Fan talk: Dawgs running the spread, Butler’s kick, radio out of sync
Let’s wind up a week in which we learned that Mark Richt and my wife have one major thing in common (pocket dialing) and Coach T apparently already has had his way with Isaiah Crowell by checking some Junkyard Mail …
Could Aaron Murray be effective in the running spread offense? (Brant Sanderlin / AJC)
Josh Cuevas writes: As a UGA alum I love your measured analysis on the Junkyard Blawg. Much better than the staff writers. My question spins off your question concerning what the Dogs have to do to reach lofty expectations. Do you think it’s time for Richt to throw caution to the wind and install something like a running spread offense?
I love old school smash-mouth football, but Georgia’s personnel this year doesn’t seem able to sustain that kind of play.
Here are my reasons for considering a running spread-type offense:
1) a mobile quarterback who has shown he can make good decisions
2) a blue chip running back, but one who doesn’t seem to have the physique to be an inside bulldozer and could probably utilize his speed better and hit some creases if the defense was forced to spread out since the o-line may not open many holes as is
3) a solid but not spectacular receiving corps without a star that would probably benefit from a game plan that spread the ball around
4) an offensive line that is not expected to be able to dominate many defenses at the point of attack
It would be a huge change (and controversial), but it may be the best way to utilize UGA’s personnel. We could still throw it 25-30 times a game and run it about the same, depending on what’s working best, and it could keep defenses on their heels a little instead of letting them pin their ears back and dropping our skill players in the backfield before the play develops.
I just don’t know if the offensive line is going to be strong enough to allow Murray the time to throw or to open holes for Crowell. If they’re not going to be able to do that, the game planning must compensate. Thoughts?
While Urban Meyer had a lot of success in the SEC with a running spread — at least, as long as he had Tim Tebow running it — I’ve never been convinced it’s a great base offense in this league and I think defenses have gotten a lot more adept at handling it. But more than that, I’m not sure the run spread would be the best use of Aaron Murray’s talents. Yes, he has the ability to run, but I think he’s able to use it more effectively with play-action in Richt’s pro set. Also, I’m not sure Murray could take the pounding that he’d have to endure in the spread. However, I do think introducing more spread into the Dogs’ offense on a spot basis would be a great idea. It would make Georgia less predictable — a real problem at times with Mike Bobo calling the signals.
Let’s throw the question to other fans: What do you think about Georgia and the spread?
Huck writes: Hey Bill … Have been enjoying your blogs, as always. Need a question answered and thought your memory might be better than mine. I know that the first “modern era” night game was against Clemson — but do you know if the 1984 “100 thousand mile” Butler field goal game was a night contest? Thanks!
I was pretty sure the game where Kevin Butler’s last-minute field goal broke the hearts of Clemson fans was a day game and UGA sports communications director Claude Felton confirms it: “No, it was not at night nor televised. Kickoff time for that game was 1:30 p.m.”
Claude adds, “In these days we live in, it’s really hard to imagine back in the early ’80s there were very few of our games on TV. People can’t believe it when I tell them that in 1980, our first game on TV was the 8th game of the season!”
Mark Edgar writes: Bill, I’m trying to find out who to contact to encourage the UGA radio broadcast to sync with the TV broadcast. I like to listen to Scott and Eric but also like to watch the action on TV. Unfortunately, the radio broadcast is several seconds ahead of television. If this syncing could be done, I bet the radio broadcast ratings would increase because I’m sure that I’m not the only Dawg fan who would appreciate this change.
I know what you mean. My brothers and I have tried listening to the UGA radio broadcasts with Scott Howard and Eric Zeier while watching the game on TV, but having the play be just about over on the radio as it’s just starting on the TV is just too distracting.
Unfortunately, there’s really no way for the UGA radio network to sync up with the TV broadcast since the amount of delay varies depending on how you’re receiving your television signal. Cable adds a delay and a satellite service like DirecTV delays it even further.
