Grantham seems to have a handle on the major challenge he faces with Dogs’ defense
Todd Grantham knows what Georgia has to do to improve against the run. (Associated Press)
Back before last season was even over, a friend of mine was looking ahead to the way Georgia’s 2013 schedule is front-loaded with tough teams and lamenting all the personnel losses the Dogs were going to suffer on defense.
He summed up the situation for Todd Grantham pretty well:
“Next year,” he said, “Grantham is finally going to have to earn that big salary of his.”
After a Georgia defense considered one of the most talented in the nation underperformed for much of the 2012 season, the UGA defensive coordinator faces a major rebuilding project in replacing a dozen players.
Thankfully, now that he’s through with his NFL flirtation, he at least seems to have zeroed in on his biggest challenges.
Talking with ESPN’s Chris Low, Grantham acknowledged the Dogs didn’t do a good job against the run last season, especially in the SEC Championship Game, where Alabama’s ground attack racked up big yards.
“We did some good things in that game,” Grantham told Low. “We blocked a field goal and ran it back for a touchdown. We were really good on third down, and got a turnover in the red zone. The thing we didn’t do was stop the run in the second half.”
Many observers of that game singled out Georgia’s lack of substitution up front, which resulted in the DL wearing down, and poor tackling by some of the linebacking corps, returning to the form that had led to Shawn Williams’ rant earlier in the season.
Grantham has come to the same conclusion. “We’ve got to play more players up front and keep them fresh,” he said, “and from the inside linebacker position, we’ve got to learn to tackle backs like (Eddie Lacy). Those are two things we’ve got to do better.”
Of course, up front is where Montravius Adams would have been a nice addition, but even with that recruiting whiff Grantham sounds optimistic. “I like the young talent on this defense and what we have coming in,” he told ESPN. “To me, it gets back to developing players. It’s going to be an exciting and aggressive spring, but we’ve been aggressive around here for the last couple of years. We’ll coach them hard and see to it that they learn how to compete. You’ve got to learn how to win a position before you can help us win a game.”
And, who knows, maybe a hungrier defense will come together quicker and better than last year’s group, which started off the season like it had spent a bit too much time reading about how talented it was.
I’m also encouraged by the fact that, in the past, when Grantham has singled out an area that needs work — like getting off the field on third down — we’ve usually seen quite a bit of improvement.
What’s your feeling about the Georgia D in the coming season? And are there any other areas of concern you think Grantham needs to address when spring practice starts March 2?
Got something you want to discuss about UGA athletics? Got a question you want the Junkyard Blawg to tackle? If so, send it to junkyardblawg@gmail.com.
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126 comments Add your comment
Bastionofball
February 16th, 2013
3:24 pm
The issue was more scheme than rotating players. Spurrier pointed this out after he pounded Grantham’s run defense in 2010. Grantham has a poor understandng of scheme, you don’t give up 181 yards rushing per game, and understand run scheme, not gonna happen at Alabama under Kirby Smart in year three of a program with the 9 NFL starters Grantham had.
Also, points to poor conditioning, the starters just wore out too easily, thanks a lot Joe Teri-wimpy.
Herschel Walker didn’t need to be rotated, he was in shape. The “rotation excuse”, it’s a copout.
Coach Grantham was so full of excuses for these issues, at his interviews, the NFL guys took a pass on offerring him the job.
He obviously has scheme related issues, how hard is to jam 9 guys on the line and tackle the ball carrier?
The guys form on tackling was also showcased as horrid against the likes of Florida Atlantic, Buffulo, Missouri, Tenn, South Carolina, Kentucky, GSU, GT, Ala, and Neb. Those 10 teams has no problem piling up yards on Grantham’s scheme.
