Dogs’ defense dominating so far … just like it should
Todd Grantham's defense dominated the offense Thursday, which should surprise no one. (Associated Press)
Mark Richt said the Georgia defense dominated in the first day of competitive drills at spring practice, which should surprise … no one.
The shock would have been if Todd Grantham’s defense, returning nine starters from a team that ranked fifth nationally in total defense last season, wasn’t dominating early on.
After all, not only has the defense taken away one of the offense’s biggest weapons this spring in Malcolm Mitchell, but there’s a whole lot more that needs doing on the offensive side, what with rebuilding a line that lost three starters and getting the running game back on track.
Plus, as Aaron Murray noted to The Red and Black after the scoring of Thursday’s practice went to the defense, “Only a small portion of our offense is [installed], so we’ve got a long way to go, a lot of work to do. I’m not worried. I’m very encouraged with what we’ve done the first three days, but they just got us today.”
Meanwhile, the story of the spring that seems to have everyone’s attention is wide receiver Mitchell going over to the other side. You’d think that knowing what routes the receivers are running and how they’ll run them would give him an advantage, but he told the Chattanooga Times Free Press, “It’s a lot tougher than I thought it would be. I may know where the receivers are going, but I still need to learn how to line up in certain coverages. it’s difficult having to learn one thing one year and then a different thing another year. In many ways I feel like a freshman again.”
Still, the feeling of most observers is Mitchell’s athletic talent will allow him to catch up pretty quickly. He’s already discovered the joys of the corner blitz. “It’s exciting to be able to go in there full speed trying to get around a lineman or a running back,” he said.
“It’s fun to watch him go out there and compete,” his head coach said. “You can tell he’s not sure what to do on every single play, but he’s playing with a lot of enthusiasm. He certainly can break on the ball and change direction.”
Whether he just plays defense or goes both ways, I have a feeling Mitchell could make this year’s G-Day game pretty interesting.
What are your thoughts so far on Georgia’s spring practice? Got something on your mind concerning UGA athletics or a question for the Junkyard Blawg? Send it to junkyardblawg@gmail.com.
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97 comments Add your comment
Joey
March 23rd, 2012
2:05 pm
Alternate headline:
“Grantham dominating Bobo….just like we knew he would
Still@theKool-aidBAR
March 23rd, 2012
2:06 pm
the HOUSTON situation? Was it maybe performance enhancing drugs? the POT thing is like a game or two so what did Houston get in trouble for?
Still@theKool-aidBAR
March 23rd, 2012
2:07 pm
Damn JOEY is really hitting people hard today. Joey are you on some type of Bounty Making crusade today? LOL
pj
March 23rd, 2012
2:09 pm
5′11″ Swain and 6′2″ Mitchell is quite a step up from the 5′8-5′9 corners ol willie loved to recruit. When sanders and b smith come back, we should have the ability to rough up some wideouts on the edge – and if if our opponents try and throw across the middle, we’ve got Bacarri “ballhawk” Rambo and S Williams “The Punisher”.
Joey
March 23rd, 2012
2:16 pm
No bounties, KOOL.
Just tired of turning a blind eye to the poor job performances of Mark Richt. I WANT him to prove me wrong – just have a UGA team overachieve once – and I will take in the Kool-aid with an IV, and be eternally optimistic.
AltamahaDawg
March 23rd, 2012
2:34 pm
Actually on third and long, Bobo called a run very rarely and pretty much when he did, it was an based on a situiation (and I highly susupect agreed upon by all the guys wearing headphones). Passing on third and long was the high percentage of what he called.
Deport
March 23rd, 2012
3:15 pm
MITCHELL was out .. what .. 4 games last year? and our offense did just fine… soo what is all this worrying about the offense now that he is on defense? We have plenty of WRs who will do just fine… without mitchell on defense .. who else would we have the first two games? … I really dont understand the debate here?
Top Row Dawg
March 23rd, 2012
3:19 pm
SSI loves Florida lives in Georgia……..
Kool Aids loves Tech lives on UGA blogs……..