Apparently the only way to really match the UGA radio broadcast with a live television broadcast is to watch on your computer and use a program like Griffin’s RadioShark for the radio signal. It works like a Tivo, recording the broadcast so that you can pause it and pick back up where you were, and this allows you to time-shift the radio coverage to sync it up with the TV picture. At least, that’s what they claim. You can find out more about RadioShark here.
Got a question for the Junkyard Blawg? Send it to junkyardblawg@gmail.com.
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300 comments Add your comment
Bob
June 18th, 2011
11:02 pm
I may be wrong about this but it seems like that first night game may have even been on a work/school night light the Monday of Labor Day weekend 1982?
ugab
June 18th, 2011
11:03 pm
We can not run anything with MR.
it starts w the lines
ugab
June 18th, 2011
11:09 pm
If we had a real coach he would skip his vacation and earn his millions and coach this team and make them believe we are proud to be a ga bulldawg. but we dont have that do we. we are goin to take a break after we had a terrible season. hahahahahhahaha Coaches like saban do not take time off wen ur team sux. the dawgs are going to get there ass wupped by boise and sc. if u follow the dawgs we SUCK. WE AS FANS ARE EMBARRASSEDD TO BE SUPPORT A TEAM 4 4 YEARS THAT SUCKED. 4 YRS. NOT 1. THE GA BULLDAWGS COACHES AND TEAM SUK.
Nick
June 18th, 2011
11:11 pm
I am a bama fan, we lost to La tech at home 24 months ago, and we still suck. I would rather be a fan for any respectable team, I hate all these backward rednecks I have to be around every darn fall.
Nick
June 18th, 2011
11:15 pm
Man all that writing and your main point is wrong, it’s 2 yrs, not 4 ugab! Come on moron!
2007 was 4 yrs ago, sorry you can’t add, obvious toys went to another school, not GA. In 2007……
uga won 11 games and sugar bowl in
2008 (3 yrs ago for us smart people with math skills)
Uga won 10 games and capital one bowl. But yes, last 2 yrs this team has not been very good. I agree.
Hey ugab...
June 18th, 2011
11:20 pm
09 and 10 seasons were bad, check your math on that (4) yrs thing.
Obvious math skills of a bama grad! While uga won sugar bowl in 07 Saban was losing at home to LA Monroe at home, or whoever whipped em’ at home. And 08 was maybe a let down, but 10 wins turned in, not too shabby. Facts suck don’t they!!!
teams go through ups and downs, hard for non-athletes to get that I guess.
DostaDawg
June 18th, 2011
11:50 pm
I was at that Clemson game. It was a very hot day in Athens. I had a Clemson fan two rows behind me who was loud and obnoxious all day. He kept yelling”refrigerator this, refrigerator that”. When Butler lined up to try the kick, he was laughing and saying there was no way anyone could kick it that far. Well, old Kevin made it with room to spare.
I turned around and told him: “I think we just defrosted the refrigerator.” That felt so good.
GOD; I HATE CLEMSON.
AND FLORIDA
AND AUBURN
AND TENNESSEE
AND SPURRIER
Still@theBAR
June 18th, 2011
11:55 pm
I just looked back at the UGA’s. Sonny Seiler what did you do to this breed? From the 50’s to the early 70’s the Uga’s were great looking. What did you do?
bitter noose picker in L/A----(lower alabamma)
June 19th, 2011
12:09 am
a true bogger —tolit bowl tide———————–get a real job—try wal-mart
Talent Rules
June 19th, 2011
12:48 am
With all this talent that Richt has built up, the only team on Ga’s schedule that can match them is south carolina. Florida’s way down and Richt will take muschamp to school in jacksonville. If Ga upsets USC, they will win the east. This could be a BCS year for the dawgs.