Bulldawg35
February 16th, 2013
4:59 pm
@atl…….you are very delusional…..yeah maybe that one game but overall the offense bested the defense by far. Grantham is in over his head….we have the money to go out and hire better coaches….but Richt don’t want to hire a top notch dc……he believes in hiring somebody average and believes continuity will take us to the promised land and it hasn’t yet…..we also have the money to buy a better basketball coach…..instead we have a terrible coach who will take us to Mississippi tonight to get crushed by at least 15 points
Bulldawg35
February 16th, 2013
6:21 pm
Well our baseball team just lost to Georgia southern…..I guess we will have another crappy year as well…..Mcgarity please open up your wallet….thanks 35
CarolinaChris
February 16th, 2013
6:30 pm
Over here at SouthCarolina, we’re all big time Grantham fans. We think he’s a first rate coach.
Bulldawg35
February 16th, 2013
7:29 pm
To answer a question from another thread….here is the 5 teams I think we lost
Clemson- young defense will start out strong and fade late against a senior Boyd
Sc- they are in our heads….only tunsil could of held his own with clowny…..to bad he’s at ole miss
Lsu- Richt can’t beat miles anymore…Lsu will run those big backs against us….and everybody knows we can’t stop Lacy type backs
Florida- Murray will throw 5 more interceptions against fla….and we won’t have Jarvis jones this time to bail Murray out.
Tennessee- as horrible as the vols have been lately….they have still managed to almost beat us the last 2 years….I think they finally get the upset this year and will be butch jones biggest win of his first season……I think we will end up in the peach bowl and win a squeaker against North Carolina.
Dawgs 55 goats 45
alpharetta alice
February 16th, 2013
7:45 pm
LSU baseball drew 12,300 in their season opener…UGA won’t draw that many the first 6 weeks…
LOL at UGA haters
February 16th, 2013
7:47 pm
I don’t think we’ll have a problem with Clemson or LSU. We get LSU at home. The toughest game of the year will be South Carolina. But we also get them in Athens. Clemson’s defense isn’t good at all and they won’t be able to top Gurshall, Murray, our TEs and WRs. They can forget it. UGA starts 1-0. LSU is losing lots of players on their defense and Mettenberger will choke in Sanford Stadium because he isn’t a good QB at all. Don’t be surprised if UGA is 3-1, or 4-0 at the end of September. Please don’t be a fool to think UGA will be the underdog against Clemson because they won’t and shouldn’t be. What has Clemson done?
LOL at UGA haters
February 16th, 2013
7:52 pm
Here is my projected starters on offense & defense for UGA in 2013…
LT: Kenarious Gates
LG: Dallas Lee
C: David Andrews
RG: Chris Burnette
RT: John Theus
QB: Aaron Murray
RB: Todd Gurley/Keith Marshall
FB: Merritt Hall
WR: Malcolm Mitchell/Justin Scott-Wesley
WR: Michael Bennett/Chris Conley
DE: Garrison Smith
NG: Chris Mayes/John Atkins
DE: Ray Drew
OLB: Jordan Jenkins
ILB: Ryne Rankin/Reggie Carter
ILB: Amarlo Hererra/Tim Kimbrough/
OLB: Davin Bellamy
CB: Damian Swann
FS: Tray Matthews
SS: Shaquille Fluker or Quincy Mauger
CB: Shaq Wiggins or Brenden Langley
alpharetta alice
February 16th, 2013
7:55 pm
I don’t think we’ll have a problem with Clemson or LSU.
++++++++++++++++++++
and yall wonder why the rest of the conference laughs at your fanbase…..
CarolinaChris
February 16th, 2013
8:05 pm
I’ve noticed Murray stuggles againt the top 20 type teams, I think Murray’s 1-11 lifetime vs. teams that finish in the top 10 rankings.
Grantham just got interviewed for 2 NFL teams, Grantham ain’t the issue. I think it’s the UGA Qb Edward Murray. Just seems to lack poise
NFL advised Murray to stay in college, just not an NFL type Qb.
but Grantham is repesected in the NFL.