You two are classless representatives of your schools. Georgia must be on your minds a lot, you are both so obsessed with lame critiques. It’s actually a compliment to the program; you both spend so much time with us.
58 comments so far and 23 are from you two, really?
Still@theKool-aidBAR
March 23rd, 2012
3:25 pm
Top Row dWag……so what if SSI Gator lives on St Simons Island and HATE the crap you mutts leave on his beaches. Hell you crapped and peed in your school buildings and left 70 ton of trash after a football game. That makes SOME of your fans PIGS. I am on the tech blogs too so what is your point? The paper covers both schools and we can respond. Well unless it is a Chip blog about another UGa player getting arrested then the comments are blocked.
13-1 SEC East Champions 2012
March 23rd, 2012
3:36 pm
Dominating against Aaron Murray.
Dope
March 23rd, 2012
3:51 pm
@Still@theKool-aidBAR & 13-1 SEC East Champions 2012
Go buy a life!
Still@theKool-aidBAR
March 23rd, 2012
3:56 pm
I can’t afford a Life but can I sell some DOPE to your football players and maybe get a down payment for a life? Don’t act like your fans are not on other teams blogs too.
Top Row Dawg
March 23rd, 2012
3:58 pm
Was looking for you Aids on a sample Tech blog to see if what you said was true. Let me guess are you
Supersize that order, mutt ?
I also noticed only two Georgia fans felt compelled to post on the Tech blog. 50% of the other subsequent post were an attack on those two.
Let us know who you are over there so we can see a positive and constructive AJC post by you.
Still@theKool-aidBAR
March 23rd, 2012
4:01 pm
Whew!!! God bless the man who invented shows, I feel like a million bucks. Been sittin in a tree all day outside Dawg48’s house.
So what’s the meaning of life?
Still@theKool-aidBAR
March 23rd, 2012
4:19 pm
ON SALE NOW!!
Fan support for Georgia Tech, it doesn’t cost a thing. Actually it will cost you cool points. On the flip side though, there are very few expectations so you’re seldom disappointed. I find that if you set the bar low you reach it. And let’s face it, Georgia Tech sucks something awful so it’s only fitting, right? There is only one way to beat UGA and that is odds of probability.
Tech’s game day t-shirt slogan vs UGA: MAYBE NEXT YEAR!!!
Still@theKool-aidBAR
March 23rd, 2012
4:26 pm
Top Hoe dWag I didn’t say i had been on the tech blog today. It is an old blog. I know Supersize by name but know I am not him.
evil empire
March 23rd, 2012
5:32 pm
look at the kool-ade falling from the sky!!!!…….hahahahahaha….you dawg fans never fail to entertain….
NCDawg
March 23rd, 2012
5:33 pm
I think there is a mis-perception here about the UGA offense. I think part of the problem is that it is TOO complicated. The playbook is very thick and the linemen are asked to do alot of different things on each play. Our run blocking is too complex… it is too pro oriented. If a lineman is off by just a little bit the play tanks. The teams that run the ball well have simpler blocking schemes. Coach Bobo doesn’t do a very good job of hiding what he isn’t comfortable with in his game plans. He likes to throw deep to punish teams for bringing guys up into the box but the other side of that is that the extra guys in the box also mean the possibility of extra pass rushers close to the line as well. He doesn’t have a great deal of confidence in running against the numbers and on 3rd and very long he doesn’t feel like our line has a chance to hold on long enough to get a route open. So he runs a conservative draw play to avoid turnovers.
We had very little o-line depth last season and those guys were playing hurt much of the season. You can tell what he feels confident running against X defense. We ran very few screens last year which was probably indicative of the injuries limiting our linemen. We still moved the ball pretty well at times against everyone.
Coach Bobo needs to just decide what the guys he has are capable of running and drill that until they can do it in their sleep. Having a veteran QB is only as good as what the guys around him allow him to do. If he makes a read and somebody botches the play he looks like an idiot. If he makes a read and the line caves in then a great play never gets off the ground. And Coach Bobo is not likely to try it again.
Hopefully our new crop of linemen can stay healthy and execute at a higher level. Otherwise simplify the run blocking and let the back take off.
