post smack about the AD. Stay classy, Tech.
muttfan
July 1st, 2010
11:47 am
Dang, now our AD gets arrested…I’m going back to my trailer and get drunk.
Damon
July 1st, 2010
11:49 am
Hey! Maybe now they’ll make me “Honorary Team Captain’!
Dawghater
July 1st, 2010
11:50 am
Anyone wonder where the players get their example. Maybe the AD. Woof, Woof, Wimper, Wimper!
Dawghater
July 1st, 2010
11:54 am
The same individual that forecasted the SEC East is the year of the dawg also said:
-No Mr. President we will never see a recession in your time.
-No Mr. Haywad there isn’t any way that oil rig will blow up. It’s 100% safe.
-Joe Cox will take over where Stafford left off.
-Yes, SI put us on the front cover. We’ll finish #1
Woof, Woof, Wimper, Wimper. Now go have a drink with you AD!
Scott W.
July 1st, 2010
11:55 am
ACC Champs = Defeated by Iowa
The police
July 1st, 2010
12:00 pm
Damon Evan’s mugshot is nothing short of hilarious. Check it out.
Kentucky
July 1st, 2010
12:00 pm
UGA=Defeated by us.
Georgia State Patrol
July 1st, 2010
12:04 pm
Enter your comments here
Georgia State Patrol
July 1st, 2010
12:05 pm
WE RUN THIS STATE!!!!!!!
Lane Kiffen
July 1st, 2010
12:09 pm
I hate to hear that for Damon. He was always so much fun to be around according to UGA’s football team.
ugaclassof2004
July 1st, 2010
1:01 pm
Great now here come all the idiots on the blog.
GT/North Ave.= Mugging capital of the state.
Reality
July 1st, 2010
1:06 pm
ugaclassof2004
July 1st, 2010
1:01 pm
Great now here come all the idiots on the blog.
GT/North Ave.= Mugging capital of the state.
The muggers aren’t employed by GT. Drinkin’ Damon is your AD.
Reality
July 1st, 2010
1:10 pm
I’ve got it now…when you mutt fans talk of NC, you really mean “Nolo Contendere”, right? LOL!
Damon Evans
July 1st, 2010
2:35 pm
Hell yeah! (hiccup)
Dawg Trainer
July 1st, 2010
2:48 pm
The Dawg Trainer is available to train you curs how to hold yer liquor.
Reality
July 1st, 2010
3:55 pm
Where are all the little mutties????
Gatorguy
July 1st, 2010
3:57 pm
“…There’s a teeear in my beeeer…..” NOT!!!!!
S Spurrier
July 1st, 2010
4:01 pm
….same ol’ GA….
DogBone
July 1st, 2010
4:32 pm
Aaron Murray will do better than Greene and Stafford did in their 2nd season. He has more mobility than Greene, and more leradership than Stafford.
Look for Murray to struggle with accuracy, and take a lot of sacks instead of throw interceptions.
Here’s a stat line I can live with:
50% accuracy, 24 TD’s, 8 Int’s, 24 sacks
If he can do that, Georgia wins the SEC and plays for the National Championship against Oklahoma or Texas.
dagnabit
July 1st, 2010
4:32 pm
If you dawgs can’t beat Florida in football, maybe you can out drink ‘em. Or your AD can.
dagnabit
July 1st, 2010
4:36 pm
Here’s a stat for you dawgs; 100 per cent drunk AD.
dagnabit
July 1st, 2010
4:37 pm
Can you live with that?
dagnabit
July 1st, 2010
4:38 pm
THIS IS JUST TOO GOOD!
Reality
July 1st, 2010
4:58 pm
DogBone
July 1st, 2010
4:32 pm
…..Georgia wins the SEC and plays for the National Championship against Oklahoma or Texas.
You must’ve been with Damon!!!! RFLMAO!!!!
SCdawg
July 2nd, 2010
1:47 am
We should be fine against SC but they (SC) seem like they actualy want to win that game. Ulike half the dawg players. We should blow them out every year. Greene should be great in his home state against the state team. But beat Tenn. they are always upsetting us.
Samuri
July 2nd, 2010
3:41 pm
Each season is the “Year of the Dog” since Richt’s been here.
9 seasons:
6 top 10 finishes, 4 consecutive
2 top 25 finishes
Even going back to FSU, they had:
13 top 5 finishes in 15 years for Bowden while Richt was there, Bowden only had 1 top 5 finish before Richt got there, 1 after Richt left
So, 18 top 10 finishes out of last 23 seasons?
Every year’s Dog year, when Richt’s in town.
Vinny
July 2nd, 2010
4:02 pm
So, John Brantley will take up right where Tim Tebow left out?
Uh huh, that’s what Georgia thought last year when Cox took over for Stafford. Cox’s high school record and mop up stats were better than Brantley’s.
Vinny
July 2nd, 2010
4:03 pm
So Florida’s new DC will just keep doing what Charlie Strong did, right?
No way.
That DC Guy
July 2nd, 2010
4:06 pm
Of course Mark Richt will have a great year AGAIN in 2010 like he has almost every season since 1985. You’d have to have a REALLY dumb MINDLESS thought to say Mark Richt will have 2 bad years in a row, since he hasn’t in 24 years of coaching. Some people just don’t think real smart.
Art
July 2nd, 2010
4:23 pm
Joe Montana could scramble when a play broke down, and make somthing postive out of it. That’s a big deal for a QB Georgia didn’t have in Cox, or Greene. Stafford had SOME mobility, but not like Murray. Murray’s a hard to guy to lay a finger on, much less sack.
Don’t forget how smart Murray is, 4.8 GPA on 4.0 scale and a 1280 SAT. He’ll be able to use his brain to read defenses like a Peyton Manning out there.
Art
July 2nd, 2010
4:24 pm
1200 SAT score, not 1280, mistype, sorry.