Bulldawg35
February 16th, 2013
10:41 pm
Well we lost to ole miss…..you won’t hear no moral victories from me…..we will be lucky to finish with an winning record this year
Bulldawg36
February 16th, 2013
11:13 pm
Look, grantham was interviewing simply to get more pay at uga because mcgarity ad is too cheap, he didn’t intend to leave athens, his family loves it here. relax people, grantham is one of the best defensive coaches in america, look at all the nfl teams trying to lure him away from athens.
DawgAllTheWay
February 17th, 2013
8:33 am
Joe Gaphan….I couldn’t agree more! All of you Dumb ass fans need to read the first comment and let it soak in!
RHall55
February 17th, 2013
9:07 am
But I am glad R Garner is gone!! He got soooooo complacent…reflected in his recruiting efforts over the last years plus the reprecussions of the top players in the state going somewhere else…that was the lack of continued effort from him over the last years!! Now to the present…CCW must prove he can recruit w/ the big boys….never enuff depth on the DL….why hem-and-haw about Toby Johnson…be your own man and get him in here!!! Coach Wilson must produce…UGA cannot afford another underperformer in recruiting on the line of scrimmage…ie Coach Will Friend….the worst recruting OL Coach in the SEC!!!
The Tide is Rolling and Nothing Can Stop it!
February 17th, 2013
9:10 am
if you idiots would have listened to me all last off season, you could have won a title.
Todd Grantham would have been fired at Alabama after 2011. Any coordinator worth a @#$% could have at least slowed down Bama and won that game in 2012.
I suppose this is why Barrett Jones has more titles than UGA.
The Tide is Rolling and Nothing Can Stop it!
February 17th, 2013
9:12 am
BTW, you’ve added as much to the SEC’s dominance run as Vanderbilt.
Tidefan
February 17th, 2013
10:44 am
Grantham is an excellent coach, even Coach Saban agrees, said Grantham was the best staff guy he’d ever coached. When the NFL comes a knockin’, that means you got the goods, and Grantham got the goods. If your qb wouldn’t have choked at the end of the Sec Champiuonship, UGA would have played Notre Dame, but we all knew he’d choke, it was our whole plan coming into the game, make sure the ball is in Murray’s hands in curcial situations, and the plan worked perfectly. I was concerned about our secondary this past year, T A & M and LSU saw the weakness and exploited it but we wern’t worried about Murray, then again, no one is, he’s why Georgia loses so many big games, but your coach can’t figure that out, thank goodness.
Bulldawg35
February 17th, 2013
11:00 am
What are u talking about tide fan? Murray ripped y’all’s secondary apart. Murray couldn’t help it his bozo coaches didn’t call for a spike at the end of the game….I guess we can thank homer smith on that one. We lost to Bama because we couldn’t stop the run….pure and simple……
Bulldawg35
February 17th, 2013
11:21 am
Murray is better than Conner shaw…..yeah he has struggled against the yardbirds….and fla but I expect that to change this year
Bulldawg36
February 17th, 2013
12:15 pm
Have to agree….murray is the problem…murray threw to the wrong guy to end the season….murray got his ball tipped to end the season…murray lost the game…grantham…he can coach…the nfl loves the guy….murray, that’s another story…the nfl doesn’t care for murray…
Tidefan
February 17th, 2013
12:18 pm
Murray has lost 11 of his last 12 games against the better teams, the kind of teams that finish in the AP top 20, Murray’s 1-11, yes sir, Murray lacks poise, and Smart outSmarted Murray at the end (pun intended).
Tidefan
February 17th, 2013
12:26 pm
If Georgia had a clutch quarterback like Texas A/M or LSU, both torched our 69th ranked secondary (vs. ranked teams), we lose that game against Georgia, but then again, we knew how Murray had played in big games (91% loss record), we knew what he’d done against Florida with all his turnover and inaccuracy issues in big games, and 0-3 vs. SC-Spurrier, we saw how Murray fell paprt in n the 2011 sec championship vs. LSU, we figured Murray couldn’t execute when it counted, and thank goodness, the plan worked out great, Mettenberger and Manziel, those guys worry me, but Murray, please, he’s the guy everybody jokes about around here.