Albert
March 23rd, 2012
5:53 pm
Ws the defense that good or was the offense just it’s usual lackluster self?
Dr. Mekfunkticleiben
March 23rd, 2012
6:02 pm
I just read that Georgia Tech has received a verbal commitment from College Park’s 4 star QB Quantavius Ballchinian. At 5′6″ 140 lbs. he seems like the prototypical QB for Tech. I think as UGA fans we should be concerned – maybe even panic.
bitter dawgs fan
March 23rd, 2012
6:12 pm
GRATHAM AND MITCHELL RULE—-the—SEC————–TROLLS—aka 48 waist @ dumb
GaterHater
March 23rd, 2012
6:13 pm
If everyone would ignore Still at ….and SSI they will eventually go away. Responding to their BS is like feeding a stray dog.
GO DOGS!
bitter dawgs fan
March 23rd, 2012
6:14 pm
every top 20 teams dominate bobbo and crow———its the dope—yo
funny...
March 23rd, 2012
6:42 pm
Someone just posted here about UT’s BCSNC in 1998, LOLOLOLOL.
Pin Worm
March 23rd, 2012
6:43 pm
HAROLD – YOU OLE BUM SCRATCHER YOU! THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR THE INSIGHT AND WE CAN “HEAR” YOU JUST FINE – NO NEED TO YELL!
funny...
March 23rd, 2012
6:44 pm
Awesome post by NC Dawg.
You idiots could learn something about football.
Nub
March 23rd, 2012
6:49 pm
CMR vs Nicky ….. ? Come on bamers give us the stats… Btw include comments about the last two times UGA visited Bryant Denny stadium…. Reckon you could say UGA owned UA the last decade … Please be man enough to address …
Dick Enhand
March 23rd, 2012
8:20 pm
First?
A Father
March 23rd, 2012
8:27 pm
Glad to see Ga will put in the offense now that our QB will be in his forth year. Never stops with the humor in regards to GA football.
Rationale
March 23rd, 2012
8:37 pm
Dawginlex, I agree with you. I do know what Harold said and frankly, don’t care.
AAA Athens Bail Bonds R Us
March 23rd, 2012
8:42 pm
How many more arrests this week?
Locked and Loaded
March 23rd, 2012
8:44 pm
All Dawgs know this, but with their weak minds, they tend to forget, so here’s a reminder:
Georgia Tech is a very highly ranked academic school that has a football team. Its alumni and fans have real lives and careers that don’t depend on the football team for their happiness.
Georgia, on the other hand, is basically a sell-your-soul-to-the-devil football f-a-c-t-o-r-y that also gives diplomas – worthless as they are. They have sleazy coaches like Mark Richt who have no scruples or ethics, who recruit morons who barely got through high school, and collect huge paychecks, but still can’t win big games.
Now, can you remember all that?
RED DOG 77
March 24th, 2012
12:10 am
My comment after the third practice of Spring?…………….Na, don’t think so, I think I’ll wait until at least the 5th practice……………..Good Grief !!!
Ed
March 24th, 2012
12:57 am
“How long does it take to master the same four plays?”
Judging by the Gator’s offensive performance last year, I’d have to say it takes more than a full season, SSI.
georgiasouthernalum
March 24th, 2012
6:04 am
We put up 24 on Alabama defense more than any scored by the mighty SEC teams. Go Eagles
Harry Dawg
March 24th, 2012
7:31 am
I wonder what’s up with Murray saying that only a “small” part of the offense is installed…. I’m pretty sure that Bobo has the “up the middle play” calling down pat.
13-1 SEC East Champions 2012
March 24th, 2012
7:35 am
10-Win Seasons by Mark Richt Opponents :
30-33 Lost 2011 Michigan State Outback
10-42 Lost 2011 LSU Georgia Dome
42-45 Lost 2011 USCe Sanford Stadium
21-35 Lost 2011 Boise State Georgia Dome
06-10 Lost 2010 Central Florida Liberty
31-49 Lost 2010 Auburn at Auburn
24-31 Lost 2010 Arkansas Sanford Stadium
30-24 Win 2009 Georgia tek at Atlanta
17-41 Lost 2009 Florida at Jacksonville
10-49 Lost 2008 Florida at Jacksonville
30-41 Lost 2008 Alabama Sanford Stadium
2005 Season was 8 years ago now this up-coming 2012 season. Why has Mark Richt finished in the AP Poll Top 10 only once since 2005 ?