LakeDawg
June 19th, 2011
1:41 am
The spread is a gimmick offense that is on the way out in the SEC. AU will now start a slide until cheatznik/malzone are fired. Urban Meyer saw the handwriting on the wall. If a team has superior talent, the pro set is the best most versatile offense there is. The spread is for teams with unique QB’s and an offense that gives teams with inferior talent a shot at playing with the big boys ala the wishbone in the 70’s. However, like the wishbone, defenses are catching on.
athdog
June 19th, 2011
2:55 am
It is funny to this day. Last year my son and I, he’s 14, were coming back to Atlanta and listening to the Dogs play a road game. We were calling the plays for Georgia and 80 percent of the time were right. If two fans can figure out what we do, I’m guessing a D coordinator studying film all week can figure it out, also. Bobo has gotten very predictable over the years. Need to shake it up this year, or we are doomed to another mediocre season.
Heeldawg
June 19th, 2011
6:14 am
First night game was 1982 Clemson, matching the previous two years’ national champs. Herschel played with a broken thumb in limited duty, the Dawgs blocked a punt, and Georgia won 13-7.
I have to agree with the Beast’s post– we don’t have the OL personnel to run the spread on a consistent basis. We could run some Wildcat, but not with Murray (too small) or Samuel (can’t throw). Maybe with that new kid out of Wilcox County. Having a few more quick slants, using the backs and tight ends more and going with a ball-control-style offense will accomplish what you want to do with the spread without re-tooling the entire offensive package.
Crowell will be fine by kickoff. High school and college ain’t the same thing.
Samuel will be a great LB before it is all over. That’s his NFL future. He’s not an SEC running back–fast, but stiff, and goes down on first contact. He brings the wood at LB, though–had a killer tackle on a KOR last season.
UCLA game was a day game. I was there. Rained cats and dogs. Charlie Dean ran an INT back for a TD, if I recall correctly.
doug
June 19th, 2011
6:52 am
Run the spread. They wont win any NCs anyway with Richt and Bobo but they could be more exiting.
Nub
June 19th, 2011
7:04 am
Hope the dream team can come in and make a big difference…. The G Day game was a mirror image of last year…. Very few bright spots …. Including the o play calling ….
nick rails
June 19th, 2011
7:24 am
Mudcatjoe,umn Tech doesn’t run the spread offeanse or any version of it.
Joe
June 19th, 2011
8:23 am
Find something, work on it, stick with it, perfect it, and win. Quit experimenting and moving people around and wasting talent moving them from offense to defense etc. Perfection is running the Lombardi sweep over and over and over until it is works. No changes just do it. Find something that works and stick with it. The sign of a great team is running a play over and over and the defense knows what it is and still cannot stop it. Everyone knew when Tebow and Newton were going to run the ball or pass the ball…They were never stopped with what they did. Find something the successful plays the dawgs can run and stick with them..
JT
June 19th, 2011
8:33 am
Samuel???? His character is too good to be a running back. He was benched because he was younger than the all everything thug that was an incoming freshman that was supposed to be the next best thing. He was used as a 17 year old to run the ball 23 times and return kickoffs as a freshman against tech and everyone trashed him for fumbling once. Sat out last year to become a linebacker, demoted when the best safety freshman in recent years was moved to lb. and now Samuel is second string and we are needing stronger and better safeties???? I know Samuel has two years left but even then he will play his senior year as a young fifth year senior at the young age of 21. Terrible waste of talent.
joe
June 19th, 2011
8:56 am
Roll Tide, you made one mistake. Samuel was a Sophomore when he started as a Runningback. He ran the ball 23 times as a freshman in mock up duty vs the “Little Sisters”. He also was on Kickoff teams. He had just turned 17 since he was an early January enrollee. He will be a fifth year senior at the ripe age of 21. KING, EALEY, played as 18 19 year old seniors. Talk about not developing a player who was a top notch great character kid. They erred big time with Samuel. Moving Ogletree from safety when we need help at safety just to see him make tackles and weaken our safety and put Samuel as a backup is an absolute disgrace as a coaching staff.
joe
June 19th, 2011
8:59 am
Roll Tide, King and Ealey were 19 year old Seniors in HS.