Jack Bull
February 17th, 2013
1:37 pm
well, just saw another ex-UGA player make another HUGE mistake just before the NFL draft. Last year, Orson Charles, this year, Alec Ogletree. They just don’t get it, do they?!?
7576DAWG
February 17th, 2013
2:20 pm
First , the reason our defense took so long to get started last year was because a third of them were not playing because they were suspended. Then it takes a few games for them to get SEC tough and start playing as a unit and not individuals. Until they started trusting each of their team members to do their job a lot of assignments will be missed because you are more interested in if someone else is doing their job and not concentrated on you doing your job. This was not Grantham’s fault.
In the SEC championship game we handled their passing attack as good as anyone, except one play. Georgia could not handle the run because we didn’t have the depth to keep substituting , which was needed especially in the second half. Depth is created over 3 or 4 years and again that was not Grantham’s fault. The lack of depth especially on our Defensive line was because of Garner and Richt giving away 12 to 15 scholarship’s the last few years to walk-on’s instead of players who will actually see playing time. That is a great feel good moment when a walk -on get’s a scholarship but it doesn’t help us win big games when the lack of depth is exposed.
7576DAWG
February 17th, 2013
2:31 pm
Tidefan
I disagree what you said about Murray. I have been one of Murray’s biggest complainer’s up until this last year. Murray did a great job after about the fourth or fifth game. Murray cut way back on fumbles and interceptions in 2012. As long as he showed a lot of improvement , which he did , that is good enough. Wins and loses are a team effort not one person unless he is constantly turning the ball over.
Georgia nearly beat Alabama because our Offense kept the game close . Georgia lost to Alabama because we didn’t have the Defensive depth to stop Alabama’s running attack just a few times in the second half.
I completely expect Murray to continue making good decisions in 2013 . If we lose games this year I don’t think Murray will be the problem.
Tidefan
February 17th, 2013
3:42 pm
Sounds good, problem is, Texas A/M beat us with great qb play, and qb, Manziel, was the difference. Mettenberger also had a field day against our secondary and we barely won that one, Mettenberger won all our respect. But Murray? The kid doesn’t win against the best (he loses 91% of games against teams that finish in the ap top 20), he couldn’t even complete 55% as a 3rd year starter in his accuracy against us while 1st year starters Mettenberger and Manziel completed bewtween 70-78% against us. Mettenberger & Shaw have both won as many games against teams that finished top 20, in their 1st year, as Murray has in 3 years.
LOL at UGA haters
February 17th, 2013
7:00 pm
“Tidefan”…yeah right. More like Techfan. You silly Tech nerds aren’t fooling anyone hiding behind Bama’s name. Bama barely beat UGA.
LOL at UGA haters
February 17th, 2013
7:05 pm
Oh and “Tidefan” if Mettenbooger worries you, you have more issues than I thought. Mettenberger was the reason LSU lost to Clemson.
Columbus Dawg
February 18th, 2013
5:18 am
It is down right amazing to me that every time I see “Tide” in a handle, there is a bigger D.A. behind it than the time before.
alpharetta alice
February 18th, 2013
8:26 am
that is a big statement coming from someone from Columbus…Georgia’s epicenter of stupid…
Columbus Dawg
February 18th, 2013
8:42 am
Yeah alice, we have our share of idiots in Columbus, thugs too. A lot come from the Rigdon Rd. area,(Carver High), but hopefully now that the worthless P.O.S. Ogletree brothers, as well as some others are gone from Athens, maybe things will start looking up. Hey nice move AJC, no comments section on Ogletree’s DUI.
Oh, by the way alice, to which “fanbase” do you belong? Must be a very jealous insect.
LogicalUS
February 18th, 2013
9:26 am
“defense can’t be worst against the run”
Famous last words…..in fact, it can get worst and all the signs point to it doing so.
UGA had problems with overweight DL, confused CB\LBs and bad in-game adjustment in 2012.
And “solutions” don’t quite add up, do they ?
UGA fans better say nightly prayers that Coach Bobo can again save the season because it is going to take many 50-48 wins for 2013.