March 24th, 2012
7:47 am
2005 Season was 8 years ago now this up-coming 2012 season. Why has Mark Richt finished in the AP Poll Top 10 only once since 2005 ?
Wet Willie...keep on smiling
March 24th, 2012
8:35 am
Top 5 defense….what did that defense do vs good teams?
@Nubby….1980 sport is what you have in the trophy case so enjoy that ONE!
Murray is a loose cannon that has no fear he will be pulled even if he fails to make his proper reads and throws picks. All QB’s will screw up now and then but this guy is a walking pick 6. Have you ever seen Richt get in his face when he comes to the sideline? “Now little buddy lets don’t do that next time” Or “it’s ok for I didn’t see that DB myself”. You get what you deserve…over and over and over.
Kyle Harper
March 24th, 2012
8:55 am
Someone send Harold a TAMPON!
Z-Dawg
March 24th, 2012
8:58 am
Hey…. Harold here is a kotex maxi-pad?
UGA82
March 24th, 2012
9:55 am
We gave up 38 points a game to the four decent teams we played last year…and lost to…the defensive stats were padded against a very weak schedule.
just go away
March 24th, 2012
10:25 am
Everyone who posts on here make me laugh. Everybody has the answers to all the problems Georgia is supposed to have….the trouble is nobody knows sh_t.The tech fans are really funny..they come on this blog and consistantly post the obvious. They constantly try to find chinks in the Dawgs armor so they can make thier snide statments and poke fingers. They need to run and hide….their team sucks and has for a long time and it doesn’t appear their going to get any better anytime soon…go away nerds come back when you got a team that;s even worth talking about. The rest of the so called SEC fans who post on here wouldn’t know a football from a tenis ball. You come on here and constantly post the obvious like you really know something about Georgia and everyone else in the conference…know what…I realy could give a rats ass what you think about Georgia, CMR,Grantham,Bama,Carolina, Tenn etc. Ninety percent of you have NEVER played college football. You live your lives telling everyone that will listen that you have all the answers and thats pure fiction. Your the type of people most people try to avoid…your Bullsh_t artists who think they know it all….egotisical Bullshi-ers…..please all you blog dwellers go find something else to do….your a laughing stock to most sain college football followers.Because even when your wrong (and thats most of the time) you make excuses instead of admitting you were wrong and that ruins any credibility you may have had….what a joke all of you are!
DougsMugsCoffeeDOTcom
March 24th, 2012
11:09 am
@Macclenny_dawg,
You are right about Bobo vs. Grantham. In a real game, I don’t know that a Bobo offense would score at all against a Grantham Defense.
Richt should have Bobo sit down for an hour or two each week with CTG and have CTG grade out his past weeks offense and look over his game plan for the coming week. Surely, Grantham can point out really bad tendencies that Defensive coaches spot… like shotgun draw on 3rd and long, or really long developing long passes used too often. CTG should just tell Bobo, look, I hate it when offenses run this play, this play and this play. If you want to win, run these plays a lot.
Georgiana Bulltiger
March 24th, 2012
11:51 am
Seems that just go away feels that some of us posting about football on these threads look as silly as he would if he were posting on a thread about grammar and spelling.
BirmyDawg
March 24th, 2012
12:41 pm
Somebody needs to find out why Grantham dropped from 16th in the country in defensive scoring against ranked teams in 2011, to 60th in 2011.
39 points a game is really bad, 11th in SEC.
AndOne
March 25th, 2012
10:27 am
LSU’s OFFENSE, with Zach Mettenberger at QB, is dominating their stellar defense so far.
Mettenberger is impressing, 3 td’s, 0 int’s so far.
Can you imagine if the UGA defense had a QB with an arm like Mett’s, who doesn’t throw interceptions?
Could a, should a…