I was there @ that Clemson game
June 19th, 2011
9:02 am
I was at the Clemson game. What i do recall more than Butler’s looooooooooooong kick ( toward the bridge it was) were the two Scott Woerner runs after pics that went nearly 70 yds each time. He did not score but he ran one back from the north corner on the 12 yd. line approx. near the RR tracks ( in those days) toward the bridge. It was a great run. I think the other pic was opposite direction in the middle of the field but do not recall. Sat right behind the UGA bench with my in laws and they loved going to UGA games with my wife and our UGA alum gang back then.
Those UGA guys simply were competitive and played to win. Today a coach that can keep these kids focused is the one that will win NCs and AU did it last season. It is clearly tough, focused, hard nosed coaching and players taking a hand in the leadership and that UGA team had it all.
Today’s kids are simply not tough enough. Neither is the UGA staff. Crowell heaving is disgusting. He likely consumed a huge fat boy pizza before he did weight training. Joe T will work his a– off and if he is not ready …………… he will sit.
Old school Dog
UGA 71 & 73
dap01
June 19th, 2011
9:34 am
Bobo already calls the offense like a flag football game. Forget the spread and run the ball.
Bob
June 19th, 2011
9:36 am
UCLA may have started during daylight but I clearly remember it ending at night. It rained heavily during the game I was cold and soaking wet afterward. And we won.
Snoop Dawg
June 19th, 2011
9:49 am
If you really want a case study of Mark Richt, just look at Richard Samuel. Read all the blogs on him today. If you think that this is being a coach or a leader, and you graduated from UGA, please send your diploma back to Dr Michael Adams because you learned nothing in school.
Here’s the problem:
1. Richt can’t assess talent.
2. Richt can’t train up talent.
3. Richt plays his favorites instead of those who work hardest/perform best.
4. Richt follows the union rules of playing more senior players over more deserving junior players.
5. Richt does not motivate the team, prefering to pose as a Buddha on the sidelines instead of supplying his team active motivation and energy.
6. Richt the CEO does not provide active leadership to the team.
If this is what you seek in your head coach, then don’t complain about losing to teams like Central Florida, Boise State, and Mississippi State. Get used to mediocre or losing seasons.
If you want championships, demand change NOW. If not, then be a Mark Richt codependent and enabler. Another season is about to be wasted when we have the easiest schedule in one hundred years.
Harsh Reality
June 19th, 2011
9:58 am
Crowell is vomiting because he suddenly realized what a crappy place UGA is. That realization would make anyone sick to their stomach.
Snoop Dawg
June 19th, 2011
9:59 am
Harsh Reality, you sound like a Techster. Don’t worry about Athens. The ghetto is the place for you, my friend…
SOUTHGADAWG88
June 19th, 2011
10:04 am
Snoop Dawg the fraud strikes again!For the record there Snoopy…..UGA had more kids drafted in the 1st 4 rds of the NFL draft than any team in the SEC during Richt’s tenure.Talent evaluation has never been a Richt issue.For a guy who is supposed to be a UGA grad….you don’t seem to know much about UGA.
Carl Spackler
June 19th, 2011
10:06 am
To me (now get the “TO ME’) the Wild-Cat is a gimmick play…fake field goal, fake punt, on-side kick, whatever, but unless you have the QB still behind center, then why would you take the chance of a RB, WR, etc. taking a snap… what with the pressure involved of looking across the line at some huge down linemen, LB’s, CB,s, SS’s jumping up and out of holes faking blitz and still trying to look the ball into their hands…heck, QB’s feel the pressure in these types of situations, let alone a player pulled from his natural position and stuck in the wildcat formation…now, if you allow Murray to run the wildcat, then I agree that it could be a workable play…I have to laugh at everyone thinking that Murray is too small and can’t take hits, yet the Neb & Mich QB’s who are smaller, or similar in size to Murray are somehow tough enough to take the hits…so, unless there is some element of surprise, then let the wildcat caged up on the sidelines…just my thoughts
Gator Gus
June 19th, 2011
10:20 am
Coach Richt shouldn’t change a thing.
Nothing is wrong.
Joey
June 19th, 2011
10:23 am
“…why would you take the chance of a RB, WR, etc. taking a snap…”
**************************************
Carl, it worked pretty well last season in Jax, when the worst UF team in 20 years snapped the ball to about 7 different players, and, once again defeated UGA . . .