LogicalUS
February 18th, 2013
9:38 am
“Murray is better than Conner shaw…..yeah he has struggled against the yardbirds….and fla but I expect that to change this year”
Is this 2011? It is like episodes of Groundhog Day every year. Don’t tell Aaron but the Clowney kid is back again…he will not sleep for 6 months.
In gameday performances, I don’t know if Murray is better than SCs backup QB Dylan Thompson much less Conner Shaw…..in hype Murray definitely has them both beat?
AltamahaDawg
February 18th, 2013
10:04 am
Same ol story. tech fans only true colors are whatever team’s they hide behind.
RedandBlackJack
February 18th, 2013
10:07 am
Of course Grantham has a handle on major challenges, his defense has finished in the top 25 in scoring in 2011 & 2012, that’s why the NFL cam calling this off-season.
Murray, I’m done pulling for the kid that has 1 win in the 12 games against teams that finished top 20–it’s been three years–he’s not going to suddenly morph into a big game winner like AJ McCarron or Connor Shaw or Zach Mettenberger or Johnny Manziel. He’s just not. Like ever. It’s been three years of watching Murray break out into sweats in big games, and always fall apart.
Murray played terrible against South Carolina, worse against Florida, even worse against Alabama, and put us in a deep hole against Nebraska with his bowl game turnovers (now 8 turnover sin 3 bowl games for Murray). Had so many three and outs or quick scores as the offensive manager against Nebraska, the defense was grasping for air. Not a team guy, he’s a “me” guy.
Going back to 2011, Murray lost all 4 big games to top ranked Boise, USC, LSU, and the Bowl game.
Gong back to 2010, Murray lost 7 games to the good teams, and 6 games against the teams with losing records.
That’s the problem at Georgia, has been ever since Murray started at QB.
Flat Tire Doesnt Live in Delusionalville Ga.
February 18th, 2013
10:39 am
So Murray is to blame for the record and not the coaches
LOL
I guess its Murrays fault we havent won the SEC since 05 too right
and I guess its Murrays fault we couldnt win the big games when Stafford and Moreno were at Georgia too right
JED
February 18th, 2013
11:15 am
Matt Stafford won 3 games in 2007 against teams that finished in the top 20:
Flroida, Auburn, and Hawaii
Murray has won 1 game against teams that finished in the top 20 from 2010, 2011 and 2012 combined:
in 2010, Murray went 0-3 against teams that finished top 20 Auburn, Miss St and Ark
in 2011, Murray went 0-4 against teams that finished top 20 Boise, SC, LSU, Mich St
in 2012, Murray went 1-2 against teams that finished top 20 South Carolina, Florida, Alabama
So he’s 1-9 against teams that finish top 20, he loses 89% against these calibre teams.
JED
February 18th, 2013
11:24 am
Against teams that finished top 20, Murray’s numbers were:
In 2010, 55% completions, 5 td’s, 1 int, 177 passer rating
In 2011, 55% completions, 9 td’s, 6 int’s, 133 passer rating
In 2012, 46% completions, 2 td’s, 2 int’s, 92 passer rating
Aaron Murray gets SIGNIFICANTLY WORSE with EXPERIENCE, he doesn’t LEARN from his MISTAKES.
Murray peaked in 2010.
Bulldawg35
February 18th, 2013
11:39 am
Who cares about ogletree where he gets picked….he hardly played when he was here…..one of my favourite players from the Richt era though….so damn athletic and fast. You people are crazy…how many touchdowns did Murray throw for last year….yes Murray needs some work but he is still a good qb. Just wait he will prove y’all tech fans wrong…he does have a winning record against tech and fla. shaw couldn’t play in Richts system because shaw is not a pro system qb….he is not a every down passer. He is a run first qb…..and somebody is going to knock him out this year…..Grantham is our problem not murray
JED
February 18th, 2013
11:40 am
Big game loser Murray wouldn’t run the clock aganst Bama, so we lost.
Look at the 2nd half drives:
2:51, 1:15, 2:03, 1:50, :58, 1:08
Look at Bama’s AJ Chmap McCaron clock management in 2nd half:
5:38, 2:12, 3:07, 5:40, 2:09, 1:09
AJ Champ McCarron took 20 minutes off the clock, and rested his defense.
Big game loser Murray took 10 minutes off the clock, and exhausted his defense.
Murray’s about Murray.
Bulldawg36
February 18th, 2013
11:46 am
Murray completed just 46% of his passes against those teams that finished top 20….and had a 1-to-1 td to int ratio….and a lowly 92 passer rating….of course grantham’s not the problem in big games…it’s murray…kid’s got 25% to 31% worse in passer rating against teams that finish in the top 25 every year so far. 25% to 31%.
Bulldawg36
February 18th, 2013
11:49 am
Murray did everthing he could to go 0-10 against teams that finish top 10…he had 3 more turnovers against florida this year in his 4th year in the system at uga…lucky for murray grantham’s defense bailed murray out with 6 turnovers in that florida game or else murray would be 0-10.
Flat Tire Doesnt Live in Delusionalville Ga.
February 18th, 2013
11:50 am
Wow Stafford beat Hawaii
LOL
Again what you fail to miss with all your useless stats is the main stat
This coaching staff continues to lose 2 or more games every single year;
hasnt won an SEC championship since 05
has yet to even appear in a BCS championship game
and yet after this years draft will probably overtake USC for putting the most players in the NFL since 2001
So again I guess all that is Murray’s fault right????????
Bulldawg36
February 18th, 2013
11:58 am
AJ finished #11 nationally in time of possession…murray finished #101 in time of possession…he’s not a big game guy…doesn’t know how to win big games….can’t win the time of possession in big games….not capable of managing the clock for the good of the team and his defense…
FIGADAWG
February 18th, 2013
12:00 pm
Murray lost to conference usa UCF
You fail to miss the point.
The NFL wanted Grantham.
They don’t want Murray.
FIGADAWG
February 18th, 2013
12:16 pm
The fast break offense, like Oregon runs, and Murray likes, doesn’t help the defense.
Pregon has finished in the top 5 in total offense in 2010, 2011, and 2011, but the defense has never finished in the top 25 in total defense.
Why? They’re exhausted. Oregon was
102nd in time of possession in 2012
120th in 2011
106th in 2010
Dog in the Bluegrass
February 18th, 2013
12:31 pm
Only thing that will change the fan attitude is a championship.
Not a near championship, but a championship.
Had we won that game, at least some of the 5 stars would be Dogs.
We’ve had top athletes. I love CMR and support him.
But only way to get the respect, is to TAKE IT!!!
Flat Tire Doesnt Live in Delusionalville Ga.
February 18th, 2013
12:56 pm
“The fast break offense, like Oregon runs, and Murray likes, doesn’t help the defense.”"”
What is this comedy hour?
So Murray told Richt and Bobo this is my playbook throw yours away Im here now and we run my playbook
And we wonder why the UGA fanbase continues to be laughed at and called delusional each year
Flat Tire Doesnt Live in Delusionalville Ga.
February 18th, 2013
1:02 pm
“AJ finished #11 nationally in time of possession”
Last time I checked AJ plays for a coach thats won 4 National Titles while Murray plays for a coach that since 2001 has put more players in the NFL than any other school in the SEC yet that same coach hasnt won an SEC championship game since 05 nor has never even sniffed the National Championship game
And Stafford never won the SEC and never beat FL 2 yrs in a row so what big games did he win
Bulldawg35
February 18th, 2013
1:11 pm
The 5 best teams we played the defense showed up for only 2 of those games….and that was vandy and fla. they didn’t show up for Bama or Nebraska or sc. Murray didn’t show up for sc…..but still led us down the field to beat Florida. The defense was 82 in the nation against the run. The defense allowed 350 yards on the ground. Those are not championship numbers……bulldawg36=booger eater