It Ain't Rocket Science
June 19th, 2011
10:24 am
another back,
You might want to wait until he hits the field. Right now he just got an introduction into big boy conditioning but he has yet to run a play in practice or for real.
JT
June 19th, 2011
10:26 am
Let’s wait until Murray beats at least 1 winning team before we crown him.
Gator Gus
June 19th, 2011
10:27 am
UGA will be much improved now that Richt promoted the Video Editor to head up the UGA Strength & Conditioning program.
Great move.
YBack
June 19th, 2011
10:28 am
Richt’s too arrogant to change his offense.
Ain’t gonna happen.
Too much ego.
Too much pride.
Too little humilty.
Dixie Redcoat Band
June 19th, 2011
10:35 am
Well, who wasn’t at the ‘84 game? Just don’t make us play UCF again.
Snoop Dawg
June 19th, 2011
10:39 am
SouthGaDawg,
Do you think Richt deserves credit for those players that got drafted? I don’t. The question is why isn’t there a lot more?
How many football players from Georgia are playing in the NFL compared to how many from UGA?
You are one of those codependent enablers I talked about.
If you have a degree by any chance, send it back.
Gadzooks
June 19th, 2011
10:45 am
Boise State 67, Georgia 17.
Bye bye, Richt, and good riddance!
Snoop Dawg
June 19th, 2011
10:48 am
I believe that Mark Richt and Water Girl are blogging under assumed names like SouthgeorgiaDawg, Altamaha Dawg, and It Ain’t Rocket Science. The Mark Richt Friend and Family program is like the Clinton War Room. Always respond swiftly to criticism by deflecting the true questions.
Don’t fall for it.
SOUTHGADAWG88
June 19th, 2011
10:56 am
You can’t have it both ways Snoop.If you want to say the man can’t evaluate talent ok …but when the facts show he’s had more kids drafted than his peers… all of a sudden he doesn’t deserve credit for it?200 plus Georgia kids sign scholarships every year…..how can he sign all of them?
Beast from the East
June 19th, 2011
11:00 am
To all the dad’s out there, Happy Father’s Day.
If you’re fortunate enough to still have your father around, don’t forget to call him today!
SOUTHGADAWG88
June 19th, 2011
11:02 am
If UGA went 13-0 the Snoops of the world would say.. so what?Georgia has all this talent this should be EXPECTED every year.
UGA72
June 19th, 2011
11:31 am
With all the talent at tight end, it would be nice to see an offense based on multiple tight end formations run often this season. Defenses would have a harder time adjusting to this formation than they would with the spread IMHO.
themaninblack
June 19th, 2011
11:44 am
One of the fun things to do is read this blog because the only “good” you ever read is when they start reliving the good ol’ days of HW and Butler. When it comes right down to it…THuga has only had at best 3 or 4 great seasons. Only the media keeps them listed as some sort of SEC contender every year because they have the entire state of Georgia as fans. Reality is, the early 80’s are the only time the program has been relevant.
Frosty Dawg
June 19th, 2011
12:00 pm
Perhaps an occasional spread is a good idea, but I’d much rather the Dawgs focus on high performance than change in process. It really gets down to fundamentals: throw the blocks, run through the holes and follow your downfield blockers, pass accurately or not at all, make the catch and retain possession. If any one scheme was always superior to all other schemes, all teams would run the one scheme all the time.
And, oh yeah–get in shape by game time! Those wringing their hands over Crowell’s bouts with Ralph need to remember that a veteran O Lineman (Nat Hudson) reportedly had to help a green freshman named Walker finish his first set of laps. College ball is a step up. We’ll see how the new guys do vs. Boise and SC. That’s all that counts.
tide roll
June 19th, 2011
12:10 pm
Richard Samuel, in 9 games as a Sr. rushed for 1430 yards on only 165 carries for an 8.7 yrd/carry average.and 24 touchdowns! Long run of 76 yards. In two years, nearly 3000 yards rushing and 43 touchdowns! Had 80 yard touchdowm run vs. Ark as a soph! He hasn’t played linebacker since high school! Never in the history of the SEC has a player been able to convert to an SEC calibre linebacker after that kind of layoff.(4yrs.) What is Richt/Bobo brain trust doing !?
tide roll
June 19th, 2011
12:11 pm
It’s hard to trust those two, isn’t it.
nick rails
June 19th, 2011
12:29 pm
So now Richard Samuel is the 2nd coming???LOL
The kid is right where he deserves to be.And I hope he’s grown up.Off season conditioning was a joke to the kid.The coaches gave him specific workouts for him to do (because of his broken wrist)He showed up but didn’t want. ANYTHING to do with lifting or conditioning and used the wrist as a constant excuse.I heard this directly from a walk-on who was busting his butt in there everyday in hopes of just getting to suit up in a game.Yea,I know,its all BS.
I have heard his attitude has changed thanks several Coach T conversations.
Let’s hope the kid has worked hard enough to EARN playing time.
old time dog
June 19th, 2011
12:40 pm
tide roll will continue to spew his UGA bashing along with his GT plasmas because he needs help in the worst of ways. I have never cared for Richt or his hair or sunglasses as they seemed to take precedent over his obligation of coaching and running a collegiate program. Hope he has matured as a coach and the same holds true for Bobo. Richt and company have ran around with their head up their ass in a whole lot of ways. They have not shown or provided any measure of attack on either side of the ball. Big salaries should be earned before they are spooned out. Would like to see this staff show they can actually coach.
7576DAWG
June 19th, 2011
1:29 pm
old time dog
I agree with some of what you say. CMR main problem is that he is stubborn like picking Willie Martinez over Van Gorder and once he found out that Martinez didn’t have what it took to be a defensive coordinator stubbornly taking 3 years to fire him because Martinez was his best friend. The same thing is happening with Bobo right now. His background never showed he deserved to be promoted to offensive coordinator but CMR let friendship be the contributing factor in giving Bobo the promotion.All coaches are not meant to be coordinator. The same holds true with all coordinator are not meant to be head coaches. I don’t know if Bobo will ever demonstrate if he can be a 1-A coordinator but as many coordinator and head coaching job that have come open in 1-A and 1AA football in the last two years if he was perceived by other school as doing a good job you would think at least one other school would have asked to interview him for a job opening .
I think that CMR has staked his future with UGA by keeping Bobo this year. Now that McGarity has been at UGA a year unless our offense shows a lot more control of games I think Bobo will be replaced and if Richt doesn’t like it he may have to go too.
I hope Bobo went to coordinator school since last year on how to not panic and be able to control a game and it’s outcome.
LAKE OCONEE DAWG
June 19th, 2011
1:32 pm
old time dog:
THESE GUYS HAVE WON THE SEC TWICE AND WON 90 GAMES IN 9 YEARS…UGA IS NOT NATIONAL CHAMPIONS EVERY 2-3 YEARS, KNOW YOU WOULD LIKE TO HAVE THAT FOR BRAGGING RIGHTS, BUT YOU DON’T—GET OVER IT!!!…IN MODERN DAY, NEVER WON BUT ONE NATIONAL CHAMPIONSHIP…DID END UP #2 AFTER THRASHING HAWAII…MAYBE YOU WILL SHARE WITH US WHO THAT MATURE COACH IS OUT THERE WHO COULD LEAD US TO A NC…I THINK THESE SALARIES WERE EARNED, AND THEY WOULD BE THE FIRST TO TELL YOU THEY HAVE NOT BEEN THE LEAST BIT SATIFIED THE PAST 2 YEARS…THEY BEAT BAMA TWICE AND LSU AND AUBURN SEVERAL TIMES ALSO…WE DID NOT BUY OUR QB, AND WE DID NOT SIGN 38 GUYS AND SEND GUYS PACKING WHO WERE ON SCHOLARSHIP…CMR DON’T DO IT THAT WAY…